Around the NHL News - Philadelphia Flyers

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SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 4/13/2011
Anaheim Ducks
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Teemu Selanne keeps the fun in the game
Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky's long wait is about
to end
Ducks-Predators: It’s firepower vs. solid wall
Selanne proves the Ducks have fight
Ducks-Predators: Keys to winning
Predators could cause Ducks to sing blues
Ducks-Predators: A little pickin' and grinnin'
Ducks back in playoffs after one-year absence, facing
Predators, who haven't made it past the first round
Atlanta Thrashers
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Thrashers to pick seventh in NHL draft
Conditioning top priority for Thrashers, Pavelec
Thrashers stay on thin ice
Boston Bruins
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Task force
Ex-NHL coach Nolan reflects on Marchand
Zdeno Chara delivers on hit
Don’t fret over Milan Lucic
Matchup made in hockey heaven
Buffalo Sabres
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Pronger's status for Flyers still a mystery
Niedermayer has been there, won that
Vancouver's cup is full as postseason begins
Who will parent Rochester Amerks?
Goodbye, Fla.; a critical time for Amerks franchise
Calgary Flames
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Flames’ many woes mean Feaster will be busy
Jokinen shrugs off his own improved season
Irving eager to get his shot with Flames
Matt Stajan makes no excuses for his season
Mikael Backlund says yes to worlds invite from Sweden
Feaster: Iginla 'isn't going anywhere'
Feaster has refreshing approach
Carolina Hurricanes
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Canes set for World Championships
Canes' rookie led all newcomers in points
Canes sign Krueger to 1-year deal
Chicago Blackhawks
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Hair cut: Canucks' Glass rips mullet of Blackhawks' Kane
Hawks hope to make most of 2nd chance
Canucks trying to avoid mind games against Hawks
Bolland getting better quickly; Brouwer says he's ready
Canucks goalie altered style this season
Game 1 spotlight: Crawford vs. Luongo
How the Hawks and Canucks match up
Blackhawks vs Canucks series recap
Do the Blackhawks have a man who can rattle Roberto
Luongo?
Bolland’s a feel-good story finally
Canucks vs. Blackhawks series breakdown
NHL playoff capsules
Hawks plan new look for Canucks
Confident Hawks ready to test Vancouver’s mettle
It’s back! Kane’s mullet returns
Q&A with Blackhawks broadcaster Troy Murray
Hawks vs. Bulls a rivalry worth watching
Dealing with concussion left Bolland depressed
Underdog Hawks ready; Canucks 'hate' 'em
Colorado Avalanche
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Avalanche gets second pick in NHL draft
No postseason berth, no job for ex-Avs coach Crawford
Avs get the Nos. 2 and 11 picks after NHL draft lottery
Columbus Blue Jackets
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Playoff capsules
Notebook: Oilers get top pick; Jackets fall to No.8
Blue Jackets season in review: Young talent, old problems
Dallas Stars
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Joe Nieuwendyk made right call to fire Marc Crawford
Q&A with GM Nieuwendyk: Five key issues for Stars
Stars won't rush search to replace Marc Crawford: 'There is
no short list'
Stars should bring back Ken Hitchcock
Marc Crawford reaction to firing
For Stars fans' depression: NHL playoff predictions
Dallas Stars don't need Hitch in future plans
Stanley Cup playoffs preview
Dallas Stars fire coach Marc Crawford
Detroit Red Wings
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Let the day-to-day Cup playoffs begin
Competition is tougher, but Wings have skills to win another
Cup
Former Wolverine Andrew Ebbett embraces his role with the
Coyotes
Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall set to play, but coach will make
the call
Scouting report: Helene St. James breaks down series
against Phoenix
Our picks in the series between the Red Wings and Coyotes
It's the playoffs - so what could go wrong for the Red Wings?
Day before playoffs, and Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg still
can't skate
It's time for Jimmy Howard to deliver, or Wings won't
advance
Wings coach Mike Babcock keeps his foot on the gas and
pushes his agenda
Five keys to the series: Johan Franzen, Jimmy Howard need
to respond
Matchups: Wings vs. Coyotes
Playoff notebook / Wings' defense bears watching in playoffs
Things to watch: As usual, goaltending will play a key role
Versus analyst picking Coyotes
Wings vs. Coyotes: Detroit News staff predictions
Will Wings' Henrik Zetterberg play vs. Coyotes? 'It's tough to
say'
Red Wings' Mike Modano: 'This is my last chance'
Red Wings ready to count on Johan Franzen for usual
postseason production
Ken Holland on WDFN: Red Wings 'need to bring our Agame every day' against Coyotes
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg confirms he'll miss opener,
remains day-to-day after that
Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall optimistic that he'll be ready for
Game 1
Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom ready for dirty work around
net while trying to avoid penalties
Edmonton Oilers
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Edmonton Oilers score top draft pick for second straight year
Renney wraps up Oilers’ season
Oilers showed 'resilience' – Renney
Florida Panthers
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Fleury the last line of defense for Pittsburgh Penguins
Florida Panthers will pick third in NHL draft
Panthers stand pat with No. 3 pick
Florida Panthers hold onto third pick in NHL draft lottery
Rangers Continued
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Los Angeles Kings
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Kings' Justin Williams takes his bumps and Coach Terry
Murray expects him to play
Schenn’s team one loss from elimination
A year older…and wiser?
Westgarth possible for Game 1?
Murray leaves no doubt on goalie plan
Contact for Williams, but no decision just yet
Minnesota Wild
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Canucks get what they wanted -- a shot at Blackhawks
Burns playing in worlds with Wild future up in air
Michael Russo's playoff predictions
Minnesota Wild sign North Dakota's Chay Genoway
Shooter Now: Finding Minnesota Wild coach could be rough
... or Ruff
Charley Walters: Expect Wild to to take their time finding a
new coach
For former Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards, 'It's about
wins and losses'
Montreal Canadiens
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Price ready to stand tall for Habs
Habs' White not afraid to take it on the chin
Canadiens: Scott Gomez can’t explain his awful season
Habs-Bruins will be battle of goalies
Nashville Predators
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Predators see best chance to advance
Preds' system helps Rinne
NHL playoff preview: Predators at Ducks
Predators know Ducks' Dan Ellis well
New Jersey Devils
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Devils win lottery; will have 4th overall pick in 2011 NHL
entry draft
Devils win lottery; will select fourth in NHL draft
Devils search for coach to replace Jacques Lemaire
Devils nab No. 4 pick in lottery
Ottawa Senators
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Islanders Erase Interim From Capuano’s Job Title
Islanders to remove interim tag from Jack Capuano, 44-yearold will be behind bench next season
Islanders give new deal to coach
Capuano gets new deal to stay as Islanders coach
In draft lottery, Islanders get fifth pick
Isles give Capuano new deal as coach
New York Rangers
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Ovechkin Scores Less, but Capitals Aspire to More
Capitals, in Familiar Spot, Look for Different Result
Drury to Rangers kids: Seize playoff moment
Rangers vs. Capitals series schedule
Goalie says he's match for Henrik
Ovechkin resets postseason goals
What If Sports predicts Rangers over Capitals
Capitals goalie says he can 'outplay' Rangers' Lundqvist
Rangers must be at their best against Capitals
Rangers notes: Derek Stepan relieved
Capitals turn defensive
Rangers keys to Game 1
Capitals’ Mike Green: I’m ready to play
Rangers: Bring on the Caps
Despite hit, it's Marc Staal in playoffs
New York vs. Washington D.C.: Tale of 2 Cities
Matching up the Rangers and Capitals
Sens fall one spot back in draft
Senators players accept share of blame for sacking of
coaches
Philadelphia Flyers
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NHL first-round series: How we see it
Play it again, Leino: Finland native loves postseason
pressure
Flyers Notes: Walker brought up in case Pronger is out
Today's practice could determine Pronger's status for Flyers'
first-round
Don't count out Pronger
Morning Bytes: Philly is more than its sports teams
Flyers' Chris Pronger says he'll play in Buffalo series
Sabres defenseman Myers a big concern for Flyers
Ville Leino bio box
You can count on Ruff having Sabres ready to play
Sam Carchidi's NHL Playoff Picks
Pronger skates, but does not practice Tues.
Pronger trying to get a grip on possible return
Don't expect higher seeds to advance
Third, fourth lines key to playoff hopes
Flyers' Pronger doesn't seem likely to start in playoffs
Sabres say they learned from Round 1 loss last year
Snider has Stanley Cup expectations for his Flyers
Tall task awaits rookie Bobrovsky in postseason
Flyers notes: Pronger's return still uncertain
Jackson's Five: Key questions for Flyers-Sabres
Phoenix Coyotes
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New York Islanders
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Taking couple of pot shots at each other
Rangers-Capitals matchups
The Rangers' No. 1 competitor gets his chance to quench
his playoff thirst
Phoenix Coyotes intensity not a problem as playoffs start
Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov not getting the
immense appreciation he deserves
Phoenix Coyotes' Eric Belanger ready for his shot at a
Stanley Cup
Playoffs Q&A . . . with Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan
NHL Western Conference Preview Capsules
Coyotes recall Ekman-Larsson, Yonkman from minors
Pittsburgh Penguins
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Penguins-Lightning: Picking a tight series
Crosby out for tonight's playoff opener
Spirit high, expectations low for fans
Penguins' Michalek snuffs opposing teams' snipers
LW Neal returns to Penguins' practice
Tampa Bay defense comes through
Lightning pair up to old tricks
Crosby skating with team; not expected to play tomorrow
Breaking down Penguins - Lightning
Plum native shares in NCAA triumph
Remarkable, resilient Penguins set for playoffs
Penguins Notebook: Neal set for first playoff
Penguins' Staal has stood tall in stars' absence
Penguins' Crosby not ready to play
Collier: Logic no help, so making prediction is fool's errand
Scouting the rest of the playoffs
Crosby practices with teammates
Penguins sign another Samuelsson
San Jose Sharks
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Will Sharks' added grit make the difference?
Purdy: Sharks have much going in their favor
Sharks head into playoffs with Clowe back on ice
Sharks-Kings playoffs schedule
St Louis Blues
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Blues must send first-round pick to Colorado
GM believes Blues' nucleus is in place
Blues' first-round pick in 2011 goes to Colorado
Postseason Q & A: Jaroslav Halak
Postseason Q & A: Alex Steen
Postseason Q & A: Matt D'Agostini
Postseason Q &A: Andy McDonald
Postseason Q & A: Cam Janssen
Postseason Q & A: Patrik Berglund
Stewart trade transformed Blues into potential contender
Coach stresses improvement to reach playoffs next year
Tampa Bay Lightning
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Lightning-Penguins: Season series recap
Lightning-Penguins preview
Pittsburgh Penguins primer
Lightning-Penguins: Head-to-head
Veteran stars lead the charge to the postseason
Bolts' defense not flashy but certainly steady
Veteran Roloson geared up for Bolts' playoff drive
Even after surgery, Fleming eager to help Lightning
Breaking down the Tampa Bay Lightning-Pittsburgh
Penguins playoff series
Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Wayne Fleming says
focus is family, team after brain tumor diagnosis
Histories & mysteries of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Pittsburgh
Penguins playoff series
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher says D Randy
Jones is "more likely" a scratch; watch parties
Tampa Bay Lightning center talks about his family, Harvard,
movies and Crosby vs. Stamkos
Shelton and Romano: Tampa Bay Lightning playoffs could
be fun run
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher deserves credit he
doesn't want
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson keeps a
steady focus for playoffs
Toronto Maple Leafs
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Cox: With no apologies, or diplomacy, Burke soldiers on
No. 1 centre tops wish list for Leafs GM
Peddie, Watters say no room in Toronto for more NHL teams
Leafs not in sharing mood
Reimer and Monster show for next season?
Burke wants a No. 1 centre
Burke blames Leafs players for poor special teams
Burke stands by his man - Wilson
Vancouver Canucks
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Ghosts of playoffs past haunt Canucks
'Hawks not conceding anything to Canucks
Canucks won't be taken lightly
For Sedins, 'we're ready to do it ... this is our time'
'Confident' Canucks look forward to meeting Blackhawks
Canucks know the Blackhawks are still the real deal
Ryan Kesler matures into dominant on-ice force for Canucks
Solid six-pack of grinders strengthens Canucks' Cup run
Bolland not quite ready to face Canucks
On top of his game, Roberto Luongo saves quest for last
Canucks' 'CoHo' swims upstream to NHL playoffs
Canucks' claimed mental toughness is a key factor, both
teams agree
Canucks Gameday
Versatility definitely Raymond's long suit
Sedins know well that Canucks' core players have
something to prove
Blackhawks' goaltending philosophy faces test
Chicago pest Bolland still out with concussion
Washington Capitals
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Stanley Cup playoffs: Washington Capitals put philosophical
differences to the test
Washington Capitals seek a different ending
Capitals vs. Rangers
Dennis Wideman discharged from hospital
Michal Neuvirth set for first playoff start of NHL career
Defenseman Mike Green on track to return for Game 1
Capitals’ practice update
Capitals find a leading man with Jason Arnott in the fold
Neuvirth set to start Game 1 for Caps
Neuvirth to start Game 1 for Capitals vs. Rangers
Feaster: Iginla not getting traded
Websites
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ESPN / Michal Neuvirth unfazed by playoff stage
ESPN / 2011 NHL playoffs: Expect the unexpected
FOXSports.com / Stanley Cup playoffs: Western preview
FOXSports.com / Stanley Cup playoffs: Eastern preview
NBCSports.com / Cup cold spell likely to come to an end
Pressure’s on Canucks
TSN.CA / Nugent-Hopkins tops TSN's Top 10 draft rankings
USA TODAY / First-round NHL series offer plenty of intrigue
Wall Street Journal / The Blueprint for Stopping Ovechkin
YAHOO SPORTS / Playoff Power Rankings: Vancouver’s
No. 1
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
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Anaheim Ducks
Teemu Selanne keeps the fun in the game
By Chris Foster
Teemu Selanne charmed a media throng, while teammates handled a postpractice meal Monday.
He strolled through the Ducks' lobby, stopping to chat with those working
the front desk.
He stepped into the Southern California sun, where more than a dozen fans
waited, ranging from a 5-year-old boy to a woman in her 60s, who
squealed, "Teemu!" In the group, pen and camera ready, was Karl Hedlin, a
59-year-old man wearing a Winnipeg Jets jersey who came from Edmonton
to see Selanne.
Others watch and learn.
"You see how he carries himself and if you don't try to replicate it, there is
something wrong with you," Ryan said.
Exhibit A was Paul Kariya, who was as guarded as he was talented before
Selanne came to the Ducks the first time in 1996. "When I saw him the first
time, my goal was to get him to enjoy life," Selanne said.
Selanne's tutoring included the day he asked to test-drive Kariya's new
sedan around the arena's empty parking lot. He did several doughnuts and,
"I was never allowed to drive Paul's car again."
But the payoff came last summer, when Kariya told Selanne he was going
to buy a sports car.
"I said, 'Paul, you are now officially a normal guy,' " Selanne said.
Of course, the give-and-take often makes Selanne an open target for boyswill-be-boys teammates. His fight with the Kings' Brad Richardson on
Saturday was still being kicked around Monday.
"Teemu, he's a great player," Hedlin said as Selanne signed and posed
until everyone was satisfied. "But he is a better person."
"Getz and I were talking about getting out the Beta and VHS tapes the other
night to see his last hit," Perry said jokingly of Selanne. "Then he goes out
and fights somebody."
Put that on the plaque in the Hall of Fame whenever Selanne finally decides
to call it quits.
Yet, when Selanne was out injured last season, the strategy list on the
chalk board before one game started with, "win for Teemu."
Kings and Ducks coaches are two quick reads
Said Selanne: "I don't think I could ever be an individual athlete, playing an
individual sport, because this feeds me. It would be easy to look out for
yourself, but your spirit has to be with the team. It's not about you."
The Ducks may have a Hart Trophy candidate in Corey Perry, but the
team's heart is a 40-year-old man with a Tom Sawyer-ish quality —a
mixture of camaraderie and mischief, which is valued as much as his 31
goals this season, bringing his career total to 637.
"I always talk to younger guys about our love of hockey compared to the
real world," Selanne said. "There are people who have jobs. We get to have
fun."
And that keeps Selanne playing when there seems nothing left to achieve
but joy, whether that's bantering with teammates or the occasional chiding
of referees.
"Whenever there is a bad call, you know he is going to put his two cents in,"
Ducks forward Bobby Ryan said.
During a game last season, Selanne asked a referee, "How much do you
make? How about I buy you out and don't have to see you again," a line he
delivered with the usual grin.
The talk about referee patter makes Selanne chuckle nervously —
"Sometimes you get frustrated and you can't yell at teammates."
But, he said, the bottom line is, "I want this room to be a happy place for
everybody."
That has a trickle-down effect.
Perry, Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf are the spotlight trio who pushed the Ducks
into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Selanne claims, "They don't need any help
from me." Ryan disagrees, saying, "We all pick his brain."
It can be tricky terrain.
What rolls out of Selanne's mouth always has tape recorders poised. A
Finnish film crew followed him around last week, prompting Selanne to say,
"I feel like Kim Kardashian. I'm keeping up with the Kardashians."
At times, there is purpose to his hockey shtick.
After a game in 2001, then-San Jose Sharks Coach Darryl Sutter was
irritated and reportedly told the recently acquired Selanne, "You can drive
your Ferrari back to Anaheim." Selanne defused the situation by
admonishing the media, "He said, 'drive my Porsche back to Anaheim.'
Besides, my new Porsche isn't ready yet. It's still in Finland."
Other times, there is just stream of consciousness, like the December day
after practice years ago when he said, "You know that Santa Claus is from
Finland. It's true, look it up."
Selanne said that his outlook, often offbeat, is a product of his upbringing by
"parents who were positive and raised us to treat people like we wanted to
be treated." As a result, "the fun he has at the rink, that's even more present
than his goals," Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said.
LA Times: LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Anaheim Ducks
Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky's long wait is about to end
By Chris Foster
Lubomir Visnovsky has waited a long time for this.
When the Ducks begin the Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday night against
Nashville, it will end an eight-season drought for the Ducks defenseman.
"This is something new for me," said Visnovsky, who last appeared in the
playoffs with the Kings in 2002. "This time of year, I'm usually on vacation
and go home to Slovakia. I would see some highlights and I would get
[mad] seeing others in the playoffs."
Now, he said, "I have a great feeling."
The stars seem aligned as well.
Kings, Ducks playoff schedule
Visnovsky, who led NHL defensemen with 68 points, has scored 12 of his
18 goals this season in games played on Wednesdays and Fridays. If the
Ducks' series goes seven games, four of those fall on a Wednesday or
Friday.
"You know what I like about America . . . stats," Visnovsky said. "You can
make stats say good things. That's good at contract time."
More stats minutia
Sergei Kostitsyn led Nashville with 23 goals, which would have been fourth
on the Ducks. But Kostitsyn was tops in the NHL in shooting percentage,
scoring on 24.7% of his shots.
Goalie chatter
While Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle remained tight-lipped about who will
start in goal — though Dan Ellis appears to be his only healthy choice — he
had no problem waxing poetic about Nashville's Pekka Rinne.
Rinne, ranked second in the NHL in save percentage (.930) and third in
goals-against average (2.12), is a fixture.
"He's a big kid with really, really quick feet," Carlyle said. "Maybe because
he's so large, he doesn't have to be very athletic to cover a lot of the net.
He covers the whole bottom of the net being 6 feet 5. . . . He can go postto-post with his frame. So you don't really see a lot with him."
Tickets sales
Tickets remain for Game 1 and can be purchased at AnaheimDucks.com,
from Ticketmaster at (714) 703-2545 or at the Honda Center box office.
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Anaheim Ducks
Ducks-Predators: It’s firepower vs. solid wall
"We're playing against a tremendous goaltender who's played really well all
season long," the Ducks' captain added. "Obviously we're looking to that
challenge of getting lots of pucks at him and working through their
(defense).
"They play a tight game where they don't allow a lot of second shots. We've
got to do a good job of getting inside of everybody."
By ERIC STEPHENS
ANAHEIM – Playoff series are often about matchups, and the NHL Western
Conference quarterfinal between the Ducks and the Nashville Predators
contains one of the best.
Outside of some folks in Vancouver, few will argue against the Ducks' big
line of Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry being the NHL's best
trio. And there are many who see Nashville's Shea Weber and Ryan Suter
as the league's best defensive tandem.
All of them play a ton of minutes. All of them know each other's games. And
they all will frequently congregate on the ice.
The matchup of each team's stalwarts could be a deciding factor for this
best-of-7 series..
"It's going to be huge," Ducks winger Bobby Ryan said Tuesday. "I think
we're going to have to find ways. Obviously Shea, you can't say enough
about him. He does a little bit of everything.
"Ryan's a perfect complementary player for him. They mesh well. Each
brings their own things to the table. We're going to see a lot of them. We're
excited about it."
Only Vancouver's top line of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows
topped the combined 245 points that the Getzlaf-Ryan-Perry combo
produced. No one approached the 103 goals that they churned out.
The three regularly play up to 25 minutes each game and sometimes spill
over that. But it won't be a surprise if Weber and Suter are on the ice for
half of Game 1 Wednesday night at Honda Center.
Weber, the Predators' captain, is receiving serious consideration for the
Norris Trophy as he used his cannon of a slapshot to score 16 goals and
have 48 points while also playing with a physical edge in his own end.
Getzlaf and Perry won a gold medal with Weber for Canada at the 2010
Winter Olympics. But Suter, who earned a silver medal with the United
States squad, is just as important to the Predators, even if he doesn't
receive as many accolades.
"He's just so poised with the puck," said Ryan, who was his U.S. teammate.
"He's got a lot of patience. Very often he makes the right play and he's hard
to get out of position.
"He's so good positionally and he skates so well that you're going to have to
beat him in those certain little areas and take your chances when you get
them."
The Ducks' strategy is simple – apply constant pressure when the two are
in their own end of the rink and try to grind their way into their heads over
what many are expecting to be a long series.
"We've got to wear them down," Perry said. "If we have them turning and
moving and going to get the puck and we're playing that forechecking
game, in time over a seven-game series, it's going to wear them down.
"We're going to maybe create some turnovers off of it. It's a matter of just
doing what we've been doing all year."
Said Ducks coach Randy Carlyle: "You know that they're going to play big
minutes. You know that they're going to play in all the key situations.
...Those guys have won their fair share of one-on-one battles in the season.
We know it's a tall task."
Sitting behind the Predators' bookend defensive stars is Pekka Rinne, a 6foot-5 Vezina Trophy candidate who has been a wall against many teams.
When asked about the toughest thing to deal with when facing Nashville,
Getzlaf simply said, "Beating Pekka."
Rinne went 33-22-9 during the regular season and was among the league
leaders in goals-against average (2.12) and save percentage (.930).
The Ducks were a competitive group at practice Tuesday with a chippy
moment or two bubbling to the surface during some drills as they prepared
for their first playoff contest since losing Game 7 of the Western Conference
semifinals against Detroit in 2009.
But there have also been the light moments, such as Getzlaf removing
Perry's skates following a workout the day after his Rocket Richard Trophywinning linemate scored his 50th goal.
"It's been loose and I think that's what you need at this time of the year,"
Ryan said. "It's easy to get tense and easy to over-think things. It's been a
very loose room and I think that attributes to a veteran group.
"We're excited about this run. We're excited about the way we peaked down
the stretch. We certainly hope it translates."
Orange County Register: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564580
Anaheim Ducks
Selanne proves the Ducks have fight
By RANDY YOUNGMAN
What was going through Carlyle's mind when he saw his 40-year-old star
dropping the gloves?
"It's about time," Carlyle said jokingly. "I don't think he really wanted to
(fight), but he was kind of forced into it. If you review the whole play, there
was a vicious cross-check delivered to the back of the head. That usually
leads to some form of confrontation standing up for yourself. . . But, no, I
don't think we want to see him doing that too much."
Too late. The Ducks have a new enforcer. Move over, George Parros.
ANAHEIM – What was the biggest surprise during the last weekend of the
Ducks regular season?
Nominee No. 1, courtesy of Teemu Selanne: "Friday afternoon, we didn't
even know if we were going to make the playoffs. The next day, we're
fourth (in the Western Conference) with home ice. Unbelievable."
Nominee No. 2: Selanne dropped his gloves Saturday night, exchanged
punches with Kings center Brad Richardson and picked up the first fiveminute fighting major of his 18-year NHL career.
Tough call, isn't it?
Well, not for Selanne, the leading scorer in Ducks history, who added 80
points to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume at age 40 this season.
Selanne conceded he was surprised the Ducks wound up with home-ice
advantage for their opening-round playoff series against Nashville – Game
1 is tonight at Honda Center – because the team had been "grinding three
months" just to get in.
But the fight? He wanted to know why that was surprising. Selanne said he
had to retaliate after Richardson had hit him in the head from behind,
knocking off his helmet.
Selanne said he felt that "somebody" was trying to hurt him, "so I had to do
what I had to do."
And that meant dropping the gloves and duking it out with a 26-year-old.
Reminded me of White Sox infielder Robin Ventura, 26, charging the
mound and being pummeled by Texas legend Nolan Ryan, 46, back in
1993.
This one wasn't as one-sided, but Selanne declared himself the decisive
winner after practice Monday. (You can watch a video of the bout at
hockeyfights.com and score it yourself.)
"I'm 3-and-0," Selanne said, laughing.
Though NHL records don't show any other fights that elicited 5-minute
majors, Selanne said he had two other fights, against players whose names
he can't remember, during his rookie year with the Winnipeg Jets in 199293. For some reason, he was better known that season for scoring 76
goals, a rookie record that still stands, and 132 points.
One of those two fights probably was against Chicago's Chris Chelios,
because hockeyfights.com has a video clip of that one from a game at
Winnipeg Arena on Jan. 19, 1993. Selanne is shown hitting Chelios with a
gloved-hand left, before another Chicago player comes in and puts him in a
headlock.
Then Chelios, who had skated toward the bench, comes back and "suckerpunches" Selanne with his bare hand – that was the description of the
broadcaster on the clip – while he was being restrained by another player.
Selanne once told me he decided after his rookie year to leave the fighting
to the goons – excuse me, the enforcers – and so he retired from fighting
"undefeated, like Rocky Marciano."
But circumstances dictated that he make a comeback Saturday night at
Staples Center, and he lived to joke about it.
Afterward, he was prancing around the locker room with raised fists – or
"jacked up," as Coach Randy Carlyle described it.
"He was so happy he fought," MVP candidate Corey Perry said Monday,
laughing at the memory. "He was pretty much jumping up and down ... And
(before that) we were talking about getting the VHS and Beta tapes
together just to see his last hit."
In retrospect, the Selanne-Richardson bout was very funny. But what if
Selanne had broken his hand punching an opponent in the last game of the
regular season?
Teemu Selanne has decided to channel Gordie Howe.
The turnaround: On Feb. 25, the Ducks were 32-25-5, had lost five in a row
and were languishing in 11th in the Western Conference. They went 15-5 in
their final 20 games to finish with 99 points, fourth overall, and made the
playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.
Ba-da-bing! From Jay Leno, late-night wise guy, jabbing the slumping
Lakers during his Monday night monolog: "What is happening with the
Lakers? They've lost five games in a row. In fact, the Clippers are now
suing them for identity theft."
564581
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks-Predators: Keys to winning
By ERIC STEPHENS
What are the three keys for the Ducks to defeat the Nashville Predators in
the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs?
1. SPECIAL TEAMS: Only two teams had a better conversion rate on the
power play than the Ducks during the season and they'll need to succeed
against a Nashville penalty-killing unit that was fifth in the NHL. Fewer
penalties will be called in the playoffs but there still will be power-play
opportunities. The Ducks have the kind of skill on their units that they need.
The Predators were much better in killing penalties at home than on the
road.
2. GRAB THE LEAD: The Ducks were 34-10-2 when scoring first and it
would benefit them to jump out first and force the defense-oriented
Predators to come out of their trapping, counter-attack style. While they
were quite adept at coming from behind in games during their playoff push,
the Ducks have found that Nashville isn't a team that blows many leads
when it has them. The Predators took three out of four games in the season
series and scored first in all of their victories.
3. SECONDARY SCORING: As productive as the top line can be, the
Ducks can't depend on them or Teemu Selanne to provide all of the
scoring. It is where players like Saku Koivu and Jason Blake can come into
play, and they can be difference-makers if they can chip in a goal here and
there. Koivu scored four of his 15 goals against Nashville. Any kind of
production from the bottom six, which has been nonexistent beyond rookie
Brandon McMillan, would be a welcome sight.
564582
Anaheim Ducks
That is how Nashville has filled the holes left by Dan Hamhuis, Kimmo
Timonen, Tomas Vokoun, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Marek Zidlicky,
etc.
Predators could cause Ducks to sing blues
Meanwhile, the Ducks soar into the postseason with 15 victories in 20
games and a ton of third-period magic.
By MARK WHICKER
Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan have won their battles against opposing first lines
and top defense pairs all season.
There's only one problem with boasting a Hart Trophy candidate and a
Norris Trophy candidate and the deadly Katella Triangle.
When you hog the wattage in a first-round Stanley Cup playoff matchup,
you can no longer occupy the role of Plucky Underdog.
That has been the role of the Ducks' lifetime, except for the 2007
championship team, probably the most dominant one since the lockout. Of
course, that team had three Hall of Famers, at least.
Otherwise, the Ducks came from the dark recesses to get to Game 7 of the
Finals in 2003 and in the Western Conference finals in 2006.
They also were the eighth seed in 2009 when they dumped San Jose and
then were tied with Detroit with 3:01 to go in Game 7.
But now the Ducks are up against the league's consummate underdog, the
Nashville Predators, who, each offseason, sing sadly about the
winger/defenseman/goalie who got away.
But if you're looking to deepen your worry lines, note that the Ducks are
21st in the league in goal differential when it's five-on-five, lowest rank of
any playoff team.
If the Ducks have become hooked on power-play scoring, it's time to take
up a new hobby. Nashville tied for fourth in the league and second among
playoff teams in fewest minors taken.
Also, the pressure hangs heavily over the Ducks in Games 1-2. Nashville
lost only eight home games all season.
Music City is often cited as the most incongruous hockey market in the
league, but Carrie Underwood (married to center Mike Fisher) might be
changing that.
Country music is the favored channel of a majority of North American
hockey players, possibly because of Steve Warriner's hit, "Is It Cold In
Here, Or Is Just You?"
And there's that classic hit from Hank Williams: "I'm Selanne I Could Cry."
Then the Predators play 82 games as if their bus is double-parked,
spreading Cumberland River mud for 200 feet and barging back onto the
saddle again.
A lot of heartache awaits Ducks fans on the winding road to Game7. In the
end, it's likely that Getzlaf and his mates will be singing, "It's Ryan Time
Again."
They and the Ducks have been to the playoffs five of six years since the
work stoppage, although Nashville hasn't yet won a series.
But they might be haggard by then.
The hockey intelligentsia is picking the Ducks to advance because that is
what the numbers say.
Well, some of the numbers.
Nashvhille's leading scorers are Martin Erat and Sergei Kostitsyn, with 50.
That's points, not goals. Corey Perry himself has 50 of those. The top goal
scorer for the Predators is Kostitsyn, with 23.
Erat was the leading power-play scorer, with 7, and Nashville had the fifthworst percentage in the NHL. Six Ducks scored at least five power-play
goals, and Teemu Selanne had 16 and Perry 14.
Yet both teams wound up with the same number of points and Nashville
was 3-1 against the Ducks.
But there are reasons to expect a series that goes to the limit and could
possibly dump the Ducks somewhere between the swinging doors and the
train station.
For one thing, goaltending is always the theme, and Nashville's goalie
situation is far more certain. Pekka Rinne, at 6-foot-5, led the Preds to the
third lowest goals-against in the league, and Rinne had the second best
save percentage.
Those who watched the Olympics learned one reason Nashville is so
unsinkable. Two, actually. Defensemen Shea Weber (Canada) and Ryan
Suter (U.S.) were terrific in that series, and Weber might have the hardest
shot in the game. He tied for third among Nashville's top scorers. Suter and
Weber often play together and they will greet Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan with
each shift.
Although Anaheim and Nashville are not in the Original Six or even the
Original 16, they both use a traditional, rational approach.
Barry Trotz has coached all 984 regular-season games in Predators history.
This, in a time when Marc Crawford and Todd Richards get fired in Dallas
and Minnesota after two seasons.
David Poile, the Nashville general manager who got to know Trotz when
both were in Washington, drafted Suter and Weber in the first two rounds of
the bountiful '03 draft.
In '07 and '06 the Predators' top picks were Jonathon Blum, of Santa
Margarita, and Blake Geoffrion, grandson of Boom-Boom and greatgrandson of Howie Morenz. Both will contribute in this series.
564583
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks-Predators: A little pickin' and grinnin'
By JEFF MILLER
Where do we begin making fun of Nashville? Tough call when there are so
many options.
Had the Ducks' first-round opponent been the Blackhawks, we have to
admit it would have been tough making fun of Chicago.
For one thing, Chicago's a great city. For another, we love it there. Thick
pizza and cold beer. What else does a man need to be happy?
But Nashville? Comparatively speaking, Nashville is an open net, on the
forehand, with the goalie on his back.
Nashville, for example, has given the world many great cultural treasures,
like "Hee Haw," an old TV show that featured corny jokes, gratuitous
cleavage and an animated donkey.
So, Ducks fans, let's spend a few minutes getting to know this city a little
better, while keeping in mind that Nashville also was the birthplace of Lark
Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on "Saved by the Bell," speaking of
cultural contributions.
564584
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks back in playoffs after one-year absence, facing Predators, who
haven't made it past the first round
By J.P. Hoornstra, Staff Writer
ANAHEIM - Corey Perry should feel spoiled.
Many players put in the effort, but few can claim to have made the playoffs
in five of their first six NHL seasons.
Perry, the Rocket Richard Trophy winner and the NHL's lone 50-goal scorer
this season, was asked Tuesday how this playoff run differs from years past
in Anaheim.
Upon reflection, one April stood out above the rest.
"It's like any other opponent," Ellis said. "It's a team that's always been
underestimated and always finished above expectations. They're not a
team that's a pushover like some people say they are. They're a wellgroomed team that sticks to their system and never beats themselves.
"We have to go out there and outwork them. That's going to be one of the
keys to beating them."
Nashville is led by its top defensemen, Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Weber
is considered among the best in the NHL at his position, having scored 16
goals while amassing a plus-7 rating. Suter is a more defensive-minded
player who finished at plus-20. The Ducks' top line of Bobby Ryan, Ryan
Getzlaf and Perry, as they skated in practice this week, can expect to see
plenty of the Predators' top pair.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne was third in the NHL in goals-against average
(2.12), and at 6-foot-5 makes for an imposing target, but otherwise the
Nashville lineup boasts few stars. Sergei Kostitsyn and Martin Erat were the
team's only 50-point scorers. The Ducks had five players with at least 68
points.
"Last year is the only time I've missed the postseason," he said. "We know
what it feels like in this room. We don't want to go back there."
Defenseman Jonathon Blum is a native of Long Beach and might have his
own cheering section at Honda Center, but a game program might be
otherwise necessary.
Maybe Perry and the Ducks don't feel spoiled after all, which can only be a
good thing as they begin the playoffs on home ice tonight against fifthseeded Nashville.
Anonymous or not, the Predators won three of four head-to-head meetings
with the Ducks in the regular season. Will that translate to the franchise's
first playoff series victory?
The Predators know what it feels like, too, having made the playoffs six of
the past seven seasons but never advancing beyond the first round.
"Eventually, you've got to beat that curse," Ellis said. "You just want to
make sure you're not the team that's allowing them to do that.
The Ducks have the added advantage of knowing what it takes to win a
Stanley Cup.
"Their urgency level there, their desire to get through that first round, is
going to be higher than ever."
Six players from the 2007 championship squad remain (Perry, Ryan
Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, Francois Beauchemin, Todd Marchant and
George Parros). Defenseman Andreas Lilja won a Cup in 2008 with the
Detroit Red Wings.
LA Daily News: LOADED: 04.13.2011
"What we try to do is utilize their experiences and have them speak to (their
experiences) with our group," head coach Randy Carlyle said. "When you
prepare your team for the playoffs, that's one of the strengths. You have
younger players that have competed in numerous playoff series and
in intense ones. They should be able to transfer some of their knowledge
and their experience onto some of your younger players and some of your
players who haven't been as far in the playoffs and haven't had that
success.
"That's what we really look to - players providing that leadership, taking
ownership of your hockey club."
That identity of an experienced club expecting more than a first-round exit
comes with an interesting wrinkle in goal: With All-Star Jonas Hiller still
experiencing vertigo symptoms and Ray Emery recovering from a lowerbody injury, Dan Ellis could get the start against his former team.
Emery was playing well - 7-2-0 with a team-leading 2.28 GAA and .926
save percentage - when he suffered a lower-body injury and left his start
last Wednesday.
Ellis, though, stated his case with back-to-back wins against the Kings on
Friday and Saturday and allowed the Ducks to clinch the fourth seed and
home-ice advantage in the first round.
Emery completed his first full practice since the injury Tuesday, but couldn't
commit to being ready to start Game 1.
"I'm not sure. We'll see how it goes when we get there," he said. "I'm just
happy with the way practice went today."
Ellis has given the Ducks no reason to lack faith after going 8-3-1 with a
2.39 GAA and .917 save percentage since arriving in a midseason trade
with Tampa Bay. Ellis, who played with the Predators from 2007-10, started
all six games of a first-round series loss to the eventual champion Detroit
Red Wings in 2008.
He already has faced Nashville twice this season. The first was a 4-3
Nashville win in Tampa Bay on Oct. 24; the second was a 46-minute relief
appearance after Jonas Hiller allowed three goals in an eventual 5-4 Ducks
loss March 24.
564585
Atlanta Thrashers
has yet to make a final decision. Bogosian said he declined an invitation to
play for the United States to concentrate on offseason work.
Thrashers to pick seventh in NHL draft
Ladd and Kane have accepted invitations to play for Canada. Pavelec will
play for the Czech Republic. Alexander Burmistrov has been invited to
training camp for Russia.
By Chris Vivlamore
The tournament runs from April 29 through May 15.
Atlanta Journal Constitution LOADED: 04.13.2011
The Thrashers will select seventh in this year’s NHL draft, after the league
held its lottery Tuesday night for the 14 non-playoff teams.
The Thrashers dropped a spot after New Jersey won the lottery. Edmonton,
with the league’s worst record, will select first overall for the second
consecutive year. Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and the New York
Islanders will round out the top five.
The Thrashers, with the sixth worst-record in the NHL, could have moved
up as high as the second pick had they won the lottery. NHL rules prohibit
teams from jumping more than four places.
Ottawa will select sixth, and the Thrashers will be followed by Columbus,
Boston (via Toronto), Minnesota, Colorado (via St. Louis), Carolina, Calgary
and Dallas.
This year’s draft will take place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.,
on June 24-25.
Contract talks
The Thrashers will have a busy offseason, with three unrestricted free
agents and six restricted free agents from the NHL roster.
Unrestricted Radek Dvorak and Eric Boulton both said Tuesday their first
priority was to re-sign with the Thrashers.
“Hopes are to re-sign with the team,” Boulton said. “We’ve made this our
home. We obviously love it here. The potential of the team is very attractive,
too. We have a bright future, a lot of young kids who can play. I definitely
want to come back.”
Dvorak said the Thrashers are “my first option.”
Freddy Meyer also is an unrestricted free agent, along with minor-leaguers
Jason Krog, Jared Ross, Jaime Sifers and Noah Welch.
The top offseason priority is to sign captain Andrew Ladd, a restricted free
agent.
“With [Ladd], talks are further along than they were a year ago,” general
manager Rick Dudley said. “They are much more what I would call civil
discourse. I think we both want to get something done. I think Ladd wants to
get something done. We definitely want him back.”
The other NHL restricted free agents are Zach Bogosian, Ben Maxwell, Rob
Schremp, Anthony Stewart and Blake Wheeler.
Concussion issues
The Thrashers had eight players suffer concussions this season, with the
injury prematurely ending the season for three.
Jim Slater (41 games), Meyer (28), Patrice Cormier (23), Dvorak (6) and
Rob Schremp (1) are all still feeling the effects of the concussions.
“It’s not as good as I want it to be right now,” Slater said. “I missed a big
part of the season which was really difficult for myself, very frustrating. One
I never want to live again.”
Meyer said he is still dealing with symptoms. Cormier said he is still a
month away from being able to work out.
Ondrej Pavelec, Bryan Little and Evander Kane also missed time during the
season.
“That’s kind of unusual,” Dudley said. “We are going to request that our
people wear the best helmet they can. We can’t order them to.”
Thrashers represented at Worlds
The Thrashers could have as many as eight players at this year’s World
Championships in Slovakia.
Wheeler, Mark Stuart and Tim Stapleton will play for the United States.
Dustin Byfuglien has been invited to play for the team, but said Tuesday he
564586
Atlanta Thrashers
Conditioning top priority for Thrashers, Pavelec
By Chris Vivlamore
Inconsistency killed the Thrashers’ playoff hopes. They won November
games against top teams in Washington and Detroit by a combined score of
10-1, and they blew a two-goal, third-period lead to league-worst Edmonton
in February.
Addressing that problem, the same message was delivered to each player
following season-ending meetings on Tuesday: Come to training camp in
September in top condition.
That included Ondrej Pavelec, receiving an edict that comes with the
territory of being a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
“There is concern when a save percentage vacillates as much as it did over
periods of time. … There is a way to make an inconsistent goaltender more
consistent," Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. "In [Pavelec’s]
case, he has to focus on the conditioning aspect. That’s a simple fix. As
long as he buys in, it’s a simple fix."
Early in the season, when the Thrashers were playing their best hockey,
Pavelec had a save percentage close to .930. He trailed only Boston’s Tim
Thomas as the best in the NHL. Pavelec, however, finished tied for 24th in
the league with a .914 percentage.
“If [Pavelec] is going to be a No. 1, and is going to play 70 games or 60
games, you have to play in back-to-backs," coach Craig Ramsay said. "You
have to play in difficult situations, four games in five nights. You’ve got to be
mentally and physically prepared for that. Unless you are physically
prepared, you probably aren’t going to be mentally prepared."
Carolina goaltender Cam Ward played in 74 of 82 games this season,
starting 37 of the final 38.
Pavelec, 23, finished the season with career highs in games played (58),
wins (21) and shutouts (4). He left for the Czech Republic on Tuesday to
compete in the World Championships.
“I will come back in better condition,” Pavelec said. “When I played I felt
good. I didn’t feel tired."
Countryman Radek Dvorak played with another Czech Republic goaltender
in Tomas Vokoun in Florida before being acquired in a February trade.
Dvorak said Pavelec “can easily beat him.”
Mason said coming to training camp in top condition, even as a goaltender,
was a lesson learned early in his career. It came in some stern words from
a former strength coach.
“He told me that if you want to play in the NHL you are going to have to get
yourself in great shape,” Mason said. “He was hard on me and it really
woke me up. From then on, I made it a major priority to do my workouts and
come to camp in shape. [Pavelec is] learning and he’s young."
Dudley said the days of players getting in shape during training camp are
gone. Getting in top condition pre-camp is a necessity.
“Specific to Pavs, we think he can come better prepared,” Dudley said. “The
one thing athletes have to understand is what they report in in September
has a direct impact on their play in February. There is no question about it."
Atlanta Journal Constitution LOADED: 04.13.2011
564587
Atlanta Thrashers
Thrashers stay on thin ice
Associated Press
DULUTH, Ga. --- The Atlanta Thrashers face another off-season of
uncertainty.
They're on the market, out of the playoffs and under pressure to build a
winner. What else is new?
"You have to kind of use that disappointment and frustration as motivation,"
forward Evander Kane said, "to come back next year and make sure it
doesn't happen again."
That might be easier said than done.
During their 11-year stay in Atlanta, the Thrashers have made the playoffs
once, in 2007. They still lack an elite goal scorer. Their defense is spotty.
General manager Rick Dudley, coach Craig Ramsay and team leaders like
captain Andrew Ladd, All-Star defensemen Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias
Enstrom and forward Blake Wheeler believe the team has plenty of
promise.
High first-round picks like Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and center
Alexander Burmistrov are all under 21. Center Bryan Little, drafted 12th
overall in 2006, is only 23. Ondrej Pavelec, a second-round pick in '05,
showed early in the season that he might have what's necessary to become
a dependably solid goaltender.
But those players, whether it was caused by injuries or inconsistencies, still
fell short of Dudley's hopes.
"The truth is for us to have the success that we expect, they have to grow
up," Dudley said. "They have to mature and take on the responsibility.
They're paid a lot of money, and they're key members of a good hockey
team. If they're playing somewhere near their optimum level, we can
function very well in this league."
Dudley feels that Pavelec, whose save percentage and goal-against
average rose steadily after he ranked No. 2 in both categories in early
December, needs to improve his conditioning.
Ramsay, who played in 1,000-plus NHL games and has worked as a head
coach in Buffalo and Philadelphia, designs schemes predicated on fast
skaters getting to the right spots on the ice offensively and defensively.
The plan worked well in the first half of the season as players' legs were
fresh and the team was excited to be winning.
Augusta Chronicle LOADED: 04.13.2011
564588
Boston Bruins
Task force
This season, Lucic, Krejci, and Nathan Horton have emerged as the club’s
most dangerous offensive line. Lucic and Krejci led the Bruins with 62
points each. Lucic became only the 10th NHL player since 2004-05 to
record 30 goals, 30 assists, and 100 penalty minutes.
Horton is the wild card. Game 1 will be the first time Horton appears in an
NHL playoff game.
By Fluto Shinzawa
Zdeno Chara was in his corner, wearily peeling off his shirt. Johnny
Boychuk approached his partner.
“It’s going to be OK,’’ Boychuk said. “I’ll be back. We’re all going to be
back.’’
It was May 14, 2010. The Bruins had completed Game 7 of the second
round against Philadelphia. Not many people have forgotten the outcome.
Nearly 11 months have ticked off the calendar since the Bruins gagged up a
3-0 series edge and a 3-0 Game 7 lead over the Flyers. There has been
some turnover. Dennis Wideman, Matt Hunwick, Blake Wheeler, and Mark
Stuart were traded. Marc Savard is still suffering from post-concussion
syndrome.
But the core group remains: Chara, Recchi, Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron,
David Krejci, Milan Lucic. As their punishment for their participation in one
of the organization’s darker moments, these Bruins bear bruises — time
has allowed them to fade slightly — that only a deep postseason march
completely will erase.
“We entered this year coming off that disappointing end against
Philadelphia,’’ general manager Peter Chiarelli said during a conference call
yesterday when asked what would be a successful season. “That’s been an
underlying theme of the year — to be able to respond and be able to build
from that. The obvious answer is to get past the second round. But it’s more
than that. It’s about how we play, how we compete. There are a lot of
variables that go into a playoff run. I expect us to have a successful run.’’
The playoffs begin Thursday night at the Garden against the Canadiens,
and nobody knows the mental impact of last year’s demise. But to counter
any ill effects, management and the coaching staff have built a club that is
better equipped to handle the playoff grind.
? Two goalies are better than one. Last year, after March 15, Thomas
appeared in only three of the Bruins’ 14 regular-season games. One was on
March 29, when Thomas was pulled after allowing three goals in a 3-2
home loss to Buffalo. Another was the regular-season finale against
Washington. Thomas didn’t play at all in the playoffs.
Thomas didn’t merit more ice time than he was given, as he had been
fighting a torn labrum in his left hip. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask was proving
to be a go-to goalie. Rask was sharp in the first round against Buffalo. But
he slipped in the second round because of the physical and mental burden
he had to assume.
This season, Thomas is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy for the
second time in three years. But Thomas hasn’t had to assume a significant
workload. While he appeared in 57 games, Rask was a solid understudy in
29 appearances. In theory, Thomas should enter the first round fresh. If he
falters or suffers an injury, Rask will be ready for action.
“I feel really confident with our goaltending,’’ coach Claude Julien said. “It’s
certainly not going to be an issue. Tim’s had an unbelievable year. Tuukka’s
played extremely well here in the second half of the season. We’re back to
having two really good, dependable goaltenders. So I feel really
comfortable with that.’’
? A go-to No. 1 line. Just three shifts into his Game 3 workload against
Philadelphia, Krejci was smoked by Mike Richards. He suffered a
dislocated right wrist, ending his season. Krejci’s loss helped to torpedo the
playoff run.
But the Bruins’ top line wasn’t at full strength before Krejci’s injury. Lucic
was limited to 50 games (9-11—20) because of a broken finger and a
sprained ankle. In the second-to-last regular-season game, he aggravated
his ankle sprain. Lucic logged only two assists in the first round. He was
stronger against the Flyers, when he scored five goals and had two assists.
By Game 7, however, Lucic was skating alongside Savard and Miroslav
Satan. Savard wasn’t up to playoff speed. Game 7 would be Satan’s final
NHL appearance.
?Good health. The Bruins remain without Savard, their best playmaker. But
other than Savard, the team has been fortunate to escape injuries.
By Game 7 last year, Krejci, Seidenberg, and Marco Sturm were
unavailable. Because of those injuries, too many Bruins were playing out of
position. Daniel Paille, a career fourth-liner, was on the second line with
Bergeron and Recchi. Vladimir Sobotka, playing through a shoulder injury
that would require offseason surgery, was the No. 3 center. Steve Begin
and Trent Whitfield were skating on the fourth line.
This time, the fourth line might be the hottest threesome heading into Game
1. Paille, once a regular healthy scratch, scored three goals and had two
assists in the last seven games. Gregory Campbell has been the most
consistent fourth-line center under Julien’s watch. Shawn Thornton has
performed his usual dirty work as the No. 4 right wing.
It’s not all roses for the Bruins. So far, Tomas Kaberle has been a
downgrade from Wideman. The power play is a weakness. Injuries are
almost sure to strike. The stink from last season’s meltdown remains.
“It’s more of a motivational thing than anything else,’’ Thornton said of last
year’s humiliation. “It’s probably in the back of the mind. It’s not up front,
that’s for sure.’’
Boston Globe LOADED: 04.13.2011
564589
Boston Bruins
Ex-NHL coach Nolan reflects on Marchand
by Fluto Shinzawa,
Former NHL bench boss Ted Nolan, now the vice president of hockey
operations for the Rochester Americans, only coached Brad Marchand for
one season. In 2005-06, when Nolan coached the Moncton Wildcats,
Marchand was a second-year junior player.
But Marchand made a lasting impression on Nolan.
"He always had that drive and determination, that's for sure," Nolan said.
"The first time I saw Brad in training camp in Moncton, the first thing that
struck me, more than anything else, was just his drive and his compete
level. That's one thing about young players coming up in the NHL. You can't
just play OK games. You've got be at your best the majority of the time."
With Nolan behind the bench and Marchand playing a go-to role, Moncton
advanced to the Memorial Cup final. Marchand's teammates included Keith
Yandle, Philippe Dupuis, and Martins Karsums. Moncton lost to Quebec.
"Brad was only 17," Nolan said. "If he was 19 years old, we would have won
the Memorial Cup."
Look for more on Marchand in Thursday's Globe.
Boston Globe LOADED: 04.13.2011
564590
Boston Bruins
Zdeno Chara delivers on hit
By Steve Conroy
WILMINGTON — It was at the end of his brief media availability and he
didn’t expound on the exchange, but Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said that
he has spoken to the Montreal Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty.
“I did. We talked,” Chara said yesterday before the figurative curtain came
down on his give-and-take with the media at Ristuccia Arena.
It was the first contact Chara has had with Pacioretty since the defenseman
drove the Montreal forward into a Bell Centre stanchion on March 8, a hit
that has helped to make the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series
between the Bruins and Canadiens perhaps the most anticipated of the
postseason. As of now, Pacioretty (concussion, fractured vertebra) is not
expected to play in the series, though he has begun skating.
Chara is anxious to get the series under way.
“It’s very exciting and this is what we all play for,” said Chara, who has
elevated his game to a Norris Trophy-caliber level since the Pacioretty hit.
Monday’s Game 3 will be the B’s first visit to Montreal since the hit. Chara
will be the target of some serious invective when he gets there, but that’s
nothing new.
“It’s been like that for years and really it’s not going to be any different,”
Chara said. “We all have to just focus on the game and the playoffs.
“It’s the playoffs, it’s a new season and, like I said, we have to focus on the
game.”
Mark his words
Mark Recchi had no interest in rehashing the comments that he made prior
to the March 24 game in which the B’s winger suggested that the
Canadiens organization embellished Pacioretty’s injuries in an effort to have
Chara suspended. Chara went unpunished outside of the penalties
assessed during the game.
Recchi, who spent parts of five seasons with the Canadiens in the 1990s,
was asked what type of reception he will be expecting from the Montreal
crowd.
“I don’t care,” Recchi said. “I’ve got a job to do. I’ve said it was the last time
I was going to speak about it and it’s the last time. We’ve got a job to do.
I’ve got to play hockey. I had five great years there, so that’s it.” .?.?.
Coach Claude Julien leads the Bruins into the playoffs for the fourth straight
time and will be looking to get past the second round for the first time.
When asked if he thought he was coaching for his job, Julien said he didn’t
think so.
“Not at all,” Julien said. “I’m coaching just like any other year. That part
doesn’t change at all. You don’t come in here worrying about yourself. In
the playoffs, you come in worried about winning the Stanley Cup. It’s
certainly not in the back of my mind.”
Quite an experience
Brad Marchand will be one of several Bruins making their first playoff
appearances. The rookie winger has been all ears when the veterans speak
of the push for the Stanley Cup.
“The guys who’ve been there and won have talked about it and they say
that it’s a completely different season,” Marchand said. “Everyone is
working their butt off every time they step on that ice. I think the test will be
more than anything we’ve seen so far this year. Every game is going to be
a grind.” .?.?.
Providence Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin and defenseman Matt Bartkowski
practiced with the team as extras.
Defenseman Steve Kampfer is also with the big club, but he’s expected to
miss at least a couple of weeks with a knee injury.
Forwards Jamie Arniel, Jordan Caron, Zach Hamill, Lane MacDermid and
Trent Whitfield and defenseman Yury Alexandrov have also been officially
recalled from the AHL affiliate, but they will be practicing in Providence.
Boston Herald LOADED: 04.13.2011
564591
Boston Bruins
Don’t fret over Milan Lucic
By Steve Conroy
WILMINGTON — A simple perusal of the stats might suggest some
concern for Bruins fans.
Milan Lucic, the team’s lone 30-goal scorer, went without a goal in his last
10 games, including four games in which he was held without a shot on net.
But coach Claude Julien was decidedly unperturbed about his left winger,
as the Bruins are set to embark on yet another playoff series against the
Canadiens.
Julien preferred to look at Lucic’s entire playoff resume and not the last 10
games. He has no doubt that Lucic will be ready when the series opens
tomorrow night at the Garden.
“You see it in the past with guys like Claude Lemieux who always come out
of the woodwork and become real efficient players for their team. And I
think Looch has always been one of those guys that gets really excited
about those playoffs,” Julien said yesterday. “And that’s not just with our
team. If you win a Memorial Cup, you have to be a pretty good player and
he was, as you know. He’s just one of those guys that loves those big types
of games. He’s a big type of player that comes up big in those situations.”
The playoffs have indeed been Lucic’s time since he was a teenager. He
was named the Memorial Cup MVP when he led the Vancouver Giants to
the Canadian junior championship with 7-12-19 totals in 22 games. As a
Bruin, he has 10 goals and 10 assists in 30 playoff games, including three
goals in three Game 7 appearances.
To Montreal fans, Lucic is one of the lightning rods on the Bruins. And he’s
more than comfortable playing that role.
“I have a lot fun in that,” the 22-year-old said. “It’s what makes this so fun to
be a part of. And for myself, I just have to feed off those type of emotions
and feed off the energy and not let it get the best of me. Especially in the
playoffs, you really have to take the mindset that you take every shift like it’s
your last and make sure you do whatever you can to help your team
succeed. Personally I’ve always taken that as a challenge and try to rise up
to the occasion.”
Montreal has always seemed to get the best out of him, too. In 23 career
games vs. the Habs, he has 8-6-14 totals and is a plus-7. In six games this
year, the numbers are 4-5-9 with a plus-9.
Lucic is at his best when he’s at his most ferocious, but it’s a fine line. Two
years ago, he was suspended for Game 3 after crosschecking Max
Lapierre.
“It could come down to one little thing between winning and losing,” Lucic
said. “For us, we have to do a good job of managing our emotions, using it
to our advantage and feeding off of it. I don’t think we have to change
anything from how we played in the season. We still have to play with that
edge and high-intensity type of game. But then again, we have to manage it
so that we’re not spending most of our time in the box.”
Lucic is also happy to be healthy again. Though his playoff numbers didn’t
show it (five goals, four assists in 13 games), last season he was battling
several injuries, most notably a high ankle sprain.
“I’m much healthier, not nearly as many problems as I had last year. It’s the
most games I’ve played in a regular season (79), so I’m taking that as a
positive thing,” Lucic said. “Hopefully I can stay healthy and play the way I
know I can play.”
564592
Boston Bruins
Matchup made in hockey heaven
By Steve Conroy
The Habs were in the process of exacting revenge the only way they can,
on the scoreboard, when the entire tenor of the rivalry got jacked up to
hysteria. With the seconds ticking down in the second period and the
Canadiens up comfortably, 4-0, Chara rode Pacioretty into the stanchion at
center ice. The forward suffered a concussion and a cracked vertebra, and
has not played since. Chara was tossed from the game. The Habs fans’
indignation only grew when the NHL did not suspend Chara. Monday will be
the first time the B’s return to Montreal since the hit.
GAME 6
For the 33rd time in their franchises’ histories, the Bruins and Canadiens
will square off tomorrow in the opening of what should be a highly charged
playoff series. As the teams prepare for the drop of the puck in Game 1 at
the Garden, we take a look at the season series between the two Original
Six teams, to set the stage for the sure-to-be-electrifying Eastern
Conference quarterfinal showdown that looms:
March 24, 2011 at TD Garden
BRUINS 7
CANADIENS 0
CANADIENS 3
Everything came together for the Bruins on this night. They got a couple of
fortunate bounces early and never let up on the Habs. The punctuation
mark on the game was Campbell’s short-handed goal when the Bruins were
down two men. That goal had to have been an embarrassment to Montreal.
Whether this is a sign that the B’s finally figured out a way to play the Habs
or that the game was an aberration remains to be seen.
BRUINS 1
PLAYOFF HISTORY
It was a ho-hum affair, barely distinguishable as a B’s-Habs game. P.K.
Subban scored and Brian Gionta had the game-winner, while Carey Price
made 34 saves. It was one of many games in which Tuukka Rask got little
support in a loss.
The Canadiens hold a 24-8 advantage in playoff series between the two
teams. The B’s beat the Canadiens in the semifinals in 1929 and then the
Rangers in the final. It is the only year the B’s won the Stanley Cup when
they played the Habs in the postseason.
GAME 2
GAME 1
Nov. 11, 2010 at TD Garden
Dec. 16, 2010 at Bell Centre
CANADIENS 4
BRUINS 3
Things started to percolate in this game. Subban laid a thunderous, high hit
on Brad Marchand, who picked himself off the ice and groggily made it back
to the bench on his own. David Krejci also fought Michael Cammalleri, who
had been granted a penalty shot just 1:04 into the game. Cammalleri beat
Tim Thomas, and the goal sent the Habs on their way.
GAME 3
Jan. 8, 2011 at Bell Centre
CANADIENS3
BRUINS 2 (OT)
This game showed off both teams’ strengths and could well be the template
for what this playoff series will look like. For about 57 minutes, the B’s
executed their system to a T, getting a couple of goals and then smothering
the Habs with sound team defense. But the B’s gave Montreal an
opportunity when Michael Ryder took a late penalty, and the Habs jumped
on it. They scored two late goals to tie, and Max Pacioretty netted the
overtime winner before petulantly pushing Zdeno Chara in the back on his
way to the celebration.
GAME 4
Feb. 9, 2011 at TD Garden
BRUINS 8
CANADIENS 6
This was the B’s version of the Peter Finch monologue in the movie
“Network” — they were mad as hell and they weren’t going to take it
anymore. Allowing six goals, four of them on the power play, is not what the
Bruins wanted to be doing, but they got their first win of the year against the
Habs in a memorable game that featured 182 penalty minutes and pleased
the Garden crowd to no end. The clip of Gregory Campbell pounding on
Tom Pyatt will be worn out between now and the puck drop tomorrow night.
GAME 5
March 8, 2011 at Bell Centre
CANADIENS 4
BRUINS 1
564593
Buffalo Sabres
Pronger's status for Flyers still a mystery
By Mike Harrington
It's the No. 1 question heading into the Sabres-Flyers series and no No. 2 is
even close: When will Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger take the ice?
There was no firm answer after the Flyers' practice Tuesday in Voorhees,
N.J., as the veteran skated on his own with the team's other injured players
for about 50 minutes and did not take part in the regular workout. Pronger
has not played since March 8 due to a broken hand.
The plot thickened even more Tuesday night as Flyers flagship radio station
WIP reported Pronger will definitely miss the opener and may not play until
Game Five or Six.
"Every day you feel better," Pronger told Philadelphia reporters after his
workout. "Some days you have setbacks, other days you have steps
forward. Just the nature of the beast."
Asked if he was confident he would play in the series, Pronger's response
was "very." Asked if he would play in Game One, Pronger said, "I guess
you'll have to wait to find out."
Pronger has not shot a puck in two weeks and is listed as day to day. He
leads the Flyers in ice time at 22 minutes, 29 seconds. Last year, he
averaged 29:03 during the playoffs and led all defensemen with 18 points.
Earlier Tuesday during a live interview on WGR Radio, Flyers center and
former Sabre Daniel Briere said Pronger would miss Game One and maybe
several more. Briere later told Flyers reporters he was kidding had "no clue"
about Pronger's status.
"We'll prepare like he's going to be there," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said of
Pronger. "We know what he brings and how they use him. We'll just be
ready if he's there."
Sabres defenseman Andrej Sekera returned to practice Tuesday in HSBC
Arena but said he won't know until today if he can play in the opener.
Sekera has an upper body injury suffered while shooting pucks after
practice last week.
"I'm just progressing every day and hopefully it will get better and better,"
Sekera said. "I'm doing everything I can to be ready for Game One. I felt
pretty good. We'll see how it is [today] because this was my first day on
skates. That's a little different than working out in the gym."
Tim Connolly also returned to practice after taking Monday off as a
maintenance day and will play Thursday. Mike Grier practiced but Ruff
would not give any update on his status.
Playoff touches were going up around the arena Tuesday as the ice was
getting prepared for logos to be painted, and the official Stanley Cup
backdrop sponsored by NHL.com was erected in the media room. The
Sabres also received an NHL Network microphone flag to affix on their
podium for news conferences.
In the locker room, the team has roped off the large Sabres logo on its new
carpet. Since it was installed last month, the logo has been consistently
tromped upon by television cameramen to the often-loud dismay of players.
Buffalo News LOADED: 04.13.2011
564594
Buffalo Sabres
Niedermayer has been there, won that
By Mike Harrington
Through five months when Rob Niedermayer didn't have a single goal,
everyone you asked around the Buffalo Sabres said the veteran center was
on the roster for one reason: to suit up in the playoffs.
No one is expecting the 37-year-old Niedermayer to have a major impact on
the score sheet during the series against the Philadelphia Flyers that opens
Thursday night in Wells Fargo Center.
But if the last few weeks have been an indication, Niedermayer can give
you 10-12 minutes a night of decent two-way play.
And don't underestimate a key point. Niedermayer has a Stanley Cup, won
in 2007 for the Anaheim Ducks with his brother, Scott. No other Sabre has
one.
"It's exciting, the time of year you play for all year," Niedermayer said. "You
get a chance and that's what you want. This team is peaking at the right
time and this is where you want to be playing your best hockey. We just
want to carry that over."
Niedermayer has appeared in 109 career playoff games and has advanced
to the finals three times -- in 1996 for Florida and in both 2003 and 2007 for
Anaheim.
"He doesn't panic in situations," said linemate Cody McCormick. "He's been
through almost every one in hockey, I bet. He's lived it and is a guy you can
go to if you have a question. His experience in the playoffs is something
you can really talk to him about."
Niedermayer's first two trips to the finals ended in losses, as Florida was
swept by Colorado in 1996 and the Ducks lost a seven-game thriller to New
Jersey in 2003. He finally broke through in '07 as Anaheim dumped the
Ottawa Senators in five games after the Sens eliminated the Sabres in the
Eastern Conference final.
"So many things have to go right to get to that point," he said. "You have to
get momentum early in a series, be healthy. So many things play into it. It's
a hard run."
So much attention goes to any team's main scorers and Sabres like
Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford and Jason Pominville have earned their
share during the team's flourish to the finish. But Buffalo's role players have
been excellent as well.
"Those guys have done a tremendous job for our team," coach Lindy Ruff
said. "A lot of our success the last couple months has been the fact the
Niedermayers, [Mike] Grier, [Patrick] Kaleta, [Nathan] Gerbe, Matty Ellis
have been hard to play against even in limited ice time. They're not the kind
of guys you want to go out with because they make it extremely tough for
you."
McCormick knows Niedermayer's career resume and said he's picked his
linemate's brain about the postseason just about every day.
"I've probably hit that topic once or twice," McCormick cracked, referring to
the 2007 Cup. "I never asked him too much about it on the personal side [of
playing with his brother] but we've talked about how every game gets bigger
and bigger when you get into later rounds and it means more each game.
He's been there. He's won one and obviously when you win one, you want
two."
Niedermayer finished this season with five goals, all after March 6, and 19
points.
"Skating is a part of my game and when I'm skating well, that's when I get
my chances," he said. "I've been concentrating on that and it's going
better."
Four years ago, he had five goals and 16 points in 82 games for the Ducks.
Then the playoffs came and Niedermayer put together five goals and five
assists in just 21 games.
"It's the time of the year where there's not a lot of room out there and you
have to fight for all your room," he said. "Once you get momentum in a
series, it's hard to change. The biggest thing I tell our young guys is for
them to be prepared for the tempo and how much space they'll have on the
ice. You're going to have to really battle. Little plays can mean so much."
564595
Buffalo Sabres
Vancouver's cup is full as postseason begins
that includes five 20-goal scorers, two more than Washington had. Captain
Chris Drury is back. Marc Staal blossomed into a top tier defenseman in the
second half. Lundqvist can steal the series if he plants doubt the way
Jaroslav Halak did last year for Montreal.
By Bucky Gleason
Outlook: The Caps are less explosive but are better prepared for the
postseason than they were last year, although questions remain about their
goaltending. Capitals in five games.
Philadelphia (2) vs. Buffalo (7)
They led the league in goals for and against, victories home and away, had
the best special teams, a Hart Trophy candidate for the second straight
year, a Vezina Trophy candidate in goal, a great coach, terrific fans and
they're surrounded by the prettiest landscape in the league.
So what's not to like about Vancouver?
The Canucks have everything in place for their first Stanley Cup with only a
fitting conclusion separating them from their storybook 40th NHL season.
Canada won the gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and
now it is the Canucks' turn to win one for themselves and their city.
It's never easy.
Washington waltzed to the Presidents' Trophy last season with one of the
more dominant teams in years, but the Capitals were bounced in the first
round of the playoffs. The Canucks have too much talent to suffer the same
fate with the Sedin twins, terrific two-way forward Ryan Kesler, a defense
rich in depth and experience and an experienced winner in goaltender
Roberto Luongo.
The trick for Vancouver's players will be keeping their heads together and
their competitive edge sharp throughout the playoffs. Every team in the
conference will be hunting them, starting with their first-round opponent.
Chicago won the Cup last season and can beat Vancouver if everything
snaps into place.
"We've shown all year we can stay on an even keel and that's going to be
key for us," Henrik Sedin told the Vancouver Province. "There are going to
be times in the playoffs where you're going to lose one or two games. If we
start getting rattled by that, it's going to be our biggest opponent."
Still, it would be a shock if Vancouver was dumped early. It shouldn't have
too much trouble with a tired Chicago team that already has its trophy in the
case. No team has repeated since the 1997-98 Red Wings, and it's unlikely
to happen this year. Vancouver hasn't been past the second round since
1993-94, when it lost to the Rangers in the final series.
Keep an eye on San Jose in the Western Conference. The Sharks reached
the conference finals last season and have been in contention for six
straight seasons.
Boston is the team to watch in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are
matched against the hated Canadiens, continuing one of the biggest
rivalries in professional sports. Zdeno Chara, keep your head on a swivel if
a game gets out of hand.
Washington finished strong and won the conference title again this year and
is plenty capable of reaching the finals. The Caps will be under immense
pressure when facing the Rangers, who have a goalie in Henrik Lundqvist
who can win the series. Another first-round knockout could cost coach
Bruce Boudreau his job.
One dark horse in the East: Buffalo. The Sabres have had the NHL's best
record (16-4-4) since Feb. 22, when Terry Pegula took over. They have a
very good chance to knock off Philadelphia, which struggled down the
stretch.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Washington (1) vs. New York Rangers (8)
Capitals update: Washington's first-round KO last season prompted
Boudreau to tighten his defense for the playoffs. The Caps allowed 197
goals this season, tied for second-fewest in the East, but they scored 94
fewer goals than in 2009-10. Alex Ovechkin had 24 fewer points, Nicklas
Backstrom 36 fewer, Alexander Semin 30 fewer than last year. The Caps
were 15-3-1 after losing defenseman Mike Green to a concussion Feb. 25.
He should play in Game One.
Rangers update: The Blueshirts finished the season 11-4-1 and nearly
missed the playoffs again in the final weekend. John Tortorella has been
masterful in getting his team to overcome injuries with a balanced attack
Flyers update: Philly reached the Stanley Cup finals as a seventh-seed last
year and knows the dangers of facing one. The Flyers have been near the
top in goals all season but had just two wins in their final eight games (2-42). Claude Giroux led six 20-goal scorers with 76 points. Philly was behind
first-place Vancouver with 259 goals scored. Danny Briere has been terrific
against Buffalo. Defenseman Andrej Meszaros had a great year. Chris
Pronger missed the final 16 games with a broken hand. Expect him in the
lineup, an influence that cannot be overstated.
Sabres update: Buffalo was the NHL's best team over the final six-plus
weeks with a 16-4-4 record under new ownership. Tim Connolly, Thomas
Vanek and Jason Pominville can expect a heavy dose of Mike Richards.
Connolly, who hasn't scored a playoff goal since 2006, must produce.
Vanek had seven goals and 19 points in his final 17 games. Nathan Gerbe
scored 15 of his 16 goals in the second half of the season. Ryan Miller had
a 21-10-5 record after Jan. 1. The Sabres played 44 games decided by a
goal this season, which should help them in the playoffs. Are they tough
enough?
Outlook: Philly has more talent and playoff experience, but rookie goalie
Sergei Bobrovsky has never been in this position. The Sabres match up
well with the Flyers and were better going into the playoffs. Buffalo in six
games.
Boston (3) vs. Montreal (6)
Bruins update: Boston believes it's built for a deep run into the postseason.
The Bruins are rich with depth, experience and goaltending and have
enough talent to beat anyone. What better team to see in the first round
than Montreal? Their response to the Canadiens' anger about Zdeno
Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty was a 7-0 pasting March 24. Milan Lucic's
style is suited for the postseason. Chara is desperate for a Cup. Tim
Thomas is the leading Vezina Trophy candidate.
Canadiens update: The Habs finished 4-1-1, but that was after six losses in
nine games, including three straight. Leading scorer Tomas Plekanec isn't
among the NHL's top 50. Talent is spread across four lines. Brian Gionta
finished with 29 goals after a slow start. Scott Gomez earned $7 million,
scored seven goals, and was minus-15. Carey Price (2.35 GAA, .923 SP)
appeared in a franchise record 72 games, and his 38 victories led the
league. His career playoff stats: 5-11, 3.97 GAA, .897 SP.
Outlook: This is a dream matchup in a bitter rivalry that intensified this
season. Boston's talent and toughness will carry them in five games.
Pittsburgh (4) vs. Tampa Bay (5)
Penguins update: Sidney Crosby (concussion) missed the final 41 games
and Evgeni Malkin the final 29, but the Pens kept winning because they had
brilliant goaltending and great coaching. Marc-Andre Fleury had a 2.15
GAA and .925 SP after losing six of his first seven games. Crosby played
only a half-season and still won the team scoring title by 16 points.
Amazing. He has been skating for several weeks, so look for him in the first
round. East Amherst defenseman Brooks Orpik is back after missing 20
games.
Lightning update: The Bolts were in contention for the division title until a
second-half slump. Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos each had 30-plus
goals and 90-plus points. Their top-six forwards are very good, and their
bottom-six understand their roles. But their 240 goals allowed were the
second-most among playoff teams. Former Sabres goalie Dwayne Roloson
has been solid since coming over from the Islanders, and he won four of his
last five decisions. They were ranked sixth on the PP, eighth on the PK.
Outlook: It's a toss-up without Crosby, but many believe he will play. Take
the Penguins in seven games.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver (1) vs. Chicago (8)
Canucks update: Vancouver scored the most goals and allowed the fewest,
making it the favorite to win its first Stanley Cup. Henrik Sedin was named
MVP last season, and twin brother Daniel is a leading candidate this year
after winning the NHL scoring race with 104 points (41 goals). Ryan Kesler
scored 41 goals and could be the best defensive forward in the league. The
defense is deep and experienced, and the Canucks have one of the NHL's
best goalies in Roberto Luongo. He was second in the league in GAA (2.11)
and fourth in save percentage (.928).
Blackhawks update: The Stanley Cup champs were fortunate to make the
playoffs after winning only five of their final 10 games. Reaching the
postseason was a tall order after losing so many players from a title team
due to the salary cap. Leading scorer and captain Jonathan Toews was
their best all-around player. South Buffalo native Patrick Kane completed
his fourth season with 70 or more points. Goalie Corey Crawford (2.27,
.918) has played only one postseason game in his career.
Outlook: The Blackhawks have been to the conference finals in two straight
seasons, but it stops after the first round this season. Canucks in five
games.
San Jose (2) vs. Los Angeles (7)
Sharks update: They have finished in the top two in their division eight
times in nine years but have never played for the Stanley Cup. The Sharks
find ways to fall short in the postseason. Joe Thornton had his sixth straight
20-goal season, but his 70 points were his fewest since 2002-03 with the
Bruins. Thornton has only 15 goals and 65 points in 91 postseason
contests. Rookie Logan Couture (32) had more goals than Dany Heatley
(26). Goalie Antti Niemi, who won the Cup last season with Chicago, has
been solid.
Kings update: Los Angeles suffered a major blow when leading scorer Anze
Kopitar (73 points, plus-25) suffered torn ligaments in his ankle. He had
surgery March 28, but it's not clear when, or if, he would return this season.
Dustin Brown, Justin Williams and Ryan Smyth are gamers, but that's too
much to overcome. The key to their success will be goalie Jonathan Quick,
who was 7-7-1 after a brilliant 9-1-1 stretch in February. He was roughed up
for 13 goals in his final three playoff games last season.
Outlook: The loss of Kopitar is too much for the Kings to overcome against
a Sharks team that reached the conference finals. Sharks in six.
Detroit (3) vs. Phoenix (6)
Red Wings update: Detroit has reached the playoffs in 20 straight seasons,
the most among any team in the four major sports. Leading scorer Henrik
Zetterberg (80 points) suffered a knee injury and missed the final two
games, which is a major concern for a good but aging team. Goalie Jimmy
Howard is back and needs to play well and stay healthy. Backup Joey
MacDonald is not the answer. Veteran Chris Osgood still isn't 100 percent
after sports-hernia surgery. Had a 27-0-4 record when leading after two
periods.
Coyotes update: Phoenix marched into the playoffs with an 11-2-3 tear,
proving their postseason berth last season was no fluke. The Coyotes
cause matchup problems because they're balanced across three lines.
Shane Doan was their lone 20-goal scorer, but nine players had 16 or
more. They had 21 wins and eight regulation losses in games decided by a
goal. They also went 31-14-7 when outshot, which speaks to the steadiness
of goalie Ilya Bryzgalov (2.48 GAA, .921 SP).
Outlook: Too many injuries and questions in goal remain for the Red Wings.
Phoenix in six.
Anaheim (4) vs. Nashville (5)
Ducks update: Corey Perry will be considered for the Hart Trophy after
leading the league with 50 goals and leading the Ducks' second-half surge
into the playoffs. Teemu Selanne had 31 goals and 80 points. Ryan Getzlaf
and Bobby Ryan give them plenty of firepower up front. Defenseman
Lubomir Visnovsky had 18 goals and 68 points while feeding off partner and
ex-Sabre Toni Lydman, who led the NHL with a plus-32. Dan Ellis or Ray
Emery in goal? Tough call.
Predators update: Their defense and goaltending carried them into the
playoffs in a tight conference. The Preds allowed only 194 goals, secondfewest in the NHL, which allowed them to overcome offensive
shortcomings. Sergei Kostitsyn is their go-to guy, which says plenty about a
team that didn't have anyone in the NHL's top 90 in points. However, they
had the NHL's best defense pairing in Ryan Suter and Shea Weber. Goalie
Pekka Rinne is a Vezina Trophy candidate (2.12 GAA and .930 SP).
Outlook: Anaheim won its last three games and has enough firepower up
front to break through and solve Rinne. Ducks in six games.
564596
Buffalo Sabres
To remain relevant on the entertainment landscape, the new affiliation
agreement is critical. The deal could pave the way to a franchise revival, or
it could spell disaster if the debacle of Florida is duplicated.
Who will parent Rochester Amerks?
In the three seasons that the Panthers fully stocked the roster, the Amerks
were 104-115-7-14. Just counting wins and total losses, that's 104-136.
Twice the Amerks had the worst record in the Western Conference
(including this year at 31-39-5-5) and they never won a playoff series.
Written by Kevin Oklobzija
The Amerks' fourth annual "garage" sale runs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on
Saturday in the atrium of Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community
War Memorial.
New and used equipment, such as pants, gloves, helmets, skates and
practice jerseys, will be sold. The money goes to the Amerks Charitable
Foundation which benefits families in need.
The Rochester Americans know who won't be supplying players next
season: The Florida Panthers.
The Amerks, however, say they have no idea who will stock their roster
when the puck drops on the 2011-12 American Hockey League season.
Speculation and backroom whispers continue for the Amerks hockey
department.
But until the dominos start to fall with possible or probable shifting of NHL
franchises in Phoenix and/or Atlanta, the Amerks must wait to talk to, or
about, their new partner.
"There's a lot of work behind the scenes but publicly there's nothing to
announce," Ted Nolan, vice president of hockey operations, said on
Tuesday as players packed up and went through exit interviews with the
coaching staff and Panthers assistant general manager Mike Santos.
Operating as an independent was discussed and investigated by Amerks'
management over the past three months, but they no longer consider it a
viable option. It's far too expensive to sign an entire roster of players, and
they also wouldn't have the carrot of an NHL promotion to dangle in front of
free agents.
"It would be the bottom option, the last option," Amerks president Lewis
Staats said.
Plus, AHL president Dave Andrews spent nearly a decade making the
30/30 vision become reality — one AHL franchise for every NHL team. This
is the first season of implementation. The league will fight hard to maintain
it.
"The reality is, there's a want and desire by everyone to have an NHL
partner, including us," Staats said.
Besides the Amerks contract with Florida, the only other expiring affiliation
is between the Phoenix Coyotes and San Antonio Rampage. A move by
Phoenix and/or the Atlanta Thrashers could trigger a cascade of movement,
however.
The relationship between the Anaheim Ducks and Syracuse Crunch is
stormy. Other teams are rumored to be looking for a better partner.
One team that says it's very happy where it is: The Buffalo Sabres, who are
in Year 3 sending players to the Portland (Maine) Pirates. In three years the
Pirates have finished third, second and this year first in the Atlantic Division,
and have had the AHL rookie of the year each season.
As much as Amerk fans and city officials believe the Sabres are the best fit
for Rochester, there seems to be no chance of a reunion anytime soon.
"The people of Rochester speak of that as the ideal," Staats said.
But Staats also has the accounting books he inherited from the previous
ownership group headed by Steve Donner. Whether substantial ticket
giveaways padded the attendance figures or not, box office revenue wasn't
strong during in the final years of the Sabres' 29-year affiliation.
"People weren't exactly knocking the door down to come watch the
Amerks," Staats said of the 2005-06 to 2007-08 seasons under the Sabres.
What no one can argue: This is a critical time for the franchise. Average
attendance was 3,872 for this season's 40 games at Blue Cross Arena at
the Rochester Community War Memorial. They actually drew well, though,
over the past eight games, averaging 5,038 despite being eliminated from
playoff contention.
"We have to win," Nolan said. "In this league, development is important but
so is winning. I believe you can do both. You can even win with young guys.
But you have to win."
For departing players who will probably be under contract to Florida next
season, Tuesday was a strange day.
"You can't help but wonder what will happen," said third-year defenseman
Michael Caruso, who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 but will
likely be tendered an offer by the Panthers. "You like to know where you'll
be and what you're working towards."
Caruso said when he arrived in Rochester to start the 2008-09 season, this
wasn't exactly the best city he'd ever visited.
"But it grew on me over the three years," he said. "I've kind of grown to love
the place after I found all the good things about Rochester."
Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 04.13.2011
564597
Buffalo Sabres
Goodbye, Fla.; a critical time for Amerks franchise
Posted by Kevin Oklobzija
Good news for fans of the Rochester Americans:
The Florida Panthers are very sure their affiliation with the Amerks is over.
Not that anyone ever believed it could be salvaged — or that anyone wants
to salvage it.
But for the first time both sides essentially said this morning that only the
strangest of circumstances would force them back together for another
American Hockey League season.
Outside of some minor travel burdens and the inconvenience for Sabres
general manager Darcy Regier to see his prospects, the fit in Portland
couldn’t be better.
Unless new Sabres owner Terry Pegula feels some reason to reach out to
Rochester, or he makes a purchase offer that Curt Styres can’t refuse,
there’s no reason for them to reunite with the Amerks.
Operating as an independent is highly unlikely
As for going independent, not a chance. It’s a very expensive proposition,
far more expensive than last season’s free-agent signing bonanza that the
Panthers stuck Styres with.
“It’s a very costly option,” Staats said. “It would be the bottom option, the
last option.”
Maybe even behind going dormant for a year. The team would be required
to pay between a quarter- and half-million dollars to freeze the franchise for
a year. But that’s cheaper than going independent.
What neither can say is what lies ahead as they go their separate ways.
“It hasn’t been discussed at all,” Staats said. Nor has selling the franchise,
Staats said.
“I wouldn’t say the door is completely shut, but it’s like Rory McIlroy on the
11th hole of Augusta on Sunday,” Panthers assistant general manager Mike
Santos said this morning, before exit meetings began with players at the
War Memorial offices.
What Staats and Nolan do know is that this is a crucial time for their
franchise. Pegula isn’t hoping to win a Stanley Cup in Buffalo, he’s
essentially promising one. That will mean even more attention and love in
our area for the Sabres.
“He (McIlroy) was still in the tournament but it wasn’t looking good.”
As such, the Amerks can’t afford to fall farther off the entertainment
landscape in Rochester. Since the Sabres aren’t coming back to stock the
franchise, the new parent team next season won’t be as important as what
happens on the ice.
“The two philosophies are just different, they’re at odds. What they want
doesn’t match what we’re trying to do from a development standpoint. We
agree to disagree.”
And they agree not to work together.
The Amerks say they must have input on veterans signings. They say they
don’t want control, just a say in what players are signed as veterans.
The Panthers want to control everything hockey.
So the search continues, though nothing can really be done until the onfragile-ground NHL franchises decide where they’re going. The Atlanta
Thrashers surely are moving. The Phoenix Coyotes remain in limbo.
Winnipeg is the first choice for both. Quebec City could be next on the
preferred-destination list.
Phoenix is really the wild card. Relocating back to their old home, Winnipeg,
means the AHL’s Manitoba Moose must move. The Anaheim Ducks are
rumored to want out of Syracuse, and Crunch owner Howard Dolgon would
be happy to see them leave.
San Antonio is currently the AHL affiliate for Phoenix, but that locale could
be a much better geographic fit for the Ducks.
Folks in Winnipeg say True North Sports and owner Mark Chipman would
operate the Phoenix team but they would still maintain ownership of their
AHL franchise; they would just need a home for it.
That means the Vancouver Canucks, the current parent team for the
Moose, would go searching for a new home for their prospects. The
Canucks don’t own an AHL franchise.
But maybe it would make sense for True North to sell the Moose to the
Canucks, the Canucks could say somewhere in the Pacific Northwest
(Victoria, anyone?) and the new Winnipeg NHL team could send players to
Rochester.
If, if, and if. Could, could and could.
More than the fans, the Amerks want an end to this waiting game. But
director of hockey operations Ted Nolan and team president Lewis Staats
both say the dominos must start to fall at the NHL level before anything can
be done here.
Portland has been perfect for the Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres remain the ideal parent, but they have no reason to
leave Portland. There is no pressure from Pirates ownership to sign highprofile free agents, the fan base aparently has warmed up to the youthful,
development approach, and players have made a seamless transition from
Portland to Buffalo whenever they go up.
“We have to win,” Nolan said. “In this league, development is important but
so is winning. I believe you can do both. You can even win with young guys.
But you have to win.”
Unprecedented turnover for Panthers farm team
4:35 p.m. Of the players that finished the season in Rochester (or would
have if not injured), only eight are under contract for next season: G Jacob
Markstrom; D Colby Robak, Adam Comrie and Evan Oberg; LW Eric
Selleck, Cs Scott Timmins and AJ Jenks; and just-signed RW Anthony
Luciani.
The Panthers also can maintain the rights to seven restricted free-agents by
tendering contract offers before the end of June: Gs Tyler Plante and Marc
Cheverie; D Michael Caruso; LWs Kenndal McArdle, Tim Kennedy and
Michael Duco; RWs Jordan Knackstedt and Jeff LoVecchio.
There also two forwards who spent significant time on recall. RW Michal
Repik is also in the final year of his entry-level contract, and LW Evgeny
Dadonov has another year left.
But Santos wouldn’t proclaim that either has graduated to the NHL.
“I think we’ve seen glimpses that they can be NHL players,” Santos said.
“Both performed OK (with Florida). Ideally, when we’re able to build depth,
those are the types of players we need to spend three or four years in the
AHL.”
Santos said only three or four players are turning pro out of junior and/or
college. So the obvious question is: Do the Panthers even need an AHL
affiliate next season. The crop of prospects drafted by Dale Tallon won’t be
turning pro until the 2012-13 season.
Santos, however, said sharing an AHL team or dispersing prospects isn’t
the first or second choice. Endless injuries in Florida this season probably
made that decision for them.
“We need a team next year,” he said. “If we didn’t have a full affiliation with
the Rochester Americans, we wouldn’t have been able to supply an NHL
team this year.”
Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 04.13.2011
564598
Calgary Flames
Flames’ many woes mean Feaster will be busy
“Until someone tells me otherwise,” he said, “I’m going to continue to do my
job.”
n Keeping Jarome Iginla in Calgary
Despite the parcel of picks and prospects Iginla would surely fetch in trade,
the Flames claim they aren’t tempted.
By Scott Cruickshank,
Calgary Flames interim general manager Jay Feaster says it’s business as
usual, which now means conducting end-of-season player meetings and
evaluations, until he’s told otherwise. Feaster figures to be busy trying to
start to fix what ails the Flames, who have missed the playoffs two straight
seasons.
“Jarome isn’t going anywhere — I don’t know how else to say that,” said
Feaster. “I appreciate the feeling that, coming off the season that he had,
his value, et cetera, et cetera. (But) Jarome is the face of this franchise in
so many ways. There is no doubt in my mind that Jarome wants to win a
Stanley Cup and he wants to win it here. We want to win a Stanley Cup,
and we want to win it with Jarome here.
“It’s a non-starter. The captain is going nowhere.”
Burdened with a bloated payroll, stuck with a flimsy assortment of up-andcomers, saddled with a significant number of free agents, Jay Feaster is
staring at a busy off-season.
Any other untouchables?
Those chores, however, can be boiled down.
n Free agents Alex Tanguay, Curtis Glencross
Subtract salary.
Tanguay enjoyed a terrific bounce-back season (at $1.7 million), while
Glencross produced a career year ($1.2 million). Both free-agent wingers
are in line for meaty raises.
Add prospects.
Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But the Calgary Flames’ acting general manager
knows it is not.
Meeting with local media Tuesday morning, Feaster outlined the labourintensive summer ahead.
“We’re disappointed with where we are,” he said. “We’re disappointed we
didn’t achieve the goals that we set, but . . . we also think there’s some real
good pieces in place that we can build around.
“It’s unfortunate that our season has ended in terms of games. But our
season hasn’t come to a conclusion as it relates to the work that has to be
done.”
The bare bones of a bad situation — consecutive 10th-place finishes in the
Western Conference; one of the oldest squads in the National Hockey
League; two impact forwards, Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross, who can
walk July 1; a head coach who needs a contract extension; $56.2 million in
salary (for 17 players) already committed to 2011-12; four measly picks at
June’s draft in St. Paul, Minn., and only one in the top 100.
“I really don’t want to get into that. I don’t see the benefit of (talking about it)
so 29 other teams know exactly what we’re thinking.”
“It’s all about making choices and decisions,” said Feaster. “What we have
on the drawing board right now is that both guys are doable.”
Additionally, he has talked — twice — with the team’s entire herd of free
agents.
n Dumping salary
With an unmanageable 2011-12 payroll — already — Feaster doesn’t rule
out sticking players in the minors (no cap hit), setting them up in Europe (no
cap hit), or buying them out (residual cap hit).
Hiding salaries, however, adds up to a hefty bill — for the owners. Forking
out real dollars to make mistakes go away.
And, oh yeah, Feaster, inexplicably, is still lugging around that “acting” on
his title.
“Clearly, ownership has demonstrated already that there is a willingness to
do that,” said Feaster. “At the same time, the responsibility of management
is, when you have contracts that didn’t work out . . . or you have players you
want to move, you can’t simply go running to ownership all of the time,
saying, ‘Hey, I made a mistake here. I’d like to bury this one. Would you
mind spending another X million?’ I’m not sure that’s the most productive
conversation for any manager to have.”
Sheesh.
n Extending Brent Sutter’s contract
But a fellow has to start somewhere.
With the coach being two years into a three-year deal, a new pact is a
priority. But, as of right now, it’s not at the top of the to-do list.
So Feaster sat down with all of his players, one on one, this week. He’ll talk
to a few of them again in the coming days.
Next week, organizational meetings are slated. Everybody in the Flames’
hockey-department chain — from the coaches in Abbotsford and Calgary,
to the professional and amateur bird-dogs, to the player-development
brigade — is invited.
All of the reports, including player ratings and scouting analyses, will be
funnelled into one package and presented to the decider, team president
Ken King.
“The review isn’t about blame,” said Feaster. “It’s about, ‘What can we learn
from it?’ ”
Feaster, ever pleasant, answered questions on a variety of topics Tuesday
at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Here are highlights:
n Feaster’s current status
Months after taking over for Darryl Sutter, Feaster’s role remains shrouded
in impermanence. That “acting” descriptor is glaring.
“When I took the job, Ken made it clear that I had full responsibility and
authority,” said Feaster. “In the normal course of our business, I am
confident that we’ll get to it. I know it’s a source of (public) concern . . . but it
isn’t an impediment.”
Besides, there are no other hockey managers on the premises.
“That’s a thought process that I haven’t even got to yet . . . because he has
a year left on his deal,” said Feaster. “We have other areas to address
before we get to Brent. All in due course.”
Not that Feaster doesn’t dig the skipper.
“He’s done a really solid job. I’m a big fan.”
n Acquisition of Freddy Modin
On trade-deadline day, Feaster shipped a seventh-round pick to the Atlanta
Thrashers for the sway-backed Modin. He was supposed to provide depth.
Never happened.
“It is one that didn’t work out,” said Feaster. “I take full responsibility. I own
that one, 110 per cent.”
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564599
Calgary Flames
“Points-wise, I probably surprised a lot of you guys,” he said. “That’s for
sure.”
Jokinen shrugs off his own improved season
Like Jokinen, Alex Tanguay responded to the many media types who rolled
their eyes upon his return to Calgary. He made a statement with 22 goals
and 69 points.
By Vicki Hall and John Down,
And so Tanguay finishes the year second in team scoring behind Jarome
Iginla. Third place belongs to none other than Jokinen.
“I guess,” Jokinen said, “that Darryl did something right in the summer, too.”
Calgary forward Olli Jokinen collected 54 points, including 17 goals, this
season. ‘‘Point-wise, I don’t really care. It’s all about the team and where
the team goes.’’
The relationship between Olli Jokinen and the city of Calgary can only be
described as tumultuous.
At one point or another during his tenure, the big Finn has been blamed for
everything from the Flames missing the playoffs to the proliferation of high
gas prices to the slow patching of ghastly potholes.
No matter. The Calgary Flames centre is in Florida this week with his wife,
who is due to give birth to the couple’s third child at any moment.
From there, the family will jet back to Calgary. Yes, it’s true. The Jokinens
have chosen the Alberta chill over the Florida sun.
“This is home,” Jokinen said before packing up his gear to end another NHL
season. “We love it here. It’s a great place to be and raise the kids, so
looking forward to it. Hopefully, the weather gets a little bit better.”
From a personal standpoint, Jokinen figures his body of work improved in
his first full season as a Flame. Not that it matters in the big picture.
“It’s always disappointing not to get in the playoffs and missing the postseason,” he said. “That’s why we play. Winning the Stanley Cup is
everybody’s dream.”
The Flames dealt Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers last
winter for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. In a surprising — no,
shocking — move, the Flames re-signed Jokinen last summer to a two-year
deal worth $6 million, with a no-movement clause to boot.
At the time, Jokinen lashed out at the media critics who floated the idea of
him playing in Russia if no NHL team wanted to take a run at the Finnish
Olympian. Pulling down $5.5 million last season, Jokinen produced 15
goals and 50 points in a season divided between the Flames and the
Rangers.
He took a $2-million pay cut to return to Calgary and chipped in with 17
goals and 54 points.
“Point-wise, I don’t really care,” said Jokinen, who maxed out at 91 points in
2006-07. “It’s all about the team and where the team goes. So I don’t think
there’s anyone in this room who is 100 per cent satisfied with where we
ended up.
“A lot of guys had really good years for them, but I don’t think anyone feels
like that’s great.”
The only glaring blip on Jokinen’s statistical line? The team-worst minus-17
he shares with linemate Rene Bourque.
“Personally, I felt comfortable in the role I had playing against the other
team’s top lines,” said Jokinen, 32. “I think I became a better player this
year. More aware of my defensive game.”
The return of Jokinen to Calgary last July 1 left the tall foreheads on the
television panels giggling in disbelief. Media types thought it must be a joke.
‘You must be Jokinen,’ trumpeted one unforgettable newspaper headline.
But Jokinen said he and his family felt welcome the moment he arrived
back in this city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
“I never had any problems with anyone,” he said. “It’s all just what the
media had to say. I didn’t hear any negative stuff from anyone. As a player,
you take pride in what you do. You can’t really change what people are
thinking about you. You can’t really think that way.”
Still, Jokinen gets a kick out of proving wrong the so-called experts — the
ones who imagined him playing in Russia before former general manager
Darryl Sutter stepped up with a job offer.
564600
Calgary Flames
Irving eager to get his shot with Flames
By Kristen Odland,
Leland Irving, who just enjoyed a career season with the Abbotsford Heat,
the Calgary Flames’ top farm team, feels he’s ready to challenge for an
NHL job. With the Flames, that means battling Henrik Karlsson for the
position of backing up Miikka Kiprusoff. “I’d like to come in and fight for the
No. 2 spot,’’ said Irving.
Questions swirled Tuesday surrounding the goaltending situation facing the
Calgary Flames.
“I was able to get in there and play with a lot of confidence. I was happy
with the way things went. I’m excited for what’s ahead. I’d love to play some
games to get a chance to play in the NHL one day.”
One day, being the key. Playfair has not been shy about expressing his
thoughts that Irving needs to win a playoff round to prove he’s a top AHL
goalie.
“By having 30 wins and 24 losses in his American League season, to me, it
doesn’t justify all of a sudden an (NHL) deal,” Playfair told the Abbotsford
News. “If we were in the playoffs and winning playoff rounds? Different
issue.”
Irving, too, understands that development takes time.
“I don’t want to be put in any situation too early,” said Irving, who plans to
stay in Abbotsford this summer while his wife Ashley finishes her
kinesiology degree.
Do they re-sign towering Swede Henrik Karlsson, who played in 17 National
Hockey League games as Miikka Kiprusoff’s backup?
“But I feel ready and I’m up for the challenge, for sure. I’d like to come in
and fight for the No. 2 spot — that’s obviously a goal of mine. But at the
same time, there’s a bigger picture to everything.
Or do they intend to gamble on Leland Irving, who had a spectacular
season as the Abbotsford Heat’s top goalie?
‘‘I do understand the development side of things is sometimes more
important.
Jay Feaster provided answers — and the bottom line.
“Getting into a lot of games down here in the American League might
sometimes benefit me more than backing up Kipper.
“We don’t want Kipper to have to play 75 games a season,” the Flames’
acting general manager said during his season-ending address to the
media at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“Clearly, we have to get Karlsson re-signed. He’s an unrestricted free
agent. But I’m pretty confident that we’ll be able to do that after speaking
with him. He wants to be back.
“We want him back.”
Feaster expressed the confidence Karlsson’s teammates and the
organization have gained in the 27-year-old rookie netminder’s abilities this
season.
So what, exactly, does that mean for the Flames farmhand Irving, who has
been patiently been waiting in line and paying his dues in Abbotsford?
Irving had a career season with the Baby Flames, despite the team’s playoff
miss just as its parent club.
He led the American Hockey League in shutouts (eight) and minutes played
(3,437) while his 30 wins were No. 2. He also pumped out a league-leading
nine shootout wins, an AHL mark.
All season, the 23-year-old Swan Hills, Alta., native padded his stats to
keep him among the AHL’s top-10 goaltenders.
All of which did not go unnoticed.
“No question that Leland Irving had a very, very good year,” Feaster said.
“The challenge that was put out to Leland at the start of the season — at
the start of training camp — was for him to go into the American League
and be a legitimate No. 1 AHL goaltender — to be able to carry a team. He
demonstrated that he can do that.
“I think we’ll see a pretty decent competition at camp, but certainly Leland is
going to have to recognize that Karlsson isn’t going to turn that over to him.”
Irving gets it. And as much as he’d like to fast-track into the National
Hockey League, he would prefer a long-term future in the organization.
“Obviously, I want to be there as soon as possible,” Irving said. “But I also
want to be there to stay. I don’t want to be one of those things where I’m
labelled a backup goalie. Behind Kiprusoff, that’s all it would be. I just need
to let things fall into place and wait and see what happens.”
After going through his own player-exit meeting with Heat head coach Jim
Playfair on Tuesday, Irving earned positive reviews.
Irving will continue with the program devised by Flames strength and
conditioning coach Rich Hesketh and which was largely attributed to Irving’s
success this past season.
“It was good,” Irving said of his evaluation. “I was able to get comfortable in
there, knowing I would get thrown back in there even if I had a bad game.
“But that doesn’t mean I can’t go up there and try to win a few games and
establish the start of an NHL career. We’ll see what happens.”
564601
Calgary Flames
Matt Stajan makes no excuses for his season
By Vicki Hall,
Underachieving Calgary Flame Matt Stajan talks to the media just before
cleaning out his locker and leaving the Saddledome Monday.
Matt Stajan stood in the uncomfortable glare of the television lights for an
excruciating seven minutes and 26 seconds on locker cleanout day for the
Calgary Flames.
Give the struggling pivot credit for not slinking out a back door to hide from
the assembled press corps, given the central question that awaited him.
Namely, how can a player pulling down a $3.5-million annual salary muster
just six goals and 31 points in 75 games?
"I'm not here to make any excuses," Stajan said. "I just didn't play well
consistently. I wanted to put up some more goals and contribute a lot more.
It's not that I didn't try and I wasn't working hard. It just never seemed to
come together at any point."
It certainly didn't. Stajan played some stretches this season on the first line
with Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla, but he couldn't make the promotion
stick. By the end of the season, he crash-landed on the fourth line between
rookies Lance Bouma and Greg Nemisz.
Keep in mind: opportunity beckoned with centres Brendan Morrison (knee)
and David Moss (ankle) out of the lineup. But Stajan, by that point, couldn't
take advantage of the situation no matter how hard he tried.
"There will probably a lot of bad rap about me this summer," he said. I'll
take a lot of heat. I'll just come back next year and try to prove all that
wrong -that this past season was just a blip and not something that's going
to keep on happening.
"I am a better player than I showed this year, that's for sure."
Ales Kotalik called himself a broken player upon arrival in Calgary last
season from the New York Rangers. Stajan stopped short of such a drastic
description Monday as the Flames bid farewell to one another for the
summer.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not include
a classification of "lost confidence." But Stajan definitely qualifies as a man
who has lost belief in his abilities. Especially on the offensive side of the
game.
"It's just something I couldn't turn around," said Stajan, 27. "I had a few
good stretches, but it always comes back to 'hasn't scored, hasn't scored.'
You know that as a player. We're human beings. We know." Stajan scored
a career-high 19 goals and 57 points last season for Toronto and Calgary although just three of those goals came in a Flames uniform. And much is
expected of the key cog in a trade that saw him come to Calgary with Niklas
Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White for Dion Phaneuf and Keith Aulie.
Phaneuf is the captain of the Maple Leafs. His defensive partner, Aulie,
blossomed in this his first full NHL season.
As for Calgary? Well, Stajan and Hagman are the only remaining players
from that trade in a Flames uniform. Hagman also underachieved this
season with 11 goals and 27 points -far below expectations for a two-time
25-goal scorer. In fact, he ended up unclaimed on waivers in March.
For Stajan, the discussion always turns to the four-year contract extension
he signed last March worth $14 million US.
"Obviously everybody is going to look at your salary and compare it to what
you're doing," he said. "When you're struggling, it's tough. You've got to
block out what people are saying and just focus on the task at hand.
"I try to do that all the time. I did that. I've only played in a Canadian city, so
it's something you have to get used to. It's just something that I couldn't turn
around."
Stajan spoke in soft tones without a hint of rancour, even when the queries
turned to deficiencies in his game. The inevitable criticism is justified.
So says the man himself. "I'm going to do a lot of thinking this summer," he
said, "and work hard and make sure next year I come in and find my
confidence . . . Because it definitely wasn't the year I wanted."
For his part, Brent Sutter challenged Stajan, who is often light on the puck
at six-foot-one, 200 pounds, to channel his frustrations into workouts at the
gym.
"I think Staje has to have a really good summer of training," the coach said.
"We want him to get in the top third on our team in training. Become
stronger. Get quicker."
And banish those persistent doubts that weigh him down.
"I think he fought with that," Sutter said. "He did lose confidence in his
offensive abilities and, when you dwell too much on that, it gets in your
game. He needs to get his focus coming to training camp. He needs to be
at the highest level he's ever been at."
564602
Calgary Flames
Mikael Backlund says yes to worlds invite from Sweden
By John Down,
Jarome Iginla and Mikael Backlund celebrate a goal on Saturday night.
They provided the offence for the Flames, but Calgary lost 3-2 in overtime.
Mikael Backlund clearly can't get enough hockey.
The 22-year-old Swede attended the Calgary Flames rookie camp last
summer, moved onto the team's prospects camp and then won a spot with
the National Hockey League club during the main training camp.
And now he's excited as all get out to have the chance to represent his
country at the forthcoming world hockey championship.
He will, at this point in time, be the only Flame playing in the tournament.
"I'm just waiting for them to call me now as to what dates and when they
want me to go," said the young pivot, who finished the season as the No. 1
line centre between Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay. "I'm really excited to
represent my country again. After playing in the world juniors and the under
17 it was one of my goals to play for the men's team, too.
"It should be a lot of fun. It's big in Sweden. If you win the world
championships, you're like heroes at home, if you lose they're really
miserable. From my standpoint, it's a good opportunity to have another long
season, play more games, enjoy my time in Sweden."
Iginla, Tanguay, Curtis Glencross and defenceman Mark Giordano, who
played last year, have already turned down invitations from Team Canada.
Winger Rene Bourque, who also donned a Canadian uniform last year, said
he hasn't been invited as yet. Backlund played on all four lines at one time
or another this season but looked no better than he did in the final week
when he hooked up with Iginla and Tanguay. He finished the season with
10 goals among 25 points in 72 games.
"When you look at where he was at the start of the year and where he is
today, he's certainly improved, gotten better," said coach Brent Sutter, who
gave Backlund the green light to play for Sweden. "That was part of the
plan from the start of the year, to gradually give him a little bit more.
"He had his times. I thought around Christmas and in January he had a little
tougher time with his game, which is sometimes normal for a younger
player, but I thought in March when he had to take more minutes . . . he
struggled with it at the start for a couple or three games and then really took
off with it after that."
Backlund, in fact, was sent down to the Abbotsford Heat between Dec. 20
and Jan. 2, where he played a halfdozen games. If anything, the short
break improved his confidence.
"I felt I played a lot better after Christmas," he said. "I got a lot of experience
this year, learned a lot about myself, my game. So coming into next year I
will be coming in a lot more confident, a lot more comfortable.
"I feel like I showed I can play on a top line and do it well."
And just where might the six-foot, 196-pounder see himself fitting in with the
Flames next season?
"Obviously my goal is to be on the first line and keep playing with Iggy and
hopefully Tangs," he smiled. "We'll see what happens but that would be a
lot of fun. Growing up as a kid, my dream was always to be playing on the
first two lines and helping a team that way, of being a top player on the
team and in the league."
564603
Calgary Flames
Feaster: Iginla 'isn't going anywhere'
By STEVE MACFARLANE, QMI Agency
Assuming the ‘acting’ label in front of Feaster’s title is removed as
expected, he’s hoping for better play from the players who have been
around for a while and are unhappy they haven’t accomplished much.
“There are players in that core who talk about that, the frustration level they
feel,” Feaster said. “I kind of like that. I like players who say ‘I want to
deliver.’ ”
It’s even better when they do.
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.13.2011
Although he can’t yet declare with confidence his own fate with the Calgary
Flames, acting GM Jay Feaster assured his audience the team’s captain is
sticking around.
“Jarome (Iginla) isn’t going anywhere,” Feaster said Tuesday during his
end-of-season address at the Saddledome.
“That’s going to disappoint you all, because now you can’t say, ‘He left the
door open.’
“Jarome is not going anywhere.”
Iginla exploded into the upper-echelon of the NHL’s scoring leaders thanks
to a stellar second half, but speculation again runs rampant about what the
Flames should do to get back into the playoffs after two years without
spring hockey.
Somehow, Iginla’s name keeps coming up as trade bait.
Feaster understands the captain’s value may never be higher, but he isn’t
about to cash in.
“Jarome is the face of this franchise in so many ways. Jarome is a guy who,
at times this season, has carried this hockey club,” Feaster said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Jarome wants to win a Stanley Cup and
he wants to win it here. And we want to win a Stanley Cup, and win it with
Jarome here.
“The captain is going nowhere.”
After 35 games this season, that’s exactly where Iginla seemed to be
headed with the Flames. Netting just 14 goals to that point, rumours began
the 33-year-old could be sent packing for prospects.
The turnaround was dramatic for both the captain and the team. Iginla
scored 29 times and earned 54 points over the final 47 contests, helping the
Flames challenge for a playoff spot until the final week.
So what sparked it?
That might have been the most interesting part of Feaster’s year-end
address, as he painted the picture of what he thinks helped transform a
team that looked disinterested in playing for head coach Brent Sutter into
one that banded together to turn the season into a more respectable one
after GM Darryl Sutter was asked to resign Dec. 28.
“Players were never in open revolt against the system, or saying ‘I’m not
buying what Brent is selling.’ But to the extent that we had some guys that
weren’t 110% committed to it, I think it was easy to say ‘He’ll be gone. I’ll
outlast him. I outlasted the last three or four (coaches). He’s going, too,’ ”
Feaster said.
“I fully believe that when the change was made, that all of a sudden it was,
‘Hey, that didn’t play out the way it was supposed to. That’ doesn’t look like
it looked like all the previous times.’ ”
Rumours suggesting Iginla wasn’t completely committed to adjusting his
style of play had long been flying around the Saddledome.
Even Darryl Sutter suggested his core players were a tough group to coach.
So when the coach outlasted the general manager, the acting GM who took
over the role was quick to throw his weight behind the coach.
“My first meeting with the guys was, I support this coach. I believe in Brent.
I support him,” Feaster said.
“I really think that it was a case of the guys who maybe weren’t 100%
invested said, ‘What the heck, why not?’
“Everybody bought in, got on the same page.”
564604
Calgary Flames
Feaster has refreshing approach
By ERIC FRANCIS, QMI Agency
While he’ll have to wait at least a few more weeks to officially get the fulltime GM gig, Jay Feaster ushered in a new era down at the Saddledome
Tuesday.
He did so by replacing Darryl Sutter’s annual grunt-and-groan stand-off with
a refreshingly open, honest discussion with the media (thus, the fans) that
saw the Calgary Flames acting GM do something his predecessor never
would: Admit mistakes.
“I traded a seventh-round pick for a broken-down Freddie Modin,” said
Feaster, shaking his head at how poorly one of his only moves turned out
this year.
“That’s one that didn’t work out and I take full responsibility. But it’s not
about pointing fingers — it’s about being honest, moving forward.”
While his predicted confirmation Jarome Iginla “isn’t going anywhere”
grabbed most people’s attention over the course of his half-hour presser,
there were so many other admissions he made that paint a more telling
story.
For example, Feaster revealed his club has quietly been in the bidding for a
few of the hotshot U.S. collegians recently inked to deals, but came away
empty.
Reiterating just how important it is to restock the empty coffers, he said the
plan put forth to ownership involves ensuring the franchise’s maligned
scouting staff is bolstered to do a better job scouting the NCAA ranks as
well as Europe and the AHL.
“It has not been a priority in the past here and not an area we’ve scouted as
heavily as junior,” he said of the NCAA.
“But it is a way to replenish talent in a hurry.”
And that’s exactly what the Flames need.
He suggested re-inking goalie Henrik Karlsson won’t be a problem and
while he also wants to sign free agents Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross,
he knows how hard that will be given the club has already committed
almost US$57M in salaries next season. (The cap will be $62M.)
He said ownership has yet to deny any request he’s made to date and that
certainly could include opening up more cap space by burying the $3 million
salaries of Ales Kotalik and even Niklas Hagman in the minors.
“Ownership is committed to winning, but you can’t simply keep going to
ownership and say, ‘would you mind burying this contract because we
made a mistake here?’ ” said Feaster. “I’m not sure that’s the most
productive conversation for any manager to have.”
But one that’s necessary to start patching up the mess Sutter left.
Planning on being active long before the July 1 free agent deadline, Feaster
will file his final plan to ownership after extensive exit meetings. He said it’s
business as usual and he isn’t worried about speculation swirling while the
“acting” tag remains.
After all, he will be the GM.
“If Ken (King) came out and said, ‘we’re taking the acting tag off’ what
would you guys do?” laughed Feaster. “I’ll tell you one thing, if I’m not the
guy, Connie (his assistant Craig Conroy) and I will arm-wrestle for the
assistant GM job.”
Refusing to identify any untouchables outside Iginla, Feaster echoed
Darryl’s plan to build around the core of the club by filling in holes.
He said he believes in Brent Sutter as coach, will never tell him who or how
to play, and has an interesting theory on the role his bench boss had on the
team’s turnaround.
Simply put, he thinks some players chose to commit fully to Brent and his
system only once Darryl was excused, realizing the coach had Feaster’s
backing and would stay.
Given the minefield of bad contracts Feaster is stepping into, there’s little
question he’s in tough to effect significant change to a team that isn’t getting
any younger.
But with the attitude he has, the measured approach and his respectful way
of treating media and fans, he’s more apt to gain the patience of supporters
than the man he replaced ever was.
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564605
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes set for World Championships
By Chip Alexander
The Carolina Hurricanes will be represented at the 2011 IIHF World
Championships by a rookie forward, a veteran forward, a defensive
prospect and their longtime trainer.
Jeff Skinner, the NHL's leading rookie scorer this season, will be a member
of Team Canada in the event that begins later this month in Slovakia. Pete
Friesen, the Hurricanes' head trainer and strength and conditioning director,
has been named to the Team Canada staff.
Forward Tuomo Ruutu will participate in the event for the Finnish national
team. Also from the Carolina organization will be defenseman Justin
Krueger, who signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Canes on
Tuesday and will play for Germany.
"It's a tremendous honor and it's quite a responsibility in that we'll be taking
care of a bunch of players coming off an 82-game schedule," Friesen said.
"We need to learn about the players in the short term, so I'm contacting
trainers on their teams to check on any physical issues."
Friesen said it would be the fifth time he has worked the World
Championships for his native Canada -- the last was in 2004, when Team
Canada won the gold in Prague. He also has worked five World Junior
Championships.
Friesen said Matthew Sokolowski, head trainer for the Colorado Avalanche,
also would be on the Team Canada staff.
Skinner said Monday that playing in the World Championships would be a
big opportunity for him, and Friesen said he was eager to see Skinner
compete.
"He should do well in the international game with his athleticism," Friesen
said.
Friesen said he would leave next week, with Team Canada first stopping in
Paris and Prague before going to Slovakia.
Krueger, 24, completed his first season of professional hockey this year
with SC Bern of the Swiss National League in 2010-11.
News Observer LOADED: 04.13.2011
564606
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes' rookie led all newcomers in points
By CHIP ALEXANDER - Staff writer
RALEIGH -- Jeff Skinner seemingly became as well-known for his dimpled
smile as his goal-scoring prowess during a memorable rookie season with
the Carolina Hurricanes.
He's young, and he's good, and it was apparent the 18-year-old forward
was having a blast. It was all new and exciting, and he had a lot to smile
about.
But it took the right words to coax a few out of him Monday. It's just that the
sting of losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, of missing out on
the Stanley Cup playoffs, was still wearing on him.
"It's tough. It's disappointing," Skinner said. "You can think of a lot of words
to describe it. I mean, when you come so close and you work so hard and it
comes down to the final game ..."
If Skinner proved anything this season, and he proved so much, it's that he
burns to win. Forget the 31 goals or being the NHL's leading rookie scorer.
Forget being selected for the All-Star Game or all the fan fawning that went
with it.
There's playoff hockey to be played in the NHL, and Skinner and the Canes
won't be a part of it.
"You think about getting that opportunity all the time and coming up big in
that game and winning it and how good it feels, but it's tough when you lose
it," he said. "I guess that's the feeling everyone is trying to deal with. It's
tough when all that work comes down to one last game, and you let it slip
away."
The Lightning won 6-2 Saturday night, and the New York Rangers, not the
Canes, took the final playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference.
"The pit that you have in your stomach, it will take a couple of weeks to go
away," forward Erik Cole said Monday.
Despite the disappointment, there's no denying the kind of impact Skinner
had this season - on the Canes, and in the league. He not only scored
goals, but key goals.
"In the big games, he performed," forward Cory Stillman said.
Defenseman Joe Corvo laughed Monday in noting that at training camp he
wasn't sure who Skinner was. Corvo said he initially mistook Skinner for
Chris Terry, another young forward prospect with a left-handed shot and
similar build.
"Then I got on the ice one time with him, and he was ripping it up, and I was
like, 'Oh,'" Corvo said. "Once he got going ..."
Most rookies usually hit the proverbial "wall," physically and mentally,
during their first year in the league. Canes coach Paul Maurice expected as
much out of Skinner.
"I watched him very closely all year, waiting for that moment where I
thought it was getting away from him and where I would need to grab an
assistant [coach] and say, 'You need to get to this guy,'" Maurice said. "It
never came.
"We as a team had that stretch in February after the All-Star Game, and his
game wasn't right where we hoped it would be. But that was true of
everybody, so he didn't stand out. Then, as things geared up, he got back
going."
Skinner, the NHL's youngest player, said there was an emotional toll to
playing 82 games, and especially with so many high-pressure games down
the stretch. But the experience, he said, was invaluable and will help in the
coming seasons.
Physically, Skinner held up well. He did not miss a game, even though
opposing teams targeted and banged the 5-foot-10, 190-pound winger from
Markham, Ontario.
"That's part of the game," Skinner said. "If you want to be a differencemaker and want to be a great player, it comes with it."
Skinner credits the rigorous offseason conditioning he did last summer with
former NHL forward Gary Roberts in the Toronto area. He said the
workouts with Roberts, a fitness fiend, would continue and that he would
seek to get stronger and quicker.
Skinner also could compete for Team Canada in the IIHF World
Championship in Slovakia. The international tournament begins April 29,
and a decision on whether Skinner will play will be made soon, he said.
Skinner said he was thankful to the Canes for making him the seventh
overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and "taking a chance." He said he
was thankful for the opportunity to play his first year, thankful for the help of
his linemates.
Humble stuff, for sure, but the Hurricanes also have to be thankful for how
Skinner responded to that opportunity. He's an exciting, charismatic player,
the kind who can help fill the RBC Center.
"I've never had a player that young come in play the minutes he did and
play such an important role, and very few teams ever do," Maurice said.
"He was just a great surprise, a very special young man.
"I've had a few Hall of Fame players and a few great players that absolutely
love the game and try to get better at it. It goes back to a love of the game,
and Jeff Skinner just loves the game, loves being on the ice."
564607
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes sign Krueger to 1-year deal
By Chip Alexander - Staff writer
The Hurricanes have agreed to terms with defenseman Justin Krueger on a
one-year, entry-level contract. The deal will pay Krueger $525,000 at the
NHL level or $62,500 at the minor-league level in 2011-12, and he will
receive an $85,000 signing bonus.
Krueger, 24, completed his first season of professional hockey with SC
Bern of the Swiss National League in 2010-11, helping the club to a 35-12-3
regular-season record and a third-place finish.
The Düsseldorf, Germany, native scored one goal, earned 10 assists (11
points) and compiled a plus-6 plus/minus rating while playing in all 50 of the
team’s regular-season games. He added two assists in the team’s 11-game
playoff run.
Krueger spent four seasons at Cornell from 2006-2010. During his
collegiate career, he notched seven goals, earned 25 assists (32 points)
and accumulated 103 penalty minutes in 135 games for the Big Red.
564608
Chicago Blackhawks
Hair cut: Canucks' Glass rips mullet of Blackhawks' Kane
By Brian Hamilton
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- If you did not know there are rules to
styling your hair in a mullet -- besides, you know, don't style your hair in a
mullet -- there in fact are at least unspoken regulations.
And, according to Canucks winger Tanner Glass, Patrick Kane is defying
them.
On Monday, the Chicago Blackhawks winger re-debuted the mullet-style
haircut he sported during the team's Stanley Cup run last postseason. On
Tuesday, Glass, himself a mullet aficionado, was calling Kane's new 'do a
definite don't.
"It's embarrassing," Glass said. "He kind of mocks the mullet. I'm not too
pleased with that to be honest."
Mocking the mullet?
"I don't think there are rules, but when you do it for a few months and then
you cut it off, that’s kind of mocking it," Glass said. "I'd respect him more if
he had it year-round."
Before this became another full-blown element to the Hawks-Canucks
rivalry, Kane attempted to defuse the situation, such as it is, once his team
finished practice at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.
"I'm actually kind of using mine as a joke, so if he's insulted, you can tell
him it's a joke," Kane said.
Kane was then told that Glass was peeved specifically because it was a
joke.
"Oh, I don't know," Kane said. "It's something I did at first just to get a little
bit of a rise out of the boys on my team. It seemed like it kind of worked last
year, so I had to bring it back. Not making fun of him. Just trying to get a
laugh out of the boys."
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 04.13.2011
564609
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawks hope to make most of 2nd chance
By Chris Kuc, Tribune reporter
So upset was Jonathan Toews after the Blackhawks' loss to the Red Wings
on Sunday that could have ended the team's chances at defending its
Stanley Cup, the captain didn't bother to tune in to the Stars-Wild game that
was the last gasp at a postseason berth.
Patrick Sharp finally convinced Toews via text message to change the
channel midway through the game, and he along with other teammates saw
the improbable Wild victory that eliminated the Stars and extended the
Hawks' season.
"At first I was so disappointed that we didn't take full control of what was
going on," Toews said Monday before boarding a charter to Vancouver,
where the Hawks will face the Canucks in Game 1 of the Western
Conference quarterfinals Wednesday night. "It almost felt like it was over
already after that (Wings) game (a 4-3 loss).
"So you go from the feeling of having the idea that your season is over and
you're not going to know what to do with yourself for the next couple of
months to Minnesota playing a great game and giving us a chance to play
in the playoffs again.
"Then the whole dream of winning a Stanley Cup comes right back in. It
was one of the weirder days I've been through in a long time."
Toews wasn't alone in appreciating the opportunity given to a Hawks team
that nearly became just the fifth team in NHL history to miss the playoffs a
season after winning the Cup.
"Especially after (Sunday), you lose that game and it just kind of seems like
the season's too short and you gave it away too early," winger Patrick Kane
said. "Hopefully, everyone can appreciate the second chance we've been
given and we can do something with it.
"It's a clean slate. I'm sure the (Canucks) are kind of thinking the same
thing. Hopefully, we can get in their heads a little bit and maybe steal one or
two in Vancouver. Now we're the underdog. We're in a good position where
it really feels like we have nothing to lose."
Now that the dust has settled on the playoff picture, it doesn't much matter
to the Hawks how they got in, just that they did. Once Wednesday rolls
around, every team starts anew and the Hawks' 97 points — two more than
the Stars — are forgotten.
"The bottom line is we had more points than Dallas and that's why we're in,"
defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We deserve to be there. It's going to be
fun, and it's going to be a challenge playing against Vancouver. All year
long we've had pressure on us to make playoffs, and now we're here. Let's
just go have fun. It's the playoffs, and the intensity gets picked up another
notch. That's where we should all be excited."
Just a regular season removed from being a dominant team that
steamrolled to the Cup for the first time in 49 years, the Hawks are now
considered underdogs against a Canucks team that won a league-high 54
games and captured the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points.
"We can look at what happened (Sunday) as a sign that it's a second
chance," Toews said. "We can go and really play that underdog role in the
series and just try to be as tough to play against as we can. There's
something that comes from making the playoffs in the last game of the year.
We're excited we feel like we have second life. There's no pressure. We're
going to go out and take advantage of it."
564610
Chicago Blackhawks
Canucks trying to avoid mind games against Hawks
By Brian Hamilton, Tribune reporter
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Beyond the silver-paneled doors in
Rogers Arena on Tuesday was a sanguine sanctuary, the Canucks'
dressing room becoming a meditative, round space with no sharp edges.
The Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, postseason foils for two seasons,
were in town. But there was no hostility. No feeling like an ache in the joints
as a storm approached. That was then, this is Zen, most players said. Most
everyone went out of their feng shui to insist this was just another series.
Most everyone.
"Are they harder to hate?" Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said,
repeating a question related to the teams' roster overhauls. "I think just
when you put that jersey on, instant hate comes into this dressing room. It's
a team we want to beat badly."
Thus begins the third installation of Hawks vs. Canucks, which is nothing
and everything like the first two. The Hawks gutted their roster and barely
made the playoffs. The Canucks boosted their depth and were supercharged all season, the best team in the NHL by far.
No one would mistake either club for the ones last season. And no one is
quite sure that it matters when Game 1 begins Wednesday.
"You'd like to say you have a mental edge, but this is a new year, a new
challenge, a lot of new faces in both locker rooms," Hawks winger Patrick
Kane said. "I think any mental edge we did have probably would be thrown
out the window with the way the (teams') years have gone.
"But you always hope you have a mental edge — you always hope it's in
the back of their minds that what happened the past years wasn't a fluke
and could happen again."
Within 24 hours of the matchup being set, the serrated edges emerged.
Ryan Johnson, last year a member of the Canucks and this year skating for
the Hawks, went on sports radio Monday and claimed his new mates were
the last team his old mates wanted to see.
Johnson downplayed the comments Tuesday. But those old mates were
plenty aware that after two playoff defeats, the Hawks are like the low-level
headache that does not seem to abate however you try to dull the pain.
"Our first year we didn't handle it good enough," Canucks captain Henrik
Sedin said. "Last year I thought they were a better team, that's the bottom
line. We made some changes this summer and I like our team a lot better
now than I did last year."
In a sense, all the Hawks have is a mental edge. Gone are central irritants
from last year's team — Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg —
with the status of another, Dave Bolland, undecided on the eve of the
series.
But then Hawks captain Jonathan Toews claimed psychology didn't matter.
He said the Hawks know where to break down the Canucks, and the
Canucks will learn from their mistakes.
You know, those mistakes they made in the last couple of series. The last
couple series they lost to the Hawks. The last couple series they lost to the
Hawks that Toews said no one can dwell on too much, but that no one can
seem to get past.
"We're not going into this series thinking it's impossible to beat this team,"
Toews said, "because it's not."
564611
Chicago Blackhawks
Bolland getting better quickly; Brouwer says he's ready
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Every morning, Dave Bolland would
wake up hoping the fog in his brain had lifted during the night.
Nearly a month after suffering a concussion March 9 against the Lightning,
it finally did.
"You get pretty worried because you never know when you're going to snap
out of it," Bolland said Tuesday after practicing with teammates at Rogers
Arena in Vancouver, site of the Blackhawks' opening game of the Western
Conference quarterfinals against the Canucks on Wednesday night. "The
doctors were saying one day you have it, the next day it's totally gone.
Every morning I'd wake up and hope that was the day and see how it went."
The day finally came, and Bolland has been on the road to recovery since.
The center has progressed from riding the bike to skating with teammates
but isn't yet ready to rejoin the lineup.
"For about the last three or four weeks, (I had) headaches and (was in) a
daze and fog," Bolland said. "I still feel a little bit of haze. Whenever I feel
great, whenever I feel that my mind and head is back, (that) is when I'll be
out there."
Bolland was injured when he took an elbow to the head from the Lightning's
Pavel Kubina.
"It's a drain to your body and a drain to your mind," said Bolland, who isn't
expected to be ready for Game 1 but is nearing a return. "It's a tough time,
and I'm glad I'm over that hump."
Meanwhile, winger Troy Brouwer has pronounced himself recovered
enough from a shoulder injury suffered April 5 against the Canadiens to
return. Coach Joel Quenneville said "we're hopeful that it's a possibility"
Brouwer could be in the lineup Wednesday.
"Once you get into the heat of the game, a lot of things that you're feeling
you don't pay attention to anymore," Brouwer said. "I just want to play and
get that competitiveness back. Hopefully I won't have any problems."
564612
Chicago Blackhawks
Canucks goalie altered style this season
By Brian Hamilton, Tribune reporters
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It took just two questions about Roberto
Luongo's absolute favorite subject before the Canucks goaltender offered a
correction.
"Doesn't he play in Atlanta now?" Luongo asked Tuesday.
He, of course, is Dustin Byfuglien. And he, of course, is not playing for the
Blackhawks anymore and therefore not able to whack, assault and
generally bedevil Luongo in postseason 2011 as he did in postseason
2012.
Which may be the key to Luongo finally vanquishing his personal demons
at the end of one of the best seasons of his career. He tied for the league
lead with 38 victories and ranked second with a 2.11 goals against average.
But it is all spit in the wind if he cannot stand tall against the Hawks.
"I've said it all along — it's the best I've felt as far as the strength of my
game, my whole career pretty much," Luongo said. "I feel I'm tough to beat.
When you feel like that, it's always a good thing."
Credit a philosophical shift that led to a physical shift for Luongo's uptick.
He decided to play deeper in the net this season to avoid the traffic snarls in
the crease, which in theory takes away the Hawks' primary means of attack:
Getting in Luongo's grill to get in his head.
"I'm trying to avoid engaging players in front, screens and stuff like that,
which is different than I've played in the past," Luongo said. "It has worked
really well for me during the regular season. Hopefully it'll be the same in
the playoffs."
Chirp chirp: The Flames and Bruins both accused the Hawks of trashtalking this season and Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa doesn't see an
end to that during the series.
"Their fourth-line guys I'm sure will be yapping a little bit," Bieksa said.
"Some of their better players still yap pretty good. They're sneaky with it.
That's kind of the area of the game we don't get too involved with."
Hair cut: While violating good fashion sense, Patrick Kane also apparently
violated the unwritten rules of mullets. Canucks winger Tanner Glass, a
mullet aficionado himself, staunchly labeled Kane's playoff 'do a don't.
"It's embarrassing," Glass said. "He kind of mocks the mullet. I'm not too
pleased with that to be honest. When you do it for a few months and then
you cut it off, that's kind of mocking it. I'd respect him more if he had it yearround."
Responded Kane: "Just trying to get a laugh out of the boys."
564613
Chicago Blackhawks
Game 1 spotlight: Crawford vs. Luongo
Game 1 spotlight
TV: Saturday, 9 p.m., Rogers Arena; CSN, Versus, WIND-AM 560.
Blackhawks' Corey Crawford vs. Canucks' Roberto Luongo
Crawford
Position: Goaltender
Number: 50
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200
Catches: Left
Born: Dec. 31, 1984 (Age 26)
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
2010-11 statistics: 57 games, 33-18-6 record, .917 save percentage, 2.30
goals-against average, 4 shutouts.
Career regular-season statistics: 65 games, 34-21-7 record, .917 save
percentage, 2.33 goals-against average, 5 shutouts.
Playoff experience: 1 game, 0-0-0 record, .857 save percentage, 3.77
Luongo
Position: Goaltender
Number: 1
Height: 6-3
Weight: 217
Catches: Left
Born: April 4, 1979 (Age 32)
Birthplace: Montreal, Canada
2010-11 statistics: 60 games, 38-15-7 record, .928 save percentage, 2.11
Career regular-season statistics: 672 games, 308-269-33-42 record, .919
save percentage, 2.53 goals-against average, 55 shutouts.
Playoff experience: 34 games, 17-17-0 record, .919 save percentage, 2.46
goals-against average, 1 shutout.
The quote: "Every (regular-season) game helped me experience-wise. It's
nice to be able to play 50-some games and I'll use all the experience I got
to help me for the series. I just have to stick to my game and worry about
what I can do." — Crawford
Chris Kuc says: Both goalies are big and technically sound. Expect the
teams to create plenty of traffic in the creases to disrupt the netminders'
rhythms. Luongo at times has shown an inability to win big games in the
postseason while Crawford has been relatively unflappable down the
stretch for a Hawks team that struggled to reach the playoffs.
564614
Chicago Blackhawks
How the Hawks and Canucks match up
Blackhawks vs. CanucksWestern Conference quarterfinalsThe
breakdownOffense
The Canucks are the highest-scoring team in the NHL, averaging 3.15
goals per game with the Sedin brothers — Daniel and Henrik —leading the
way. Daniel paced the league with 104 points with his 41 goals tied for
fourth and Henrik was fourth with 94 points, including a league-high 75
assists. Ryan Kesler also had 41 goals and Alexandre Burrows 26.
Defensemen aren't afraid to jump into the play as evidenced by Christian
Ehrhoff's 14 goals and 36 assists.
The Blackhawks were fourth in the NHL at 3.07 goals per game. Jonathan
Toews was the Hawks' top scorer with 32 goals and 44 assists. Patrick
Kane was a point-per-game player with 27 goals and 46 assists in 73
games. Leading goal-scorer Patrick Sharp, who found the back of the net
34 times, is searching for his timing after missing seven games with a knee
injury. Marian Hossa is also a threat but secondary scoring has been
limited.
The quote: "(The Blackhawks) have some of the best one-on-one forwards
in the league. Kane, Toews, Sharp and Hossa are guys who are very skilled
and attack you with a lot of speed." — Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa.
Edge: Canucks.
Defense
At 2.20 goals allowed per game, the Canucks were the stingiest team in the
NHL this season. The top pairing of Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis was a
combined plus-61, with Bieksa tied for second in the league at plus-32.
Ehrhoff and Edler are a formidable second unit, with plus-19 and plus-13
ratings, respectively. Sami Salo and Keith Ballard are a solid third grouping.
The Hawks' top unit of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook was unable to
match last season's brilliance, but is still formidable, combining speed and
physicality. Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjlamarsson complement each other
with their ability to handle the puck, deliver hits and block shots. Chris
Campoli has been a perfect fit with the Hawks' system since arriving via
trade from the Senators at the deadline. The veteran is paired with rookie
Nick Leddy, who will be making his postseason debut.
The quote: "Keith and Seabrook play half the game for them. We have to try
to work them hard and get some hits. We have to make it as tough as
possible for them." — Canucks center Henrik Sedin.
Edge: Canucks.
Special teams
The best power play in the NHL belongs to the Canucks with a 24.3 percent
success rate. The Sedins combined for 26 goals with a man advantage,
with Daniel posting 18. Kesler (15 goals) and Mikael Samuelsson (five) add
depth on the unit.
Despite sputtering down the stretch with one goal in 15 opportunities in the
final five games, the Hawks' power play was potent much of the season and
finished fourth at 23.1 percent.
Sharp (12 goals) and Toews (10) flourish with the Hawks up a man while
Hossa, Kane and Troy Brouwer are also threats.
The quote: "It seems like (the Canucks) have a lot of different options. They
have the twins who really move the puck well with each other, Kesler does
a great job in front screening the goaltender and they have really big point
shots on the back end." — Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp.
Edge: Canucks.
Goaltending
Roberto Luongo was among the league leaders in victories (tied for first
with 38), save percentage (fourth at .928) and goals-against average
(second at 2.11). The veteran has been shaky the previous two seasons as
the Hawks eliminated the Canucks from the postseason, but was in goal for
Team Canada when it captured the gold medal in the 2010 Olympic Winter
Games. He's a big goalie who moves well but as the Hawks proved last
year, doesn't handle traffic well in front of him.
Corey Crawford is a rookie but hasn't played much like one down the
stretch for the Hawks. The backup to Marty Turco to start the season,
Crawford emerged as the starter and worked himself into a Calder Trophy
possibility as the league's top rookie after winning 33 games and posting a
.917 save percentage and 2.30 goals-against.
The Canucks have the clear edge at backup as Cory Schneider went 16-42 behind Luongo and Turco was ineffective for the Hawks throughout the
season.
The quote: "When you get traffic on (Luongo) we seem to find a way to get
pucks in but he also definitely held us back in a couple of games this year
and we weren't able to score against him." — Blackhawks winger Viktor
Stalberg
Edge: Canucks.
Chris Kuc's prediction: Canucks in 6.
Probable Blackhawks-Canucks lines for Game 1:
Canucks forwards:
D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Burrows
Higgins, Kesler, Samuelsson
Raymond, Hodgson, Hansen
Oreskovich, Lapierre, Glass
Suspended: Torres
Canucks defensemen
Bieksa, Hamhuis
Ehrhoff, Edler
Salo, Ballard
Canucks goaltender:
Luongo
Blackhawks forwards:
Sharp, Toews, Hossa
Smith, Frolik, Kane
Stalberg, Johnson, Kopecky
Bickell, Dowell, Pisani
Injured: Bolland, Brouwer
Blackhawks defensemen:
Keith, Seabrook
Hjalmarsson, Campbell
Campoli, Leddy
Blackhawks goaltender:
Crawford
564615
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks vs Canucks series recap
Brian Hamilton
GAME 1
Blackhawks won 2-1 in a shootout on Oct. 20, 2010 at the United Center
The first rematch of the Western Conference semifinals involved yet
another moment of Patrick Kane's good fortune versus Roberto Luongo.
Kane went third with the shootout tied 2-2, and his backhander slipped
under Luongo's pads — with Luongo then accidentally nudging it into the
net. Marty Turco, far from being displaced by Corey Crawford, made 36
saves for the Hawks.
GAME 2
Blackhawks won 7-1 on Nov. 20, 2010 at Rogers Arena
The Hawks were fricasseed in Calgary one night earlier, so motivation just
fueled the boost received by playing another game against their rivals — all
precipitating a blowout win. Luongo was pulled and Canucks coach Alain
Vigneault accused the Hawks of running up the score. "Tough to comment
because I don't know that's he's talking about," Hawks coach Joel
Quenneville said.
GAME 3
Canucks won 3-0 on Dec. 3, 2010 at the United Center
This time, the Hawks had no answers for Luongo, who made 32 saves to
post his second shutout of the season. By this point, it merely exacerbated
the Hawks' struggles at home, as it was the eighth regulation loss at the
United Center — which matched the regular-season total from the previous
season. Henrik Sedin's goal in the game was, amazingly, just his third of
the year and first in a month.
GAME 4
Canucks won 4-3 on Feb. 4 at Rogers Arena
The Canucks' fifth straight win overall ended a five-game losing streak to
the Hawks in Vancouver, dating back to the 2010 playoffs. Dave Bolland
scored a go-ahead third-period goal when his shot was battled into the net
by a Canucks defenseman, but the Canucks then scored twice in the final
10 minutes 9 seconds — the first by Henrik Sedin, the second by Daniel
Sedin — to complete a comeback victory.
564616
Chicago Blackhawks
Do the Blackhawks have a man who can rattle Roberto Luongo?
ADAM L. JAHNS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — It’s all about getting after Canucks
goalie Roberto Luongo.
It’s spraying him with ice when he holds the puck, it’s getting close enough
to him where he smells your breath and it’s making sure he’s sore in the
morning because you whacked him too many times with your stick and ran
him over more than once.
The only question is, which Blackhawk will step up and do it? Who will try to
rattle Luongo tonight in Game 1 of the first-round series at Rogers Arena?
As everyone knows, longtime Luongo pest Dustin Byfuglien is long gone.
“I know you guys love to talk about him,” Luongo said. “But they’ve got
some guys who do just as good a job as him. They’ve got some new
players who are also big bodies in their lineup. I don’t know what to tell you.
I don’t think they won the Stanley Cup because of Dustin Byfuglien.”
That being said, coach Joel Quenneville’s decision to put Byfuglien with
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane against the Canucks in the second
round last season led to major disruption and a shaken and eventually
beaten Luongo for the second consecutive year.
But do the Hawks have a player who can do that this season?
At 6-4, 223 pounds, Bryan Bickell seems to be a likely candidate because
he also played with Toews, Kane and Marian Hossa this season. But if
Quenneville has an ace up his sleeve, he didn’t reveal his cards Tuesday at
practice.
“Our challenge is to make sure we get bodies, pucks and traffic and make it
tough on [Luongo],” Quenneville said. “He’s a great goalie in our league for
a lot of great reasons, but let’s make sure we challenge him like we have in
the past.”
The Canucks made changes to combat those tactics, most notably building
a defensive corps that’s the envy of the league.
They also know there isn’t a player like Byfuglien on the Hawks’ roster
anymore.
“I’m sure there will be a new ‘Byfuglien’ in this series; we’ll have to find out
who it is,” Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. “[Byfuglien is] pushing
300, and 300 pounds is hard to push around, whether it’s tight or loose.
There’ll be maybe a little bit of a smaller guy in front this time.”
Luongo also has benefitted from some of his own adjustments.
He heeded new goalie coach Rollie Melanson’s advice and moved deeper
into the net to avoid extra contact. He turned in his captaincy to Henrik
Sedin and all the burdens of dealing with the media that come with it. To
reserve energy, he also played less in the regular season than in years past
as Cory Schneider admirably took some of the load off.
Luongo’s stats speak for themselves: 2.11 goals-against average with a
.928 save percentage, his best numbers since joining the Canucks in 2006.
“I’m a little bit deeper in my net, so I try to avoid engaging players in front
and screens and stuff like that, which is different than I played in the past,”
said Luongo, who hasn’t had to deal with backstopping Canada in the
Olympics this year. ‘‘It’s worked for me in the regular season. Hopefully, it
will be the same in the playoffs.
“That being said, it’s a bit different in the playoffs when you face a team on
a daily basis, and they try to do certain things to generate a bit of that traffic
and create some havoc.”
The Hawks will try hard to cause that havoc.
“He played well against us this year, but he’s going to continue to be one of
those top players that we’re going to be aware of and we’re going to target,”
Toews said. “He knows that. We know that.”
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
564617
Chicago Blackhawks
Bolland’s a feel-good story finally
By Adam L. Jahns
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Center Dave Bolland called it “luck or
something” that his concussion symptoms started to clear up when the
playoffs approached.
Now, Bolland, who bothered Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver
Canucks to the brink of dropping the gloves last postseason, is actually
day-to-day, unlike the last few weeks when his status was unknown.
Bolland isn’t cleared for contact yet, but he continued to show substantial
progress as he and Troy Brouwer (sprained right shoulder) practiced with
the Hawks on Tuesday at Rogers Arena.
“It was headaches, and I was hazy and foggy,” Bolland said. “I couldn’t
drive. I couldn’t really do much. It was just sitting around my house doing
nothing. It was pretty boring. Just a walk downtown or a walk somewhere to
do something was an adventure. I think [last] Sunday was the day when I
sort of snapped out of it, the headaches and everything.”
Bolland said he didn’t feel like Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Pavel
Kubina’s elbow to his head March 9 was intentional. Either way, it has been
a troubling situation to overcome.
“You do get pretty worried because you never know when you’re going to
snap out of it,” Bolland said. “Every morning, I’d try to wake up and hope
that was the day and see how it went. It never went away.”
564618
Chicago Blackhawks
April 24, 6:30 p.m.
Game 7at VAN
Canucks vs. Blackhawks series breakdown
April 26, TBD
Staff
BLACKHAWKSVS. CANUCKS
Western Conference, best of 7
In and out
Troy Brouwer (sprained right shoulder) said he’s ready to go after missing
the last three games, but center Dave Bolland is likely out of Game 1 as he
recovers from a concussion. The Canucks’ touted blue line is 100 percent
healthy, but they’re missing key checking center Manny Malhotra (eye
injury). Raffi Torres is suspended for the first two games of the series.
Hawks’ advantages
Confidence and unpredictability. Two years ago, the Hawks showed they
were playoff-capable. The Hawks hope newcomers Bryan Bickell, Viktor
Stalberg and Michael Frolik mature quickly. The Hawks beat the Canucks in
the regular season and in back-to-back postseasons. “We’re not going into
this series thinking it’s impossible to beat this team because it’s not,” Hawks
captain Jonathan Toews said.
Canucks’ advantages
Consistency and maturity. Led by Daniel Sedin, the Canucks are filled with
steady performers. But it has been the maturation of Ryan Kesler and Alex
Burrows that has been crucial. In the past, they were easily thrown off their
games. That’s not the case anymore. “We haven’t done that all year, and
we’re going to play like the regular season,” Kesler said. “We’ve been
disciplined.”
Quick hit
History favors the Hawks, who aren’t the typical eighth seed, but the regular
season suggests the Canucks are the better team. The Canucks have all
the pressure after leading the league in points and goal differential.
The pick
Hawks in 7. Their run might not last long, but they will break Roberto
Luongo again, and Bolland returns to frustrate the Sedins.
3 keys To Game 1
Control the nerves: The Hawks might have as many as six players making
their playoff debuts tonight against the Canucks — none more important
than rookie goalie Corey Crawford. Overcoming those nerves is essential.
Power-play production: The Hawks converted only two of their last 21
power plays in their last seven games. When the high-scoring Canucks give
them those chances, they have to convert.
Slap the Sedins: The Hawks might not win Game 1, like last year, but a
precedent has to be set around the Sedin twins for the entire series. The
Hawks need to hit them often in all zones and make them play defense.
Game 1 at VAN
Tonight, 9
Game 2 at VAN
Friday, 9 p.m.
Game 3 at CHI
Sunday, 7 p.m.
Game 4 at CHI
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Game 5at VAN
April 21. 9 p.m.
Game 6at CHI
564619
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL playoff capsules
Staff
WESTERN CONFERENCE
2 SAN JOSE vs. 7 LOS ANGELES
Season series: Sharks 3-1-2
This series should be one-sided, as the Kings’ Justin Williams and Anze
Kopitar are out. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi is a proven playoff winner.
Sharks in 5
3 DETROIT vs. 6 PHOENIX
Season series: Red Wings 2-1-1
Detroit has health concerns with Henrik Zetterberg ailing. Coyotes goalie
Ilya Bryzgalov can steal a series, but Red Wings’ experience prevails.
Red Wings in 6
4 ANAHEIM vs. 5 NASHVILLE
Season series: Predators 3-1
The Preds are healthier, and their tandem of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter
will give the Corey Perry-Ryan Getzlaf-Bobby Ryan combo problems.
Predators in 6
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 WASHINGTON vs. 8 NY RANGERS
Season series: Rangers 3-1
The Rangers have shut out the Caps twice and outscored them 17-6 in four
games. But Capitals’ commitment to defense has paid off.
Capitals in 6
2 PHILADELPHIA vs. 7 BUFFALO
Season series: Flyers 2-1-1
The Flyers finished with an 8-8-6 run. But the talent and depth is there,
especially once Chris Pronger (wrist) returns to the lineup.
Flyers in 6
3 BOSTON vs. 6 MONTREAL
Season series: Canadiens 4-2
Their regular-season series had it all: dramatic finishes, routs, careerchanging hits and a brawl. So will this playoff series. Enjoy.
Bruins in 7
4 PITTSBURGH vs. 5 TAMPA BAY
Season series: Even 2-2
The Penguins’ admirable run without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
comes to an end. Tampa Bay’s skill and trapping system win out.
Lightning in 6
564620
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawks plan new look for Canucks
By ADAM L. JAHNS
The steps in Patrick Kane’s hair and the length of it were a clear sign of the
revitalized feeling among the Blackhawks. The playoff mullet is back.
“Right after the Minnesota game, that was my first phone call, to my
barber,” Kane said. “He made the trip downtown, opened up the shop and
gave me a quick haircut.”
The Hawks were all smiles Monday before they departed for Vancouver.
They spoke about the range of emotions they experienced Sunday night as
they watched the Wild stun the Dallas Stars. And they talked about being
rejuvenated and energized about playing the rival Canucks.
“Hopefully, everyone can appreciate the second chance we’ve been given
and we can do something with it,” Kane said. “A lot of us love playing in
playoff hockey and love playing in that type of atmosphere up in Canada,
where hockey is really loved.”
Most of the pressure, the Hawks say, is on the Canucks. Some players see
themselves as the proverbial underdog despite being the reigning Stanley
Cup champions, and they’re embracing it.
“Now, we are the underdog,” Kane said. “We really feel like we have
nothing to lose, especially with what happened [Sunday] with maybe being
out of the playoffs and now you get second life. Now, we’re going up to
Vancouver to play the best team in the NHL.”
The Canucks finished with the most points in the league, saw goalie
Roberto Luongo, the Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler all have stellar seasons,
revamped their blue line in the offseason and finished with the best goal
differential in the league. Anything less than the trip to the Stanley Cup
finals would be a disastrous disappointment for them.
It was a similar position the Hawks were in last year after their standout
season and their run a year earlier to the Western Conference finals. But
the Hawks also have confidence in knowing that no team frustrates the
Canucks more than them. That history between the teams shines an even
bigger spotlight on the Canucks after the Hawks eliminated them the last
two postseasons.
“You wouldn’t want to wait to the second or third round to play a series like
this,” captain Jonathan Toews said. “There’s less pressure on us than them.
.??.??. We can go in and really play that underdog in this series and just try
to be as tough to play against as we can. The guys are really excited to get
this chance.”
The Hawks will need some things to fall into place to beat the Canucks,
such as health and getting newcomers to emerge as playoff-capable
performers. The Hawks are optimistic that Dave Bolland (concussion) and
Troy Brouwer (shoulder) will play in the series — both will be needed.
“We want to make the most of this opportunity,” defenseman Duncan Keith
said. “Looking at Vancouver, they’re first in the league and we just snuck in
the playoffs. They’re the team that has more pressure than us.”
There’s still pressure on the Hawks. It comes with being the champions and
wanting to play like it. But they’ve dealt with that the entire season. Don’t
expect those feelings to change. If anything, they take pride in being able to
overcome it.
“The biggest pressure is probably to get back to the playoffs,” Toews said.
“It wasn’t any easy season. It wasn’t as smooth as it was last year. But
we’re here. All you need to do is get in whether your No. 1 or No. 8. It
doesn’t really matter. You still have to win four games to advance.”
564621
Chicago Blackhawks
This would be considered another failed season for the Canucks should
they not get past the Hawks and at least make a serious run at the Stanley
Cup.
Confident Hawks ready to test Vancouver’s mettle
“You get measured by playoffs,” Daniel Sedin said. “Win all you want in the
regular season, but if you don’t win in the playoffs you’re no one.”
By Tim Sassone
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Deep down inside, the Blackhawks
believe they can beat the Vancouver Canucks in their first round Stanley
Cup playoff series.
Would be it considered an upset? Absolutely, based on Vancouver’s terrific
regular season.
Would it surprise anyone if the Hawks won? Certainly not.
The Hawks might be the eighth seed in the Western Conference portion of
the tournament, but 12 of them have Stanley Cup rings tucked away in
safety deposit boxes — and for several players, those rings are sitting next
to Olympic medals.
“They’ve proven they can win on the big stage and play through adversity,”
Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday.
The fact is the Hawks are confident they can win this series, and that little
bit of doubt that might be in the back of the heads of the Canucks after two
straight playoff eliminations at the hands of their biter rivals is what makes
this hardly an ordinary No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed first-round matchup.
“Until we beat those guys there’s always going to be a little bit of doubt in
the back of our heads,” said Kevin Bieksa, the always straight-shooting
Canucks defenseman.
“We’re not going into this series thinking it’s impossible to beat this team,
because it’s not,” Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “They’re a very
good team and you respect that and you respect what they do well, but at
the same time it comes down to who wants it more.”
That little bit of doubt that Bieksa might have, or Roberto Luongo, or Henrik
Sedin is what the Hawks need to capitalize on in Game 1 tonight at Rogers
Arena.
Can you imagine what would be going through the heads of the Canucks if
the Hawks stole Game 1?
But beating the Canucks is easier said than done. They are a better team
this time around, much improved on defense, and the Hawks simply aren’t
as deep up front.
In fact, only five forwards who played in last year’s second-round series
against Vancouver will be in tonight’s lineup, six if Troy Brouwer plays.
This is when the Hawks truly could miss Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd,
Kris Versteeg and Brent Sopel for a variety of reasons, but perhaps first and
foremost their big-play capabilities in the clutch.
Containing Henrik and Daniel Sedin is a must for the Hawks, who would be
helped greatly if Dave Bolland could play and pester the Sedins like he has
done so well in the past. Bolland, however, is doubtful for Game 1.
“Defense is going to be important,” Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “I
still think we want to make sure we’re in that offensive zone more than
we’re in our zone.
“Special teams are definitely going to be very important. They have the top
power play and managing the Sedins is going to be the challenge for the
guys who are out there against them.”
While the Sedins might be two of the greatest offensive players in the NHL,
they aren’t known for their defense, which is what the Hawks want to
exploit.
“For the most part you want to keep the puck away from them,” Toews said.
“If you can play in their zone, they’re not the two types of guys that want to
play in their own zone. They want to play offense and create offense.”
Without a doubt Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook will be on the ice each
time the Sedins step out.
“We’re going to have to be great against this team,” Keith said.
564622
Chicago Blackhawks
It’s back! Kane’s mullet returns
By Mike Spellman
Patrick Kane strolled into the interview room at O’Hare Airport sporting his
typical traveling attire, a suit and a wool cap.
But just as he was about to step in front of the cameras he
uncharacteristically paused and turned back to the Blackhawks PR guy who
was trailing him.
“I don’t know, should I?” he asked.
What was going on?
After a few more seconds, Kane stepped to the podium, leaned his head
forward and pulled off his cap, unleashing the return of the playoff mullet,
complete with stripes.
“It’s back,” he announced a little sheepishly.
And so are the Hawks, who Sunday afternoon assumed they were going to
miss the playoffs after losing at home to Detroit. But about six hours later
they had their world rocked by the Minnesota Wild, who edged Dallas,
giving the Hawks the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Talk about a nail-biting, roller coaster of an afternoon followed by a nailbiting, roller coaster of a night.
“Obviously you’re praying Minnesota’s going to win,” said Kane, who
watched the game with his parents at his place. “It was tough after our
game because you feel like you kind of gave it away.”
“I actually didn’t even watch the first half of the game,” Hawks captain
Jonathan Toews said. “I was at home watching TV with my brother and
texting Sharpie and he’s like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you
watching the game?’ So I started watching the second half.”
And he was loving what he was seeing.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Toews said. “Minnesota played a heck of a
game and gave us a second chance. If we could, we’d play today — we’re
so excited to get out there and get this thing started.”
The wild win by the Wild, highlighted afterward by the headline “By the way
Chicago …. you’re welcome” on the team’s web site, capped a day full of
anger, disbelief, frustration and ultimately joy for Toews and Co.
“At first I was so disappointed that we didn’t take full control at what was
going on in our game (Sunday); it almost felt like it was over already,”
Toews said. “So you go from the feeling that your season is over and you’re
not going to know what to do with yourself for the next couple of months to
Minnesota playing a great game and giving us a chance to play in the
playoffs.
“Then the whole dream of winning a Stanley Cup comes right back in. It
was kind of one of the weirder days I’ve been through in a long time.”
After the Wild win, Kane got in touch with former teammate Adam Burish,
who plays for Dallas.
“I said thanks for that,” Kane said. “He said I have to buy him all the beers
this summer in Chicago. I’m sure he’s not happy, but we’ll take it.”
The call to Burish wasn’t the first Kane made Sunday night.
“Right after the Minnesota game, that was my first phone call … to my
barber,” Kane said. “He made the trip downtown, opened up the shop, and
gave me a quick haircut.
“Hopefully I didn’t cut into this for a short stint; hopefully there’s a reason I
cut it and it’ll be around for a long time.”
564623
Chicago Blackhawks
Q&A with Blackhawks broadcaster Troy Murray
By Mike Spellman
Editor’s note: Troy Murray, now in his 11th season as a member of the
Blackhawks’ broadcast team, will again provide pregame analysis for the
Daily Herald throughout the Blackhawks’ playoff run. The Selke Award
winner was a five-time 20 goal scorer and a veteran of 15 years in the NHL,
playing in 915 career games.
Q. How hard is it going to be for the Blackhawks to go from disappointment
and thinking about golf and summer vacations back into playoff hockey
mode?
A. I don’t think it’s going to be hard. A lot of them didn’t think they’d be
having this opportunity and feel very fortunate to get the break they got in
the Minnesota game.
In a lot of ways, I think the pressure has been relieved for them just getting
into the postseason. They’re not going to have to deal with the questions
about what happened this year, about not getting into the playoffs after
winning the Stanley Cup last year. Now they’re getting a second opportunity
here and I think they’ll appreciate it and use it to their advantage.
Q. Speaking of pressure, how much pressure is on Vancouver in this series
and how much would a Blackhawks win in tonight’s game deflate them?
A. There’s a lot of pressure on Vancouver. First and foremost, this has been
one of the best rivalries in the postseason the last couple of seasons. So
factor that in along with the fact the Canucks won the President’s Trophy
this season and they’ve retooled their team to challenge a team like the
Blackhawks in all areas. In Canada, the media attention on them is
tremendous.
I think there’s a lot of pressure on the Blackhawks as well. They certainly
don’t want to go out meekly. They want to put on a great performance and
give it their best shot. Everybody’s looking at Vancouver as being the
favorite in this series, but if you look at all the playoff matchups — anything
can happen.
For the Vancouver Canucks, having to explain another playoff loss would
be devastating. Game 1 is going to be a statement game for both teams.
Q. There’s been so much talk about the Blackhawks missing Big Buff for
the playoffs. Is that a legitimate concern?
A. It is and it isn’t. There was always that (Dustin) Byfuglien factor in the
series against Vancouver. Was it hype? Well, in a lot of ways what it did
was it masked the success of the other players in the series. The focus of
the rivalry between these two teams in a lot of ways was developed
between Roberto Luongo and Dustin Byfuglien.
In a lot of ways it was overblown. The series certainly took different turns
with Byfuglien in front of Luongo, but that was not the sole reason the
Blackhawks won the series’ the last couple of seasons. A lot of players
stepped up and were great in those series.
Q. Who is the one Blackhawks player to watch in this series? Corey
Crawford?
A. It’s a very interesting matchup to watch. Roberto Luongo, who needs to
take that next step — according to everyone up here in Canada and around
the NHL — to show that he can be the guy that the Vancouver Canucks
thought he would be. He has to step it up in the postseason.
On the other end is Corey Crawford — a young goaltender who has never
faced the pressures of the postseason as a starting goaltender. It’s going to
be one of the keys to the series — Corey Crawford being able to outplay
Roberto Luongo.
564624
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawks vs. Bulls a rivalry worth watching
By Mike Imrem
In the competitive world of big-time Chicago sports, all sorts of games are
played within the games.
There are the White Sox against the Cubs, the Cubs against a goat, the
Bears against mediocrity …
And currently the Blackhawks against the Bulls for winter supremacy.
Forget the NHL and NBA titles as the playoffs begin this week. As important
from a purely local perspective is the subplot of how the Bulls and Hawks
match up.
Think of Benny the Bull and Tommy Hawk wrestling in the middle of
Madison Street or John Scott head-butting the Jordan statue.
Maybe Carlos Boozer will post up Duncan Keith, or Brent Seabrook will
check Derrick Rose into the scorer’s table, or Tom Thibodeau and Joel
Quenneville will test each other at chess.
OK, so it won’t be anything that silly. It’ll be more like two marketing
departments trying to dunk each other into a think tank.
After years of oblivion the Hawks played themselves back into this
conversation, perhaps even moving ahead of the Bulls while winning the
Stanley Cup last season.
The Hawks were the buzz of the town. They had the better team, the more
attractive young players and overall the more likable franchise from top to
bottom.
If the Hawks weren’t ahead of the Bulls they at least pulled even, meaning
they escaped Chicago’s cellar while still behind the Bears, Cubs and White
Sox.
This year, well, not so much.
The Hawks’ have a couple problems sustaining mass popularity. One is that
hockey still is sort of an unnatural act in the United States compared to
basketball, and the other is that the NHL doesn’t do much to help.
It wasn’t always this way. The Hawks were winter wonders from the time
Bobby Hull arrived in 1957 until Michael Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984.
Then it was no contest. The Bulls were more exciting, right up to winning six
NBA titles while Bill Wirtz allowed the Hawks to deteriorate to nearly minor
league status.
The Hawks couldn’t rally ahead even after Jordan left and the Bulls fell into
their own disrepair.
However — Bingo! — last year at this time the Hawks became everything
they could hope to be.
Now, the UC is jumping with young superstars from both teams like Rose
and Jonathan Toews and complementary stars like Joakim Noah and
Patrick Kane.
But it’s outside the building where the competition intensifies to win casual
fans, TV viewers, newspaper space and airtime on sports-talk radio.
Even a year ago Hawks’ mover John McDonough and shaker Jay Blunk
understood that even if they kept filling the United Center, which they did,
retaining the hearts and souls of the rest of the town would remain a
challenge.
What the Hawks couldn’t have expected was that Rose would become this
megastar, Thibodeau would become a head-coaching savant, and the
Bulls’ record would become the best in the NBA East.
So here these teams are, the Bulls entering their playoffs on a roll and the
Hawks entering theirs on a prayer.
The outcome of the game within the games isn’t decided yet. The Bulls
could stumble in the postseason and the Hawks could surprise.
The competition the Hawks and Bulls will provide each other will be as
compelling as anything the Celtics and Red Wings could provide them.
564625
Chicago Blackhawks
Dealing with concussion left Bolland depressed
By Tracey Myers
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Dave Bolland was as down mentally as
he was physically.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward struggled with the concussion he
sustained on March 9. Days, weeks went by, and Bolland just wasn’t feeling
any better. It was sapping him in every way.
“It’s a drain to your body, a drain to your mind,” said Bolland, who talked
Tuesday for the first time since getting hurt. “It’s depressing. I didn’t want to
do anything. Guys would want to do something and you just wanted to stay
in. You don’t want to deal with anything. It was very tough. I could feel for
(Sidney) Crosby and other guys who’ve had it. It’s a tough time and I’m glad
I’m over that hump.”
Bolland is improving and he once again donned the non-contact jersey to
practice with his teammates on Tuesday. While teammate Troy Brouwer
(right shoulder) is a good possibility for Game 1 on Wednesday, Bolland
isn’t - “I still have to do some tests to make sure everything up there is OK,”
he said.
Coach Joel Quenneville said “we’ll make that announcement when he’s
ready to go.”
Tampa Bay defenseman Pavel Kubina was suspended three games for the
elbow that caused Bolland’s concussion. Bolland said Kubina may have
tried to call him, but doctors told him to stay off his cell phone not long after
he was hurt, so he’s not sure. Regardless, Bolland harbors no ill will toward
Kubina.
“I know he didn’t mean to clip me like that,” he said. “It’s a fast game and
things happen out there. You wish things like that didn’t happen but it’s part
of the game and have to deal with it.”
Bolland said he finally “snapped out of it” two Sundays ago after having
headaches and feeling “hazy and foggy” for the last three or four weeks.
Every night he went to bed hoping he’d feel better the next day. Every
morning, he wouldn’t.
“Doctors said one day you have it and the next day it’s totally gone. I’d
wake up every day hoping that was the day but it just was never going
away,” Bolland said. “It’s just time and that’s all it is.”
Now he’s turned the corner. He’ll take the necessary steps and tests to
make sure he’s ready. there’s nothing more he’d like to do than to play
against the Canucks; but for now, he’s happy just to be here, to be
practicing and to be feeling better.
“Once we knew we’d be playing Vancouver, I wish I felt better and was
ready to play the first game. It does get frustrating when everyone’s getting
ready for this,” Bolland said. “I still feel a little bit of a haze but just
whenever I feel great, whenever I feel my mind and head’s back, I’ll be
good.”
No Buff
Dustin Byfuglien was big in frustrating the Canucks in last year’s playoff
series. He was a big presence, he crashed the net and scored, garnering a
hat trick in Game 1 and collecting six points (four goals, two assists) for the
series.
The Blackhawks will be missing that this time against Vancouver, but the
Canucks figure they’ll just find someone else.
“Regardless of who we play someone’s going to get in front of (Roberto
Luongo). That’s the key to scoring goals on him; he’s too good otherwise,”
Kevin Bieksa said. “I’m sure they’ll have a new Byfuglien this series. We’ll
have to find out who it is.”
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 04.13.2011
564626
Chicago Blackhawks
Underdog Hawks ready; Canucks 'hate' 'em
don’t pay attention to anymore,” Brouwer said. “The playoffs are a time
when you play through a few things and for me it’s no different. But I feel
good and I can only tell the coach how I feel. It’s his decision what’s going
to happen next.”
Mullet musings
By Tracey Myers
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – For Vancouver defenseman Kevin
Bieksa, it doesn’t matter that this Chicago Blackhawks group is quite
different than the one that eliminated the Canucks the past two seasons.
“When you put that (Blackhawks) jersey on, it’s instant hate in this dressing
room,” Bieksa said. “It’s a team we want to beat badly.”
[When will Bolland return?]
Or maybe more a team the Canucks need to beat badly.
As the Blackhawks and Canucks meet for the third consecutive postseason
beginning Wednesday night, there’s certainly no shortage of story lines. For
the Blackhawks, they’ve been pretty good: two consecutive series triumphs
over Vancouver and a Stanley Cup last season. They could also be getting
forward Troy Brouwer (shoulder) back for Game 1. But the No. 1 Canucks
are nevertheless the team to beat, and the eighth-seeded champs are, let’s
face it, dark horses.
[WATCH: Why rivalry history doesn't matter]
“That’s probably where everybody’s got us,” coach Joel Quenneville said.
“Winning first game is paramount. We’re on the road, we’re viewed as
underdogs and coming into a building that’s hard to win in. We’ve played
hard here, so have to be ready to be at our best.”
Meanwhile, the Canucks are dealing with another problem: constant Cup
pressure. They led the league in several categories, had a firm hold on the
Western Conference and claimed the President’s Trophy. But until they win
that Cup, they’re never going to hear the end of it.
“For the whole team, you’re not going to be seen as great until you’ve won it
all. There are always going to be questions until you win,” Daniel Sedin
said. “(The Blackhawks) won. Nobody’s questioning them. We have to
prove we can win.”
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, don’t want to fall into happy-to-be-here mode.
After feeling euphoric on Monday, a day after Minnesota’s victory over
Dallas got them in, the Blackhawks were more in business mode at
Tuesday’s practice.
“We want things to go our way, we want to win this series,” Jonathan Toews
said. “There’s no working for 82 games just to make it to the playoffs and be
happy with that. We want to get this series started on the right foot and
hopefully move on after that.”
It’s the playoffs again and the pressure’s on again. The Blackhawks have
been to the top of the heap. Now they’ll play a Canucks team that badly
wants take their place.
“They’ve proven they can play on the big stage and play through adversity,
challenges and the pressure that comes with winning four rounds to get
your hands on the big prize,” Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. “We
think we can do it, we’re going to set out tomorrow to try to prove it. We’ve
worked all year long to finish first and we’re getting Cup champs. It doesn’t
get any better than that.”
Brouwer close?
Troy Brouwer, who’s missed a week with a right shoulder injury, could be in
the lineup Wednesday against the Canucks.
“We’ll say we’re hopeful he’s a possibility (for Game 1),” Quenneville said.
Brouwer practiced with the Blackhawks on Tuesday, although he was
wearing a white non-contact jersey. Still, considering how big the series is
and Brouwer’s family ties here, it may be hard to hold him out.
Patrick Kane found success with the playoff mullet last year, so he decided
to sport it again. Why does that make at least one member of the
Vancouver Canucks angry? (AP)
“I’m comfortable and confident in (my shoulder) right now that I can jump in.
Once you get into the heat of the game, a lot of things you’re feeling you
Patrick Kane’s rush to get his mullet back for the postseason didn’t sit well
with Canucks left wing Tanner Glass, who sports his own.
“It’s embarrassing. He’s kind of mocked the mullet and I’m not too pleased
about that, to be honest,” said Glass with a smile. “I don’t think there are
(mullet) rules, but when you do it for a few months and then you cut it off,
it’s mocking.”
Battle tested
If Corey Crawford felt butterflies when he played in front of the hometown
Montreal folks last week, they’ll probably be there again tomorrow night
when he starts his first NHL playoff game.
Then again, considering the Blackhawks’ dogfight to get in, Crawford’s
already had a taste of playoff-type hockey.
“We’ll find out tomorrow but there have been a lot of tough games,” Corey
Crawford said. “It’s only going to prepare us for tomorrow’s game.”
Quenneville has been happy with Crawford’s preparation throughout this
season.
“You have to commend him on how he’s approached all these games and
continued to get the job done,” he said. “He’s consistent and quietly goes
about his business.”
564627
Colorado Avalanche
Who's No. 2?
The Avs own the second overall pick in the NHL draft. Who will they take?
Avalanche gets second pick in NHL draft
By Adrian Dater
While there was a major overcoming of the odds in the winner of Tuesday's
NHL draft lottery — New Jersey won it, with just a 3.6 percent chance —
that didn't stop the Avalanche from securing the second overall pick.
Best guess: Adam Larsson, the No. 1-rated European skater, or Gabriel
Landeskog, the No. 2-rated North American skater.
Needs: The Avalanche's needs include defense and left wing. Larsson, a
defenseman, and Landeskog, a rugged left winger, would better address
those areas than the No. 1-rated North American skater, center Ryan
Nugent-Hopkins.
NHL first-round draft order
1. Edmonton Oilers
Despite the Devils' longshot win in the lottery, the rules stated they could
move up only four slots — from their eighth-place overall finish to fourth —
and the Avs thereby kept the second spot. The Avs not only will have the
No. 2 pick in first round June 24 in St. Paul, Minn., they own the 11th pick
from a February trade with St. Louis.
2. Colorado Avalanche
Speculation will swirl for the next 10 weeks on whom the Avs should pick.
The top three rated prospects in this year's pool of eligible players center on
three players with distinctive differences.
5. New York Islanders
Western Hockey League center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the No. 1-rated
North American skater according to the NHL's Central Scouting service, but
center is an area the Avs are fairly well-stocked and Nugent-Hopkins has
plenty of filling out to do with his 6-foot, 164-pound frame.
The Avs, on paper anyway, have bigger holes on defense and at left wing,
and the next-highest rated players would help fill them. Swedish
defenseman Adam Larsson is the No. 1-rated European skater and fellow
Swede Gabriel Landeskog is the No. 2-rated North American skater.
Landeskog, a 6-foot, 201-pound left winger who played with the Kitchener
Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League last season (36 goals and 66 points
in 53 games), would give the Avalanche some needed size up front.
NHL television analyst Pierre McGuire, a former league coach, was asked
Tuesday night whom he would choose if he were Avalanche general
manager Greg Sherman.
"If Larsson is there, take him. If not, Landeskog," McGuire said.
Sherman was at the lottery selection in Toronto. He told the Canadian
network TSN that the Avs hadn't decided on a favored top pick yet, but he
wasn't available for comment afterward.
The Avs got the 11th pick because the Blues finished outside of the 10
worst teams this season, points-wise, and so had to surrender their firstround pick per terms of February's big trade.
Second is the highest pick the Avalanche has had since the team moved to
Denver in 1995. The Avs had the third pick in the 2009 draft and chose
center Matt Duchene.
The Edmonton Oilers own the draft's first pick for the second consecutive
year. The Oilers have big defensive problems and would seemingly need a
player such as Larsson more than a forward, but Nugent-Hopkins played at
nearby Red Deer and has stated he would be thrilled to play in Edmonton.
The Avs forfeited their second-round selection in this year's draft to St.
Louis as part of the trade.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
Five times No. 2
Players selected with the NHL's No. 2 draft pick the past five years:
2010: Tyler Seguin, Boston — Scored 11 goals and had 22 points in 74
games for the Bruins this season. May not have been ready for the NHL so
fast.
2009: Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay — Has been a solid, if unspectacular,
defenseman for the Lightning his first two seasons.
2008: Drew Doughty, Los Angeles — The Kings defenseman is one of the
league's best young blue-liners.
2007: James Van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia — Scored 21 goals in 75 games
for the Flyers this season.
2006: Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh — Penguins took him one slot after St. Louis
drafted defenseman Erik Johnson (now with the Avs).
3. Florida Panthers
4. New Jersey Devils
6. Ottawa Senators
7. Atlanta Thrashers
8. Columbus Blue Jackets
9. Boston Bruins (from Toronto)
10. Minnesota Wild
11. Avalanche (from St. Louis)
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Calgary Flames
14. Dallas Stars
The remaining positions are determined at the conclusion of the playoffs.
Denver Post: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564628
Colorado Avalanche
No postseason berth, no job for ex-Avs coach Crawford
The Denver Post and wire services
DALLAS — Former Avalance coach Marc Crawford was fired Tuesday after
just two seasons in charge of the Stars. Although Dallas' playoff bid went to
the final minutes of the regular season, general manager Joe Nieuwendyk
decided his club needed another coach to become a contender for the
Stanley Cup.
Iginla, Flames sticking together
CALGARY, Alberta — Flames general manager Jay Feaster made one
thing clear — Jarome Iginla will return for a 15th straight season with
Calgary.
Feaster also said a plan is in the works to re-sign unrestricted free agents
Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross.
Footnotes.
Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger said he's confident he will play against
the Sabres, though he was noncommittal about Game 1 of the series.
Pronger has been sidelined since having hand surgery in March.
• The Kings' second-leading scorer, Justin Williams, went through another
full practice with a harness on his dislocated shoulder and appears leaning
to a return Thursday against the Sharks.
• Red Wings leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg (left knee) said he's out for
least Game 1 tonight against Phoenix.
The Associated Press
564629
Colorado Avalanche
Avs get the Nos. 2 and 11 picks after NHL draft lottery
By Adrian Dater
The Avalanche will get the second pick in June's NHL draft after Tuesday's
draft lottery.
The Avalanche had an 18.8 percent chance of winning the lottery, which
was determined in New York but announced formally in Toronto. But the
New Jersey Devils actually won the lottery, moving up from eighth to fourth
in the draft, which meant the Avs automatically stayed at the second
selection.
The Avalanche also will pick 11th in the first round of the draft, to be held
June 24-25 in St. Paul, Minn. The Avs got the 11th pick because the St.
Louis Blues forfeited it by finishing outside of the 10 worst NHL teams
points-wise this season, part of a trade the teams made in February.
The Oilers will select first for the second season in a row. They are a team
with major defensive needs, so many will speculate they might take
defenseman Adam Larsson of Sweden, the No. 1-ranked European skater
by the NHL's Central Scouting service.
But center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the No. 1-ranked North American
skater, and he plays in the Western Hockey League for the Red Deer
Rebels — close to Edmonton. There will be much popular sentiment to take
Nugent-Hopkins in Edmonton because of that.
The player considered the third-best available in the draft is another Swede,
winger Gabriel Landeskog of the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey
League. He is a left winger, an area of concern to the Avalanche, and he
has the kind of size that might be attractive to a team that was considered
too small by many pundits.
Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman was at the lottery selection in
Toronto. He told the Canadian network TSN that the team had not decided
on a favored top pick yet.
564630
Playoff capsules
By Tom Reed
Big picture: Whoever says the NHL salary cap isn't affecting the sport hasn't
been paying attention. The past three champions (Detroit, Pittsburgh,
Chicago) have been unable to keep their teams together. The Blackhawks
have ousted the Canucks the past two postseasons, but they will be
fortunate to win two games this time.
The pick: Vancouver in five. The Canucks will take out two years of
frustrations on an opponent seriously lacking depth.
2 San Jose Sharks, 48-25-9 (105 points), First in Pacific Division
1 Washington Capitals, 48-23-11 (107 points), First in Southeast Division
Vs.
Vs.
7 Los Angeles Kings, 46-30-6 (98 points), Fourth in Pacific Division
8 New York Rangers, 44-33-5 (93 points), Third in Atlantic Division
Regular-season series: San Jose won 3-1-2
Regular-season series: New York won 3-1
Big picture: Yawn. It's probably the least-interesting matchup of the first
round, except for the California connection. The Kings are without their star,
Anze Kopitar. The Sharks are strong down the middle and own an
advantage in goal with Antti Niemi.
Big picture: After a slow start to the season, the Capitals went 16-3-1 down
the stretch to finish atop the conference for the second straight season.
Washington will start rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth, who led their American
Hockey League affiliate to back-to-back titles. The Rangers clinched the
playoffs on the final day, but are without top forward Ryan Callahan (broken
ankle).
The pick: San Jose in five. Look for another big playoff from Sharks center
Joe Pavelski.
3 Detroit Red Wings, 47-25-10 (104 points), First in Central Division
The pick: Washington in six. The Capitals are a more well-rounded team
than the one that exited in the first round a season ago.
Vs.
2 Philadelphia Flyers, 47-23-12 (106 points), First in Atlantic Division
6 Phoenix Coyotes, 43-26-13 (99 points), Third in Pacific Division
Vs.
Regular-season series: Phoenix won 2-0-2
7 Buffalo Sabres, 43-29-10 (96 points), Third in Northeast Division
Big picture: It's a match of the Red Wings' stars against the Coyotes'
system. Except injured center Henrik Zetterberg (knee) and defenseman
Niklas Kronwall (upper body) could miss games. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov
gives the Coyotes a shot.
Regular-season series: Philadelphia won 2-1-1
The old playoff rivals: The Flyers have played with no consistency while the
Sabres are 28-11-6 since Jan. 1. Philadelphia needs to get its defensive
rock, Chris Pronger (wrist), back in the lineup. The Sabres have a big edge
in goal with Ryan Miller, assuming he's recovered from an upper-body
injury.
The pick: Phoenix in six. The Coyotes celebrate their upset all the way to
Winnipeg.
4 Anaheim Ducks, 47-30-5 (99 points), Second in Pacific Division
The pick: Philadelphia in seven. Claude Giroux, one of the NHL's most
unheralded stars, saves the Flyers from an upset.
Vs.
3 Boston Bruins, 46-25-11 (103 points), First in Northeast Division
Regular-season series: Nashville won 3-1-0
Vs.
The big picture: The Ducks' Corey Perry is on his way to the NHL awards
show to pick up his Hart Trophy as MVP. He'll have plenty of time to
memorize his acceptance speech. The Predators have one of the game's
best goalies in Pekka Rinne and a solid defensive corps. The acquisition of
center Mike Fisher will help them win their first playoff series.
6 Montreal Canadiens, 44-30-8 (96 points), Second in Northeast Division
Regular-season series: Montreal won 4-2-0
Big picture: This was a nasty regular-season series highlighted by line
brawls and Zdeno Chara's injurious hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty. The
Canadiens need to use their speed to overcome their lack of size up front.
The Bruins can wreak havoc when they get their forecheck rolling.
The pick: Boston in seven. The Bruins finally win a Game 7 after getting
their fill of Carey Price.
4 Pittsburgh Penguins, 49-25-8 (106 points), Second in Atlantic Division
Vs.
5 Tampa Bay Lightning, 46-25-11 (103 points), Second in Southeast
Division
Regular-season series: Tied 2-2
Big picture: Has a team ever changed identity as quickly as the Penguins?
The run-and-gun Penguins have changed their approach in the absence of
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They finished the regular season
seventh in goals against and first on the penalty kill. The Lightning is led by
the impressive offensive trio of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and
Vincent Lecavalier.
The pick: Pittsburgh in seven. Penguins score game-winner as 73-year-old
goalie Dwayne Roloson nods off in second overtime.
1 Vancouver Canucks, 54-19-9 (117 points), First in Northwest Division
Vs.
8 Chicago Blackhawks, 44-29-9 (97 points), Third in Central Division
Regular-season series: Vancouver won 2-1-1
5 Nashville Predators, 44-27-11 (99 points), Third in Central Division
The pick: Nashville in six. The Ducks' three goalies aren't as good as the
one for Nashville.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 04.13.2011
564631
Notebook: Oilers get top pick; Jackets fall to No.8
By Aaron Portzline
The NHL draft lottery did the Blue Jackets no favors last night, as usual.
The Jackets, who came into the lottery in the seventh spot but could have
climbed as high as No. 3, will instead own the No.8 overall pick at the June
24-25 draft in St. Paul, Minn.
Edmonton will pick No. 1 for a second straight season, followed by
Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, Ottawa and
Atlanta.
The Devils "won" the lottery, allowing them to move from No.8 to No. 4 and
pushing the teams behind them down one spot. One of them was the Blue
Jackets.
Per NHL rules, no team can move up more than four spots or down more
than one.
Unless they make an unlikely trade up the draft board, the Blue Jackets
have virtually no chance to get one of the "big three" players in this year's
draft - forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Gabriel Landeskog and
defenseman Adam Larsson.
Since joining the NHL in 2000, the Blue Jackets have never improved their
draft order via the lottery.
Methot to play for Canada
Blue Jackets defenseman Marc Methot will play for Team Canada at the
World Championships beginning April 29 in Slovakia, but Jackets
goaltender Steve Mason has declined an invitation.
564632
Blue Jackets season in review: Young talent, old problems
By Aaron Portzline
• If only Umberger's pride could be bottled and shared in the dressing room.
Before a Nov. 10 game, Umberger challenged several Blues players who
defied security orders and were warming up with a soccer ball in an area
where Umberger does his pregame routine. They nearly came to blows,
with Umberger - the only Blue Jacket in the scrum - screaming "This is our
(expletive) house" to a pack of Blues as they were restrained by guards.
Lowlight
"Penguin playground"
It was supposed to be a celebration, but the Blue Jackets' 10th season
ended like eight others - without a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But no two seasons are exactly the same. Yes, 2010-11 was in many ways
forgettable, but it did provide some lasting memories.
Stockholm in autumn was a lifetime experience. R.J. Umberger's near
soccer brawl with the St. Louis Blues was a swell of pride missing for fans
since the early years of the franchise. Coach Scott Arniel brought a new
system and sharp tongue with him from the minor leagues.
Matt Calvert flashed speed, Derek MacKenzie got a chance and Boomer what were they thinking? - made us laugh.
A season of mysterious highs and lows once again has led to an offseason
of intrigue. Here is the Blue Jackets 2010-11 season in review:
It was bad enough that the Penguins routed the Blue Jackets 7-2 on Dec. 4.
But Pittsburgh fans took over Nationwide that day and thoroughly
embarrassed Blue Jackets fans, taunting Jackets goaltender Steve Mason,
taking rides on the Zamboni during intermission, and chanting "We Want
10!" They meant 10 goals, too, not Mark Letestu.
Best wins
• Nov. 10: Blue Jackets 8, Blues 1
After the pregame shouting match outside the dressing rooms, the Blue
Jackets blew out the Central Division's playground bully by matching a
franchise record for goals. All were scored at even strength.
• Nov. 20, @ San Jose: Blue Jackets 3, Sharks 0
MVP
The Jackets capped a first-ever sweep of California with an authoritative
win in one of the NHL's toughest rinks. A Rick Nash hat trick never hurts.
R.J. Umberger
• Feb. 25: Blue Jackets 5, Coyotes 3
Never left the lineup - 246 straight games with Columbus - and never
stopped working, which is why he set another career high in scoring.
Umberger led Blue Jackets forwards in ice time, snapping a three-year run
by Rick Nash in that category.
Calvert had the franchise's second rookie hat trick, the power play scored
three goals - say what? - and the Jackets pulled to two points of eighth in
the West.
Runners-up: Nash, Fedor Tyutin
Most disappointing player
Jake Voracek
After a point-a-game flurry at the end of the 2009-10 season, Voracek was
expected to throw a launch party this season, but he regressed in goals,
assists and points. His sloppy play with the puck showed no signs of
relenting.
Worst losses
• Dec. 4: Penguins 7, Blue Jackets 2
Pittsburgh led 4-0 after less than 16 minutes, giving up three power-play
goals to the delight of many Penguins fans on hand. Most Blue Jackets fans
had departed before the lead grew to 7-1 in the second.
• Dec. 23: Canucks 7, Blue Jackets 3
Runners-up: Steve Mason, Kris Russell
Talk about showing up late for work. The Canucks led 3-0 and were outshooting the Blue Jackets 16-1 only 13 minutes into the game. Arniel
apologized to fans after the game.
Most surprising player
• March 20: Devils 3, Blue Jackets 0
Derek MacKenzie
The Blue Jackets, clinging to faint playoff hopes, totaled just 13 shots on
goal in a dozy afternoon affair. If the seats in Nationwide Arena reclined
After toiling in the minors for most of eight seasons, MacKenzie got a
chance on the fourth line. Despite ranking 25th in ice time, he tied for
seventh in scoring (nine goals, 14 assists, 23 points) and set a franchise
mark for forwards with a plus-14 rating.
Bla Jacka
New coach, same results
The Blue Jackets played outside North America for the first time, opening
the season with two games against San Jose in Stockholm. The
international exposure was rare for Columbus, and special for the Jackets'
three Swedes - forwards Sammy Pahlsson and Kristian Huselius, and
defenseman Anton Stralman.
The Blue Jackets banked on a new coaching staff to lead them back into
the playoffs, opting to make minimal changes to the roster.
Like a handful of other teams in the NHL - Los Angeles is the best example
- the Blue Jackets experienced extremes this season.
The result? The Blue Jackets won two more games (34) than in 2009-10,
earned two more points (81), scored one fewer goal (215) and allowed one
more (259).
It's easy to forget the 14-6-0 start, and the fact that the Jackets went into a
post-Thanksgiving home-and-home with Detroit with a chance to take over
first in the Western Conference.
Special teams were dramatically worse, the power play sliding from 14th in
the NHL to 29th and the penalty kill dipping from 17th to 22nd.
A 6-14-3 swoon followed, then an 11-3-3 uptick that made the playoffs a
possibility once again. But a 3-12-7 finish left a bad taste in everybody's
mouth.
Runner-up: Grant Clitsome
Burning questions
1. Majority owner John P. McConnell promised a thorough examination of
the franchise from top to bottom. Are sweeping changes in store this
summer?
2. Nobody in the organization above GM Scott Howson has the hockey
credentials to question his moves. Will that change with the hiring of a
senior hockey operations employee?
Highlight
"This is our (bleeping) house!"
Bounced check
With Ethan Moreau, Sammy Pahlsson and Chris Clark, the Blue Jackets
expected to have one of the NHL's better checking lines.
They certainly had one of the most expensive. With a price tag of $7.2
million, those three combined for 13 goals, 28 assists and a minus-25
rating. Moreau and Clark combined to miss 74 games because of injuries or
as healthy scratches.
Loud departure
Defenseman Mike Commodore, expected to be the toast of the town when
he signed a monster free-agent deal before the 2008-09 season, was
turned to toast by Arniel.
1. David Savard: With 11 goals and 32 assists, he had a solid first pro
season. The power-play ability is undeniable, but his conditioning must get
better.
The two had a behind-the-scenes blow-up after Commodore was told he
was being made a healthy scratch. Ten days later, after more scratches,
Commodore requested a trade.
2. John Moore: It's hard to get around that minus-27 rating. Another year in
the AHL is in order.
It's a costly move, as Commodore is due to make $6.8 million over the next
two seasons.
Filatov flames out again
Once big, mean coach Ken Hitchcock was fired in 2010, it was safe for
Nikita Filatov to come out of hiding in Russia and resume his career.
One problem: Hitchcock's evaluation of Filatov - that he was unwilling to
carry the puck or skate into "hard areas" - turned out to be spot on.
Filatov played 23 games in Columbus without scoring a goal. He was barely
better in minor-league Springfield, and his NHL future is up in the air now
more than ever.
Kids are all right
Rookie left winger Matt Calvert brought speed and energy, and defenseman
Grant Clitsome helped the power play become respectable, if only
temporarily.
They were at the head of the class of Blue Jackets rookies, but Nick
Holden, Maksim Mayorov and Tomas Kubalik also looked like keepers.
Boomer deflated
Goaltender
3. Allen York: After a fine college career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
York finished the season in the AHL and played very well, including a
shutout.
Quotes of the year
• "It was men against pee-wees out there." - Arniel, after a 7-3 loss to
Vancouver on Dec. 23.
• " the guys that are here are the ones who got us into this mess and they're
the ones who have to finish it off." - Arniel, when asked if he'd like to see
prospects play late in the season
• "I've been scratched seven of the last eight games. We've got guys going
down with food poisoning and the flu, and I still can't get in the lineup. I've
sat quiet and worked by (butt) off all year. I haven't said anything, while
Arniel has gone to the media and said, basically, that I can't play. It gets to
the point where I have to have some personal pride and I have to stand up
for myself." - defenseman Mike Commodore, after requesting a trade in
January.
• "I keep it first class on the ice. Always classy." - winger Scott Upshall,
describing his style of play upon his trade from Phoenix.
To much snickering and blushing, the Blue Jackets unveiled perhaps the
most embarrassing and short-lived mascot in all of pro sports.
• "That's the thing I always wanted to do in Columbus, win. But it wasn't
coming. It's just too bad we didn't win more. That's my only regret." - Klesla,
the last of the original Blue Jackets, after he was traded to Phoenix
Boomer was unveiled along with the third sweater at the Nov. 26 game vs.
Detroit, but from afar he looked less like a cartoonish cannon and more like
an unmentionable part of the male anatomy.
By the numbers
Three days later, after the Blue Jackets became the butt of many jokes
nationally, Boomer was retired.
Cannon blast
The Blue Jackets' new third sweaters - which further emphasized the club's
Civil War-based nickname - were well done.
After an 0-4 start in the sweaters, which prompted Arniel to scratch plans to
wear them on Dec. 11 against the Rangers, the Jackets finished the season
5-8-1 in their new duds.
Scratch and win
Arniel scratched more than just the third sweaters. Veterans Jan Hejda,
Tyutin and Rostislav Klesla all felt his wrath with healthy scratches, along
with youngsters Voracek, Kris Russell and Derek Dorsett, among others.
Elbow room
Attendance in Nationwide Arena plummeted by an average of 1,757 fans
per game, from 15,416 per game in 2009-10 to 13,659 this season.
$648,527.23 - how much the Blue Jackets spent per standings point this
season, the seventh-highest figure in the league
378 - cumulative points the Blue Jackets have finished behind Detroit since
joining the NHL, never closer than 20 points
106 - sellouts in Nationwide Arena in the first four seasons
36 - sellouts in Nationwide Arena in the past six seasons, including six this
season
34 - after 10 seasons in the NHL, only one Blue Jackets defenseman,
Jaroslav Spacek in 2002-03, has exceeded 34 points in a season
28.3 - scoring percentage for the Blue Jackets in shootouts this season (13
of 46)
13 - this marked the eighth time in 10 seasons the Blue Jackets have
finished 13th or lower in the 15-team Western Conference
6 - there are six clubs the Blue Jackets have never finished ahead of in the
standings: Calgary, Detroit, New Jersey, New York Rangers, San Jose and
Vancouver.
Only Phoenix (12,208) and the NY Islanders (11,059) averaged fewer fans.
2 - only two organizations have missed the playoffs at both the NHL and
AHL levels the past two seasons - Columbus and Toronto
As of March 1, the Blue Jackets said renewals for next season were coming
in at three times the pace of last year. The team offered bigger incentives
than ever to fans to renew early.
1 - the Blue Jackets had one regulation win in the final 22 games of the
season
Best hope for future
Offense
1. C Ryan Johansen: Yes, it was the junior ranks, and, yes, you've heard
this before, Jackets fans. But "the Johan" appears to be the real deal.
2. LW Matt Calvert: Brought speed and hustle to the lineup before lagging
late in the season. Looks like an impact player on a third or, maybe, second
line in the future.
3. RW Cam Atkinson: Finished a great college career and showed ability as
a sniper in brief end-of-season stint in the American Hockey League.
Defense
564633
Dallas Stars
points during a pivotal five-game road trip against teams ahead of them in
the standings.
Joe Nieuwendyk made right call to fire Marc Crawford
Still, a late-season four-game winning streak, combined with a Chicago loss
on Sunday gave them an opportunity to make the playoffs. All they had to
do was beat Minnesota, 12th in the conference.
By Jean-Jacques Taylor
They lost, 5-3. Pathetic.
It’s OK to give Joe Nieuwendyk a pass on the Marc Crawford hiring. Any
general manager can make a mistake.
“I’m probably not as disappointed as you think I am, because in pro sports
coaches come and go,” Nieuwendyk said. “He did a lot of good things in his
two years here, and we accomplished a lot of things. Now, it’s time for us to
take it up another level.”
Even one that’s illuminated because former coach Dave Tippett, the man
Nieuwendyk fired, has guided financially troubled Phoenix to the playoffs
each of the last two seasons.
Around here, we’ve seen Donnie Nelson make mistakes. Jon Daniels, too.
Lord knows Jerry has occasionally screwed up.
What separates good general managers from bad ones is how they deal
with mistakes.
Do they admit the mistake, which Nieuwendyk did Tuesday when he fired
Crawford, or do they keep the coach because they don’t want to deal with
the criticism and scrutiny that accompanies a failed hire.
Nieuwendyk took the best approach.
So Crawford is gone after missing the playoffs in each of his two seasons in
Dallas. The Stars finished 42-29-11 and totaled 95 points, playing in
hockey’s toughest division and with a travel schedule only a flight attendant
can appreciate.
Nieuwendyk, a first-time GM, could’ve easily rationalized keeping Crawford,
and no one would’ve really complained. After all, the Stars with their
ownership situation, dwindling attendance and lack of recent postseason
success have largely become irrelevant.
They win. They lose. Few outside of their small, passionate fan base care
all that much.
Dallas is and always has been a winners town. Lovable losers like the Cubs
could never exist here. If you win and your team — think Stars, Mavs and
now Rangers — becomes en vogue, then the beautiful people will pack
your venue.
If you lose, good luck.
Nieuwendyk has already proved he’s not interested in doing things the easy
way, which is good.
It wasn’t easy to let Mike Modano, the face of the franchise since the club
moved to Dallas, become a free agent. Just like it wasn’t easy to let Marty
Turco leave or trade James Neal for Alex Goligoski.
It’s the way his mentors, New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello and former Stars
GM Bob Gainey, taught him to do the job. It’s always about the team, never
about ego or pride.
It’s about creating a team capable of making the playoffs each season, and
contending for a Stanley Cup most years like the Red Wings do.
Every year, each Western Conference team with championship aspirations
knows it must deal with Detroit.
“The key for me is that I’ve gotta do what I believe is right in my heart to
make the team better,” Nieuwendyk said. “Lou Lamoriello has been a guy I
called in the past. Bob Gainey, too. You have to go with your gut in tough
situations.”
Crawford = Buck Showalter.
For some teams in some situations their controlling style works. For other
teams, it’s a complete beatdown.
In his first season, Crawford’s style helped change the cozy culture the
Stars had developed with years of regular-season success under Tippett,
which hadn’t produced that much playoff success. This season, though, the
players never seemed to consistently respond to Crawford.
You pick the reason. It’s as good a guess as any.
The Stars had every opportunity to make the playoffs. They captured only
seven of 14 points during a seven-game homestand, and only three of 10
The right coach will help. Nieuwendyk needs to get this hire right.
No guarantees exist that he’ll get an opportunity to make a third hire, if this
one fails no matter how good he is at making tough decisions.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 04.13.2011
564634
Dallas Stars
Q&A with GM Nieuwendyk: Five key issues for Stars
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk fired coach Marc Crawford on
Tuesday but said he believes the Stars are in a good place and made a
significant amount of progress this season. Here, the GM addresses a few
of the key issues with the Stars with staff writer Mike Heika:
How do you assess the 2010-11 season? Was it a success or a failure?
Well, our goal every season is to make the playoffs and compete for the
Stanley Cup, so in that regard, we fell short of our goal. But I feel so much
better about this team than I did at this same time last year. I truly believe
we have moved forward as an organization and we have a much better
grasp on the direction we’re heading. I think if you look at the improvement
of a young player like Jamie Benn, the potential of a young defenseman like
Alex Goligoski or even the progress of our goalie (Kari Lehtonen), you have
to feel that we are in a place where we definitely are going to get better
going forward.
Let’s start with Kari Lehtonen. You acquired him knowing he had health
issues, but you put a plan in place with diet, conditioning and coaching, and
you turned him into a healthy player in one season. Does that give you
confidence for the future?
It’s just a testament to the work that a lot of people did to help Kari, and to
the work that Kari himself put in. You look at how different he looks, and
how good he feels, and we have a goalie who is in the prime of his athletic
career, and just starting to see what kind of potential he has. We probably
leaned on him too hard at the end of the year, but you are seeing in him
that he can handle that load and that he can be one of the top five goalies
in the league … and maybe the top one. That’s encouraging for everyone
here.
What is the schedule to start negotiations with the Brad Richards’ camp,
and how do you deal with the fact you could lose your top scorer to free
agency?
I know that Brad has some issues with the ownership situation, and we
have been aware of that for a while. We’ve had a lot of talks with Brad, and
the lines of communication are certainly open. Our position is the same —
we would love to have Brad back. But we know that Brad has options and
we’re going to see what happens. It has to work for both sides.
What about the ownership situation? Can you share any updates? Do you
have a budget for next season?
I can’t share any updates, and I don’t have a budget for next season yet.
Our take is that this is something we can’t control, and we simply have to be
patient and work our way through it. The lenders have been very good with
us, and we are confident the team will be sold and that we will have a new
owner eventually.
Does it affect how you make plans or how you go about building the team?
You clearly have to adjust some things and try to be more creative, but
we’re not going to use that as an excuse. There are a lot of things we can
do here that have nothing to do with money, that have to do with building
chemistry and maximizing our potential, and those are things we can
control. You talk to the players, and they are going to work even harder in
the summer, they are going to do whatever they can to make themselves
better, and that’s what we’re trying to build. I probably talk about the
chemistry or the winning environment or the family feeling too much, but I
truly believe that we are building that. I truly believe that this team is a very
close team, that these players care a great deal about one another, and
that will make us better. That’s something we can control.
564635
Dallas Stars
Stars won't rush search to replace Marc Crawford: 'There is no short list'
By MIKE HEIKA
FRISCO — Citing a gut feeling that Marc Crawford was not the coach to get
the Stars to the next level, general manager Joe Nieuwendyk on Tuesday
fired Crawford and said he would begin a patient and diligent search for a
new leader.
“It’s something I looked at as the season progressed,” Nieuwendyk said of
how he came to his decision. “We faced some adversity, and our team play
fell off during those adverse times. It wasn’t a decision that came easily.
You sit back and you evaluate and you look at where the team is at and
how we can take the next step.”
Crawford said he understood the decision after a long talk with
Nieuwendyk.
“Joe is one of the smartest young GMs in the National Hockey League, and
I have immense respect for his decisions, so I have to respect this decision,
as well,” Crawford said. “The relationship between a coach and a GM is one
of the most important in sports, and I understand that Joe has to be 100
percent behind his coach. I’m disappointed, obviously, but I know that he’s
only doing what he feels is best for the team.”
Nieuwendyk said he will take his time looking for a new coach. Several NHL
assistants still are coaching in the playoffs and are not even available to
talk.
missing the playoffs and now has missed in each of his last five seasons as
a head coach. He said he felt he learned a great deal in his two seasons
with the Stars.
“I do think I am a better coach than when I took the job,” Crawford said. “I
think you are always learning, that I had learned from my previous job, and
that I better understand what it takes to do the job. I’m honestly very proud
of where this team is and the feeling that I’m leaving it a better team than
when I got here. I think this is going to be a great team in the future, and I’m
both excited about that possibility and a little melancholy that I won’t be
coaching them.”
Crawford has one more year remaining on his contract that will have to be
paid, so Nieuwendyk had to get approval from the group of lenders who are
running the team. He said the lenders were supportive in allowing him to do
what he felt was best for the team.
“The lenders have been extremely supportive of our decisions, and they
know we’re trying to make our franchise better and they appreciate that,” he
said. “I appreciate their support.”
Nieuwendyk said decisions will also have to be made on the coaching staff.
Desjardins and assistant Charlie Huddy are under contract for next season,
while assistant Stu Barnes is not. Nieuwendyk said the new coach would
have some say in the coaching staff, but added that all three assistants
could return.
The Stars become the fifth NHL team seeking a new head coach, but
Nieuwendyk said he could not allow that to affect his search.
“I don’t know if it’s a race,” he said. “I think that can be different. I think you
have to do your homework and every organization is different. What’s good
for the Dallas Stars might not be good for the Florida Panthers.”
A lot of options
“There is no timetable right now,” Nieuwendyk said. “We want to take our
time and get the right person.”
Joe Nieuwendyk said he will take his time on studying who will be the
team’s next coach, and he has a lot of different options. Here are five:
Among the candidates could be Glen Gulutzan who coaches the Stars’ AHL
affiliate, as well as Stars associate coach Willie Desjardins. Former Stars
coach Ken Hitchcock certainly could be considered, as will out-of-work
veterans such as Craig MacTavish, Andy Murray and Craig Hartsburg. Also
in the mix could be recently fired coaches Cory Clouston, Peter DeBoer and
Todd Richards. Two other interesting possible candidates are former
Nieuwendyk teammates Guy Carbonneau, who was fired after coaching the
Montreal Canadiens for three seasons, and Kirk Muller, an assistant with
the Canadiens.
Glen Gulutzan: The coach of the Texas Stars, Gulutzan has a 341-180-70
record in the ECHL and AHL. The 39-year-old from Manitoba led the Las
Vegas Wranglers to the ECHL finals in 2007-08 and the Texas Stars to the
AHL finals in 2009-10.
“There is no short list,” Nieuwendyk said. “We will study all of our options.”
Willie Desjardins: The current associate coach of the Stars, Desjardins was
hired in the summer after a long career in junior hockey. Desjardins, 54, led
Medicine Hat to two Western Hockey League championships.
Exactly what Nieuwendyk is seeking could be something that will be difficult
to define. Crawford was brought in to run an up-tempo system and take the
Stars into a new era. However, after two seasons, he did not look like the
long-term answer.
“We had a good conversation, and I think the most disappointing thing for
him is that I had to tell him that I didn’t believe he was the coach to take us
to the next level,” Nieuwendyk said. “That’s a hard thing to hear, because I
do believe he has helped move this team forward, and he has been a big
part of getting our team to a very good place.”
Nieuwendyk couldn’t define exactly why he didn’t believe, but he said it
became clear to him that the team did not raise its level of play when it
needed to. The Stars were 29-13-5 on Jan. 20 and 10 points ahead of the
ninth-place team in the Western Conference. They finished 13-16-6 and lost
their final game of the season Sunday when a win could have put them in
the playoffs.
“We faced some adversity, and our team fell off at those adverse times,”
Nieuwendyk said. “We had dips that we couldn’t seem to get out of that
ultimately cost us.”
Crawford said he had a difficult time looking back at “couldas and
shouldas,” but he said that he does wonder what would have happened had
the Stars beaten Minnesota in the final game of the season and advanced
to the playoffs.
“I just know we would be playing right now and that anything would have
been possible,” Crawford said. “That is a tough one to take, and something
I will think about quite a bit in the future.”
This is the second time that Crawford, 50, has been fired two years into a
three-year contract. He was let go by the Kings after two seasons of
Ken Hitchcock: The former Stars coach was fired by Columbus last season
and is scheduled to coach Team Canada at the World Championships. The
59-year-old from Alberta has a 534-350-158 career NHL record with Dallas,
Philadelphia and Columbus.
Kirk Muller: The former Stars player is now an assistant coach with the
Montreal Canadiens and is expected to be one of the hot candidates to take
one of the five currently open NHL coaching positions.
Mike Haviland: An assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, Haviland
is seen as a guy who is ready to take the next step. The 43-year-old native
of New Jersey coached Chicago to a 3-1-0 record while head coach Joel
Quenneville was hospitalized earlier this season.
Other candidates: Guy Carbonneau (could be a long shot as he is the
father-in-law of captain Brenden Morrow), Craig MacTavish (former Oilers
coach can run an up-tempo system), Cory Cloutson (recently fired Ottawa
coach favors an aggressive system).
564636
Dallas Stars
Stars should bring back Ken Hitchcock
By Tim Cowlishaw
While the Stars begin contemplating life without Brad Richards, since that is
almost surely where we are headed, it’s a good time to give Stars fans
something more pleasant to think about.
How about the past with Ken Hitchcock?
Two years isn’t much time in some pursuits. It’s a lifetime in the National
Hockey League.
Marc Crawford has had two tries to guide this team into the playoffs. He
came awfully close to pushing all the right buttons down the stretch here
but, with a season-ending loss in Minnesota, it wasn’t enough.
The Wild fired its coach Monday.
Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk — assuming he has the authority
in the club’s current state of disarray — should do the same with Crawford.
We don’t even need to get into whether Crawford’s a good guy with a
Stanley Cup ring and a lot of good ideas that haven’t yet been put in place.
This team needs change and it needs new leadership. It needs Ken
Hitchcock.
The last coach to bring a championship to a Dallas-area professional team
is set to coach Canada in the world championships. He’s readily available
for his next NHL challenge.
Since being dismissed by Bob Gainey here in 2002, Hitchcock has taken
the Philadelphia Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals. He took the
Columbus Blue Jackets on their only (and, yes, brief) playoff trip.
I’m not under any delusions that this roster — especially this roster minus
the free agent Richards — is ready to drink from the Stanley Cup again next
summer or in 2013. These are different times.
When Hitchcock was here, the Stars had a free-spending owner named
Tom Hicks and a perfect blend of young players seeking their first Cup and
veterans understanding how to get there. They also had a hard-driving
coach who maximized the talent at his disposal.
Now the Stars have a no-spending owner named Hicks who has been
trying to sell the team for what seems an eternity. They do have young
talent. They are short on the veteran leadership, and I think anyone who
watches this team would say they are short in the coaching area, as well.
Look at it this way.
Hitchcock was fired by Gainey because the team was struggling to get into
playoff contention after a second-round loss the previous season.
Dave Tippett, the NHL’s Coach of the Year in 2009-10 in Phoenix and in the
playoffs again, was fired by Nieuwendyk after missing the ’09 playoffs one
year removed from a trip to the Western Conference finals.
Crawford, who led Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 1996, has coached his
last five seasons without making the playoffs — one in Vancouver, two in
Los Angeles, two in Dallas.
In his last 11 seasons as a head coach, his teams have won one playoff
series.
Players have expressed confusion about Crawford’s system almost since
he arrived in Dallas. Although there was much less of that this season, the
bottom line is that the team continued its trend of missing the playoffs.
Hitchcock has coached 10 82-game seasons with three NHL teams. He
missed the playoffs only once, and that was in Columbus where the Blue
Jackets have made the postseason just one time: 2008-09 under Hitchcock.
Hitchcock is known as a tough man to play for, a coach who grinds on his
players and, over time, wears out his welcome.
You can say that about half the coaches in the National Hockey League.
He’s also known for getting things done, whether at the junior level in
Canada’s Western Hockey League or with three teams in the NHL.
From the business end, the Stars have a very tough sell on their hands this
summer. This team did not draw well this season. Only Phoenix played to a
higher percentage of empty seats among Western Conference teams, and
Coyotes fans have known for two years that their team might be headed for
Canada.
Hitchcock’s return might not have lines wrapped up around the American
Airlines Center for season tickets.
But it would send the message to true hockey fans that the club, despite its
ownership turmoil, is serious about putting the best possible product on the
ice.
564637
Dallas Stars
Marc Crawford reaction to firing
By Mike Heika / Reporter
Stars coach Marc Crawford was actually in pretty good shape when I
caught up with him tonight.
He was depressed, obviously, but he said that he was happy to get an
opportunity to coach in Dallas and that he felt his time here made him a
better coach. Here are a few highlights:
On Joe Nieuwendyk's decision to end his contract after just two seasons:
``Joe is one of the smartest young GMs in the National Hockey League,
and I have immense respect for his decisions, so I have to respect this
decisions, as well,'' Crawford said. ``The relationship between a coach and
a GM is one of the most important in sports, and I understand that Joe has
to be 100 percent behind his coach. I'm disappointed, obviously, but I know
that he's only doing what he feels is best for the team.''
Crawford said he had a difficult time looking back at ``coulda's and
shoulda's,'' but he said that he does wonder what would have happened
had the Stars beaten Minnesota in the final game of the season and
advanced to the playoffs.
`Ì just know we would be playing right now and that anything would have
been possible,'' Crawford said. ``That is a tough one to take, and something
I will think about quite a bit in the future.''
When asked if he had any regrets, he said he felt good about his work with
the Stars:
`Ì do think I am a better coach than when I took the job,'' Crawford said. `Ì
think you are always learning, that I had learned from my previous job, and
that I better understand what it takes to do the job. I'm honestly very proud
of where this team is and the feeling that I'm leaving it a better team than
when I got here. I think this is going to be a great team in the future, and I'm
both excited about that possibility and a little melancholy that I won't be
coaching them.''
When asked if he thinks he will coach again, he said:
`Ì love coaching, I really do. I understand that days like this are part of the
business, and they don't get any easier. But if I can say that I love this job
on a day like this, then I know that it's a great job.''
564638
Dallas Stars
For Stars fans' depression: NHL playoff predictions
By Tim Cowlishaw
Some of you are depressed that the NHL playoffs lacks a Stars presence
for a third straight year. But some of you love the good ol' hockey game and
will be watching, anyway. For that second group, here we go:
Vancouver over Chicago in 6 – Had the Stars reached the playoffs, the
prize would have been a first-round date with the best regular season team
in the league. Instead, the defending champs get the Canucks. Chicago
eliminated Vancouver in the last two playoffs. Canucks are on a mission.
Goalie Roberto Luongo has much to prove and now he plays for a superior
team.
San Jose over LA in 4 – No Anze Kopitar, no Justin Williams for the Kings.
Sharks almost cracked through the ceiling to their first Finals last year but
couldn't beat Chicago. This year…they finally get it done.
Detroit over Phoenix in 5 – Still not exactly sure how ex-Stars coach Dave
Tippett is getting it done. A lot has to do with goalie Ilyz Bryzgalov. But
unless he's far better than Jimmy Howard in this series, Red Wings move
on.
Nashville over Anaheim in 6 – Certainly the Ducks can outscore the
Predators because, well, just about anyone can outscore Nashville. But if
it's a goaltending battle at all, the Ducks lost their best (Olympian Jonas
Hiller) awhile back and Nashville's giant Pekka Rinne plays behind a solid
veteran defensive front.
Washington over Rangers in 7 – New York beat up on the Caps during the
regular season, and it will be fun to see how Washington and its fans react
to the first loss on home ice. But Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist can't do it
all.
Buffalo over Philadelphia in 6 – If I knew for sure that Flyers defensive
standout Chris Pronger was healthy and ready to go 25-30 minutes a night,
I'd lean the other way. But there are no signs that that is a certainty. So who
do you want, USA Olympian goalie Ryan Miller or rookie Sergei Bubrovsky?
Sabres, who can score goals, pull off the upset.
Montreal over Boston in 7 – Canadiens-Bruins doesn't happen every
spring, it just seems like it does. And it tends to be great. Pressure's all on
Montreal goalie Carey Price to hold up his end because both Bruins goalies
are terrific. Does the emotion of the Montreal crowd turn up the heat on
Bruins after the Zdeno Chara hit from last month? We shall see.
Tampa Bay over Pittsburgh in 6 – Is Dwayne Roloson ready to make a
repeat of the run he gave Edmonton in '06? Well, he is a 41-year-old goalie,
so some would say odds are against it. But the Lightning have the firepower
to outscore Penguins without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
564639
Dallas Stars
Don't just hire another guy because that is what NHL GMs should do.
Dallas Stars don't need Hitch in future plans
From a player-evaluation standpoint, GM Joe has made some unsafe
moves. The decision to allow goalie Marty Turco and iconic center Mike
Modano to leave were not necessarily wildly popular, but they were the right
moves.
By Mac Engel
The trade for goalie Kari Lehtonen has proved to be a solid move, although
I still don't like giving him a three-year deal when it wasn't necessary.
Don't do it, Joe.
It is too easy to pick up the phone and "drunk dial" The Hitch. Maybe you
already have.
The hardest thing you may do as Stars GM is not to call Ken Hitchcock.
The easy thing is to bring the band back together and hope it all sounds just
as it did when we were all younger and prettier. Just know it seldom works
that way.
Now that Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk formally announced who is at fault for
The Great Gag of 2011 -- coach Marc Crawford was fired Tuesday -- he
needs a successor. The easy choice is Hitch, who we all fondly adore and
love from his Cup winning days... more than a decade ago.
Hitch has a history of winning here, in Philly and in Columbus. He has not
coached since he was fired by the Blue Jackets in February 2010 and is
said to have the itch again. GM Joe could do a lot worse than Hitch.
Just as GM Joe's decision to fire Dave Tippett, who has led the Coyotes to
consecutive playoff appearances despite having nothing to work with, was
the right one, so is his decision to dump Crow.
Despite the Stars having no real owner and Nieuwendyk possessing no real
authority to make the type of moves necessary to establish a contender,
some of this mess is on the former Conn Smythe winner. Tuesday's
announcement is basically an admission on GM Joe's part that he whiffed
on the hire.
"We have a lot of good things in place," Nieuwendyk said Tuesday during a
news conference. "The hardest thing for Marc to probably accept [is] that I
don't feel he's the guy going forward that takes us to the next level."
The problem isn't Crow per se. The problem is the clichéd and tired thinking
that goes into hiring his type, which plagues NHL GMs. The problem is the
mind-set of the NHL GM that has the same 10 coaches on a mouse-wheel.
That mind-set screams to hire Hitch. The way this roster is set up, Hitch is
actually a good fit. He is a structure freak, pays more attention to detail than
an artist, and would have the immediate backing of a key veteran to keep
the room listening.
Stars captain Brenden Morrow, who broke in under Hitch, is not going to
allow a team to collectively quit on its head coach the way the team did in
2002 when Hitch was fired. There is no Brett Hull on this roster to fracture a
room.
I was talking to a longtime hockey guy on Tuesday morning when he said,
"Hitch needs to quit just taking jobs and wait for the right job. Scotty
Bowman never took a bad job."
As it stands now, the Stars' job is a bad job. The Stars' payroll of $47 million
is one of the lowest in the league, and the GM's hands are tied to creditors
who do not care about anything other than selling the team. He won't be
able to re-sign his best player, either; free-agent center Brad Richards is a
guaranteed goner.
The team has no owner and can't make any serious moves. The bank
running the team is not going to just take an offer to be rid of the franchise.
It has a price, and it will not settle for a different figure.
If Hitch takes this gig he does so with the hope that it will one day be the job
he had in the "glory days." The days when people actually cared about
hockey here, and the Stars were actually in the playoffs and not just
watching them.
The harder thing for GM Joe is not hire Hitch, but find the next Hitch.
Rather than looking for another retread NHL coach who history says the
players will quit on in three to four years, Nieuwendyk needs find a Lindy
Ruff, Randy Carlyle or Mike Babcock. If he thinks there is an NHL Jason
Garrett out there, hire him. There is something to be said for stability at a
position the NHL too often regards as disposable equipment.
Trading forward James Neal for defenseman Alex Goligoski is a solid valuefor-value deal.
Even the decision not to deal Richards near this trade deadline was the
right move. GM Joe had to go for it, and keeping Richards was a go-for-it
move even knowing he had no shot of keeping him.
Hitch, who would not be a bad hire, is just the safe hire.
So put down the phone, Joe. Don't try to put the band back together. The
sound is never as good.
Star-Telegram LOADED: 04.13.2011
564640
Dallas Stars
Stanley Cup playoffs preview
By Mac Engel
1. Canucks (54-19-9) vs. 8. Blackhawks (44-29-9)
Reasons to watch : Vancouver is the best chance at bringing the Stanley
Cup to Canada since 1993. But winning the NHL's regular season, which
Vancouver did, usually means nothing. The Canucks are facing a defending
Stanley Cup champion that is not as good as last year's team. The Hawks
can score, but they aren't the same defensively or physically. The Canucks
are the best team in the league with the best forwards in the Sedin twins.
Key injuries : Canucks LW Raffi Torres; Blackhawks W Troy Brouwer
Eastern Conference
1. Capitals (48-23-11) vs. 8. NY Rangers (44-33-5)
Reasons to watch : No team carries playoff baggage like the Capitals. For
the second consecutive season, they are the top team in the East. But if
they lose in the first round again, their front office will be blown up and
people will begin to question whether forward Alex Ovechkin is a genuine
winner. The Rangers should have an advantage in goal with Henrik
Lundqvist, but when will winger Marion Gaborik not disappear when
needed?
Key injuries : Caps D Dennis Wideman; Rangers RW Ryan Callahan
Upset meter : Low. The Capitals won't blow the top seed in consecutive
years, much to the chagrin of NHL boss Gary Bettman, who would love to
see "his" Rangers in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Prediction: Caps in six.
2. Flyers (47-23-12) vs. 7. Sabres (43-29-10)
Reasons to watch : There might not be a more brutal or physical first-round
series. Philly is 5-3 against Buffalo in the playoffs, but the Sabres have won
the past two meetings, and seldom do these teams meet in the playoffs
without controversy. Talent-wise, the Flyers should win. But they are
unpredictable, with no real solid goalie. Philly finished the season 9-9-7.
The Sabres went 28-11-6 after the first of the year.
Key injuries : Flyers D Chris Pronger; Sabres C Derek Roy
Upset meter : High. The Flyers are weak in goal. Buffalo is established in
net with Ryan Miller.
Prediction: Sabres in seven.
3. Bruins (46-25-11) vs. 6. Canadiens (44-30-8)
Upset meter : Moderate. You can't throw away the Blackhawks, because
they won it all last year. They will scare the Canucks.
Prediction: Canucks in six
2. Sharks (48-25-9) vs. 7. Kings (46-30-6)
Reasons to watch : Because it's the Sharks. Until they reached the West
Finals last season, no team did less with more the way the Sharks did. The
Sharks have depth at center, which might provide the difference and offset
their relatively weak defensive unit. The Kings were one of the worst
scoring teams in the league, and this is a team that focuses on defense.
Winger Dustin Penner has to score for the Kings to have a real shot.
Key injuries : Kings forwards Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams; Sharks RW
Ryane Clowe
Upset meter: Low. The loss of Kopitar to a broken ankle is too big for a
team that doesn't have enough scorers. And do you really trust Kings goalie
Jamie Quick to do this by himself?
Prediction: Sharks in six.
3. Red Wings (47-25-10) vs. 6. Coyotes (43-26-13)
Reasons to watch : The same first-round series as last season. The Red
Wings have the advantage because they have so much more skill and
should exploit an obvious power-play matchup. Dave Tippett's teams play
well in structure and should keep the series close, but they don't have
enough scoring to run with Detroit. Phoenix's chances rely almost solely on
goalie Ilya Bryzgalov.
Key injuries : Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg, D Niklas Kronwall
Upset meter : Moderate. The Coyotes pushed the Red Wings to seven
games last year before losing in the first round at home. They can do
enough to make it interesting.
Reasons to watch : This series is so big, a French-language debate in
Canadian parliament has been rescheduled to avoid conflict for the viewers
who would prefer to watch an Original Six series. Boston defenseman
Zdeno Chara will likely require a security team in Montreal because of his
nasty hit on Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty that left Pacioretty with a
concussion and a neck injury. Montreal is smaller and quicker, which has
given Boston's bigger players trouble. But if the Habs can't get scoring out
of their second line they are in huge trouble. Boston goalie Tim Thomas and
Montreal's Carey Price had strong regular seasons, and this series smells
of one-goal differences in each game.
Prediction: Red Wings in six.
Key injuries : Canadiens D Andrei Markov; Bruins C Marc Savard
Upset meter : Low. Boston blew a 3-0 lead against the Flyers in the playoffs
last year, and the Bruins are simply too big.
Upset meter : High. The Ducks have the on-paper advantage, but the
Predators have the goalie going for them. Pekka Rinne is better than the
trio of options for the Ducks.
Prediction : Bruins in six.
Prediction : Predators in seven.
4. Penguins (49-25-8) vs. 5. Lightning (46-25-11)
Reasons to watch : Pens C Sidney Crosby was limited to 41 games this
season and has been out since Jan. 6. He's out right now with a
concussion. The Pens have learned to win without him and forward Evgeni
Malkin, but they can't expect a long run without these guys. Tampa is in the
playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but can Steven Stamkos maintain
his point-per-game production?
Key injuries : Pens C Sidney Crosby, RW Evgeni Malkin; Lightning D Randy
Jones, D Victor Hedman
Upset meter : High. The Pens are vulnerable only because no one knows
what goalie Marc Andre Fleury will do. If he's on, forget it, Pens win. But if
he's not ...
Prediction : Lightning in seven.
Western Conference
4. Ducks (47-30-5) vs. 5. Predators (44-27-11)
Reasons to watch : There is not a first-round matchup with such contrasts;
the Ducks score, and the Predators shut it down. Ducks forward Corey
Perry scored 50 goals and tallied 31 points in his final 20 games. Expect the
Predators to throw defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter at Perry
throughout the series.
Key injuries : Ducks C Todd Marchant; Predators W Steve Sullivan
564641
Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars fire coach Marc Crawford
By MIKE HEIKA
FRISCO -- Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk announced Tuesday afternoon that
he had relieved coach Marc Crawford of his duties and that he will take his
time trying to find a replacement.
"There is no timetable right now," Nieuwendyk said. "We want to take our
time and get the right person."
Among the candidates could be AHL coach Glen Gulutzan, associate coach
Willie Desjardins, and several NHL coaches who are out of work. Former
Stars coach Ken Hitchcock will be coaching team Canada at the World
Championships, and certainly could be considered, as will out-of-work
veterans such as Craig MacTavish , Andy Murray and Craig Hartsburg.
Also in the mix could be recently fired coaches Cory Clouston, Peter
DeBoer, Todd Richards and Scott Gordon. Two other interesting possible
candidates are former Nieuwendyk teammates Guy Carbonneau, who was
fired after coaching the Montreal Canadiens for a season, and Kirk Muller,
and assistant with the Montreal Canadiends who is rumored to be a leading
candidate to be the next coach of the New Jersey Devils.
"There is no short list," Nieuwendyk said. "We will study all of our options."
Exactly what is right is something that will be difficult to define. Crawford
was brought in to run an up-tempo system and bring the Stars into a new
era. However, after two seasons, he did not look like the long-term answer.
Nieuwendyk said he has immense respect for Crawford and he appreciates
his ability to coach, but that he simply lost confidence that Crawford is the
coach who will take the Stars where they need to go.
"We had a good conversation and I think the most disappointing thing for
him is that I had to tell him that I didn’t believe he was the coach take us to
the next level," Nieuwendyk said. "That’s a hard thing to hear, because I do
believe he has helped move this team forward, and he has been a big part
of getting our team to a very good place."
Nieuwendyk couldn’t define exactly why he didn’t believe, but he said it
became clear to him that the team did not raise its level of play when it
needed to. The Stars were 29-13-5 on Jan. 20 and 10 points ahead of the
ninth place team in the Western Conference. They finished 13-16-6 and lost
their final game of the season when a win could have put them in the
playoffs.
"We faced some adversity and our team fell off at those adverse times,"
Nieuwendyk said. "We had dips that we couldn’t seem to get out of at
different times in the second season that ultimately cost us. We needed to
beat the teams that we had to to get to the playoffs. We weren’t able to get
the job done."
This is the second time that Crawford, 50, has been fired two years into a
three-year contract. He was let go by the Kings after two seasons of
missing the playoffs and now has missed in each of his last five seasons as
a head coach. Nieuwendyk said he felt Crawford did a lot of good things,
but simply wasn’t the coach to take the next step.
"He gave 110 percent and really put a lot of heart into it, but I just had to
make a hard decision on this, and I believe this is the best decision for our
organization going forward."
Crawford has one more year remaining on his contract that will have to be
paid, so Nieuwendyk had to get approval from the group of lenders who are
running the team. He said the lenders were supportive in allowing him to do
what he felt was best for the team.
Nieuwendyk said decisions will also have to be made on the coaching staff.
Desjardins and assistant Charlie Huddy are under contract for next season,
while assistant Stu Barnes is not. Nieuwendyk said the new coach would
have some say in the coaching staff, but added that all three could return.
"I’m happy with the work they have done, but we are in a place where we
have to study everything," Nieuwendyk said.
564642
Detroit Red Wings
Let the day-to-day Cup playoffs begin
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG
You know it's playoff time when a hockey star limps off the ice and says,
"Don't worry, my arm is fine." The Red Wings begin the playoffs tonight, and
they are absolutely, unequivocally ready to not talk about injuries.
Henrik Zetterberg, who happens to be their leading scorer and the last Wing
to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, has an injured knee. It
does not look good, sound good or (presumably) feel good. But as they say
in hockey: If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and quacks like a duck,
what duck?
Coach Mike Babcock said Zetterberg would "be day-to-day until he's back."
Of course Babcock is saying that. And of course it means nothing. This is
the hockey playoffs. The Wings are still listing Sid Abel as day-to-day.
All we know is that Zetterberg still isn't skating. Zetterberg was asked if he
expects to play in the first round, and he said, "It's tough to say."
He also said of his absence: "Hopefully it will be shorter than we thought."
That was ominous. Zetterberg was injured a week ago. He didn't say how
long the Wings originally thought he would be out, but obviously it was
awhile.
Anyway, in this year's playoffs, it feels like every team is day-to-day. After
top seed Vancouver, the Western Conference is wide open.
The Wings have as good a shot as anybody. But they also have some
concerns, starting with Zetterberg's knee. It sounds like the Wings might
need to win this series without Zetterberg -- or at least, without a healthy
Zetterberg. That's a concern, and the Wings already have more concerns
about this Red Wings team than they normally do at this time of year.
The Wings allowed 241 goals, more than any other playoff team. Their goal
differential of plus-20 was 11th in the league. Mostly, though, there is the
sense that there is no bedrock there, no clear area of superiority.
They were fifth in the league in power-play percentage, but that unit takes a
big hit with Zetterberg out. Goalie Jimmy Howard says he is more
comfortable than he was last season, but he had a stretch this season
when he seemed lost. Some days the Wings look great, and some days
they don't look like a playoff team. The way they finished the season -getting drilled by Chicago at home, then beating Chicago on the road -seemed fitting.
It's important to note that a) this is just my opinion and b) even if I'm right, it
means nothing. As Babcock said last week, he has taken teams to the
playoffs that were hot, cold and everything in between, and it doesn't seem
to matter.
The Wings certainly have enough talent to make a Stanley Cup run. This
first-round matchup against Phoenix will be a good test. The Coyotes are
precisely the kind of team that doesn't seem threatening but frustrates the
heck out of more talented teams.
"They don't give up 2-on-1s or 3-on-2s -- or rarely," Wings captain Nicklas
Lidstrom said. "They just play a very sound defensive system, neutral zone
and defensive zone. So it's very tough to get scoring chances against
them."
It will be even tougher without Zetterberg. But that's the only sure thing in
the hockey playoffs: They will be tough.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 04.13.2011
564643
Detroit Red Wings
Competition is tougher, but Wings have skills to win another Cup
By HELENE ST. JAMES
The days when the Red Wings entered the playoffs as an overwhelming
favorite are over, eliminated steadily over the past six years as a salary cap
leveled the NHL's field of competitors.
That has made it possible to look at the 2011 matchups and judge many
high-seeded teams capable of winning the Stanley Cup -- or losing in the
first round.
The Wings, seeded third in the West, are still more likely to accomplish the
former than suffer the latter, though, at least if they play like the very skilled,
very deep team they are.
"I know the guys in here well enough to know that when things are on the
line," defenseman Brad Stuart said, "this team comes together."
They'll have to come together without leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg
when the first-round series against Phoenix begins tonight, because he
remains sidelined by a left knee injury serious enough that a week after
suffering it, he still hasn't taken to the ice.
But the Wings didn't have Zetterberg Sunday at Chicago, either, and still
beat a Blackhawks team that desperately needed to win.
"That was a big game for us in Chicago, on the road, and now we've got to
take care of things at home, and nothing better than Game 1 of the playoffs
to do that," Danny Cleary said. "We believe in ourselves. I think we realize
now when we play with it and match the other team's intensity and work
hard and be smart out there, we have a great chance of winning every
night."
That resolve must show through, starting tonight.
Playoff deep
For a decade and a half now, the Red Wings have set a standard when
they start playing in spring: Four rounds of hockey will do, nothing less.
This is a team that could have Mike Modano or Jiri Hudler as a healthy
scratch tonight. Modano was the odd man out in Tuesday's practice,
subbing in for Hudler on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Drew Miller.
"We've got good depth," Cleary said. "We've got guys who've really
matured in their games throughout the season, which is going to be more
evident as the series goes on. Missing Hank is a real big piece to our core
lineup, but we've got good depth and guys who can move around and make
different lines if need be. Right now we've got four lines that we feel is a
good combination of physicalness, some speed -- each line brings
something different. We've just got to make sure we go out and play our
system and play well."
Cleary is currently on a line with Justin Abdelkader and Todd Bertuzzi,
giving the Wings what critics so often lament they don't have -- a big line
that can hit and score. The top line features Pavel Datsyuk in the middle,
with the always-reliable Tomas Holmstrom on one wing and a potential
gamer-changer in Johan Franzen on the other. The Wings have to hope
Franzen is fired up tonight, eager to amend for having scored just twice in
the past 27 games.
"The good thing about the Mule is, he seems to really kick it into gear at this
time of year," Babcock said. "He's a big body, can shoot the puck and can
obviously score goals. Last year he led us in scoring, the year before he
broke Gordie (Howe's) records, so I mean, he's very capable."
The Wings' fourth line might be what makes the difference in the series,
because they don't come much better at the scrub level than Darren Helm's
group with Kris Draper and Patrick Eaves. Helm is playing the most
confident hockey of his career, and he and Eaves combined for 25 goals.
Goaltending always comes under extra scrutiny this time of year, but the
Wings don't spend their money on goaltending; they're built defense-first.
That group -- headlined by Nicklas Lidstrom, who is likely to pick up a
seventh Norris Trophy in June, and also featuring a pass-master in Brian
Rafalski as well as two physical D-men in Stuart and Niklas Kronwall -- is as
good as any in the NHL. Kronwall is questionable for tonight because of an
upper-body injury, but he shouldn't miss much time.
As long as the skaters limit the turnovers that have plagued them at times
this season, Jimmy Howard has shown he'll hold up his end.
"Howie is a good goalie," Stuart said. "He's a guy we really have confidence
in. We as defensemen just need to do our job the way we know how. Yeah,
turnovers have been a problem, but if you just take care of the puck, you're
going to take care of that."
Championing the Stanley Cup Finals is the only playoff slogan that matters
to the Wings, but it's a job that has become harder and harder to do. Their
first-round opponent, the sixth-seeded Coyotes, finished with five fewer
points in the standings and four fewer victories. The NHL is that competitive
these days.
The Wings won the Cup twice in the 1990s and twice in the 2000s. They
last won it in '08, and went all the way to Game 7 of the Finals in '09. Last
year's run, which came after a season defined by nearly crippling injuries,
ended in the second round against the Sharks, which, if this year's seeds
hold up, would once again be the next matchup.
"When you look at one through eight," Stuart said, "you can feasibly say
that anyone can come out of the Western Conference. You can definitely
see in the last few years, it's just gotten more and more competitive and
teams seem to be on more of an even playing field. There are no gimmes in
the first round."
First, though, the Wings have to get to work on Round 1. If they play like
they can, they should be headed for Round 2.
Coach Mike Babcock likes to joke he'd prefer a first-round bye, "but the
NHL doesn't hand those out." So, the Wings will have to rely on hard work
and hustle, on structure, on their stars and on their scrubs.
"We're optimistic that we're a good team and that we're going to be wellprepared and we're going to play hard," Babcock said. "If we don't play
hard, the team we're playing, they're a good team. We beat them last year
in the playoffs. They've got a long memory just like everybody else. They've
got real good goaltending, they've stabilized their back end, they've got
veteran players and they work hard -- they're going to be a real test for us.
We understand that.
"The big thing about these playoff series is, get prepared for the first game
and make the adjustments you have to for Game 2. But we need to have a
good game out of our guys and they understand that."
Zetterberg is nursing a left knee injury suffered a week ago, an injury
severe enough that he still hasn't been able to try skating. He is out for
tonight's Game 1, almost certainly for Saturday's Game 2 and, if the Wings
are rolling, he'll be given as much time as possible to rehabilitate.
Zetterberg is the Wings' leading scorer but he's so much more than that,
because he has got that quality -- sometimes on will alone he can make
things happen. And yet there is no way the Wings shouldn't be able to
overshadow his absence, not with all the skilled players they have.
564644
Detroit Red Wings
Former Wolverine Andrew Ebbett embraces his role with the Coyotes
By GEORGE SIPPLE
Andrew Ebbett's versatility might finally earn him some stability.
Ebbett has found a role as a utility forward with the Phoenix Coyotes, the
fourth NHL organization he has been a part of since turning pro in 2006
after playing four seasons at Michigan.
He's expected to play on a line with center Kyle Turris and right wing Mikkel
Boedker when the Coyotes begin a first-round playoff series against the
Red Wings tonight in Detroit.
After missing the playoffs last season, Ebbett is excited about the chance to
return to the postseason again against the Red Wings, the last team he
played against in a playoff game. Ebbett was a second-line center playing
with Teemu Selanne in 2008-09 when the Wings won in a seven-game
series.
"It does feel like it's been a long time," he said.
Ebbett, 28, joined his fourth organization within about a year when he
signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Coyotes in July. He wasn't
sure he'd play a shift again in the NHL after last season, when he played in
two games with the Ducks, 10 more with the Blackhawks and 49 with the
Wild.
"It was a rough first month and a half to the season," Ebbett said. "The
Ducks brought in Saku Koivu to fill in that second-line center spot and they
didn't really see a fit for me on the bottom two lines, so I ended up going to
Chicago. They had some injuries so I filled in there, played 10 games and
then ended up spending the rest of the season in Minnesota."
Ebbett signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Coyotes over the Wild
in July but questioned his decision when he was sent to San Antonio of the
American Hockey League.
"It was definitely disappointing," Ebbett said. "To go back to the American
League was a little tough, but I went back and knew a couple guys on the
team and decided to have fun with it."
In San Antonio, he played with a pair of former U-M captains, forward Jed
Ortmeyer and defenseman Chris Summers. Ebbett became a top-line
forward for the Rampage, scoring 11 goals, 27 assists and 38 points in 37
games.
He was recalled by Phoenix when Vernon Fiddler was injured and chipped
in a goal in his first game. By the time Fiddler had returned, Ebbett had
found a niche filling any of the three forward positions they needed, but he
didn't get his second goal until recently.
"I just got the second goal two games ago," Ebbett said. "It was probably
the longest (goalless) streak of my career there. It's nice to get one in and
hopefully now they'll start going in."
Ebbett said he's smart enough to know that his role is to make the simple
plays.
"You might only get three or four shifts a period," he said. "We're not going
to log a lot of minutes, but the minutes we do get we need to get quality
minutes. ... We're kind of a momentum line. We can get the puck in deep
behind their D and cycle them for 30 or 40 seconds. Even if we don't get
score, if we get a good quality shift it gets our bench going, gets our top line
going and then next shift it transfers momentum to our side."
Michigan coach Red Berenson said Ebbett was always a smart player.
"When you watched Ebbett play, you realized that he wasn't the fastest
player and he wasn't the biggest player and wasn't the best scorer, but he
was a smart player," Berenson said.
"He just makes players around him better and is a great team player and
teammate. He's played on a few different teams, but he has a way -whether it is winning a big face-off or getting the puck out of your zone or
killing a penalty, he's a player the coach can trust. And he's a player that's
going to show up and work hard and this time of year that's what coaches
are looking for."
564645
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall set to play, but coach will make the call
By GEORGE SIPPLE
Niklas Kronwall practiced Tuesday and expects to return to the lineup
tonight when the Red Wings open the playoffs against the visiting Coyotes.
The defenseman said he'll talk to the training staff and a final decision will
be made today, but he sounded optimistic.
"Felt really good today," Kronwall said Tuesday. "It was definitely a big step
in the right direction. I've been on the ice but haven't skated with the team
yet. This was the first time. I felt really good. Feels better than any of the
other days. It's definitely a bit positive."
Kronwall -- who missed the final five games of the regular season with an
upper-body injury -- doesn't want to sit out Game 1, as Henrik Zetterberg
will have to with a sore knee. Zetterberg did not practice Tuesday.
"You just want to play at this time of the year," Kronwall said. "This is the
best time of the year. I'm hoping that I'll feel just as good as I did today
tomorrow. I'm hoping I'll get the nod from the trainers, and obviously Coach
has to put you in as well."
Asked about Kronwall on Tuesday, coach Mike Babcock said: "Kronner was
real good today, but we always like to see what happens after some time on
the ice. We'll see how he is tomorrow, and then we'll make that decision at
game time tomorrow night."
Practicing is one thing, but playoff contact is another.
"I did a little one-on-one here at the end of practice, but just getting that
game-time mode, it's impossible to achieve that in practice," Kronwall said.
"It's the game time when it matters. That's when you really feel something."
Kronwall said he skated with the team for about 15 minutes Saturday.
"I've been skating a lot on my own," he said. "It is what it is. You can only
do so much on the bike. I've been trying to keep it up skating as well. Game
situations -- you have to be in them to get that extra conditioning.
"I feel confident whenever they let me play, I'll be ready."
NOTEBOOK: Chris Osgood continues to practice, but when or if he'll be
ready to be the No. 2 goalie remains unknown.
"I feel like I'm getting close," Osgood said. "I'm not sure, though. Keep
practicing. I feel like I'm in great shape. I feel like if I had to go in I could
play good -- that's without a doubt. The biggest factor is I haven't played a
game in 2 1/2 months."
Osgood said he began to feel better about his lateral mobility four days ago.
"I got over the hump, finally," he said.
564646
Detroit Red Wings
Scouting report: Helene St. James breaks down series against Phoenix
Sure the Coyotes want revenge for being upset by Detroit in last year's firstround series, but the Wings want to get back to the finals. If they play like
they can, if they get everyone going, this series shouldn't need to go past
five games.
Advantage: Red Wings.
By HELENE ST. JAMES
Fun factor
Nothing but sunshine and high-80s to low-90s forecast for Phoenix, a haven
of beautiful golf courses and outdoor pools.
Here are Helene St. James' observations on the first-round series between
the Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes.
Advantage: Everyone.
OFFENSE
The Wings won't have Henrik Zetterberg (knee) available for the start of the
series, but they're still deep enough to roll four solid lines. Pavel Datsyuk's
talents are well-known, so the Wings' big advantage could lie in how good a
fourth line they can field. Darren Helm is playing the best hockey yet of his
young career, and he, Drew Miller and Patrick Eaves combined for 35
goals. Danny Cleary is a proven playoff performer, and if Johan Franzen
wakes up from his second-half slumber, an offense that also features
Valtteri Filppula, Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Modano and Jiri Hudler can be a welloiled machine. A Coyotes top line made up potentially of Martin Hanzal,
Radim Vrbata and Lauri Korpikoski can put the puck in the net, and secondline winger Shane Doan led the team with 20 goals and 60 points. The
Coyotes can roll four lines, but those lines can't match the skill the Wings
can keep throwing on the ice.
DEFENSE
Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart play a punishing brand of hockey, and
Brian Rafalski is one of the best in the league at breakout passes. It's
always a safe move for the Wings to give the puck to Nicklas Lidstrom, and
when he isn't rushing it up the ice or shooting it, he's using his stick and
smarts to thwart top opposing forwards. Jonathan Ericsson comes into the
playoffs off a mostly solid season. Ruslan Salei brings experience, and
Jakub Kindl should feel confident after a really good second half. Phoenix's
Keith Yandle is among the league's head-turning crop of young
defensemen, and 19-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson is another top-notch
defenseman. At the other end of the age spectrum, the Coyotes are
boosted by veterans Ed Jovanovski and Adrian Aucoin. The Wings' defense
is stronger overall, and more capable offensively.
GOALTENDING
Jimmy Howard fared well in his NHL playoff debut last spring. He had a
really good start to this season, and then, like the rest of the team, had
some bad stretches in the second half. If the Wings help him out with
rebounds and limit odd-man rushes, he has shown he can handle the job.
Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov intimidates with his 6-foot-3, 213-pound
frame alone. While he has gone just 12-9 in limited playoff experience, with
a .906 save percentage and 3.44 goals-against average in last year's series
against the Wings, he won't be easy to beat. For backups, the Coyotes
have Jason LaBarbera, while the Wings may have to rely on NHL-playoff
untested Joey MacDonald if Chris Osgood isn't ready to come back from
sports hernia surgery.
Advantage: Coyotes.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Wings' power play ranks fifth in the league at 22.3%. The Coyotes rank
23rd (15.9%). The Wings can be so creative on the power play and have
enough depth they can easily mix and match on units if one isn't going. The
Coyotes managed to score just 46 goals with the man-advantage all
season, 21 fewer than Detroit. Beyond Doan and Vrbata, the Coyotes don't
have much going on the power play. The Wings' penalty kill didn't have an
impressive record at season's end, just 82.3%, but on the whole Helm and
Miller and Eaves and Justin Abdelkader are so good killing penalties
because they can use their speed to take the puck deep into the opponent's
zone, and they're backed by defensemen Lidstrom, Stuart and Kronwall.
Fortunately for the Wings, the Coyotes' penalty kill was even worse, at
78.4%.
X-FACTOR
564647
Detroit Red Wings
Our picks in the series between the Red Wings and Coyotes
Staff
How will the Wings fare against Coyotes?
MITCH ALBOM
WIN IN 7
The Wings will need every ounce of their pedigree without a healthy Henrik
Zetterberg. Phoenix remembers how close it came last year. Let's hope the
Wings do, too.
How will the Wings finish in the playoffs? Losing to Vancouver in the
conference finals.
Stanley Cup finals: Boston over Vancouver in six games.
MICHAEL ROSENBERG
WIN IN 7
The Red Wings have not been playing well enough for me to expect four
straight great games, or four out of five. But they are a more skilled team
than Phoenix and by the end of the series will start to find their playoff
rhythm.
How will the Wings finish in the playoffs? Losing to San Jose in the
conference finals.
Stanley Cup finals: Washington over San Jose in six games.
HELENE ST. JAMES
WIN IN 5
There's no excuse for them to not take care of the Coyotes, because so
long as the work ethic is there, the Wings are the better team.
How will the Wings finish in the playoffs? If they're healthy and committed, I
think the Wings can beat any team over seven games. But it's going to be
harder than ever given the league's parity.
Stanley Cup finals: Wings over Washington.
DREW SHARP
WIN IN 5
This was the best first-round matchup for the Wings. The Coyotes lack the
offensive firepower to challenge them in a best-of-seven series. Forget
about how close it was against Phoenix last year. This one won't be close,
even without Henrik Zetterberg.
How will the Wings finish in the playoffs? Losing to San Jose in seven
games in the second round.
Stanley Cup finals: San Jose over Washington in six games.
GEORGE SIPPLE
WIN IN 6
It certainly won't be a breeze for the Wings, especially with Ilya Bryzgalov in
net for the Coyotes. Even if Henrik Zetterberg misses more than the first
game in the series, the Wings should have enough firepower to get past the
first round.
How will the Wings finish in the playoffs? Losing to San Jose in seven
Stanley Cup finals: San Jose over Boston in six games.
564648
Detroit Red Wings
It's the playoffs - so what could go wrong for the Red Wings?
By STEVE SCHRADER
Sorry, but worrying for Red Wings fans is just as much a playoff tradition as
the octopus.
So, what about ...
• The Henrik Zetterberg factor. The last thing you want to hear this time of
year is "day-to-day."
• Johan Franzen. Will he ever remember how to score? Two goals in his
last 27 games? How can that even be possible?
• The goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is supposed to be hot stuff.
And the Wings' goaltending is, well, the Wings' goaltending.
• Their finish. It's not just that they went 4-5-2 down the stretch. They gave
up 40 goals in those games, and it wasn't just the goalies' fault.
Oh, well, the regular season doesn't mean anything.
• What if they lose a game? The octopus will hit the fan. It always does
around here when that happens in the playoffs.
Pick 'em
• The Hockey News' preview predicts the Wings in five this series, but still
wonders: "The geezer Wings answered questions about their advanced age
during the regular season, but the playoffs are a whole new test. With eight
players 36 and older, including top minute-muncher Lidstrom (40), can the
veteran legs withstand the grueling spring pace?"
• All eight of ESPN.com's experts are picking the Wings to beat the
Coyotes, though six are predicting it will go seven games again.
• Mike Milbury's pick on the "Hockey Night in Canada" preview (upon further
review): "I'm picking Phoenix in a quick one. I'm sorry, I mean Detroit!"
By the numbers
• 4-1: That's the Wings' record in Game 1 of the playoffs since Mike
Babcock became their coach, outscoring foes, 16-8. The only loss was last
season, at Phoenix.
Free treats -- maybe
Cute. NBC and Versus are converting a Zamboni into an ice cream truck
and will deliver free ice cream to various cities during the first round. The
deal is this: They won't announce what city until that day, via Twitter.
The address is NHLonNBC_VS, and we'll try to keep you posted at
Freep.com. But considering Saturday's game is on NBC ...
Paint the town red
• The Wings' slogan for these playoffs is "Don't Miss a Moment," and it's
tied to the team's Facebook page collecting fans' videos. Go to the page
and check under "notes" for details.
• The usually multicolored Fox Theatre tower sign will be red during the
Wings' playoff run. FYI, the guy who owns the Fox knows the guy who owns
the Wings.
Let's go to the tape
Yes, even the Stanley Cup playoffs have a bracket -- at least at NHL.com,
which is holding a vote on the best highlight of all time.
Voting on the first region continues through Monday, and there's not much
involving the Wings, unless you want to vote against Jamie Baker's
overtime goal for San Jose in 1994.
But the next region (April 18-24) has all sorts of Wings highlights. It's set up
that way so they can only have one in the Final Four.
That region includes the first throwing of the octopus, Steve Yzerman's
overtime goal against St. Louis, Mud Bruneteau's goal in the sixth overtime
in '36, Gordie Howe's Cup-winning goal in '55, Ted Lindsay skating with the
Cup in '50, and Scotty Bowman in 2002.
564649
Detroit Red Wings
Day before playoffs, and Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg still can't skate
By HELENE ST. JAMES
The Detroit Red Wings could be faced with playing most if not all of their
first-round series against Phoenix without leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg,
who still isn’t even able to skate.
Meanwhile, defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who has missed five games with
an upper body injury, said he’ll decide after Wednesday’s morning skate
whether he’ll play. Game 1 is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena.
Zetterberg has been out since hurting his left knee Wednesday at Carolina.
Teams won’t disclose much about injuries this close to the playoffs, but
Zetterberg didn’t hide the brace he wore when he spoke to reporters today,
and his voice didn’t exactly brim with enthusiasm.
He kept his answers short, saying that “I’m feeling better,” “I’m day-to-day,”
and “The percentage would say I’m not playing tomorrow.”
If the injury at all has to do with his MCL, the recovery time usually is four
weeks.
“He’ll continue to be day-to-day till he’s back,” coach Mike Babcock said.
Zetterberg naturally wishes he could play.
“It is tough -- it’s the first playoffs that I’m not really healthy,” he said. “This
is the best time of year, and you want to be out there.”
Even without Zetterberg, the Wings have enough skilled players to field four
solid lines. Based on today’s practices, these are the groups that will start
Game 1:
Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Cleary-Abdelkader-Bertuzzi
Modano-Filppula-Hudler
Draper-Helm-Eaves
With Pavel Datsyuk’s line, its effectiveness will depend, in part, on how
effective Johan Franzen is. Datsyuk does what he does with the puck, and
it’s a rare night Tomas Holmstrom’s work ethic can be questioned. The
second line holds so much potential -- Danny Cleary, Justin Abdelkader and
Todd Bertuzzi are all big guys, and Cleary loves to shoot the puck, while
Bertuzzi can be dangerous down around the net.
Darren Helm’s group has been among the most consistent all season. The
third line could be fantastic because Valtteri Filppula is a world-class
passer, Hudler has great vision and a knack for getting into position to
score, and Mike Modano brings so much experience to the line. It didn’t
work well earlier in the season, though, when Modano and Hudler were on
the same line.
There was a funny opening scene when Babcock began his news
conference today. With several dozen media members huddled around him
(compared with the usual handful), Babcock smiled and asked, “Do you all
work in Detroit?”
564650
Detroit Red Wings
It's time for Jimmy Howard to deliver, or Wings won't advance
Bob Wojnowski
Detroit -- The Red Wings generally don't demand too much of their
goaltenders. Show up, wear the correct pads, swat the puck away and don't
listen to a darn word that's said about you.
If Howard stars in the playoffs, he eventually could command a more
lucrative deal. If he doesn't, the Red Wings aren't committed forever.
But there's a reason the sides are committed to each other. Howard shows
tremendous resilience, reflected in his 19-5-2 record on the road.
"Are we gonna judge everything on one playoff? No, I don't think that's fair,"
Holland said. "The guy had a great rookie year, and other than six weeks in
the middle this year, he's played pretty well. I think he can give us the
goaltending we need to win. Jimmy's still in the process of finding where his
career is. If we judged players before they're 26 or 27, we'd have been
cleaned out a long time ago."
It's tougher than it sounds. And it's about to get tougher.
The Red Wings love seasoned players, marinated for the playoffs. Howard
isn't fully seasoned, and no one is tying Detroit's lofty hopes solely to him.
That's not how this team was constructed.
Jimmy Howard knows it better than he did a year ago, when he was a
playoff novice. It was a whirlwind then, and he did fine. It's a different whirl
now, and it's fair to say the Red Wings will need their goaltender more than
ever. Fine might not be good enough.
But the Red Wings' out-of-character miscues have altered parameters.
Howard turned things around after signing his $4.5 million extension, and if
he's not a difference-maker, he surely can be a mistake-eraser and tensiontamer.
If you think Phoenix will be a pushover, you didn't watch the slugfest last
spring, when Detroit finally won a decisive Game 7. If you think this will be
easy, you haven't seen Henrik Zetterberg limping around, or watched the
Red Wings cough up pucks and give up shots.
"Of course it helps to have the contract done," Howard said. "It's not in the
back of your mind and you're free to just go play. But there's always work to
be done, because you know there's gonna be a younger guy that wants
your position."
It used to be, the goaltender could flip through a magazine waiting for the
next shot. Now, Howard sometimes barely has time to adjust his mask. The
Red Wings have to tighten up defensively, or Howard has to be better, or
ideally, both.
It's a great position and a tough position at the same time, and it's Howard's
to seize and cement.
No one should pin everything on the goaltender. Seriously, don't do it. But
here's the deal: I don't think Detroit will lose because of Howard, but it might
need to win because of him.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Howard said with a grin. "There's a
reason I took this position and relish being the guy. I'm a lot calmer this time
around. Last year, I was just champing at the bit."
Comfort level
It's hard to figure out these Red Wings, who have shown how good they
can be when they put their minds to it, and have the healthy bodies to do it.
Zetterberg is out for Game 1 tonight, and possibly longer. Defenseman
Niklas Kronwall was back at practice Tuesday after missing five games and
if he's ready to go, the Red Wings automatically improve.
But Mike Babcock can't expect a shutdown defense now, not with the Red
Wings toting the worst goals-against of the 16 teams in the playoffs. That
certainly isn't all on Howard, who rebounded from a rough stretch and
ended up very solid, although his numbers (.908 save percentage) don't
fully reflect it.
Doesn't matter now — this is Howard's run. Veteran Chris Osgood hasn't
played in three months, recovering from hernia surgery, leaving Joey
MacDonald as the backup. Meanwhile, Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov
has been terrific, with a save percentage of .921.
People in Detroit historically spend way too much time obsessing about the
goaltender. The Red Wings usually are so efficient, they don't need a filthydominant goalie to win. But in these tight playoffs, you can't help but
wonder.
"There are more shots in the NHL than ever, and that's why I believe our
goaltending has to be better now than it's had to be in the past," Babcock
said. "We used to have the puck way more, and it's more of a 50-50 game
now."
Naturally, that puts heat on a goaltender. Howard's statistics slipped from
last year, but the Red Wings actually seem more comfortable with him now.
"It's night and day," Babcock said. "He's not trying to prove to us or prove to
himself — he knows, and we know, he's a good goalie. Since the (contract)
negotiations have been done, he's been excellent."
Time to step up
Howard is at the stage right now — 27 years old, two-year extension in
February — where the next step beckons. The Red Wings aren't applying
undue pressure, and in fact, GM Ken Holland finished the contract partly to
ease Howard's mind. But it wasn't a long-term deal, which means Detroit
still wants to see more, and Howard wants to show more.
Both sides hedged their bets, ever so slightly.
Detroit News LOADED: 04.13.2011
564651
Detroit Red Wings
Wings coach Mike Babcock keeps his foot on the gas and pushes his
agenda
benched — just ask Kris Draper or Chris Osgood or Mike Modano — while
youngsters learn to play like veterans if they want to play much at all.
With Babcock, "It's not, 'What have you done for me?'"said Justin
Abdelkader, now centering the second line in Zetterberg's absence, "it's
'What are you doing for me now?'"
And if that rubs people the wrong way, well, so be it.
John Niyo
Detroit -- The media horde was growing impatient, pens tapping, feet
shuffling, voices grumbling. The players had mostly cleared out of the Red
Wings dressing room on the eve of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but the coach
had yet to arrive for his daily post-practice interview.
"I figured you guys could wait," Mike Babcock said, grinning as he finally
made his way in from his own off-ice workout and then promptly kicked
aside the first few questions about injuries.
Babcock has always believed confidence is the most important attribute for
a coach, especially in the NHL. ("If you don't have it," he once explained to
me, "they can smell it a million miles away.")
So whatever the move is, he makes it confidently.
And for all the talk about the negatives lately — the leaky team defense, the
slumping scorers, the injuries — the Red Wings are positive they have what
it takes to win in the playoffs.
"He'll continue to be day-to-day," Babcock said, "until he's back."
That, in a nutshell, was the message Babcock relayed to his team before
Tuesday's practice. If they play the way they played last Sunday in a
spirited road victory over the Blackhawks in the regular-season finale —
"When we play with it and match the other team's intensity and work hard
and smart," forward Danny Cleary said — they're still the team to beat.
At least he made it worth the wait, right?
"We think we're a good team," Babcock said. "So let's get at it."
Truth is, waiting around is the last thing on Babcock's mind right now. With
the puck dropping on the playoffs tonight — Game 1 against Phoenix is at 7
p.m. at Joe Louis Arena — it's time to go-go-go, ready or not.
Henrik Zetterberg's status?
So, then, are the Red Wings ready to make another deep playoff run? Ask
Babcock, the team's hard-driving, no-nonsense taskmaster, and he'll tell
you that's really a trick question.
"You never know if you can get it done until you get in there," said Babcock,
whose four-year contract extension last fall kept him as the NHL's highestpaid coach. "But I think we're gonna find out a lot about our hockey club
here."
Here, and now. Because starting tonight, everything's even again. The
slate's wiped clean.
And though that's a departure from even a few years ago for the Red
Wings, flying a bit under the radar again heading into the playoffs, that's just
fine by Babcock, 47, whose opportunity-knocks mantra has always been
about preparation and hard work, not history.
Just play hard
That troubling sub-.500 home record (8-10-2) since Jan. 1? Doesn't matter.
The 237 goals allowed during the regular season, most of any playoff
team? Throw 'em in the garbage.
"You are what you are," said Babcock, whose NHL teams have won 13 of
18 playoff series, including 10 of 14 since he took over the Red Wings in
2005-06.
"And we're optimistic that we're a good team and that we're gonna be wellprepared and we're gonna play hard. And if we don't play hard, the team
we're playing …"
Well, that hardly matters, either. If you ask me, the Red Wings couldn't have
picked a better first-round opponent for themselves, save for the injurydepleted Kings. The Coyotes certainly can skate and they're well-coached
— they won't beat themselves — and they have an excellent goaltender in
Ilya Bryzgalov. But their special-teams units are hardly special and the next
series they win will be their first since they abandoned Winnipeg. (Bryzgalov
and Ray Whitney are the lone Coyotes with Stanley Cup rings.)
But the point is, in today's NHL it's almost pointless to look at the first-round
matchups and try to make any bold predictions about who'll be playing in
June.
"Those days are over," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said of
the pre-parity NHL. "There's too little to choose between the teams."
They can thank the salary cap and the evolving post-lockout rule book for
that.
Here and now
All the more reason, then, for Babcock to keep pushing his own agenda
with this team, pushing buttons and pushing for more. Veterans get
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Detroit Red Wings
Five keys to the series: Johan Franzen, Jimmy Howard need to respond
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News
Franzen's offense
This usually has been Johan Franzen's time of the year — 35 goals and 34
assists in 75 playoff games (59 points in 51 games the last three seasons).
That type of production would be greatly appreciated during these playoffs,
especially after a stretch of two goals in 27 games to end the season. That
slump followed Franzen's five-goal game in Ottawa on Feb. 2.
The Red Wings likely won't get too far without Franzen matching his usual
playoff success.
Special teams
On paper, the Red Wings have clearly superior units on the power play and
penalty kill. But the game isn't played on paper.
The Red Wings power play, in particular, must play to its fifth-ranked status
against a Coyotes penalty killing unit ranked 26th. If the Red Wings can get
away from trying to make the perfect play — an occasional problem — they
can find seams.
The Red Wings can tilt the balance of the series with a few timely powerplay goals.
Goaltending
Jimmy Howard played well enough to get an edge on Ilya Bryzgalov last
season.
Can Howard do it again?
Howard has had a much bumpier ride, but won 37 games and seems to
play better when the pressure mounts. He outplayed Bryzgalov in Game 7
last year.
Bryzgalov is one of the best when he's on. But he can become easily
flustered.
And with Tomas Holmstrom , among others, crashing and bumping around
the net, the Red Wings can rattle him.
Young legs
Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm improved during the season and will be
important during this series.
Abdelkader provided a physical presence, especially late, and has a knack
to find tough goals. Helm has as much pure speed as any forward in the
league and is disruptive on the penalty kill.
During past successful playoff seasons, role players such as Kirk Maltby ,
Kris Draper and Darren McCarty played huge roles in the success of the
Red Wings.
Abdelkader and Helm now have an opportunity to do that.
Home ice
The Red Wings — theoretically — can win the series by winning all their
home games.
Easier said than done.
The Red Wings were 21-14-6 at Joe Louis Arena and probably left the ice
to more than a few boos this season.
Do opponents not fear coming into JLA anymore? Has the mystique worn
off?
The Red Wings hope not.
They need to regain their dominance on home ice.
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Detroit Red Wings
Goaltending Red Wings
Matchups: Wings vs. Coyotes
Jimmy Howard didn't have the type of season he had his rookie year. There
were more valleys. But having won 73 of his 125 starts over two seasons,
Howard must be doing something right. And obviously, the Red Wings are
satisfied, having signed him to a two-year extension in late February.
Coyotes
Red Wings forwards vs. Coyotes defense Red Wings
They have three lines capable of producing offense. But injuries and slumps
have cut into that capability lately.
Pavel Datsyuk (lower body) returned with four games left and gave reason
to believe he's going to be a force. The question is the availability of Henrik
Zetterberg (lower body), who was unstoppable against Phoenix in last
year's playoffs.
Valtteri Filppula, Danny Cleary, Todd Bertuzzi, Mike Modano, Tomas
Holmstrom and Jiri Hudler will be looked upon for offense, especially if
Zetterberg is hurt.
Then there's Johan Franzen, a 28-goal scorer who had two goals the last
27 games. The Wings won't be successful in the playoffs if Franzen
continues to struggle.
During the playoffs, role players such as Justin Abdelkader and Darren
Helm, who've progressed rapidly the latter part of the season, could be
pivotal sparks.
Coyotes
Keep an eye on Keith Yandle, an offensive-minded defenseman who had
59 points and is on many Norris Trophy ballots. He's the most dangerous
defenseman with the puck, capable of creating plays out of nowhere.
There are several shutdown types capable of neutralizing the Red Wings
forwards. Ed Jovanovski (facial) returned for the final week of the season
after missing two months, and provides a physical edge.
Adrian Aucoin and Derek Morris are veterans who won't attract a ton of
attention but can be sturdy and tough.
Edge
Red Wings
Red Wings defense vs. Coyotes forwards Red Wings
Few teams have the overall depth of the Red Wings.
For those who thought Nicklas Lidstrom might have been nearing the end of
his career — he isn't. Lidstrom, 40, played well enough to be the favorite for
the Norris Trophy.
Brian Rafalski remains one of the league's premier offensive defenseman,
while Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall are physical
forces who can be effective with the puck.
Coach Mike Babcock must decide between Jakub Kindl or Ruslan Salei for
the sixth defenseman. Kindl is more skilled, while Salei is gritty.
Coyotes
Except for Shane Doan, the names aren't likely to jog any memories. But
the Coyotes don't lack depth.
Doan was the only 20-goal scorer for the Coyotes and is the heart and soul
of the team. Don't be surprised if Doan plays with even more passion, given
he was injured during last season's series and missed most of it.
Two underrated forwards to watch are Lauri Korpikoski and Lee Stempniak,
Both are dependable at both ends, and Korpikoski (19 goals) can contribute
on offense.
Red Wings fans will remember Ray Whitney, who's hanging around and
setting up teammates nicely on the power play.
The Coyotes had eight forwards with 15 or more goals — like the Canucks,
the most prolific team in the league during the regular season.
Edge
Red Wings
Ilya Bryzgalov proved his breakout season of a year ago wasn't a fluke. He
was a pivotal figure in Phoenix's success, probably more than any other
player, as the Coyotes give up a lot of shots and let Bryzgalov fend for
himself. Bryzgalov has shown he can steal games. Can he steal a series?
Edge
Coyotes
Special teams Red Wings
They had the fifth-best power play (22.3 percent) and were 17th in the
penalty kill (82.3 percent). The PK wasn't up to the past standards, but the
power play remains dangerous with Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski at
the points, and Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg lethal with the puck.
Coyotes
They were 23rd on the power play (15.9 percent) and 26th on the penalty
kill (78.4 percent). They struggled with both units, especially on the penalty
kill.
Edge
Red Wings
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Detroit Red Wings
Playoff notebook / Wings' defense bears watching in playoffs
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News
Detroit— Maybe it's meaningless, one of those statistical anomalies that
don't really translate into on-ice results.
Or maybe it's a portent of the Red Wings' fatal flaw.
For just the second time during this 20-year playoff run, the Red Wings
have allowed more goals in the regular season than any other team in the
playoffs.
Asked if it was realistic to assume he'd play in the first round, he said, "It's
tough to say. Just see how it reacts."
Without him, Babcock has had to shuffle the top two lines. During practice
Tuesday, Pavel Datsyuk centered Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen .
Justin Abdelkader centered the second line between Todd Bertuzzi and
Danny Cleary .
"You want to play this time of the year, obviously, so it's really tough,"
Zetterberg said. "It's the first playoff time that I haven't been really healthy. I
feel a little better and we're working and making progress. Hopefully it's
shorter than what we thought."
Ice chips
The news was better for defenseman Niklas Kronwall (upper body), who
skated hard throughout the entire practice.
It happened in 1993-94, and it's happened again.
"Kronner was real good today but we always wait to see what happens after
he's off the ice for a while," Babcock said. "We will see where he's at
tomorrow and make our decision at game time."
The Red Wings allowed 241 goals this season, the most since they yielded
275 in 1993-94.
… Osgood (sports hernia) took a lot of reps at practice and said he felt no
limitations physically.
In addition, they allowed 30.7 shots on goal per game, their highest average
since Nicklas Lidstrom joined the team in 1991.
"I feel like if I had to go, I could play and play well," he said.
"I would say to you that there are more shots taken in the NHL now than
there ever was," coach Mike Babcock said. "More teams play like we do;
just throw it to the net every chance you get. Just throw it at the net and jam
and bang. You're not allowed to do anything to people at the net any more,
so it makes it hard."
"He's not (ready to be the backup) right now, but once he gets practicing
and gets going, who knows?" Babcock said.
That's true enough, but even with the additional shots, the Red Wings still
are allowing more than any other team.
But after not playing in three months, he is still going to be third behind
starter Jimmy Howard and Joey MacDonald .
… Three Grand Rapids call-ups participated in practice — center Cory
Emmerton and defensemen Doug Janik and Brendan Smith .
Odds to win the Cup
"Too many turnovers in all three zones," defenseman Brad Stuart said. "We
just have to take better care of the puck. We haven't been consistent
enough with that."
Team
Team
Odds
Vancouver3/1
Chicago
18/1
Lidstrom said the defense, at times, has been too lax in clearing rebounds;
too lax in general.
Washington
4/1
Anaheim 20/1
San Jose 6/1
Buffalo
25/1
Philadelphia
7/1
Los Angeles
Boston
8/1
Montreal 25/1
Goaltender Chris Osgood also puts the blame on turnovers.
Detroit
10/1
Nashville 30/1
"We're an offensive team, a puck-control team," he said. "We tend to try
more passes and more plays than other teams. We're not happy just
dumping it off the boards and in doing that, we gave it away more times
than we have in the past. Sometimes we have to simplify our game. Just
get it off the boards and go chase it.
Pittsburgh 10/1
N.Y. Rangers
30/1
Tampa Bay
15/1
30/1
"It's more a matter of playing your position right," he said. "We've been
looking at pucks too much and when you get caught doing that, somebody
is going to sneak in behind you or get in front of you. We need to focus on
just doing our job."
"You know, sometimes it makes it look like we have an all-star team and
we're blowing teams out. Other times it makes it look like we're making
mistake after mistake."
The margin for error is gone.
"We've done it when we've needed to do it," Stuart said of tightening the
defense. "Now is the time to do it. Our attention to detail will be better. I
know the guys in here well enough to know when things are on the line,
things will come together."
Z out for series?
Officially, leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg is out for Game 1 tonight against
Phoenix with a lower body injury.
Technically, he is day to day.
But from the look and sound of things Tuesday, there's a chance Zetterberg
could miss the entire series.
"He's not playing (today) and the good thing is we have a couple of days
before the next game (Saturday)," Babcock said. "He will continue to be
day-to-day until he's able to play."
Zetterberg, who missed the last two games of the regular season, still
hasn't skated.
Odds
Phoenix
25/1
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Detroit Red Wings
Things to watch: As usual, goaltending will play a key role
Eddie Olczyk — Canucks-Blackhawks: I don't think there is any doubt
Canucks and Blackhawks have become bitter rivals, and it has a lot to do
with what's gone on in the last couple of years of the playoffs (Chicago
eliminated Vancouver twice). It will be interesting to keep your emotions in
check, but it will be a great matchup. Two years ago it was Roberto Luongo
vs. Nikolai Khabibulin, last year it's Roberto Luongo vs. Antti Niemi, and this
year it's Roberto Luongo vs. Corey Crawford.
Pierre McGuire — Capitals-Rangers: This is going to be a great series only
because of the animosity that exists between these teams. There is a
subplot that goes into the (Rangers center) Derek Stepan and (Capitals
defenseman) Mike Green hit everybody in Washington remembers, and
that will lead to a little more angst. The other thing is both coaches are
emotional in (New York's) John Tortorella and (Washington's) Bruce
Boudreau.
Pierre McGuire — Ducks-Predators: The matchup worth watching is
(Anaheim's Ryan) Getzlaf and (Corey) Perry and that top line, and Bobby
Ryan going against (Nashville defensemen) Ryan Suter and Shea Weber. I
just can't wait to watch that. That will be skill, and power, and nastiness,
and unbelievable energy.
Eddie Olczyk — Penguins goaltender: Marc-Andre Fleury has proven to be
a top-notch goaltender. He had a terrific year. He's going to see a lot of
pucks. The Lightning can bring it with (Steven) Stamkos and (Vincent)
Lecavalier, and Marty St. Louis had an unbelievable season. Not knowing
the situation of Sidney Crosby, I give Tampa Bay a real big shot in this
series.
Keith Jones — Flyers-Sabres: The story will be goaltending. (Buffalo's)
Ryan Miller, of course, not playing every game down the stretch because
he's been bumped up and bruised, and got into action over the last couple
of games. Goaltending in Philadelphia is going to be a wild card. They have
three goaltenders, and it's going to come down to one playing really well.
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Detroit Red Wings
Versus analyst picking Coyotes
Keith Jones played for three teams — Capitals, Avalanche and Flyers —
between 1992-2000 and scored 258 points in 491 games before heading
for the broadcast booth.
Now, as an analyst for Versus, Jones talked with News Red Wings writer
Ted Kulfan and offered his thoughts on the Red Wings-Coyotes series.
Q. Overall thoughts on the series?
A. Another rematch from last year in the first round where Phoenix got off to
a 2-1 lead in the series before Detroit came back and won three of the last
four games and won the series in 7 games.
You would expect it to be the same. Very tight, tight checking. It's
worrisome that (Henrik) Zetterberg's going to miss at least a couple of
games in the series to get things started. He was terrific last year in the
series where he had six goals.
(Pavel) Datsyuk was big last year as well, and you expect him to have to
carry them.
The one thing that stands out to me is Johan Franzen, who last year in the
playoffs recorded a point in every game he played in (12), has just two
goals over the last 27 games. He had the five-goal game in early February,
and then he shut it down. They're going to need Johan Franzen to step up
and replace the offense in the absence of Zetterberg because you're going
up against one of the most talented goaltenders in the NHL in Ilya
Bryzgalov.
Q. How do you assess Jimmy Howard's performance, and how much better
does he need to be for the Red Wings to make a long run?
A. He's actually been very good. There was a little concern there when he
got banged up a few weeks ago. But overall his play has been sound.
He is going to have to be fantastic going head-to-head against Ilya
Bryzgalov. Bryzgalov is the type of goaltender that can steal a game for
you. I'm not sure that Jimmy Howard will have to be that.
But come playoff time there will be a couple that you need to get out there
and rob for your team. Bryzgalov is going to do that for Phoenix. And
Phoenix is a very smart, well-disciplined hockey team that's not going to
allow too many extra opportunities. They're not going to gift wrap a whole
lot for you. And if they do, Bryzgalov seems calm in the net.
So I think there is a decided advantage in goal in the series. Though Jimmy
Howard has really done a nice job in Detroit, I don't think he's Ilya
Bryzgalov.
Q. Prediction?
A. Phoenix is a well-disciplined team that's not going to give you very many
second and third opportunities or many power play opportunities.
The coach, Dave Tippett has done a great job.
And you look at Keith Yandle and Shane Doan and they've had tremendous
seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes. But they've got a good, young, fast team
that's going to give Detroit everything they can handle.
In fact, I think Phoenix is going to win it this year.
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Detroit Red Wings
Wings vs. Coyotes: Detroit News staff predictions
The Detroit News
Red Wings vs. Coyotes
Ted Kulfan: The Red Wings seem to have a substantial advantage in every
statistical category, appear to have the more talented roster, and eliminated
the Coyotes last season. It should add up to a rather easy series victory.
But during the Stanley Cup playoffs, that tends not to happen.
Red Wings in 6
Gregg Krupa: The jump-start this particular group of Red Wings needed
since opening 14-4-2 and then muddling through is called the Stanley Cup
playoffs. But the injured Henrik Zetterberg is the horse that carries this
franchise in April, May and June. Nevertheless …
Red Wings in 7
Chris McCosky: The Red Wings are better than last year and goaltender
Ilya Bryzgalov aside, the Coyotes are worse.
Red Wings in 6
Bob Wojnowski: Henrik Zetterberg will be out one game, maybe two,
maybe longer. That's an issue against a goaltender as good as Ilya
Bryzgalov. The Red Wings had better get tight defensively and stay that
way.
Red Wings in 7
John Niyo: A few power-goals early and the Red Wings' home-ice woes will
be forgotten. At least until the second round, when the Sharks come calling.
Red Wings in 5
Odds to win the Cup
Ted Kulfan: The difficulties winning at Joe Louis Arena, the troubles
defensively, and the inconsistency offensively all contributed to a less than
super roll into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Red Wings. This roster
simply doesn't seem capable of winning four rounds.
Eliminated second round
Gregg Krupa: It is perhaps difficult to see, now, how they beat the Sharks
in the second round and the Canucks in the third. But add the catastrophic
losses in the sixth and seventh game of the Finals in 2009, to their amazing
fortitude through the injuries of 2009-10, to concerns this all gets a lot
harder without Nicklas Lidstrom someday, and one begins to see the
motivation. And, if they just start taking care of the puck — like the Red
Wings — again, well …
Win the Cup
Chris McCosky: Can't see the Red Wings getting out of the second round,
especially since it appears they would be destined to play the Sharks. The
Red Wings will have trouble handling the size and power of the top two
Sharks lines.
Eliminated second round
Bob Wojnowski: It's fine the Red Wings are a bit under the radar, the No. 3
seed in the West. If there's a switch to flip, they'll find it. The trouble is,
Vancouver is scary good and due, and goaltender Roberto Luongo is long
overdue.
Eliminated conference finals
John Niyo: The Red Wings can win it all, especially if the Blackhawks can
knock off the Canucks and shuffle the second-round seeding. But not
knowing what Detroit will get from center Henrik Zetterberg — or when it will
get it — I'll stick with my preseason pick of Vancouver defeating Boston in
the Stanley Cup Finals.
Eliminated conference finals
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Detroit Red Wings
Will Wings' Henrik Zetterberg play vs. Coyotes? 'It's tough to say'
Chris McCosky and Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News
Detroit — Officially, Red Wings' leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg is out for
Game 1 Wednesday against Phoenix with a lower-body injury. Technically,
he is listed as day-to-day.
But from the look and sound of things Tuesday, there is a chance he could
miss the entire series.
"He's not playing (Wednesday) and the good thing is we have a couple of
days before the next game (Saturday)," coach Mike Babcock said. "He will
continue to be day-to-day until he's able to play."
Zetterberg, who missed the last two games of the regular season, still
hasn't skated. When asked if it was realistic to assume he'd play in the first
round, he said, "It's tough to say. Just see how it reacts."
Without him, Babcock has had to shuffle the top two lines. In practice
Tuesday, Pavel Datsyuk centered Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen.
Justin Abdelkader centered the second line between Todd Bertuzzi and
Danny Cleary.
"You want to play this time of the year, obviously, so it's really tough,"
Zetterberg said. "It's the first playoff time that I haven't been really healthy. I
feel a little better and we're working and making progress. Hopefully it's
shorter than what we thought."
The news was better for defenseman Niklas Kronwall (upper body), who
skated hard throughout the entire practice.
"Kronner was real good today but we always wait to see what happens after
he's off the ice for a while," Babcock said. "We will see where he's at
tomorrow and make our decision at game time."
Chris Osgood (sports hernia) took a lot of reps during practice and said he
felt no limitations physically. But after not playing in three months, he is still
going to be the third goalie behind starter Jimmy Howard and Joey
MacDonald.
"He's not (ready to be the backup) right now, but once he gets practicing
and gets going, who knows?" Babcock said. "Right now, Joey Mac has
done a real good job for us and Howie will be in the net."
Also Tuesday, the Wings recalled defenseman Brendan Smith and Doug
Janik, and forward Cory Emmerton, from the minor-league affiliate Grand
Rapids Griffins.
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Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Mike Modano: 'This is my last chance'
By Ansar Khan MLive.com
DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Mike Modano said on Friday that he
plans to retire if the team makes a long playoff run.
On Tuesday, the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer indicated he likely will
retire regardless of what transpires in the playoffs.
"This is my one last chance at it, so I’m kind of excited about the
opportunity," Modano said. "I just hope to make the most of it when I’m
called upon."
Asked if this will be his last playoffs, Modano said: "I think it is. That’s kind
of the way I look at it. The last little while, I’ve thought long and hard about
it. I’m just going to try to put everything I have into this, and then that’s
going to be it for me."
Michigan Live LOADED: 04.13.2011
564660
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings ready to count on Johan Franzen for usual postseason
production
DETROIT -- Given his proven track record in the playoffs, Johan Franzen
must be relieved the regular season is over.
The big forward with tremendous hands around the net and a laser-like
wrist shot has been unusually silent since his five-goal outburst Feb. 2 in
Ottawa. He scored only two goals in his final 27 games.
No need to worry, though, the Detroit Red Wings say, because they can
count on Franzen to step up in the postseason. He has 31 goals and 59
points in 51 postseason games the past three years.
"He had a real good start to the season and, then, it didn’t go as good for
him at the end. But the good thing about the Mule is he seems to really kick
’er in gear this time of year," coach Mike Babcock said. "He’s a big body,
can shoot the puck. He loves to score goals. He’s very capable."
The Red Wings need Franzen to deliver, especially in the absence of
leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg, who will miss Game 1 of the Western
Conference quarterfinals Wednesday against the Phoenix Coyotes. He
might not play in the series because of a knee injury.
Franzen led the team with 28 goals. But he wasn’t physically engaged often
enough the second half of the season. He wasn’t hard on defenses or hard
to knock off the puck.
"He’s a pure goal scorer," teammate Danny Cleary said. "We need him to
be skating hard, on the puck, physical and shooting whenever he can.
"When he gets on a roll, look out ... because he’s big, great hands, fast.
When he gets going early in the game, he completely dominates."
Franzen has been a streaky scorer since emerging as an offensive force
late in the 2007-08 season.
"I think everyone knows when he gets on a roll, it can get pretty good,"
defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "He’s just one of those guys, get him in
the right groove and he’ll get going. I have confidence it’s going to come in
the playoffs."
MacDonald backup, Osgood waits
Joey MacDonald will back up Jimmy Howard in goal, at least for the start of
the playoffs. Chris Osgood continues to practice hard in hopes of returning
and thinks he is getting close.
"It’s the best I’ve felt. I’ve just got to keep going," Osgood said. "I’ve had a
layoff, but I’ve been practicing a lot. The biggest factor is I haven’t played a
game in over 2 1/2 months."
Osgood had surgery for a sports hernia Jan. 11.
"I’m going to practice as hard as I can to get game ready," Osgood said.
"Hopefully, it’s a long journey and you never know what’s going to happen."
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Detroit Red Wings
Ken Holland on WDFN: Red Wings 'need to bring our A-game every day'
against Coyotes
By Philip Zaroo
Heading into the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against Phoenix,
Detroit has every reason in the world to be confident. And every reason in
the world to be unsure.
The Red Wings came out of the All Star break with a 7-5 win over Ottawa.
They beat white-hot Boston in back-to-back games, and they've beaten
both Chicago and Nashville on the road.
Then again, St. Louis put up double digits in an embarrassing 10-3
thrashing at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit's offense has been downright anemic,
at times. And the Red Wings' 21-14-6 home record is slightly behind the
Coyotes' road record of 22-13-6.
"We've shown signs that we can play with the very best teams," general
manager Ken Holland said on WDFN-AM 1130 Detroit. "We just haven't
done it consistently enough.
"We're playing a team here in Phoenix that that's what they're all about:
they're about consistency. They have great goaltending. They've got a real
good defense. They're well structured, well organized. They're patient;
they're not going to beat themselves. They've got real good team speed.
We need to bring our A game every day because if we're gonna have
lapses within a game or lapses within a series, it's not a recipe for success."
564662
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg confirms he'll miss opener, remains day-today after that
DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg didn't skate
today. He worked out off ice, lifting weights and riding the bike while
wearing a brace on his left knee, and received treatment.
Zetterberg confirmed what coach Mike Babcock said on Sunday: He is not
playing Wednesday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against
Phoenix. Beyond that, he is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
“He's not playing,'' Babcock said Tuesday. "The good thing about it is we
got a couple days before the next game (Game 2 on Saturday afternoon).
So he'll continue to be day-to-day until he's back.''
Asked if he expects to return in the first round, Zetterberg said, “It's tough to
say. Just got to see how it reacts.''
He was injured on Wednesday on a hit by Carolina's Bryan Allen.
“It felt really funny when it happened,'' Zetterberg said. "We're working on it.
We're (making) progress. Hopefully, it will be shorter than what we thought.
“Had similar (injury) before. It wasn't as serious. I didn't miss that much
time.''
564663
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall optimistic that he'll be ready for Game 1
DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall's status for
Game 1 against Phoenix will be determined either after Wednesday's
morning skate or the pregame warmup.
Kronwall missed the final five games of the season with an upper-body
injury. He got in his first full practice on Tuesday and said he feels good.
“I'm going to see how it feels tomorrow,'' Kronwall said. "Today, I felt really
good, so I'm very optimistic right now.''
Said coach Mike Babcock:“Kronner was real good today, but we always like
to see what happens after some time on the ice. We'll see how is is
tomorrow and we'll make that decision tomorrow night.''
Here are the lines they skated with today:
Franzen-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Cleary-Abdelkader-Bertuzzi
Hudler-Filppula-Miller/Modano
Draper-Helm-Eaves
Emmerton
Lidstrom-Stuart
Ericsson-Rafalski
Kronwall-Salei/Kindl
Smith-Janik
Howard
MacDonald
Osgood
Chris Osgood continues to practice and feel better, but Babcock said Joey
MacDonald will back-up Jimmy Howard, at least for the start of the playoffs.
564664
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom ready for dirty work around net while trying
to avoid penalties
"(Coach) Dave Tippett has done a great job," Jones said Monday during a
media teleconference with TV analysts. "Keith Yandle and Shane Doan
have had tremendous seasons. They’ve got a good, young, fast team that’s
going to give Detroit everything they can handle.
"In fact, I think Phoenix is going to win it this year."
He expects a close, tight-checking series.
DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have had several goals disallowed this
season, seemingly more than before, because of goaltender interference or
incidental contact.
Tomas Holmstrom typically is the guilty party.
When the Red Wings open the playoffs Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena,
Holmstrom will be stationed where he always is, in front of the opposition’s
net, trying to tip shots and screen the goalie, the Phoenix Coyotes’ 6-foot-3
Ilya Bryzgalov.
"I think it’s worrisome that (Henrik) Zetterberg’s going to miss at least a
couple of games," Jones said. "He was terrific last year in the playoff series
against Phoenix (six goals, 11 points).
"(Pavel) Datsyuk was big last year as well (five goals, eight points), and you
expect him to have to carry them as well."
Jones believes it’s imperative for Johan Franzen to get rolling. The big
forward has 31 goals and 59 points in the past three playoffs. He scored
only two goals in the final 27 games this season, following a five-goal
outburst at Ottawa on Feb. 2.
But, given his history and reputation, Holmstrom knows he must be more
diligent, stay out of the crease and try to avoid contact with the goalie.
"They’re going to need Johan Franzen to step up and replace the offense in
the absence of Zetterberg because you’re going up against one of the most
talented goaltenders in the National Hockey League in Ilya Bryzgalov,"
Jones said.
"I try to do it every game, but sometimes those calls against you might
come more frequently," Holmstrom said. "What can you do? I’m not going
to change my game."
Phoenix doesn’t have a lot of firepower or any big stars, but Jones said the
Coyotes are "a well-disciplined team that’s not going to give you very many
second and third opportunities or many power-play opportunities."
Holmstrom believes officials are cracking down even more on players
making contact with goalies.
CBC’s Don Cherry is more bullish on Detroit’s chances to win the Cup.
"It looks like that, especially on me," Holmstrom said. "You see other
games, guys run over the goalie and they still allow the goal. That would
never happen to me.
"They seem to change the rules, when it fits them. If you’re outside the
crease it should be a good goal. Now, if you have your butt in the crease
and skates outside, it’s goaltender interference. So I don’t really know. I
don’t think they know themselves."
A lot of times goalies come out and initiate contact and Holmstrom gets
cited.
"The refs got to do a review, because that happens a lot," Holmstrom said.
"The goalie coming out and making contact with me and then the puck
passes by and they shove backwards and put on a big show."
Holmstrom hopes video review is implemented for these instances next
season.
"They do it on a high stick, why not do it on (goalie interference)?"
Holmstrom said. "You’re taking away a good part of the game. You need to
go to the net hard, that’s where you score goals."
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said there was brief
conversation, but not a lot of support, at last month’s GM meetings about
instituting video review for goals disallowed because of goalie interference
or contact. It will be brought up again in June.
"My thought would be, it’s so hard to score on goalies just from a shot,
everything is about traffic and going to the net. Maybe it’s time (for
reviews)," Holland said. "Everything happens so quick. It’s asking a lot of
referees to get it right 100 percent of the time."
For now, Holmstrom, coach Mike Babcock and the Red Wings must deal
with the rules and adjust accordingly.
"Mike (Babcock) has talked to Homer about moving four, five, six inches
out," Holland said. "It’s not only where your feet are, it’s where your butt is.
You can be in the blue (crease) if you’re not affecting the goalie. It’s a
difficult call for officials."
Holland said players must do their part to make sure they don’t have any
goals called back.
"In the Stanley Cup playoffs, you’re going to have bad calls," Holland said.
"Got to shake it off and continue to do our thing. If the goal is called off, you
got to go back there."
Versus analyst picks Coyotes
Versus studio analyst Keith Jones thinks the Coyotes will upset the Red
Wings in a rematch of last year’s opening-round series.
"They’ve been there before. I think they’ve got a real good shot, and it’s too
bad there are injuries," Cherry said. "That is the thing that’s really put them
down. If they had a full team and going, they’d be one of the favorites."?
564665
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers score top draft pick for second straight year
By Jim Matheson
EDMONTON — Celebratory streamers landed on Oilers star Taylor Hall
and local hockey fans at an Edmonton restaurant on Tuesday night after
the Oilers won the first overall pick in the June 24 NHL entry draft in St.
Paul, Minn.
because they needed a possible No. 1 centre way more than a winger, but
they went for Hall. It was the right choice.
“We can improve in all areas (now),” said Tambellini. “What I want to have
is a ranking of the players at our final draft meeting, then we’ll see if there’s
any clear indication if there’s a separation in players. If they’re all the same,
then maybe we decide to go on need.
“But maybe we love a player so much that even though we have a need at
a position, we go with him.”
In other words, if they decide Nugent-Hopkins, at 164 pounds, is still the top
dog, they take him even if they already have Sam Gagner and Andrew
Cogliano, Gilbert Brule and Linus Omark, who aren’t big players, at forward.
The jury’s out on whether the Oilers, who finished last in the NHL standings
for the second consecutive season, will get a player as good and exciting
as Hall, who had 22 goals and 42 points before his first season ended in
early March when he sprained his ankle.
“Some of these players (in the draft crop) have a chance to be franchise
players but they’re all different ... there’s defencemen like Dougie Hamilton
and Larsson and Nathan Beaulieu, there’s centres like Nugent-Hopkins and
(Sean) Couturier and Ryan Strome, then there’s Landeskog, who’s different
from them all,” said Tambellini.
But the Oilers, who had the best odds in the lottery at 48.2 per cent, control
draft day with the No. 1 selection for the second straight year. While general
manager Steve Tambellini is tickled to be on stage first, barring a trade and
giving it up or moving back a spot, he steadfastly said on Tuesday that he
doesn’t this to become a rite of spring.
Larsson is clearly the most NHL-ready because he has been in the Swedish
Elite League since he was 16 and is playing upwards of 20 minutes a night
for his Skelleftea team in the finals against Farjestads. He played 32
minutes in one of their playoff overtime games, with Farjestads leading the
series 3-1. He’s also six-fosot-three and 210 pounds.
“Absolutely not,” said Tambellini, who hopes he’s not one of the five bottom
feeders at the draft lottery trough in 2012.
“He’s very, very solid in all parts, penalty-kill, power play,” said countryman
Magnus Paajarvi, who played against Larsson last season, over in Sweden.
“Where we are with the age of our players today, these two years where
we’re picking first ... this is the time to acquire elite players.”
Nugent-Hopkins is the most dynamic player in the draft crop. In the words
of scout Rick Jackson, he has “more tricks in his pocket than a circus
clown.”
The Oilers could always trade the pick if they felt that centre Ryan NugentHopkins of the Red Deer Rebels (Western Hockey League) and Swedish
defenceman Adam Larsson would be equal. There are plenty of wildcat
possibilities. Who knows? Maybe the Boston Bruins offer the Oilers centre
Tyler Seguin, last year’s No. 2 overall pick at the draft, because he can play
with Hall, who’s a winger, feeling they’d rather have Larsson paired with
Zdeno Chara, who’s 34 now.
Tambellini guffawed at that scenario, but he will be all ears when fellow
GMs corner him about the first overall choice in St. Paul.
“I will always listen, but this pick is significant in building our organization. I
highly doubt we would do it,” he said.
The Oilers’ combination of bingo balls didn’t actually come up — the New
Jersey Devils, with only a three per cent chance, actually won it — but
teams outside the bottom five in points over the regular season can only
move up four spots.
The Devils went from No. 8 to No. 4 in the draft order for June, with the
Oilers (62 points in the regular season) retaining top spot. The Colorado
Avalanche (68 points), will choose second, the Florida Panthers (72) third
and the New York Islanders (73) will go fifth.
The Ottawa Senators, who went in No. 5 in fewest points, dropped back to
No. 6 when the gods smiled on the Devils and they moved way up. It’s New
Jersey’s highest draft position since they took surefire Hall of Famer Scott
Niedermayer No. 3 in 1983.
“When I saw Bill (NHL deputy commissioner Daly) opening the envelope at
first,” said Tambellini,”I saw a little bit of red and I was thinking, ‘OK, this is
Ottawa winning (going from No. 5 to No. 1).’ My heart definitely jumped,
then they showed the Devils (red and green) logo instead. Then I knew we
were OK.”
Now, the suspense is who they will take at No. 1. Last year, the debate was
whether the Oilers would select Hall or Seguin after the Oilers won the
lottery. They chose Hall on draft day and the Bruins quickly grabbed
Seguin, who didn’t play nearly as much in his rookie season as Hall did
because the Bruins are a Stanley Cup contender.
Both players were clearly ahead of the others in the draft pool, however.
This season it’s not so clear-cut.
The Oilers, with holes aplenty, could use Larsson or Nugent-Hopkins or
Swedish forward Gabriel Landeskog, who plays for the Kitchener Rangers
in the Ontario Hockey League. But they swear they haven’t made up their
mind and won’t until their draft meeting debate.
Tambellini said the Oilers haven’t decided whether to go by talent or
position. Last year, people were imploring the Oilers to take Seguin
Landeskog can score, he can bang and he can fight, with former Oilers
vice-president Kevin Prendergast saying he’s like a “Mike Richards”
(Philadelphia Flyers captain).
“What I won’t do,” said Tambellini, “is get boxed into taking a player who
has to play in my lineup next year. We have enough young people. That
won’t determine whether we take A, B, C and D.”
The Oilers are going into this draft with an open mind.
“If we get somebody who has the impact of Taylor Hall next year or the year
after, we’re doing pretty good,” said Tambellini, who clearly likes having the
first pick. “Anytime you pick at the top of the draft the players you are talking
about are there for a reason. They have the emotional ability to handle
things and the obvious skill.
“These players have the ability to be a franchise-type player.”
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Edmonton Oilers
Renney wraps up Oilers’ season
“I can tell you if that we were practising today, these guys would have been
all over it. If we had had more games to play they would have been here
with the same attitude. And that’s so cool.
Number 1 on coach’s wish list? A healthy team for next year
“I said after the Colorado game that we wanted, as a coaching staff, to
make the rink a destination, a place they wanted to come and put it on the
line … They made it real easy to come to the rink because they worked
their (butts) off as best they could.”
By Joanne Ireland
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 04.13.2011
EDMONTON — Tom Renney swore he didn’t have a wish list, that he was
not going to bang on the door of Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve
Tambellini and ask for a faceoff specialist, a hard-nosed defenceman
and/or a big crafty centreman.
Maybe that’s because the Oilers head coach still doesn’t know what the
2010-11 club would have been able to do, had it not been hobbled by
injuries.
“There was a point in the time when you just said, ‘Uncle’ with all the
injuries,” Renney said Tuesday in his wrap-up address.
The Oilers, under the care of a new training staff, finished with 285 man
games lost to injuries, a notable drop from the 531 games lost in 2009-10,
but it was a list that included Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff, Taylor Hall,
Sam Gagner and Ryan Whitney, who was arguably the Oilers’ best player
through the first 35 games.
“We really didn’t get a chance to look at our lineup for 82 games,” said
Renney. “Let’s start with a healthy team and make an informed decision
about what we need.”
It was this time last year that Renney was ushered in as the 10th head
coach of the franchise, the first of many changes that would occur in the offseason.
Renney said his staff would not change going into the next training camp.
The same can’t be said for the roster. There will be changes, there always
are.
There will have to be, given the team again finished dead last in the 30team league.
“I don’t want to say this is where we figured we’d be, because it’s not. It’s
not at all where we wanted to be, not at all where we hoped to be,” said
Renney. “It is safe to say the expectations will increase next year, of the
players individually and as a group, and so they should.
“We have to reach a level a level of excellence and sustain it,” he
continued. “That’s the big thing now. I think our team knows how we want to
play. They know how we deliver the message and how we prepare them.
“They know they can have success against any team in the league. What
they don’t maybe understand, and what we’re going to have to help them
learn, is how to sustain that.
“That will be the biggest challenge. We can’t have one-offs where we win a
couple (of games) then lose three. If we fall off, it can’t be for long.”
In the meantime, Renney said it might be beneficial for the staff to go back
and review every injury that occurred this season.
Given that so many of his players were left hobbling with foot injuries, he
also said it might beneficial for more players to wear protective guards on
their skate boots.
“We should look at the footage of every single injury and see how it
happens,” Renney said. “Is it a physiological deficiency in the player? Is it
bad timing, bad positioning? Is it a tactical problem? Whatever it is, I just
think we should look at every injury and at least start with that.”
While the injuries did swing the door open for the likes of Linus Omark and
Teemu Hartikainen, two call-ups who earned a good long look at training
camp next year, it also took away Renney’s leverage. Earlier in the season,
he would park players during games and for entire games. That wasn’t an
option when the roster was thinned out as much as it was.
“We all have to come back knowing we have to be better. Flat out better,”
he said, but not without applauding the enthusiasm that the players did
bring to the rink, regardless of their situation in the standings.
564667
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers showed 'resilience' - Renney
By DEREK VAN DIEST, QMI Agency
It may seems strange that as NHL coaches are being fired following the
regular season, the one whose team finished last is among those with the
best job security.
Yet while winning is always part of a coach’s mandate, Tom Renney’s key
objective this season was to safeguard the organization’s future and guide it
through their first full campaign.
“Our season was one that saw some highs and lows, which is certainly to
be expected,” Renney said on Tuesday. “I love the way we identified
internally and with the fans what our intentions were and then sort of shared
the journey with them. In a lot of cases it wasn’t as good as we hoped for,
but not us unpredictable as it could have been.
“But that being said, there were a lot of good things. We saw the growth of
a lot of good, young players. We saw an ability to play the game a certain
way. Both should stand the test of time and allow our fans to identify with
that growth for years to come.”
As the third head coach in three years with the club, Renney’s circumstance
differed from his predecessors, Pat Quinn and Craig MacTavish.
With the club being forced to blow up the entire organization and start fresh
after perhaps overestimating their talent level a year ago, Renney was not
required to win at all costs, which has given him some leeway.
Instead, he was responsible for helping develop a solid foundation where
the Oilers could continue to build — a job in itself that came with its own set
of challenges.
“I like the fact that these players remained coachable,” Renney said. “They
gave themselves up to a style of coaching, never mind the content, that will
pay dividends in the long run. They showed a resilience that is required to
move forward though their NHL careers, both as individuals and as an
organization, as we continue to grow and get better.”
The Oilers started the season with four rookies in Taylor Hall, Jordan
Eberle, Magnus Paajarvi and Devan Dubnyk, who were to be the
cornerstone of the rebuilding phase.
Throughout the year, they uncovered other gems such as Linus Omark, Jeff
Petry and Teemu Hartikainen.
Despite their youth, the Oilers were able to remain competitive in the first
three months of the season, hovering near the .500 mark through the
middle of December.
But injuries eventually took their toll, starting with their top defenceman in
Ryan Whitney and going on to inflict their leading scorers, including Hall,
who was making his case to be the league’s rookie of the year before
injuring his ankle in a fight.
“There was a point in time where you said ‘uncle’ to the injury situation,”
Renney said. “It’s one of those circumstances that every team has to deal
with and I thought we did a very good job with that. We continued to accept
responsibility for our performance by those who could play.”
In the end, the Oilers were forced to play with a makeshift lineup and limped
towards the finish line, losing 14 of their last 16 games.
They finished last in the league standings for the second consecutive year
and will select first overall again this summer.
“I don’t say this is where we figured to be, because it’s not,” Renney said.
“It’s not where we wanted to be and it’s not where we hoped to be. I think
every single season your goal is to make the playoffs. If not, you should get
out of the league, go play somewhere else or go coach somewhere else,
where expectations are a little softer, a little more palatable and friendlier.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t make the playoffs and we will pursue that
objective.”
Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564668
Florida Panthers
other teammates had not stepped up, they wouldn’t be where they are. The
Pens won eight of their final 10 heading into the playoffs.
Fleury the last line of defense for Pittsburgh Penguins
“I think this adversity we’ve faced this season makes us a better team,’’
Fleury said.
By George Richards
As Olczyk said, Fleury will be tested by the Lightning in this series. The
resurgent Lightning won seven of its final eight games to close the regular
season, spoiling Carolina’s postseason bid by beating the Hurricanes 6-2 in
Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury cools off in the second
period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday,
March 24, 2011, in Philadelphia.
Few would have predicted the Pittsburgh Penguins would be in the position
they are had it been known that star Sidney Crosby would have played in
only 41 games and Evgeni Malkin just two more than Crosby this season.
Crosby still ended up leading Pittsburgh in scoring despite being out since
January after sustaining a concussion. Crosby is skating and is expected to
return sometime during the Penguins’ opening-round series against the
Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday night with the Lightning visiting
Pittsburgh for the first postseason game at Consol Energy Center.
Despite playing just half the season, Crosby scored 32 goals, nine more
than Chris Kunitz for the team lead, and his 66 points were 16 more than
the Pens’ second-leading scorer, Kris Letang.
“To me,’’ Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said, “he’s playing. Period.’’
Many wrote off the Penguins once Malkin joined Crosby on the long-term
disabled list in early February after tearing two ligaments in his right knee.
But the Penguins soldiered on, finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference
after chasing down the eventual Atlantic Division champion Philadelphia
Flyers. The two Keystone State rivals ended tied with 106 points with
Philadelphia winning the tiebreaker to earn the No. 2 seed in the East.
Based on the Penguins’ ability to continue winning despite mounting
injuries, coach Dan Bylsma has a large groundswell of support for coach of
the year honors. “More than half of our team has had a taste of Pittsburgh
this year,’’ center Ryan Craig told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Craig is the
captain for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and played in
six games with Pittsburgh.
Even though Bylsma is getting plenty of praise, he has no problem passing
along credit to the stellar play of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Consistency is key
“He’s been consistent and that’s probably the reason why he’s been so
good for us this year,’’ Bylsma said on a recent stop in South Florida. “He’s
always had a propensity to get real hot, make those big saves. But his
consistency all year has given us the confidence to win games no matter
who is in the lineup.’’
With Crosby and Malkin out, Pittsburgh has had to win close games night
after night. The Penguins’ power play finished 25th in the league, although
the team’s penalty kill finished with the best success rate of the 30 teams.
Although Fleury isn’t expected to win the Vezina Trophy for the league’s top
netminder, he might just win the league’s MVP award. NBC announcer and
former Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk had plenty of praise for Fleury,
saying, “You better be talking about him as an MVP. ... Fleury has proven to
be a top-notch goaltender. He had a terrific year. He’s going to see a lot of
pucks [against the Lightning].’’
When the Penguins hosted the Panthers on March 27, Fleury was honored
as his team’s top player on a vote by his teammates.
‘Our best player’
“For a big part of the season, [Fleury] has been one of the best goalies in
the league if not the best,’’ Penguins forward Max Talbot said. “Without our
big guns out there, he’s a very important part of our team. He’s been
closing the door for us, winning games for us. Give credit to our
defensemen as well. Our whole defensive game has improved. But he’s the
reason why we’re fourth in the East and had a chance at first. He’s been
our best player, for sure.’’
Fleury, who helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009, started
off very slowly this season, going 1-6-0 with a .853 save percentage. He
said he was humbled by being honored by his teammates, adding that if
“They basically won a playoff game against Carolina,’’ Versus analyst Keith
Jones said. “That was a Game 7 for Carolina, and Tampa stepped up and
beat them, sent them packing. They’ve been in a big situation heading into
the playoffs. I like the way they settled down and righted the ship before the
playoffs arrived. Watch out for Tampa Bay. I think they’ll give Pittsburgh all
they can handle.’’
Miami Herald LOADED: 04.13.2011
564669
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers will pick third in NHL draft
By George Richards
The Panthers will hold the third overall pick in the June draft after failing to
move up in the draft lottery held Tuesday night in Toronto. The Edmonton
Oilers will have the top pick for the second year in a row.
Florida has won the lottery three times — and never used the top pick. In
1998, Florida won the top pick, yet had previously traded it to San Jose for
Viktor Kozlov. Tampa Bay received Florida’s pick from the Sharks and took
Vincent Lecavalier.
The Panthers traded the top pick in 2002 and 2003 after winning the lottery.
In 2002, Columbus selected Rick Nash with Florida’s pick; Pittsburgh took
goalie Marc-Andre Fleury the following year.
Miami Herald LOADED: 04.13.2011
564670
Florida Panthers
Panthers stand pat with No. 3 pick
By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel
The Panthers didn't have much luck with pucks or ping-pong balls this
season as they held onto their third pick after the NHL Draft lottery played
out Tuesday night in Toronto.
For finishing 28th in the standings, the Panthers had a 14.2 percent chance
of leaping from third to first in the June NHL Entry Draft. Alternate governor
Bill Torrey represented the Panthers in the TSN studio.
The 30th-place Oilers and their 48.2 percent odds got the top pick for the
second straight year after the eighth-worst Devils won the lottery with just a
3.6 percent chance.
Teams can only move up four spots, so the Devils jumped from No. 8 to No.
4. Colorado stayed at No. 2.
This will mark the fourth time in franchise history the Panthers have the
third pick. Last year they selected OHL defenseman Erik Gudbranson at
No. 3.
Florida has 10 draft picks.
"Our needs are probably more forwards than defensemen,'' GM Dale Tallon
said Monday. "It's a good-looking draft for us.''
The top-ranked centers are Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jonathan
Huberdeau.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 04.13.2011
564671
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers hold onto third pick in NHL draft lottery
By HARVEY FIALKOV
The Panthers didn't have much luck with pucks or ping-pong balls this
season as they held onto their third pick after the NHL Draft lottery played
out Tuesday night in Toronto.
For finishing 28th in the standings, the Panthers had a 14.2 percent chance
of leaping from third to first in the June NHL Entry Draft. Alternate governor
Bill Torrey represented the Panthers in the TSN studio.
The 30th-place Oilers and their 48.2 percent odds got the top pick for the
second straight year after the eighth-worst Devils won the lottery with just a
3.6 percent chance.
Teams can only move up four spots, so the Devils jumped from No. 8 to No.
4. Colorado stayed at No. 2.
This will mark the fourth time in franchise history the Panthers have the
third pick. Last year they selected OHL defenseman Erik Gudbranson at
No. 3.
Florida has 10 draft picks.
"Our needs are probably more forwards than defensemen,'' GM Dale Tallon
said Monday. "It's a good-looking draft for us.''
The top-ranked centers are Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jonathan
Huberdeau.
Palm Beach Post LOADED: 04.13.2011
564672
Los Angeles Kings
Kings' Justin Williams takes his bumps and Coach Terry Murray expects
him to play
By Helene Elliott
Right wing Justin Williams, out of the Kings' lineup since he dislocated his
right shoulder March 21, had no difficulty absorbing bumps from teammate
Drew Doughty in practice Tuesday and planned to talk with Coach Terry
Murray to discuss his status for the team's playoff opener Thursday at San
Jose.
"Since contact came in I've felt fine. I battled Dewey a little bit today and felt
fine," said Williams, who must wear a restrictive harness. "I told him to play
me hard, battle me a little bit, because a lot of my game is shaking off
checks and if I'm not comfortable and can't do that, my impact goes down
drastically."
Williams and Murray said they would reach a decision before the final preseries practice Wednesday in El Segundo. If Williams plays, he would have
a top-six role.
Kings, Ducks playoff schedule
Murray said he formulated a few lineups that include Williams and expects
the skillful right wing to play.
"He's put in so much work since the injury," Murray said. "He's geared
himself mentally, right from the time he was injured, to play in the playoffs
so I do expect that. I just need to hear it."
Murray's tentative lineup also includes enforcer Kevin Westgarth.
"He might play in the early part of the series and as you move into the
deeper part of it you need to take a look at the lineup … and minutes will
diminish for that role," Murray said.
Texting battle
The series promises to feature some good physical battles. Doughty got the
verbal battles started — in a friendly way.
Doughty said he has exchanged texts with Sharks forward and longtime
friend Logan Couture, a prime rookie-of-the-year candidate after a 32-goal,
56-point debut. They grew up together in the Canadian city of London,
Ontario, and played on the same triple-A team. They also see each other
over the summer.
"But it's playoffs and there's no friends out there right now," Doughty said.
Doughty admitted to doing some chirping.
"He can chirp me too. It won't really faze me. I'm sure we'll be chirping back
and forth the whole time," Doughty said. "We're not going to be friends on
the ice. Not that I'm going to get too deep into the chirping but I'll definitely
throw a couple out there."
Sticking with Quick
Murray made it clear Tuesday he intends to ride goaltender Jonathan Quick
in this series. Asked whether he might start Jonathan Bernier at any point,
Murray was emphatically negative.
"No. Not a start, no," Murray said. "Quicker is going to be the goaltender.
He is our goaltender. He's our No. 1 guy. He was all of last year and this
year and he will start the series and play the series."
Looking at Sharks
Courtesy of colleague David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News, here is
what the Sharks' lines and defense pairs have been the last few days: Joe
Thornton-Patrick Marleau-Devin Setoguchi; Ryane Clowe-Logan CoutureDany Heatley; Torrey Mitchell-Joe Pavelski-Kyle Wellwood; Ben EagerScott Nichol-Jamal Mayers; Douglas Murray-Dan Boyle; Marc-Edouard
Vlasic-Jason Demers and Niclas Wallin-Ian White.
564673
Los Angeles Kings
Schenn’s team one loss from elimination
Posted by Rich Hammond
No doubt, many Kings fans have a close eye on the Western Hockey
League playoff series between Saskatoon and Kootenay. Why? Because
Kings top prospect Brayden Schenn plays for Saskatoon, and when the
Blades’ season ends, Schenn would be eligible to join the Kings. With its
loss to Kootenay tonight, Saskatoon is trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven
series, with Game 4 to be played tomorrow. Now, here’s the rub. From what
I understand, if Schenn joins the Kings for the playoffs, he would still burn a
year off his entry-level contract if he surpasses the nine-game mark.
Schenn appeared in eight games with the Kings at the start of this season.
If Schenn should become available in the next few days, the Kings would
face a question: is it worth burning a year of Schenn’s contract, with no
assurance that the Kings will go beyond the first round? It’s certainly an
interesting question.
In other playoff news involving prospects, the Manchester Monarchs will
open the AHL Calder Cup playoffs on Thursday with a first-round series
against the Binghamton Senators. Manchester finished with the fourth-most
points in the Eastern Conference. Kings prospect Tyler Toffoli has joined
the Monarchs.
Also in the WHL, Kings prospect Linden Vey and the Medicine Hat Tigers
— which would be a great band name, by the way — hold a 3-0 series lead
in the best-of-seven conference semifinals against Red Deer. In the Ontario
Hockey League, Maxim Kitsyn and the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors
lead 3-0 in a conference-semifinal series against Sudbury, while Robbie
Czarnik and the Plymouth Whalers trail 3-0 in a conference-semifinal series
against Owen Sound. In the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Nicolas
Deslauriers and the Gatineau Olympiques trail 2-1 in a quarterfinal series
against Drummondville, while Jean-Francois Berube and the Montreal
Juniors trail 2-1 in a quarterfinal series against Lewiston.
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564674
Los Angeles Kings
A year older…and wiser?
The Kings didn’t win last season’s first-round playoff series against
Vancouver, but they did acquire something valuable: experience. Top
players such as Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Jack
Johnson and Wayne Simmonds (and the currently injured Anze Kopitar)
were able to experience playoff NHL hockey for the first time. Now, there
should be fewer surprises the second time around, in this first-round series
against San Jose. Among the 21 players who are likely to suit up for the
King — including Justin Williams and backup goalie Jonathan Bernier —
there are five playoff rookies: Bernier, Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis, Alec
Martinez and Kevin Westgarth. Terry Murray talked about how last season’s
playoff experience might help some of his young players this time around…
MURRAY: “I think having gone through the playoffs last year is huge. You
can have meetings and talk about it, as a coach to your team, and explain
what it is you’re going to see and what you’re going to feel, but you have to
go through it. It was a great experience last year, against one of the premier
teams. You go to six games, you know how close it was. One play makes a
difference in the outcome of the game. Now you have that understanding.
It’s the same kind of scenario here today, with San Jose. They’re a team
that’s been on the cusp for the past four or five years. You’ve got to play the
game hard, play it the right way, and every play is really going to be
important.”
564675
Los Angeles Kings
Westgarth possible for Game 1?
Assuming that Justin Williams is able to return to the Kings’ lineup for Game
1, it’s only natural that Kevin Westgarth will be the healthy scratch. Right?
After all, Westgarth averaged less than three minutes of ice time in the
Kings’ final three regular-season games, and the need for an “enforcer” in
the playoffs is greatly reduced. Terry Murray, though, stopped short of
saying Westgarth would come out of the lineup, and even indicated that
Westgarth might play at the start of the series. In last season’s first-round
series against Vancouver, Raitis Ivanans played less than six minutes in
Game 1 and then didn’t make an appearance for the rest of the series. Is it
possible that the same thing could happen with Westgarth? Murray talked
about Westgarth, his development and his potential for playoff action…
MURRAY: “He’s not just that loaded gun coming off the bench. He’s
skating. He’s skating as good as I’ve ever seen him skate, and I’ve seen
him skate from the first day he ever came out of college, to Flyers
development camp. He and his brother came to that one. I remember what I
saw and what I’m seeing today. His game has improved dramatically. So I
want to give him kudos for that. He has worked very hard this year to get to
where he is right now, with the adjustment to the NHL level and the speed
and puck-handling. It’s getting better. Now, when you get into the playoffs,
is the role of the tough guy there? Maybe early. There’s always stuff
happening, when everybody wants to set the tone and tempo for a series,
so maybe early. Then, as you move on it probably becomes very limited.”
564676
Los Angeles Kings
Murray leaves no doubt on goalie plan
There was never any real question or debate about this, but Terry Murray
eliminated the possibility today when he was asked whether there was any
scenario in which backup goalie Jonathan Bernier would be scheduled for a
start in the series against San Jose. Murray said, “No,” then, after taking a
moment for possible elaboration, added another, “No.”
Jonathan Quick finished the regular season with a 2.24 goals-against
average, fourth-best among all NHL goalies who played at least 55 games
this season. Quick faced the Sharks five times this season, with a 3-2
record (including two shootout wins). He went through the entire gauntlet
against the Sharks, allowing zero, one, two, three and four goals,
respectively, in his five games this season. Bernier made one start against
San Jose, in the Kings’ 6-3 loss on Nov. 15.
564677
Los Angeles Kings
Contact for Williams, but no decision just yet
he’s feeling confident, that’s the threshold. We’re now talking about Marco
Sturm, when he was here. It was a matter of you getting over that threshold,
you making that decision as a player that you feel comfortable that you can
play your game. That’s what I’m looking for from Justin Williams.”
Question: Knowing the situation, and knowing him, do you expect him to
play?
Williams Watch `11 continued this morning, as Justin Williams participated
in another full practice and even volunteered himself for some contact in
drills with Drew Doughty. After practice, Terry Murray reiterated that
Williams’ status for Game 1 against San Jose is completely in Williams’
hands, and once again, Williams stopped short of saying he felt comfortable
enough to play, but also didn’t indicate that he intended to miss the game,
either. So, we’ll see. After practice, both Williams and Murray shared their
thoughts on Williams’ possible return, starting with Williams talking about
his upcoming meeting with Murray…
WILLIAMS: “I’ll just give him an update on myself and how I’ve been doing
the last two days. Since contact came in, I’ve felt fine. I battled Dewey a
little bit today and felt fine. So I’m basically going to talk to him about my
status. Overall, it felt better than yesterday. I hope tomorrow feels better
than today. That’s all I can say, really.”
Question: What did you tell Drew, in terms of bumping you out there?
WILLIAMS: “I just told him to play me hard, battle a little bit. Because a lot
of my game is shaking off checks. If I’m not comfortable, and I can’t do that,
my impact goes down drastically. … The trick is to not let them [opponents]
hit you.”
Question: Are you likely to make the decision by tomorrow at the latest?
WILLIAMS: “Probably, yeah. Probably. Not just me, but Terry as well.”
Question: Does the harness restrict you at all?
WILLIAMS: “The brace limits me a little bit, yeah. I mean, it has to. It
doesn’t put me in a vulnerable position. It’s not comfortable, but you have to
do what you have to do out there.”
Question: Are you looking at having surgery in the summer?
WILLIAMS: “I don’t know. I’ll probably know more at the 6-8 week mark.
You get another MRI, you do whatever you’ve got to do. But it’s probably an
option that I’m looking hard at.”
And here are Murray’s thoughts about Williams’ potential return, starting
with the response to a question about the “criteria” for Williams’ return in
Game 1…
MURRAY: “The criteria, now, is for Justin Williams to come and tell me that
he felt good in practice, comfortable with his competitive battles along the
boards and that he can play. The doctors talked to him and met with him at
the last game of the season, at the Staples Center, and he has basically
been given the green light to play. So now it’s up to him.”
Question: Is it possible that it would be a game-day decision?
MURRAY: “I’d like to know the day before. I really don’t like to leave it, in
any situation, where the player is coming in for the morning skate and (it’s).
Ì’ll let you know after that, how I’m feeling.’ I don’t think it’s fair to the team.
I think you, as a player, know how you’re doing the day before. You can
make a decision based on how practice was, how you’re feeling, how you
competed, how comfortable you are. Ì’m in, yes. I’m out, no.’ To me, that’s
the right thing to do.”
Question: Have you penciled in scenarios, what the lineup might look like
with Justin?
MURRAY: “I have. They’re there, waiting for me on the corner of the desk,
and if I need to go to it, I will. I’ll just wait and see. In fact, I’ll go and ask and
talk with him today, and see how he came through the practice.”
Question: At the start, would he fit into a top-six role right away?
MURRAY: “Absolutely. If he’s ready to go, he needs to fit right up on the top
two lines, absolutely, and play with your top-six forwards. Again, to me, it’s
a big change from where he was last year with his leg. This, he’s got the
green light. It’s 100 percent. His strength is great. He did all the testing. The
only restriction would be because of the shoulder harness that he’s
wearing. Scratching the top of your head is basically what he couldn’t do. If
MURRAY: “Yeah. He’s put in so much work since the injury. He’s been
gearing himself mentally, right from the time he was injured, to get ready to
play in the playoffs. So I do expect that, and I just need to hear it.”
564678
Minnesota Wild
Still, even hockey-mad Canucks fans craving a Stanley Cup won't believe it
until they see it. And Luongo will always have his naysayers until he
delivers in the postseason.
Canucks get what they wanted -- a shot at Blackhawks
"Nothing matters until we carry this into the playoffs," Luongo said.
by: MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune
After such an incredible regular season, the only way the playoffs will equal
success is if there's a parade up Granville Street in two months.
After humiliations in the past two playoffs and earlier this season,
Vancouver wants payback.
"The focus in here is so apparent every day when you show up to the rink,
whether it's practice, whether it's for a workout, whether it's for a morning
skate, game time," defenseman Keith Ballard said. "Guys have one thing on
their mind."
If you think only the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans were rooting for the
Wild to beat the Dallas Stars in the 1,230th and final game of the NHL's
regular season Sunday, you'd be wrong.
You can bet the Vancouver Canucks wanted another postseason crack at
the Blackhawks, too.
The Canucks' logo may be an orca, but the Blackhawks have proven to be
the Canucks' White Whale. The Canucks' Stanley Cup dreams were
destroyed in each of the past two playoffs by those meanies from Chicago.
Now the two match up again, and all in the NHL will get to see if the
powerhouse Canucks are for real.
"We feel as a group that we still have a lot to prove," Vancouver forward
Alex Burrows said before playing the Wild recently. "We lost to Chicago the
last two years in the playoffs in two disappointing series. We've gotten older
and more mature as a group, and we want to accomplish big things.
"I think the guys really worked hard this summer to have that chip on our
shoulder that we wanted to come back, play strong and prove ourselves to
everybody. Our depth at forward and on defense and in the nets has never
been this good.
"Now the goal is to make it pay off in the playoffs."
The Canucks rolled through the 82-game regular season with 117 points
and were rewarded with the first President's Trophy in franchise history.
They are arguably deeper than any team in the NHL.
Goalie Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider shared the Jennings Trophy for
lowest goals against, with Luongo tied with Montreal's Carey Price for the
NHL lead with 38 victories and near the top in save percentage and goalsagainst average. Their blue line is overstuffed with depth. Here's proof:
They were decimated by injuries on the back end this year but still reeled
off 54 victories.
One year after Henrik Sedin led the NHL in scoring, Daniel Sedin did the
same, making them the first brothers to follow one another as scoring
champs. The Sedin twins and Ryan Kesler finished first, fourth and tied for
15th, respectively, in scoring, and Daniel Sedin and Kesler tied for fourth
with 41 goals apiece.
Excluding shootout goals, the Canucks led the league with 258 goals and
gave up the fewest (180), making them the first team since the legendary
Montreal Canadiens squads of the late 1970s to lead the league in both
categories.
The Canucks barely missed becoming the first team since the 1984-85
Islanders to lead the league in power play and penalty killing percentages.
"You look around the room and you see the players we have in here. It
gives you a certain kind of confidence," defenseman Dan Hamhuis said.
"We have a real deep team."
Still, even though this version of the Blackhawks -- one that had to sneak
into the playoffs thanks to the Wild -- is a far cry from last year's Stanley
Cup-winning Blackhawks that was dismantled because of salary-cap
issues, these are still the Blackhawks.
There's just something about them.
They have shellacked Luongo (.888 save percentage), especially in the two
clinching Games 6s the past two years. Third periods have belonged to the
Blackhawks, who have outscored Vancouver 24-8. They walked into
Rogers Arena this past November and pummeled the Canucks 7-1.
"They'll be excited to knock us off after the last two years," Blackhawks
coach Joel Quenneville said.
Star Tribune LOADED: 04.13.2011
564679
Minnesota Wild
Burns playing in worlds with Wild future up in air
Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO
Brent Burns has a stressful offseason ahead of him, but it will start with
some fun in two weeks in Slovakia when he will be joined by Wild teammate
Cal Clutterbuck in the world championships for Canada.
Burns will be coached by one of his biggest supporters, Ken Hitchcock. It
was Hitchcock, who is interested in the Wild vacancy, who continually threw
Burns over the boards en route to his being named best defenseman of the
2008 tournament.
"It's another chance for me to learn more and play at a great level," Burns
said.
But Burns also knows his future in Minnesota is up in the air. Like Mikko
Koivu last July, the Wild must decide this summer if it is prepared to make a
long-term commitment to Burns.
The Wild signed Koivu to a seven-year, $47.25 million extension that begins
next season. Burns, a big thoroughbred of a defenseman, can become an
unrestricted free agent after next season, meaning the Wild plans to either
extend his contract or perhaps trade him so it doesn't risk losing him for
nothing in a year (see Marian Gaborik).
"It's nothing for me to dwell on," Burns said. "I have a year left. That'll get
taken care of either way."
Burns had a terrific first half, being selected to his first All-Star Game. The
second half didn't go as well.
"I think things can go better," Burns said. "There's a lot for me to learn. I'm
still developing in the position. I think I made great strides this year working
with Rick [Wilson, Wild assistant coach]. I learned a lot from him.
"I don't think I had a bad year by any stretch of the imagination. But it's hard
to feel good about anything right now."
Genoway signs
Chay Genoway will be taking off his Fighting Sioux sweater. The North
Dakota standout defenseman signed a one-year, two-way contract with the
Wild on Tuesday. If he plays in the NHL, the salary-cap hit is $1.2 million.
"Usually when I'm coming down to the Cities area, I'm going to play against
someone, usually it's the enemy down there, but I have so much respect for
how much the area and Minnesota love the game of hockey," said
Genoway, 24, who will graduate in May with a degree in business
management. "I'm very excited."
The 5-9 Genoway, a first team All-America and first team All-WCHA
selection this year, is the first player ever to be named a four-time AllWCHA selection. He scored 127 points in his career, ranking fourth among
defensemen all-time at UND.
He hopes to work with Wilson, a Wild assistant with a long history at UND,
next year and Houston Aeros assistant coach Darryl Sydor, a former
longtime NHL defenseman.
"Just to have a defenseman like that with years of knowledge, it'll be
amazing to pick his brain," said Genoway, who missed Sidney Crosby by a
year at Shattuck-St. Mary's but played there with Jonathan Toews and Kyle
Okposo.
Etc.
• Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher might have to accelerate the start
to his coaching search. Dallas became the fifth coaching vacancy Tuesday
when Marc Crawford was fired. That means Minnesota, Dallas, New
Jersey, Ottawa and Florida could be bumping into the same candidates.
• Now that the New Jersey Devils won Tuesday night's draft lottery, moving
up from eighth to fourth, the Wild will pick 10th in the first round of the June
24-25 draft at Xcel Energy Center. Edmonton will pick No. 1 for the second
year in a row.
564680
Minnesota Wild
Michael Russo's playoff predictions
Michael Russo
MICHAEL RUSSO'S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
Eastern Conference finals
Pittsburgh over Washington
• Sidney Crosby will be back and render payback for the Winter Classic
head shot that concussed him.
Western Conference finals
Vancouver over San Jose
• This is the Canucks' year, and let's be honest, it's never the Sharks' year.
Stanley Cup Finals
Vancouver over Pittsburgh
• I picked the Canucks to win it all, and I'm sticking to it as payback for
getting booed off the Fox Sports North set before the Wild's home opener.
564681
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild sign North Dakota's Chay Genoway
By Bruce Brothers
University of North Dakota defenseman Chay Genoway
The Minnesota Wild have signed former University of North Dakota
defenseman Chay Genoway to an entry-level contract, general manager
Chuck Fletcher announced today.
Genoway, who played at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn., before
joining the Fighting Sioux, was a four-time All- Western Collegiate Hockey
Association selection.
The 5-foot-9, 177-pounder from Morden, Manitoba, had six goals and 31
assists to help lead North Dakota into the Frozen Four at the Xcel Energy
Center.
Pioneer Press LOADED: 04.13.2011
564682
Minnesota Wild
Shooter Now: Finding Minnesota Wild coach could be rough ... or Ruff
By Charley Walters
Goalie Niklas Backstrom says too few shots, too many mistakes hurt Wild
this season
Despite numerous potential coaching choices for the Minnesota Wild, none
would seem to be a blockbuster. Don't be surprised if it takes until almost
June to name a successor to fired Todd Richards.
One intriguing name, however, is Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who has
declined a contract extension from new owner Terry Pegula.
Ruff, 51, whose team is in the playoffs, could become a free agent at
season's end. Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher is a friend of Mike
Ramsey, the former Wild assistant who played with Ruff for years with the
Sabres. Ramsey would seem certain to endorse Ruff for the Wild if asked.
Ruff, though, could cost $1.5 million a year.
Another name certain to receive consideration from Fletcher is top Montreal
Canadiens assistant Kirk Muller, 45. As a player, Muller was drafted No. 2
overall, behind Mario Lemieux, in 1984 by the New Jersey Devils. Muller,
eventually traded to Montreal, became team captain of the Canadiens. He
is an excellent communicator.
Ken Hitchcock, 59, who coached the Dallas Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup
championship, wants dearly to coach again in the NHL and seems certain
to be interviewed by Fletcher. Price tag: about $1 million annually.
Michel Therrien, 47, is a Wild scout and taskmaster who some believed was
signed by Minnesota as insurance if Richards were fired.
Word within NHL circles is that if the Washington Capitals lose in the first
round of the playoffs, coach Bruce Boudreau could be available.
Boudreau, 56, has a 152-62 record the last three seasons in Washington.
Also, if the Los Angeles Kings lose in the first round, coach Terry Murray
could be available.
Andy Murray, the former Kings and St. Louis Blues coach who still has a
home in Faribault, is viewed by some as a better top assistant than head
coach.
Richards, meanwhile, will collect almost $800,000 for the final year of his
contract next season. If he takes another NHL job, the Wild would have to
pay the difference between the two salaries.
564683
Minnesota Wild
Charley Walters: Expect Wild to to take their time finding a new coach
The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Central Scouting's final rankings for
June's NHL draft is Wayzata High School junior Mario Lucia, son of
Gophers coach Don Lucia, at No. 34. That's down four spots from his
midseason ranking.
CHARLEY WALTERS
The next Minnesotans are Holy Angels center Mike Labata and ShattuckSt. Mary's Mike Reilly at Nos. 51 and 52, respectively. No other
Minnesotans are among the top 60.
Despite numerous potential coaching choices for the Minnesota Wild, none
would seem to be a blockbuster. Don't be surprised if it takes until June for
a successor to fired Todd Richards to be named.
One intriguing name is Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, who declined a
contract extension in February.
Ruff, 51, whose team is in the playoffs, could become a free agent at
season's end. Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher is a friend of Mike
Ramsey, the former Wild assistant who played with Ruff for years with the
Sabres. Ramsey would seem certain to endorse Ruff for the Wild if asked.
Ruff, though, could cost $1.5 million a year.
Another name certain to receive consideration from Fletcher is top Montreal
Canadiens assistant Kirk Muller, 45, who as a player was the No. 2 overall
pick, behind Mario Lemieux, in the 1984 draft by the New Jersey Devils.
Muller eventually was traded to Montreal and became the Canadiens' team
captain. He is an excellent communicator.
Ken Hitchcock, 59, who coached the Dallas Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup
championship, wants dearly to coach again in the NHL and seems certain
to be interviewed by Fletcher. Price tag: about $1 million annually.
Michel Therrien, 47, is a Wild scout and taskmaster who some believed was
signed by Minnesota as insurance if Richards were fired.
Word within NHL circles is that if the Washington Capitals lose in the first
round of the playoffs, coach Bruce Boudreau could be available to the Wild.
Boudreau, 56, has a 152-62 record the past three seasons in Washington.
Also, if the Los Angeles Kings lose in the first round, coach Terry Murray
could be available, too.
Andy Murray, a former Kings and St. Louis Blues coach who still has a
home in Faribault, Minn., is viewed by some as a better top assistant than
head coach.
Richards, meanwhile, will collect almost $800,000 for the final season of his
contract next season. If he takes another NHL job, the Wild would have to
pay the difference between the two salaries.
Colton Iverson, the 6-foot-10 junior from Yankton, S.D., who left the
Gophers basketball team after the 2010-11 season and last week visited
Colorado State, received home visits last weekend from Texas AM and CalBerkeley, both of which are begging him to enroll. But Iverson seems
committed to Colorado State.
Former Gophers guard Blake Hoffarber scored 13 points in his final game
at the Portsmouth Invitational pro scouting tournament, which his team won.
Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith said Tuesday that juniors
Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III are waiting on responses from a
scouting service that will project whether they would go in the first two
rounds of June's NBA draft before they decide their future.
Mbakwe might not even be chosen in the second round, one NBA scout
said, and there's no chance of Sampson being drafted. Therefore, both are
expected to return to school for their senior seasons.
Meanwhile, Smith, whose contract runs through 2014, said he never was
interested in the Missouri and North Carolina State coaching jobs that were
recently filled. Nor, he said, was he contacted.
"I love it here," Smith said. "We can have something special here."
Smith reiterated that he's moving his charitable foundation from Kentucky to
Minnesota and that he's planning a fundraising golf tournament at Edina
Country Club in September. Some proceeds will go toward a practice
facility to be built adjacent to Williams Arena.
Smith has renderings for a new facility in his office in the Bierman Building.
Among glaring needs Timberwolves President David Kahn will address for
next season is a veteran player to provide leadership.
Although the Timberwolves have improved their three-point shooting from
34.1 percent last season to 37.6 percent this season, they have won just
two more games (17) than last season.
DON'T PRINT THAT
A formidable impediment for the Vikings trying to leave Minnesota would be
a hefty NFL relocation fee, and a little birdie says, contrary to public
perception, team ownership presently is challenged for cash.
That was the Minnesota-Duluth men's hockey team eating its Wednesday
NCAA Frozen Four pregame meal at Bennett's Chop & Railhouse in St.
Paul and, after defeating Notre Dame in Thursday's semifinals, returning
Friday for another pregame dinner.
After defeating Michigan on Saturday to win the national championship, the
Bulldogs returned to Bennett's with their NCAA trophy accompanied by
some of their distinguished alumni: Tom Kurvers, Bill Watson, Sean
Toomey, Greg Moore, John Harrington, Guy Gosselin, Alex Stalock, Sjhon
Podein, Brett Larson and Derek Plante, and signed the Wall of Fame with
former Vikings running back Ted Brown, father of UMD freshman star J.T.
Brown.
OVERHEARD
Twins center fielder Denard Span, who won't blame his team's slow start on
having to open on the road in Toronto and New York: "We faced some very
good pitching. It's still early; a lot of guys, if they go 4 for 4 tomorrow, they'll
be hitting .350."
564684
Minnesota Wild
For former Minnesota Wild coach Todd Richards, 'It's about wins and
losses'
By Bruce Brothers
Todd Richards on the bench during a pre-season game against the St.
Louis Blues at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, on
Wednesday, (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)
Todd Richards went to work Monday morning, the day after his Wild had
defeated the Dallas Stars 5-3 in the season finale. He met briefly with
general manager Chuck Fletcher, was told he was fired after two seasons
as coach, then went home and walked his dogs, Bauer and Max.
The Twin Cities native and former Gopher described Monday as the
opposite end of the spectrum from that summer day in June 2009 when he
was announced as the second coach in Wild history, following Jacques
Lemaire.
"The real, real proud moment, and the disappointing moment," Richards
said. "They're a long ways apart."
Getting through Monday was easier with the support from wife Maryann and
teenage sons Zachary and Justin.
"You know what helps, too, are the phone calls and texts and e-mails you
get from peers and friends and family that are really supporting you," he
said. "That makes it easier. I've got a great support staff here at home with
my wife and my two kids, and I've got two dogs that I've said since I got
'em, they're very therapeutic for me, going out for walks with 'em."
Richards, 44, has a year remaining on his Wild contract worth about
$800,000, but he said he couldn't see himself taking a year off. He's not
sure what will come next.
"There's emotion and thoughts. It's that initial shock," he said. "It's big news
now. Within a few days, this will subside and the waters will calm down and
your thoughts will become more clear, and then go from there."
On Tuesday,
Richards took time to field questions about the state of the Wild and what
went wrong.
Q: How did the family take it?
A: I know it's affected my kids more than myself. They're both good. There's
always with kids, when it gets a little bit turned upside down and the future's
a little bit uncertain ... some concerns there.
Q: Where do you go from here?
A: Just get away and try not to think too much about hockey. But I certainly
have to reflect back on last season and this previous season and maybe
areas I could have been better and needed to be better at. But, again,
there's not too many things that I would change or do differently.
Q: Did you lose the players at the end?
A: The way we played coming down the stretch, we lost some games. But
against Tampa, I thought we played hard. We go to Detroit, I thought we
played hard. We lost both of those games. We go to Vancouver, played I
thought a good first period, you're down 2-0, but I still thought we worked
and did some things. And I really liked our game against Dallas. So I don't
think there was any quit by the players. To me, when you lose a team, you
don't get that fight, that second effort. It's a credit to the leaders.
Q: Did the Wild have the horses to play a faster, up-tempo style?
A: (It's) not up-tempo, but it's just aggressiveness. You always want to be
better, you want to be more aggressive, you want to be faster and you want
to be bigger. Every team is trying to upgrade and get bigger and faster. I
thought at times, looking out east when we played Boston and Pittsburgh
and New Jersey, to me we played a fast game. At times, you don't play a
fast game, and maybe it comes down to the players not having the energy
to play that way, maybe the execution isn't as good so you can't play that
way. But when I look back over the season, there were some good
moments. We did some good things. A lot of credit has to go to the players.
Q: Is it a fine line between playoff teams and teams that don't make it?
A: Until you can get to the level of the Detroits. I think Pittsburgh's there
now, I think Chicago's on its way, San Jose's there, Vancouver's there —
I'm talking the elite teams, where through the draft you're building and
you've really got a good core and then you start to put pieces in around the
core. ... There's a core here, and it'll only get better over the years.
You've got a great leader and center in Mikko (Koivu). To me, you've got a
great young defenseman in Brent Burns, who I think really took a step
forward this year in his play. And then you've got the solid goaltender in Nik
(Backstrom). So the guys are there. Marty Havlat is another. You build
around those guys, and you've got a pretty good team.
Q: It seems that what was missing was a sniper, an outstanding goal
scorer.
A: Finding that finisher, that shooting mentality. You've got the passers.
You've got Butch (Pierre-Marc Bouchard), who I was really impressed with
coming down the stretch. I thought I saw a different level in his play. You've
got Marty, who's a passer. Bruno (Andrew Brunette) is a passer. Finding
those guys that can get open and they want the puck and they're good
enough to shoot it, I think Clutter has that in him. He was another player
that grew a lot this year, and I only see him getting better in that regard.
Q: Guillaume Latendresse was supposed to be one of those guys, right?
A: Without question, you take your leading scorer from the previous year
and take him out of the lineup, that's a pretty big hole. And the other thing
is, you always want to be big on the wings, and you're taking out one of
your biggest wingers, a guy that can grind it down low and go in front of the
net. So that was a big loss for the team.
Q: A year ago you said the Wild just "weren't good enough." How about this
season?
A: I don't even know the game number we were at when we went to
Nashville. I think we were sitting in the eighth spot, and they were one point
behind us, and within about a week they were like nine points ahead of us.
So we were good enough.
To me, a real critical point of season was when Mikko got hurt, because I
really felt we were playing good. I think there was a good vibe in the room
among the players. When you lose a player that really drives your team,
that's a big hole. Going to Nashville, I truly thought we were a playoff team
and really believed we were going to get in the playoffs.
Q: Losing Koivu and Clutterbuck to injuries and with Latendresse not
coming back as expected, those were all blows.
A: We had talked about the trade deadline, and really the two big
acquisitions were going to be (Marek) Zidlicky and Gui coming back into our
lineup. And unfortunately for the team, those guys just never really came
back; they weren't able to because of injuries. Zid came back a little bit; Gui
wasn't back too long. You were looking to upgrade the team and weren't
able to, due to injuries.
Q: Players and even Fletcher said you weren't totally to blame. Do you feel
like the fall guy?
A: It's the business. In this business, at this level, it's about wins and losses.
It's as simple as that. (If) you've established yourself in this league as a
winning coach, I think, you might have a little more time. But as a young
coach who's trying to establish himself, sometimes the length of time isn't
the same.
Q: You've got a salary for the next year. Will you be looking for another job?
A: I'd like to stay busy. I can't see myself sitting for a whole year. But for me
... it will always be based on what's right for the family.
Q: Was it difficult telling your wife the news?
A: The toughest was telling the kids. It wasn't hard telling my wife. We've
dealt with a lot of things throughout my playing career. You always have
issues that you deal with, with family and friends, and my wife is a rock, she
really is. She sees positives in this, and we move on. This is life.
564685
Montreal Canadiens
It’s to the point where Price’s conversations with his father and confidant
Jerry, himself a former goalie, have grown sparser as they year has gone
on.
Price ready to stand tall for Habs
He is under no illusions it will be easy in Boston (“oh yeah, I don’t doubt it,”
he said when asked if he expects the Bruins to crash his crease).
SEAN GORDON
But there is a strategy to minimize Boston’s size advantage.
“We’re definitely aware of their big bodies in front, we’ve got a plan to
combat that – I can’t tell you what it is, obviously,” he laughed.
That odd sound you heard at midday Tuesday was the collective intake of
breath from horrified Montreal Canadiens fans.
The cause for their consternation: Goaltender Carey Price massaging his
left thigh at the end of practice before dropping to the ice to stretch gingerly
and at length.
An injury? To The Franchise? Now?
“Come on, you know better than that,” a bemused Price said a few minutes
later in the Canadiens’ dressing room, “I’m fine.”
A relief then, but if the Habs are to make any kind of playoff run this year, it
will require their star netminder to be a good deal better than fine.
Price, 23, who racked up a league-high 38 regular-season wins, is 5-11 in
the NHL post-season has lost his last eight playoff starts – including a
perfunctory four-game sweep to Boston in 2008-09 – giving up an average
of more than four goals, and stopping only 86.5 per cent of opposing shots
When last he played against the Habs’ most-hated rivals in the playoffs,
Price was booed in his own rink and raised his arms Patrick Roy style in
frustration (presumably the same bunch jeered him in this past pre-season
against, yes, Boston – they have since been made to eat their taunts).
“I’ve definitely learned a lot over this past four years, I think a lot of lessons
I’ve learned I can use going into these playoffs: Stay calmer, and not let
everybody get to me,” Price said.
But in a counter-intuitive way, Boston isn’t a bad place to start the playoffs
for Price – he’s only won once in the playoffs there, but recent precedent
has shown that goaltending is seldom the key factor between these teams,
who have combined for 26 goals in their last three meetings.
“[Boston] is definitely a fun place to play, it’s going to be really wild. I’m sure
when we roll in to the Garden they may try to flip over the bus or
something,” he said.
Price has a 7-7-1 career record at the TD Banknorth Garden, whereas his
opponent and friend (and, briefly this season, sparring partner) Tim Thomas
is 6-10-3 at the Bell Centre.
They may be charter members of the NHL goaltending elite, the fact is
neither man can seem to win in the other guy’s building (this season both
have averaged more than three goals against a game and have save
percentages far below their season average).
Thomas, the prohibitive Vezina trophy favourite, hasn’t exactly set the world
on fire in the playoffs either – he is 10-8 lifetime – and spent last year’s
post-season on the bench in favour of youngster Tukka Rask.
And if Price has a 1-4 career playoff record in Boston, Thomas’s slate in
Montreal is a pedestrian 3-3. Both have given up 16 post-season goals in
the other’s rink (Price in five games, Thomas in six).
“For some peculiar reason – it’s weird, you go into one rink and things seem
to go differently. But at the same time, I’ve had a lot of really good games in
Boston too, so you never know. It’s just the way sports are, I guess,” Price
said.
It is an oft-repeated refrain, but Price is also a different goalie and different
man from 2009, several teammates point to the way he accepted his role as
back-up in last year’s playoffs as a watershed in his maturation.
And this year, his progression has been remarkable.
“Just seeing Marty [Brodeur] all those years, you could notice little things,
different movements in practice, and seeing Pricer the other day, you just
see that focus,” said centre Scott Gomez, who played with Brodeur in New
Jersey. “He’s getting everything, I blame him for the year I had because my
confidence got taken away [in practice].”
While Price is surely looking to exorcize the demons of playoffs past in the
opening game of the series, he’s also mindful of the bigger picture: The
playoffs are about seizing momentum and carrying it through the rounds.
“Hopefully we can find that early and go on a good run,” he said.
Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Montreal Canadiens
Habs' White not afraid to take it on the chin
SEAN GORDON
If the NHL playoffs were ever to spawn a beauty pageant, it would be of a
decidedly unique aesthetic - with extra judging points for beards, bruises,
cuts, and missing teeth.
The early leader in that notional competition? We submit Ryan White of the
Montreal Canadiens.
White was back in practice Tuesday after taking a puck in the mouth
Monday, sporting a lip as fat as a bicycle tire and the early sprouts of ginger
playoff whiskers.
Then there are the final remnants of the black eye and bruised forehead
won in a donnybrook with the Maple Leafs’ Mike Brown last Saturday.
“It’s been a tough week for my face,” smiled the Brandon, Man., native, “but
that’s the way it goes, it’s all part of the game.”
And the playoffs haven’t even officially started.
Though the Habs are loath to get into an alleyway confrontation with the
Boston Bruins, White is one of the few players in Montreal that can mash
and bash when the going gets flinty.
And he’ll likely see a lot of Boston's bruisers including Shawn Thornton, the
current leader in the NHL stitches standings (after a skate blade swiped
across his forehead last month).
White relishes the challenge.
“It’s the best time of the year, we have a lot of confidence . . . we’re excited
about it,” he said.
Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens: Scott Gomez can’t explain his awful season
By PAT HICKEY
MONTREAl - You don’t have to tell Scott Gomez that he had a bad year.
Other people have been doing that for him.
“Waking up in the morning and looking at the stats, I knew it was a tough
year,” said Gomez. “But I’d go out and people would ask me about the
season and they’d talk about something that was said or written. I knew it
was pretty bad but I didn’t think it was that bad.”
So how bad was this past season? All you have to know is that his seven
goals, 30 assists, 37 points and plus/minus rating of minus-15 all
represented low points in a career that dates back to the 1999-2000
season. The numbers look even worse when measured against his
$8?million salary. He was paid $1,142,857.14 for each goal or $216,216.22
for each point.
“It was a learning experience because I never went through anything like
that,” Gomez said Tuesday as the Canadiens continued their preparation
for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the
Bruins Thursday night in Boston (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, CJAD Radio-800).
Gomez said he’s at a loss to explain the sudden drop in production.
“It would be easy to say I was out of shape or injured but I can’t pinpoint it,”
he said. “You miss a lot of empty nets but this year it’s like I was Chuck
Knoblauch and I couldn’t throw to (first) base.”
Knoblauch was a major-league second baseman who was relegated to
designated-hitter duties when he was unable to make even the simplest
throw to first base.
Gomez is hoping the playoffs provide an antidote to his regular-season
woes.
“It might be a lot easier this year after the year I just had,” Gomez said
when asked about the necessity of stepping up his game for the playoffs.
“I learned right away from my first playoffs that there was a difference,” he
said. “I had a good rookie year and I thought it was pretty easy in the
league. Then Game 3 against Toronto in the second round (coach Larry
Robinson) asked me if I wanted to sit down and watch. That kinda scared
me, not playing.”
Gomez repeatedly described the playoffs as “fun.”
“When I was a young kid coming home from school, I could feel the
excitement around the playoffs,” he recalled. “The weather’s getting better.
It’s the time of year as a hockey player you gotta love it and enjoy it. The
competition gets better. I’m not saying it’s not like that in the regular season
but the playoffs, especially here, the atmosphere, everyone is so
passionate about it and it’s an honour to play in the playoffs here in
Montreal.”
Gomez said the playoffs offer an opportunity to put the regular season
behind him.
“No matter whether you have 100 points or seven goals, we all start over
even,” he said.
The one positive Gomez can take into the playoffs is the fact that his line
played a key role in the Canadiens’ 4-2 edge in the season series against
Boston, combining for 11 of Montreal’s 20 goals. Brian Gionta had five, the
injured Max Pacioretty scored four and Gomez added two.
“This is where the older guys are looked on to lead,” said Gomez. “This is
when the challenge comes. Our line has to be better than them. They won
the division for a reason. They’re solid in every aspect and we have to
match that whatever it takes.”
Price downplays his importance: The series will pit two of the best
goaltenders in the NHL against each other, but the Canadiens’ Carey Price
said he doesn’t believe it will be a goaltenders’ series.
“I think it will take a team effort from whichever team wins,” Price said, and
the regular-season statistics indicate that it might not be a defensive
struggle even if that would be the preference for Canadiens coach Jacques
Martin and his Boston counterpart, Claude Julien.
Price and Boston’s Tim Thomas each had a shutout in the regular season
but their overall numbers weren’t great. Price had a 3.46 goals against
average and an .899 save percentage in six games while Thomas faced the
Canadiens four times with a 3.22 GAA and a .907 save percentage.
The Canadiens will hold one final practice Wednesday in Brossard before
flying to Boston. Game 2 will be played Saturday night in Boston with the
series moving to Montreal for games Monday and Thursday.
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Montreal Canadiens
Of more immediate concern, and delight, to Canadiens fans is Thomas’s
tepid lifetime record against Montreal – 10-14-4 with an average of 3.04 and
a beer-league save percentage of .906.
Habs-Bruins will be battle of goalies
Conveniently overlooked is his 7-0 shutout, the 25th of his career and first
ever against the Canadiens, in the teams’ last meeting March 24.
By Dave Stubbs, Montreal Gazette April 12, 2011
In Boston, Bruins fans think little or even less of Price, winner by TKO over
Thomas in their one-swat February tussle that ended when the latter either
lost his balance or fell down laughing.
MONTREAL - Ask a dozen people for the key to the Canadiens-Bruins
series and you’ll come away with enough to confuse a locksmith:
Both netminders have made highlight-reel saves all season long. Both are
world-class thieves most nights.
Discipline. Speed. Goaltending. Intimidation. Special teams. Experience.
Coaching. Officiating. Intangibles. Stanchion padding. Anthem singers.
History. Fan base. Even mascots (Bruins’ Bear vs. Habs’ Youppi! is a worse
mismatch than Milan Lucic vs. Mike Komisarek).
Ultimately, it’s up to them to steal a game for their side.
But this series, like eight-plus decades of Canadiens-Bruins series before it,
almost surely will come down to the men in the nets.
Each game in the teams’ first postseason meeting was highlighted by the
play of Thompson, Boston’s “great little net custodian,” as he was called by
The Gazette, who time and again put “every part of his anatomy and
paraphernalia into play to pull his team out of a bad hole.”
On April 27, or earlier, Habs goalie Carey Price will shake hands with
Bruins counterpart Tim Thomas. One will be moving on, the other will be
packing up.
It should be the first time the two will have touched since their sorry excuse
for a fight in Boston on Feb. 9, part of the fiasco that was co-promoted by
the NHL, WWE, Don King and Barnum & Bailey.
At the end of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal, it’s more than likely that
Price or Thomas will in large part have defined the series, with a sleight-ofhand save or a dreadful miss.
Both men played huge roles in getting their teams to this first-round
matchup, their 33rd series in history. The rivalry goes back just a bit – the
Canadiens and Bruins first battled in the postseason in 1929 and had met
22 times before Price was born, 15 times before Thomas drew his first
breath.
(The Canadiens’ astonishing 18-series winning streak against Boston
ended the season following Price’s 1987 birth, and don’t think that fact
hasn’t been trumpeted by good-news-seeking Bruins fans in recent days.)
Playing a position where a rebound is not normally a good thing, Price and
Thomas have enjoyed tremendous rebound seasons, returning in
spectacular fashion from the goaltending graveyard.
We know in Montreal about the all-star campaign of Price, who was
heckled, not hailed, for practically a full season a year ago. (Still wearing
your Halak stop-sign T-shirt?)
For most of the past six months, Price has been floated as a candidate not
just for the Vézina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, but also the Hart, as
most valuable player.
That double hasn’t been won by a goalie since 2001-02, a trick turned by
then-Canadien José Theodore.
In Boston, they’re equally proud of Tim Thomas, the ageless – okay, he’s
37 – surgically repaired sheet of plywood who gets the job done with a
gosh-awful, fish-out-of-water style that, on the scoresheet, is a masterpiece
of grace.
Spend five minutes in conversation with Thomas talking about his rebuilt
hip, his practice of yoga or even the colour of the sky and you’ll never
dislike the guy, no matter your allegiance.
From his pedestrian days in the minor leagues to shuffling through Europe,
Thomas was trade bait as recently as last summer. There was the matter of
his $5-million cap hit, his wonky hip and the emergence of Tuukka Rask,
who was (and presumably still is) the Bruins’ goalie of the future.
Funny how things work out.
Thomas’s preposterously good season should reward him with his second
Vézina in three years. And with very dependable backup Tuukka Rask
having appeared in 29 games, Thomas arrives at the post-season without a
goalie’s curse of springtime fatigue.
He finished with a record of 35-11-9-9 and a career-high nine shutouts, one
more than Price. His save percentage of .938 established an NHL record
and his goals-against of 2.00 topped the league this season.
Eighty-two years ago, Cecil (Tiny) Thompson twice blanked the Canadiens
1-0 as the Bruins swept the 1929 three-game semifinal.
The generously proportioned Thomas will be called many names by
Canadiens fans, and Tiny won’t be among them.
That’s fine, since all’s fair in love and playoffs. Expect Boston fans to give it
back at full volume to Price, the Habs’ goaltending cowboy who, not for the
first time, will be compared to the south end of his horse.
Read more:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Habs+Bruins+will+battle+goalies/46
04827/story.html#ixzz1JOgIYriM
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Nashville Predators
Predators see best chance to advance
Written by Josh Cooper
Since they made the NHL playoffs for the first time in 2003-04, the
Predators have in many ways been a model NHL franchise.
They advanced to the postseason in six of their past seven seasons. Since
2005-06, they have amassed the sixth-highest win total in the NHL. They
also have reached the 40-win mark each of the past six seasons — one of
just four teams to do so.
But amid these accomplishments, the Predators have one glaring hole in
their resume. They have yet to win a first-round playoff series.
As they prepare to start the playoffs today against the Anaheim Ducks, the
major question continues to loom: Can the Predators finally get past the first
round?
Judging from league-wide perception the answer appears to be a cautious
yes.
"You really do need to learn how to win in the playoffs and, it's completely
different, it's kind of a mental hurdle that needs to be overcome," USA
TODAY hockey columnist Kevin Allen said. "I think they're ready for that
step now."
In playoff hockey, the cornerstones are defense, goaltending and
leadership. Nashville appears to be strong in all three categories. Add some
motivation from last year's playoff loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and the
Predators finally seem primed to make it past April.
trading Arnott. They completed this transition by giving Suter an alternate
captain's "A" as well.
"They are two terrific players and they look like the kinds of guys that can
do that kind of job, and pull a team back on track and help a team get over
the hiccups that come in a playoff series," ESPN.com NHL analyst Scott
Burnside said. "I think in theory yes, (the leadership transition) should be a
good thing. We'll find out, but in theory is should be a good thing."
The leadership group was bolstered by the February acquisition of forward
Mike Fisher. The former Senator has 75 games of playoff experience —
more than any Predator.
"You needed a guy who had been there, gotten to the finals … that's
Fisher," Allen said. "He's a guy who can play well defensively but still chip in
some big goals, that's Fisher. So he is really almost the perfect guy. He
adds to the leadership core."
Motivation
A year ago, the Predators led the Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 5 of the first
round in Chicago. The series was tied 2-2, and a victory would have put the
Predators one win away from clinching the series at home.
Then Patrick Kane scored shorthanded for the Blackhawks with 13.6
seconds left in the third period and Chicago won in overtime. Since then,
there has been talk about that series as motivation for this year.
"It took us a long time to get back from where we were with Chicago last
year," Weber said. "Hopefully that was a learning experience and hopefully
we can move forward from that."
It's tough to say whether that one series can provide enough impetus to get
Nashville into the second round. Burnside said the 1997 Detroit Red Wings
took control of their own fate after getting beaten up by the Colorado
Avalanche one earlier. The Wings won their first of four Stanley Cups over
the past 14 years that season.
"There aren't many teams around the National Hockey League that are
better suited for playoff hockey than Nashville," Allen said.
"The team said enough is enough and we're not going to be that team
anymore," Burnside said. "Maybe only in hindsight do those things come
true."
Defense, goaltending
Tennessean LOADED: 04.13.2011
The Predators boast arguably the top defensive pair in the NHL in Shea
Weber and Ryan Suter. Both are vital to Nashville's success.
In the 12 games Suter missed this season, the Predators went 4-7-1. He
finished the season with a plus-20 rating. Weber ranked 10th among
defensemen in scoring with 48 points and tied for fifth in goals with 16. Both
also can play almost half the game — Suter and Weber each averaged
more than 25 minutes per game this season.
"Not every team making the playoffs will have a shut-down pair of that
level," ESPN.com NHL analyst Pierre LeBrun said. "In fact, maybe aside
from Detroit, I don't know if anyone has one just as good in the entire
league. That's important when you have matchups, especially at home, to
be able to trot those two guys out there."
Also, the successes Weber and Suter had a year ago at the Olympics have
sunk in more. Weber won a gold medal with Canada, and Suter a silver
medal with the U.S. team. They know what it takes to win.
"The Olympic experience for both of them last year was huge, playing in a
gold medal game in front of the entire world," TSN analyst Pierre McGuire
said. "Both guys I think could really build a lot from their experience level
because of that."
Along with Suter and Weber, the Predators have one of the top goaltenders
in the NHL in Pekka Rinne. The 6-foot-5 Finn finished second in the NHL in
save percentage and third in goals against average. Many analysts have
stated that he could be a dark horse to win the Vezina Trophy as the
league's best goaltender this season. He has also garnered some Hart
Trophy fame as NHL Most Valuable Player.
"Pekka Rinne for my money should be nominated for the Vezina and maybe
even the Hart," LeBrun said. "So that's going to be a big factor for them."
Leadership
Last summer, the Predators made a bold statement when they decided to
hand Jason Arnott's captain's "C" to Weber.
Arnott had won a Stanley Cup with New Jersey and gone to a pair of finals.
But the Predators had faith in Weber, and quickly made it his team by
564690
Nashville Predators
Preds' system helps Rinne
Written by Josh Cooper
There is no distinct definition for the term "stealing a series" in NHL lingo.
Only vague descriptions classify the phrase.
"It means that the goalie is so way better than the other goalie," Predators
goaltending coach Mitch Korn said.
This could be a fundamental storyline for Nashville's first round playoff
series against Anaheim, which starts today. Judging by statistics this
season, Pekka Rinne is so way better than the Ducks' goaltenders.
But does having a thoroughbred goaltender such as Rinne always denote
playoff success? Or does having a high-powered offense and decent
goaltender mean a deeper postseason run?
The Predators obviously prefer the former.
"We don't rack up six or seven goals a night," Coach Barry Trotz said. "We
try to get around that three mark, and obviously goaltending is a big part of
not giving them four."
The formula used to be simple in the NHL. Defense and goaltending won
championships. In the 10 years before the lockout, big names dominated
the goaltending championship landscape.
Hall of Famer Patrick Roy won two with Colorado. All-time wins leader
Martin Brodeur won three with New Jersey. Two-time Hart Trophy winner
Dominik Hasek won a Stanley Cup with Detroit. Ed Belfour, who ranks third
in all-time wins, won a Stanley Cup with Dallas.
But a year ago the paradigm shifted. The Chicago Blackhawks — behind
first-year goaltender Antti Niemi — won the Stanley Cup over the
Philadelphia Flyers. His counterpart in the final: journeyman Michael
Leighton, who had never started more than 34 games in a regular season.
That led into the summer, when the Blackhawks walked away from an
arbitration ruling favoring Niemi and opted to let him become a free agent.
In the wake of Chicago's run, goaltenders were not seen as valuable
anymore.
Although Niemi was seen as just a pawn in Chicago's system, Korn saw
him differently.
"You can't fabricate saves," Korn said. "Chicago did a very good job in
limiting chances. They did all year in limiting shots. Niemi's job was to
handle what was thrown at him, no more, no less. So it appeared that
because he didn't have a big name that he wasn't important. He was."
Korn said the Olympic schedule last season played a large role in some of
the bigger goaltending names not advancing.
"It was an abnormal year," Korn said. "Many of those who were involved in
the Olympics as well, they played a significant number of games and
maybe they were out of juice. Maybe there weren't as sharp. Maybe they
ran out of luck."
The Predators opted not to re-sign probable Anaheim starter Dan Ellis a
year ago to make room for Rinne. Ray Emery, Anaheim's other possible
starter, is coming back from a degenerative hip condition. All-Star Jonas
Hiller has vertigo and probably won't play.
While Rinne played well enough to be a strong contender for the Vezina
Trophy as the league's best goaltender, the Predators monitored his
workload all season to make sure he is primed for this series and these
playoffs. He played 64 games, ninth-most amongst goaltenders.
Korn thinks that stealing a series has as much to do with preparation as it
does execution by the goaltender:
"We wanted to manage his ice so he would be ready for this moment and
not empty for this moment."
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Nashville Predators
NHL playoff preview: Predators at Ducks
Staff
PREDATORS VS. DUCKS
GAME 1
When. 9:30 p.m. today.
TV/radio. SportSouth/102.9-FM.
Season series. Predators won 3-1-0.
Duck to watch. F Corey Perry, at right, led the NHL with 50 goals in the
regular season.
Ducks injuries. G Ray Emery (lower body) and G Jonas Hiller (illness) are
doubtful.
Predators injuries. F Martin Erat (back) is probable. F Cal O'Reilly (leg) is
doubtful. F Matthew Lombardi (concussion), F Marcel Goc (shoulder) and D
Francis Bouillon (concussion) are out.
564692
Nashville Predators
Predators know Ducks' Dan Ellis well
Written by Bryan Mullen
When the Predators open the Western Conference quarterfinals against the
Ducks today in Anaheim, Calif., Nashville expects to see a familiar face
between the home team's pipes.
With Anaheim's top two goaltenders struggling with injuries, former
Predators Dan Ellis may get the call. Ellis played for the Predators from
2007-10, was a positive presence in the locker room and remains friends
with many of his former teammates.
For Ellis and Nashville, all that will be put aside when the puck drops.
"We know him, and we know he's a good goaltender," Predators forward
Steve Sullivan said. "We know how well he played for us a couple of years
ago in the playoffs against Detroit. He really gave us a chance to win every
single night. He is playoff proven. He is going to be ready to go."
Sullivan is referring to the 2007-08 first round series with the Red Wings,
which Detroit won in six games. It was Ellis' first career NHL playoff series,
and he was up for the challenge.
He stopped 39 of 41 shots in Game 4, which Nashville won 3-2. The
Predators lost the final two games of the series, but Ellis stopped a
combined 92 of 96 shots in those last two.
"He was outstanding," Predators Coach Barry Trotz recalled. "He gave us a
chance to be there, especially Game 5 when we lost in overtime. He was
outstanding in that game."
Ellis, who went 49-42-8 with the Predators, still has fond memories of Music
City.
"They gave me an opportunity to get into the National Hockey League," Ellis
told The Orange County Register. "If it wasn't for them, I might be in Europe
or having some other job. I owe a lot to them. I really enjoyed my time
there. I have nothing bad to say about the place."
Injuries: Sullivan is finally fully healthy and conditioned after dealing with a
groin injury, Trotz said.
The veteran forward, who had been out since Feb. 24, played limited
minutes in the next-to-last regular season game and sat out the finale.
Sullivan worked some on special teams on Tuesday.
"He just has to get into game mode so we tried to do that," Trotz said. "He
might play a little bit on the power play if he's in."
Forward Cal O'Reilly (broken fibula) is getting closer to game action.
"Cal is an extremely good worker," Trotz said. "I'm pretty sure he won't be in
Game 1, but at some point in the series I could see him being in."
Hairy situation: The Predators have their playoff beards in the works.
Captain Shea Weber, who started his whiskers in the regular season, has a
distinct lead over teammates.
"There are a couple of guys who are trying to catch up but they're not going
to do so well," Trotz said.
564693
New Jersey Devils
1989 Bill Guerin5th
Star Ledger LOADED: 04.13.2011
Devils win lottery; will have 4th overall pick in 2011 NHL entry draft
By Rich Chere/
The Devils will have their highest draft pick since the selected Scott
Niedermayer third overall in 1991.
It was a season to forget for the Devils, but it could be an entry draft to
remember.
The Devils today won the NHL draft lottery and moved up from the eighth
overall pick to the 4th pick. That is the maximum any team is allowed to
move up in the draft order.
"First, we'd rather not be in this position," general manager Lou Lamoriello
said. "But since we are in this position, being able to move up should make
our scouts happy tonight."
It will be the Devils' highest pick since they selected defenseman Scott
Niedemayer third overall in 1991. They acquired that pick in a trade with the
Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Tom Kurvers.
"Unfortunately," Lamoriello said with a laugh.
That will put some added pressure on the Devils to make it a good one.
"I don't know if it creates pressure. It gives us an opportunity to get a player
we couldn't have gotten," Lamoriello said.
The Edmonton Oilers will have the first overall pick for the second straight
season. They chose Taylor Hall last June.
They are followed by the (2) Colorado Avalanche, (3) Florida Panthers, (4)
Devils, (5) Islanders, (6) Ottawa Senators, (7) Atlanta Thrashers, (8)
Columbus Blue Jackets, (9) Boston Bruins (from Toronto), (10) Minnesota
Wild, (11) Colorado Avalanche (conditional pick from St. Louis), (12),
Carolina Hurricanes, (13) Calgary Flames and (14) Dallas Stars.
The Devils, who finished 23rd overall in the NHL this season, could have
gotten a pick as high as fourth or as low as ninth. They had a 3.6 percent
chance of winning the lottery, which was held in New York.
Kirk Muller and Brendan Shanahan were the Devils' highest draft picks.
Muller was taken second overall in 1984 behind Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh)
while Shanahan was selected second overall in 1987 behind Pierre
Turgeon (Buffalo).
Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Western Hockey League and
defenseman Adam Larsson of the Swedish Elite League are rated the top
2011 draft-eligible skaters from North America and Europe by the NHL
Central Scouting Bureau.
The first round of the 2011 entry draft will take place at the Xcel Energy
Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 24. Rounds 2-7 will take place June
25.
The draft drawing involved clubs that did not qualify for the Stanley up
playoffs, or the clubs that acquired the first-round drafting positions of those
non-playoff clubs.
Per NHL rules, the club selected in the drawing could not move up more
than four positions in the draft order. Thus, the only clubs with the
opportunity to receive the first overall selection were the five teams with the
lowest regular-season point totals, or the clubs that acquired an eligible
club's first-round draft pick. No club could move down more than one
position as a result of the draft drawing.
The Devils' highest draft picks:
1984 Kirk Muller 2nd
1987 Brendan Shanahan 2nd
1985 Craig Wolanin 3rd
1986 Neil Brady 3rd
1991 Scott Niedermayer 3rd
564694
New Jersey Devils
Devils win lottery; will select fourth in NHL draft
By TOM GULITTI
The 2010-11 season was not a complete loss for the Devils.
They missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995-96, but won the NHL
draft lottery Tuesday night, moving up the maximum four spots to claim the
No. 4 pick overall. It will be the Devils’ highest selection since they took
Scott Niedermayer third overall in 1991.
By finishing 23rd in the NHL’s overall standings with 81 points, the Devils
had a 3.6-percent chance of winning the lottery. Devils general manager
Lou Lamoriello said he would have preferred his team was not in the lottery,
but winning it was a positive.
The Devils have to give up one first-round pick in the next four drafts as the
penalty for the rejected Ilya Kovlachuk contact, but Lamoriello said the team
will not surrender this year’s first-rounder.
Bergen Record LOADED: 04.13.2011
564695
New Jersey Devils
Devils search for coach to replace Jacques Lemaire
By TOM GULITTI
NEWARK — If the Devils can’t have Jacques Lemaire back as head coach
next season, they want someone like him.
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello lost a one-of-a-kind when Lemaire
announced his decision to re-retire following the team’s 3-2, season-ending
win over Boston on Sunday. There are plenty of coaches that believe in the
same commitment to defense, though.
If the Devils’ players have a say, they’d like one of them.
"I think a continuity of what we’ve done would be something that would be
welcome," goaltender Martin Brodeur said. "I think a lot of the young guys
learned a lot this year and I think you need to kind of keep that going. If you
put a line in the sand and just go 90 degrees and do something else I don’t
know how effective that will be."
The Devils saw what happened when they tried to be a little more
aggressive and offensive-minded under head coach John MacLean, who
was hired after Lemaire retired following the 2009-10 season. They were 922-2 under MacLean and had trouble keeping the puck out of the net and
scoring.
The Devils still had trouble scoring at times under Lemaire, who took over
for MacLean on Dec. 23, but rose from last in the NHL in goals-against
average to ninth. Their 29-17-3 record under Lemaire got them out of last
place overall in the NHL, but wasn’t enough to overcome their terrible start
and extend their playoff streak to 14 consecutive seasons.
"[Lemaire] has done a lot of good stuff and I don’t care what people say,"
Brodeur said. "It works and people are comfortable and it gives us a chance
to win regardless of how exciting or whatever you are. It just proves it. We
tried to change and we had a hard time."
The most obvious defensive-minded coach available is Ken Hitchcock, who
won the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999 and most recently was with the
Columbus Blue Jackets. He’ll be off to coach Canada in the World
Championships later this month in Slovakia.
Though defensive-minded, Hitchcock is a great admirer of Ilya Kovalchuk.
Getting Kovalchuk onboard will be important for whoever gets the job.
Former Penguins coach Michel Therrien, a rumored candidate last summer,
also would fit the mold. If Lamoriello risks going with another rookie head
coach, Montreal Canadiens assistant — and former Devils’ captain — Kirk
Muller has learned the defensive system under Jacques Martin in Montreal
and is highly regarded as a potential NHL head coach.
As forward Patrik Elias pointed out, however, even coaches known to be
aggressive seemed to change their approach in the second half. So maybe
a coach not known for defense would adapt to the Devils’ way.
"I think we saw that a lot of the coaches started playing in the second half a
lot like us," Elias said. "A lot of the teams that we played, they played the
same way and who knows maybe the next coach that’s going to be here will
look at the way we had success and try to implement the same style of
hockey so that will be a easy transition for us."
Still, as Kovalchuk noted Sunday, it will be "tough" to replace Lemaire.
There might not be another coach out there like him.
"I think he’s a great coach," forward Dainius Zubrus said. "We had him for a
year and a half and you look at our record (77-44-10) we have to be one of
the top teams in the league. I think whatever he is doing and the way he is
preaching and the way he makes players think about hockey, that’s what
makes him a little different.
"I’ve been in the league 14, 15 years now and I haven’t seen too many guys
like that."
564696
New Jersey Devils
Devils nab No. 4 pick in lottery
By MARK EVERSON
It's been 20 years since the Devils have drafted as high as the fourth pick
they got in last night's NHL Draft lottery.
Making good on their 3.6 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick, the
Devils, originally in the No. 8 spot, won the draft lottery, but had to settle for
the No. 4 spot since teams can't move up more than four slots.
Edmonton, after finishing the season in 30th place, held the highest odds of
getting the No. 1 pick at 48.2 percent and will maintain that pick for the NHL
Draft scheduled for June 24-25 in St. Paul, Minn.
The Islanders got the No. 5 pick. Colorado and Florida, got the second and
third picks, respectively.
The Devils, haven't picked below 10th since 1991 when they grabbed Scott
Niedermayer with the third pick.
As a result, the Devils will get a chance at a blue-chip prospect. Red Deer
forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson
are regarded as the top two prospects.
Kitchener left wing Gabriel Landeskog, Drummondville center Sean
Couturier, St. John center Jonathan Huberdeau, Niagara defenseman
Dougie Hamilton are among the leading draft candidates.
New York Post LOADED: 04.13.2011
564697
New York Islanders
Islanders Erase Interim From Capuano’s Job Title
By DAVE CALDWELL
Jack Capuano was coaching a minor league team in Bridgeport, Conn., in
November when the Islanders called and asked him to stabilize their team,
which had lost its confidence, several players to injury and 10 games in a
row. He did so well as their interim coach that Tuesday, the Islanders gave
him the job for keeps.
General Manager Garth Snow did not disclose the terms of Capuano’s
contract, but he made it clear that Capuano was the ideal coach for the
Islanders, who missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fourth consecutive
season but are stocked with young, promising players.
“It was really a fun team to be around from December on,” Snow said in a
conference call Tuesday.
The Islanders (30-39-13) finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, ahead of
only Florida. Capuano, 44, guided them to a 26-29-10 record after replacing
Scott Gordon on Nov. 15. They were 25-21-8 after Dec. 13 and were 6-1-4
during one stretch last month.
Despite using six goaltenders, none for more than 26 games, and losing
more than 600 man-games to injuries, the Islanders stayed in the playoff
race until March 26. By then, it had become apparent to Snow that
Capuano deserved more than the title of interim coach.
“He took over a team that was really down in the dumps emotionally and
mentally,” Snow said, “and did an excellent job getting the best out of our
players.”
Capuano, a native of Cranston, R.I., who played in six games as a
defenseman for three N.H.L. teams, coached many current Islanders when
they were with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the club’s American Hockey
League affiliate. He posted a 133-100-8-14 record there.
Capuano replaced Gordon, another New England native who also played
briefly in the N.H.L., as the Islanders’ coach. The Islanders improved
modestly in 2009-10, Gordon’s second season as the coach, but had a 410-3 record when Snow fired him.
“I just wanted to win hockey games and get this team to the playoffs,”
Capuano said. “I’m not happy we failed to do that. The guys deserve the
credit for turning things around.”
He then said: “I feel very strongly moving forward. We got a young group of
guys in here. If we continue to make strides, there’s no way we won’t be a
playoff team.”
He said the Islanders improved because they believed in one another and
learned how to win. Capuano lightened the mood around the team and
improved communication among players and coaches. He said he did not
change his style from the minors and would not now.
Young players were called up from the minor leagues to replace many
injured players, and they contributed. Snow said Tuesday that the Islanders
were looking into why so many players — including defenseman Mark Streit
and goaltender Rick DiPietro — were hurt.
“I firmly believe we had a team that would have been in the playoffs if we
wouldn’t have sustained the injuries we had,” Snow said.
New York Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
564698
New York Islanders
Islanders to remove interim tag from Jack Capuano, 44-year-old will be
behind bench next season
By Peter Botte
Jack Capuano no longer is the interim coach of the Islanders. He officially
will be the head man behind their bench next season.
Capuano, 44, was promoted from AHL Bridgeport to take over for the rest
of the season when Scott Gordon was fired amid a 10-game losing streak
on Nov. 15. The Isles went 26-29-10 under Capuano over the final 65
games, including a 25-21-8 stretch.
"Jack took over a team that really lacked in confidence," Isles GM Garth
Snow without disclosing whether Capuano's deal extends beyond next
season. "He took over a team that was really down in the dumps
emotionally and mentally, and did an excellent job getting the best out of
our players.
"As our team started having success, it became apparent to me he was the
right fit for the organization."
The Islanders, who finished 27th in the league with 73 points in missing the
playoffs for the fourth straight year, had a 10.7% chance to win the draft
lottery Tuesday night but ultimately will pick fifth. The Devils (38-39-5) will
go fourth in the annual June draft.
That pick will be added to a young core that boasted five 20-goal scorers,
including Calder Trophy candidate Michael Grabner (34 goals), Matt
Moulson (second straight 30-goal season) and rising franchise center John
Tavares (team-high 67 points).
The Isles also were forced to use six goalies amid losing an NHL-high of
nearly 600 man-games to injuries, including No.1 defenseman Mark Streit
for the entire season.
"Not once did I really think of the future. I just wanted to win hockey games
and get this team to the playoffs. I'm not happy we failed to do that,"
Capuano said. "The guys deserve the credit for turning things around.
"But I feel very strongly moving forward. We've got a young group of guys in
here. If we continue to make strides, there's no way we won't be a playoff
team."
New York Daily News LOADED: 04.13.2011
564699
New York Islanders
Islanders give new deal to coach
By BRETT CYRGALIS
The coach the Islanders brought in as a stopgap five months ago slowly
became the solution, and yesterday the organization recognized so by
removing the "interim" tag on head coach Jack Capuano's job title and
signing him to a new contract.
As per team policy, the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, yet
general manager Garth Snow made clear his confidence in the decision.
"For me, Jack is the right coach for this team," Snow said on a conference
call. "When you watched how our team played, they played with a lot of
passion and structure and played for each other. That gives a lot of
credence to how well Jack has done."
Although Snow and the organization were publically mum on the subject of
Capuano's job security during the season, it was understood privately within
the organization for a while that this was a done deal.
"Garth and I communicated down the stretch," Capuano said about his
pending contract. "It was a situation where we didn't want to create a
distraction."
The Islanders missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season -- they
haven't won a playoff series since 1993. But there were many obstacles for
Capuano to overcome, none more daunting than the 610 man-games the
Islanders lost to injury, 136 more than the next closest team (Avalanche)
and 346 above the league average.
"Not once did I think of the future [contract] as my goal," Capuano said. "I'm
not happy we fell short of [the playoffs]. The man-games lost is no excuse.
The call-ups did an excellent job for us and gave us a chance."
Capuano was one of those call-ups himself, being promoted from the
Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport on Nov. 15 to replace the fired Scott
Gordon, who after two unsuccessful seasons started the season 4-10-3.
Under Capuano, the Islanders went 26-29-10, including a 15-12-6 mark
after the All-Star break.
"He took over a team that was down in the dumps emotionally and
mentally," Snow said. "Players gained confidence over the season, the
team started having success on the ice, and it was apparent that Jack was
the right coach for this team."
Capuano, 44, is originally from Cranston, R.I., but is a product of the
University of Maine, just like Snow. He originally joined the organization as
an assistant coach in the 2005-06 season, when Snow still was an active
goalie. Capuano spent the past four seasons coaching the AHL Sound
Tigers, who went 133-100-8-14 (W-L-OTL-SOL) under his tutelage.
"Here I know, for sure, you don't lose sight of the teaching side of it, but the
bottom line is to win hockey games and that's what we plan on doing," said
Capuano, who also is expected to retain assistant coaches Dean
Chynoweth and Scott Allen. "We got a young group of guys, and if we can
continue to make the strides in here, we can be a postseason team."
564700
New York Islanders
Capuano gets new deal to stay as Islanders coach
By BRETT CYRGALIS
The Islanders officially announced Tuesday something most in the
organization knew was coming for weeks: Jack Capuano will be retained as
head coach.
Capuano was brought up from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport on
Nov. 15 to replace fired Scott Gordon, who started the season 4-10-3. With
Capuano as interim coach, the young team went 26-29-10, including a 1512-6 mark after the All-Star break.
“We have made tremendous strides as a team this season under Jack’s
direction and I’m confident that he’s the right person to lead the Islanders
into the playoffs,” general manager Garth Snow said in a statement. “Jack’s
work ethic and familiarity with the numerous players on our roster has
eased his adjustment to the NHL and we look forward to him taking the
Islanders to the next level.”
Capuano dealt with a staggering amount of injuries with the team losing
more than 600 man-games this season, hundreds more than the next
closest team. The terms of his agreement were not disclosed, as per team
policy.
“I’m extremely excited to remain the head coach of the Islanders,” Capuano
said. “The organization has built a tremendous core of players here and I
look forward to helping the Islanders become a consistent contender for
years to come.”
The 44-year-old Cranston, R.I., native joined the organization as an
assistant coach in the 2005-06 season, when Snow was a goalie. Capuano
spent the past four seasons coaching the Sound Tigers, who went 133-1008-14.
It is expected that Capuano’s assistant coaches, Dean Chynoweth and
Scott Allen, will be retained. And if 40-year-old captain Doug Weight
decides to retire – a decision he’s planning to make in the coming weeks –
he might be brought into the coaching fold, as well. Weight spent the final
two weeks of the season sporadically behind the Islanders bench.
564701
New York Islanders
In draft lottery, Islanders get fifth pick
By KATIE STRANG
For the second straight year, the Islanders will pick fifth in the NHL draft.
In the lottery drawing in Toronto Tuesday, the Devils were picked first, but
according to the rules they could not move up more than four spots, so the
Edmonton Oilers, who finished 30th and last, get the first pick a second
straight season. Last year they took Taylor Hall.
Last June the Islanders, who finished 27th this season, selected Swiss
winger Nino Niederreiter at No. 5. Niederreiter started the season with the
Islanders and scored a goal in nine games. He was sent to the WHL
Portland Winterhawks where in 55 games he has scored 41 goals.
It was surprising that the Devils won the lottery, given their 3.6 percent
chance.
The Colorado Avalanche will pick second and the Florida Panthers will pick
third. Like the Islanders, who had a 10.7 percent chance of winning the
lottery, the Ottawa Senators also were pushed down a spot, from fifth to
sixth.
"For us, regardless of where we pick, we're going to get an excellent
player," assistant to general manager Garth Snow Kerry Gwydir said while
in Toronto for the televised broadcast. According to a team spokesperson,
Snow was unable to attend because of contract details that needed to be
completed for recently re-signed head coach Jack Capuano.
Although the lack of lottery luck was a disappointing bookend to a
disappointing season, this year's draft is considered to be deeper in firstround talent, unlike previous years when there was a clear-cut favorite for
the top pick -- Hall (2010), John Tavares (2009) and Steven Stamkos
(2008).
The consensus top three players heading into this summer's draft are Red
Deer Rebels center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the WHL, Swedish
defenseman Adam Larsson and winger Gabriel Landeskog of the OHL's
Kitchener Rangers.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564702
New York Islanders
Isles give Capuano new deal as coach
By KATIE STRANG
RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS Center, Red Deer (WHL). 69 GP, 10 draft
prospects for the Islanders MIKE DUNHAM, 2006-07 19 games played 410-3 OTL The Islanders' 35 goalies since Billy Smith
Jack Capuano will be back behind the bench next season after signing a
deal to coach the Islanders.
The 44-year-old from Cranston, R.I., was named interim head coach after
replacing Scott Gordon on Nov. 15, 2010, but the temporary tag is now
gone.
Although his appointment was originally met with skepticism -- he took over
without any NHL head-coaching experience -- Capuano established himself
as the front-runner for the job with an impressive second half of the season.
"[Capuano] took over a team that was down in the dumps mentally and
emotionally and did an excellent job getting the best out of them from
December on," GM Garth Snow said in a conference call yesterday.
Snow sidestepped questions about Capuano's contract and would not
reveal whether it is a multiyear deal.
"Our policy is not to disclose the terms of the contract or anything of that
regard," Snow said.
The Islanders finished three games under .500 with Capuano (26-29-10)
but were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference after Dec. 15.
"We talked at the All-Star break about how we wanted to finish the season
and we started to play a certain way," Capuano said.
Capuano's passionate and positive coaching style quickly resonated with
those inside the room. Players embraced his simple, structured system and
liked that they were encouraged to be creative and use their hockey
instincts.
The way the team responded made Capuano a virtual lock on the head
coaching position. Although the Islanders wanted to wait until season's end
to make his job official, Capuano was aware of their support.
"[Snow] and I communicated down the stretch but we didn't want to create a
distraction in the room," Capuano said.
Assistant coaches Dean Chynoweth and Scott Allen are both expected to
return; the Islanders are also considering bringing Doug Weight into
coaching if he retires.
Although Weight seems to be more interested in a management role with
the team -- the Islanders still have a vacant assistant GM position after
Ryan Jankowski's departure in September -- the 40-year-old veteran
assisted the team's coaching staff behind the bench for four games at the
end of the season.
Capuano, who joined the Islanders as an assistant coach in 2005-06, said
the expectations are different in the NHL than the four-plus seasons he
served as coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate, but
anything less than the playoffs next season would be viewed as a
disappointment.
"The bottom line is to win hockey games," Capuano said, "and that's what
we plan on doing."
564703
New York Rangers
Ovechkin Scores Less, but Capitals Aspire to More
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
But the Capitals — who since 1999 have won only one of seven playoff
series — and Ovechkin persevered. They finished with 107 points, down
from 121 last season, but still wound up No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.
Their goal production dropped from last season’s league-leading 3.82 to
2.67 a game, 19th in the league.
But they improved their goals against average to 2.33 (4th) from 2.77
(16th).
Ovechkin’s numbers reflected that shift to more responsible defense.
ARLINGTON, Va. — It seems an odd thing to ask whether Alex Ovechkin is
mentally ready for the playoffs, but that question was put to Washington
Coach Bruce Boudreau on Tuesday on the eve of the Capitals-Rangers
first-round series.
“Every player in the world likes to score goals, but we’ve gone through that,”
Boudreau said Tuesday, adding that the Capitals’ “best players have won
all kind of awards and accolades and everything else; the one thing they
haven’t won is the big one.”
“He’s playing hungrier,” Boudreau told reporters at the Capitals’ practice
rink. “He’s got that look in his eyes. When he’s got that look, it’s good for
us.”
Mike Knuble, at 38 the oldest Capital, was with Detroit in the 1990s when
Steve Yzerman completed his transformation from a scoring machine into a
two-way leader who won Stanley Cups. He says he sees a similar change
in Ovechkin.
Ovechkin is ready, and chances are he will still sometimes dazzle in that
runaway-locomotive way of his, as he has since joining the Capitals from
Dynamo Moscow in 2005. And perhaps he will pull the kind of pranks he did
in the playoff series against the Rangers two years ago, when he sat in full
gear on the Capitals’ bench at Madison Square Garden to watch their
morning skate. (He was asked to leave, he said jokingly, because the
Rangers “are afraid of me.”)
But dazzling people and joking around are no longer what Ovechkin is
about, and that has given rise to the questions about his reduced
production. But Ovechkin is a changed player. He has learned through
experience that championships are won with defense.
“Yeah, you see the stats,” Ovechkin said Tuesday. “Regular year and
playoffs are two different seasons, so right now it is a new season started.”
Ovechkin has put up the lowest scoring totals of his N.H.L. career: 32 goals
and 53 assists in 79 games. That was still good enough to make him No. 7
in the league in total points, but it was also a far cry from the numbers that
won him a point-scoring trophy, two goal-scoring trophies and two
consecutive Most Valuable Player awards.
In a year in which Sidney Crosby, his friendly rival for the title of hockey’s
biggest star, missed half the season with a concussion, Ovechkin did not
ramp up his scoring to claim the crown. Instead, through slumps and
frustrations, he stuck to Boudreau’s plan of transforming the Capitals into a
better defensive team.
“If it is good for the team I will do it,” Ovechkin said. “If Bruce tells me to do
this, I’m going to do it.”
What changed Ovechkin was his annus horribilis, 2009-10. That was when
Russia was eliminated by Canada in the quarterfinals of the Vancouver
Olympics, when the Capitals blew a three-games-to-one lead and were
eliminated by Montreal in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs,
and when Russia’s bid for a gold medal at the world championship was
thwarted in the tournament final by the Czech Republic.
Still, Ovechkin kept scoring at his usual rate — 50 goals in 72 N.H.L.
games, and 7 goals in 13 Olympic and world championship games.
He remained the biggest star in Washington sports, as well as the biggest
star in Russian sports — so much so that President Obama name-checked
Ovechkin in a Moscow speech. “We’re very pleased to have him in
Washington, D.C.,” he said.
But there was little to show for all the personal laurels, and when Ovechkin
returned from his family dacha outside Moscow last summer, he was
already talking about what was missing.
“First of all, we have to improve our mentality,” he said then. “You have to
play good defensively if you want to win.”
Stung by the Montreal ouster, Boudreau set about transforming his run-andgun flying circus into a more diligent defensive team. It was difficult, and
much of it, including an eight-game losing streak, took place before HBO
cameras during its “24/7” series.
Ovechkin, like his teammates, seemed sullen for much of the series, and at
one point, when the Rangers crushed the Capitals by 7-0 at the Garden,
Ovechkin got so upset that he started a fight with Brandon Dubinsky — the
first of his N.H.L. career.
“I’ve been around a while, and I can see Alex is older and wiser,” Knuble
said. “I think when you get all the other hardware, you want to go for the
piece that’s missing.”
Ovechkin is not saying much about the Rangers series. In 2009, he spoke
with his shot totals: 49 in seven games, almost a quarter of the shots the
Capitals took on Henrik Lundqvist, as Washington rallied from a 3-1 deficit
to advance to the second round.
In 2011, will he and the Capitals let their defense do the talking?
“It has been hard for us, but I think everybody’s ready and everybody can’t
wait,” Ovechkin said. “We want to keep going.”
A moment later, he cut off questions and strode away. Alex Ovechkin had
to get back to business.
564704
New York Rangers
Capitals, in Familiar Spot, Look for Different Result
By CHRIS GORDON
ARLINGTON, Va. — Nobody has to tell the Washington Capitals that the
Rangers mean trouble. New York won three of the four regular-season
games against the Capitals. Two of those were Washington’s worst defeats
of the year, including a 7-0 shutout on Dec. 12. When clubs last met on
Feb. 25 the Rangers outscored the Caps, 6-0.
The Capitals, however, insist that they are not the same squad that they
were at the start of the season. Speaking after their practice at the Kettler
Capitals Iceplex on Monday, Capitals players cited three reasons why they
expect to do well against the Rangers in the upcoming series beginning
Wednesday in Washington.
First, spurred by their tribulations during the first part of the season,
Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau altered Washington’s playing style. The
Caps have gone from a run-and-gun offensive powerhouse to a defense
first squad that is now fourth in the league in goals against.
Second, General Manager George McPhee took some important steps to
add experience to the Capitals’ young locker room, picking up the veterans
Marco Sturm and Jason Arnott, who has played in nine Stanley Cup
playoffs.
“I think it changed the dynamic in the room with a little bit more veteran
presence,” John Carlson, a rookie defenseman, said. “I think that that’s
translated on the ice and everyone seems to be buckling down and playing
the right style of hockey.”
Lastly, there is the bitter memory of last year’s collapse. Having won the
Presidents’ Trophy in 2010 only to falter in the first round of playoffs against
Montreal, the Capitals have a lot to prove. That’s a point they have drilled
home this season, wearing T-shirts bearing the slogan “Stay Angry” during
training camp.
“It seems like it was just yesterday,” left wing Jason Chimera said. “If we
could use that as a motivating factor that’d be great. Sometimes losing like
that gets guys a little more excited.”
On paper, the Capitals are one of the N.H.L.’s elite teams. For the second
year in a row they are the top seed in the Eastern Conference while the
Rangers barely squeaked into the playoffs. But as the Capitals see it the
two teams match up pretty evenly.
“None of that means anything, what we did,” Boudreau said. “Wednesday is
what means something. And both teams will be ready.”
Though the Capitals play well in their own zone, so do the Rangers. New
York is fourth in the league in blocked shots while boasting the League’s
highest hits total, something that will certainly make it a tough task for
Washington and their highly skilled forwards Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas
Backstrom and Alexander Semin.
“They are noted for it and they do a great job of it,” Boudreau said of the
Rangers’ shot blocking. “It’s just the way they play. We understand what we
do as they understand what we do. You get that chance you just got to get
it by them. It’s your job to get it by them.”
“We’re very similar both offensively and defensively,” he continued. “That’s
what’s going to make it really interesting I think. The intangibles that we
don’t know about are going to make the difference.”
One spot where the two teams do differ is at goaltender. The Rangers’
Henrik Lundqvist is having a banner year while the Capitals will most likely
rely on 23-year-old rookie Michal Neuvirth, at least at the start of the series.
After getting almost single handily defeated by Canadiens’ Jaroslav Halak
in last season’s Eastern quarterfinals, a hot and experienced goalie like
Lundqvist is one of the last things Washington would like to face.
Ovechkin, who struggled early on in the season before picking up his play
of late, asserts that both himself and the team must wipe the slate clean.
“It’s the playoffs,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how you play in the regular
year, playoffs is all about one game, one little moment. … Right now it’s
time to show your best hockey of the year.”
The Capitals insisted they would not be intimidated by their earlier
drubbings at the hand of the Rangers.
“There’s no hiding from the fact they beat us a couple times pretty good this
year,” said the veteran winger Mike Knuble, who signed a one-year contract
extension with Washington Monday morning. “That was a long time ago.
We’re looking forward to the chance coming Wednesday and getting our
playoff run going. Doesn’t matter who it’s against.”
Arnott added: “It doesn’t matter who we play. Every team is competitive.
Every team has a chance to win in the playoffs. They’re a hard working
team. Lot of talent and a phenomenal goaltender. You know, it’s going to be
a tough test. They’re a great hockey team and they come to play every
night. It’ll be a good one.”
Ovechkin, the team’s captain, was confident. “We can’t wait for it to start,”
he said. “We want the cup.”
And while the Capitals’ postseason play in recent years has been
problematic they see one bright spot. In the three years under Boudreau the
Caps managed to win only one postseason series. The victory — a sevengame affair — was over the Rangers in 2009.
564705
New York Rangers
Drury to Rangers kids: Seize playoff moment
By LARRY BROOKS
WASHINGTON -- Chris Drury has been around a long time, 130 playoff
games' worth, which is 129 more than Rangers teammates Artem Anisimov,
Derek Stepan, Michael Sauer, Ryan McDonagh, Brian Boyle, Brandon
Prust, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Gilroy and Chad Johnson have combined.
And so this is the captain's message to his teammates as the Rangers
enter Game 1 of their 1-vs.-8 first-round matchup against the Capitals
tonight:
"Whether you're a young guy or a veteran, whether this is your first time in
the playoffs or have been through this before, you can never take it for
granted," the captain told The Post following yesterday's practice back
home.
"My first two years in the league in Colorado, we lost to Dallas in the
seventh game of the conference finals both times. The next year we won
the Cup, and I remember thinking that this must be the way it is. But it isn't,
and you learn that pretty quickly.
"I'll never forget Adam Foote telling me the first week of my rookie season
that by the time you blink, you're already 30, so not to take anything for
granted for even a second," Drury said. "That couldn't be more true; it goes
by so fast.
"That's what I've tried to tell our younger guys, that they should enjoy this
and embrace this opportunity."
The opportunity, of course, is to win the Stanley Cup, even if the immediate
focus is far narrower. It's one shift at a time, one period at a time, one game
at a time until someone wins four.
"You dream about going on a great run and winning the Cup, of course, but
I just mentally prepare myself for the first game, and that's it," said Henrik
Lundqvist, who stole all three Rangers victories against the Capitals in the
2009 first-round series that his team led 3-1 before losing in seven. "I try to
stay as calm and in the moment as I can, because I don't need to be more
pumped up than I normally am for a game.
"I'm always nervous. I'm always anxious. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I
have a lot of emotions. I don't like to anticipate too much about how the
other team is going to try to attack against me. I don't go that deep into it,
because if I do, I usually expect the worst, kind of like Saturday night when I
was watching Tampa-Carolina.
"I try to just be at the top of my game."
Two years ago, Drury missed the first game of the series with a broken right
wrist he suffered blocking a shot -- what else? -- in Game 81 of the regular
season. He played the remaining six games essentially with one arm and
limited effectiveness, even if he somehow did get the winning goal in Game
4.
"That was pretty frustrating, dressing and knowing there wasn't much I was
going to be able to do," said Drury, who returned for Saturday's regularseason finale against the Devils after missing two months rehabbing from
left knee surgery. "And then last year not making it on the final day, and the
injury this year that kept me out, so I'm looking forward to this chance.
"You never know in this league when you're going to get another chance
and you never know if it's going to be your last chance. I think that's the way
to approach it."
564706
New York Rangers
Rangers vs. Capitals series schedule
Brooks on POST STAFF REPORT
More Here are the dates and times for the Rangers' opening-round NHL
Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Capitals.
Wednesday, April 13: Rangers at Capitals, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 15: Rangers at Capitals, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 17: Capitals at Rangers, 3 p.m.
Wednesday, April 20: Capitals at Rangers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 23: Rangers at Capitals, TBD
Monday, April 25: Capitals at Rangers, TBD
Wednesday, April 27: Rangers at Capitals, TBD
564707
New York Rangers
Goalie says he's match for Henrik
By MARK EVERSON
WASHINGTON -- It's their one soft spot, but as the Capitals open the
playoffs against the Rangers tonight, they are most vulnerable in the most
important place.
Rookie goalies do win Stanley Cups, especially lately. Antti Niemi last year
for the Blackhawks, Cam Ward, Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden are the
examples. Loaded up front and on defense, the Capitals will hitch their
hopes to 23-year-old Michal Neuvirth to avoid a second straight first-round
flop as the Eastern Conference top seeds.
Henrik Lundqvist likely will have to be the Great Leveller if the Rangers are
to win their third playoff series since 1997. Neuvirth cannot let goaltending
be the difference.
"I think I can outplay anyone, with this team," Neuvirth said.
Neuvirth is getting the nod over Semyon Varlamov after going 27-12-4 with
four shutouts in 48 regular-season appearances. Varlamov had the better
goals-against average, 2.23 to 2.45, but played just 27 games, going 11-95.
"It's a lot about goaltending in the playoffs," Neuvirth said. "[Lundqvist] may
be the best goalie in the league, but I think our shooters are better than
theirs."
Neuvirth went 9-4 in 17 appearances last season and 2-1 in five in 2008-09.
He won back-to-back Calder Trophies as AHL champions with Hershey, the
first goalie since Pete Peeters with Maine in 1978 and 1979 to do so, and
received the Jack Butterfield Trophy as AHL Playoff MVP in 2009.
"I don't think it's going to be too much different," Neuvirth said. "Obviously,
the NHL is the NHL, but down in Hershey, there was a lot of pressure on us
because everybody expected us to win."
The Rangers may quibble with that sentiment and try to show Neuvirth how
it is different. They're likely to guffaw at his belief that he "can outplay
anyone, with this team."
"He hasn't been through this, but he's been through championship series,"
Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's ready. I don't have to say
anything to him. In fact, I haven't said anything to him for fear of getting him
wound up."
Neuvirth said he's not edgy.
"I'm not nervous at all -- pretty excited," Neuvirth said. "I've been waiting for
this game all season long. I think, down in Hershey, I've proved that I can
play tough games under pressure in the playoffs. I'm pretty confident."
Capitals teammate Mike Knuble offered his opinion.
"I don't think anyone wins without a great goalie. If not great, he's got to
play great," Knuble said. "Like Chicago [with Niemi] last year, an unknown
comes through and you have the chance to become a great goalie.
"This is one goalie who's established against one up-and-coming goalie
with a chance to be great. Just that one's sexier than the other."
Defenseman Mike Green pronounced himself ready to go after missing
much of the past three months with a concussion, suffered on a hit from
Ranger Derek Stepan.
The Capitals are likely to use lines of Alexander Ovechkin-Nicklas
Backstrom-Knuble, Alexander Semin-Jason Arnott-Marco Sturm, Brooks
Laich-Marcus Johansson-Jason Chimera and Matt Hendricks-Boyd
Gordon-Matt Bradley. The defense pairs are likely Scott Hannan or Jeff
Schultz with Green or John Erskine and Sean Collins with John Carlson.
Dennis Wideman was released from the hospital yesterday after two weeks
with a hematoma.
564708
New York Rangers
Ovechkin resets postseason goals
By MARK EVERSON
WASHINGTON -- Twinkle, twinkle, superstar. Capitals coach Bruce
Boudreau says he sees determination in Alexander Ovechkin.
"He has that look in his eye," Boudreau said. "When he has that look, it's
good for us."
After seasons of 50, 56, 65, 46 and 52 goals, Ovechkin dropped to 32 in 79
games this season. Some believe he has paced himself to be fresh for the
playoffs, even though he has brilliant ledger of 20 goals in 28 career playoff
games.
"He's playing hungrier," Boudreau said.
Boudreau, who scored one of only four goals the Maple Leafs managed in
being swept 3-0 in the opening round of the 1981 playoffs by the eventual
champion Islanders, said his first-round floppers last year were
overconfident after a 121-point Presidents' Trophy season.
"Everything had come so easy," Boudreau said. "We weren't pushed.
Saying that, though, [this year] we're playing a team that kicked our butts
three times this season. It's not like we're coming into a cakewalk."
564709
New York Rangers
What If Sports predicts Rangers over Capitals
POST STAFF REPORT
WhatIfSports.com predicts a seven-game playoff win for the Rangers
followed by a seven-game loss.
The sports-prediction website says the eighth-seeded Rangers have a 60
percent chance to upset the top-seeded Capitals in the first round and
forecasts a seven-game victory.
It has the Flyers defeating the Rangers in seven games in the second
round, giving the Blueshirts a 19 percent chance at a second straight upset.
WhatIfSports says the Vancouver Canucks will win their first Stanley Cup
with a seven-game Final victory over the Boston Bruins.
The Rangers have a 1.19 percent chance to win the Stanley Cup.
564710
New York Rangers
Capitals goalie says he can 'outplay' Rangers' Lundqvist
By MARK EVERSON
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Kids. They'll say the darnedest things.
Capitals rookie goalie Michal Neuvirth was talking about his opposite
number, Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, as he prepared to start his first
Stanley Cup playoff game Wednesday in Washington.
"I think I can outplay anyone with this team," the 23-year-old said Tuesday.
Neuvirth received the nod over Semyon Varlamov after going 27-12-4 in 48
appearances with four shutouts this season.
Varlamov had a better goals-against, 2.23 to 2.45, in 27 games (11-9-5).
"It's a lot about goaltending in the playoffs," Neuvirth said. "[Lundqvist] may
be the best goalie in the league, but I think our shooters are better than
theirs."
Neuvirth went 9-4 in 17 appearances last season and 2-1 in five in 2008-09.
He won back-to-back Calder Trophies as AHL champs with Hershey, the
first goalie since Pete Peeters with Maine in 1978 and 1979 to do so, and
received the Jack Butterfield Trophy as AHL Playoff MVP in 2009.
"He hasn't been through this, but he's been through championship series,"
Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's ready."
564711
New York Rangers
Rangers must be at their best against Capitals
By ANDREW GROSS
GREENBURGH, N.Y. – There are some uncertainties for the Rangers as
they face the Capitals tonight in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference
quarterfinal, with four rookies on the roster and eight players without NHL
playoff experience.
Goalie Henrik Lundqvist, though, is considered a sure thing by his
teammates.
"Having him in the net, all it does is give us one less thing to think about,"
defenseman Marc Staal said after Tuesday's practice. "We know he's going
to be there."
The same can't be said about right wing Marian Gaborik, considered the
Rangers' other elite player.
But contributions from both are crucial for the eighth-seeded Rangers to
gain an edge against the top-seeded Capitals.
"Obviously, you put pressure on yourself," Gaborik said. "This is pressure.
I've done that for much of my career, put pressure on myself to help the
team to win. This playoff is a new season for everyone and myself as well.
I'll be ready."
Gaborik's 22 goals this season were third on the Rangers and came in 62
games after he missed 12 games from Oct. 18-Nov. 9 with a separated left
shoulder. But that's 20 fewer goals than he scored in his first season with
the Rangers and 10 of this season's 22 goals came in three games against
the Oilers, Islanders and Maple Leafs.
Still, Gaborik will start the series on a top line with veteran left wing Vinny
Prospal and second-year center Artem Anisimov.
"You need to have a short-term memory and move on," coach John
Tortorella said. "You're not defined by regular-season play as a player.
You're defined as far as what you do in crucial situations and that's playoff
hockey. I know Gabby's willing to grab ahold of this. It has been a struggle
for him, there's no hiding that."
Gaborik has 12 goals and 10 assists in 29 career playoff games with the
Wild but was held to one assist in six games in 2008, his last postseason
action.
Lundqvist is 14-16-0 with a 2.66 goals-against average in 30 NHL
postseason games, leading the Rangers into the second round in 2007 and
'08 and lifting Sweden to Olympic gold in 2006.
Although Lundqvist's playoff numbers aren't stellar, they are hindered by his
0-3-0 mark and 4.41 GAA from the 2006 playoff sweep at the hands of the
Devils, when he played hurt.
"It is more intense," Lundqvist said of postseason play. "You can feel it get
closer and closer to the end. There's way more urgency to the game.
There's probably more emotions, more exciting moments."
Lundqvist backstopped the Rangers to a 3-1 playoff series lead over the
Capitals in 2009 before Washington rallied and won Game 7, 2-1.
"He's a great goalie," said Capitals right Mike Knuble, who'll start on their
top line with Nicklas Backstrom and left wing Alex Ovechkin. "We have to
keep putting pucks on net, keep shooting, create traffic, be around the net
for rebounds. It sounds easy but it's hard work."
Lundqvist started the final 26 games of the regular season and set a career
high with 11 shutouts, including two against the Capitals, as he went 36-275 with a 2.28 GAA.
Gaborik finished the regular season without a goal in his last nine games.
The Rangers need their best players to be in peak form.
And their best players need help from the rest of the lineup.
"I think it's a combination of both," said left wing Ruslan Fedotenko, who
has won two Stanley Cups, including one for the Tortorella-coached
Lightning in 2004. "For two months of playing hockey, you need everybody.
It's not just the top players and a lot of passengers. But it's not just the
depth guys and the top players playing not so well."
564712
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Derek Stepan relieved
Andrew Gross
Stepan relieved
Rangers rookie center Derek Stepan welcomed the news that defenseman
Mike Green would likely be back in the Capitals’ lineup for Game 1.
Green missed the final 20 games of the regular season after suffering a
concussion when Stepan elbowed him during the Rangers’ 6-0 win at
Washington on Feb. 25. Stepan was fined, but not suspended, by the NHL
for the hit.
"I’m glad he made a recovery and will be able to play," Stepan said.
"Obviously, I didn’t mean to hurt him. It’s good they’ll have him back. He’s a
big part of the team."
Green declared himself ready to play Game 1 after the Capitals practiced in
Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, even if coach Bruce Boudreau sounded
cautious.
"It’s been frustrating sitting out this long," Green said. "I’ve been ready for a
while."
Meanwhile, Stepan was not surprised left wing Chris Kreider, the Rangers’
first-round pick in 2009 and his Team USA teammate for the World Junior
Championships (2010), had opted to return to Boston College for his junior
season.
"He’s one guy who wants to finish everything," Stepan said. "He’s not in a
rush."
Tougher opponent
Right wing Marian Gaborik believes this about the Capitals:
"I don’t think they wanted to play us," Gaborik said. "They would have rather
had Carolina."
The Capitals were 1-2-1 against the Rangers, including 7-0 and 6-0 loses,
while they went 5-0-2 against Carolina. The Rangers had a plus-35 goal
differential while the Hurricanes were minus-3.
On his own
Enforcer Derek Boogaard, who suffered a concussion against the Senators
on Dec. 9 and missed the rest of the season, will continue his conditioning
program at his off-season home in Minnesota. Boogaard had been skating
at the Rangers’ practice facility but was not going to return for the playoffs.
564713
New York Rangers
Capitals turn defensive
By TOM GULITTI
ALRINGTON, Va. – Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals believe
they have changed for the better.
They'll start to find out for sure when they face the Rangers tonight in Game
1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at Verizon Center.
"I think it is time to show our best," Ovechkin said Tuesday. "Right now it is
a mature team. We have the experience from the past couple of years. It
has been hard for us, but I think everybody is ready and everybody can't
wait. We want to keep going."
The last three seasons have not brought positive playoff experiences for the
Capitals. They failed to get out of the first round two of the three years and
were eliminated by rival Pittsburgh in the second round in 2009.
A year ago, the Capitals led league in points with 121 and goals with 318
and entered their first-round playoff series against Montreal as the favorites
to win the Stanley Cup. The Capitals jumped out to a 3-1 series lead before
dropping the last three games – scoring one goal in each – and going home
for the summer disappointed again.
That caused head coach Bruce Boudreau to change his approach this
season. He reined in the Caps' high-powered attack to get them used to
playing the tight-checking defensive style that wins in the playoffs.
There were some growing pains along the way, including an eight-game
losing streak in December. Gradually, though, the Capitals adapted and
finished the season strong, going 16-3-1 in their last 20 games to again
claim the top seed in the East with 107 points.
Although they scored nearly 100 fewer goals, they allowed 35 fewer.
"Every player in the world likes to score goals, but we've gone through that,"
Boudreau said. "The best players have scored. The best players on our
team have won all kinds of awards and accolades and everything else. The
one thing they haven't won is the big one."
That was why Ovechkin, 25, willingly accepted the change, though his
personal stats took a hit.
"If it is good for the team I will do it," Ovechkin said. "If Bruce tells me to do
this, I'm going to do it. He's my coach and I'm going to listen to him no
matter what."
After putting up 50 goals and 109 points last season, Ovechkin had 30
goals and 85 points this season, but surged at the end, putting up 13 goals
and 34 points in his last 27 games.
"He's playing hungrier and he's got that look in his eyes, so when he has
that look that's a good look for us," Boudreau said.
564714
New York Rangers
Rangers keys to Game 1
Andrew Gross
Poise: The Rangers have eight players on their roster without NHL playoff
experience and that also goes for Capitals G Michal Neuvirth, 23.
Neutral zone: Even if the Capitals have a new commitment to defense,
they’re potent offensively, and Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex
Semin, et. al. can’t be allowed to skate freely through center ice.
Special teams: The Rangers’ power play finished the regular season in a 1for-27 slump while the Capitals’ penalty kill ranked second in the NHL.
564715
New York Rangers
Capitals’ Mike Green: I’m ready to play
ANDREW GROSS
The Capitals finally may have Mike Green back in the lineup for Game 1 of
their first-round series after a concussion suffered when he was elbowed by
Rangers’ rookie Derek Stepan caused him to miss the final 20 regularseason games
The sharpshooting defenseman, who has 244 points in 366 NHL games,
participated fully, including contact drills, during the team’s practice Monday
in Arlington, Va.
Afterward, coach Bruce Boudreau told the media that Green was ready to
play in the series’ opener Wednesday night at Verizon Center.
Green, 25, who had eight goals and 16 assists in 49 games this season
after surpassing 70 points in each of the previous two seasons, also told the
media he felt good enough to play.
The Capitals had nine defensemen participate in practice.
564716
New York Rangers
Rangers: Bring on the Caps
By ANDREW GROSS
GREENBURGH, N.Y. – The odds are against the Rangers in their firstround series against the Capitals, as an eighth seed has beaten the top
seed only nine times in 32 tries since 1994.
But that 28.1 percent success rate means little to the Rangers, who were
happy Saturday to earn the Eastern Conference's final spot with their win
over the Devils and the Hurricanes' loss to the Lightning but are no longer
just happy to be in the playoffs.
"This is a brand new season," right wing Brandon Prust said after Monday's
practice. "It doesn't matter what place we finished in or who we're playing.
We're not just satisfied with getting in. We want to make a move. The
Stanley Cup isn't far off in our minds. It'll be a lot of work but it's attainable."
Games 1 and 2 are at Verizon Center on Wednesday and Friday, with the
teams returning to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Sunday
afternoon.
"We're tied for first right now as far as I'm concerned," left wing Brandon
Dubinsky said. "It's a new season, a fresh start. Going in, I know it doesn't
happen often, an eight beating a one. But I think we're better than that.
We've certainly played better in the big games."
The Rangers compiled a 21-16-3 record against the NHL's other playoff
teams, including back-to-back wins over the Bruins and Flyers to start the
season's final week before they put their postseason berth in jeopardy with
a 3-0 loss to the Thrashers.
The Rangers also won three of four from the Capitals this season.
"I think we've been through a year with a lot of tests that have tested the
character of the team," Prust said. "We showed we have a playoff-type
team. We have guys working hard and we have four lines. I think we have
all the pieces. We've proven that, and that should give us some
confidence."
"I think we're right there as far as Washington is concerned," Dubinsky
added. "We're a confident team and our group is not just happy to be in the
first round."
Nor are they particularly concerned about the opponent.
"You're going to have to play all the best teams anyway on your way to the
Cup; it doesn't matter what order," Prust said.
The Rangers, who missed the playoffs last season and who have not
advanced past the second round since losing to the Flyers in the 1997
conference final, nearly beat the Capitals as the seventh seed in the first
round in 2009 before losing three straight.
"We were up 3-1 but, at the same time, we felt they were the better team
that time," goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. "The standings don't really lie after
82 games. They're the No. 1 team. But I think maybe we're more close to
each other than the last time."
BRIEFS: The NHL announced the Rangers will open the 2011-12 season
against the Kings in Stockholm, Sweden, on Oct. 7, then face the Ducks the
next day in Stockholm. … The Rangers signed left wing Carl Hagelin, their
sixth-round pick in 2007 out of Michigan, where he had 18 goals and 31
assists in 44 games as a senior. The 6-foot, 187-pound Hagelin will report
to Connecticut (AHL). … Boston College coach Jerry York announced that
Chris Kreider, the Rangers' first-round pick in 2009, 19th overall, will return
for his junior season after compiling 11 goals and 13 assists in 32 games.
564717
New York Rangers
Despite hit, it's Marc Staal in playoffs
By STEVE ZIPAY s
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- The massive brother-on-brother hit hasn't been
forgotten.
It came Feb. 22, in the second period of a 1-1 game in Carolina. Eric Staal
lined up younger sibling Marc near the boards as he looked down for the
puck in the Rangers' zone. The Hurricanes center lowered his shoulder,
brought it up and rocked the Rangers' steady defenseman, who flew
backward, hit the ice headfirst and was woozy on the bench.
"I thought it was a little dirty," Rangers forward Ryan Callahan said after the
game. "[Marc] was tied up by his man and he was vulnerable there. I'm not
sure it was a head shot. But I don't think it was the cleanest hit by any
means."
Tuesday, the Rangers prepared to face the Capitals in Game 1 Wednesday
night; Eric's Hurricanes, who could have eliminated Marc's Rangers with a
win in their regular-season finale, were done for the year. Naturally, Marc
felt a touch of karmic payback.
"It's a little better making the playoffs," Marc said with a grin. "I texted to ask
how he was feeling [Eric was playing with a groin injury], but he's not a
happy man. They had a good run and had it right there. That's just the way
it worked out."
For Staal, whose iron-man streak ended at 247 games soon after the hit
because of a sore left knee, his fourth full season with the Blueshirts has
otherwise worked out quite well.
At 24, he was named an alternate captain, was selected for the All-Star
team for the first time, scored a career-high four power-play goals and led
the Rangers in time on ice per game (25:44). And Staal and Dan Girardi
cemented their reputation as one of the league's top shut-down pairs on
defense.
Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, for example, had no goals and just two
assists in the past five games against the Rangers, although Girardi and
Staal each missed one of those games.
"It's always team defense," explained Staal. "Backchecks are a huge thing
and with that line [Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble], we have to
be really sharp against them. Danny does a great job, staying close to him
[Ovechkin] and limiting his time with the puck."
Staal has appeared in 17 playoff games (10 in 2007-08, seven in 2008-09),
recording two goals and two assists. Even a little experience helps, he
believes, although the charged atmosphere is impossible to describe to
someone who hasn't been there. "I don't think you can prepare anybody
with words," he said. "You have to be on the ice; I think I was more nervous
for my first playoff game than I was my first NHL game."
Now, with an "A" on his sweater, Staal is more confident. "Being in those
tight games, Game 7s, things like that . . . it's different for everybody, but
you know that every shift means so much more."
However, Staal is no rah-rah guy. "You just have to lead by example," he
said.
The biggest thing he's learned from the playoffs, he said, is poise: "To go
out, especially at the start, and play simple and get your feet under you; not
worry too much about making mistakes. In a seven-game series, you can't
lose your confidence in the way you play your game. Just knowing that if
you haven't had a good game or a good period, you don't implode and give
up on what got you there."
564718
New York Rangers
New York vs. Washington D.C.: Tale of 2 Cities
The Empire State Building may be taller, but The Capitol has been around
since the late 1700s. The Capitol gets bonus points for surviving the War of
1812 where the British set the building on fire. Plus, if we don't pick The
Capitol we may come off as un-American. Edge: Washington D.C.
COLLEGE
By ANTHONY CASTELLANO
Washington D.C.: Georgetown
In honor of the playoff series between the New York Rangers and
Washington Capitals, we see how the two cities match up in a different
approach.
MONUMENT/STATUE
Washington D.C.: Washington Monument
New York: Statue of Liberty
While the Washington Monument is taller than the Statue of Liberty (555
feet vs. 456 feet) and older, Lady Liberty means much more to most
Americans. It's an iconic statue that welcomed millions of immigrants to
America in the early 1900s. The views from the crown and torch over New
York Harbor only add to the mystique. Plus, the Washington Monument is
boring looking with very little detail on its exterior.
Edge: New York
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Washington D.C.: Smithsonian
New York: Museum of Natural History
Both museums were featured in the Ben Stiller movie franchise, and we
have to go with the Smithsonian, which is actually 19 museums.
Edge: Washington D.C.
FALLEN POLITICIAN
Washington D.C.: Marion Barry
New York: Eliot Spitzer
Marion Barry was mayor of D.C. from 1979-91 but was arrested after a
videotape surfaced of him smoking crack cocaine. A little time in prison
didn't hurt his image as he was once again elected mayor in 1994. Former
New York governor Eliot Spitzer has had a nice comeback of his own after
getting busted with high-end escorts but has yet to return to office.
HOT DOG
Washington D.C.: Ben's Chili Bowl
New York: Nathan's
Nathan's has been a hallmark of New York City eating since 1916 in Coney
Island. Ben's Chili Dog has been endorsed by none other than President
Barack Obama. He ate at Ben's Chili Bowl a few days before Inauguration
Day. But does Ben's Chili Bowl have a hot dog eating competition that
attracts thousands of people each year and is nationally televised? We
don't think so.
Edge: New York
MOVIE THAT FEATURES A NEWSPAPER
Washington D.C.: All the President's Men
New York: The Paper
When it comes to the plot of the movie, "All the President's Men" wins by a
mile, evidenced by the four Academy Awards it won. We love the adorable
Marisa Tomei in "The Paper," but her good looks are not enough to get by
Hollywood heavyweights Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
BUILDING WITH A POINT
Washington D.C.: The Capitol
New York: Empire State Building
New York: St. John's
When you think of these two colleges, sports fans point to their rivalry in the
Big East Tournament. Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas defeated the Red
Storm in 1985 in their only head-to-head matchup in the final. Georgetown
has won a total of 7 Big East titles while St. John's has only won three.
When it comes to alumni in the NBA, Georgetown wins in that category as
well: Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Ewing. St
John's: Ron Artest, Chris Mullin and Jayson Williams. Sorry Johnnies, the
colorful and charismatic Lou Carnesecca isn’t enough to get you over the
hump here.
RAIL SYSTEM
Washington D.C.: Metro
New York: MTA
The MTA may not be popular on Long Island or New York City at the
moment with rising fares, numerous delays and other such delights. But can
any New Yorker survive with the MTA shutting down service after 11 p.m.
every night like the Metro? No way.
Edge: New York
SPORTSCASTER
Washington D.C.: James Brown
New York: Marv Albert
When you think of Marv Albert it's okay if you shout "Yesssss, and it
counts." When you think of James Brown, you think of the legendary singer,
not the sportscaster from CBS and Fox.
Edge: New York
ALFONSO SORIANO
Washington D.C.: Nationals
New York: Yankees
Alfonso Soriano spent his first five seasons in baseball with the Yankees,
crushing 98 homers and batting .284. He was a tremendous leadoff hitter
and finished third in the MVP voting in 2002. He spent only one year with
the Nationals and hit a career-high 46 home runs. He also became the first
player to have 40 homers, 40 steals and 40 doubles in a season. Despite
the great achievement for the Nats, he will be remembered more as a
Yankee for hitting a 9th inning homer against te Arizona Diamondbacks in
Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
Edge: New York
LINCOLN
Washington D.C.: Lincoln Monument
New York: Lincoln High School
Of course the Lincoln Monument is an American icon visited by millions of
people each year. We get it, it is by far more important than Lincoln High
School. But consider this before giving the edge to D.C., Lincoln High
School has some very notable alumni such as Mel Brooks, Marv Albert, Neil
Diamond, Harvey Keitel, Stephon Marbury, Arthur Miller, Sebastian Telfair
and John Forsythe.
Edge: Washington D.C
LAVERANUES COLES
Washington D.C.: Redskins
New York: Jets
Laveranues Coles spent seven seasons with the Jets in three separate
stints. Even though he made he made his only Pro Bowl appearance as a
Redskin in 2003, he always found his way back to the Jets.
Edge: New York
BLONDE BOMBSHELL
Washington D.C.: Katherine Heigl
New York: Scarlett Johansson
Heigl has had success with "Knocked Up" and "Grey's Anatomy," but
seems to be playing the same role recently in every movie. Johansson has
distinguished herself as a serious actress with a wide range of movies. She
consistently ranks high on all the important lists when it comes to looks.
Edge: New York
STAR WARS ACTORS
Washington D.C.: Samuel L. Jackson
New York: Natalie Portman
Even though Portman is not originally from Long Island we're going to claim
her as our own for this. As Mace Windu, Jackson sat by Yoda for almost the
entire "Star Wars" franchise. The one time he left Yoda's side, he was
killed. Portman's character, Queen Amidala, dies while giving birth to Luke
and Leia Skywalker, a much more noble way to pass on.
Edge: New York
564719
New York Rangers
Matching up the Rangers and Capitals
Coach's take: "People are wondering about the Caps, if this is the year they
can make a long run. But this series is going to be as tough as any and if
they fall behind, can they catch up against a team like the Rangers, who
can wear you down? That's a big question."
EDGE: Rangers
By ARTHUR STAPLE
Breaking down the Rangers-Capitals first-round playoff series that begins
tonight in Washington, with analysis from two Eastern Conference coaches
who were granted anonymity in return for their insight:
FORWARDS
The Rangers have had to adjust to life without Ryan Callahan (broken
ankle). Brandon Dubinsky is one of the few young, core players with playoff
experience; they may lean more on Cup-winning veterans like Ruslan
Fedotenko, Vinny Prospal and Chris Drury in this series. The Caps have a
lot of skill and balance in their top three lines, led by Alex Ovechkin. Nicklas
Backstrom and Alexander Semin are dangerous, and the Caps have plenty
of veteran leadership up front with late-season acquisitions Marco Sturm
and Jason Arnott.
Coach's take: "It's really going to be tough for the Rangers to wear down
opponents without Callahan. They were able to shut down Ovechkin during
the regular season, but he definitely has that next gear to get to. It's clear
the Caps have more skill up front, so the Rangers have to be physical."
EDGE: Caps
DEFENSEMEN
The Rangers' top two pairs are young, but they haven't shown it all season
long. Marc Staal and Dan Girardi will be counted on to contain Ovechkin,
but the Ryan McDonagh-Michael Sauer pair has been steady for months.
The Caps are slated to get All-Star Mike Green (concussion) back for the
series, but their unheralded defense has been excellent the last 20 games,
led by their own young duo of John Carlson (age 21) and Karl Alzner (22).
Coach's take: "The Rangers' forwards have the ability to get in fast on this
Washington 'D'. That could cause some problems because the Caps don't
have a ton of speed back there without Green. The Rangers' 'D' has to
avoid turnovers, because the Caps have so much scoring ability."
EDGE: Caps
GOALTENDING
Henrik Lundqvist has been the Rangers' MVP since he helped them reach
the playoffs as a rookie in 2005-06. He's played 26 straight games and has
been sharp. The Caps' goaltending situation is fluid. Rookie Michal Neuvirth
will get the Game 1 start, but Semyon Varlamov and rookie Braden Holtby
are also available.
Coach's take: "If there's a guy you want going into a series where you feel
you can steal a game or two, it's Lundqvist. The Caps don't seem to have a
lot going for them in goal, but no one thought the Flyers or Hawks did last
year, either."
EDGE: Rangers
COACHING
John Tortorella has gotten his club to buy into his system and the Rangers
have overachieved in many ways. Bruce Boudreau has done a similar job,
getting his team to buy into defense first despite all its firepower.
Coach's take: "It's amazing what both these guys have done -- Torts with a
group of guys that have really played the same way all year long, been
really tough to play against, and Bruce getting guys like Ovechkin to think
about both ends of the ice."
EDGE: Even
INTANGIBLES
The Rangers got into the postseason on the final day of their season; that
recipe worked wonders for the Flyers a year ago. The Caps have long been
presumed the Penguins' heir to the Eastern Conference throne, but they
have only one series win in four years.
PREDICTIONS
Arthur Staple: The Caps are untested in goal and could be rattled by the
Rangers' physical play, but the Rangers simply don't have enough pop
offensively to handle Washington over a long series.
CAPS IN 7
Steve Zipay: Lundqvist is at the top of his game. The Rangers are
underrated defensively, have rebounded from tough losses all season and
won close, low-scoring games, which is how this could play out. Pressure is
all on Caps.
RANGERS IN 7
564720
New York Rangers
Taking couple of pot shots at each other
By STEVE ZIPAY
It's not exactly bulletin-board fodder, but a couple surprising zingers were
tossed around Tuesday on the eve of Game 1.
Goalie Michael Neuvirth, who will start for the Capitals in Game 1,
concedes that the Rangers have the clear advantage in the crease, but not
on offense.
Asked about Henrik Lundqvist, the rookie netminder said: "He may be the
best goalie in the world, but I think our shooters are better than theirs."
On the Rangers side, Marian Gaborik, who has struggled with injuries all
season and hasn't scored in nine games, fired his own shot across the bow.
The winger said he thought the Caps preferred to play Carolina, not the
Rangers in the first round.
Anisimov settles down
Artem Anisimov's outlook on the playoffs has changed drastically. After a
full season in Hartford, the young Russian center was summoned for the
Game 7 loss to the Capitals in 2009.
"I get called up and I'm in," recalled Anisimov, who recalled that he was
incredibly nervous until he got on the ice. "I didn't know anybody, or feel
part of the team. Then I was okay; I was just out there to give the top guys a
rest, two or three shifts."
With 18 goals this season, and a far better grasp of both the Rangers
system and the English language, Anisimov will skate with wings Gaborik
and Vinny Prospal, veterans with multiple playoff rounds between them.
"I'll still be nervous," he said, "but this time I'll have a chance to be excited."
564721
New York Rangers
Rangers-Capitals matchups
ranked 10th in penalty killing (83.7 percent) and actually scored more
shorthanded goals than Washington (11-7), with Prust scoring five.
Edge: Capitals
Coaching
Rick Carpiniello
Columnist Rick Carpiniello takes a look at how the Rangers and Capitals
match up.
Forwards
Capitals: Not many teams have the skill up front that the Capitals possess.
Alex Ovechkin, though having a down season (32 goals, after scoring 52,
46, 65, 56 and 50 in his first five seasons), is the most dangerous player in
the series. But the Capitals have loads of talent around him in linemates
Nicklas Backstrom (65 points) and ex-Ranger Mike Knuble, as well as
Alexander Semin, Brooks Laich and ex-Devil Jason Arnott. They also have
some grinders such as Matt Bradley.
Rangers: Didn't have a single player with more than the 24 goals or 54
points Brandon Dubinsky scored. Second-leading scorer Marian Gaborik
had the worst season of his carer (22 goals), and third-leading scorer Ryan
Callahan, a do-everything guy, is out with a broken ankle. But the Rangers
have a lot of their trademark grind up front in Dubinsky, Brandon Prust,
Brian Boyle, Ruslan Fedotenko, Vinny Prospal and captain Chris Drury, just
back from knee surgery, who will have to replace some of Callahan's
minutes, blocked shots and penalty kills. Their more skilled guys will have
to step up — not only Gaborik, but Artem Anisimov and rookie Derek
Stepan, plus Wojtek Wolski, Erik Christensen and, if he plays, Mats
Zuccarello.
Edge: Capitals
Defensemen
Capitals: Mike Green, their best offensive defenseman, is expected to
return from a concussion caused by Stepan earlier in the season, but
Dennis Wideman (10 goals, nine of them on the power play) is questionable
with an injury. The Capitals' D has improved in the second half of the
season, after coach Bruce Boudreau put in a more defense-conscious
system.
Rangers: Marc Staal and Dan Girardi will get the assignment of handling
Ovechkin and Co. Staal, particularly, raises his level of play in these games
and relishes the challenge — Ovechkin didn't score a goal against the
Rangers this season. Rookies Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh have
been as good as the first pair down the stretch. Maybe better.
Edge: Even
Goalies
Capitals: Boudreau on Tuesday announced that Michal Neuvirth would start
the series over Semyon Varlamov, who relieved Jose Theodore in the 2009
series and shut down the Rangers as the Capitals came back from a 3-1
deficit to win. Neuvirth had the better season but has no NHL playoff
experience. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine the Capitals using both.
Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist. End of story. He's one of the best goalies in the
league, and he's playing the best hockey of his career in starting the last 26
games to get the Rangers into the playoffs. Nobody's more motivated, and
the spread-out nature of the series should ensure that he's well rested.
Edge: Rangers
Special teams
Capitals: Washington's power play was, surprisingly, just 16th in the NHL at
17.5 percent this season, in part because of Ovechkin's output (seven
PPGs) and in part because of Green's injury. The Capitals use their skill as
a weapon on the penalty kill (85.6 percent, second in the league),
aggressively hunting the puck and forcing opposition point men to be wary
of an odd-man breakout.
Rangers: Their power play seemed to be the worst in the NHL, though it
was actually 18th at 16.9 percent. But it wasn't good. There is no real
quarterback, though they rented a shooter in Bryan McCabe, and with
Gaborik's struggles, the power play is terribly inconsistent. The Rangers
Capitals: Bruce Boudreau, revealed to be a foul-mouthed but smart coach
during HBO's reality show "24/7," showed some guts by implementing a
better defensive scheme during the season as the Caps struggled. But he
really needs to win this series.
Rangers: John Tortorella might not win the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of
the year, only because the Rangers finished eighth on the season's final
day. But nobody did a better job than he did while sticking to the plan to
build for tomorrow while trying to win today. And he's won a Stanley Cup, in
2004 with Tampa Bay.
Edge: Rangers
Intangibles
Capitals: Ovechkin should be motivated to atone for his season production,
and he sure gets pumped for the Rangers. In the '09 playoffs, he brazenly
sat on their bench while they practiced, and this season he challenged and
fought Dubinsky at center ice. But does Washington have the jam to win a
series under this pressure after been eliminated in Game 7 losses at home
three years in a row (two in the first round, one in the second round),
including a 1 vs. 8 first-round series in which it led 3-1 against Montreal last
year? Will negative thoughts creep in with a Game 1 loss, or any type of
adversity? Not to mention a bad outing from either goalie?
Rangers: Good playoff teams win on the road (the Rangers won 24), play a
grinding, physical game and block shots (all of those things being Rangers
staples). The Rangers are together and resilient — they have answered
almost every piece of adversity with a strong bounce-back. They have
played their best against the better teams — they beat Washington three
times; in the final month beat Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh twice
each; and beat each of the top two teams in the stronger Western
Conference, Presidents' Trophy winner Vancouver, and San Jose, plus
defending Cup champ Chicago.
Edge: Rangers
Prediction
Rangers in six
Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564722
New York Rangers
The Rangers' No. 1 competitor gets his chance to quench his playoff thirst
Staff
GREENBURGH — The clacking sounds of sticks against pucks, and the
booms of pucks against boards, are occasionally interrupted by a piercing,
high-pitched "woooooooo."
That means Brandon Dubinsky has scored on goalie Henrik Lundqvist at a
Rangers practice. "When I score, I celebrate, because it doesn't happen
very often, even in a practice where I shoot on him 20 times," Dubinsky
said.
In truth, he celebrates because he and Lundqvist have a thing going, a
contest, and Dubinsky knows that Lundqvist knows exactly how many shots
he's stopped and how many he hasn't.
Because Lundqvist always has some kind of competition going.
Whether that means on the ice, or in a game of some sort on the plane, or
who gets to a train station first — Lundqvist will all of a sudden break into a
trot to beat a teammate.
"He's the most competitive guy I know," Dubinsky said. "He wants to win
and he wants to be the best. It's in everything he does. I think that is
special.
"He always has that fire. It's crazy."
Lundqvist laughed when asked how competitive he really is, on a scale of
one to 10.
"I would say 10," he said. "That's pretty much what's been pushing me to
get here, where I am right now.
"Talent brings you part of the way, but you can't go all of the way with just
talent. You have to work for it, and having a twin brother (former NHL
forward Joel), we competed all the time against each other, and also on the
same team."
Last season, after the Rangers lost a Game 82 shootout in Philadelphia that
eliminated them from the playoffs, Lundqvist could barely speak. He said he
wanted to break something. He slumped back in his locker, and his Q&A
with reporters, usually among the best in hockey, was short.
His team had bombed in front of him that day, but Lundqvist gave the
Rangers a chance, and when he lost the shootout — his specialty — he
blamed himself.
"It's a team game, but I took it very personally when we didn't make it last
year," he said. "I should be better to help the team to make it, and it was a
big goal that we had coming into this year, to bounce back and get into the
playoffs."
That's why there was nobody more anxious than Lundqvist when the
Rangers won Game 82 this season and had to wait for Tampa Bay to beat
Carolina to get into the playoffs.
"Watching that game with him the other night was like nothing I'd ever seen
before," said Rangers captain Chris Drury, who sat with Lundqvist during
the telecast. "We were obviously all intense and watching it closely, but I
thought he was going to get sick. He was so into it.
"That's great, our best player, our most important position, to have a guy
that is that committed and that competitive is great."
Lundqvist lets it show, too. He once got in Sidney Crosby's face, scolding
him for diving to draw a penalty and disrespecting the game. In a November
game in Pittsburgh, after allowing a late power-play goal that put the
Rangers behind, Lundqvist drew a penalty for throwing his stick against the
boards in protest of the number of power plays awarded to Pittsburgh.
During that penalty, Marc Staal scored short-handed to forge a tie, and then
Dubinsky set up Ryan Callahan for the winner in overtime. It was one of the
most stirring wins of the season.
Lundqvist waited a whole year for another shot at a playoff run. He's won
Olympic gold with Sweden in 2006, and he was the best goalie in his
homeland for years. But in New York, he's been the backbone of a team
that has always struggled to score and has never won more than one
playoff round.
So it burns in him to have a run.
"He can taste it," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "He started thinking
about that after we lost to Philly last year, how close we were. That's what
I've always loved about him is how hard he competes."
He is why they are here, with his NHL-leading 11 shutouts, and with the
Rangers having 44 wins and enough points because of a 9-3 record in
shootouts. He is why the Washington Capitals, starting tonight, aren't
overwhelming favorites despite a decided tilt in skill level. Two seasons
ago, Lundqvist took a rag-tag Rangers team to a 3-1 series lead on the
Capitals before Washington stormed back. All three wins were Lundqvist
robberies, and he nearly swiped a fourth.
Before this season, the Rangers bought an insurance policy in backup
Martin Biron.
"I don't think anybody can be more competitive than Henrik is," Biron said.
"I think that was something right from the beginning, when we got together.
I didn't know him at all; never met him. Then we went on the ice for practice,
and we were supposed to do certain drills, but he wants to do it faster than
you can.
"In practice, every shot has got to be a save. Even if it goes off the post or
the crossbar and goes in, that's not good enough."
Biron started two in a row in early February after Tortorella challenged
Lundqvist to be better. Lundqvist then started eight in a row. But on Feb.
28, Biron broke his collarbone in practice, and that eight in a row wound up
a career-high 26 in a row.
Tortorella probably would have had to physically stop Lundqvist from
starting those games anyway.
"I had to fight him when Biron was healthy during the year, yeah," the coach
said. "He wants to play.
"I'd rather have it that way than a guy cowering away, and you look down
the bench and some guys are hiding under the bench in key situations.
That's something that's really revealing with Hank."
Starting tonight, a year removed from that low point in Philly, he gets
another shot.
Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564723
Ottawa Senators
Sens fall one spot back in draft
New Jersey wins lottery
By Allen Panzeri
Talk about bad karma. The Ottawa Senators must be enveloped in it.
Nothing has gone right for them this season.
On Tuesday, their last chance to salvage their lousy season fell through.
They not only didn’t win the National Hockey League draft lottery, they also
fell back one spot.
The Senators will now pick sixth in June at St. Paul, Minnesota.
Chara, winger Bill Muckalt and the No. 2 pick, who turned out to be centre
Jason Spezza.
Most recently, Ottawa had the No. 9 pick in 2005 (Brian Lee) and 2009
(Jared Cowen).
Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini, whose club took forward Taylor
Hall with the top pick in 2010, said having the No. 1 selection this year was
“an important moment for the organization, and it’s an integral part of the
process moving forward. This is a very exciting time for our organization
and our fans as this just adds to the already bright future of our team.”
While it’s anyone guess who will go when, here’s an educated guess of how
the top 10 will shake out:
1. Adam Larsson, defence: Skelleftea (Sweden)
2. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, centre: Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
3. Gabriel Landeskog, left-winger: Kitchener Rangers (Ontario Hockey
League)
The Edmonton Oilers, who went into the draft as the No. 1 seed based on
their 30th-place finish in the NHL’s overall standings, ended up with the No.
1 pick for the second year in a row. The Colorado Avalanche stayed in
second, while the Florida Panthers remained third in the draft.
4. Jonathan Huberdeau, centre: Saint John Sea Dogs (Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League)
However, the New Jersey Devils, who came into the lottery seeded No. 8,
won the draft and moved up four spots to fourth. That bumped the New
York Islanders to fifth and the Senators to sixth.
6. Ryan Strome, centre: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
The Senators can also blame a late-season winning streak for that.
Otherwise they might have had a chance to get one of the two most
coveted players in the draft: Swedish defenceman Adam Larsson and Red
Deer Rebels centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Now Senators general manager Bryan Murray and his scouts will have to
do some head-scratching over the next-best picks in the draft crop.
Whether that group will yield a player Murray believes can be in the NHL
next season is another question.
“Obviously there are a couple of guys at the top who are certainly preferred
by the scouts,” Murray said in an interview from Toronto, where he
represented the Senators at the draft lottery.
“But we have six or seven players on a priority list who have a chance to
play in the NHL. Whether that happens next year at camp is up to the
player, but we’re going to get a good player, no question.”
With the way the draft began to unfold, with the revelation that the Devils
had won the draft, Murray thought the Senators were going to move up. But
in the next breath he found that he wasn’t going to have that kind of luck.
The Devils had only a 3.6 per cent chance of winning the draft lottery,
meaning they were assigned only 36 of the 1,001 possible numbered
sequences in the lottery system, but they did. Only New Jersey general
manager Lou Lamoriello could have that kind of luck.
Murray said he might think about trading some picks to move up in the
draft. He doubted the No. 1 or No. 2 picks would be put on the block by the
Oilers or Avalanche, but he might make a pitch for the No. 3 or No. 4 pick if
one was made available by the Panthers or Devils.
The Senators also have the Nashville Predators’ first-round pick from the
Mike Fisher trade, but the position of that pick will depend on where the
Predators finish in the playoffs.
“There are three quality defencemen who will go in the top eight or nine,
and three or four quality forwards,” Murray said. “It’ll come down to who’s
there and who we pinpoint at the moment. We’ll be ready for whatever
scenario we face.”
While the Senators’ late-season success hurt the team’s chances in the
draft lottery, Murray said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I think for the fans, for the community, you have to try to win every night,”
he said. “You can’t ever try not to win. That would be just a terrible
message. It would be wrong.
“I guess on draft day it would be nice to pick higher, but we earned some
credibility, and we’ll get a good player.”
This pick will be the highest the Senators have had since 2001, when thengeneral manager Marshall Johnston arranged a stunning draft-day trade
that sent centre Alexei Yashin to the Islanders for defenceman Zdeno
5. Sean Couturier, centre: Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
7. Dougie Hamilton, defence: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
8. Mika Zibanejad, centre: Djurgarden (Sweden)
9. Duncan Siemens, defence: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
10. Joel Armia, right-winger: Assat Pori (Finland)
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.13.2011
564724
Ottawa Senators
Senators players accept share of blame for sacking of coaches
By Ken Warren
OTTAWA — Jason Spezza says everyone shares the blame for the firing of
Cory Clouston.
“As players, we have flaws and with coaches there are flaws,” centre Jason
Spezza said Monday when asked about Clouston’s perceived strained
relationships with players. “Players are learning all the time and Cory is
learning a lot, too. We’re learning as players and he’ll get better at things he
lacked, communication and such, but the blame is never totally on the
coach.”
Unlike Clouston, however, most of the players have the consolation of
knowing they’ll be back again next fall. When the new coach arrives, he’ll
be the fourth in four seasons — five if you include the brief stint when
general manager Bryan Murray put himself behind the bench to end the
2007-08 season.
Is there anyone out there who can achieve success with these guys?
While players echoed Murray’s comments by suggesting either a veteran or
unproven coach could be the answer, Spezza said there are some
necessary qualifications.
“We need a guy that understands players,” he said. “Someone that players
can respect and that respects players.”
Typically, when a franchise fails to have success with a young coach, they
turn to a veteran and vice versa. In this instance, a head coach with a track
record of NHL success would appear to fit the bill. Captain Daniel
Alfredsson says there’s no right or wrong background, but he did
acknowledge that there were “a lot of situations (Clouston) hasn’t faced
before,” and the team was only able to rally after the chances for a playoff
berth had disappeared.
Chris Phillips says he wasn’t surprised at the move because of all the
speculation, but he says it’s still a hollow feeling for players.
“It’s not something we’re proud of,” he said. “Those guys (Clouston, Craig
Hartsburg and John Paddock) all lost their jobs because we didn’t play well
enough and, obviously, you feel bad because of that.”
Phillips knows the easiest solution is to fire the coach, but “there are lots of
us in that room that didn’t have very good years, and that’s what it always
comes down to. It always comes down to the players.”
Defenceman Erik Karlsson, whose personal roller-coaster season reflected
the team’s inconsistency, also realizes the players didn’t do Clouston any
favours by making too many mistakes at crucial moments in games.
“I don’t think it was just him,” said Karlsson.” We all knew that some
(decision) had to made and it’s going to be tough to fire 20 players. It’s a lot
easier if the coach goes. It sucks, but it’s the way this business works.”
In some ways, Clouston could still play a part in a resurgence of the
organization. He was behind the bench as the Senators emerged as a
competitive club from the trade deadline on, posting a record of 14-9-1 in
the final 24 games of the season.
Goaltender Craig Anderson, who signed a four-year contract, will remain as
the team’s No. 1 goaltender, while the late-season call-ups from
Binghamton of the American Hockey League, including Bobby Butler, Zack
Smith, Colin Greening and Erik Condra, should figure into the team’s plans
for next season.
Spezza also established himself as a clear leader in the dressing room,
saying, “I think I learned a lot and became a more mature person with how I
dealt with things.”
While Spezza is excited about the young core and how the Senators closed
out the season, he knows it means nothing if the team starts slowly again
next season.
KARLSSON not sure
While Jason Spezza (Canada), Milan Michalek (Czech Republic) and
Stéphane Da Costa (France) are definitely representing the Senators at the
world championships later this month, Karlsson hasn’t yet made up his
mind. Karlsson, who didn’t play in the final four games of the season after
suffering a gash across his thigh, will only play for Sweden if he feels 100
per cent. “It’s going to be a last-minute decision,” he said.
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 04.13.2011
564725
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose vs. Los Angeles: San Jose in 6
Detroit vs. Phoenix: Phoenix in 7
NHL first-round series: How we see it
Anaheim vs. Nashville: Nashville in 6
Note: Flyers-Sabres predictions coming Thursday
By the Daily News
ED BARKOWITZ
Washington vs. NY Rangers: Washington in 5
2010-2011 Flyers-Sabres
Flyers 7, Islanders 4
2010-2011 Flyers fights
Sabres @ Flyers: Home Game 1 NHL Playoffs
Boston vs. Montreal: Montreal in 6
Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay: Pittsburgh in 5
Vancouver vs. Chicago: Vancouver in 6
San Jose vs. Los Angeles: Los Angeles in 7
Detroit vs. Phoenix: Detroit in 7
SAM DONNELLON
San Jose vs. Los Angeles: Los Angeles in 6
Anaheim vs. Nashville: Anaheim in 7
MARCUS HAYES
Pittsburgh vs. Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay in 7
Detroit vs. Phoenix: Phoenix in 7
RICH HOFMANN
Boston vs. Montreal: Boston in 5
FRANK SERAVALLI
Boston vs. Montreal: Boston in 5
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 04.13.2011
564726
Philadelphia Flyers
Play it again, Leino: Finland native loves postseason pressure
I can't be that guy who just dumps the puck in, because I won't get anything
done.
"I don't enjoy that. I won't get excited. Because that's not what I am."
By FRANK SERAVALLI
And that's when Leino decided, after already wearing out his welcome
under Mike Babcock in Detroit, that if he was going to fail, he was going to
do it like the Sinatra song. "My way."
VILLE LEINO CAN barely open the door.
"I thought about [failing] a lot," he concedes. "But I said if I fail, I'll fail as
myself and the player that I've developed and the player I've always been not the player that tried to please somebody.
Both sides of the doorway are stacked, from floor to ceiling, with empty
shoe boxes. The foyer, leading into his fifth-floor apartment tucked in the
heart of Old City, is ruled with pairs of shoes of every purpose, style and
color.
"It's a European thing," Leino jokes.
The reflection of both a Sixers game playing on the plasma screen on the
wall and the serene lights of the looming Philadelphia skyline bounce off a
coffee table adorned with black-and-white photograph books of Frank
Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles.
More than a hundred vinyl records are crammed in the neighboring
bookcase, with two guitars close by.
And somehow, for a native of Finland, Swedish Fish is the snack of choice.
It is the home of one of Philadelphia's most eligible bachelors, but also the
home of one of the city's most insanely talented hockey players.
In fact, there is no hint of hockey - or even the Flyers. There are no hockey
sticks, no autographed jerseys, no framed photos authenticating the glory
he has produced on NHL ice. There are no empty Gatorade bottles, halfeaten protein bars or complex recovery shakes, which line the stomachs of
most professional athletes.
Leino is not defined simply by his trade.
"I'm not scared to be different or special," he says.
His openness and self-awareness is not only unique to Finnish natives, who
Leino says want him to be "too humble" and "too normal," but his originality
also stands out against his teammates, too.
To understand Leino as an artist, though, is to understand the craft he
carefully carves out for a living on slab of ice in South Phildelphia.
"You should do whatever makes you feel good," Leino says. "For me, I bet
a lot of people look at me and look at my clothes and think they are
superficial. But I feel you only have one chance to give a first impression to
someone. For me, it's kind of like, 'Look good, feel good, play good.'
"I think that's in life, too. You should feel good about yourself - and if that
means good clothes and you feel comfortable - you should do it."
Off the ice, that's the message. Leino has always been himself. He admits
to owning more than 30 pairs of sunglasses. He could talk for hours about
his favorite bands, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket and The Black Keys.
Leino said that he owns somewhere between "10,000 to 20,000" songs on
his computer - though he has yet to find an iPod that can hold them all.
"There are things in life that I want to do," he says, "and as long as I'm not
doing anything stupid or trying to get in anyone's way, I want to do what I
want to do, and not anything else."
Leino did not practice that same "know thyself" principle on the ice that he
has embraced off it until around this time last season.
It's hard to fathom now, but Leino spent the first four games of last year's
opening round against New Jersey in the press box as a healthy scratch.
Over the final 19 games of the playoffs, Leino went on to tie Dino
Ciccarelli's NHL playoff record of 21 points by a rookie.
That success seemed unlikely when he was acquired from Detroit on Feb.
6, 2010, in exchange for Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, a throw-away defenseman
who hasn't seen the light of day in the NHL again.
He immediately clashed with Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. Leino played in
just 13 of the Flyers' 26 remaining regular-season games, collecting only
two goals and two assists.
"Peter and I didn't start out very well together," Leino says. "It's not his fault.
I don't blame him for that. But I can't play in that simple way that others can.
"Before, I tried to do things that made coaches happy. That's the Finn in
me. Because I don't want to piss anyone off or give a bad impression. But
that's not what I am - I decided I wasn't going to change for anyone else."
Leino has always been that way - and that's why he has reached a nearcult status back in Finland. There always have been big-name Finns in the
NHL. You can go down the list from Jari Kurri to Esa Tikkanen to Saku
Koivu.
Today, in Finland, Leino dominates the headlines nearly as much as Teemu
Selanne.
Given the fact that Leino, still making a name for himself leaguewide, hasn't
accomplished nearly a fraction of Selanne's accolades - the Stanley Cup,
the NHL rookie scoring records, the Winter Olympic points record, the 10
All-Star Game appearances - is simply a testament to his personality.
"We are a humble people," says Vesa Rantanen, the North Americanbased hockey columnist for Finland's version of Sports Illustrated, called
Veikkaaja. "We are generally shy people. It's different for a guy to say he
likes the attention, likes the rock-star mentality. That's not part of Finnish
culture."
Rantanen suspects the humble attitude of Finns comes from his country's
history, always smaller in stature and wealth than neighboring Sweden and
Russia.
"For us [Finns], putting your head down, being humble and working hard
works for us," Rantanen says. "If you are rich, you are supposed to hide it
well. Ville doesn't [care]. Look at some of the Finns around the league, Joni
Pitkanen [the former Flyer now with Carolina] can barely order food in
English after 8 years in America. When there are two Finns on a team, most
of them huddle together.
"Ville doesn't need a Finn to pamper him and make him feel good. He
speaks English openly. He is a cool character. He blends in easily."
Rantanen says part of Leino's popularity, too, comes from the fact that he
played longer in Finland than most NHL regulars. Leino, 27, is a classic
"late-bloomer," Rantanen says. And he took a non-traditional route to
stardom, having not skated for the Finnish national team or gained fame in
the NHL by winning the Stanley Cup.
"Ville has done neither," Rantanen says. "Yet he is instantly one of the most
popular players. Any time his name is in a headline on our site, it is the
most clicked-on article."
Leino admits that he has softened his off-ice image, especially since
arriving in the United States from Finland in 2008 with Detroit. He no longer
has flowing, rock-star hair - and the flashy No. 89 he wore when capturing
the scoring title of Finland's top league has been traded for a more subtle
No. 22.
He no longer goes by the nicknames "Maestro" and "Magician."
"Deep down, I'm still the same person and I'm still doing the same stuff that
I would have done at my home on my free time," Leino says. "I have the
same hobbies and the same interests in life. But I've toned it down a lot
since I've gotten older, I think I've grown as the years go by. I think it's a
maturity thing. But I can still be proud at what I do."
This season, though productive, hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies for
Leino. In 81 games, Leino posted 19 goals and 34 assists for 53 points, but
he wasn't always free and clear of criticism.
Leino struggled over the final half of the regular season, scoring in just four
of the Flyers' final 36 games. He was even benched for most of the third
period of an April 3 matinee with the Rangers.
For Leino, most of the battle is mental. The same goes for his teammates,
clearly, after fumbling their 57-day chokehold on the Eastern Conference in
the season's final week.
But starting tomorrow night, when the puck drops at the Wells Fargo Center
for the Flyers' first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres, Leino will be
back in the environment he and his teammates have craved since bowing
out to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals last June.
"Usually, it's the playoff time that takes the best out of people or the worst
out of people," Leino says. "I think I've been pretty lucky that I've always
been pretty good in playoff games."
Luck? Hardly.
Leino is one of those players who thrives on being on the ice in key
situations. He wants the spotlight on him. He wants the attention.
"I love playing under pressure," he says. "If I'm not on the ice in those
moments, I get pissed."
Leino might not be all that different than other professional hockey players
in that sense, because every player had done that at some point or another
to make it to that level. But the reason Leino says he is so successful in the
game's biggest moments is because he thinks differently than any other
player - especially opponents.
"It's easier to make tough decisions with the puck in the playoffs," Leino
surmises. "A lot of the other players aren't expecting that, because they're
just thinking you'll make an easy decision under pressure."
Take, for instance, when Leino hung on to a puck in Game 5 of the Stanley
Cup finals and skated through two Chicago defenders - even when Simon
Gagne was wide-open at the beginning of the play - to eventually connect
with Gagne again after shedding both defenders.
Or, when on a breakaway in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in
Montreal, Leino hung on to the puck for an extra deke to beat Jaroslav
Halak.
Leino is emotionally and physically driven by the reaction of the crowd. He
lives for that "ooh-and-aah" play - from a blind backhand pass to a spin-arama - that hushes an arena before causing it to erupt. It is verification that
he is alive and breathing in the moment.
"I think those are the coolest moments in sports," Leino says. "You think to
yourself, 'I made those people happy. I made something great happen.'
When you don't score, it won't be in any highlight - no matter how close you
were to scoring.
"And when you score in a big moment, you realize, 'That's going to stay a
forever moment.' "
Despite his desire for the limelight, Leino has been around long enough to
understand that hockey is ultimately a team sport. He still has that part of
Finnish culture in him. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a teammate in the
Flyers' locker room who does not get along with him.
His teammates do not think twice about his individuality.
"Whatever baggage and ego you have, you've got to put them aside," Leino
says. "You've got to care about each other and want to win for the guy
sitting next to you. That's how you win championships. For me, I don't think
it's that hard. Everybody has different skills. Everyone else paid their price,
too."
A large, nautical-style spotlight stands in Leino's living room, next to the
guitars and the vinyl. Perhaps it is a nod to his father, Hannu, a cargo-boat
captain back in Finland - or a unique decoration that only Leino might enjoy.
Or, it could be more than that - a daily reminder of a life in the ultimate
spotlight, where every move is visible.
"You can't think about what other people say about you," Leino says.
"Especially when you are a public figure and you play professional sports."
In the spotlight, the effect can either be soothing and comforting or harsh. It
is a double-edged sword, a tough line for a public figure to walk. Leino
makes himself vulnerable by displaying his personality, both in his lifestyle
and in his life's work.
To experience life any other way, though, wouldn't be Leino's way.
"I keep my eyes open," Leino says. "I always want to learn new things and
have new experiences. I'm enjoying all of the little things, tasting all of the
different foods and seeing different shows. I want to do the stuff I enjoy and
find interesting. I feel at home."
564727
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Notes: Walker brought up in case Pronger is out
Sam Carchidi
Flyers Notes
Defenseman Matt Walker is back with the Flyers, clearing reentry waivers
Tuesday and giving the team another option in case Chris Pronger is
unable to play in Thursday's playoff opener against Buffalo.
"I'm happy he cleared because he's been to the playoffs and has a lot of
experience," general manger Paul Holmgren said.
Acquired in a salary-cap-related deal that sent Simon Gagne to Tampa Bay
in the offseason, Walker has played in 21 career playoff games, including
17 with Chicago in 2008-09.
Walker, 31, had surgery on both hips and his knee this season, limiting him
to four games with the Flyers and 11 with the AHL's Phantoms.
"It's up to the coach," Holmgren said when asked if the Flyers planned to
use Walker in the playoffs. "Physically, he's fine, but he hasn't played much
and we want to get him up to speed."
Nick Boynton and Danny Syvret are also options if Pronger cannot play.
What are the odds?
Out of the NHL's 16 teams in the playoffs, the Flyers have the fourth-best
chance to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bodog.com.
Vancouver is the favorite, at 3-1, followed by Washington (11-2), San Jose
(7-1), and the Flyers (8-1). Buffalo is 25-1.
Sabres' woes
The Flyers and Sabres had different degrees of success against Atlantic
Division opponents this season.
En route to their first division title since 2004, the Flyers were 17-4-3
against the Atlantic, their best record against any division.
A member of the Northeast Division, Buffalo was just 8-9-3 against Atlantic
teams; the Sabres had a losing record against one other division, going 2-32 against the Central.
Breakaways
Buffalo finished with the league's ninth-best power play (19.4 percent
success rate), while the Flyers were 19th (16.6 percent). The Sabres were
13th on the penalty kill (83 percent), ranking just ahead of the Flyers, who
were tied with Boston for 14th at 82.6 percent. . . . The Flyers had three
players finish in the league's top 13 in plus-minus ratings: Andrej Meszaros
and Matt Carle were tied for fifth at plus-30, and Jeff Carter was 13th at
plus-27. Defenseman Steve Montador led Buffalo at plus-16. . . .
Defenseman Sean O'Donnell on the Flyers' funk in the last two months:
"We got a little ahead of ourselves. We looked ahead and it came to bite us
a bit, but I think we're ready to go in Game 1." . . . The Flyers notched 106
points, the most for a team the season after it finished as the Stanley Cup
runner-up since Dallas also had 106 points in 2000-01.
564728
Philadelphia Flyers
Today's practice could determine Pronger's status for Flyers' first-round
By FRANK SERAVALLI
Yesterday, Pronger took part in an early morning skate with assistant coach
Kevin McCarthy, forward Ian Laperriere and defenseman Matt Walker, who
cleared re-entry waivers later yesterday.
But it's today's workout that could act as a benchmark for where Pronger
stands in his recovery. Don't be surprised to see Pronger skate in a full
practice with his teammates for the first time in more than 2 weeks and
attempt to participate in drills with stickhandling and shooting to provide a
true test.
"Every day you feel better," Pronger said. "Come to practice [today] and
see."
Pronger, who missed the Flyers' final 16 games after March 16 surgery on
his right hand, has not been ruled out for tomorrow night's opening game of
the Stanley Cup playoffs against Buffalo. There is still so much to be
determined, as Pronger skated yesterday with a stick but did not handle a
puck or take any shots.
"It's tough," Pronger said. "You'd like to be able to be out there prepping,
going through all of the drills and preparing properly. I have my own path, I
guess. We'll use it for what it is."
Earlier yesterday morning, Danny Briere went on a Buffalo radio station and
said Pronger would not play in Game 1 and it was "very possible" he could
miss the entire postseason.
"We were playing around," Briere said. "I have no clue. I don't know. I
played in Buffalo and I've known them for a long time. I was just playing
around."
Back home, general manager Paul Holmgren had little to offer on Pronger's
status, other than that he may not need as much practice time as
pessimists think in order to return to the lineup.
"He's going to continue to be day-to-day here," Holmgren said. "He's
coming along nicely. He was better [yesterday] than he was [Monday]. He's
played 1,185 games in the NHL or something like that and [147] playoff
games. I think we can give him the benefit of the doubt."
Slap shots
Defenseman Matt Walker now is at the disposal of Peter Laviolette. "I'm
happy that he cleared because he's played in the playoffs and has a lot of
experience," Paul Holmgren said. "We're trying to get him up to speed with
lots of hard work in practice." Walker has not played in the NHL since Jan.
18, undergoing three surgeries this season . . . Holmgren said he thought
Danny Syvret would play if Chris Pronger could not, "depending on
matchups," but added that Syvret played well in Buffalo last Friday. *
564729
Philadelphia Flyers
Don't count out Pronger
By Phil Sheridan
"It's tough," Pronger said. "You'd like to be able to be out there prepping,
going through all the drills and preparing properly. I have my own path, I
guess, and I'll use it for what it is."
It is hard to believe that path leads anywhere but back to the ice, and by the
quickest route possible. This is the part of the year that hockey players live
for.
So it would be surprising if Pronger misses a shift, let alone a game, if he's
even close to 100 percent.
Give Chris Pronger this much. He's a lot funnier than Chase Utley.
"Guess you'll have to wait and find out, won't you?" he said.
Otherwise, the awkward exchanges between the media and the injured
player - not to mention the media and the official team spokesmen - feel
eerily similar. Two months ago, it seemed like minor news that Utley was
sitting out workouts with soreness in his knee. Now the season is two
weeks old and his return is as uncertain as ever.
Guess so. But you kind of know already, don't you?
Just over a month ago, Pronger missed a couple of games. Then it was
revealed that he needed surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand.
He all but disappeared for the final month of the regular season, and so did
the team's focus and consistency. All along, the common wisdom was that
Pronger would be back for the playoffs.
Well, the playoffs begin Thursday night. Two days before the puck drops
against Buffalo, Pronger, coach Peter Laviolette, and general manager Paul
Holmgren were by turns vague, cryptic, misleading, unforthcoming, and
amusingly sarcastic.
That latter bit came from Pronger, of course. Asked what his "pain level"
was on a scale of 1 to 10, his eyes widened in delight. This is not a man
who can pass up a straight line.
"Ten right now, because I'm talking to you," Pronger cracked.
None of this should be surprising in a sport in which a concussion can be
announced, with a straight face, as an "upper-body injury." The problem, as
it was with the Phillies, is that all this misdirection and obfuscation creates a
vacuum that is naturally filled with speculation and assumptions - much of
which is wrong.
In that spirit, then, a guess: Pronger will be in the lineup for Game 1 of this
first-round series. If not, then he will almost certainly return for the bulk of it.
Pronger revealed that he had been skating regularly for more than a week.
He was working out "undercover," as he put it - that is, out of view of the
reporters who cover the team. While he hasn't been using a stick or
shooting pucks, that shouldn't be viewed as a sign that he can't return soon.
"He's played 1,185 games in the NHL or something like that, and 183
playoff games," Holmgren said. "I can give him the benefit of the doubt in
that regard."
There are a couple of reasons for all this deliberate vagueness. First, as
silly as it seems, these guys really do think it's worth keeping the other team
in the dark as much as possible. Pronger is a difference-maker, and the
Sabres coaches must now plan for both his presence and his possible
absence.
The second reason is probably more pressing. The Flyers simply played
terrible hockey for most of the month or so that Pronger was out. That might
not be pure cause-and-effect, but there is certainly a connection. Having the
team count too heavily on Pronger's return for the playoffs could lead to a
real letdown if he suffers a setback of some kind.
A reporter asked defenseman Matt Carle if the Flyers can win this series
without Pronger. He gave a very good answer about the addition of Andrej
Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell creating more depth in the defensive corps.
When the cameras were off, he asked the reporter, "Did you think I was
going to say no?"
Of course the Flyers are capable of beating the Sabres in the first round
without Pronger for every game. They are the No. 2 seed playing the No. 7
seed (no need to dwell on the fact they launched their run to the Finals as a
No. 7 seed playing No. 2 New Jersey last year). If they get back to playing
the kind of hockey they're capable of playing, and played for the first 50
games this season, the Flyers will be fine.
Can they go all the way without Pronger? That's a different question, and
the answer, based on all available evidence, is no way, no how. The big
defenseman is that much of a factor, both on the ice and in the locker room.
He is the one player this team can least afford to be without.
564730
Philadelphia Flyers
(A) The school is embarrassed by his first name.
(B) He had sex with one of his future wives.
Morning Bytes: Philly is more than its sports teams
(C) He vowed to vote for a Democrat.
(D) His presence was disrupting classes.
By Frank Fitzpatrick
No wonder we love sports so much in Philadelphia. They're practically all
that's left of our city.
As time and inevitability chew away at Philadelphia's distinctiveness, our
most stable and recognizable institutions are our sports franchises. What
other connective civic tissue is there as elastic and powerful as the 128year-old Phillies? Or the 88-year-old Eagles?
Increasingly, being a Philadelphian means going to Citizens Bank Park or
Lincoln Financial Field to cheer and boo.
Answer: (D).
Fredette's father explained that his son "can't go anywhere in Provo without
being recognized."
Hello! Nobody can go anywhere in Provo without being recognized. The
town is roughly the size of Andy Reid and has fewer inhabitants than the
Osmond family compound.
Morning Bytes:
Things likely to happen before 2011 ends
1. Cam Newton will flop in the NFL.
Think about it. Besides our allegiance to the Phillies and Eagles, what is
there that defines us as Philadelphians?
2. Manny Ramirez will be arrested for something.
Comcast? Our Colonial-era past? South Philly sandwiches?
4. Joe Blanton will be traded.
Traveling around the country, I'm always struck by how closely the nation's
perception of Philadelphia is tied to sports. Tell someone you're from Philly,
and you invariably get one - or some combination - of these three
responses: great sports city, tough fans, cheesesteaks.
5. A golfer whose reputation has spread beyond the Transvaal will win one
of golf's majors.
It's as if our city's long and fascinating history has been buried beneath the
Phillies, foulmouthed fans, and fried onions.
NASCAR note of the week
Nobody mentions Boathouse Row. Nobody asks about Carpenters Hall.
Thomas Eakins, Louis Kahn, Alexander Calder, and Mary Cassatt aren't the
Four Aces anyone wants to talk about.
Growing up I recall hearing proudly that we were the City of Homes, the
City of Neighborhoods, the Workshop of the Nation, the Cradle of Liberty.
Now we're the Best Sports City in America, The City with the Best and
Worst Fans.
There's nothing wrong with that. But surely we can be something more,
something better.
I love my hometown and its sports teams. Without the former's passion for
the latter, I can assure you a lot of tuition bills mailed to our house would
have gone unpaid. Sports have been a constant comfort, though an all-toofrequent irritation as well.
But I wonder if we aren't selling ourselves short by limiting our collective
civic pride to Rocky, Ryan, Reid, and red pinstripes? What about
Philadelphia in all its other manifestations? Can we be just as passionate
about its history? Its uniqueness? Its problems?
What suburban fan who goes to Citizens Bank Park or Lincoln Financial
Field doesn't identify himself or herself as a Philadelphian?
We revel in that identity when we - all right, when you - wear it on some
item of sports clothing, but disdain or ignore it when the same name is
followed by "school district," "budget deficit," or "crime rate."
And yet we greet like J.D. Drew any notion that suggests Philadelphia and
its suburbs are one region, and would all be better off if each supported the
other financially, culturally, spiritually.
We're Philadelphians when it suits our purposes. We love the victory
parades and walk-off wins, the tailgating and ballgame bonding. Not so
much the crumbling infrastructure, the gun violence, the messed-up
schools.
Maybe if we devoted a fraction of our sports passion to those problems,
maybe if we cared just a little more about a city that is so much more than
sports, we sports fans might feel as good about Philadelphia and ourselves
as we do on opening day.
In the meantime, go out and buy a Tastykake Chocolate Junior and a
Lancaster Brand ham.
Trivia question
BYU has asked all-American guard Jimmer Fredette to stop attending
classes. Why?
3. Jayson Werth will be booed in D.C.
Morning Bytes:
Driver Johnny Sauter after a victory at Martinsville, Va.:
"I'm pretty high on life right now," he said. "Honestly, it can't get any better.
To go to a place like Martinsville and to be able to win there and get a
grandfather clock means a lot to me."
Didn't know NASCAR drivers were antique shoppers, too.
564731
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' Chris Pronger says he'll play in Buffalo series
How has the team played in his absence?
"Even before that, we've been on a slippery slope, probably since
Christmas," he said, adding that the Flyers have been "inconsistent, and
haven't finished games off and played a full 60 minutes. It cost us some
points. Hopefully, we've learned from that and can use it in the playoffs."
By Sam Carchidi
Pronger has been working out in the team's gym, and said he has been
skating "under cover" for about seven days. He invited reporters to watch
him skate Wednesday.
Will he play or won't he?
For the Flyers, Chris Pronger's availability for Thursday's opener in the
Eastern Conference quarterfinals has become more suspenseful than a few
episodes of Dexter.
Pronger, 36, who hasn't played since March 8 because of a broken right
hand, said on Tuesday he was "very" confident he will play in the series, but
sidestepped questions about his availability for Game 1 against visiting
Buffalo.
"I guess you'll have to wait and find out, won't you?" he said during a sixminute interview/comedy routine with the media at the Flyers practice
facility in Voorhees.
The cornerstone of the Flyers defense, Pronger skated for about 50
minutes prior to the team's practice Tuesday - he was joined by Ian
Laperriere, an unofficial coach, and teammates Matt Walker and Oskars
Bartulis - but did not handle a puck. His hand has been too sore to do any
stickhandling, which he will attempt on Wednesday. He isn't expected to try
shooting until Thursday.
How he does Wednesday may determine if he plays Thursday.
"Might," Pronger said, playfully.
Coach Peter Laviolete didn't sound optimistic. General manager Paul
Holmgren took a "wait and see" approach and said Pronger was "coming
along nicely. He's better today than he was" Monday.
Overall, the Flyers were 16-9-7 without Pronger this season. But they won
just three of their last 12 games (3-4-5) without the future Hall of Famer.
"The whole purpose of adding guys in the off-season was if something
happened, we were ready," said steady defenseman Matt Carle, referring to
Andrej Meszaros and Sean O'Donnell. "You can't replace Chris Pronger
with one person, but as a D corps, we all have to step up our games" if he
is unable to play.
Laviolette was asked if he was confident the Flyers could win if Pronger
couldn't play.
"Certainly you'd like to have your pieces in there, but we don't," he said. "At
this point, today in practice, he wasn't there, so we prepare and plan to play
Buffalo today with the guys we have on the ice. That changes daily, and I
think we have a lot of confidence" in the other players.
Added Laviolette: "We dealt with injuries last year and all this year. Most
teams do. They're [Buffalo] missing some players, too. Injuries are a part of
the game. It's a cliché, but it's an opportunity for other guys to step up, and I
think other guys have stepped up."
Especially Meszaros.
The extra minutes most of the defensemen have logged in his absence,
Pronger said, have helped them "get into the flow of the game even more.
The three or four [extra] minutes are enough to get you into that rhythm."
"Our record shows we had a pretty good season without him," said
O'Donnell, one of Pronger's closest friends. "I'm not going to say we don't
want Chris back. We do. . . . But we feel this is a good team whether Chris
is in the lineup or not."
Pronger, who has played in 170 playoff games, misses practicing with his
teammates. "You'd like to be out there prepping," he said, "but I have my
own path, I guess, and will use it for what it is. "
Asked his pain level on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest,
Pronger didn't hesitate.
"Ten right now, because I'm talking to you," he told a throng of reporters.
At one point, he said he wasn't going to talk about his injury "because it's
none of your business."
564732
Philadelphia Flyers
Sabres defenseman Myers a big concern for Flyers
By Ray Parrillo
Like the vast majority of NHL players, the Buffalo Sabres look up to Tyler
Myers, not only because the 21-year-old stands 6-foot-8, but also because
he's clearly their best defenseman.
Flyers followers wringing their hands over the injury status of Chris Pronger
as Thursday's Game 1 of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against
the Sabres approaches can take comfort: Even without Pronger, the Flyers'
corps of defensemen is significantly stronger than Buffalo's.
Yet, Myers figures to pose problems - at both ends of the ice. In his second
season with the Sabres, the Texas-born, Calgary-raised 2008 first-round
draft choice (No. 12 overall) has the wingspan of a condor and plays the
angles like a veteran. He doesn't have Pronger's mean streak or ability to
control the tempo of a game, and he doesn't hit like Boston's 6-9 Zdeno
Chara, but Myers is considered a rising star.
"He has good offensive instincts, and he should be a premier defenseman
for a long time," said Keith Jones, game analyst for Flyers telecasts and a
studio analyst for Versus.
Nicknamed "The Big Easy," Myers emerged as the Sabres' top blue-liner
when he won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. His first season
he had 11 goals, plus a game-winner during a shootout, and 37 assists. In a
regulation game against Ottawa that season, he was on the ice for 28
minutes, 32 seconds, and he averaged 22:27 this season, when he had 10
goals and 27 assists.
"He was a little inconsistent this year, but that's not unusual for a
sophomore," Jones said.
After Myers had a poor start to the season, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff cut
down on his minutes. But Myers finished strong with a plus-10 during the
final 24 games as the Sabres went 16-4-4.
Myers' initial playoff experience was forgettable as he scored one goal in
six games last season. He attributed his play to nerves.
"I wasn't too nervous during the season last year," he said in an NHL.com
report. "But going into my first playoff series, I'll admit it was a little nerveracking."
Two other Buffalo defensemen can be troublesome for the Flyers. Jordan
Leopold averaged the most ice time (23:19), but his status is questionable
because of a broken finger. His strength is in reading the rush. Steve
Montador is highly competitive, an in-your-face kind willing to lay it all on the
line. Both Leopold and Montador are well-traveled, but they've prospered
under Ruff, a smart defenseman in his day.
Andrej Sekera played well the second half of the season and was
impressive in the Sabres' last trip to Philly, but he's also questionable. He
missed the last two regular-season games with an upper-body muscle
strain.
564733
Philadelphia Flyers
Ville Leino bio box
By the Daily News
Name: Ville Leino
Born: Oct. 6, 1983 (age 27)
Hometown: Savonlinna, Finland
Height: 6-foot Weight: 182
Position: Forward
Drafted: Leino was undrafted. He signed a free-agent contract with Detroit
in May 2008.
How acquired: Via trade with the Red Wings on Feb. 6, 2010, for
defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen.
With the Flyers: In last season's playoffs, Leino was one of the best players
on the ice. He had seven goals and 14 assists in 19 games.
Playing the guitar: Leino started playing more seriously 3 years ago. "I
always wanted to do that. I started when I was a bit younger, when I was 15
or 18 or so, but this time I bought a really good guitar. I wanted to buy a
good one so that I would have to keep playing and it wouldn't just sit there. I
made a promise to myself that whatever happens, I will learn how to play. It
took me half a year, and it's definitely worth it."
Music tastes: Leino says he has up to 20,000 songs on his computer. "It's
just something I've always loved. I've gone through different genres. I want
to have new stuff all the time and hear new stuff. I go all the way back to the
1960s and '50s. Once you hear it enough, your taste kind of changes and
develops and you start to like different kinds of music. I can still remember
where I hear songs first and when I first heard it, and I usually have to
download it."
Show on the road: "Philly actually is a great concert scene," he says. "I was
here all summer and I saw a bunch of shows. I think most of the shows that
are in New York come here, too. A lot of small, indie rock bands come here
at least once a year, so that's pretty cool."
At home: Leino's father is a boat captain and his mother is a culinary school
teacher. "It was sometimes boring, I always wanted a brother. I always
wanted someone to hang out with and play hockey with," he says. "I guess
it made it easier to go and do my thing when I moved [away from home],
because I've always kind of been alone. It was never really that hard."
564734
Philadelphia Flyers
You can count on Ruff having Sabres ready to play
"I think he's changed every year," Pominville said. "He adjusts well to how
the game changes. I think that's part of the reason why he's a good coach,
he's able to change his style a little bit, whether the game is opening up or
closing down. He adjusts constantly and finds ways to improve the team."
By FRANK SERAVALLI
Along the way, Ruff has watched plenty of coaches who bark from the
bench for a living have their words lose their bite. According to the Elias
Sports Bureau, 147 coaches have been fired since Ruff took over in 1997.
Ruff might be brusque, but his players never have lost that respect.
SINCE OFFICIALLY purchasing the team on Feb. 22, new owner Terry
Pegula has gone to great lengths to bring the Buffalo Sabres family back
together.
Pegula's staff sent invitations to all 353 former players, anyone who has
played at least one game in a Buffalo uniform, to fly to Buffalo on Pegula's
dime to celebrate the team's 40th anniversary in style last Friday night
against the Flyers.
In all, at least 85 players lined up on the red carpet - from Pat LaFontaine
and Gilbert Perreault to Donald Audette and Darren Puppa - and were
serenaded with cheers from fans at the team's final regular-season home
game.
One name was conspicuously missing - a name that has perhaps meant
more to the Sabres over the last 25 years than any other: Lindy Ruff.
Ruff, the Sabres' coach since 1997, also spent 10 full seasons with the
team as a player. And, without explanation, he was not recognized.
"He's the leader of this team," Sabres forward Jason Pominville said last
Thursday in Buffalo. "He's the guy we look up to. He makes the statements
here. And when things aren't going well, he corrects them."
Still, the night was full of laughs and memories for Ruff, who has stood the
test of time in a job where security is about as much a guarantee as
success. He has been around long enough to lead Michael Grosek, Michael
Peca and Alexei Zhitnik to the playoffs, as well as Tyler Ennis, Nathan
Gerbe and Tyler Myers.
To put it in perspective, the Flyers are now on their seventh coach since
Ruff was hired on July 21, 1997.
"I had a conversation with Michael Grosek [earlier]," Ruff said last
Thursday. "That always brings a smile to your face. He asked, 'Does seeing
me still give you a headache?' There were some great characters. It just
brings back good memories."
The memories haven't all been good - for instance, when Brett Hull scored
the Stanley Cup-clinching overtime goal for Dallas in 1999 with a skate in
the crease, or when a Flyers fan doused Ruff with a beer on April 20, 2000
in Philly after the Sabres were eliminated in the first round. But his track
record has been impressive.
Ruff has coached exactly one- third (1,066) of the Sabres' all-time games in
franchise history and he is just the fifth coach in NHL history to win 500
games with just one team.
"I think he is a good coach," said this series' adversary, Peter Laviolette. "I
don't think you hang around that long for not being a good coach. He's
taken a lot of teams and gotten a lot out of them. He's had some playoff
success.
"And when your team is successful, your organization is successful and you
can find some longevity."
It's scary to think that this season might have been Ruff's best overall
coaching job. The Sabres were last in the NHL at one point in November
and were 13 points back of a playoff spot in January.
It was then, after a team meeting in Calgary and rumors finally floating
about his job security, that Ruff emphatically declared that his team was
good enough to be a playoff team.
"It gave us confidence," said Pominville, the Sabres' second-longest
tenured player. "To know that a coach believes in you and the guys around
you, that was a big deal for us."
Buffalo went on to post 62 points since Jan. 1 with a 28-11-6 record,
finishing as the hottest team in the Eastern Conference.
Some coaches in the NHL last by not changing, and sticking to their guns.
Ruff, meanwhile, has survived by adapting.
"I think he finds different ways to deliver the message," Pominville said. "It's
not like we're listening to the same speeches. We know he's going to be
here. He still catches everybody's attention, that's part of the reason why
he's been around so long."
564735
Philadelphia Flyers
Sam Carchidi's NHL Playoff Picks
Sam Carchidi
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Washington over Rangers in five. Caps too deep for Callahan-less
Rangers.
Flyers over Buffalo in six. But if Pronger isn't ready, Sabres will advance.
Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay in seven. Goaltending the difference as
Penguins survive.
Boston over Montreal in six. Defense gives Bruins look of a conference
finalist.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver over Chicago in six. Payback time as Canucks oust champs.
San Jose over L.A. in six. Not a choking situation, just that Sharks have
dynamic power play.
Detroit over Phoenix in seven. Injury-plagued Red Wings find a way.
Nashville over Anaheim in seven. Upset special as Rinne shows his worth.
564736
Philadelphia Flyers
Pronger skates, but does not practice Tues.
Staff
Will he play or won’t he?
For the Flyers, Chris Pronger’s availability for Thursday’s opening game of
the Eastern Conference quarterfinals is THE main topic as the team
prepares to face the Buffalo Sabres.
Pronger said he was optimistic he would play in the series, but would not
comment about Game 1.
Pronger, who hasn’t played since March 8 because of a broken right hand,
skated for about 50 minutes prior to the team’s practice Tuesday at the
Skate Zone in Voorhees. He skated with Oskars Bartulis, Matt Walker and
Ian Laperriere. Lappy is an unofficial coach with the team.
Coach Peter Laviolette dropped hints that Pronger would not play in Game
1.
GM Paul Holmgren said Pronger would try to stickhandle on Wednesday,
and then we'll "go from there." He will not try to shoot the puck until at least
Thursday.
Teammate Danny Briere went on a Buffalo radio station and said the star
defenseman would not play in Game 1 and could be out a lot longer, but
Briere later added that he was just joking.
"I have no clue whether he's playing," Briere said.
No one does.
Defenseman Matt Walker cleared re-entry waivers and has joined the
team, giving them some insurance on the blue line.
564737
Philadelphia Flyers
Pronger trying to get a grip on possible return
Matt Walker, coming back from knee surgery in February, cleared recall
waivers on Tuesday and rejoined the Flyers after a stint with the Phantoms.
+ Flyers spent about half of Tuesday's practice working on power play and
penalty kill.
Burlington County Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
By WAYNE FISH
VOORHEES, N.J. - Take a good look this morning at the tall fellow out on
the ice trying to get a grip on a stick - he just might hold the fate of the
Flyers' playoffs in his hand.
Chris Pronger, considered the best defenseman and possibly most valuable
player on the Philadelphia roster, says he will vigorously test his broken
right appendage today for the first time since suffering a setback a couple
weeks ago.
Pronger is expected to try to stickhandle first and if that goes well,
eventually graduate to shooting in the days ahead.
If there is progress, then there probably is hope he will be back sometime
during the upcoming series with the Buffalo Sabres.
But if Pronger continues to feel discomfort and lack of strength, then all bets
are off.
"He's coming along nicely," was general manager Paul Holmgren's
optimistic take on the situation. "I'm just going to continue to say that he's
day to day. He's better today than he was yesterday."
Holmgren said the Flyers do allow their players to take painkiller shots but
only in rare cases.
"It's up to the player," Holmgren said. "It might be posed (from the medical
staff) as a question, 'we understand this is an issue, this (a painkiller) could
possibly help and not put you at risk.' As far as an injection (for Pronger), I
don't think that's a possibility."
Pronger, wearing a long brace to protect his hand, held one of his infamous
court sessions with the media and seemed in good spirits.
"It's tough," he said. "You would like to be able to be out there prepping,
going through all the drills. But I have my own path, I guess. We'll use it for
what it is."
Asked if he feels like he's making progress, Pronger responded: "I do. I can
(grip a stick)."
Pronger said he's "very" confident he will play in the series but would not
address the odds of competing in Thursday night's Game 1 at the Wells
Fargo Center.
"Come to practice tomorrow (today)," Pronger told a questioner. "Every day
is a new day. Some days you feel better, others you have setbacks."
Coach Peter Laviolette is preparing to move ahead with the players who are
available. Players such as Andrej Meszaros have stepped up in the 32
games Pronger missed this season.
"You would certainly like to have your pieces in there," Laviolette said. "But
we don't, he's not available. So we prepared for Buffalo with the guys on the
ice. I think we have a lot of confidence. We dealt with injuries all last year,
all this year, too."
Sean O'Donnell doesn't mind the challenge of playing without Pronger.
There's plenty of talent to pull up the slack.
"I have confidence," O'Donnell said. "I think our record shows that we had a
pretty good season without him. I'm not going to sit here and say that we
don't want Chris back. We do. Those games against Washington and
Pittsburgh, we were right in there.
"We feel like this is a good team, whether Chris is in lineup or out of it."
Matt Carle said defensive depth can help carry the load in Pronger's
absence.
"That was the whole purpose of the additions in the offseason," Carle said.
"If something like that happened - I mean you can't replace a guy like Chris
Pronger with one guy. But as a D corps, we all need to step up our game. I
think we've done a pretty good of it while he's been gone."
Short shots
564738
Philadelphia Flyers
Don't expect higher seeds to advance
By WAYNE FISH
Upsets, get your upsets here.
On paper, it always looks like the higher-seeded NHL teams have the big
advantage come playoff time.
But as we saw last year, when the No. 7 Flyers played the No. 8 Montreal
Canadiens in the Eastern Conference finals, things don't always go
according to script.
With that in mind, here's how we see this year's 16-team extravaganza in
the first round of play toward Lord Stanley's precious metal:
EAST
No. 1 Washington Capitals vs. No. 8 New York Rangers: Two seasons ago,
the Rangers had the Caps down by a 3-1 margin before choking. Not this
time. Even without Ryan Callahan, the Blueshirts have a big edge in goal
with Henrik Lundqvist. Rangers in seven games.
No. 2 FLYERS vs. No. 7 Buffalo Sabres: It's a trendy pick to tab the latecharging Sabres for an upset. But the Flyers have so much depth - three
20-goal scorers on their third line - that not even Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller
can save the day. FLYERS in six.
No. 3 Boston Bruins vs. No. 6 Montreal Canadiens: Boston could very well
have the most dangerous lineup in the East, with ageless goaltender Tim
Thomas and intimidating defenseman Zdeno Chara. Bruins in five.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning: With Sidney
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out of the picture, the Penguins might have a
tough time scoring goals. Tampa has a lot of offense up front and Dwayne
Roloson might be just the goalie they need. Lightning in six.
WEST
No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 8 Chicago Blackhawks: Even though
Chicago has elminated Vancouver each of the last two seasons, the
Canucks just look too powerful this year. Look for Ryan Kesler to have an
important role. Canucks in six.
No. 2 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Kings: After making the
conference finals last year, Sharks go back to usual gagging ways. The
Kings have potentially great goaltending in Jon Quick and tight defense led
by Drew Doughty. Kings in seven.
No. 3 Detroit Red Wings vs. No. 6 Phoenix Coyotes: Detroit won't have star
player Henrik Zetterberg and that's going to hurt. The Coyotes are well
coached and play a disciplined game. This one could be a shocker.
Coyotes in six.
No. 4 Nashville Predators vs. No. 5 Anaheim Ducks: This teams are so
evenly matched, it's scary. Could our old friend, Anaheim goaltender Ray
Emery, be a factor in this series? It would make for a good story but Preds
have the edge in most areas. Predators in five.
564739
Philadelphia Flyers
"I really feel that that is where a fourth line comes into play in the playoffs. It
gives you that insurance that you can put a line out there and create some
positive energy no matter what line they're against."
Third, fourth lines key to playoff hopes
Pronger on hold
WAYNE FISH
Chris Pronger (broken hand) still isn't practicing yet and continues to be
listed as day-to-day. Pronger wouldn't comment on his status Monday, but
the Flyers say he will discuss it today.
Short shots
VOORHEES - Playoffs can be a grind, so maybe that's why the grinders
seem to have a much bigger say in the outcome.
In contrast to regular-season hockey, the postseason stuff becomes much
more fundamental - the checks, the puck battles, the shorter passes.
This is familiar territory for the third- and fourth-line muckers. They don't live
by the fancy move, the behind-the-back dish. It's all banging and diving,
with the occasional turnover goal thrown in.
No doubt, the Flyers rely on these plumbers to do a yeoman's share of the
dirty work once the Stanley Cup tournament whistle blows.
And against a speedy team like first-round opponent Buffalo, it's imperative
that guys like Blair Betts, Daniel Carcillo, Andreas Nodl, Darroll Powe and
Jody Shelley do an effective job setting the tone of the game.
"Teams are so locked in on what the other teams are doing, the big guns,
the top two lines," Shelley said after Monday's practice at the Skate Zone. "I
think maybe the third and fourth lines are overlooked.
"The intensity of the game raises and it's crucial that the third- and fourthline guys raise their level, contribute however they can. I think the little
things in the playoffs mean more. When you're on that stage and you're
counted on by your teammates, you don't want that letdown to be when
you're on the ice."
Betts, one of hockey's veteran wisemen, knows all about this role. He's
aware that there is no margin for error. Often they're asked to shadow
vastly superior talent and they have to match the intensity level.
"Teams that do well are teams that have players who elevate their game,"
Betts said. "It's a matter of knowing your role and being really great at it."
Danny Briere appreciates what those secondary lines bring.
"A lot of times the focus comes on the top guys," he said. "Whoever has the
most depth, guys who can chip in to support that cast, usually it makes a
big difference."
The Flyers have the luxury of an above-average third line, with Mike
Richards centering James van Riemsdyk and Kris Versteeg. Versteeg could
be an "X" factor in these playoffs, just as he was last year for the Cup
champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Versteeg is an annual 20-goal scorer who just happens to be playing third
line because he fits in well with Richards, another player who is considered
top six on most teams.
By operating a bit under the checking radar, Versteeg might have a bit more
space to display his speed and skill.
"Sometimes you get that scoring from guys you don't expect," Versteeg
said. "That's generally where you're going to win those series. Lots of times,
those top two lines cancel each other out. It depends on what else each
team has to give."
In last season's Stanley Cup action, Versteeg recorded 14 points in 22
games, an effective total for a swingman.
"I think of myself as a second-line guy but both here and in Chicago (due to
depth up front) I'm on a third," he said. "I definitely think I can add a top six
offense."
Coach Peter Laviolette has been rolling four lines all year and doesn't
sound like he's going to stop now.
"When you talk about the Betts line, you're talking about a physical line that
can create some energy," Laviolette said. "If you feel like you've missed
some sort of matchup that maybe you're trying to get + they have the
reliability that they can go out against the other team's No. 1 line, play them
tough and be physical.
Betts (knee) said he will be ready to go on Thursday for Game 1. +
Although Laviolette originally announced Sergei Bobrovsky as his goalie for
Game 1, he no longer will comment on whether he's had a change of mind.
Bobrovsky was pulled from the season finale in favor of Brian Boucher.
564740
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' Pronger doesn't seem likely to start in playoffs
By ANTHONY J. SANFILIPPO
VOORHEES, N.J. -- Paul Holmgren has denied it, Chris Pronger has
avoided talking about it, the Flyers have officially skirted the issue.
The reality is that Pronger will not be ready for the start of the playoffs.
According to a team source, Pronger is out for Game 1 and is “pretty
doubtful” for Game 2 and beyond depending on how things shake out with
his hand and the Flyers’ Eastern Conference quarterfinals series with the
Buffalo Sabres that begins Thursday.
The source said Pronger, who has skated on his own or with other injured
players for the past week, will stickhandle for the first time today while
skating with the organization’s minor league call-up players who fill out the
emergency roster for the playoffs.
He will not shoot, and there is no timetable for him to try to do so, although
it could be as soon as Friday if he continues to progress well.
As for when Pronger might actually play, the common belief is that it
depends on the situation in which the Flyers find themselves.
If they are up 2-0, the Flyers may not bring him back for Game 3. But if they
find themselves in an early series deficit, Pronger’s hand might magically be
cured.
“It’s tough,” Pronger said. “I’d like to be out there prepping and going
through all the drills. But I have my own path, I guess, and we’ll use it for
what it is.”
Asked how confident he was that he’d play in the opening series, Pronger
gave a one-word answer:
“Very,” he said.
Pronger missed 32 games this season with three different injuries. He was
out for the first two games of the season while he finished recovering from
offseason knee surgery. He missed 13 games around the holidays with a
foot fracture and then the final 17 games of the season with the current
hand injury after blocking a shot.
The Flyers started off well without Pronger, but their late season struggles
left them winning only half the games their stalwart defenseman missed
(16-9-7).
Heading into the playoffs, the Flyers will have to survive at least one or two
more games without him.
“The whole purpose of the additions in the offseason were in case
something like that happened,” said Matt Carle, Pronger’s defensive
partner. “You can’t really replace a guy like Pronger with one person, but as
a corps and as a group we have to step up our game and I think we’ve
done that in the time that he’s been out of the lineup.”
The additions Carle talked about are Andrej Meszaros and Sean O’Donnell.
Meszaros only became the Flyers’ best defenseman this season, winning
the team’s Barry Ashbee trophy. He was solid all season, finishing tied for
the team lead at plus-30. He filled in for Pronger on the top defensive pair,
proving that he has elite two-way ability by scoring some big goals for the
Flyers, including two overtime game-winners and a four-point game (two
goals) in the Atlantic Division clincher.
Meanwhile, O’Donnell, the 39-year old veteran with a Stanley Cup on his
resume, has been reliable on the blue line. More importantly, he’s become
a locker room leader in Pronger’s absence.
Overall, however, Pronger hasn’t been thrilled with the team’s play.
“With the added minutes, a lot of times guys get into the flow of the game a
lot more,” Pronger said. “I think we’ve been on a slippery slope since
Christmas. We weren’t playing 60 minutes. As the season started to wind
down it really started to unfold. Hopefully we learned from that and pick it up
in the playoffs.
“I guess we’ll find out. We’ve seen (us flip on the switch) before, but you
don’t want to test that too often.”
NOTES: Peter Laviolette wouldn’t talk about his lineup for Game 1, but a
source indicated that Danny Syvret will get the nod over Nick Boynton to
replace Pronger on defense. He will likely be paired with Carle, but expect
Carle and Meszaros to see a lot of time together as well. … With Blair Betts
expected there will likely be some shifting. Again Laviolette would not talk
about any changes. But with the desire to have two checking lines, there’s a
good chance Andreas Nodl plays with Mike Richards and Kris Versteeg
while James van Riemsdyk moves onto a line with Claude Giroux and Jeff
Carter. The lone question that will remain is whether Dan Carcillo, Jody
Shelley or Nik Zherdev gets the last forward spot on the fourth line. Carcillo
is probably the frontrunner, as he is a poor man’s hybrid of the physical
(Shelley) and the skilled (Zherdev).
Delaware County Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
564741
Philadelphia Flyers
Sabres say they learned from Round 1 loss last year
(AP)
After being bounced by the Boston Bruins in their first-round matchup last
year, the Buffalo Sabres learned there's no guarantees come playoff time.
That's why the team is focusing on what they need to do better this year
against the Philadelphia Flyers in order to not have history repeat itself.
Last year's Northeast Division winners, the Sabres, seemed on the verge of
cruising past the sixth-seeded Bruins after winning the first game. But when
sniper Thomas Vanek went down in Game 2 with an injury, Boston began
pushing Buffalo around.
The Sabres quickly wilted in losing four of the next five.
This year, they intend to shove back against the favored Flyers.
"Maybe we got a little full of ourselves and didn't quite put in all the
necessary work and all the details it takes to win," winger Mike Grier said
about the early exit last spring. "Hopefully, we learned a little bit from that,
and everyone realizes if you want to win this thing, you've got to give
anything you have."
After a scintillating start to the season, the Sabres limped into their series
with the Bruins before eventually crumbling. This year, Buffalo comes in
with plenty of confidence thanks to a late-season surge.
"The pressure's a little different," goalie Ryan Miller said. "Last year, there
was a lot higher expectations. We finished in third, and I think we were
feeling it a little bit. This year, we've been playing playoff hockey long
enough now, probably three months worth of it. I don't think we need to
change anything. We don't have to get ramped up, get geared up. Last
year, we almost had to flick a light switch because we weren't playing good
hockey. That catches up to you because it's not the right energy and not the
right way to enter a series."
The Bruins exploited Buffalo's penchant for playing along the perimeter last
year, and also neutralized the Sabres' power play, which finished 0 for 19 in
the series.
But the Sabres have become a grittier bunch this year led by unheralded
forwards such as Cody McCormick (142 penalty minutes) and Paul
Gaustad (101). And their power play finished ninth in the NHL, converting
19.4 percent of its chances.
"The puck movement has been better, and we're throwing more stuff to the
net and getting rewarded for it," winger Jason Pominville said. "Our power
play is going to be very important."
The Sabres practiced for about an hour on Tuesday, including injured
defenseman Andrej Sekera. The four-year veteran missed the last two
games because of an upper-body injury. But coach Lindy Ruff said that
Sekera was able to successfully get through the workout.
Sekera finished with a career-high 29 points in 76 games this season.
Center Tim Connolly also returned to the ice after taking the day off on
Monday.
564742
Philadelphia Flyers
Snider has Stanley Cup expectations for his Flyers
— On the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation's mission to improve five
public skating rinks in the city, "They're going to be state-of-the-art modern
rinks. These kids will be able to get off the streets 365 days a year as long
as their grades are kept up. We give them life skills. I'm thrilled."
About a lot of things these days.
By DAN GELSTON,AP Sports Writer
Ed Snider expects the Stanley Cup back in Philadelphia. He'd love to hoist
the NBA championship trophy and throw another parade down Broad
Street, too.
Snider could get his wish with the defending Eastern Conference-champion
Flyers this season. And while the 76ers have little chance of winning a title
this year, a playoff berth in coach Doug Collins' first season has him thrilled
about the future.
But Snider has more modest expectations for his latest project.
Snider, chairman of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the 76ers and Flyers,
will see his name on the big screen this month as executive producer of
"Atlas Shrugged: Part 1." Snider once owned the rights to the 1957 Ayn
Rand novel and tried since the early 1980s to develop a screenplay into a
movie.
"I doubt if there will be an Oscar in Hollywood for this movie," Snider said,
laughing. "But I guarantee an awful lot of people are going to love it."
Snider, who founded the Flyers, was a friend of Rand and staunch believer
in her philosophies of capitalism, individual achievement and objectivism.
He was a founding contributor of the Ayn Rand Institute and was set to
attend the movie's premiere Tuesday night at Union Station in Washington.
The movie was made with a cast of mostly unknown actors for about $10
million and has its national release on April 15. Philadelphia businessman
John Aglialoro financed the movie and made sure to give Snider, who once
ran the independent film studio Spectacor Films, a producer's credit.
"I''m a little embarrassed by it because I really didn't do anything," Snider
said before Monday's 76ers game. "I don't deserve to have my name on it,
but I'm happy about the fact the movie came out."
Arguably Philadelphia's most powerful sports figure of the last four-plus
decades, Snider has no reason for embarrassment over the play of his two
franchises this year. The Flyers picked up where they left off after last
season's Game 6 loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals. They spent
about two months atop the Eastern Conference standings before a lastmonth slump knocked them into second.
The Flyers start the quest for their first championship since winning the last
of consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1975 on Thursday vs.
Buffalo.
"The goal for this team is always a Stanley Cup," Snider said. "When you
talk about realistic expectations, it's a hard, hard battle to win the Cup. I
don't feel like I want to put that kind of pressure on anybody. I'm just saying,
that every single year, we play the game, we work toward winning the Cup."
As for the Sixers, a blossoming nucleus has the franchise in the right
direction toward becoming Eastern Conference contenders. For now, the
path to the NBA finals still runs through Boston, Miami and Chicago.
Like the Flyers, the Sixers also have slumped hard in the final weeks and
need a win in Wednesday's finale to clinch a winning record for the first time
in six years.
But after a dreadful 27-win season, Collins has the Sixers playing hard and
believing they can beat any team.
"It's certainly better than the alternative," Snider said. "I think it's all been
Doug's influence. He's done an incredible job. I feel really good about the
fact that we are in the playoffs and I feel really good about our future."
— On bringing the NHL's Winter Classic to Philadelphia, "I hope so, but I
have no knowledge one way or the other. I'd love to have it here."
— On the Philly Live! entertainment complex set to take the place of the
demolished Spectrum, "We're just about breaking ground on the world's
largest sports bar on the corner of 11th and Pattison. We're looking at the
potential of a four-star or five-star hotel. Nothing's been scaled back. It's
going to be done in stages because of the economy."
564743
Philadelphia Flyers
Tall task awaits rookie Bobrovsky in postseason
By Sarah Baicker
Since 1986, only three rookie goaltenders have carried their teams to
Stanley Cup victories.
Patrick Roy, Antti Niemi and Cam Ward are the sole members of the
exclusive club of rookie goalies who have won the Cup in the past 25 years.
And all three of them had American Hockey League experience before their
NHL debuts – Niemi even played three games with the Chicago
Blackhawks before his first full season.
To say that Sergei Bobrovsky, the 22-year-old rookie named the Flyers’
playoff starter last week, has a tall task ahead of him is most certainly an
understatement. Bobrovsky, after all, bypassed the North American game’s
minor leagues entirely, arriving in Philadelphia directly from Russia’s KHL.
But Bobrovsky’s story is far from typical. He wasn’t even supposed to spend
the entire season with the Flyers – he just impressed coaches and
teammates so much from the beginning that it was impossible to send him
to the AHL. And it’s that reason the Flyers believe that Bob (or “Bobs,” as
he’s nicknamed himself) has a chance to join those three aforementioned
Cup-winners.
“Bob has the skill, he has the mental makeup that that is possible,” said Jeff
Reese, the Flyers’ goaltending coach. “He just needs to get off to a good
start and get his confidence and go from there.”
And the Flyers believe that Bobrovsky will get off to a strong start Thursday
against the Buffalo Sabres, despite his ugly outing in the team’s last
regular-season game. Bobrovsky was pulled Saturday in the first period
against the New York Islanders after allowing three goals on just eight
shots.
That game was the culmination, in a way, of a rocky last few weeks for
Bobrovsky. So rocky, in fact, that coach Peter Laviolette was asked to
reconfirm after Saturday’s game that Bob was still, in fact, the team’s
starting goalie.
“I think sometimes when you try too hard, it works against you,” Reese said.
“I think that’s maybe what Bob was trying to do. Not that he played poorly,
but if you really want something bad, there’s a fine line there. That’s what I
noticed in his play a little bit. He was really trying hard. But the good news
is, he really wanted to play in the playoffs, and he’ll be playing in the
playoffs.”
The team that he’ll be facing will pose a big challenge, too. Bobrovsky was
2-2 against Buffalo this season, posting a 3.26 GAA and .906 save
percentage. And the Sabres were one of the NHL’s hottest teams during
the last few weeks of the season, going 7-1-2 over their final 10 games.
On the surface, of course, it seems like the Sabres have the clear goalie
advantage. Ryan Miller is easily one of the best goaltenders to reach the
postseason this year, and his five regular-season shutouts, 34 wins and
nine years of NHL experience make him a definite threat to the Flyers’ goal
scorers.
But in reality, Miller and Bobrovsky have extremely similar numbers this
year. Both have a 2.59 goals-against average, and the difference in their
save percentages is literally one thousandth of a point: .916 for Miller, .915
for Bobrovsky.
The deciding factor in this playoff series could simply come down to
pressure, and how each netminder handles the high-stress playoff
environment.
So how much more difficult is Bobrovsky’s task, given that Miller has 40
NHL playoff games under his belt, but Bob has yet to appear in one?
“I almost think it’s less,” Reese said. “He’s just going to go out there and try
to stop the puck. That’s the way I feel – I think it’s actually an advantage.”
Not long ago, a number of Flyers players expressed concern about
Bobrovsky’s puckhandling skills, leading to a fairly widespread belief that
Brian Boucher was poised to become the team’s playoff starting goalie.
Though Reese alleged the issue was “blown out of proportion” at the time,
Bob’s puckhandling has improved in recent weeks, according to his
teammates.
“Any time he comes out and plays the puck, you need to be confident in
what he’s doing with it,” Matt Carle said. “I think he’s gotten 100 times better
since the beginning of the year and I think his confidence has gone up
tremendously with coming out and stopping it and making sure we’re not
going to get run in the corner.
“It’s been a big help for us as D-men, but it’s still a work in progress. I don’t
think that’s ever going to be perfect. Even a guy like Martin Brodeur, he’s
still making mistakes out there when he comes out and plays the puck.”
Boucher, instead, will back-up Bobrovsky in Game 1. He stopped shy of
calling Bobrovsky’s inexperience a benefit – but also said Bob’s last few
games have had a playoff-like feel, which counts for something.
“I think down the stretch here, these last few games, you get the sense of
what playoff hockey’s like,” Boucher said. “He played those games. I think
he’ll feel that. For as much as the intensity is ramped up, you as a person
are ramped up, too.”
Boucher would know. Though he fell shy of a Stanley Cup Final berth in his
first year in the NHL, he helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference
finals in his rookie season, 1999-00, though the team lost to the eventual
Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in seven games.
Back then, Boucher had a veteran goalie to help ease him into life in the
National Hockey League: John Vanbiesbrouck. Boucher has assumed that
role with Bobrovsky, which, according to Reese, has been critical to
Bobrovsky’s development.
“He knows that there’s support there for him, and that’s an important thing,”
Reese said. “It’s important for a young guy. … I’ll tell him certain things, but
sometimes it means a lot more coming from a guy who’s actually out there
on the ice with him.”
There’s a language barrier, sure, but the veteran skaters out on the ice with
Bobrovsky have definitely had advice for their young netminder.
“Just play your game,” said Sean O’Donnell, when asked what advice he
had for Bobrovsky. “That’s the one thing in the playoffs you need to do to be
successful: play it as well as you can, don’t try to do too much.
“Just make sure you’re pulling your weight. Everybody’s in the NHL for a
reason.”
564744
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers notes: Pronger's return still uncertain
By Tim Panaccio and Sarah Baicker
Chris Pronger skated again on Tuesday, but he didn’t shoot a single puck in
50 minutes of hard skating.
Of course, there’s always tomorrow, right?
Pronger strongly hinted that Wednesday will likely indicate one way or the
other his readiness to play in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Buffalo
Sabres on Thursday.
He did say was “very” confident he’ll play during this series, but wouldn’t
commit to Game 1. He hasn’t shot a puck at a practice since April 4.
“You’ll have to wait and find out,” he said of playing in the series opener.
One club source rated Pronger as “doubtful” for Game 1.
Pronger said he wasn’t discouraged at not shooting pucks so close to the
playoffs.
“Come to practice tomorrow and see,” he said. “They might [change]. They
change every day. Every day you feel better. Some days you have
setbacks …”
Coach Peter Laviolette is preparing the Flyers as if Pronger won’t be
available, but then again, that’s his only choice at this point.
“It’s tough, you’d like to be out there prepping for all the drills and preparing
properly,” Pronger said of working out on his own. “I have my own path and
we’ll use for what it is.”
General manager Paul Holmgren wasn’t willing to speculate on Game 1,
either.
“He’s going to continue to be day-to-day here and he’s coming along
nicely,” Holmgren said.
Only Pronger knows how he is feeling and whether he can play, so it’s
entirely realistic that if Mr. Warmth shoots pucks tomorrow and there is no
pain, then he will play. If there is, then he’s going to wait.
Holmgren didn’t feel that just because Pronger had not shot a puck in a
while that it would matter at this point.
“He’s played [1,154] games in the NHL or something like that, and [170]
playoff games, and I think I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he will be
fine in that regard,” Holmgren said.
Pronger went through a rigorous morning workout with assistant coach
Kevin McCarthy and the “Black Aces” – guys who are scratches.
Although he had a stick in hand during drills, Pronger didn’t do any
shooting.
Of course the Flyers would prefer to have Pronger in the lineup from the
get-go, but they’re confident they can take down the Sabres even if he’s
unable to play.
“I don’t know exactly what our record was without [Pronger], but I think that
was the whole purpose of the additions in the offseason,” Matt Carle said.
“Where if something like that happened, you can’t replace a guy like Chris
Pronger with one person, but as a D-core and as a group I think we all need
to step up our games. We’ve done that pretty well for the time being that
he’s been out”
More aces
Ian Laperriere, who missed the entire season with post-concussion
syndrome, was working with the Aces at Skate Zone on Tuesday in a
coach’s uniform, but he participated in hard skating drills. He will work with
the Aces throughout the playoffs, according to assistant general manager
Barry Hanrahan.
The Aces also included defenseman Matt Walker, who cleared re-entry
waivers on Tuesday.
Three’s a crowd
Goalie coach Jeff Reese now has three goalies – Sergei Bobrovsky, Brian
Boucher and Michael Leighton – to work with at practice … but only two
nets on the ice.
“Three goalies is tough, but this will get sorted out,” Reese said. “It’s my job
to make sure that the three are ready to play when they play. And if that
means going out an hour extra, a half an hour extra like we’ve done with
Michael [Leighton] the last few days – all three of them went extra
yesterday – that’s my job.”
Leighton, who returned to the Flyers after clearing re-entry waivers, finished
his season with the Adirondack Phantoms with shutouts in his last two
games. He’s looking much more like he did last year, according to Reese.
“Leights has got his game back,” Reese said. “The beginning of the year
after the back surgery, I didn’t think it was there. It wasn’t where it was, and
understandably so. He played the one game in L.A., he ended up winning
the game, but he just didn’t look like himself.
“He’s got close to a .930 save percentage [with the Phantoms]. … That
team really turned a corner after he got there. So you can tell how good he
can play.”
Loose pucks
There’s not much to dislike about Bobrovsky’s new helmet, which has
Rocky on one side and Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons on the other. …
Pronger said his right knee, which was scoped in the offseason, feels pretty
good. He only played 50 games this season, too. … The Flyers spent the
first part of practice working on special teams. … Walker has not played an
NHL game since Jan. 18 against Washington. He is a depth player at this
point. … Lindy Ruff said in Buffalo the Sabres are preparing as if Pronger
will play. … Sabres scoring depth is not as deep as the Flyers – only four
players with 20 goals or more. Flyers had seven players. “I think most of it
is how diligent we’re going to be with the puck, how smart we’re going to
be,” Ruff said. “We’re a smart team when we do good things with the puck,
and we had it a little bit more. Last game we got smoked in the faceoff
circle, which meant a lot of chasing, trying to get pucks back.”
Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times (Buffalo) contributed to this story.
564745
Philadelphia Flyers
Jackson's Five: Key questions for Flyers-Sabres
By Jim Jackson
It seems like it has taken forever to get here, but the Stanley Cup Playoffs
are finally upon us! For my money, it is the most compelling tournament in
sports if you are looking for drama, courage and excitement. Just think of
the thrills provided by the Flyers last spring.
In fact, it’s quite possible this year’s club got caught up in that. After a
superlative first 50 games or so this season, the boys seemed guilty of
looking forward to another playoff run instead of the rest of the regular
season. It is a possible explanation for their uneven play over the last two
months.
Well, the time for excuses has passed because the playoffs begin on
Thursday. And the postseason starts with questions aplenty as the Flyers
prepare to meet the challenge of the Buffalo Sabres in the first round.
Which team will win the special teams' battle?
It’s crucial during the regular season. It becomes vital in the playoffs. The
power play and penalty kill just about have to be rolling in order to have
playoff success. Goals from the special teams are momentum swingers in
postseason games, where every swing seems magnified in importance.
The Flyers’ power play never seemed to get in gear this season. It only
seemed to click when they kept things simple and got it back to the points
for shots which led to tips and deflections. When they tried to use finesse
with fancy plays, they more often than not, were ineffective. Their penalty
kill was decent in general, and dangerous as well, with 13 shorthanded
goals.
The Sabres’ power play can be potent. Thomas Vanek has been one of the
top man-advantage producers in the NHL over the last four years. There
are some skilled players on their unit. It’s an element that could become a
major factor.
Can the Sabres be worn down?
Yes, Lindy Ruff’s crew is quick. There are a number of lightning fast
forwards who pose threats when getting ice room. They use their speed
offensively and defensively.
However, it is not the biggest group of forwards. The Flyers, when they are
on their game, can wear a team down. They can play an up-tempo,
aggressive style that doesn’t make it easy on the opposition. Additionally,
the Flyers have a couple of defensemen in Andrej Meszaros and Braydon
Coburn who have ramped up their physical play down the stretch. Perhaps,
during the course of a long series, some of those smallish Sabres’ forwards
wear down.
Which Flyers' team shows up?
The Flyers of October through January win this series in no more than five
games. The Flyers of February through April could just as easily lose it in
the same length of time.
Which group do we get?
The hope for Flyers fans is that the team got bored after building up a big
lead in the standings and simply took the foot off the proverbial gas pedal.
Now that the playoffs are here, the theory is that they can slip that foot right
back on the pedal and charge forward.
We shall see.
How much of an impact will Chris Pronger have on the series?
In April, getting information on injured NHL players is more difficult than
prying details from the CIA. Leading up the series, we are probably not
going to get a definitive answer on Pronger’s condition or readiness for
play.
Would Pronger’s return be a huge boost to the Flyers’ chances of
advancing? Without a doubt. Even at something less than 100 percent, he
brings a tremendous presence to the proceedings. He might not have his
big shot, but he would still be able to assist in shutting the Sabres down.
Are the Flyers cooked if he does not come back in the first round? Not
quite. Meszaros has stepped up to supply his own brand of toughness and
Kimmo Timonen is still on the scene as a veteran influence. The Flyers’
defense corps, even without Pronger, rates a serious advantage over the
Buffalo blueliners, who have their own injury mysteries to solve (Jordan
Leopold).
What about Bob?
Around the league, this is the question that everybody is asking. It’s almost
as if it’s the only factor in the series according to some observers. That, of
course, is oversimplifying matters. The truth is, in watching this team coast
down the stretch this season, goaltending has only been one of many
issues, and perhaps even more a product of the others than a cause.
If the Flyers get solid goaltending, they should win. Solid. Not even
spectacular. If the passion returns to the play of the men up front, and the
defense takes care of the puck, all the Flyers will need is decent netminding
from Sergei Bobrovsky or whoever is in goal.
Are Philadelphia goaltenders capable of that? Absolutely! They will have to
be mentally strong though. In these parts, the moment even a marginally
soft goal is allowed, the critical bull’s eye goes on the goalie’s back, which
isn’t easily removed. And, with two veterans of playoff runs behind him, Bob
will probably have a short leash from the coaching staff.
For the 15th time in the last 16 seasons, we prepare for postseason hockey
in the Delaware Valley. The Flyers have become such regulars to the
playoff party, that we almost take it for granted. Please don’t! Savor what
we are about to experience. The intensity of each game, the craziness of
the fans, and the physical sacrifices made the players are all just part of the
thrilling equation.
If the Flyers get caught up in it, they are bound to resemble the club we saw
early in the season and not the one from the last two months. If that’s the
case, you have to like their chances to move on to the second round.
564746
Phoenix Coyotes
Wednesday's projected lines
Phoenix Coyotes intensity not a problem as playoffs start
- Forwards: Whitney-Belanger-Doan. Lauri Korpikoski-Martin Hanzal-Radim
Vrbata. Taylor Pyatt-Vern Fiddler-Lee Stempniak. Paul Bissonnette-Kyle
Turris-Mikkel Boedker.
by Jim Gintonio –
- Defensemen: Ed Jovanovski-Adrian Aucoin. Keith Yandle-Michal
Rozsival. Rostislav Klesla-David Schlemko.
Viewing party
DETROIT - For the past month, every Coyotes game has had a playoff feel.
Wednesday night, it's the real deal.
"We've been scratching and clawing for points, and in the playoffs you
scratch and claw for wins, so we should be in the same mood exactly,"
coach Dave Tippett said.
Take that same mood and multiply it several times: It's rematch time against
the Detroit Red Wings, who knocked the Coyotes out of the playoffs in the
first round last season. Even though "last year is last year" has been a
common thread, the Coyotes could not have asked for a better opponent to
ramp up their intensity.
"We want to make our new excitement this year," Tippett said. "There's
some things that we have to do for us to be successful, and Game 6 last
year (a 5-2 win) was a good example of how hard you have to play to try to
win."
Captain Shane Doan was jolted by a double-whammy last season - not only
was his team's dream season derailed, but he was knocked out the series
in Game 3.
"We want to get out of the first round of the playoffs, and we have to beat
them," Doan said. "Obviously last year didn't end the way we wanted it to.
When you have the chance to redeem yourself, you want to take advantage
of that."
The Red Wings, 11-time Stanley Cup winners and in the playoffs for the
20th consecutive season, finished third in the Western Conference; the
Coyotes, trying to advance past the first round for the first time since
moving to Arizona for the 1996-97 season, were sixth, battling but missing
the fourth seed by one point.
"Whoever you get, you've got to play well," Tippett said. "Detroit, we know
that team well. They've got a great deal of experience. They've been a top
franchise for a long time, so we'll have our hands full, but our group is very
excited.
"They're excited about this challenge ahead of us, and that's the way we'll
go into the series."
Going through pressure-laden games late in the season toughens a team,
defenseman Ed Jovanovski said.
"It's huge," he said. "I think any time you play games that mean something you need points, you find a way to do it - it gets you mentally ready for
crunch time, for right now. So I think as a group we feel comfortable in
playing those type games.
"We've always been a team to have that 1-0 mentality, so in hindsight it
kind of really prepares us for these types of series."
Low-scoring games could favor the Coyotes. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov's
game has become stronger the past several weeks, and he will need his
top effort to help neutralize the potent Red Wings attack. Leading scorer
Henrik Zetterberg was expected to miss the early part of the series because
of a knee injury, but Detroit has other weapons.
The Coyotes, whose only 20-goal scorer is Doan, rely on their goalie.
"He's (Bryzgalov) played very well down the stretch for us," Tippett said.
"He's very focused, wants to have a great playoffs, so hopefully his play will
indicate that."
Bryzgalov knows neither team will be holding anything back.
"Every game, every play counts," he said. "It's playoff time, it's all marbles
on the floor ... You got to play hard, and you got to sacrifice body and soul,
do whatever it takes to win the games.
"It might be seven games, it may be four, you never know, but every game's
so important. You just have to battle every game, every inch."
Coyotes fans can watch today's Game 1 as part of a viewing party that
starts at 3 p.m. at Santisi Brothers Pizzeria and Sports Grill (2710 W. Bell
Road #1115, in Phoenix). The puck drops at 4 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena in
Detroit. The Bud Light Girls will be on site playing "Bud Light Blue Line
Bingo." Howler and the Coyotes Paw Patrol also will be on hand, giving out
Coyotes and Bud Light prizes. For more information check out
budlightaz.com.
The Coyotes return home for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday
next week, and for Game 6, if necessary, on Sunday, April 24. First-round
playoff tickets are on sale and fans can purchase individual game tickets
starting at $39. Fans committing to purchase 2011-12 season tickets can
save as much as 160% on this year's playoff tickets. For more information
on Coyotes playoff tickets, please call 480-563-PUCK or visit
phoenixcoyotes.com.
Coyotes vs. Red Wings
- Game 1: Coyotes at Red Wings, Wednesday, 4 p.m. (Versus)
- Game 2: Coyotes at Red Wings, Saturday, 10 a.m. (Channel 12)
- Game 3: Red Wings at Coyotes, Monday, 7:30 p.m. (Versus)
- Game 4: Red Wings at Coyotes, April 20, 7:30 p.m. (Versus)
- Game 5:Coyotes at Red Wings, April 22, 4 p.m. (Versus)
- Game 6:Red Wings at Coyotes, April 24, TBD
- Game 7:Coyotes at Red Wings, April 27, TBD
- if necessary.
Arizona Republic LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Phoenix Coyotes
"He's the best player in the series," Doan said. "And when you have the
best player in the series, you have a chance."
Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov not getting the immense
appreciation he deserves
Maybe this is Bryzgalov's time. He is a free agent after this season is over,
and if he helps break the Winnipeg Jinx, it would only boost his market
value.
by Dan Bickley
Earlier in the season, the goalie was a bit frustrated over the economic
reality. The team was in ownership turmoil, and no long-term contract
extension would be forthcoming.
Now he's in position to cash in.
Ilya Bryzgalov is practically invisible.
He's the most-underappreciated athlete in the Valley. He's the biggest
reason the Coyotes are in the playoffs. Nobody in the NHL means more to
his team.
Would you recognize him in the grocery store?
"Doesn't happen much, no," Bryzgalov said.
Something is wrong with this picture.
We live in an era of instant information, a time when we see too much of
our athletes, some of whom could be recognized by their private parts.
Nobody goes under the radar in the 21st century.
And yet we have a goalie at the top of his craft, a candidate for the Hart
Trophy, and no one seems to notice?
"I know who I am and how I play," Bryzgalov said. "I'm very comfortable
with that."
As the Coyotes' starting goaltender, Bryzgalov has won 78 games over the
past two seasons. He is 6 feet 3 and looks like a giant between the posts.
His presence and impact is similar to how Randy Johnson once carried the
Diamondbacks.
With all due respect to Shane Doan and Keith Yandle, he is the only elite
player on a roster full of solid contributors, on a team with only one 20-goal
scorer.
"That puts a lot of pressure on a goaltender," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett
said.
Tippett then called his goalie "a pet rock with a big smiley face."
"He's been a rock for us all season long," Tippett said.
Problem is, Bryzgalov wears a mask to work, furthering his anonymity. His
limited English skills can't help his Q rating. He is moody and unpredictable,
occasionally unwilling to talk after victories.
The big man is a little different, to be generous, and that scares away some
people. But catch him in a good mood, and he's a gold mine.
He recently told a television reporter that he was more like "a silverback
gorilla."
"Yeah," Bryzgalov said. "Watch National Geographic, and you'll find out.
They take care of their families."
Maybe that's the way Bryzgalov feels about this upcoming playoff series,
and wouldn't that be nice?
If the Coyotes somehow upset the Red Wings, there would be no shortage
of story lines.
It would be redemption for Doan, the captain who was injured in Game 3 of
last year's playoff series and never returned. It would be another
masterstroke from Tippett, the coach who likes to hop on his motorcycle
and ride into the sunset alone.
A prolonged playoff run could help save the team from relocation, at a time
when Sen. John McCain sounds very pessimistic and is declaring battle
against the Goldwater Institute.
But in the end, playoff series are decided by the elite players, and
Bryzgalov offers the best chance to steal a game in Detroit, a necessity
after the Coyotes squandered home-ice advantage.
He offers the best shot at frustrating a better opponent. For the Coyotes to
win, he must be the MVP of the series.
Better yet, if the team leaves for Winnipeg, he doesn't have to worry about
the subhuman temperatures. He's one of the lucky ones. He can go play
elsewhere.
So how does he feel? Excited?
"Excited is a good word," Bryzgalov said.
The best.
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Phoenix Coyotes' Eric Belanger ready for his shot at a Stanley Cup
by Sarah McLellan
Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Well, sort of.
For years, Coyotes forward Eric Belanger has watched his friends around
the league win Stanley Cup titles. Mathieu Dandenault nabbed three rings
with the Detroit Red Wings. Philippe Boucher and Mathieu Garon won
recently in Pittsburgh. And every summer, Belanger's winning friends host a
party at their home with the Cup.
"You're happy for your friends, but you're jealous a little bit because you
want to be there, too," Belanger said. "It just makes it that much more fun to
be in the playoffs and have a chance to do it."
So every fall when hockey starts up again, Belanger is reminded of those
July and August celebrations with the silver cup.
"Every year when I start the year, it's the thing I dream about - having one
of those parties and having those guys come to my party."
Whether the Coyotes' playoff journey, which starts Wednesday night in
Detroit, ends in a backyard brouhaha is yet to be determined. But having
players such as Belanger and Ray Whitney, who have lengthy playoff stints
on their resume, added to the mix doesn't hurt the team's chances.
"Both those guys are huge," captain Shane Doan said. "They play in big
games, and they've had success in big games. And they're both gritty guys
that compete hard, and that's what the playoffs are all about."
Unlike Whitney, Belanger never has hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup but he was
been on both ends of the playoff spectrum. Last season as a member of the
Washington Capitals, the No. 1 seed out of the Eastern Conference,
Belanger and the Caps were knocked out in the first round by the eighthranked Montreal Canadiens despite having held a 3-1 lead in the series.
As a rookie with the Los Angeles Kings, Belanger scored an overtime goal
in Game 4 in a first-round series against Detroit. The Kings rallied to beat
the Wings in six games before losing in seven the next round to the
eventual champs, the Colorado Avalanche.
"Everybody can beat anybody in this league," Belanger said. "I think we
match up great against Detroit, and we're gonna go there with confidence.
It's gonna be a long-fought series I'm sure, but we have the confidence to
beat them."
Morris questionable
Defenseman Derek Morris did not skate Tuesday. Coach Dave Tippett said
Morris is "day to day, nursing bumps and bruises." The team recalled Oliver
Ekman-Larsson and Nolan Yonkman.
"We have eight defensemen here now who can all play," Tippett said.
"We'll find six (today) to make sure we're going in the right direction."
Coaching streak
For seven of the past eight seasons, Tippett has manned a team to the
postseason. That's a credit to his ability, but Tippett redirected praise to his
players.
"Good teams make the playoffs. That's the way it is," he said. "The one
year I missed in Dallas we had a lot of injuries and came up a little bit short,
but our teams worked hard. You earn the right to be in the playoffs, and you
do that by working hard in the season and finding ways to win, and our
team has done that."
Viewing party
budlightaz.com.
phoenixcoyotes.com.
- if necessary.
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Phoenix Coyotes
Playoffs Q&A . . . with Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan
Sarah McLellan –
Hockey folklore says if you're injured, you stay away from your teammates.
Perhaps that unwritten rule came about to keep morale high among players
- even when one of their own was hurt. Or maybe it's just another arm of the
superstitions hockey players tend to hold near and dear to ward off potential
mishaps.
The Coyotes bucked that trend last season when they asked captain Shane
Doan to come into the dressing room after suffering a shoulder injury in
Game 3 of a first-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings.
"I honestly can't put into words how much it meant to me that they would
have asked me to do that," Doan said. "One of the most genuine - I don't
know, as a player you always feel when you're injured to stay away, and it's
always been the way it is, and for them to come and ask me, it meant
absolutely the world to me."
Doan hopes he won't have to play cheerleader in a rematch of the series,
which begins Wednesday. Before the team departed for Detroit, Doan
chatted with The Republic and revealed his memories from last April and
how much this second chance means to him.
Question: Did you get your last shave in?
Answer: Yeah, I think so. The game the other day after we beat San Jose I
did it.
Q: Were you watching Sunday's matchup between Detroit and the Chicago
Blackhawks to see who you would be playing?
A: We watched that game just to see where we were at. I watched it with
my kids. So then once it was decided I didn't actually watch the next game.
I saw afterward that Minnesota beat (Dallas). I was pretty surprised.
Q: Do you think this is the hockey gods giving you another shot at the Red
Wings?
A: It would be nice if it was. If that's what it is, then I'll take it. But you look at
how good their team is and how they are, you have to appreciate all their
accomplishments. At the same time, we definitely feel as a group we have
some unfinished business. You have them, so you might as well want them
now.
Q: A year later, what sticks out for you from the previous series?
A: We had an opportunity to beat them, and we let it get away. We were up
two games to one in Detroit. That was disappointing in the fact we didn't
find a way to finish that off.
Q: As a kid, you've dreamed about competing for the Stanley Cup. Do you
have to separate that giddiness from a businesslike approach to the
games?
A: It's impossible to separate it. I mean, you sense it in the room. It's in the
room. It's on the ice. I don't care what happened to you this whole year, if
you find a way to be good, it's huge. Going forward you can't wait for
playoffs to start. Everyone's so excited. It's a youthful injection of
enthusiasm and energy that every single player gets. I don't care if you're
as old as Ray Whitney and Adrian Aucoin or the other older guys or as
young as (Oliver) Ekman-Larsson. It's an energy.
Q: So if the situation came up again in a game, would you collide with
Jimmy Howard instead of veering around him?
A: I don't know. I don't know if I would do that. Obviously it would have
really hurt him, and I don't think no one would ever intentionally injure
another player on another team. I wish I would have done something
different, but not necessarily do that.
Viewing party
budlightaz.com.
phoenixcoyotes.com.
- if necessary.
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IRA PODELLIRA PODELL, AP Hockey Writer
Apr. 12, 2011 10:15 PM ET
Canucks, Blackhawks meet in playoffs again
Apr. 12, 2011 8:08 PM ET
NHL Eastern Conference Preview Capsules
Apr. 12, 2011 6:21 PM ET
Pronger confident he'll play in playoffs
Apr. 12, 2011 4:53 PM ET
Sabres learned from Round 1 loss last year
Apr. 12, 2011 3:14 PM ET
Capsules of NHL Western Conference first-round series:
No. 1 VANCOUVER CANUCKS (54-19-9) vs. No. 8 CHICAGO
BLACKHAWKS (44-29-9).2009-10 series record: Vancouver 2-1-1.Playoff
History: Chicago 3-1. Last meeting: Chicago 4-2 in 2010 conference
semifinals.
VANCOUVER: The Canucks carry a team-record 117 points and the club's
first Presidents' Trophy win into a postseason they hope ends with their first
Stanley Cup championship. ... Unlike any other duo in the NHL, the
Canucks are led on offense by high-powered twins Daniel and Henrik
Sedin. Daniel followed Henrik's league scoring title from last season with his
own, posting 104 points — including 41 goals. He was set up often by
Henrik, who had 75 assists and finished fourth in scoring with 94 points.
They are the first set of brothers to win consecutive scoring championships.
... Ryan Kesler was the other offensive force with 41 goals and 73 points. ...
If the Canucks don't beat you with offense, they can get you with defense.
Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider combined to allow an NHL-low 185
goals. Luongo could be in position to add the Stanley Cup to the Olympic
gold medal he won on home ice last year during the Vancouver Games. He
was 38-15-7 with a 2.11 goals-against average and .928 save percentage
in 60 games. The defense could be hurt by the loss of two-way forward
Manny Malhotra, who is out for the playoffs because of a serious eye injury.
... Gritty LW Raffi Torres will miss the first two games of the series as he
finishes serving a suspension. On defense, Alex Edler is back from injury
along with Sami Salo. Dan Hamhuis (concussion) hopes to return soon. ...
Vancouver will be looking to get back at the Blackhawks, who knocked the
Canucks out of the playoffs each of the past two years — both times in the
second round. ... The Canucks finished first in power-play efficiency and in
a second-place tie in penalty-killing.
CHICAGO: The defending Stanley Cup champions nearly missed the
postseason party altogether, but got a second chance after their regularseason ending loss when Dallas was beaten by Minnesota. ... The biggest
question for Chicago, as it was last year, is will the Blackhawks have good
enough goaltending to make a deep run. Antti Niemi backstopped the
Blackhawks to the title, but now he is with the San Jose Sharks. Corey
Crawford, in his first full NHL season, went 33-18-6 with a 2.30 goalsagainst average in 57 games this season. Veteran Marty Turco will provide
valuable insurance as the backup. However, he hasn't started since Feb.
11. ... Crawford made 27 straight starts to finish the season and won 16,
with two shutouts and four games giving up only one goal. ... As was the
case last season, captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa
and Patrick Sharp lead the offense. Kane will likely head up the second line.
That foursome combined for 118 goals and 277 points this season. Sharp is
working his way back to full strength following a knee injury.
OUTLOOK: Blackhawks title defense ends early. Canucks in 5.
No. 2 SAN JOSE SHARKS (48-25-9) vs. No. 7 LOS ANGELES KINGS (4630-6).2009-10 series record: San Jose 3-1-2.Playoff History: First meeting.
SAN JOSE: The Sharks are again a popular pick to reach the finals and
maybe win the Stanley Cup, two things they have never done. ... San Jose
was sixth in the NHL with 248 goals and recorded a league-best 34½ shots
per game. ... Antti Niemi had an impressive first season with the Sharks
after backstopping the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup-winning run last year.
Niemi made everyone forget Evgeni Nabokov by going 35-18-6 with a 2.38
goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 60 games. ... Logan
Couture will be a player to watch after a rookie campaign of 32 goals and
56 points in 79 games. That was good for sixth on the team in scoring
behind such offensive stalwarts as Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Dany
Heatley. Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe joined that potent trio by also
having 60-point seasons. Couture had four goals in 15 playoff games with
the Sharks last year.
LOS ANGELES: The loss of injured forwards Anze Kopitar and Justin
Williams severely hurt the Kings' hopes of moving on in the playoffs.
Williams, Los Angeles' second-leading scorer, practiced Tuesday and is
trying to make a quick return from a separated shoulder. Kopitar is done for
the season with an ankle injury. ... Captain Dustin Brown, veteran forward
Ryan Smyth, and others such as Michal Handzus and Wayne Simmonds
will be looked upon to provide offense. Trevor Lewis might get time on the
top line in Kopitar's place. ... The Kings should be bolstered by an excited
home crowd for just the third all-California playoff matchup. ... Jonathan
Quick is one of the rising stars among NHL goalies and will probably have
to steal at least a game or two if the Kings are going to threaten the Sharks.
Quick went 35-22-3 with a 2.24 GAA in 61 games.
OUTLOOK: Beat-up Kings don't give Sharks enough of a fight. Sharks in 5.
No. 3 DETROIT RED WINGS (47-25-10) vs. No. 6 PHOENIX COYOTES
(43-26-13).2009-10 series record: Detroit 2-1-1 (one win in
overtime).Playoff History: Detroit 3-0. Last meeting: Detroit 4-3 in 2010
conference quarterfinals.
DETROIT: The always-present championship hopes are already tempered
because of the injury to leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg, who is out for at
least Game 1 because of a knee injury. Zetterberg, who had 24 goals and
80 points, missed the final two games of the regular season and is
questionable at best for Game 2 of this series. Center Pavel Datsyuk is
healthy and can be counted on to pick up the slack. Nicklas Lidstrom
anchors the defense, and looks as strong as ever as he approaches age 41
later this month. In his 19th NHL season, Lidstrom had 16 goals and 62
points — his highest total since the 2007-08 season — and played in all 82
games. ... The Red Wings hope to dispatch the Coyotes in easier fashion
than last spring, and will count on Jimmy Howard to get them through.
Howard was 37-17-5 with a 2.79 GAA in 63 games this season. Howard
went 5-7 last year in the playoffs when Detroit lost in the second round to
San Jose. ... Detroit avoided the 4 vs. 5 matchup this year by winning the
Central Division title after the Red Wings' nine-season streak was broken in
2010.
PHOENIX: The Coyotes will have to try to win this one with defense.
Phoenix averaged 2.76 goals per game and captain Shane Doan led the
club with 20 goals and 60 points. They do have balanced scoring, however,
as the Coyotes have eight forwards with at least 15 goals. ... Phoenix is
solid on defense with Keith Yandle, who was third in scoring among blueliners with 59 points. Ed Jovanovski should also settle things down on the
defensive side, having recently returned from broken orbital bones. ... Ilya
Bryzgalov also gives the Coyotes their best chance at an upset. He was 3620-10 with a 2.48 goals-against average and finished among the top 10 in
wins, saves and shutouts (seven). ... Penalties could be especially costly for
the Coyotes for two reasons. Phoenix killed them at a rate of only 78
percent, the fifth-worst mark in the NHL. Detroit's power play connected
22.3 percent of the time, fifth-best in the league.
OUTLOOK: Detroit dispatches desert dwellers again. Red Wings in 6.
___
No. 4 ANAHEIM DUCKS (47-30-5) vs. No. 5 NASHVILLE PREDATORS
(44-27-11).2009-10 series record: Nashville 3-1.Playoff History: First
meeting.
ANAHEIM: The third of California's three playoff teams this season looks to
make the most noise. Anaheim is the only one of the three with a Stanley
Cup title, but that memory from 2007 is becoming more distant. ... Teemu
Selanne seems much younger than his nearly 41 years after he finished
second on the team in scoring to Corey Perry with 80 points — including 39
goals. Perry, however, is the one who will draw most of the attention after
he busted out with an NHL-best 50 goals in a 98-point season. Half of
Perry's goals either tied the game or put Anaheim ahead. Not to be
forgotten are Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan, who both had more than 70
points while playing on a line with Perry. Ryan was second on the club with
34 goals. ... Anaheim held the tiebreaker over Nashville to earn home-ice
advantage after both teams had 99 points. The difference was the Ducks
had more non-shootout victories. ... Jonas Hiller will be the No. 1 goalie
assuming he is totally over the vertigo that sidelined him for much of the
second half after he was a first-half All-Star. Well-traveled Ray Emery filled
in well, but he was injured in the final days of the regular season. Dan Ellis
entered the mix after he was acquired from Tampa Bay in February for
fellow goalie Curtis McElhinney, who failed when given the chance to fill in
for Hiller.
NASHVILLE: While Anaheim does it with offense, the Predators thrive on
defense and Pekka Rinne's fine goaltending. Rinne was second to Boston's
Tim Thomas in GAA (2.12) and save percentage (.930) and won 33 of his
64 appearances. This sets up an intriguing matchup that rivals great batterpitcher matchups in baseball. ... Nashville's offense was paced by Sergei
Kostitsyn, who had a team-high 23 goals and tied Martin Erat for the club
lead of 50 points. Stalwart defenseman Shea Weber was tied for fourth in
points with Patric Hornqvist at 48, and was second to Hornqvist in shots
taken (265-254). ... Center Mike Fisher will look to have playoff success in
his first visit as a Western Conference player after seven trips to the East
playoffs with Ottawa — including a trip to the 2007 finals against Anaheim.
The in-season acquisition was key for the Predators, who put Fisher on the
top line with Hornqvist and Kostitsyn. ... LW Steve Sullivan was limited to 44
games because of a groin injury, but is back and will provide a veteran
presence. Erat (back) skated Monday and should play, and C Cal O'Reilly
hopes to return after being out since he broke a leg on Jan. 2.
OUTLOOK: As good as Rinne is, Anaheim gets the best of him and the
Preds. Ducks in 7.
East Valley Tribune LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Coyotes recall Ekman-Larsson, Yonkman from minors
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Phoenix Coyotes have recalled defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson
and Nolan Yonkman from the minors as they get ready to open their firstround playoff series Wednesday at Detroit.
The 19-year-old Ekman-Larsson has one goal and 10 assists in 48 games
as a rookie this season with Phoenix. In 15 games with the AHL's San
Antonio Rampage, he has three goals and seven assists.
Yonkman has played in 16 games for Phoenix with one assist and 39
penalty minutes. He had one goal, four assists and 104 penalty minutes in
56 games at San Antonio.
East Valley Tribune LOADED: 04.13.2011
564752
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins-Lightning: Picking a tight series
By Rob Rossi, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
So, here the Penguins are again in a Nos. 4-5 matchup to open the Stanley
Cup playoffs. A fan could just about set his or her watch to it. This is the
fourth time in five postseasons the Penguins have been in this situation and
the third time in a row they are the No. 4 seed.
Looking for a reason to pick them over the No. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning?
Well, the No. 4 seed has won each of the three 4-5 matchups to involve the
Penguins during the Sidney Crosby era.
Of course, picking the Penguins to win this series would feel like a safer bet
if Crosby were involved. He isn't (for now, though that could change). As if
playing without 2009 playoff MVP Evgeni Malkin wasn't enough of a
challenge for the Penguins.
The NHL intends its playoffs to pair Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in a razor-thin
matchup, and this contest between the Penguins and Lightning feels like
one that could go either way. Tribune-Review Penguins beat reporter Rob
Rossi looks at three reasons either team will win:
Penguins win
No. 1: Always back the best goalie
With all due respect to veteran Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson, the
Penguins arrive at this postseason with a cornerstone player in his prime at
the most important position. Marc-Andre Fleury, after his well-documented
1-6-0 start, posted Vezina Trophy-quality numbers. He went 35-14-5 with a
2.16 goals-against average and .925 save percentage over his final 56
appearances. Critics will point to his flameout in Round 2 against Montreal
last season. Fair enough, but also keep in mind that the last time a
considerable portion of the hockey world doubted his team — Games 6 and
7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final — his response was to allow just a goal in
each of Games 6 and 7. The Penguins won those games, 2-1. They'll
probably have to win a few by that score against the Lightning, too.
No. 2: The four who can floor
During the final weeks of the regular season former Florida Panthers coach
Peter DeBoer twice lauded a Penguins defense corps that had "four
Olympians." Technically, Paul Martin didn't play for his United States at the
2010 Games because of injury, and Canada didn't include Kris Letang on
its roster. However, if the point DeBoer was trying to make is that the
Penguins are blessed with an enviable top four on the back end — well, he
would have been right. Arguably, there is no better foursome than Letang,
Martin, Zbynek Michalek and Martin. Any from that group would rate as the
Lightning's top defenseman, and Tampa Bay's fourth through sixth
defensemen probably wouldn't crack the Penguins' lineup. Dominant
defense corps win the Cup in the post-lockout NHL — just look at the past
five champions.
No. 3: No emotional rescue needed
The Penguins finished with more points than all but three teams despite
playing just two games with Crosby, Malkin, Fleury and center Jordan Staal
in the lineup. Their revamped top line includes two wingers (James Neal,
Alex Kovalev) who combined for two goals since joining the team before the
trade deadline. The list of significant players to miss more than 15 games
this season: Crosby (41), Staal (40), Malkin (39), Arron Asham (37), Brooks
Orpik (19), Mark Letestu (18), Chris Kunitz (17) and Matt Cooke (15). In
addition to a plethora of injuries, this team has survived the distractions of a
new arena opening; a month of stalking by a cable TV crew; and being at
the forefront of the concussion/headshot controversy that dominated the
NHL's second half. Survival is all they know. They'll be fazed by nothing in
this series, and that intangible leads to this result ...
Penguins in 7
Lightning win
No. 1: Play with that power
Pick a side, but consider the facts. The Lightning was one of six teams to
click at 20 percent or better on the power play. The Penguins were first in
penalty kill. The Lightning allowed a league-worst 16 shorthanded goals.
The Penguins were second by scoring 13 shorthanded goals. Push, and
maybe even a slight advantage for the Penguins, right? Probably not,
because the Penguins are without Cooke (suspension), who is one of
league's best penalty-killers — and they finished 21st in faceoffs after
dropping off significantly since Crosby last played Jan. 5. The likelihood of
the Lightning finding a way to score power-play goals will increase over a
long series, as it did for Montreal against the Penguins in Round 2 last
postseason. The Canadiens scored three of their four series power-play
goals in Games 5-7. As for the Penguins' 25th-ranked power play perhaps
getting hot, don't expect that against a Lightning penalty kill that rated
eighth.
No. 2: Out through the trap door
There is no way to gauge how Lightning coach Guy Boucher's 1-3-1 trap,
which keeps a defenseman back while attempting to clog the neutral zone,
will pan out over a short series. However, the Penguins had a measure
success against it this season, averaging 32 shots per game. There is a
difference between shots and scoring chances, though — and the Penguins
haven't always generated quality chances against trapping teams even
when they've racked up high shot totals. Any trap is designed to force a
team into mistakes that can lead to odd-man rushes. This 1-3-1 trap,
though not traditional, is no different in its intent. The Penguins already are
talking about playing patient — a potential compromise with their
preference to play fast — to neutralize Tampa Bay's trap. That means the
Lightning already have them thinking too much.
No. 3: The thunder-crack attack
So dangerous is this Lightning offensive attack — seventh best during the
season at 2.94 goals per game — that center Steven Stamkos, who has 96
goals the past two seasons, probably is third on the list of forwards who will
keep Penguins coach Dan Bylsma awake at night. Veterans Martin St.
Louis (40 points in 41 games) and Vincent Lecavalier (41 points in 46
games) are reputable so-called "Penguins Killers." While St. Louis was a
model of consistency this season with 99 points, Lecavalier finished with 17
goals and 31 points in 30 games. This dynamic duo is capable of winning a
series by itself. Add Stamkos' lethal shot and two veteran wingers known
well by the Penguins in former Flyer Simon Gagne and Upper St. Clair's
Ryan Malone, and that firepower leads to this result ...
Lightning in 6
Tribune Review LOADED: 04.13.2011
564753
Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby out for tonight's playoff opener
By Kevin Gorman, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Even as the Penguins cautioned that there was no change in center Sidney
Crosby's status, his participation in an off-day practice Tuesday elevated
hopes that he could return at some point during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Coach Dan Bylsma said that the lineup for their Eastern Conference
quarterfinal series against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight at Consol
Energy Center will be a "game-time" decision, and reiterated that Crosby
has not been cleared for contact portions of practice.
Crosby will not play tonight, the 42nd consecutive game he has missed
since Jan. 5 while recovering from a concussion. His mind appears clearly
focused on playing before next season and has since he first resumed
individual workouts March 14.
"You know he wants to get back," winger Chris Kunitz said. "You see he's
going out twice a day, trying to get out there. You don't want to put too
much emphasis on it, but it's definitely nice to see him."
The Penguins enter the playoffs for the first time without Crosby and fellow
superstar Evgeni Malkin, who is out for the season after right knee surgery,
and must prove that they can win without their top two postseason scorers.
Crosby has 30 goals and 82 points and Malkin 29 goals and 73 points, and
they have combined to account for 30.7 percent of the Penguins' playoff
goals since 2007.
Though they teamed to lead the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final
and the '09 Cup championship, their shortcomings in the seven-game
series against Montreal last year magnified how much their scoring touch
means to the team. Crosby had one goal and four assists, and Malkin had
one goal and two assists. Both were scoreless in Games 2 and 7 — home
losses.
"It's something that we can't really judge until we get there, how we're going
to do without those guys when you get to those points," Kunitz said. "You
just hope that Sid gets better and will be able to join us at some point, but
we have to stay alive."
The Penguins remain optimistic about continuing their success even without
Crosby and Malkin. They tied for the second-most wins (49) in franchise
history and third-most points (106) in the NHL despite Crosby and Malkin
both missing the final 29 games of the season.
"With Sid and 'Geno' being out for awhile, it was nice to see that we were a
team that stuck with each other and found ways to win," goaltender MarcAndre Fleury said. "Guys did everything they could to get points, to win.
We've been successful through the season. We just have to keep playing
the same way. ... That's always the goal, get to the end and get the Cup.
That's every team's goal, and it's ours, still."
Bylsma believes the Penguins' system and style of play in the regular
season will translate to the postseason because of the reliance on solid
defense, strong goaltending and winning close games — all playoff staples.
"We found we can win hockey games and be a good team with the guys in
this room," Bylsma said. "It's been a process over 40 games or so, but I
think it's established that we're ready to be able to win hockey games and
be ready for battles and one-goal games. I think we have a chance to be a
team that has very good players, a good power play, and we think we have
a chance to go in there and have success."
The Penguins went 15-10-4 without Crosby and Malkin, though six of those
wins came in the shootout, which is not used during the playoffs. They
scored two or fewer goals in 16 of those games, including 10 against teams
that qualified for the postseason.
Penguins players are growing weary of talking about the absence of Crosby
and Malkin but know they can quiet such conversation by continuing to do
what they have the rest of the season: win without them.
"Obviously, we've been asked a lot of questions about those guys — pretty
much every day, I think I've been asked that — but this team just keeps on
rolling," center Jordan Staal said. "We haven't really missed a beat since
they've been out. Now, we want (Crosby) back as soon as possible, but
we're a pretty solid team without him and we'll be an even better team when
we get him back."
564754
Pittsburgh Penguins
Spirit high, expectations low for fans
By Bob Cohn, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
The Penguins tonight begin their fifth consecutive journey through the
Stanley Cup playoffs, and the fan vibe is mostly positive. The 106 points are
the franchise's most since 1993, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been terrific,
and Sidney Crosby just might play.
On the other hand, Crosby's status remains iffy, and fellow superstar
Evgeni Malkin is out. Unlike the past few years, the Pens aren't among the
favorites to go all the way. The usual postseason optimism is somewhat
tempered this time.
"Realistically, I don't think they can win the Stanley Cup this year," said Troy
Kweder, 23, a longtime Penguins fan from Mt. Washington. "I think we can
get through the first round without Sid. Any more than that, and they're
gonna need a little more offense."
But the main thing that could work against the Penguins is the elemental
fact that only one team can win the Cup, just as only one team wins the
Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament, World Series and any other championship
(except big-time college football).
Most fans understand this truth, although it often fails to diminish the
frustration and emptiness caused by losing, even in the City of Champions.
In the past 12 months, the Penguins made the playoffs, the Steelers
reached the Super Bowl and the Pitt basketball team entered the NCAA
Tournament as a No. 1 seed. All fell short, although the Steelers went as far
as a team can go without winning it all.
When Montreal upset the Penguins in seven games in their conference
semifinal series last season, "it was very disappointing to me," Kweder said.
"There were a lot of expectations to live up to, and I knew it was a tough
possibility. But we were favored in the series, and we should have won."
Pittsburgh fans have little to complain about, though. The city's history of
success is too rich for that. It could be worse. It could be Cleveland, where
a city's abject frustration with its teams is welded to its identity, where
disappointment permeates the culture.
"It hurts to lose," said Donald Starver, a Pittsburgher who moved to
Rochester, N.Y., and authors a Steelers blog. "But I wouldn't trade places
with Cleveland for anything. We're spoiled, and I recognize that."
Even rooting for good teams in Pittsburgh, the only city to twice win multiple
pro championships in the same calendar year (1979, 2009), does not
necessarily mitigate what author Warren St. John calls "those long,
hormonally depleted days" or sleepless nights that follow a crushing defeat.
In fact, it might make it worse.
Indiana University sports psychologist Edward Hirt thinks it comes down to
expectations.
"If you have a history of being really successful, like the Yankees or the
Steelers, that's cause to get people upset. It's interesting for fans of those
teams. They're not just satisfied with good years. You have to be in
contention for a championship," Hirt said.
At full strength, the Penguins have attained that level. That's what made
losing to Montreal so painful. They won their third Stanley Cup the previous
year and reached the finals the year before that.
"There's always a level of expectation in this city that anything that's not a
championship is always a disappointment," Kweder said. "When you have
the best player in the world (Crosby) and Malkin, who might be in the top
five, we'll be there every year."
564755
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins' Michalek snuffs opposing teams' snipers
By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Zbynek Michalek smiled when recently asked about his sudden offensive
surge.
When the subject switched to defense, his face turned serious.
Michalek's recent goal-scoring binge is nice, but his true value to the
Penguins is a special ability to silence star players. Starting tonight in Game
1 against Tampa Bay, Michalek's assignment figures to be stopping
Lightning star Steven Stamkos.
Battling the game's stars is something Michalek craves.
"I like playing against the best players," he said. "It's something I take a lot
of pride in."
Although the Penguins boast two defensive units capable of giving
opposing lines fits, coach Dan Bylsma made it clear that the duo of
Michalek and Paul Martin likely will play against Tampa Bay's top line.
Michalek and Martin struggled early in the season with the Penguins'
system, but the duo gelled in the second half of the campaign. They will
assume the shutdown tandem role this spring, similar to how the Penguins
used Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill during the 2009 Stanley Cup run.
"With Brooks (Orpik) coming back and getting back with Kris (Letang) —
they have really assumed the (opponent's) second line," Bylsma said. "Z
and Marty have been that pair for the past 20 games, and will continue to
be that way."
Bylsma rarely sheds light on his plans for a series, but calling Michalek and
Martin "that pair" is a pretty fair indication that the veterans will be asked to
keep Tampa's stars in check.
Michalek is a plus-10 over his past 13 games and clearly has impressed his
new teammates. A fearless penalty-killer, Michalek blocked 149 shots this
season.
His goaltender has noticed.
"Z reminds me of Brooks a little bit, because he goes after ever shot," MarcAndre Fleury said. "He's very good at getting in front of pucks. When he's
going good, there's not a lot of guys that can get the shot past him, which is
good for me."
Few players in hockey shoot with more frequency — or precision — than
Stamkos, whose one-timer is arguably the NHL's best. Tampa Bay
possesses a terrific power play, and its top weapon is Stamkos' lethal shot.
Michalek always is willing to sacrifice his body, and likely will be shadowing
Stamkos when the Lightning have a man advantage.
"I feel like my defensive game is better now than it has been all season,"
Michalek said.
Dealing with Michalek has been frustrating for the game's best players. Alex
Ovechkin, Stamkos and Ilya Kovalchuk — three Eastern Conference
snipers who generally occupy the same side of the ice as Michalek — have
combined for just three goals in 14 games against the Penguins.
"Right away, I was impressed with his work ethic," Fleury said. "He always
plays hard, and he studies a lot. He's very smart, but he's tough, too. I think
he scares players a little bit, because he's very mobile, agile, and he reads
the play well."
Michalek has played in seven career playoff games, yet the Penguins
believed his calm demeanor and shutdown ability would mesh perfectly with
a team that has become a playoff regular.
General manager Ray Shero signed Michalek to a 5-year, $20 million
contract last summer because of the difference he could make in the
postseason.
"I'm ready to go," Michalek said. "I'm happy with how my game has
developed this season. The playoffs are going to be a challenge, but I'm up
for it."
564756
Pittsburgh Penguins
LW Neal returns to Penguins' practice
Every Penguins player potentially available for Round 1 of the Stanley Cup
playoff practiced Tuesday at Southpointe Iceoplex. That group included left
wing James Neal, who had not taken the ice since his upper body was
injured this last Friday in a win at the New York Islanders.
Neal was one of several regulars not to play in a win Sunday at the Atlanta
Thrashers -- a game whose outcome could not alter the Penguins' playoff
positioning. The playoff opener tonight against Tampa Bay at Consol
Energy Center will mark Neal's postseason debut. "I'm sure I'll have nerves
come game time," he said.
• Left wing Matt Cooke, who is suspended for Round 1 because of his
elbow to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh Feb.
20, did not practice with the Penguins. Coach Dan Bylsma said last week
that around 15 forwards would be on the ice for off-day sessions, and that
Cooke would fit into that rotation only when a slot is available because of
injury or a regular needing rest.
• Left wing Eric Tangradi did not practice, but Bylsma said he "absolutely"
was available to play in Round 1 if coaches felt that lineup move was
necessary. Tangradi has played in just one game since Feb. 11, though he
has fully recovered from a concussion.
• Though there are no shootouts to determine winners in the playoffs, the
Penguins ended practice with one of their customary skill drills. Skaters
were challenged with beating goalies Marc-Andre Fleury or Brent Johnson
with three shots, leading to a final-round showdown between center Sidney
Crosby and right wing Alex Kovalev, who won when Fleury denied Crosby.
During the regular season, the loser of a practice shootout often must grow
a mustache for the next month. However, because players have already
started growing traditional playoff beards, Crosby must pay for a new
toaster to replace a broken one at the Southpointe practice facility.
• Philip Samuelsson, a defenseman selected 61st overall at the 2009 NHL
entry draft, signed a three-year entry-level contract. Samuelsson is the son
of legendary former Penguins defenseman Ulf Samuelsson. He recently
wrapped a sophomore season with Boston College (NCAA), scoring four
goals and recording 16 points to go with a plus-17 rating in 39 games.
• Members of the Clairton Police Department and other local officers will
hold a collection to benefit wounded officer James Kuzak before the game.
Officers will be located inside the Consol Energy Center gates before 7 p.m.
Kuzak remains hospitalized and in critical condition, facing multiple
surgeries, after he was shot three times April 4 while answering an
emergency call.
564757
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay defense comes through
By Roy Cummings, TAMPA TRIBUNE
TAMPA — There isn't a flashy player in the group. There isn't a real speedy
one, either. And therein lies the reason coach Guy Boucher went into this
season concerned about the Lightning's defense.
It's no longer enough to clear the front of your net or win a battle in the
corner. Today's NHL defenseman has to keep pace with a speedy forward
on the rush, for which some Lightning blue liners just aren't built.
Still, it could be argued the defense got the Lightning to the playoffs.
During their past 39 games, the Lightning allowed just 92 goals. That's 2.4
per game, or 0.1 fewer than Vancouver, the league's stingiest team,
allowed over the course of the season.
"Yeah, those guys back there have really played well,'' Lightning wing Marty
St. Louis said. "No, we don't have any real flashy guys back there, but we
do have steady guys, and sometimes steady is better than flashy.''
Even when they were struggling to score during a mind-boggling stretch of
games in March, Tampa Bay's defense and goaltending kept games close.
"The last month or so, we really have been terrific,'' Boucher said. "(Pavel)
Kubina has probably played his six or seven best games of the year here
this last little stretch. He's been very physical.
"We have defensemen with a heavy punch, a heavy stick and heavy
bodies. So, we're good not just at pounding guys, but at squeezing
opponents out (along the boards). The speed, no, there isn't enough of that.
But, because we play a pack mentality, they have less territory to cover.''
That pack mentality is the real key. Concerned about his defense's overall
lack of speed, Boucher adopted a system that forced his speedy forwards
to compensate by taking on a defenseman's share of the defensive-zone
responsibilities. Even the Lightning's top scorers bought into the plan.
"You really have to commend Marty and Vinny (Lecavalier) and Steven
(Stamkos) for leading the way there and for taking charge there,'' Lightning
general manager Steve Yzerman said. "They're really buying into what the
coaches want them to do, and you can see now that the players have
become a lot more confident and comfortable with the system.''
Yzerman tweaked his roster several times this year, each time with an eye
toward improving the defense. He traded for goaltender Dwayne Roloson,
who brought stability to the most important position on the ice, and added
experienced defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and Eric Brewer.
"When I first got here, I felt this was a group that didn't get enough credit for
how well it played,'' Brewer said. "It's a very smart group, a very
experienced group, and we're able to squeeze guys out or make them hold
the puck or just plain stop.''
In other words, they're able to slow the rush, reduce scoring chances and
limit the number of shots their goalie faces — which is the primary objective
of every defense.
"A few of us, we used to be able to fly, but not so much anymore,"
defenseman Mattias Ohlund said. "But, because we've played our system,
we've had a decent year so far. But, now it's a whole new start, and we
have to prove ourselves all over again.''
564758
Pittsburgh Penguins
It's their team right now.
Lightning pair up to old tricks
By Martin Fennelly, TAMPA TRIBUNE
TAMPA — They're a part of the Tampa Bay sports landscape. First names
are enough.
Marty and Vinny.
They've been Lightning teammates for 10 seasons. Seven years ago, they
took turns lifting the Stanley Cup. Last season, they took turns wondering
whatever happened to those days, or if they'd play again in Tampa, or
wanted to if things stayed bad.
Well, it's playoff season, and here are Marty and Vinny, driving toward the
show, on the same line for the first time in two years, reading each other's
minds, making plays, flying, scoring, smiling — together.
"It's been a lot of fun," Marty St. Louis said.
"It's like it was," Vinny Lecavalier said.
"They're like little kids out there, playing street hockey," Lightning coach
Guy Boucher said. "... It's their team right now. They're carrying it."
It's Game 1 tonight in Pittsburgh for the Lightning, who haven't been to the
postseason in four years and haven't won a playoff series since the night
they won Stanley. These Bolts will lean heavily on two men who've been
there, done that.
St. Louis, 35 but ridiculously ageless, is a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate
with 99 points this season — second in the NHL — with a career-high 68
assists. Lecavalier, who turns 31 this month and has been the team captain
since he was like 11, has recaptured some of the magic that once made
him a true star (17 goals and 30 points in the season's final 28 games).
"He's a menace out there, an offensive menace, a defensive menace,"
Boucher said of Lecavalier. "His hits look like normal hits, but guys are
folding like accordions. He has a presence right now that's crucial to our
team."
Marty and Vinny, together again and feeling it.
"I think like the last couple of weeks, we really feel we're back to where we
once were," St. Louis said. "I really feel like we're on the same page with
our game, both in a happy place mentally."
They're nearly back to where they were a few years ago, when their line
was unstoppable, when they were one of the feared tandems in hockey.
Like 2006-07, when Vinny led the league with 52 goals, Marty had 43 and
they were 100-point men.
Marty moved to another line in 2009 to star with young Steven Stamkos.
Vinny went to another place, a place with injuries and trade rumors and bad
nights and his $10 million salary making people question his drive. Then
there was all the losing. Marty wondered if he wanted to be a Bolt. Vinny
wondered if he'd be traded.
Here they are, Marty and Vinny, on the same line. Boucher made the switch
last month, partly to ease the strain on the 21-year-old Stamkos, who
struggled mightily down the stretch.
"It's nice to see Vinny and Marty getting that chemistry back; all this is
perfect timing for us," Stamkos said.
There is Vinny pride in Marty and Marty pride in Vinny.
"Marty has always had speed and heart," Vinny said. "Marty is a machine.
People expect him to slow down. They don't know Marty. He plays like he's
22. It's crazy."
"Let's not sugar coat: Vinny has had a couple of tough years with everything
that's gone on," Marty said. "It's tough to perform when everything is going
on around you. Vinny is in a good place right now. You feed off that in the
locker room, seeing your captain, what he's battled through ... For him to
come back and have this kind of finish, I'm very proud of him."
Marty and Vinny, back in the playoffs.
564759
Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby skating with team; not expected to play tomorrow
Center Sidney Crosby is at practice for the Penguins this morning at their
Southpointe Iceoplex facility.
However, Crosby has not been cleared for contact and is simply skating
with teammates.
He is not expected to play Wednesday in Game 1 of a first round Stanley
Cup playoffs against Tampa Bay at Consol Energy Center.
Crosby has not played since Jan. 5 while recovering from a concussion. He
has been participating in practices, but without contact, for the past 11
days.
Also on the ice for the Penguins is left wing James Neal, who was injured
Friday in a win at the New York Islanders.
564760
Pittsburgh Penguins
Breaking down Penguins - Lightning
By Dave Molinari,
Penguins forward Tyler Kennedy battles for a puck with Lightning
defenseman Mike Lundin during a game at the St. Pete Times Forum,
March 31.
PG hockey writer Dave Molinari breaks down the first-round series between
the Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning that begins tonight at Consol
Energy Center:
Streaking: RW Tyler Kennedy fills a mostly blue-collar role for the Penguins
but chipped in with six goals in the final 12 regular-season games. Lightning
C Vincent Lecavalier has looked like his old self lately, scoring nine times in
Tampa Bay's past 14 games. RW Martin St. Louis ended the season on a
nine-game points streak, and LW Simon Gagne had five goals, seven
assists in those nine.
Special teams: The Penguins power play has been awful for most of the
season and might find it difficult to get its rhythm against Tampa Bay's
penalty-killing unit, one of the best in the league. On the flip side, the battle
could be downright epic. Tampa Bay finished with the No. 6 power play in
the NHL, with a conversion rate of 20.5 percent; the Penguins had the
highest-rated penalty-killing in the league for the first time in franchise
history. And here's something that has the potential to alter the course of
the series: The Penguins scored 13 short-handed goals in the regular
season, tying for second most in the NHL; the Lightning allowed a leaguehigh 16.
Difference-makers: The guys who ultimately could determine how this
series plays out might be the ones who will not participate in it. The
Penguins already know they will not have C Evgeni Malkin (knee surgery)
or LW Matt Cooke (suspension); what they don't know -- or, at least, are not
saying -- is whether there is a realistic possibility that C Sidney Crosby
(concussion) will be available at any point in the first round. With or without
Crosby, the Penguins will have to find a way to get through Tampa Bay's
stifling neutral-zone defense and establish a productive forecheck. Quick,
accurate puck movement that denies the Lightning a chance to set up might
be one way to do that. Because of injuries, the Penguins often struggle to
generate goals. Tampa Bay has no such problems, with game-breakers
such as St. Louis, Lecavalier, Gagne -- a longtime Penguins-killer -- and C
Steven Stamkos, who figure to make life unpleasant, or at least quite active,
for Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, pictured above right. Veteran
Dwayne Roloson stabilized Tampa Bay's goaltending after being acquired
from the New York Islanders, and that's critical for a team with an ordinary
defense corps.
Intangibles: The Penguins demonstrated a remarkable work ethic and
commitment after their lineup was ravaged by injuries, but playing as hard
as they did has been draining. Staying focused and mentally fresh could
become an issue for a team that has given so much, for so long. Tampa
Bay sat out the playoffs each of the past three springs; whether that will be
a problem because some players, including Stamkos, are not used to being
on such a big stage, or a plus because of the motivation and adrenaline
rush it should provide remains to be seen.
Who will win: Penguins in 7. Their margin for error, though, is nearly
nonexistent. An untimely breakdown or bad bounce, could make all the
difference. It is not hard to envision the Lightning advancing in six.
Post Gazette LOADED: 04.13.2011
564761
Pittsburgh Penguins
Plum native shares in NCAA triumph
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Making the victory all the more special, Reiter's parents and sister attended
the Frozen Four. Older brother Kevin, a goalie with the Fort Wayne Komets
of the Central Hockey League, drove in for the title game Saturday night.
The Komets swept their first-round playoff series, and Kevin, idolized by his
younger brother when he was growing up, received permission from the
team to attend the championship game. It was the first college hockey
game Kevin saw Kenny play.
"That made it a really special day," their father, Kevin, said.
Kenny Reiter of Plum hoists the national championship trophy Saturday
night in St. Paul, Minn.
Six years ago, Plum native Kenny Reiter was going to give up hockey. He
left Pittsburgh at 15 with high hopes of chasing his dreams against the
country's best competition, but he was on his fourth team, in a fourth high
school and a fourth city. He had been released, passed over by other
prospects, and seemed to be wasting his time.
"I was going to give it up and just go to school," Reiter said. "I was fed up
with the way it was going. But I didn't quit because I had a love for the
game."
Minnesota Duluth has been on a victory tour since winning the title. The
Bulldogs were honored at a Minnesota Twins game Sunday afternoon and
a Minnesota Wild game Sunday night. There is another celebration tonight
at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
It has been a long voyage over frozen waters for Reiter. He was nicknamed
"Gerber," after the baby food maker, as a 15-year-old in Danville because
he was the youngest player on the team. Now 24 and the second-oldest
member of the Bulldogs, his nickname is "Grandpa."
Despite the setbacks, Reiter said he would not change one thing in his
much-traveled career.
Today, after an odyssey that included seven stops in North American
hockey leagues, Reiter is an NCAA champion. He was the starting goalie
Saturday night, backstopping Minnesota Duluth's overtime victory against
Michigan in the championship game in St. Paul, Minn.
"When I left I didn't know what the future would hold," said Reiter, who will
return to Minnesota Duluth for his senior season. "I thought I had a bright
future, but things were looking pretty bleak there for a while. But ... I owe a
debt of gratitude to a lot of people at this point."
Between celebrations with teammates, Reiter has been pinching himself.
"It really hasn't sunk in yet," he said Monday. "I look back four years to
when I came here ... I would have called you crazy if you told me I was
going to be the starting goalie and winning the national championship for
our school. My outlook didn't look too good."
Reiter's hockey outlook hasn't been rosy until recently. Before arriving at
Minnesota Duluth, Reiter played in Danville (Ill.) and Indianapolis in the
USHL and in Texarkana (Texas), Cleveland, St. Louis and Fairbanks
(Alaska) in the NAHL.
Young players leaving Pittsburgh to pursue hockey is not uncommon. Many
believe it is the only way to best develop the skills necessary to earn
college scholarships and potential professional opportunities. But Reiter's
journey was uncommon because of the number of organizations for which
he played.
While most of his classmates back at Plum were learning how to drive, he
had already experienced rejection, released by the Indiana Ice at 16 years
old. When he was traded from the St. Louis Bandits to the Fairbanks Ice
Dogs in 2006, he quickly understood why his new team had its nickname.
"When I stepped off the plane it was minus-50 degrees," he said. "I
definitely didn't want to be there. But it ended up being the best time of my
life. I'm so glad for my time there. I don't think I would be where I am today
if not for the coaches there. They got me to Duluth."
After turning some heads with some impressive play at Fairbanks, Reiter
signed with Minnesota Duluth in 2007.
Reiter finally had a permanent home, but it took almost as long to enjoy
success in college. He redshirted his first year and spent the next two
seasons as a reserve, getting little ice time. Last season and most of this
one, he was a part-time starter. It was not until late February that Reiter had
earned the trust of the coaches and became the Bulldogs' No. 1 goalie.
After a fourth-place finish in the regular season in the Western Collegiate
Hockey Association, Minnesota Duluth was unseeded entering the NCAA
tournament. But the Bulldogs beat Union College in the first round and then,
behind a 30-save effort from Reiter, upset No. 1 seed Yale in the second
round to advance to the Frozen Four.
In a national semifinal game against Notre Dame, Reiter stopped 18 of 21
shots and the Bulldogs earned a 4-3 victory. The title game was against
tradition-steeped Michigan, winner of nine NCAA titles. Reiter once again
shined, stopping 22 of 24 shots in the overtime thriller.
It was the first NCAA hockey title for Minnesota Duluth.
"I like to think I thrive in pressure situations," Reiter said. "Getting that
experience last year definitely helped me this year. The coaches had a trust
in me that I could perform in that type of situation. That gave me a lot of
confidence."
564762
Pittsburgh Penguins
Remarkable, resilient Penguins set for playoffs
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sidney Crosby participates in the Penguins' practice Tuesday at
Southpointe, but still no contact.
When the Penguins face off tonight for their Stanley Cup playoff series with
the Tampa Bay Lightning, they will begin their bid to win a championship
despite being without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, two of the National
Hockey League's elite scorers.
Which would be akin to asking those classic Steelers to win a Super Bowl
without Terry Bradshaw and Mean Joe Greene.
Or the Pirates of that era to win a World Series without Roberto Clemente
and Willie Stargell.
Or the Penguins of the 1990s to take the Cup without Mario Lemieux and
Jaromir Jagr.
It borders on the unthinkable.
Except for this: These Penguins, somehow, some way, are still skating skyhigh.
They finished the regular season at 49-25-8, the NHL's second-highest
victory total and the second-best record in franchise history. After Crosby
sustained a concussion with two hits to the head Jan. 1 and 5, they went
23-13-5. After Malkin was lost to a right knee injury Feb. 4 and both stars
were out, they went 15-10-4, including a 13-4-2 tear carrying into this
postseason.
"If you look at all the things we had to endure, it's a pretty good job,"
defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "You're never going to replace the guys we
lost, but we kept going."
That is to say nothing of missing several other players for extended
stretches: Orpik had a broken hand. Mark Letestu and Dustin Jeffrey, the
centers tabbed to replace Crosby and Malkin, went down. So did wingers
Chris Kunitz and Arron Asham. One night against the Los Angeles Kings,
the Penguins had to recall four players from their minor-league affiliate in
Wilkes-Barre just to fill the roster. In all, 350 man-games were lost to injury,
more than double Tampa Bay's 172.
Players were out of position, out of their usual roles, and the only constants
were the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury, the relentless work ethic and,
yes, the winning.
How have they done it?
Crosby still ended up the Penguins' leading scorer with 66 points, and next
on the list was defenseman Kris Letang, whose 50 points tied for 91st in the
NHL. Clearly, the offense had to come from other sources, and it did,
notably from forwards Tyler Kennedy, Jordan Staal and Pascal Dupuis.
The defense remained tight, too: The penalty-killing finished No. 1 in the
league, and Fleury's 2.32 goals-against average, ninth in the NHL, has him
in the discussion for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.
Perhaps most emblematic in the intangible sense was the performance of
Mike Rupp, a grinding left winger who spent most of the season's first half
averaging just seven or eight minutes a game on the fourth line. Rupp not
only would get promoted to the first line but also switch to center for the first
time since college, work on the first-unit power play, and more than double
his ice time.
This past Friday in New York, he was the Penguins' best player with a goal
and assist in the 4-3 victory against the Islanders.
"Honestly, there was a bit of a chip on our shoulders back when our big
guys got hurt," Rupp said. "The hockey media across North America
questioned us. When you read or hear that we're 'hanging on' until those
guys come back, you take that personally. I mean, we're obviously a better
team with Sidney and Evgeni in the lineup. But we're also a good team
without those guys."
He thumped his thumb on his chest.
"I deserve to be here. I deserve to be in the NHL. So does every guy on this
team. We've done our work. This was our opportunity to show that we're
still the Pittsburgh Penguins. I didn't want to wait for help. I wanted to get it
done."
That might suggest there was a scene in which a player or two stood up in
the locker room at some point and delivered a Mark Messier-style, go-get'em-boys speech. But nothing like that occurred, according to those on the
inside.
"Honestly, I don't think we ever talked about Sid or Geno being hurt in
here," left winger Max Talbot said. "And I believe that's why we've been
successful. I've been here six years, and I've seen that we've created
something. We know what to do when things are tough. We know how to
react. We didn't stop and say, 'Aw, what are we going to do without Sid and
Geno?' "
Talbot did acknowledge that the team found some strength in a couple of
crisp practices in early February, as well as an especially taxing but
rewarding 3-2 victory March 5 in Boston that ended the Bruins' seven-game
winning streak.
"But even there, it wasn't anything that was spoken," Talbot said. "It was
more where I would feel like ... you know, everything we were doing had a
purpose. Everything was so sharp, so consistent."
Several players credited those at the top, from team owners Mario Lemieux
and Ron Burkle to general manager Ray Shero to coach Dan Bylsma and
his staff. Again, none cited any singular speech or moment, but all sounded
eminently aware of management's displeasure at the team winning just
three times in a 14-game span in February.
Those games were competitive, and some in the public saw the effort as
valiant but, as Bylsma said at the time, "We still have NHL players. We
expect to win."
"On the ice, the guys who have been here and won the Cup a couple years
ago set the pace," Letestu said. "But what we have here, what the Penguins
have, that starts with Mario and Ray and goes down to the coaching staff.
We see how hard they work. The fact is, success breeds success."
Shero made two trades in late February to acquire wingers Alexei Kovalev
and James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. Those wingers would
combine for just three goals but were proficient in shootouts and, in general,
kept the offense from looking overmatched, as had been the case in the
first few games without Crosby and Malkin.
Maybe the most important effect of those trades was the message sent by
management that the Penguins would not be simply shutting down until
next year.
That message alone, according to front-office sources, was important
enough to Lemieux and Burkle that they authorized spending above the
NHL's salary cap of $59.4 million to acquire Kovalev and the prorated
portion of his $5 million salary. The Penguins could spend above the cap
because Malkin's season-ending injury meant his $8.7 million salary no
longer counted against the cap. But the team still has to pay all wages.
"This is real money," Shero said. "Our ownership was willing to do that,
which is great for us and a commitment to our fans."
Bylsma's greatest contribution was sticking by the puck-pursuit system the
team has employed in all of his three seasons. That was met with some
skepticism by those who felt the Penguins would be better off going
defense-first. But there was enough faith in the remaining forwards and
mobile defense to keep attacking.
"Having 49 wins and 106 points, it underscores what our team has been
able to do, especially with the adversity and injury situation," Bylsma said.
"It's undeniable that we've won hockey games a lot of different ways, and it
says a lot about the guys in that room."
"Nothing changed about the way we play, and I think that was huge," Rupp
said. "Just think if the coaches had come in and said, 'OK, we're missing
these guys, and we have to tweak things because we aren't going to be
scoring goals anymore.' Nothing like that was ever said. They believed in
the character of the guys in here, the depth we had in the minors."
"I think because we stayed with what we do, we all became a little
stronger," Letestu said. "Now, if we have deep playoff run and could add
piece like Sid ... it would be amazing."
Crosby continues to practice with the Penguins, but he still was not
permitted any contact in the session Tuesday at Southpointe. No timetable
has been set for his return, and the team has not ruled out that he will miss
the entire playoffs.
Still, some players cited their captain's mere presence in recent weeks as
inspirational.
"There aren't words for how hard this has been for Sid," Talbot said. "But
you don't ever see him walk into the locker room or the gym with his head
down. I know there have been times when it was hard to do that. But he
never let anyone see it. He's a single guy, young, far from his family, and
his whole life is at the rink. This is someone who stays mad all day if he
misses a couple passes in practice."
Talbot motioned to Crosby's empty stall.
"That's his level of focus, and that's where we get ours. We're still Sid's
team."
Through the years, there have been many great duos to win a Stanley Cup:
Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Jean Beliveau in Montreal. Bobby Orr and
Phil Esposito in Boston. Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy with the Islanders.
Wayne Gretzky and Messier in Edmonton. Lemieux and Jagr here. Steve
Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov in Detroit. Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg in
Colorado. Crosby and Malkin just a couple years ago.
Tampa Bay has had its championship duo, too, in Vincent Lecavalier and
Martin St. Louis, and they will skate together again tonight. The Lightning
also have one of the game's bright young talents in 45-goal sniper Steven
Stamkos.
Almost all their players are healthy, too.
The Penguins?
The new Consol Energy Center will experience its first playoff game, and
the white-clad 18,087 partisans surely will make for a deafening din as the
home team is introduced over the loudspeaker. Even with the stars' names
never being mentioned.
"This group has done a lot of good things already," Rupp said. "And we plan
on doing more."
564763
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins Notebook: Neal set for first playoff
"It's like going to a casino and trying to make money. I don't think it's a good
idea."
Gagne a nemesis
By Dave Molinari and Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Winger Simon Gagne, who lately has been playing with Steven Stamkos,
has been limited by recurring neck problems in his first season with the
Lightning but still managed 17 goals, 40 points in 63 games.
Forward James Neal has scored one goal since joining the Penguins.
"He's a money player, Gagne, and he's a guy that shows up in big games,"
Boucher said, adding that Gagne, 31, brings a lot of experience to the
playoffs, including a run to the Stanley Cup final with Philadelphia last year.
The Penguins acquired wingers James Neal and Alex Kovalev at the NHL
trade deadline to add some goal-scoring to their lineup, and they did.
Just not much.
Kovalev had two goals in 20 games, Neal one in 20.
The Penguins' chances of surviving their first-round series with Tampa Bay,
which begins with Game 1 tonight at Consol Energy Center, figure to rise
significantly if those players regain their scoring touch, and Neal remained
adamant Tuesday that he believes a breakout is near.
"I keep saying it over and over again, but, as long as I'm skating well, doing
the right things, they'll be there because I'm getting lots of shots, getting
great opportunities," he said. "Hopefully, the time is now."
Although he has played in 234 regular-season games, the one tonight will
be his first in the Stanley Cup playoffs. That landmark occasion seemed to
be in doubt when Neal appeared to injure his hand or wrist Friday on Long
Island, but Neal said he was confident all along he would be ready for the
postseason opener.
"I knew I'd be good to go," he said. "A few days' rest before the playoffs
never hurts."
His injury seems to be a non-issue, and Neal said his goal-scoring slump
will be if he doesn't lose faith in his abilities.
"It's all about not getting down on yourself and doubting yourself, [then]
trying to change things up," he said.
"Sometimes, you go through droughts like that -- every good player does -and, as long as I'm getting those good shots on net ... The chances are
there, so I'm sure [the goals] will come."
Malone's toughness is prized
Perhaps what the Penguins initially missed most when power forward Ryan
Malone went to Tampa Bay after the 2007-08 season was his presence in
front of the net.
Followers might also remember how tough it is to fell the 6-foot-4, 219pound winger. Against Detroit in the 2008 Stanley Cup final, Malone played
despite a broken nose, but he still blocked shots and manned the front of
the net. He got hit in the nose again and persisted.
"You've got to have that," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said. "I always
say that real toughness is not about how much you give; it's about how
much you can take. [Malone] can give a lot, but he can take a lot.
"He's more than a big boy. There's a lot of big boys who are softies, but this
guy goes to war. ... He represents what playoffs are about."
Penalty-killing posture
The battle between Tampa Bay's highly dangerous power play and the
Penguins' top-ranked penalty-killers could be one of the most intriguing -and decisive -- matchups in the series, but there is a facet that might be
overlooked.
The Lightning scored the NHL's second-most power-play goals in the
regular season (69), but it also allowed a league-high 16 short-handed
goals. The Penguins scored 13 short-handed goals, second-highest total in
the league.
Nonetheless, penalty-killer Craig Adams believes it would be a grievous
error for the Penguins to count on scoring when Tampa Bay has the extra
man.
"I don't think that's a good way to go into any penalty-kill, thinking that
you're going to try to score," he said. "It's something you have to trust your
instincts for, so that, if your opportunity arises, you try to take it, but [you
can] get in trouble [if you try to force it].
Penguins fans ought to be pretty familiar with Gagne from his decade with
the Flyers, and not in a warm and fuzzy way. In 53 career games against
the Penguins, Gagne has 19 goals, 42 points.
Tip-ins
Penguins rookie left winger Eric Tangradi skated early with forwards Sidney
Crosby (concussion), Matt Cooke (suspension) and Nick Johnson
(concussion) but not in practice because of a glut of forwards. Bylsma said
Tangradi, who played Sunday after recovering from a concussion, is
available, if needed. ... The NHL changed the scoring on the Penguins'
second goal, scored by Pascal Dupuis at 10:53 of the second period, in the
5-2 win Sunday at Atlanta. Chris Conner gets the second assist instead of
Ben Lovejoy. ... The Penguins signed defenseman and 2009 second-round
draft pick Philip Samuelsson to a three-year entry-level contract.
Samuelsson, son of former popular Penguins defenseman Ulf Samuelsson,
played the past two seasons at Boston College, which won the NCAA
championship last year.
564764
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins' Staal has stood tall in stars' absence
By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins forward Jordan Staal participates in practice at Iceoplex in
Southpointe in Canonsburg Tuesday morning.
Meditation? Visualization exercises?
Jordan Staal shook his head and offered a bemused smile.
The Penguins' fifth-year center might be just 22, but he is too old school for
that sort of thing. When he butts up against a challenge, he simply butts
back.
Case in point -- filling in for injured centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin without letting it overload him with pressure to try to morph into
those high-scoring players.
"It's just something you've got to keep in the back of your mind and worry
about what you can do," Staal said Monday after practice at Southpointe.
"It's a game where you just try to play the way you can best. You've got to
be mentally tough and just go out and do your best."
Staal has employed his brand of inner strength a lot the past year, and it
takes on a new shine tonight when he will be thrust into the biggest
spotlight of his career as the Penguins launch the 2011 playoffs with a
game against Tampa Bay at Consol Energy Center.
He missed two games in a second-round playoff series against Montreal in
2010 after needing surgery for a sliced tendon on the top of his left foot,
then struggled to ward off a stubborn infection in the foot that required more
surgery and kept him out of the lineup for the first 12 games of this season.
He was about 48 hours from playing what would have been his first game,
Nov. 3 at Dallas, when he got hit with a shot in practice. His broken right
hand required surgery and delayed his season debut until the Jan. 1
outdoor Winter Classic.
Less than a week later, Crosby, the team's top center and the NHL's
leading scorer at the time, left the lineup because of a concussion that still
has him out. About a month after that, Malkin, the team's other former
league scoring champion, was lost for the season because of knee surgery.
Staal never has been a slouch. He scored 29 goals as an 18-year-old
rookie and was a finalist for the Selke Trophy as the league's top two-way
forward a year ago, but, suddenly, he was forced to step out from behind
the top two centers' shadow.
Did he flinch?
"No, I don't think so," said longtime linemate Tyler Kennedy. "Sid and
[Malkin] haven't been around for the last two months or so. He's done well.
It's good to see that he can fill that role. I think he's playing with a lot of
confidence."
In 42 games in his truncated season, Staal had 11 goals, 30 points. He
continued his role as a top penalty-killer and, at times, has been on the top
power-play unit as he was Tuesday at practice.
Staal, who said the last time he gave much thought to his hand or foot was
"a long time ago," understands his team's dependence on him has
increased with the arrival of the playoffs. He hopes to live up to that, but not
as someone masquerading as Crosby or Malkin.
"I'm going to play the same way I have been the last 40 games," he said.
"Just doing what I can and playing the way I can play and not try to be like
those guys."
Asked for his description of what he does best, Staal said, "Trying to do a
good job on the penalty-kill, being in the right position defensively and trying
to capitalize as much as I can on offense and score some big goals for our
team. Just be a solid player, I guess."
In the absence of Crosby and Malkin, opponents often have tried to counter
Staal's line with their key players, including top rdefensive pairings.
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma pointed out that, in past playoff runs, Staal
has been used to shut down top opponent forwards such as Washington's
Alex Ovechkin and Philadelphia's Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. It
shouldn't be so different if Staal is on the ice at the same time as Tampa
Bay stalwarts Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis or Steven Stamkos.
"Over the course of the last 40 games, it's been a point of discussion at
least once about not changing his game and understanding that, in the last
three years, he has gone head-to-head against Ovechkin and Richards and
Carter, and been able to shut them down as Jordan Staal playing his
game," Bylsma said.
"If he were to go head-to-head against Ovechkin and Richards and Carter
and Stamkos and St. Louis and try to be St. Louis and Stamkos, he
wouldn't fare as well.
"So, his focus is continuing to play the same way he's played the last three
years for us. ... That's something that Jordan has done very well in the last
20 games. He's been a big factor, and he will be going forward."
564765
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins' Crosby not ready to play
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby shoots on goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
during practice at Iceoplx at Southpointe in Canonsburg Tuesday morning.
The Penguins tried for weeks to downplay the idea that injured center
Sidney Crosby could be in their lineup for the start of the Stanley Cup
playoffs. Turns out, they were right.
Crosby, who has not played since Jan. 5 because of a concussion, is
practicing with his teammates, but still has not been cleared for contact and
will not play in Game 1 of the opening-round series against Tampa Bay
tonight at Consol Energy Center.
"Our lineup will be [announced at] gametime ... but there's no change in
Sidney Crosby's status," coach Dan Bylsma said Tuesday. "The fact that
he's practicing with the team has not changed his progression. He's not
been able to progress to the next [level in his recovery] yet.
"He does not participate in the contact portion of the drills, and the players
are aware of that and know to stay away from him in practice."
Crosby worked out on the ice before the Penguins' practice Tuesday at
Southpointe, then in the regular workout, but did not take part in drills
involving hitting.
After he is cleared to take contact, Crosby's doctors will have to be satisfied
that he is ready to handle the physical rigors of games before approving
him to rejoin the lineup. Crosby did not speak with reporters Tuesday, in
keeping with his policy of doing interviews only when there is a change in
his status.
564766
Pittsburgh Penguins
Collier: Logic no help, so making prediction is fool's errand
By Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Michalek took away all kinds of opportunities this winter, and, when he
wasn't at it busily, Martin was blocking another 129, second on the team to
Michalek. If you think the Penguins aren't counting on these guys against
the black and blue onslaught to come, you may be of a different strain of
logic.
"This is a great team, Tampa," Michalek said. "Very skilled players, great
passers, and so many goal-scorers. We've got to stay out of the [penalty]
box and make sure we do our jobs. Put pressure on them. Don't let them
set up in the zone. Take Stamkos' options away."
What logic dictates about this Penguins-Lightning opening-round matchup
is that it should be the most difficult Eastern Conference series to get your
gloves around.
You might be able to do all that.
Logic says two teams separated by three points across seven calendar
months of hockey must represent virtually equal densities of competence,
just as logic says two teams whose four meetings were so different that,
clearly, any prediction would be a fool's icing.
You might be able to win via alternate means.
Logic, because it rarely shuts up, further indicates that a Penguins team
that couldn't survive two playoff rounds a year ago with Sidney Crosby,
Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar all healthy and working certainly is not
going deep into May without them, should it get there at all.
All that might add up to Penguins in seven.
But welcome to the NHL playoffs, where logic is reliably hand-cuffed,
tasered, held in contempt, then released on its own recognizance in midJune.
You don't need logic to tell you that when Game 1 breaks out tonight at
1001 Fifth Avenue, people are going to throw themselves on the ice to
block shots in desperate sacrificial delight. You know it's the playoffs when
bodies are parallel to the surface with a painful frequency.
"Every little thing matters," is the way Penguins defenseman Paul Martin
put it after the club's last dress rehearsal Tuesday. "It's just the way you put
the team before yourself. You don't do it just to do it. You know they're
going to get chances. You just make sure you stop the best ones."
Tampa Bay's forward arsenal is the Penguins' primary concern as this
series launches itself. Lightning might not strike twice in the same place
(disproved idiom alert!), but it struck often enough on the power play this
season to be ranked sixth in the league. But it's not just this frequency that
spooks the Penguins, it's Tampa Bay's kinetic nature. Snipers everywhere.
Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier. Guy named Ryan
Malone you might have heard of. Not to mention noted Penguins tamer
Simon Gagne.
Plenty of people presume that the remedy for all that is merely a huge
antibiotic dose of Marc-Andre Fleury, but it is a world more complicated
than that. If the Penguins have a genuine confidence in the face of Tampa
Bay's firepower, it's being fueled right now primarily by the shutdown
tandem of Martin and Zbynek Michalek.
"Martin and Z have re-established themselves the last 20 games or so,"
coach Dan Bylsma said Tuesday at Southpointe. "Two things they've done
really well have been playing rushes in tandem and having a good gap, and
on going back for pucks together and in the breakout together as a unit with
the first forward back.
"They've really improved in that area over the last 25 games. Those two
areas combined, they've really done a good job of limiting time and space
for the other team's top players. They've made it very difficult to get zone
time because they've been very good at leaving the zone as quickly as
possible. In addition to being outstanding defenders, good sticks, they've
been able to limit that time and make it very difficult on the opposition's
good players."
Yeah, and they block shots like all get out.
Michalek might no longer have a welt for each of his team-leading 146
blocks this season, nor for any of the 156 blocks he led the Phoenix
Coyotes with last season, nor does he even remember whether those two
shots last winter broke both his feet, or the same foot twice, but his brand of
defense is fairly synonymous with pain management.
"I never know how to answer it because I get asked so many times, you
know, how is it that I'm so good at blocking shots," Zbynek patiently said
again Tuesday. "You don't want to go crazy out there throwing yourself
around. I don't like to leave my feet that often. The hardest thing is to figure
out the shooter's position. Does he have enough space to really wind up on
a slap shot? You have to take that away."
Once or twice.
Once.
And you might get lucky.
Translation: No clue.
564767
Pittsburgh Penguins
Scouting the rest of the playoffs
Capitals - Rangers
Streaking: Washington was 16-3-1 in its final 20 regular-season games,
partly because LW Alex Ovechkin scored seven goals in 12 games.
Rangers C Vinny Prospal put up 20 points in the final 21 games.
Difference-makers: Capitals RW Alexander Semin is one of the NHL's top
talents but doesn't have a goal in his past 14 playoff games. Losing RW
Ryan Callahan (broken leg) is a devastating blow to the Rangers. If New
York is to have any chance, G Henrik Lundqvist must be at his best.
Special teams: Washington's power play has underachieved, although its
penalty-killing is improved. New York runs hot-and-cold with the extra man,
but is fairly strong when short-handed.
Intangibles: Washington is trying to shed its reputation for wilting in the
playoffs and to prove it can play championship-caliber defense. The
Rangers barely slipped into the final spot in the East, so they should be free
of overblown expectations.
Who will win: Capitals in 5.
Flyers - Sabres
Streaking: Philadelphia RW Claude Giroux was on a point-per-game roll the
past 17 games. The Sabres got into the playoffs with a 16-4-4 closing kick,
and LW Thomas Vanek played a large role with seven goals in his final
seven games.
Difference-makers: Philadelphia won Cups in 1974 and '75, largely on the
strength of G Bernie Parent's brilliance. Even so, the Flyers routinely enter
the postseason with unproven or suspect goaltending and will do it again
this spring, with rookie Sergei Bobrovsky. Buffalo's hopes will fall largely on
the shoulders of Ryan Miller, who hasn't played at the all-world level he
reached a year ago but still could steal a series.
Special teams: Neither team has a power play or penalty-killing unit that's
anything special, but the Flyers have a knack for scoring short-handed
goals, and the Sabres have a penchant for giving them up.
Intangibles: The Sabres are a popular choice to pull an upset after their
late-season surge. The Flyers can expect at least part of the home crowd to
turn on them the moment they don't perform to expectations, and that has
to make it tough to relax and just play.
Who will win: Flyers in 6.
Bruins-Canadiens
Streaking: Bruins G Tim Thomas, the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy,
went 6-1-1 in his final eight regular-season starts. Canadiens C Tomas
Plekanec scored just three goals in the past 22 games.
Difference-makers: Remember what G Jaroslav Halak did for the
Canadiens last spring? Carey Price, coming off a strong regular season, will
have to at least match that to get past the Bruins. Dealing with Boston's size
and muscle up front could be tough, and the Canadiens' biggest challenge
might be trying to neutralize 6-foot-4, 220-pound LW Milan Lucic, a 30-goal
scorer.
Special teams: The Canadiens are decidedly worse than average when
playing five-on-five, but a good power play and penalty-killing unit
somewhat make up for that. Boston's power play and penalty-killers are
ordinary, at best.
Intangibles: The Canadiens have won 24 of the 32 series between these
rivals. Of course, there's relentless pressure to win in Montreal, where every
shift is subject to excruciating analysis in Canada.
Who will win: Bruins in 6.
Canucks - Blackhawks
Streaking: Canucks LW Daniel Sedin, the NHL scoring champion, scored
just one of his 41 goals in the final eight games. RW Marian Hossa put up
four points in the Blackhawks' final three.
Difference-makers: Canucks G Roberto Luongo has a history of great
regular-season play but hasn't come close to winning a championship, and
the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, are a 1-2 punch with few equals.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is one of the league's great two-way
players and leaders.
Special teams: Both teams possess lethal power plays; the big difference is
in penalty-killing. The Canucks are almost as effective at killing penalties as
they are at capitalizing on those taken by other teams, but Chicago's work
short-handed ranks among the worst in the NHL.
Intangibles: Chicago is the defending Stanley Cup champion and knocked
the Canucks out of the playoffs in each of the past two springs. Then again,
the Blackhawks are lucky just to be in the playoffs; Vancouver was
dominant for most of the season.
Who will win: Canucks in 6.
Sharks - Kings
Streaking: C Joe Pavelski might be the hottest Shark, with six goals in the
past 10 games. Although the Kings acquired RW Dustin Penner from
Edmonton at the trade deadline to add some punch to their offense, he
scored just twice in 19 games.
Difference-makers: San Jose forwards such as C Joe Thornton, RW Dany
Heatley and LW Patrick Marleau have the talent to take over a game, and
Dan Boyle is an excellent offensive defenseman. Los Angeles' greatest
asset is its defense corps, but C Anze Kopitar has an ankle injury and will
miss the playoffs.
Special teams: The matchup between the Shark's outstanding power play
and the Kings' high-ranked penalty-killing won't necessarily be as good as it
looks on paper, because Kopitar played a key role when Los Angeles was
short-handed.
Intangibles: San Jose is coming off another excellent regular season. What
the Sharks don't want to repeat is the playoff stumble that has become part
of their routine. The Kings should be able to play with the looseness that
comes with being a heavy underdog.
Who will win: Sharks in 5.
Red Wings - Coyotes
Streaking: Detroit doesn't have anyone who is particularly hot or stuck in a
troubling slump. Phoenix defenseman Adrian Aucoin has good offensive
skills but just one point in the past 15 games.
Difference-makers: Detroit LW Henrik Zetterberg apparently won't be
available for the start of the series because of an injury. If he's out very
long, it could tilt the series in the Coyotes' favor. Phoenix captain Shane
Doan was the only Coyote to score 20 goals this season, and six were
game-winners.
Special teams: Detroit's power play might prove to be too much for Phoenix,
and the Coyotes power play isn't likely to cause problems for the Red
Wings.
Intangibles: The Red Wings, more than any team in the league, just seem
to know how to elevate their game when it matters most and win. That's
something the Coyotes still haven't proved they've learned. They haven't
won a playoff series since relocating from Winnipeg.
Who will win: Red Wings in 7.
Ducks - Predators
Streaking: No one finished the regular season stronger than Ducks RW
Corey Perry, who had 19 goals in the final 16 games. LW Sergei Kostitsyn
had an 11-game scoring streak for Nashville before being shut out in the
finale.
Difference-makers: Kind of hard to ignore Perry, who almost singlehandedly hoisted Anaheim into the postseason. Nashville doesn't have any
game-breaking forwards, but D Shea Weber is a force all over the ice and a
Norris Trophy candidate.
Special teams: Things -- usually goals -- tend to happen when Anaheim's
power play is on the ice. The same is true of its penalty-killing, although
Nashville's woeful power play might be that unit's equal, in a perverse sort
of way. And the Predators' stingy penalty-killing won't be easy for the Ducks
to solve.
Intangibles: Predators coach Barry Trotz gets the most out of his team
every regular season, but playoff success has been another matter. His
players have to feel some urgency to change that.
Who will win: Predators in 6.
564768
Pittsburgh Penguins
Crosby practices with teammates
By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Penguins center Sidney Crosby is practicing with the club at Southpointe
today, but team officials said that is not an indication he is closer to getting
into the lineup.
Crosby, who has been out since Jan. 6 because of a concussion, worked
out on the ice before the practice, then returned with his teammates. He
has been participating in morning skates and non-contact practices. He has
not been cleared for contact.
The Penguins' first-round playoff series starts Wednesday against Tampa
Bay.
564769
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins sign another Samuelsson
The Penguins have signed Boston College defenseman Philip Samuelsson,
a second-round draft choice in 2009, to an entry-level contract.
Samuelsson put up five goals, 25 assists and 108 penalty minutes in 81
games with the Eagles, for whom he played two seasons.
His contract was negotiated by agent Brian Bartlett.
That's noteworthy because Bartlett's father, Steve, represented
Samuelsson's father, Ulf, when he was a defenseman with the Penguins.
564770
San Jose Sharks
Will Sharks' added grit make the difference?
"We've always had toughness," Murray said. "But when it comes to hitting,
we just have a little more physical play throughout the team. Our forecheck
has helped so much. You beat people up. We always had some of that in
us, but it has given us an added dimension."
By Mark Emmons
Clowe has become the scruffy face of the Sharks' feisty attitude. He was
one of only three NHL players this season to have 60-plus points and log
100 penalty minutes. The assistant captain often has led with his fists.
As the Sharks rampaged through the second half of the season, not-sosubtle signs were on display every night that something was different.
"When somebody tries something with a teammate, it's like they're trying to
one-up us and take control of the game physically," said Clowe, who will be
back from a lower-body injury for the playoffs. "I don't like that feeling.
Teams know that if they take some liberties, they'll have to deal with me."
They could be seen each time Douglas Murray flattened an opponent or
Ryane Clowe bloodied a nose. They were there when players known for
smooth finesse, such as Joe Thornton, showed more willingness to check
and tussle for loose pucks.
This was a new breed of Shark, one with teeth.
That's why, when push comes to shove in the Stanley Cup playoffs
beginning Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings, the Sharks may be
better equipped for the postseason than they have ever been in their 20year existence. Long praised for their skill-laden rosters, these Sharks have
added an element of raw grit.
"There's been a change in their mindset," said Darren Pang, a former NHL
goaltender and national broadcaster. "It's almost like a contest to see who
can block shots and win battles on the boards. They're realizing that it's not
always pretty plays that are going to win a Stanley Cup."
They're also not making friends. Murray, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound
defenseman who has become the Shark most likely to get under someone's
skin, conceded: "I'm not very popular."
The Sharks, as a group, have become unpopular, with opponents chirping
late in the season about their physical play.
"A team that's tough in every aspect is very intimidating to play," said center
Scott Nichol, a rough-and-tumble player
despite being the smallest man on the roster. "We're a heavy team that has
a lot of guys who can take care of themselves."
Murray and Clowe get most of the notoriety. Jamal Mayers and Ben Eager,
both additions this season, have added muscle.
But San Jose, the NHL's biggest team at an average of 6-1 and 209
pounds, has a lineup full of mobile players willing to throw their weight
around. Following Thornton's lead, the Sharks also have sacrificed
individual points to focus on the dirty work.
"They're built better for the playoffs than they've been in the past," said
former Shark Jeremy Roenick, now a television analyst. "I don't care how
talented you are. If you're not going to compete physically and fight back,
you're going to get beat by a harder-working team."
The Sharks long have been criticized for being soft underachievers. But an
evolution began last spring with their strong run to the Western Conference
finals.
The Sharks' edge vanished the first three months of this season, though.
Then inconsistency gave way to flat-out poor play.
On Jan. 13, the Sharks lost to Edmonton 5-2 at HP Pavilion for their sixth
consecutive defeat in regulation -- the team's worst streak in 15 years. San
Jose was 21-19-5 and off the playoff radar.
"We thought we could just win on our merit," said Nichol, who has returned
in time for the playoffs from a shoulder injury. "We were wondering, 'Why
are teams coming into our place and beating us?' Well it's because we
weren't playing that in-your-face, grind-you-down style."
The Sharks simplified their game, zeroing in on hockey's details. They
began averaging an additional two hits and three blocked shots a game.
They improved their forecheck -- pressuring opponents when the other
team is in possession of the puck in its defensive zone.
They adopted coach Todd McLellan's expression of "a race to three" -make sure you get at least three goals and then trust the defense and
goaltender Antti Niemi to do the rest.
The result: The Sharks went on a 27-6-4 run to finish the season as the
Western Conference's No. 2 seed.
Clowe is protective of everyone. ("Ryane keeps watch over the whole
flock," McLellan said.) But he's particularly watchful of rookie Logan
Couture, whose 32 goals led to increased attention from opponents.
"I'm papa bear and I'm looking after my cub," Clowe said.
That watch-your-back camaraderie is team-wide. In the waning minutes of
an April 4 victory over Los Angeles, Murray was scuffling with two Kings
when 190-pound Dan Boyle jumped into the fray.
"Dougie can take on four guys, and I'll take the other one," joked Boyle, an
All-Star defenseman. Turning serious, he added: "We have guys who stand
up for one another."
But from Pang's perspective, the difference in the Sharks begins at the top
with Thornton. Although the captain's scoring production dropped to 70
points this year, Pang thinks his overall game soared. One indication:
Thornton led the NHL in takeaways with 114.
"I don't see Joe cheating defensively anymore," Pang said. "When your top
player is leading by example, everybody falls in line."
Historically, the postseason is when the Sharks have fallen. And Roenick
thinks they will have to become even more gritty and bad-tempered to
prevent that from occurring again.
"When Joe Thornton becomes a mean hockey player, he's impossible to
stop," Roenick said. "Patrick Marleau needs to find somewhere in his being
to get nasty. He's one of the most talented guys I've ever played with, but
he doesn't have any anger or ferocity. The Sharks will win if they both
become angry, pain-in-the-ass players."
For inspiration, they only need to look across the ice at ornery teammates
such as Murray and Clowe.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564771
San Jose Sharks
Purdy: Sharks have much going in their favor
By Mark Purdy
The Los Angeles Kings are not a perfect first-round opponent. But pretty
close. Pretty close. By all rights, the Sharks should beat the Kings in five
games and then ...
Don't worry. I won't go there.
I will not predict that this is finally the season the Sharks break through and
reach the Stanley Cup finals.
came back. When they needed goalie Antti Niemi to make big saves, he
did.
And this last part is very important: When the Sharks needed captain Joe
Thornton to focus his considerable hockey skills on defense, he did.
That happened in mid-January. Thornton and his teammates finally figured
out that they were not going to score five or six goals per game. They
needed to buckle down and prevent opposing goals. And when teammates
saw Thornton sacrificing his point totals to instead lead the league in
takeaways, they followed his lead.
The other day as he watched the Masters on television, Thornton mused
that he had not played any golf since September. It was suggested that the
ideal time for his next round would be a morning in late June.
"That sounds good to me," Thornton said. "The golf clubs are in the garage.
I hope they can wait."
Because we know where those predictions have gone in the past. They
have gone to the same place that Jimmy Hoffa stopped on his way to a
hockey game in 1975.
They ought to wait another month, at least. After the Kings series, we will
have to see what lies ahead for Thornton in the next round. The Sharks
proved they could beat Detroit last spring. But defeating Detroit and
Vancouver in back-to-back series would be difficult.
All right, so Hoffa wasn't really going to a hockey game when he vanished
with no trace. On the other hand, unlike Sharks fans, Mr. Hoffa did not have
to experience the past half-decade of anguish as his favorite team played
great during the season and then flopped while chasing the Cup.
Who says that will happen, though? With the right first-round results, the
Sharks might play Nashville next. Or Phoenix. And that could pave the way
to ...
That certainly could happen again. But I will say this much: The Sharks
have never been in a better position to silence all of their doubters forever.
They are a very good hockey team. They won the NHL's toughest division.
They finished second in the Western Conference and closed as strong as
any team in the league. They have a core of grizzled veterans and the
league's best rookie, Logan Couture.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 04.13.2011
And yet the Sharks are also forecast-invisible. Want an example? You can
peruse Sports Illustrated's NHL playoff preview -- more than 2,000 words
analyzing the possible Cup winners -- and find zero mention of the Sharks.
The magazine also profiles 10 players from various teams
as potential playoff difference-makers. You guessed it. Among the 10, there
are zero Sharks.
No one is picking them to win the Cup. No one.
That includes me. But let me make this clear: I also won't commit to not
picking them.
I should explain that power play of a double negative. At the start of the
playoffs, I never predict an overall Stanley Cup winner. It's folly. In the NHL,
unlike the NBA, the playoffs are entirely up for grabs. Eighth seeds often
make the finals. Top seeds often collapse.
Thus, if enough upsets happen, a No. 4 seed can be the best team
standing by the second round. So the only way to pick the NHL playoffs is
to take it round by round. It's all about the matchups.
Let's look at the Sharks. For them, a first-round matchup against Chicago or
Anaheim would have been unadvisable. Chicago's speed would have
vexed the Sharks. Anaheim's style of physical play -- Irritable Getzlaf
Syndrome, I call it -- would have created issues of manhood-proving that
could distract from the main goal.
Los Angeles creates challenges. Every playoff opponent does. But the
Kings do not create issues. They are a team of respectable talent with a
couple of fine young defensemen and a classy goalie. But the Kings are in
a pickle because their best player, Anze Kopitar, shredded some ankle
ligaments a few weeks ago and is out indefinitely. Justin Williams, who is
tied for second on the team in scoring, is recovering from a dislocated right
shoulder and won't be fully effective.
The Sharks have their bruises and flaws. But this should be a straight-up
series full of tight-checking hockey, low-scoring games and no funny
business. The Sharks should prevail because they have more forward
depth and more postseason experience.
Todd McLellan, who has done an underrated coaching job, said early in the
season that his team was searching for an identity. After the 82nd game, he
decided it had one.
"We've become a committed team," McLellan said.
That's a good adjective. When the Sharks most needed to win a game late
this season, they seemed to win. When they needed a comeback, they
Nope. Not going there. Our beloved Los Tiburones just need to take the
Kings seriously and commit to properly stopping them. I think they will.
Sharks in five.
564772
San Jose Sharks
Sharks head into playoffs with Clowe back on ice
By JOSH DUBOW
There's a different feeling this year heading into the postseason for the San
Jose Sharks.
The tag of favorite that has been an albatross in the past is in Vancouver
instead after the Canucks raced through the regular season and won the
Presidents' Trophy.
The questions about early round collapses that haunted San Jose in recent
years have been quieted by last season's run to the Western Conference
final.
Instead, the second-seeded Sharks are enjoying being out of the spotlight
as they prepare for their first-round series against the seventh-seeded Los
Angeles Kings that begins Thursday night.
"It's kind of nice," forward Ryane Clowe said. "We feel like we made
progress last year. We took a step forward, now it's a chance to make
another stride this year. We feel really good about our team."
The Sharks began their playoff preparation Monday with some positive
news when Clowe took the ice for the first time since being sidelined a
week ago with a lower-body injury. Clowe played only briefly April 4 against
the Kings and then missed the final three games with an injury whose origin
was a mystery even to him.
Clowe said the time off helped him heal and that he was encouraged by
how good he felt at practice Monday.
"I'm not trying to be a hero and rush it or anything. I just want to try to keep
getting better every day," he said. "I went four or five days without skating.
This was the first time I skated in about a week. But the legs felt pretty
good."
While Clowe and the team were always confident he'd be able to play when
the postseason started, it was a positive sign that he felt so good on the ice
three days before the series against the Kings starts.
With his big body and relentless work ethic, Clowe has been an integral part
of the Sharks' success this season. He is a locker room leader who is never
afraid to speak up when things aren't going well, earning him a role as
alternate captain.
He also helps in more tangible ways as evidenced by his 24 goals, 38
assists and 100 penalty minutes — many the result of coming to the
defense of his teammates.
"Clowe is the first to hold himself accountable in front of his teammates,"
coach Todd McLellan said. "He accepts responsibility for his game and then
from there it spreads throughout the room. It's very powerful. When he gets
on the ice, his size, strength and toughness are very well documented. He
has the ability to play in a finesse way too. He's a very good passer and
protects the puck very well. In a year like this when scoring is at a premium,
he found a way to put up points."
Clowe spent much of the second half of the season on a line with rookie
Logan Couture and Dany Heatley, giving the Sharks another high-scoring
line to follow the top group of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Devin
Setoguchi.
That scoring depth is always crucial come the playoffs.
"He's a big part of this team, been a big part all year," Marleau said. "He's a
nice piece of the puzzle coming back."
The Sharks were knocked out in the second round for three straight
seasons before their most memorable postseason failure in 2009, when
they lost to Anaheim in the first round after posting the NHL's best record in
the regular season.
Those defeats loomed large at the start of last postseason, but the Sharks
overcame a few tough breaks to win their first round series against
Colorado in six games and then beat longtime nemesis Detroit in five
San Jose was then swept by eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago in
the conference final but the players are hoping to build on last season's
success this spring.
"You want to get back there," Thornton said. "We realize we have a good
team and we realize how much work it is to get to that point. But it's not the
ultimate goal. We know how much you have to go through. We're just that
much more experienced and we're even hungrier now to get to that point."
The injury news for the Kings is more of a mixed bag. Leading scorer Anze
Kopitar is sidelined with torn ligaments in his severely sprained right ankle.
But right wing Justin Williams was cleared to return to practice this week
after missing the final nine games of the regular season with a dislocated
right shoulder.
The Sharks are expecting Williams to suit up Thursday but know the Kings
are a different team without Kopitar, who had 25 goals and 48 assists this
season.
"That's probably like asking us the question how much different are we
without Joe Thornton," McLellan said. "He's a dominant player in the
National Hockey League. But when you lose a player like that, others tend
to pick up the slack."
Notes: The Sharks recalled LW Brandon Mashinter, LW Jamie McGinn, C
Andrew Desjardins and G Thomas Greiss. Greiss, the backup last season
to Evgeni Nabokov, spent the year in Sweden but was needed as a third
goaltender for when starter Antti Niemi does not practice.
San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 04.13.2011
564773
San Jose Sharks
Sharks-Kings playoffs schedule
Staff Writer
Kings vs. Sharks
First-round series
(Best-of-seven)
Thursday at HP Pavilion, 7 p.m.
Saturday at HP Pavilion, 7 p.m.
Tuesday at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m.
April 21 at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m.
April 23 at HP Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.*
April 25 at Los Angeles, time TBD*
April 27 at HP Pavilion, time TBD*
Notes: if necessary; TV: CSNCA; Radio, 98.5, 102.1.
San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 04.13.2011
564774
St Louis Blues
Blues must send first-round pick to Colorado
Staff Writer
Colorado gets Blues' first pick in draft
The Blues will surrender their 2011 first-round draft pick to the Colorado
Avalanche after failing to win Tuesday's NHL draft lottery.
The Blues packaged a first-round pick in the February trade that sent Erik
Johnson and Jay McClement to the Avs and brought Chris Stewart and
Kevin Shattenkirk to St. Louis.
If the Blues had won Tuesday's lottery, in which they had only a 1.5 percent
chance, the team could have kept its 2011 first-round pick and dealt
Colorado its 2012 first-rounder.
The New Jersey Devils, with a 3.6 percent chance, won Tuesday's lottery
and jumped to No. 4 from No. 8 in the draft order. (The winner of the lottery
can climb a maximum of four spots.) So the Blues' first-round pick (No. 11
overall) will go to Colorado, and the Blues will receive the Avs' secondround pick (No. 32 overall), completing the trade.
By virtue of New Jersey winning the lottery, the Edmonton Oilers, who
finished with the worst record in the NHL this season, will have the No. 1
overall pick for the second consecutive year.
The draft is set for June 24-25 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.
(Jeremy Rutherford)
Stars fire Crawford • Dallas fired coach Marc Crawford after just two
seasons. Crawford, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996, is
549-421-103 with 78 overtime losses over 15 seasons. (AP)
Isles keep Capuano • The New York Islanders removed the interim tag from
coach Jack Capuano, who was 26-29-10 after he took over for fired coach
Scott Gordon. (AP)
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 04.13.2011
564775
St Louis Blues
GM believes Blues' nucleus is in place
By JEREMY RUTHERFORD
In a 30-minute interview Tuesday, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong
emphasized one thing above all else. "Unfortunately, we've got a lot of time
on our hands," Armstrong said.
Now that the Blues' season is over, Armstrong has several months to tackle
some key issues facing the club. He addressed many of them in a wideranging conversation with reporters.
The Blues finished with a record of 38-33-11, and while they missed the
playoffs by 10 points, Armstrong believes many of the pieces are in place
heading into next season.
"The nucleus of our team moving forward is here right now," he said. "We're
going to continue with this group the way it's constructed. What I saw this
year is ... when we sustained long-term injuries, we didn't have the depth. It
wasn't the (lack of) depth in the minor leagues. It was probably the depth at
the NHL level to go up the lineup. If we can add some depth, that's one
area that we'll look at."
Armstrong insisted that the Blues weren't going to use injuries as an
excuse, but he acknowledged "two players we were hoping to get a better
read on that we didn't were (David) Perron and (T.J.) Oshie," Armstrong
said. "We were going to give them that opportunity. So we weren't able to
get a good read on how (Oshie) fits ... not only in the league, but how he fits
on our team."
Perron is still feeling the effects of a concussion that happened Nov. 4 and
kept him out 72 games. Armstrong said the club couldn't count on Perron
until he's symptom-free, but "we don't have to make that decision as an
organization until July at the absolute earliest," he said.
Even without Perron, Armstrong said he is comfortable with the Blues' skill
at forward. The Blues finished 10th in the NHL with 2.88 goals per game,
and after the trade for Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk, they averaged
3.38.
"I like our ability to score goals in different ways," Armstrong said. "There's
enough skill there. You ask a coach, you'd always like more skill. I don't
mind our skill level though."
There's also strong possibility that forward Vladimir Tarasenko, a 2010 draft
pick, will sign with the Blues this summer. But "is he NHL ready?"
Armstrong said. "He'll have to decide that in training camp."
The Blues have one of the best young defensive cores in the NHL, but they
may be looking for a veteran to complement the group.
Asked how that would affect the playing time of blueliners Ian Cole and
Nikita Nikitin, Armstrong said: "If you bring one in (via) free agency, then
you have to make space for them. If you bring one in via trade, you might
not have to make space for them. They might be taking someone's job. I
think it's best to wait and find out, if we bring one in, how we bring them in."
Jaroslav Halak will return as the Blues' No. 1 goaltender, but backup Ty
Conklin is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The team could re-sign
Conklin, promote Peoria's Ben Bishop or Jake Allen, or enter the free-agent
market.
Armstrong said the Blues' coaching staff is expected to remain intact for the
2011-12 season. Coach Davis Payne will be in the second year of his twoyear deal. The contracts for assistants Brad Shaw and Ray Bennett expire
in June, but Armstrong expects them to sign extensions.
"All in all, I thought it was a great learning experience for Davis," Armstrong
said. "Probably more than he needed, or wanted, but I think it's going to
make him a better coach."
564776
St Louis Blues
Blues' first-round pick in 2011 goes to Colorado
The Blues did not win the NHL draft lottery tonight and therefore will send
their 2011 first-round pick to Colorado, per the conditions of the February
trade between the teams.
The Blues traded defenseman Erik Johnson, forward Jay McClement and a
conditional first-round draft pick to the Avalanche in exchange for forward
Chris Stewart, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and a second-round pick.
The condition was that if the Blues finished in the bottom 10 of the NHL
standings, they could keep their 2011 first-round pick and give their 2012
pick to the Avalanche. They finished 11th from the bottom, meaning the
pick would likely belong to the Avs.
The only chance the Blues had in keeping it was by winning the draft lottery
tonight. Had they won it, the 11th pick would have become the 7th overall
pick, and the Blues could have hung onto the selection. They had a 1.5
percent chance in the weighted lottery.
But the New Jersey Devils were the lucky team tonight, winning the lottery
and moving up to No. 4 from No. 8 in the draft order. So the Avs will receive
the Blues' first-round pick (No. 11 overall), and the Blues will get the Avs'
second-round pick this season (No. 32).
This is now the order for the Top 5 picks in the draft, which will be June 2425 in Minnesota.
1. Edmonton Oilers
2. Colorado Avalanche
3. Florida Panthers
4. New Jersey Devils
5. New York Islanders
564777
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q & A: Jaroslav Halak
Jaroslav Halak
27-21-7, 2.48 GAA, .910 save-percentage, 7 shutouts
Q: What did you learn about being No. 1 goalie?
A: "Being a No. 1, it's a little bit bigger responsibility, but at the same time,
it's more fun because you play more. You just want to win every game you
play. It's a mental thing and you need to make sure your head is clear for
every game. That's the bottom line."
Q: Did you find some surprises, mentally or physically on how difficult it is to
be the No. 1 guy?
A: "As far as physical goes, I'm fine. I was fine all year long. Obviously,
everybody has ups and downs. I had mine ... The main thing is to stay
mentally fresh every game, every day of the season.
Q: What do you take away from your first season with the Blues?
A: "Too bad we couldn't get (to the playoffs). Overall, the season wasn't
probably the best for everybody in this locker room and for me, but it was a
learning season. We just need to make sure we will play consistent hockey,
especially me, I need to play on the same level most of the season."
Q: Do you have a good feeling about this group moving forward?
A: "Everybody knows in this locker room there is a lot of potential going into
next season. I think everybody's excited. ... We need to try and find another
level to get to the playoffs.
564778
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q & A: Alex Steen
Alex Steen
72 games, 20 goals, 31 assists, 51 points, -3
Q: What ingredients would you add to the Blues' mix?
A: "We're the players, not the management. The team that we have, we
have a lot of different aspects, a lot of different players ... and we've gelled
together quite well the last little while. We've worked extremely hard and
this is a very structured, hard-working team in my opinion. Moving forward,
we're going to need to continue to do that. This offseason, I'm sure there's
going to be some changes here and there, but we'll have to wait and see."
Q: Is there still a part of your game that you want to take to the next level?
A: "Yeah, everything. I want to get better. I think there's another couple of
levels for myself. I just want to continue to grow as a player ... be looked
upon to do more and feel that reliability. This year has been up and down,
there's no question. But when I look back, I don't normally set any statistic
goals for myself. It's more development goals and what I want to achieve. I
don't feel like I met up to everything this year. But I'm going to make sure I
prepare myself to get even better for next season."
Q: Can you discuss your role as one of the leaders on his team?
A: "I'm very proud to be a part of this club and what we can accomplish in
the very near future. The group mentality that we have here, it's very easy
to come to the rink in the morning and be around all these guys. It's going
to be a very joyous moment for myself and the whole group once we get
over that line and start having success. There's a lot more work and we
need to prepare ourselves to do that."
564779
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q & A: Matt D'Agostini
Matt D'Agostini
82 games, 21 goals, 25 assists, 46 points, +8
Q: Could you have envisioned your season turning out the way it did?
A: "It did go well for me personally, but at the same time, it's kind of a
disappointing finish. It obviously would have been a lot better outcome if we
make the playoffs. It would feel like you had more of the winning
contribution kind of thing. But I just take from this year and hopefully build
off my personal success and kind of translate that into helping the guys put
together a winning season next year."
Q: You were given a top-six role this season. What was your mindset once
you realized you had that opportunity?
A: "I've always been pushing for that role since I've gotten into this league.
To be given that chance and contribute a little more ... I felt good. I've still
got more to give for this organization and for me personally."
Q: You will be a restricted free agent this summer. How anxious are you to
getting a contract done, or if you're unsigned by July 1, would you like to
see what other opportunities might be available?
A: "I'm looking at getting a contract done and coming back here as soon as
possible and hopefully as painful-free as possible. Hopefully get it done
early so I can just focus on playing hockey. Hopefully they want me back
and we can come up with something rather quickly. We've had good talks,
hopefully work something out. I look forward to another training camp and
another winning team here in St. Louis."
564780
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q &A: Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald
58 games, 20 goals, 30 assists, 50 points, +18
Q: Do you feel this is as close as the Blues have been to being contenders
in a few years?
A: "Obviously it's disappointing making the playoffs, but we did have a lot of
positives this year. I think you can evaluate this team the last four or five
years, we made the playoffs once when we made that great run in the
second half ... what kind of team we had then and where we are today,
we've got some younger players that have taken that next step and
certainly become leaders on this team. Their play has become less of a
young player and more of a predominant player in the league, and that's
what we need. We had the great start and I don't think you can talk about
this year without talking about the injuries that we unfortunately had.
There's a lot of things to consider, but I think the feeling in his room is that
we're close. I know guys are unhappy about not making the playoffs, but
definitely coming into next year with the thinking that our goal is to play into
June."
Q: You are one of the oldest and most experienced players on the Blues'
roster. You are a leader in the locker room, but would you like to wear the
"C" or "A"?
A: "I think the leaders, the guys with the letters this year, have done a real
good job. It's not easy ... we have such a young team, perhaps on other
teams you have not only the leaders but older guys to absorb the youth. For
us, we have a lot of younger players. It's a big responsibility of making sure
our younger players are prepared, and know what's expected of them.
We've got five months to kind of figure it out. I think we've got the necessary
pieces to the puzzle. As for myself, whether I have letter or don't, you can
be a leader without a letter. That's what I did this year, and I'm prepared to
do it next year."
Q: How good was this year for the progression of the younger players?
A: "I think you kind of have to go through adversity to have some success
and we definitely went through that this year, with the injuries and we had a
lot of younger players that got to play big minutes for us and certainly play
in different situations and that's only going to help. I'm really encouraged. I
think there are a lot of guys right now that are really looking forward to next
year and getting themself ready over the offseason."
564781
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q & A: Cam Janssen
Cam Janssen
54 games, 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points, 17 fights, 131 PIMs, -6
Q: You're going to be an unrestricted free agent. Do you want to be back
with the Blues?
A: "I want to be back big time. I don't want to go anywhere else. This is my
home, this is my city. But it is a business and I want to support my family as
much as I can. If somebody gives me something that I can't refuse, then I
have to go with it. But on the other hand, it's got to be something
(significant) because I want to be here because want to be here and I love
it, and my family wants me here, my friends want me here, fans want me
here. It would be tough for me to leave. We'll see what happens, but like I
said, this is my place, this is my house, this is where I grew up and I don't
want to go anywhere else. But we'll see what happens."
Q: Where do you the contract talks are headed?
A: "I don't know. I don't know. I have no idea. I thought I turned it on pretty
good at the end of the year and I thought my game improved big time and I
think they realized that. They know that I'll stick up for my teammates every
night. My fighting capabilities are there. But I think my game has improved
and that's a big part of it. I hope they realize that because once I have that,
I consider myself the full package ... jokingly."
564782
St Louis Blues
Postseason Q & A: Patrik Berglund
Patrik Berglund
81 games, 22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points, -3
Q: What did you learn about yourself this season?
A: "A lot of things, actually. It's been a really fun year for me. I think I took a
big step. I know that I had a good year my rookie year and (had) a
sophomore slump last year. But this year, it's more maturity, bigger and
stronger and trying to show everybody that I'm here to stay. I want to be a
part of this team for a very long time. Obviously I want to work to become a
leader on this team in the future. I think I'm on the right track. I'm going to
go home, I'm going to take it easy, I'm going to reload my batteries and
come back even stronger."
Q: What do you think clicked for you?
A: "I think just preparation. I'm still a young guy, but the last two years, I
was younger and you didn't take the preparation as serious as you should. I
started the first day during the summer training, right after last year's
season, I started to do a lot of things differently. I started to become serious
all the time. It's not about the game today to be serious and take care of
yourself at that time. It's every day. I've been coming into the rink every day
well prepared. You have this feeling, you know that you're ready to play.
You feel good. To be successful, if you want to develop, you have to come
to practice and games with the feeling that 'I'm here and I'm ready to play
everyday.'"
Q: You will be a restricted free agent this summer. How quickly would you
like to have your contract resolved?
A: "Obviously pretty quick, but it will all be good. I'm not in a hurry. It will be
fine."
564783
St Louis Blues
Fans aren’t happy with the team’s finish, which is understandable. But they
should be quite pleased with the team the Blues finished with.
Stewart trade transformed Blues into potential contender
With stronger ownership support going forward – and with fewer critical
injuries – this team could help fans move past their many years of
frustration.
By JEFF GORDON
While judging the Blues progress this season, there is no reason to dwell on
what happened before Feb. 19.
That is when general manager Doug Armstrong acquired power forward
Chris Stewart and Kevin Shattenkirk from the Colorado Avalanche for Erik
Johnson and Jay McClement.
That blockbuster move fundamentally changed the team. The trade
reshaped the nucleus moved a stalled team back on track toward perennial
contention.
True, the Blues played just a .500 hockey the rest of the season. The
combination of salary dumping (Eric Brewer, Brad Boyes and Brad
Winchester departing for draft picks) and injuries (Jaroslav Halak, Alex
Steen, Vladimir Sobotka, Philip McRae, Barret Jackman, et al) left them
seriously shorthanded.
Some nights coach Davis Payne felt like he was back coaching the Peoria
Rivermen. His lineup was jammed with AHL journeymen.
But fans saw real progress down the stretch, when the Blues finally got
healthier and finished with a 6-1-2 flourish.
Look at how this team changed in the wake of the Stewart/Shattenkirk deal:
Stewart scored 15 goals, seven on the power play, during the last 26
games of the season. He added skill and muscle to the attack, getting the
full attention of enemy goaltenders. He parked on top of the net and
converted tip after tip, rebound after rebound.
Shattenkirk dished 17 assists and added two goals during those same 26
games. His ability to rush the puck, create offensive zone plays and
quarterback the power play gave the Blues elements they sorely lacked. He
made teammates better.
Fellow offensive defenseman Alex Pietrangelo continued his season-long
growth by scoring 15 points in the 26 games following the deal.
Veteran forward Andy McDonald closed with 26 points during the final 26
games, with 10 goals and 16 assists.
Power forward David Backes scored 16 points in his last 17 games, with
eight goals and eight assists. Sometimes he played with Stewart, other
times he didn’t – but the addition of a second 30-goal scorer made him a
LOT more effective.
Speedy winger Matt D’Agostini caught fire in March and scored 17 points in
his last 15 games. The former Canadiens castoff became a 20-goal scorer
for the first time in his NHL career.
T.J. Oshie scoring 17 points in his last 24 games, finishing well after a twogame team suspension for missing practice.
The bolstered Blues offense scored nine goals in a victory over Anaheim –
during the first game after the trade -- and later tallied 10 goals against the
Red Wings in Detroit. Who could have thought that was possible earlier in
the season?
When Halak returned from his hand injury, the Blues were able to translate
their more explosive attack into greater success. He was 8-4-1 after coming
off the disabled list, allowing just 26 goals in his last 14 starts.
The Blues still missed the playoffs. Once again they weren’t good enough.
Armstrong saw this, which is why he made the moves he did. He reshaped
the nucleus with the Stewart deal and cast off high-priced veterans that
didn’t fit in the organization’s long-range plans.
The goal isn’t to get back into the playoffs. The goal is to become a playoff
fixture and contend for the Cup.
With that in mind, Armstrong has made one bold move after another since
taking over as general manager. Working within strict financial limitations,
he got much done in a short period of time.
564784
St Louis Blues
Coach stresses improvement to reach playoffs next year
By NORM SANDERS - News-Democrat
ST. LOUIS -- As he conducted exit meetings with his players this week, St.
Louis Blues coach Davis Payne kept revisiting a central theme.
"Whether a guy felt he had a good year or not, we're shy those 10 points,"
said Payne, whose team finished 10 points out of the final Western
Conference spot and missed the postseason for a second straight year.
"We're shy that opportunity to play this week and we asked guys to identify
in their game, what are the areas they can gain percentage points that add
to our team game."
Injuries cost the Blues some of their top forwards for extended periods of
time, including David Perron, Andy McDonald and T.J. Oshie.
When the Blues had to shift gears, change lines and account for those
injuries with new faces, results were not always the best.
"I think the biggest lesson there is making sure we find ways to win when
we're not at full throttle," Payne said. "There were nights where in the
response to a loss, we tried to outwork the situation. At times, outworking
that situation puts you on the wrong side of the play, the wrong side of the
puck."
The result was several long losing streaks and stretches of baffling
inconsistency that wound up costing the Blues valuable points in their quest
to make the NHL playoffs.
"When you have guys out of the lineup, when you have fresh faces, when
you have what is essentially a young group, you have to make sure this
message is translated very quickly and clearly," Payne said. "That's
probably the No. 1 thing I take away from this season."
While Payne liked the progress he saw from a lot of the team's young core
of players, he singled out center and restricted free agent Patrik Berglund.
Berglund finished his third season with a career-high 22 goals and 52
points, along with a plus-minus rating of minus-3.
"Here's a guy who's first at the rink for every situation, first in the gym, he's
first through every meeting situation," Payne said. "He wasn't looking for
immediate success, he wasn't looking for one quick solution to his game.
He wasn't looking for one quick answer to be that dominant center or a
dominant top-six player in the league. He stayed with it."
Payne also praised the work done by many players, but noted the
consistency shown by workhorse forward David Backes.
Backes hit the 31-goal mark for the second time in three seasons and also
collected 31 assists for a total of 62 points and a plus-minus rating of plus32.
"That's probably the biggest words to describe David's game, consistency in
all areas," Payne said. "He knew that he was a big part of it coming in (to
the season). When guys came out of the lineup, he knew he was a big part
of what stayed in there and how we were going to need to play."
Backes tried to will the Blues into the playoffs, but it wasn't enough as he
and his teammates missed out again on a trip to the postseason.
"He took on that challenge and at times near the end the load got heavy for
him, there's no question about that," Payne said. "But he stayed with his
game, he tried to pull guys along, push guys along, take things over when
he had the opportunity. His leadership continued to grow."
Payne said his biggest disappointment came when thinking back to games
where the Blues held leads or were tied in the third period and couldn't nail
down a win.
"Whether it was a tie game in the third (period) or we found our way back
into it in the third period or had a one-goal lead ... those points that were left
out there that ended up as zeroes in our column was probably the most
disappointing situation."
Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 04.13.2011
564785
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning-Penguins: Season series recap
Erik Erlendsson
Season Series
Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh split four regular-season meetings, each winning
on home ice. Here is a look at each game:
LIGHTNING 5, PENGUINS 3
Oct. 27 at Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh scored twice shorthanded on the same penalty kill to fuel a
three-goal outburst, building a 3-1 lead and chasing Mike Smith from goal.
But Dan Ellis pitched a shutout the rest of the way and Marty St. Louis
fueled the comeback, setting up the tying goal in the second, scoring the
go-ahead goal in the third and finishing it off with an empty netter late.
PENGUINS 5, LIGHTNING 1
Nov. 12 at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh scored twice in 27 seconds in the second period to break open a
tight-checking affair. Tampa Bay closed to within a goal early in the third,
but failed to convert on a power play that would have tied the game before
the Penguins scored three times in the final seven minutes. The Lightning
managed just 16 shots on goal while holding Pittsburgh to 20 shots.
PENGUINS 8, LIGHTNING 1
Jan. 5 at Pittsburgh
Coming off an emotional victory the night before in Washington, Tampa Bay
was blitzed by the Penguins, who scored seven seconds into the game and
built a 5-0 lead in the first period. But this game was more notable as the
last Sidney Crosby played in during the regular season. The next day,
Crosby was diagnosed with a concussion and has not played since.
LIGHTNING 2, PENGUINS 1
March 31 at Tampa
In a late-season playoff preview, Tampa Bay built a two-goal lead in the first
and held off Pittsburgh's charge as the Penguins outshot the Lightning 3116 in the final two periods. Dwayne Roloson finished with 36 saves.
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 04.13.2011
564786
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning-Penguins preview
By ROY CUMMINGS
The Stanley Cup Playoffs
It has been four years since the Lightning were in the playoffs, so here's a
refresher on all that makes the postseason special.
Playoff beards
They're part tradition, part superstition. Players, coaches, staff members
and even fans start growing their playoff beards almost as soon as their
team clinches a playoff spot and usually don't shave them until the team is
eliminated. The New York Islanders started the trend in the 1980s, when it
seemed the only team that could beat them was Edmonton. The fad faded
when the Islanders faded, but the New Jersey Devils brought it back into
vogue in 1995 — and it's been growing ever since.
Sudden-death overtime
There are no shootouts during the Stanley Cup playoffs. No four-on-four
overtime periods, either. If a game is tied after three periods, teams play
full, 20-minute overtime periods until someone scores. Most overtime
games are decided relatively early, but some — such as a May 2000 game
between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh that went five overtimes — go until the
wee hours of the morning. You might have to sneak in an afternoon nap the
next day, but the energy and intensity of overtime playoff hockey are
thrilling.
Best-of-seven series
Unlike Major League Baseball, which uses a best-of-five format in the
opening round, the NHL goes the distance from the start. Every series,
including the first round, is a best-of-seven affair. Also, rather than use a 23-2 format for the number of games played in each city, the NHL uses a 22-1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded team playing at home in Games 1, 2
and, if necessary, 5 and 7. The system truly rewards the team with homeice advantage.
Playing hurt
You hear it all the time: "If this were the playoffs, I'd be playing.'' Well, it's
the playoffs, and that means playing hurt or injured. And we do mean
injured. In 1964, Bob Baun scored an overtime winner for the Maple Leafs
while skating on a broken leg he had trainers freeze between periods. Two
years later, Roger Crozier's Red Wings lost the Cup to Montreal, but
Crozier was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP for
playing the last three games on a bad leg. It may sound crazy, but it's part
of the game once the playoffs begin.
The Stanley Cup
The NHL's iconic championship trophy is hockey's Holy Grail — on which
the name of every winning player is engraved — but hasn't always been
treated as such. After winning it in 1905, the old Ottawa Silver Sevens
kicked the Cup into the Rideau Canal and left it there overnight. The Cup
also was left on the side of the road once after several members of the
1924 Montreal Canadiens pulled it out of the trunk of a car to repair a flat
tire. It was used as a flower pot for several months after it was left behind at
a photographer's studio. And, in 1996, Avalanche defenseman Sylvain
Lefebvre christened his child in it.
564787
Tampa Bay Lightning
Pittsburgh Penguins primer
Roy Cummings
About The Penguins
The Lightning and Penguins are meeting in the playoffs for the first time.
Don't know your Lemeiux from your Jagr? Can't tell your Staals apart? Don't
worry. Here's the rundown on the Penguins, past and present.
History lesson
Before Sid the Kid, there was Mario the Magnificent. Before that, there was
pain and suffering. Literally. The Penguins' first real star, a rookie named
Michel Briere, finished second to Tony Esposito in the 1970 Calder Trophy
balloting for the league's best first-year player, but suffered major head
trauma in a single-car accident just days after Pittsburgh finished its first
playoff appearance. He died 10 months later.
It was five years before the Pens made it back to the playoffs. Once they
did, they stayed there, reaching the postseason seven of the eight years. In
1984, while on the brink of financial ruin, the Pens won the Mario Lemieux
sweepstakes, selecting the future superstar with the No.?1 overall draft
pick. It took a while, but everything changed. After pairing Lemieux with
Jaromir Jagr in the early 1990s, the Pens won the Stanley Cup in 1991 and
'92 and made the playoffs 12 times in 13 seasons.
Lemieux passed the torch to Sidney Crosby in 2005 and the Pens remain
one of the NHL's most formidable franchises, with a third Cup coming in
2009.
Decoding the logo
The Penguins nickname was inspired by the team's arena, the Pittsburgh
Civic Arena, which was nicknamed the "Igloo'' for it's round, igloo-like
shape. The original logo featured a burly Emperor penguin with a scarf
around its neck skating with a hockey stick. The scarf was removed in the
team's second season and it didn't come back until the Pens used the
original logo for an alternate third jersey during this year's Winter Classic.
The triangle behind the Penguin represents the "Golden Triangle'' area of
downtown Pittsburgh and has been part of the team's crest since it was
founded in 1967.
Star quality
Ten Hall of Famers played for the Penguins during their careers: Andy
Bathgate (1967-68, 1970-71), Leo Boivin (1967-69), Paul Coffey (1987-92),
Ron Francis (1990-98), Tim Horton (1971-72), Mario Lemieux (1984-97,
2000-06), Joe Mullen (1990-95, 1996-97), Larry Murphy (1990-95), Luc
Robitaille (1995), Bryan Trottier (1990-94).
Which Staal is that?
You hear the name Staal a lot in the NHL, and for good reason. There are
four Staal brothers — Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared — playing in the
league. The one the Lightning are worried about is 22-year-old Jordan. He
was the second overall draft pick of the Pens in 2006, wears jersey No. 11
and was a member of Pittsburgh's 2009 Stanley Cup team. He missed the
first half of this season with foot and hand injuries and didn't finish real
strong. But at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he can be a real problem. He's
tremendous on faceoffs, has a hard, accurate shot and uses his body to
protect the puck and create scoring chances. He's not real physical, but
makes good use of his reach to get in the way of passes and shots. He is
responsible defensively, with a plus-7 rating.
Bet you didn't know
The Penguins were the first professional sports team to launch a 24/7,
team-branded HD radio station. It's a 'Burgh thing. … Kevin Stevens holds
the team record for most goals in a playoff season with 17. … The
Penguins' original owners purchased the expansion franchise for $2.5
million in 1967.
564788
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning-Penguins: Head-to-head
Erik Erlendsson
How They Match Up
The Penguins and Lightning look to be evenly matched in a series between
the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds in the Eastern Conference, but each has strengths
and weaknesses:
Forwards
The Penguins lack scoring in the absence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin, while the Lightning's top six are as deep as any in the league.
Tampa Bay's Marty St. Louis and Steven Stamkos are among the league's
top-five scorers, plus Vinny Lecavalier and Simon Gagne came on strong in
the second half of the season. The Lightning can give the Penguins fits
trying to match lines.
EDGE: Tampa Bay
Defense
The Penguins ranked seventh in goals allowed at 2.39 per game. Kris
Letang is a candidate for the Norris Trophy, given to the league's top
defender, while Paul Martin, Zbynek Michalek and hard-hitting Brooks Orpik
patrol the blue line. The Lightning have veterans such as Pavel Kubina and
Mattias Ohlund, but the unit lacks speed and struggles at times in its own
end.
EDGE: Pittsburgh
Goaltending
Marc-Andre Fleury led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup finals twice in the
past three years, winning a title in 2009, and was the team's MVP this
season. The Lightning's Dwayne Roloson led Edmonton to the finals in
2006 and provided Tampa Bay with stability in net while adding veteran
leadership.
EDGE: Pittsburgh
Special Teams
The Penguins led the league in penalty kill at 86.1 percent despite being
shorthanded 324 times, second most in the league. But Pittsburgh's power
play finished 25th overall at 15.8 percent and was 29th on home ice at 14
percent. That's due to more than just the absence of Sidney Crosby. Tampa
Bay, meanwhile, ranked fifth in power play at 20.5 percent, the only Eastern
Conference team over 20 percent. The Lightning also ranked eighth in
penalty kill, joining Vancouver and Montreal as the only teams to rank in the
top 10 in power play and penalty kill.
EDGE: Tampa Bay
Intangibles
The Lightning have veteran leaders who won the Stanley Cup, but nearly
half the roster has no NHL playoff experience and coach Guy Boucher is in
his first season. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup two years ago and
have been to the final twice in three years. They know what it takes to win
playoff games, even without Crosby.
EDGE: Pittsburgh
564789
Tampa Bay Lightning
Veteran stars lead the charge to the postseason
By MARTIN FENNELLY
TAMPA - They're a part of our sports landscape. First names are enough.
Marty and Vinny.
They've been Lightning teammates for 10 seasons. Seven years ago, they
took turns lifting the Stanley Cup. Last season, they took turns wondering
whatever happened to those days, or if they'd play again in Tampa, or
wanted to if things stayed bad.
Well, it's playoff season, and here are Marty and Vinny, driving toward the
show, on the same line for the first time in two years, reading each other's
minds, making plays, flying, scoring, smiling — together.
"It's been a lot of fun," Marty St. Louis said.
"It's like it was," Vinny Lecavalier said.
"They're like little kids out there, playing street hockey," Lightning coach
Guy Boucher said. "… It's their team right now. They're carrying it."
It's Game 1 tonight in Pittsburgh for the Lightning, who haven't been to the
postseason in four years and haven't won a playoff series since the night
they won Stanley. These Bolts will lean heavily on two men who've been
there, done that.
St. Louis, 35, but ridiculously ageless, is a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate,
with 99 points this season, second in the NHL, with a career-high 68
assists. Lecavalier, who turns 31 this month, the team captain since he was
like 11, has recaptured some of the magic that once made him a true star,
with 17 goals and 30 points in the season's final 28 games.
"He's a menace out there, an offensive menace, a defensive menace,"
Boucher said of Lecavalier. "His hits look like normal hits, but guys are
folding like accordions. He has a presence right now that's crucial to our
team."
Marty and Vinny, together again and feeling it.
"I think like the last couple of weeks, we really feel we're back to where we
once were," St. Louis said. "I really feel like we're on the same page with
our game, both in a happy place mentally."
They're nearly back to where they were a few years ago, when their line
was unstoppable, when they were one of the feared tandems in hockey, like
2006-07, when Vinny led the league with 52 goals, Marty had 43 and they
were 100-point men.
Marty moved to another line in 2009 to star with young Steven Stamkos.
Vinny went to another place, a place with injuries and trade rumors and bad
nights and his $10 million salary making people question his drive. Then
there was all the losing. Marty wondered if he wanted to be a Bolt. Vinny
wondered if he'd be traded.
Here they are, Marty and Vinny, on the same line. Boucher made the switch
last month, partly to ease the strain on the 21-year-old Stamkos, who
struggled mightily down the stretch.
"It's nice to see Vinny and Marty getting that chemistry back; all this is
perfect timing for us," Stamkos said.
There is Vinny pride in Marty and Marty pride in Vinny.
"Marty has always had speed and heart," Vinny said. "Marty is a machine.
People expect him to slow down. They don't know Marty. He plays like he's
22. It's crazy."
"Let's not sugar coat: Vinny has had a couple of tough years with everything
that's gone on," Marty said. "It's tough to perform when everything is going
on around you. Vinny is in a good place right now. You feed off that in the
locker room, seeing your captain, what he's battled through … For him to
come back, and have this kind of finish, I'm very proud of him."
Marty and Vinny, back in the playoffs.
It's their team right now.
564790
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bolts' defense not flashy but certainly steady
By ROY CUMMINGS
TAMPA - There isn't a flashy player in the group. There isn't a real speedy
one either. And therein lies the reason coach Guy Boucher went into this
season concerned about the Lightning's defense.
It's no longer enough to clear the front of your net or win a battle in the
corner. Today's NHL defenseman has to keep pace with a speedy forward
on the rush, for which some Lightning defensemen just aren't built.
Still, it could be argued the defense got the Lightning to the playoffs.
During their past 39 games, the Lightning allowed just 92 goals. That's 2.4
per game, or 0.1 fewer than Vancouver, the league's stingiest team,
allowed all season.
"Yeah, those guys back there have really played well,'' Lightning wing Marty
St. Louis said. "No, we don't have any real flashy guys back there, but we
do have steady guys, and sometimes steady is better than flashy.''
Even when they were struggling to score during a mind-boggling stretch of
games in March, Tampa Bay's defense and goaltending kept games close.
"The last month or so, we really have been terrific,'' Boucher said. "(Pavel)
Kubina has probably played his six or seven best games of the year here
this last little stretch. He's been very physical.
"We have defensemen with a heavy punch, a heavy stick and heavy
bodies. So, we're good not just at pounding guys, but at squeezing
opponents out (along the boards). The speed, no, there isn't enough of that,
but because we play a pack mentality, they have less territory to cover.''
That pack mentality is the real key. Concerned about his defense's overall
lack of speed, Boucher adopted a system that forced his speedy forwards
to compensate by taking on a defenseman's share of the defensive-zone
responsibilities. Even the Lightning's top scorers bought into the plan.
"You really have to commend Marty and Vinny (Lecavalier) and Steven
(Stamkos) for leading the way there and for taking charge there,'' Lightning
general manager Steve Yzerman said. "They're really buying into what the
coaches want them to do, and you can see now that the players have
become a lot more confident and comfortable with the system.''
Yzerman tweaked his roster several times this year, each time with an eye
toward improving the defense. He traded for goaltender Dwayne Roloson,
who brought stability to the most important position on the ice, and added
experienced defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and Eric Brewer.
"When I first got here, I felt this was a group that didn't get enough credit for
how well it played,'' Brewer said. "It's a very smart group, a very
experienced group, and we're able to squeeze guys out or make them hold
the puck or just plain stop.''
In other words, they're able to slow the rush, reduce scoring chances and
limit the number of shots their goalie faces, which is the primary objective of
every defense.
"A few of us, we used to be able to fly but not so much anymore,"
defenseman Mattias Ohlund said. "But because we've played our system,
we've had a decent year, so far. But now it's a whole new start, and we
have to prove ourselves all over again.''
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Lobe said Roloson's attention to detail sets him apart.
Veteran Roloson geared up for Bolts' playoff drive
"He spends a lot of time maximizing his recovery,'' Lobe said. "After every
game, he gets in a good half-hour session with (club massage therapist)
Christian Rivas and it's not just putting hot rocks on his back. They really
get in there and find adhesions or soft tissue that need to be addressed.''
By IRA KAUFMAN
Noting that goaltenders can lose 13 pounds during a game, Lobe said
Roloson is blessed with a "super-high'' metabolism rate.
TAMPA - When the Lightning ushered in a new year with an aging addition,
some local hockey fans wondered why a playoff contender would be
interested in a 41-year-old journeyman goaltender.
Now you know.
Three months later, Dwayne Roloson has emerged as a key component in
Tampa Bay's drive for another Stanley Cup trophy.
"He kind of defies logic,'' said Lightning strength and conditioning coach
Chuck Lobe. "In terms of his reaction time, his ability to play at that level, it's
not supposed to happen at Roloson's age. It's rare. The Russians stop
training their athletes at 35 because their hormone levels are in the toilet.
Once you're 35, they hand you a broom and say have a good life.''
Since being obtained from the Islanders in a Jan. 1 trade, Roloson has
solidified the Lightning at their weakest point.
When Roloson joined his sixth NHL team, the Lightning were yielding an
average of 3.08 goals per game. Mike Smith and Dan Ellis ranked 40th and
41st, respectively, in save percentage among 42 goaltenders with enough
minutes to qualify.
"Roloson's been great for us,'' said veteran Lightning defenseman Pavel
Kubina. "He knows what the playoffs are all about and he's in great shape.
You can tell he takes care of his body. As a defenseman, you know if you
make a mistake, 99 percent of the time, he's going to make the save.''
Roloson reeled off four shutouts in his first 11 games with the Lightning and
posted a .912 save percentage in 34 games with Tampa Bay.
Mark Recchi, Boston's 43-year-old winger, is the only active NHL player
older than Roloson, who relies on an arduous offseason regimen with
personal trainer Scot Prohaska, based in southern California.
Under Prohaska's tutelage, Roloson races to the top of sand dunes, pulls
weighted sleds and even engages in exercises to sharpen his eyesight and
peripheral vision.
"I think you'll see more goalies playing longer,'' said Hall of Fame
goaltender Tony Esposito, who retired from the Blackhawks in 1984 on the
brink of his 41st birthday. "All the physical programs are better today, the
equipment is better, they're flying charters instead of commercial. You have
to give Roloson credit — he takes care of himself and it's obvious he wants
to play again next year.''
Roloson, a potential free agent this summer, is eager to return to the
postseason for the first time since leading the 2005-06 Oilers to the Stanley
Cup finals.
"It seems like yesterday,'' Roloson said of his last playoff run.
"Unfortunately, we didn't win, so you try to forget about those things. I try
not to think about what could have been.''
Edmonton barely squeezed into the '06 playoffs as a No. 8 seed before
shocking Detroit, which led the league with 124 points. With Roloson
playing every minute, the Oilers also upset San Jose and Anaheim before
meeting Carolina in the finals.
That's when Roloson sprained his knee in Game 1, ending his season and
helping the Hurricanes edge Edmonton in a seven-game series.
"He was amazing,'' said Lightning defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron, a
member of Edmonton's defense five years ago whose hit against Andrew
Ladd sent the former Carolina forward careening into Roloson's right knee.
"Roloson made the difference in the games we won. I don't know too many
athletes over 40, but you can't tell that he's over 40, that's for sure.''
Lightning coach Guy Boucher harbors no doubt Roloson is ready for
another inspiring playoff effort.
"He might be the most in-shape guy on the team,'' Boucher said. "I don't
see any fatigue at all. He's got the stamina and he's lived it, all the way to
the finals.''
"He can put the food away,'' said Lobe. "When Dwayne Roloson has rice
and chicken, he really has rice and chicken.''
Esposito said he noticed his lateral movement and mental focus
deteriorating slightly as he aged, adding it was more difficult to remain fresh
after playing three games in four nights.
Roloson shows no signs of slowing down as he prepares for tonight's Game
1 matchup in Pittsburgh, with winning on his mind and chicken and rice
undoubtedly on the menu.
"I'm fortunate enough to say I can go to work every day and I love doing
what I do,'' he said. "Not a lot of people in the world can say that, and I
can.''
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Even after surgery, Fleming eager to help Lightning
By ERIK ERLENDSSON
TAMPA - When the Lightning open their first playoff series in four years
tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center, Tampa
Bay assistant coach Wayne Fleming will perform his usual duties under
unusual circumstances.
As the team hits the ice and the coaches take their spots behind the bench,
Fleming will be sitting on his couch at home, tuning in with a watchful eye,
communicating with the rest of the staff via text messages, phone calls and
perhaps an email or two.
"A little bit of everything, whatever I can,'' Fleming said.
Fleming, 60, was diagnosed last week with a malignant brain tumor. He
missed Tampa Bay's final five games of the regular season and underwent
a biopsy at Moffitt Cancer Center on Thursday.
He is awaiting test results before a course of action is determined to treat
the tumor, and he is facing the challenge ahead with a strong will and no
fear of the unknown.
"I'm good. I can't worry about it; it is what it is,'' Fleming said. "But the
biggest things right now are my family and the team, and that's my focus.''
Fleming's fight will be on the players and coaches' minds.
"It's one of our close ones and it's something very difficult," Lightning coach
Guy Boucher said. "The way he is living it, that's what is inspiring. You don't
want that to happen to somebody you know, but I think the players have
really enjoyed having Wayne around, and it's not just the knowledge, it's the
person.
"We are going to be inspired by the way he fights and the way he is here
now and trying to help us, putting all of his efforts to help us get better.
Fleming was an active participant in playoff preparation, which started
Monday afternoon when he sat with Boucher breaking down tape. He
prepared the penalty kill to deal with Pittsburgh's power play and offered
advice to Boucher, who is entering his first NHL playoff series.
"We kind of grinded it out for about three hours,'' Fleming said of his
session with Boucher and assistants Martin Raymond and Dan Lacroix.
"We did some video work, went over some of my experiences and what I've
been through from a little bit of the competitive side that's involved in the
playoffs."
"I've been fortunate. We didn't do very well in Edmonton last year, but this is
the seventh out of the past eight years I've been in the playoffs, so over a
while you gather a little bit of stuff that's able to be applied here.''
Fleming attended practice Tuesday morning before the team departed for
Pittsburgh.
He also attended a lunch with the players on Monday, his first time seeing
them since being diagnosed with the tumor. It was an emotional and
humbling moment that epitomized the support he has received from the
Lightning organization.
"The quality of support from (owner) Mr. (Jeff) Vinik and (CEO) Tod
Leiweke and Steve Yzerman along with the players and staff as a whole, I
still feel very involved and very much a part of it,'' Fleming said. "Hopefully I
can keep making contributions as we move through this one.''
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Breaking down the Tampa Bay Lightning-Pittsburgh Penguins playoff series
By Tom Jones
St. Petersburg Times staff writer Tom Jones breaks down the matchup
between the Lightning and Penguins.
Offense
Lightning: Most of the Lightning offense this season has come from Marty
St. Louis, whose 99 points were second in the league, and Steven
Stamkos, who was second in the league in goals (45) and fifth in points
(91). But Stamkos struggled down the stretch with only five goals in the final
28 regular-season games. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, captain Vinny
Lecavalier has looked like the Lecavalier of old with nine goals and eight
assists in the final 14 games. He is third on the team with 54 points. The
only other player to register 50 is Teddy Purcell (51), but the Lightning
hopes Simon Gagne (17 goals in 63 games) and Ryan Malone (14 in 54)
are finally 100 percent after being hampered by injuries. The Lightning also
hopes to get continued contributions from Dominic Moore (18 goals), Sean
Bergenheim (14) and Steve Downie (10 goals in 57 games).
Penguins: It's hard to decipher the Penguins' offense because it is missing
its two biggest weapons. Sidney Crosby, quite possibly the best player in
the world, has been out since early January with a concussion, and his
status for this series remains up in the air. Evgeni Malkin, the 2009 playoff
MVP, is out with a knee injury. Even though Crosby played in only 41
regular-season games, he still finished as the Penguins' leading scorer with
66 points (32 goals). Defenseman Kris Letang was second with 50. Though
the Pens aren't top-heavy with scorers, they do have depth. Besides
Crosby and Malkin (15 goals), six players who spent the whole season with
the team have double digits in goals, including two 20-goal scorers: Chris
Kunitz (23) and Tyler Kennedy (21). (Late-season acquisitions James Neal
and Alex Kovalev have 22 and 16, respectively, most of them with their
former teams, the Stars and Senators.) Then again, one of those doubledigit goal scorers is forward Matt Cooke, who is suspended for this series.
Key players to watch are center Jordan Staal, who had 30 points in 42
games after coming back from injury, and Kovalev, who had only two goals
in 20 games with the Pens but has dazzling offensive skills.
backup Mike Smith has come on of late. He won five of his last seven
regular-season starts and comes into the postseason with a three-game
winning streak in which he has allowed four goals and shut out the
defending-champion Blackhawks. But Smith has never appeared in a NHL
postseason game.
Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury was voted the Penguins' MVP this season,
and there's talk about him getting league MVP votes. He started 62 games
and compiled a 36-20-5 record, a 2.32 goals-against average and a .918
save percentage. Fleury, 26, has tons of playoff experience. He has
appeared in two Stanley Cup finals and won the Cup in 2009. He is 38-24 in
the postseason and has appeared in 62 postseason games, 29 more than
Dwayne Roloson.
Special teams
Lightning: This series could come down to the Lightning's power play.
Tampa Bay finished sixth in the league in the power play, converting at 20.5
percent. However, the Penguins had the league's top-rated penalty-killing
unit at 86.1 percent. And take note: The Lightning has given up the most
shorthanded goals in the league, a mind-boggling 16. Meantime, the
Penguins were tied for second in the NHL with 13 shorthanded goals
scored. The Lightning's penalty-killers were solid at 83.8 percent, eighth in
the NHL.
Penguins: Historically, they have had one of the NHL's best power plays,
but not this season. Missing stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for
most of the year — as well as power-play quarterback Sergei Gonchar, who
signed with Ottawa in the offseason — the power play dipped to 25th at
15.8 percent.
Coaching
Lightning: Guy Boucher has had a stunning season as a rookie NHL coach.
He sparked the team to a hot start, guided it through a rash of injuries and
coaxed it out of a losing patch in March. Had it not been for that hiccup in
March, Boucher might be the leading contender for coach of the year.
However, that he pulled the Lightning out of its slump to win seven of its last
eight in the regular season shows how steady his hand has been.
Penguins: Dan Bylsma has proven to be one of the NHL's elite coaches. He
took over late in the 2008-09 season and led the Pens to the Stanley Cup.
This season Bylsma has had to deal with injuries to his two biggest stars
and a rash of injuries to other key players, and yet he still led the Penguins
to 106 points. Only because of a tiebreaker did the team not win the Atlantic
Division.
Defense
Intangibles
Lightning: The Lightning's blue line is much improved over a year ago
because of the additions of Eric Brewer and Pavel Kubina and the
emergence of second-year player Victor Hedman, who finished the regular
season plus-3. Brewer, obtained during the season in a trade from the
Blues, has quickly established himself as the team's top defenseman and
should draw the most difficult assignments. Veteran Mattias Ohlund might
have lost a step, but he still is a physical presence in front of the net. The
big question is how coach Guy Boucher is going to manage having nine
defensemen when Randy Jones returns from a high ankle sprain. The only
knock is that the Lightning's defense hasn't produced offensively apart from
Brett Clarke (nine goals, 31 points). Marc-Andre Bergeron is probably the
team's best offensive defenseman, but he might find himself in the press
box because of holes in his defensive game.
Lightning: Despite not having made the postseason in four years, the
Lightning has playoff experience. Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and
Pavel Kubina played key roles in the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup run. The
interesting player to watch, however, is third-year star Steven Stamkos,
who is appearing in his first postseason. Sidenote: The Lightning and
Penguins split their four-game regular-season series.
Penguins: Without their two superstars, the Penguins turned stingy in the
second half of the regular season and ended up allowing the seventhfewest goals in the NHL. Since the start of March, the Penguins allowed two
goals or fewer in 12 of 18 games. The defensive corps is young, with just
two 30-year-olds (Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin), and it is not particularly
big or physical. The biggest is veteran Orpik at 6 feet 2, 219 pounds. Look
for him to match up against Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis. The
defense, despite being young, does have experience and can generate
offense. It is a "get-'r-done'' type of crew. It won't check anyone through the
boards, but it plays responsibly.
Goaltending
Lightning: The Lightning brought in 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson
specifically to get it into the playoffs. In 34 games after coming over from
the Islanders, Roloson went 18-12-4 with a 2.56 goals-against average and
an impressive .912 save percentage. Roloson does have playoff
experience; he led an underdog Oilers team to the final in 2006. The
Lightning picked up Roloson because its goaltending was shaky, yet
Penguins: Will Sidney Crosby, out since early January with a concussion,
play? And even if he does, how effective can he be after missing more than
three months? The Pens will miss suspended pest Matt Cooke, but this
doesn't figure to be an overly physical series. The Penguins have far more
playoff experience, with many of their players having been a part of their
recent success.
St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Tampa Bay Lightning
NEW ADDITION: D Eric Brewer said he didn't get much power play time the
past year and a half with the Blues, from whom he was acquired in
February. So getting the chance with Tampa Bay is "great."
Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Wayne Fleming says focus is family,
team after brain tumor diagnosis
"Any time you're in that position to get some more time in the offensive
zone, it's going to help your even-strength game as well," he said.
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
"What I like about Brewer," Boucher said, "is if he's in trouble, he doesn't
panic and he doesn't give it to the opponent."
But Boucher said adding a defenseman to the power play has nothing to do
with the league-worst 16 shorthanded goals Tampa Bay has allowed.
TAMPA — Wayne Fleming did not travel for Games 1 and 2 of the
Lightning's first-round playoff series with the Penguins.
But the assistant coach, diagnosed last week with a malignant brain tumor,
will be "a big inspiration," W Dana Tyrell said.
"He's been our coach all year," Tyrell said. "We're going to try to win it for
him."
Fleming, 60, who had a biopsy Thursday, said Tuesday he feels "pretty
good."
He watched practice from the St. Pete Times Forum stands, met with
coaches and players, and had a bright smile as he spoke publicly for the
first time about his condition.
"We're just waiting for the biopsy results to come back," Fleming said.
"Once we identify what's going on, we'll have a plan of action to take it on.
… You can't worry about it. The biggest thing is my family and the team.
That's my focus."
"He's living something very difficult," coach Guy Boucher said. "The way
he's living it is inspiring."
Two days after his biopsy, Fleming watched on television Saturday's
season finale against the Hurricanes and sent by text message
observations to Boucher between periods. Sunday and Monday, he spent
several hours with Boucher at the Times Forum looking at video, and
Monday he met with the players at a team lunch for the first time since the
diagnosis.
"It was emotional," he said. "The response you got from the guys was a
sincere approach, so it was good."
Fleming said it is "disappointing more than hard" to miss the games in
Pittsburgh, and he couldn't say enough about "the quality of support" he has
received from the organization.
"You still feel very involved and very much a part of it," Fleming said.
"Hopefully I can make contributions as we move through this one."
"He'll be sitting at home and watching on TV," GM Steve Yzerman said.
"You get a different viewpoint. He'll see a lot of different things. He's a
valuable asset."
And an inspiration.
"What he's gone though the last couple of weeks is incredible," D Pavel
Kubina said. "The guys care so much about him."
"He's part of the team," Tyrell said. "Every game is for him."
JONES A MAYBE: D Randy Jones, out 16 games with a high ankle sprain,
is available for today's Game 1, but Boucher said Jones "more likely" is a
scratch.
Jones seemed resigned to being out.
"It's 15 games I missed," he said. "To go right back into a game, and a
playoff game at that, after one or two practices with the team, who knows?
But I want to play. I want to get out there."
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: Even if Jones is scratched, Boucher, with eight
other defensemen on the roster, will have decisions to make, especially if,
as expected, he plays with 12 forwards and six defensemen.
"I hate that part," Boucher said. "Somebody works hard, deserves to be in
the lineup, but somebody else deserves it a little more."
Most vulnerable seem to be Matt Smaby, who did not practice Tuesday
because of a lower-body injury, and Marc-Andre Bergeron, a power-play
specialist who has one point in his past 16 games and is minus-10.
"That's an awareness more than the type of person that's on the blue line,"
Boucher said. "It's just being too relaxed out there."
ODDS AND ENDS: Brick House Tavern, 1102 N Dale Mabry Highway,
Tampa, is the Lightning's official watch party location. Check
tampabay.com/blogs/lightning for other locations. ... Between 4,000 and
5,000 tickets remain for Games 3 and 4 at the Times Forum.
564795
Tampa Bay Lightning
Histories & mysteries of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Pittsburgh Penguins
playoff series
Travolta-like figure striking a disco-dancing pose. That plays off one of the
Bee Gees' songs from the 1970s movie Saturday Night Fever, Stayin' Alive,
which is what the team has to do in the playoffs.
"We've had a fun group this year," said assistant coach Dan Lacroix, who
thought of using the dancing silhouette. "We want to keep the fun going."
Habits I
By Damian Cristodero
At the end of warmups, Marty St. Louis makes sure he taps the Tampa Bay
goal post. The Lightning wing has done it for years. He declined to say why.
It's a Pittsburgh thing
"I just do it," he said. "It's part of my routine. If I didn't do it, I wouldn't feel
right."
Lightning wing Ryan Malone, a Pittsburgh native and a former Penguins
player, always will have a little western Pennsylvania in him.
What's the best thing about Pittsburgh?
It's a great sports town, and Primanti Bros. sandwiches are really good.
Isn't Pittsburgh famous for pierogies?
Yeah, they're good, but I still think Primanti Bros. is still the sandwich you
have to try, with a nice beer, probably.
What do you get on yours?
Just the regular sandwich. You can get whatever you want with it. It comes
with coleslaw and French fries on the sandwich, so you don't need to put
too much on the side.
Ever been to Mount Washington?
The appeal is the view, but there also is some kind of fish market on top
overlooking everything. It's pretty cool.
How about antiquing in the Strip District?
No, but there's all kinds of stuff, restaurants, everything you need. It's a cool
little hangout down there.
What are jimmies?
Sprinkles on your ice cream.
What is "yinz"?
"Yinz all" instead of "you guys." "Yinz all going to the South Side?" You
really know people are from Pittsburgh when you're speaking "yinzer."
Logo lore
When the Lightning faced the Canadiens in the 2004 Eastern Conference
semifinals, the joke among sports writers was that you could not step on the
Lightning logo on the locker room carpet at the St. Pete Times Forum. "The
Canadiens have 24 Stanley Cups and you can step on the logo," one
Montreal writer said.
The tradition that began with former Lightning captains Dave Andreychuk
and Tim Taylor is still enforced. It is the same in Pittsburgh, where the
Penguins logo in their locker room at the Consol Energy Center is just as
sacred.
Home sweet home
When Dana Heinze was the Lightning's assistant equipment manager, he
would take on road trips homemade signs festooned with Tampa Bay's
logo. He believed the signs gave the visiting locker rooms a homey feel.
Heinze, who was with Tampa Bay for the 2004 Stanley Cup run, is now
head equipment manager for the Penguins and has the same sign fetish.
Just rewards
After each win, the Lightning's most valuable players, as picked by the
coaches, get either a cape with the letters DNA on the back (for best
representation of the makeup of the team) or one of those Viking hats with
horns on the sides. In Pittsburgh, the player of the game gets a shovel,
which is handed off by the recipient after the next win.
Shirts on their backs
Lightning players are wearing blue T-shirts with "HUNT IT NOW" on the
front over a picture of the Stanley Cup. But the real fun is on the sleeves.
On the left are the letters RFS, which stand for Relentless, Fight and
Structure. On the right is what appears to be a silhouette of a John
Asked if he had other stuff like that, St. Louis smiled and said, "Oh, yeah,
but let's not get into it."
Habits II
When the Lightning goes onto the ice for warmups, captain Vinny
Lecavalier, as first in line, uses his stick to sweep the pucks piled pyramidstyle on the top of the boards onto the ice. Lecavalier, in his 12th season,
says he has done this since his second year.
He said if he didn't do it, he would be "weird," but added, "I don't get rattled
about things. I used to. If something didn't happen, it would be, 'What do I
do?' I don't really get rattled anymore."
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Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher says D Randy Jones is "more
likely" a scratch; watch parties
Staff Writer
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher on Tuesday said defenseman
Randy Jones, out 16 games with a high ankle sprain, is available to play in
Wednesday's Game 1 of the playoffs against the Penguins but is "more
likely" a scratch.
If so, that takes one decision away from Boucher, who still has eight other
defensemen on the roster. If he goes with 12 forwards and six
townswomen, as expected, Boucher will have to sit two other blue-liners.
Most vulnerable seems to be Matt Smaby, who did not practice Tuesday
because of a lower-body issue, and Marc-Andre Bergeron, who has just
one point in his past 16 games and is minus-10.
"It's not that there’s no spot for you. It is somebody is going to take your
spot and we’ll see later on," Boucher said of how he explained the situation
to his players. "It’s not easy that part. I hate that part. Somebody works
hard, deserves to be in the lineup but somebody else deserves it a little bit
more."
"It’s a team thing," Boucher added. "Whatever choice is going to be made,
whether it’s the right choice or not, that’s the choice I'm going with. So we
need everybody on the same page with a positive attitude. The next game,
that player might be in."
Jones sounded resigned.
"It's 15 (actually 16) games I've missed," he said. "To go right back into a
game, and a playoff game at that, after one, two practices with the team,
who knows? But I want to play. I want to get out there. I'm anxious to get
back playing again."
WATCH PARTIES: This season the Lightning have teamed up with their
official watch party partner, Bud Light, to bring all the action of Lightning
playoff hockey to fans, as well as a number of great offers throughout the
playoffs including free merchandise to be distributed on-site by the Bud
Light Girls. There will also be drink specials on all Anheuser-Busch
products at each watch party throughout the postseason.
Bacardi, a valued sponsor of both the Lightning and the 2011 Stanley Cup
Playoffs, will also be on hand during the playoffs and will provide 15,000
Lightning Lemonade souvenir cups to each watch party location for fans to
take home as a commemorative keepsake of the team’s 2011 playoff run.
The Bacardi Girls will also distribute samples of Lightning Lemonade and
giveaway items to all watch party patrons and will be present in front of
Shots, located on the west plaza at the St. Pete Times Forum, prior to
Lightning home playoff games through the first two rounds.
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Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning center talks about his family, Harvard, movies and
Crosby vs. Stamkos
By Damian Cristodero and Joe Smith
Dominic Moore, 30, a gritty veteran center, had plenty of competition during
his Thornhill, Ontario, childhood with older brothers Mark and Steve, with
whom he played at Harvard. Moore has been inspired by his mother, Anna,
who is paralyzed on her right side, and Steve, whose career was derailed in
2004 while with the Avalanche when then-Canuck (and current Red Wing)
Todd Bertuzzi punched him in the head from behind, causing a concussion,
nerve damage and fractured vertebra. Moore discussed his family, Harvard,
the movie The Social Network and his tennis passion with St. Petersburg
Times writers Joe Smith and Damian Cristodero.
What was it like playing on the same Harvard team with your brothers, Mark
and Steve?
It was a tribute to my parents and all the sacrifices they made. For them
that was neat because that year they could watch one game and see all of
us play, as opposed to driving all around Ontario.
What was the situation with your mother, Anna?
She had surgery to remove a brain tumor, and it didn't go well. She had a
stroke, so she's permanently paralyzed on the right side of her body. She's
battled really hard to get a lot of stuff back, but she can't run. She's blind in
one eye. But she's a pretty amazing person. With half her capabilities she's
still incredibly active, swimming.
She swims?
Like I said, she's gotten a lot of it back, but she's still limited in a lot of ways.
How old were you when that happened?
Fourth grade.
How much of an inspiration is she?
It shows you someone who has been dealt a tough hand who doesn't feel
sorry for herself. She just fights. That's a good example right there. And
obviously my dad (Jack), as well, incredibly hard on him. He's raising three
boys essentially on his own for a good period of time there, not to mention
keeping a roof over our head. That shows a lot of fight, too.
What's your brother Steve been up to since the Bertuzzi incident?
He's in Toronto. He's been doing a little bit of consulting work. For about
five years he was doing everything he possibly could to see if he could play,
but it just wasn't in the cards, so turn the page. He's figuring out what he
wants to do as far as a career.
Where does his civil lawsuit against Bertuzzi over what happened stand?
That's still pending, and who knows when that will be done.
Since all of you guys went to Harvard, we wondered if you saw The Social
Network (about the founding of Facebook by Harvard students) and what
you thought.
I thought it was really well done, well acted. And well written. A lot of the
Harvard stuff was fairly accurate, except the parties weren't quite as exotic
as they made it out to be. And the people aren't as nerdy as they made
them out to be, either. I know a lot of people who know those guys, both the
twins (Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss) and (Mark) Zuckerberg and stuff.
(The twins sued Mark Zuckerberg over the ownership of Facebook.)
Favorite movie?
Braveheart.
Who would play you in a movie?
I don't know, probably myself. I did take a few acting classes at school, and
I enjoyed it.
Favorite band?
The Killers.
You've played with Penguins star Sidney Crosby (in 2006-07) and Steven
Stamkos. How would you compare them?
They're different kinds of players, but at the same time, the intangibles that
they have are very similar, as far as both are extremely competitive and
very dedicated. They lead by example.
You've said you love tennis. What's your favorite spectator moment?
I've been fortunate enough to see some great tennis. I've seen Roger
Federer in the final of the U.S. Open a couple years ago. That was pretty
neat. I've been to a lot of tennis. It was my passion. I used to be a ball kid
when I was young.
If the Lightning wins the Stanley Cup, what would you do on your day with
it?
I'd obviously try to throw a barbecue or something and invite pretty much
everyone I know and be able to share it, because I think that's why you
play. You want to be able to share moments like that with people you love.
And obviously that includes the team, but also includes family, because
they're all part of your success.
564798
Tampa Bay Lightning
Shelton and Romano: Tampa Bay Lightning playoffs could be fun run
By John Romano and Gary Shelton
St. Petersburg Times sports columnists John Romano and Gary Shelton
banter about the Lightning's postseason prospects.
GS: This time of the year, John, we're used to writing about Lightning
layoffs. How cool is it to be writing about Lightning playoffs instead?
JR: Yeah, we had gotten spoiled there for a while. With Lecavalier, St.
Louis, Boyle and Richards around, it seemed like the Lightning would be in
contention until we were too old to care. Nothing like being one of a halfdozen chump markets to miss out on the past three years to make you
realize how much you like playoff beards.
GS: Which, of course, begs the question: Can this team stay alive past the
stubble? How far will it go?
JR: They'll make it out of the driveway but not too far down the road. Given
the right circumstances, the Lightning could upset any team in the
conference. I just don't think you can count on that series after series.
GS: I agree. They can play well enough to get to the second round, which
would be a nice feat. But I don't think they're consistent enough for a deep
run. Still, this season feels like a fresh start, and that's something.
JR: This is almost like gambling with house money. The roster was being
groomed for 2012 and beyond, and so making the playoffs this season was
like a happy windfall. Tell me, Gary, how does the Lightning make the most
of it?
GS: Win. Play with that free-flowing attack that has been there at their best
times. They've won the fans back, but now it's time to show everyone else
how fun they can be.
JR: The last two times the Lightning made the playoffs (in 2006 and '07), it
was almost a letdown. Those guys seemed more talented than their place
in the standings, and they got bounced both times without much drama in
the first round. This time it feels different. This team has squeezed a lot of
production out of a flawed roster. If they approach this series with a nothingto-lose mind-set, it could be a memorable two weeks.
GS: You know what it feels like, John? It feels like a start. It feels like the
cowboys really have gone. Is Roloson too old? Is Hedman too young? Has
Stamkos been body-snatched? It'll be interesting to see.
JR: To answer your questions: Yes, yes, and we're still waiting on DNA
results. But in a way, it makes this series more intriguing, doesn't it? Eightytwo games later, there is still an unknown quality to this team.
GS: Hitchcock couldn't figure this team out. Rubik couldn't. I certainly can't.
Look, the goalie is always the key in hockey. But in your frozen-numb
opinion, which Lightning player has to be great for the team to advance?
JR: Stamkos, Stamkos, Stamkos. You can sorta assume certain results
from Marty and Vinny. Roloson will be good, but it's too much to ask for
great. Stamkos has to find his game for the Lightning to win. What do you
say?
GS: Marty, Marty, Marty. He's still the energy drink around here. Stamkos
would be great, but Marty is essential.
JR: Nice to know we can still count on one of us being absolutely wrong.
564799
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher deserves credit he doesn't want
Five other times teams had talked to Boucher about their coaching jobs,
and five times he had said he wasn't interested. The philosophy wasn't
right. The fit wasn't right. And if the right job never came along, Boucher
said, he would have led a perfectly happy life without the NHL.
By Gary Shelton
"I don't mean that the wrong way,'' Boucher said. "But for things to work,
they have to be a certain way. You have to have enthusiasm at every level.
With Mr. Vinik and Mr. Yzerman, we have that.''
Also, they have Boucher.
2011 NHL PLAYOFFS
He changed the culture. He stopped the bleeding. He turned around a
franchise.
He stopped the free fall. He re-established high expectations. He restored
sanity.
By now, you are probably fairly impressed with the coaching job of Guy
Boucher. Boucher, on the other hand, is not.
In an impressive season, the most impressive thing about the Lightning's
Boucher is that he doesn't seem particularly impressed by himself at all. His
chest, as they say, remains unbeaten. His back is unpatted.
"To me, the credit belongs to the guy in the arena,'' said Boucher, 39. "It's
the guy who takes the shot. It's the guy who stands in front of the goal and
takes the crosschecks and bleeds. He's the one who should get the credit.
It's like a boxer. Yeah, he needs a coach, but in the end, he's the one who
is taking the blows.''
Other coaches talk like this, but with most of them, you never quite believe
they believe what they are saying. Who doesn't want approval? Who
doesn't want acknowledgement? Who doesn't want to be - ta-da - Coach of
the Year.
Listen to Boucher, however, and it's easy to believe he really does think his
fingerprints are very small on the success of this season. The Lightning,
formerly lost, often dysfunctional, has rediscovered success. For the first
time in four years it is back in the playoffs. For the second time in its history
it has recorded 100 points.
"I could tell during our first week of training camp that he was going to
coach for a long time,'' said captain Vinny Lecavalier. "He's that good.''
"He knows how to make everyone believe,'' is the way Ryan Malone puts it.
Given his first choice, Boucher would just now be wrapping up a playing
career. He was fairly talented, and he was really stubborn, and he was
going to knock on the league's door until it made him go away. When he
was 25, however, life had other plans. Boucher remembers the day the right
side of his body stopped working. His right eye wouldn't focus, and his arm
was numb, and his leg had no strength.
"I thought I was dying,'' Boucher said.
For a year and a half, the doctors probed and prodded and tested to see
what was wrong. For a while they thought it was multiple sclerosis. For a
while, some form of cancer. For a while, something neurological.
Eventually, they decided it was a virus that affected the membrane around
his nerves. He wasn't going to die, but he wouldn't be the same hockey
player for five years.
"I thought, 'Hah. I'm an athlete,' " Boucher said, shaking his head. "But two,
three years later, I got it. It still wasn't back."
So Boucher became a coach. No, he is not one of those cookie-cutter
coaches trying to impersonate the old coaches who came before him.
There is a bit of a difference to Boucher.
Consider the way he attacked the season. A new owner plus a new general
manager plus a new coach plus many new players plus a new system is the
recipe for a slow start.
And, yeah, Boucher is going to hate this paragraph, but he's done a terrific
job. All in all he has just completed the finest rookie season in Lightning
history. Along with new owner Jeff Vinik (quiet) and general manager Steve
Yzerman (calm), he has helped to make hockey matter again.
So Boucher met with his players beforehand, going to Montreal to talk to
Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier, to Toronto to talk to Steven Stamkos,
and so forth, to make sure the Lightning started fast. And it did, winning
seven of its first 10.
Do you want to know who Boucher is? Break out a chessboard and line the
pieces up. Hint: Be prepared to earn a checkmate or to hit his king with a
hammer.
Consider, too, the way Boucher finished. Most coaches would have reacted
to the Lightning's four-game losing streak in March by yelling louder and
practicing harder. Boucher? After Loss 3, he gave his players two days off.
After that, they won seven of their last nine.
"I like to play chess,'' Boucher said. "Because sometimes, you just look like
you're dead. There is no way out. But there is a way out. If you think long
enough and hard enough, you'll figure it out.
"The thing is, I'm never going to put my own king down. I'm going to keep
playing until it makes no sense. No way I'm folding.''
In some ways, Boucher had a similar challenge when he signed on last
summer with the Lightning, a franchise that has spent the last few seasons
being a couple of castles short itself.
"What we needed to do as an organization was to change the culture,''
Boucher said. "We wanted to make the playoffs. We wanted 100 points. We
wanted to win at least that first playoff series.
"We didn't know how long it would take. It could have taken a year and a
half to change the culture, maybe two to make the playoffs, maybe three to
win a series. All that accelerated because we have good people.''
It is a demanding job, that of an NHL coach. It isn't like football, where a
coach stops the play to devise strategy while the analysts call him a
general, or baseball, where the cameras focus on managers as if they
invented second base. It is a ad-lib job of dealing with changes and
momentum and circumstance and injuries and communication and
motivation and pushing the right button during the right shift.
Turns out, the Lightning hired the right guy. Oh, others had the same idea.
There were other teams that thought of Boucher as a bright young coach
with a knack for knowing his team.
"It wasn't that I was looking for an NHL job,'' Boucher said. "I was looking
for the right NHL job.''
Somehow or other, it has worked. It has turned a season into a fresh start.
From here, this front office gives the Lightning a chance to grow into
something special once again.
Poor Guy. For Boucher, the credit is just now beginning. In the years to
come, deflecting it is going to take up so much of his time.
564800
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson keeps a steady focus for
playoffs
By Damian Cristodero
2011 LIGHTNING PLAYOFF Preview
PITTSBURGH
It almost is comical asking Dwayne Roloson if certain circumstances affect
his emotions or focus on the ice.
Any scenario presented elicits the same deadpan response.
It's no surprise, then, that the Lightning goaltender brushed off the idea he
faces added pressure heading into tonight's first-round playoff opener with
the Penguins at Consol Energy Center.
"There's no added focus at all," he said. "Me trying too hard is not going to
help our team win. When you try too hard, the puck usually ends up in your
net. Just go out and focus on what you have to do and be ready to play
when you get the opportunity."
Roloson is fudging.
Whether he admits it or not, goalie is the most important position during the
playoffs, when teams can ride a hot one to places no one expected.
Roloson lived that in 2006, when, as a trade-deadline acquisition, he led the
Oilers, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, to the Stanley Cup final.
A knee injury in Game 1 ended his season, and Edmonton lost in seven
games to the Hurricanes. But the experience cemented Roloson's tendency
toward understated intensity.
"The biggest thing I took out of it was once the game was over, you forget
about it right away," he said. "It's over. You can't do anything about it. The
quicker you get to that realization, the better."
That is not indifference. "He wants to win," defenseman Marc-Andre
Bergeron said.
"He likes to practice hard and doesn't take anything for granted. He's a
good leader on this team."
And given the way 2006 ended, and that until January of this year Roloson
was with the Islanders, one of the league's worst teams, the 41-year-old
called his opportunity with Tampa Bay "a new lease on life."
How important is a hot goaltender in the playoffs? "You feel a little bit like
you're invincible," said Bergeron, Roloson's teammate with the Oilers. "For
whatever reason, you find a way to win every game. It seems like you can't
do anything wrong."
Roloson - 18-12-4 with the Lightning, with four shutouts, a 2.56 goalsagainst average and a .912 save percentage - has done that since he was
acquired from New York for minor-league defenseman Ty Wishart.
He has impressed with his positioning, a matter of practice and awareness;
and fitness, a product of intense training.
Most important: He fixed a position that, for the season's first three months,
was Tampa Bay's black hole.
"He's been great since the first day he's been here," captain Vinny
Lecavalier said. "He gives us a chance every night - just very, very steady."
"I think he's been our best player," left wing Simon Gagne said. "You want a
goalie who can give you confidence and make big saves when you need
them. Roli can do that for us."
Roloson has been equally steady in the playoffs, with a career 18-12-0
record, a 2.56 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.
It was that magical run with Edmonton, though - in which he was 12-5-0
with a 2.33 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and a shutout
before getting hurt - that is the high point of his career and, given the injury,
the most painful.
That is why the opportunity with Tampa Bay is so special.
"He knows he doesn't have that many years left," coach Guy Boucher said.
"To have an opportunity to be in the playoffs with a good team, he's told me
many times he feels like he's been blessed."
Craig MacTavish chuckled when asked if Roloson, the league's secondoldest player behind Boston's Mark Recchi (43), had the physical and
mental stamina to handle a playoff run. As the Oilers' coach in 2006, he
was asked the same question.
"Common sense and knowledge would preclude him from being able to do
what he's doing, but he's doing it," said MacTavish, now a television analyst
for Canada's TSN network. "I think the focus that he has is almost
unparalleled. He's really learned how to apply himself in that regard. He's
just a completely different guy when he's preparing to play. He reaches a
level of intensity that not many goaltenders can get to."
And that is just one step.
Roloson's workout program, designed by California fitness expert Scot
Prohaska, is well known. But Roloson, under the direction of Mark Gordon,
a Kenmore, N.Y., optometrist he met while playing for the Sabres, also
exercises his eyes.
"We're looking at reaction times, peripheral awareness," Gordon said.
"We're looking at all the visual components to perform well. If you only get
to see a puck for a brief moment, you have to be able to process a lot of
information in a very brief moment. So we have a lot of close visual abilities
that come into play. We're doing all these time-space calculations based on
a brief moment."
Roloson does work with a Brock String, a 20-foot-long cord with beads that
can be spaced at differing intervals. "We focus from bead to bead," Gordon
said, "getting the eyes to line up, in focus and getting it clear, understanding
the distance as quickly and efficiently as possible."
Roloson bounces and catches balls off a wall in dim light. He practices in
the summer with a white puck smaller than a regulation puck. "When we
change the activity by making it more difficult, on the ice it becomes a lot
easier to do," Gordon said.
Not that anything is easy about the playoffs, a place Roloson hasn't been
since 2006.
"I know how hard it is to get there," he said. "It's something you have to take
advantage of when you get the opportunity. You never know when it's going
to happen again."
564801
Toronto Maple Leafs
Cox: With no apologies, or diplomacy, Burke soldiers on
Damien Cox
Brian Burke was willing to admit the season was a failure. Full stop.
But he sure wasn't saying sorry. This was no Glen Grunwald-style apology
to the Leaf Nation.
Let's just say there was no hint of diplomacy in the air, no delicate attempt
to sugarcoat, well, anything.
Asked why he was standing by head coach Ron Wilson despite a
"consensus" among Leaf fans that Wilson needs to go, Burke responded:
"We don't run this team by consensus. I don't give a rat's ass about what
the consensus is."
Of those who disagree, he said: "They're confusing me with someone who
cares about their opinion."
And the University of Toronto report published in the Star suggesting the
Golden Horseshoe area could support another two teams? "A pile of
Golden horse-something else," quipped the Leaf hockey boss.
It was vintage Burke on his end-of-season presser, but also found the Leaf
president/GM more aggressive in tone than one might usually expect from a
GM whose team hasn't been in the playoffs in the three springs he's been
running the show, or at all since 2004, and hasn't won the Stanley Cup
since 1967.
Even on that note, in fact, Burke took a very different approach than his
predecessors, refusing to identify himself or his team as part of the
decades-long continuum of Leaf futility.
"This group of athletes doesn't have to defend the last seven years (out of
the playoffs)," he said. "This group of athletes doesn't have to defend what
has happened since 1967."
Instead, he argued the strong late season push to try and secure a playoff
berth is evidence success lies in the near future.
"That was a seven-week run. It wasn't a flash in the pan," he said. "That's
the team we're starting with next year."
At least the basis of the team, that is. Burke plans to make changes, and
didn't disagree with Wilson's assessement the day before that the club is
only "two or three players" away from contending.
"Can we add three players to have that impact? That's the tougher
question," he said. "I do think we're close with a few additions."
In terms of specifics, Burke said:
• Wilson will return, and the topic of a possible contract extension beyond
next year will wait until after the world championship.
• The club's top priority is finding a true No. 1 centre, a job he doesn't
blame second-year pivot Tyler Bozak of any fault for being unable to fill.
"That's my fault, not his fault," said Burke.
• He believes James Reimer can be a bona fide starting goalie, but hasn't
given up on Jonas (The Monster) Gustavsson. He wouldn't rule out the
possible return of J.S. Giguere, who will undergo groin surgery next month.
• He centred out Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel for lavish praise, saying
Phaneuf had a "terrific" second half after his injury and Kessel became a
"200-foot player."
"But we've challenged Phil to become more consistent," he acknowledged.
• The club has 11 picks in the June entry draft, including the first round
selections of Boston and Philadelphia and the team's own second rounder.
He said he's willing to package two of those picks to move higher in the first
round.
• He believes newly signed winger Matt Frattin, who played in the season
finale against Montreal on Saturday, may be able to crack the NHL next
season.
• Indicated the club is likely to get back to spending to the NHL cap,
something it hasn't done under his watch.
"We fully intend to spend to the cap if it's prudent," he said.
Not much, Burke indicated, is going to happen until after the world
championship in Slovakia. His right-hand man, Dave Nonis, is running
Team Canada, and Burke will be part of the committee that organizes the
American entry.
By that time the worlds are over, potential bidding for the 66 per cent stake
in MLSE that the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund has put on the auction
block is likely to be in full swing, but few expect that to impact how the
hockey club does business.
Burke promised the team will be active in free agency but wouldn't promise
a playoff berth next season.
"Ask me that after Sept. 1st when I know what we've been able to
accomplish," he said.
This failed season, then, is over. There will be no public autopsy on the
expired Leaf hopes, no mea culpas, no passionate vows to put an end to
the longest non-playoff streak in franchise history.
Relentlessly, and without apology, Burke pushes on.
Toronto Star LOADED: 04.13.2011
564802
Toronto Maple Leafs
"I was in the playoffs seven straight years before I got here," said Burke.
"This has been a long, slow, torturous process for me.
No. 1 centre tops wish list for Leafs GM
"I don't like it, I don't like being out of the playoffs. I take it personally. I'm
sour about it, especially when we actually got close this year and made a
push. I'm not happy."
Chris Young/THE CANADIAN PRESS
There's only one way to change that.
Brian Burke needs to earn his money this summer.
While identifying a No. 1 centre as his top off-season priority Tuesday, the
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager acknowledged they won't be readily
available. He agrees with coach Ron Wilson's assertion the franchise is
"two or three pieces" from being a Stanley Cup contender and intends to try
and find those players.
"I believe in this group," Burke said during his end of season media
conference. "I think the building blocks we put in place in terms of the
defence, the way the top-six (forwards) rounded out, I do think we're close
with a few additions.
"Whether we can get access to those players or are able to get them
remains to be seen."
It will likely take a deft move.
The only player that fits the bill among this year's free-agent class is Brad
Richards and he's indicated all season he'd like to re-sign with the Dallas
Stars before July 1. Burke could also aggressively pursue a trade, but
teams are usually reluctant to part ways with the kind of player he seeks.
"Our top priority is a centre, no question about it," he said.
The GM spent almost 45 minutes picking over the season - some at a
podium, the rest with a small clutch of reporters - but it was decidedly tame
by Burke standards. The only thing that drew his ire was a line of
questioning that suggested some fans want to see Wilson fired.
"We don't give a rat's ass what the consensus is," Burke replied.
It's the sixth straight season the Maple Leafs have failed to qualify for the
post-season, the last two-and-a-half of which Burke has been at the helm.
There has been a steady stream of change during that period and the GM
finally believes he has a roster that can be called his own. That's one of the
main reasons he doesn't hold Wilson and his coaching staff responsible for
all the losing that has happened on their watch.
One constant concern over the past three seasons has been penalty killing
- an area where the Leafs haven't finished a year ranked higher than 28th
since Wilson was hired.
"I felt the first time that I've given Ron a competitive group to play with was
the second half of this season," said Burke. "We got some people out of
here that didn't want to be here.
"I think that we got a goaltender who managed to make timely saves - that's
a three-quarters of penalty killing - so we need to improve in that area, I
agree with you. But it's too easy to pin on the coaches."
Burke praised a number of players for their performance and indicated he
viewed the strong second half of the year as a sign of things to come. Even
though fans might be growing impatient with the long gap between
successful seasons, he doesn't think the current team should have to
answer for that failure.
"This group of athletes doesn't have to defend seven years, this group of
athletes doesn't have to talk about 1967," said Burke. "The most frustrating
thing for me in this marketplace is a question where you expect this group
of athletes to apologize for failure that occurred before they ever got here.
It's not right.
"I've told them I am holding them accountable from the day they got here."
The same goes for him.
Burke arrived with plenty of fanfare in November 2008 and has found
himself frustrated by the amount of time it's taken to taste success. It's been
an unfamiliar experience after being in charge of good teams in Anaheim
and Vancouver.
Burke is part of the U.S. management team at the upcoming IIHF World
Hockey Championship while Leafs senior vice-president Dave Nonis is
assembling the Canadian squad. Once they return from Slovakia in midMay, they'll start planning for an important summer.
It won't be easy to find the "two or three pieces" they need to make this
team a contender.
"I don't think Ron was wrong with that at all, but the question is can we add
three guys who could have that impact through trade or free agency?" said
Burke. "That's a harder question."
It's one he must try and answer in the coming months.
564803
Toronto Maple Leafs
Peddie, Watters say no room in Toronto for more NHL teams
Mark Zwolinski
A University of Toronto study citing a suitable fan base for three NHL teams
in Toronto overlooks related concerns in the corporate world that are central
to running a successful pro hockey franchise.
That opinion is shared by Leafs president Richard Peddie and former Leafs
executive and AM 640 talk show host Bill Watters, who were asked for
reaction to the report by the UofT's Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation,
which penned "The New Economics of the NHL; Why Canada Can Support
12 Teams."
While the report equated fan support in Canada behind it's premise that the
hockey mad country could support 12 teams, it said two of those 12 teams
could locate in Toronto and survive alongside the existing Leafs franchise.
Peddie, who has led MLSE for the past 12 years, would liked to have seen
a greater understanding of the market size in the Toronto area, and the
feasibility of linking three NHL franchises to the existing corporate world.
With respect to even simple surface matters, like selling corporate boxes
and securing investment to build arenas, Peddie sees concerns in both the
report and in the real world for accommodating three teams in such
proximity, even in a market like Toronto, which is considered the top hockey
market in the world.
"As for the matter of expansion, we have no comment, but looking at the
report, and I've only read what's in the papers, but it sounded very
sophomoric to me," Peddie said.
"I think very highly of the UofT, but from what I've read of it (report), it
doesn't seem to cover all the bases."
Watters similarly felt the report's central argument - that there would be
enough fan interest in Toronto to support three teams - falls short of being
convincing because it does not satisfactorily deal with the necessary
corporate requirements that must also be in place.
"It's evident in the story that the approach to running an NHL franchise is
based on ticket sales, with no regard for all the other support needed,"
Watters said.
"Ticket sales alone cannot sustain a franchise. And you have to fully
understand what those numbers (tickets) mean to a franchise ... no
question, Toronto could support two and three teams, but whether or not
they'd all be successful depends on corporate support, and if the Leafs
maintain their share of that support, then there's not much left for any other
team."
564804
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs not in sharing mood
By LANCE HORNBY, Toronto Sun
Leafs won't share pie
While insiders with the National Hockey League and Maple Leaf Sports and
Entertainment Ltd. concede another team in the Toronto area will happen
eventually, it won't be for a long time.
So Brian Burke was quick to pounce Tuesday when asked about a
University of Toronto study that says the Golden Horseshoe can support
more NHL clubs.
"I think it's a pile of Golden Horse-something," the general manager
snorted. "It's nice that some university does this. (But) when the league
feels the time is appropriate, then make the case that your not unduly
harming our franchise, without crippling Buffalo, without hurting Detroit.
"The Red Wings advertise as far east as London, Ont. Detroit has 24%
unemployment. No one has done that (study the threat to current teams) to
this point and now they're saying two or three more teams? They (authors
of the study) aren't in our industry, they don't understand.
"People say there's a waiting list for tickets here, but there's not 18,000
people on it, folks. There's not a whole building on our waiting list. We have
unsold inventory in our building in terms of suites."
Breaking up the gang
Coach Ron Wilson said he tried to stamp out 'Blue and White Disease', a
culture of entitlement he believed was harming the Leafs dressing room.
For his part, Burke says the dramatic turnover in personnel by him has
made the Leafs more accountable to each other.
"We had cliques on the team when I came," Burke said. "I think we've
destroyed those. They are decisive. This group gets along, they respect
each other and they socialize."
Speaking of life outside the ACC, Burke says he's tired of having today's
Leafs lumped in with those sorry clubs who struggled or missed the playoffs
completely the past 44 years.
"This group of athletes doesn't have to defend six (non-playoff) years,
doesn't have to talk about 1967," Burke said. "The most frustrating part for
me in this market is that you expect this group to apologize for failures that
occurred before they even got here. It's not right. These athletes can't carry
that weight.
"I hold them accountable (only) from the day they got here. I'll take
responsibility for the (non-playoff years) on my watch. I know fans are
frustrated. But their clock is different than ours. Ours is set on a
championship with this group."
Orr back in the water
Colton Orr was not seen and hardly heard from after getting concussed in a
Jan. 20 fight with George Parros of the Ducks. But Burke said Tuesday he
will be back. The team was in constant discussion with Dr. Karen Johnston
of Montreal, a leading authority in the field, and her advice was to hold Orr
out until next season.
"He was basically cleared to play," Burke said. "But we respect Dr.
Johnston. She felt it best to give him the summer to recover as well. He was
pretty well restored to all the levels he needed to be.
"The last question I ask our doctor about a player coming back from a
serious injury is 'if this were your son, would you let him back on the ice?'.
Dr. Johnston said she would prefer to wait and that's fine with us."
Feeling a draft
The Leafs head into the draft in St. Paul, Minn., in June with 11 picks, the
first choices of the Bruins and Flyers, their second, Philly's third, their own
fourth and fifth, three in sixth and two in the seventh. Burke wants to keep
one of the first two top-rounders and the second, but will trade one of the
high choices to move up or get a forward.
"There are no headliners in this draft, no Ovechkins, no Sedins," Burke
cautioned. "There are good players, but we like the depth, that's why we're
going to keep two picks."
Toronto Sun LOADED: 04.13.2011
564805
Toronto Maple Leafs
Reimer and Monster show for next season?
By TERRY KOSHAN, Toronto Sun
James Reimer, in the view of Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke,
will write the team's goaltending story in 2011-12.
It's those who provide the footnotes that remain somewhat unclear.
"We're confident James Reimer can handle not only the physical workload,"
Burke said, "but the pressure-cooker workload of being a starting
goaltender in a Canadian market."
Reimer established himself as a No. 1 goalie in the schedule's most
gruelling stretches, compiling a 20-10-5 record with a .921 save percentage
and three shutouts as the Leafs came alive in the second half.
But what of his backups?
Jean-Sebastien Giguere is slated to have sports hernia surgery and will be
a free agent on July 1. Jonas Gustavsson has had heart trouble.
"We are confident at this point that we want to give the Monster
(Gustavsson) a chance," Burke said. "He has not had a chance, due to
physical issues, to show us what he can do. I think this guy is a legitimate
NHL goaltender and he needs to be given a chance."
Gustavsson was 6-13-2 in 23 games and will need a major confidence
boost when he arrives at training camp.
The X factor is Giguere, who was 11-11-4. Burke is not ready to commit to
the seasoned veteran, who will turn 34 in May. And coach Ron Wilson
indicated on Monday that while he can live in a three-goalie world, it is not
his preference. Two would do.
And youngsters Ben Scrivens and Jussi Rynnas could work their way into
the mix.
"We will have to see what Jiggy's status is after his surgery," Burke said.
"He may not be a factor for us. He may be. We will wait and see."
Is signing a proven vet for insurance a priority?
"Not at this point, no," Burke said. "We will see how training camp goes."
564806
Toronto Maple Leafs
Burke wants a No. 1 centre
Brian Burke knows what he wants.
Getting it could prove to be another headache for the Maple Leafs general
manager, who has had more than his fair share in the 21/2 years he has
been attempting to re-make the Toronto roster.
If Burke has taken care of his No. 1 priority by the time training camp opens
in September, it means he will have either signed or traded for an
established top-line centre who won't wilt as the regular season intensifies
in the final few months.
"Our top priority is a centre, no question about it," Burke said on Tuesday. "I
have to wait and see what there is on July 1. Maybe we have to do it
through a trade. We intend to be active on July 1, but we may not get our
wish list on July 1."
The first of July is the day that magical franchise-changers, thanks to free
agency, are supposed to fall out of the sky. But if Burke's hunch is that he
will have to acquire a first-line centre through a trade, then he probably is
right. Brad Richards will be the plum player available, but he has talked
about re-signing with the Dallas Stars while others think he could be bound
for Broadway and the New York Rangers.
Other centres who are headed for free agency include Tim Connolly, Jason
Arnott and Michal Handzus. None are cornerstone material.
With little else after Richards available on the open market, Burke could find
himself in a bit of a jam. He acknowledged he has "plenty" of salary cap
space, but probably can't spend it on the Leafs' biggest need. A
defenceman is not as high a priority, and as far as signing a veteran backup
goaltender, Burke is not sure about that either. There's little sense in going
out and signing depth players, because the Leafs have plenty. Burke
acknowledged that the strong play of Tim Brent, Darryl Boyce and Joey
Crabb will make off-season decisions more difficult.
So a trade, and Burke clearly loves to make them, is the likely route.
Trouble is, blue-chip centres aren't sitting around waiting to be plucked.
Burke said he would be willing to deal one of the Leafs' first-round picks,
and it would take at least that and a prospect, and undoubtedly more, to
land the type of player Burke wants.
Tyler Bozak started the season as the man in the middle on the top line, but
barely a few weeks had passed when it became obvious he was not up to
the task. And for that, Burke blamed himself.
"If a guy is out of position, if he is in the wrong box, that is not his fault,"
Burke said. "If we have Tyler Bozak in the one-hole and he can't play in the
one-hole, that is my fault, not Tyler's fault. If he is not at the same level as
his wingers, that means they are not getting the puck and scoring chances,
and that is not his fault."
Mikhail Grabovski, for as many strides he made, isn't the guy either, and
Burke knows that. It's clear Burke is going to be looking for someone to play
with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.
"We need a guy who can distribute the puck and hit the line with speed,"
Burke said.
So do many of the other non-playoff teams. Burke has his work cut out.
564807
Toronto Maple Leafs
Burke blames Leafs players for poor special teams
Forget about management and coaching - it's the players' fault the Maple
Leafs didn't make the playoffs this year.
General manager Brian Burke said as much on Tuesday when he fingered
the Leafs' deplorable special teams as the reason the Leafs have started
scattering to various points in North America and Europe instead of gearing
up for the post-season.
"The reason we are not in the playoffs was our special teams," Burke said.
"It's not an overstatement, and it's a legitimate concern."
The Leafs were 22nd in the National Hockey League when they had a manadvantage, coming in at a 16% success clip, in 2010-11. They were 28th in
penalty killing at 77.4%, better than only the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado
Avalanche.
Special teams have been a problem in each of Ron Wilson's three years
behind the bench.
But for Burke, it all comes down to execution, not whether the players have
been given proper instruction and planning.
"I think it is too easy to blame special teams on the coaches," Burke said.
"When our power play was clicking, when our penalty killing was clicking,
our percentages were just fine. When you see it work, it is not coaching,
that is players executing a well-thought out plan. When it does not, the
temptation is to blame the coaches and I don't understand that."
It was noted by a member of the media that despite roster turnover, special
teams still have been poor.
"I felt the first time I have given Ron a competitive group to play with was
the second half of this season," Burke said. "We might have to address
(bad special teams) with player personnel additions."
Burke might try to add an experienced power-play quarterback during the
off-season. Wilson has said he wants one.
This much is true - if the Leafs turn their special teams around under
Wilson, it apparently won't have anything do with coaching and everything
to do with execution.
564808
Toronto Maple Leafs
Burke stands by his man - Wilson
By LANCE HORNBY, Toronto Sun
If the Maple Leafs defended leads with the tenacity that Brian Burke
defends Ron Wilson, they'd be in the playoffs and these annual April
scowling matches with the media would be moot.
It isn't news that Wilson and his whole staff will be back next season, and
possibly extended, but general manager Burke was not going to hear a
discouraging word after the team showed signs of life, its first real progress,
in the final weeks of a third straight spring elimination.
When one reporter said it was 'consensus' among fans was that Wilson was
out of chances to get the Leafs in the NHL post-season tourney, Burke
bristled.
"I don't give a rat's ass about consensus," he said in his post-mortem news
conference Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. "There are people who
disagree. They are confusing me with someone who cares about their
opinion. (Wilson's) record speaks for itself."
By that, Burke meant Wilson's two decades at the NHL level and the
seventh-highest win total of 619, not the longest stretch out of playoffs by a
Toronto coach. But the reputations of both Burke and Wilson have taken a
beating in this market, part of the club's six years out of the running.
"I don't have to justify (the decision)," Burke said the next time the topic was
raised. "He (earned) it with the job he did in the second half of the season.
"I feel this is the first time I've given Ron a competent group to play with.
We got some people out of here who didn't want to be here.
"From the all-star break on, we were fourth in the East, not just a playoff
team, but (one with potential playoff) home ice. That's the team we're going
to build on."
On Monday, Wilson shook up his own media briefing by declaring the Leafs
two or three players away from being a true Cup contender. The hooting
could be heard from coast to coast and The Sun responded with a cheeky
front page depiction of the coach as a delusional hippy.
"I know some people are having fun with that (comment)," Burke said. "But
what team in this league isn't a contender if you add the right three players?
"My question is, can we add three guys like that through trade or free
agency. That's the hard part. The building blocks are in place here and I
think we're close, with a few additions."
That task and the matter of new deals for Wilson and his assistants will be
thrashed out after the hockey ops staff reconvenes after the world hockey
championships in Slovakia later this month. Burke's top aide, David Nonis,
is managing Team Canada and Burke wants to see how a group of Leafs
do on various teams and hopes to see the potential draft picks at the final of
the world under 18 championships, which are also this month.
Then it's time to decide which of the unrestricted Leafs free agents will be
let go and how to tackle RFAs, such as second-leading scorer Clarke
MacArthur and workhorse defenceman Luke Schenn. Three UFAs
forwards, Tim Brent, Joey Crabb and Darryl Boyce complicated matters, but
in a good way, with their career years.
"They've made it very interesting for us," Burke said. "We expected them to
play most or all of the year with the Marlies. Now we have decisions to
make.
"I believe our team is capable. But I'd rather answer that around Labour
Day when we've completed our off-season work."
564809
Vancouver Canucks
Ghosts of playoffs past haunt Canucks
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency
VANCOUVER - Before they can even think about becoming the NHL's new
champion, the Vancouver Canucks must take care of the old one -- which
might be like asking an eight-year-old to take care of the monster under his
bed.
With a history of post-season underachievement that's been haunting them
since last spring -- they're one upset away from being known as San Jose
North -- the last thing Vancouver needed in the opening round are the fastskating ghosts of failures past.
The Canucks aren't shouldering enough pressure as it is? Fate has to heap
two years worth of psychological baggage on at the last minute?
"When you put that jersey (Hawks) on, instant hate comes into this dressing
room," said Kevin Bieksa, as the clubs prepare to write the third chapter in
the Canucks-Hawks trilogy. "It's a team we want to beat badly."
The Canucks have good reason to dislike (or be worried about, take your
pick) Chicago. Twice Vancouver entered the playoffs with 100 points or
more and twice Chicago sent them home in the second round.
And now, thanks to a Dallas choke in the last game of the regular season,
Chicago is back from the dead to try and ruin another summer in Van city.
Anyone who thinks this is a garden variety 1 vs 8 matchup is kidding. There
are more hooks in this series than a pirate reunion.
"We worked all year to finish first and we're getting the Cup champions,"
said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. "It doesn't get any better than that."
Unless it ends the same way the last two did.
"What happened the last two years doesn't translate to this year," insisted
netminder Roberto Luongo, one of Vancouver's weak links in the series
losses to Chicago. "We can't be affected by it."
Oh, but the Canucks were greatly affected by it. They brought in
reinforcements last summer, eased Luongo's workload in the winter, refocused Ryan Kelser and Alex Burrows and changed the way the whole
team thinks.
"We're a different team this year," said Bieksa. "Mentally we have our
emotions in check and physically we're a much better team, we're the best
team in the regular season. We found our chemistry."
And now, they say they're ready to make things right.
"If you learn from the past there's a good chance the future will be different,"
said Vigneault. "We've proven a lot of things during the regular season, now
it's our turn to go out and prove it in the playoffs."
From the outside, they look like a supremely confident group. Tight, but
confident.
"We know that for 82 games we were the best team in the league," said
Daniel Sedin. "Over seven games, if we play the right way and do the little
things right, we're probably going to win the series."
Nobody's pretending these are the same Hawks that won it all last year. Not
even the Hawks. They are minus Dustin Byfuglien, Adam Burish, Kris
Versteeg, Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd and playoff hero Antti Niemi. Dave
Bolland and Troy Brouwer are questionable.
But Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharpe, Brent
Seabrook and Duncan Keith are still there.
"Both teams have different pieces," said Vigneault. "All their gifted skill
players are still there. They're a strong opponent, we're aware of that."
Plus, Chicago's won. Vancouver hasn't. That remains a major intangible on
the Hawks' side of the ledger.
"They've proven they can play on the big stage and play through the
adversity, challenge and pressure that comes with it," said Vigneault. "We
think we can do it and we're going to set out to try and prove it."
Winnipeg Sun LOADED: 04.13.2011
564810
Vancouver Canucks
'Hawks not conceding anything to Canucks
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency
VANCOUVER - The Chicago Blackhawks made it to the playoffs like
Perdita Felicien made it to the first hurdle.
They admit that... but they don't apologize for it.
In is in, and they're not conceding anything to a team 20 points ahead of
them in the standings.
"There's no working for 82 games just to make it to the playoffs and we'll be
happy with that," said captain Jonathan Toews. "We want to win this
series."
While the weight of the world -- west of Montreal, anyway -- is on
Vancouver's shoulders, the Hawks are actually breathing easier this
morning.
"Everyone expects certain teams to make it through the first round, like
Vancouver, Detroit ... there's always going to be more pressure on those
teams," said Toews. "Us? We feel it's a blessing to get into the playoffs, to
get the break that we did on the last day of the regular season. There
something about that that's going to keep us loose. We're fresh and
rejuvenated and ready to go."
Having won the last two series, Chicago might still have the key to
Vancouver's kitchen.
"This is a new year, new challenge, a lot of new faces in both locker
rooms," said Patrick Kane. "But you always hope you have the mental
edge, that in the back of their minds what happened the past couple of
years wasn't a fluke and it could happen again."
564811
Vancouver Canucks
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (8th seed, West)
REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 44-29-9
Canucks won't be taken lightly
2010 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Nashville 4-2 in conference quarterfinals;
defeated Vancouver 4-2 in conference semifinals; defeated San Jose 4-0 in
conference finals; defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in Stanley Cup Finals
By MICHAEL RUSHTON, Sports Network
(Sports Network) - After last summer's roster purge, many wondered if the
Chicago Blackhawks would even get a chance to defend their first Stanley
Cup championship since 1961.
Given their record-setting regular season and third straight Northwest
Division title, the Vancouver Canucks have to feel good about their chances
at capturing a first ever Stanley Cup.
Just don't tell them that the last two winners of the Presidents' Trophy
haven't even made it out of the first round.
Though the same was probably said after the Washington Capitals won the
award last year, or the top-seeded San Jose Sharks the season before, it is
tough to see the high-powered Canucks not making it all the way to the
Stanley Cup Finals. After all, they are a team that led the league in both
goals scored (262) and goals against (185) while featuring a netminder
whose 38 victories were tied for the most in the NHL.
Said goaltender, Roberto Luongo, is coming off one the best seasons of his
career at the age of 32. While his win total was two off the pace from last
year, Luongo's 2.11 goals-against average was the best of his 11-year
career and went together nicely with a .928 save percentage.
Also important was the fact that the Canucks' finished with the best record
in the NHL -- as well as franchise bests in points (117), wins (54) and road
wins (27) -- with Luongo starting just 60 games. That was his lowest total
since making only 56 starts with the Florida Panthers back in 2001-02.
Luongo was able to get the extra time off thanks to backup Cory Schneider,
who went 16-4-2 with a 2.23 GAA in 25 games (22 starts). The two shared
the William Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the club with the fewest
goals allowed and Luongo should be rested for this series.
Of course, Luongo and Schneider weren't the only Canuck players to skate
away from the regular season with some hardware. Following his twin
brother Henrik's lead from a season ago, Daniel Sedin captured the Art
Ross Trophy with a career-high 104 points on 41 goals and 63 assists.
Henrik Sedin wasn't far behind, leading the NHL with 75 assists while
finishing fourth with 94 points.
Mix in Ryan Kesler, who matched Daniel with a career-best 41 goals, and
the Canucks have three snipers who can take over a game at anytime.
They did earn that chance.
Barely.
After besting the Philadelphia Flyers in last year's title round, the
Blackhawks didn't clinch the Western Conference's eighth seed until the
very last game on the NHL schedule. Chicago had a chance to punch its
own ticket to the playoffs, needing just a point versus Detroit on the final
day of the regular season on April 10.
However, the Blackhawks lost and had to wait until later that night for the
result of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild matchup. A regulation or overtime
win by the Stars would have put Dallas in the eighth spot ahead of Chicago,
but the Blackhawks lucked out when the Wild skated to a 5-3 victory.
Having won the Central Division a season ago, the Blackhawks finished
third with 97 points, 15 off their pace from 2009-10. That isn't a huge
surprise given that salary cap concerns caused Chicago to move multiple
players off its championship-winning roster during the offseason.
Jettisoned were the likes of forwards Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg and
John Madden, defenseman Brent Sopel and rookie goaltender Antti Niemi.
Byfuglien matched Patrick Sharp with a team-leading 11 goals in last year's
playoffs, while Versteeg added 14 points.
Niemi, meanwhile, came out of nowhere during the regular season to
become the No. 1 goaltender and went 16-6 with a 2.63 goals-against
average and two shutouts in the postseason. That success, though, forced
the Blackhawks to let the restricted free agent walk following arbitration.
Now Chicago pins its hopes on another rookie goaltender in Corey
Crawford, who outplayed free agent addition Marty Turco to make 55 starts
during the regular season. He went 33-18-6 with a 2.30 GAA in 57 total
games.
Head coach Joel Quenneville may be able to rest easier knowing he has
Turco and his 47 games of playoff experience as a backup.
Though Alexandre Burrows was the only other Canuck player beside Daniel
Sedin and Kesler to surpass the 20-goal mark with 26 tallies, six other
Canucks skaters finished with double-digits in goals scored, including
Mikael Samuelsson (18) and Mason Raymond (15).
As for what is left of last year's title team, few can do better than Chicago's
core of Sharp, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy
winner Jonathan Toews, who led the Blackhawks with 76 points this season
and picked up his game toward the latter stages of the campaign. Chicago's
captain led all of his team's forwards with a plus-25 rating to go along with
32 goals and 44 assists.
Head coach Alain Vigneault hopes that offense will be enough as
Vancouver tries to get past the Western Conference semifinals for the first
time since a seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the 1994 Stanley
Cup Finals. The Canucks, though, may be at a mental disadvantage as it is
the Blackhawks who have knocked them out of the semifinals in each of the
past two seasons.
Kane, who scored the Cup-clinching goal in overtime of Game 6 against the
Flyers last year, topped the club with 46 assists and was second with 73
points, while Sharp, recently returned from a knee injury, led all Blackhawk
players with 34 goals.
On the injury front, a serious eye injury by Manny Malhotra suffered on
March 16 will cause him to miss the postseason, while fellow forward Raffi
Torres will miss the first two games of this series as he wraps up a fourgame suspension for an elbow to the head against Edmonton.
Hossa was fourth in both goals (25) and points (57), while Bryan Bickell and
Troy Brouwer added 17 goals each. The heavy-hitting Brouwer missed
Chicago's final three games with a right shoulder injury and is questionable
for the opener of the series, while center Dave Bolland is getting close to
returning from a concussion suffered on March 9.
One wild card for the Canucks is the defense, which didn't feature the
projected top six starters on the ice at the same time until Vancouver's
regular-season finale. Christian Ehrhoff was the one constant, playing in 79
games while tying for seventh among NHL defenseman with 50 points.
Chicago, which ranked fourth in the league with 258 goals and a 23.1percent rating on the power play, got solid offensive contributions from
Brent Seabrook (48 points) and reigning Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith
(45 points), with each blueliner ranking in the top 20 among NHL defenders
in scoring.
The rest of the group combined to miss 137 games, with Sami Salo
appearing in just 27 games. Vancouver will also have to keep an eye on
Dan Hamhuis, who suffered two concussions this season. The latter kept
him out for five straight contests before he returned for the finale.
Defenseman Brian Campbell is also coming off a solid season, leading the
Blackhawks with a plus-28 rating.
Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Keith Ballard round out the unit.
Vancouver's power play was tops in the league at 24.3 percent, with Daniel
Sedin leading the NHL with 18 goals and 42 points on the man advantage.
The club was just as good when killing penalties, doing so at an 85.6percent clip to tie for second-best in the league.
Chicago will need to stay out of the penalty box in this series after ranking
25th on the penalty kill (79.2 percent) during the regular season.
MATCHUP
It has taken six games in each of the past two seasons for the Blackhawks
to knock the Canucks out of the postseason, but Vancouver held a slight 21-1 edge in the regular-season series this year.
Crawford didn't get much of a look at the Canucks, starting just one game
and winning it with 26 saves on 27 shots back on Nov. 20, a 7-1
Blackhawks rout in Vancouver.
Though Toews and Kane combined for just three goals and three assists in
this year's season series, the duo was deadly in the 2010 semifinals. Toews
notched four goals and eight assists, including a hat trick in Game 4, while
Kane had three goals and five helpers.
The opposite was true for the Sedin brothers, who combined for a mere
three goals and seven assists in the playoff meeting. Daniel Sedin was
limited to just a single goal, but had a pair of scores and three assists in the
four meetings this season.
Luongo was tagged for a 3.52 GAA in last year's playoff series, but got that
down to 2.18 in this four meetings in 2010-11. He is 13-9-1 with a tie and
2.25 GAA lifetime against the Blackhawks in the regular season.
Chicago and Vancouver have met two other times in the postseason in
addition to their 2009 and 2010 semifinal bouts, and the Blackhawks own a
3-1 edge all- time against the Canucks in the playoffs.
The Blackhawks have had the Canucks' number as of late, but this
Vancouver team will give Chicago all it can handle in Round 1. Both teams
can score a ton of goals, but the Canucks have played better in their own
zone and are finally healthy at the blue line.
Chicago can't take too many penalties and allow Vancouver's top-ranked
power play to be a difference maker, while the Canucks have the
experience edge in goal. Having a rookie goaltender didn't hinder the
Blackhawks much last year, but Chicago will quickly learn that it is no
longer 2010.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Canucks in 6
564812
Vancouver Canucks
For Sedins, 'we're ready to do it ... this is our time'
They have a chance next season, at age 31, to become the leading scorers
in franchise history, eclipsing Linden and Markus Naslund if the twins have
another season like this one. They're going to blow up the Canuck record
book before they're done in Vancouver.
By Iain MacIntyre,
But none of this matters to them. Winning a Stanley Cup matters. They'll
happily share the credit if the Canucks win, and accept the brunt of the
blame if Vancouver fails.
VANCOUVER - When they started in the National Hockey League, the last
thing on their mind was winning a Stanley Cup. Now it's the last gap on their
resume.
That's how far Daniel and Henrik Sedin have come.
Vilified by the short-sighted in their first three seasons, which might have
chased the twins back to Sweden if it weren't for the encouragement of
Trevor Linden and other teammates, Danny and Hank have almost nothing
left to prove individually.
They were among the leading scorers in the NHL since the 2004 lockout
when they signed twin $30.5-million contracts two years ago to stay with the
Vancouver Canucks, and have been among the best players on the planet
since then.
Henrik won the scoring title and the Hart Trophy last season. Daniel won
the Art Ross this weekend and may win the Hart, too, although the vote
between he and Anaheim winger Corey Perry could be one of the closest in
years.
The Sedins helped Sweden win the 2006 Olympic tournament and have
helped redefine the Canucks' identity, which is suspiciously like their own,
while leading Vancouver to its best regular season in 40 years.
All they have left to do is win a Stanley Cup.
"It would mean everything," Daniel says. "More than an Olympic gold
medal.
"As you get older, I think you realize how much it means to you and how
much it takes to win, and that you're getting closer to not having any more
chances. I remember when we came here, older guys would talk and say
you never know how many chances you'll get to win a Stanley Cup. Now
we realize it. It's getting fewer and fewer.
"As a player, you get measured by playoff success. You can win all you
want in the regular season, but if you don't win in the playoffs, you're no
one. In hockey, at least. That's the next step we need to take and I think
we're ready to do it."
Older brother Henrik said: "We have a small window here when we have a
chance and it's in these next couple of years. [Winning a Cup] will be the
best feeling. When we work out in the summers, that's what we talk about.
And during the season, on the road. It would be an unbelievable feeling. It's
almost too big to think about."
But the Sedins have always dreamed big.
Pilfered second and third at the 1999 draft by former general manager Brian
Burke - Patrik Stefan went first, Pavel Brendl fourth (enough said?) - the
Sedins didn't come to North America to grind out an NHL living and bob
along like corks in the current on a good team.
They have always wanted to be out front. Their commitment to selfimprovement and their determination to excel, individually and with their
team, has always been under-appreciated.
They are more responsible than any other players for shaping the Canucks,
yet still don't get the love that teammate Ryan Kesler receives. It's not that
Kesler, whose emotions and combative style are more engaging for
Vancouver fans, doesn't deserve the attention. But for a long time, the
Sedins have deserved more.
"It's a professional sport and there's going to be [fans and reporters] not
liking the way you play or your style or that we don't fight or we're Swedes
or we're twins," Henrik said. "Some people think it's weird we're twins, have
always played together and are good friends. That's just the way it is."
The Sedins never sulked or complained about criticism, even when they
were being mocked as the sisters or twinkies. They just used it as rocket
fuel and worked harder. They're two of the most accountable and decent
people the Canucks have ever had.
"It doesn't matter if it's Game 4 of the regular season or the last game of the
playoffs, we're going to get the blame," Daniel smiled. "We're fine with that.
We're the highest-paid players and that's going to happen. But our goal is to
win the Stanley Cup, and if we do that people aren't going to question us
any more. We haven't had much success in the playoffs and that's the next
step we need to take."
"People outside will say, 'They were good, but they didn't win it,'" Henrik
said. "We don't have too many more chances. This is our time."
Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564813
Vancouver Canucks
'Confident' Canucks look forward to meeting Blackhawks
By Brad Ziemer,
VANCOUVER - Confident but not cocky, the Vancouver Canucks sounded
Tuesday like a team determined to exorcise its Chicago Blackhawk playoff
demons.
The Canucks hope to start the process Wednesday when they meet the
Blackhawks in the opener of their best-of-seven Western Conference
quarter-final series at Rogers Arena.
"We're a different team this year," said Vancouver defenceman Kevin
Bieksa. "I think mentally we have our emotions in check and physically we
are a much better team. We were the best team in the regular season and
we have found our chemistry. We feel like if we play our best game we're a
tough team to beat."
On paper, the Canucks should be regarded as the clear favourites to beat
the Blackhawks, the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Canucks
finished 20 points clear of the eighth-place Blackhawks as they won their
first Presidents' Trophy and coasted to the finish line of the NHL's regular
season.
But the Canucks do have some unpleasant history to overcome against a
Chicago team that has sent them packing the past two seasons.
Coach Alain Vigenault thinks his team has learned some valuable lessons
the past couple of seasons and is now ready to flourish on the playoff
stage.
"I think if you learn from the past there's a good chance the future will be
different," he said Tuesday. "We think we have proven a lot of things during
the regular season about some of the experiences that we have learned in
the past and now it's our turn to go try and prove it in the playoffs."
While respectful of the high-end talent on the Blackhawks, the Canucks
believe they match up well against Chicago. Offensively, the two teams are
pretty much a wash. Both score lots of goals.
But the Canucks would appear to have an edge in several key areas.
Defensively, the Canucks are as deep and talented as any team in the
NHL. And for the first time all season, they are healthy on the back end and
will start the playoffs with three formidable defensive pairings in Bieksa and
Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff, and Sami Salo and Keith
Ballard.
In goal, Roberto Luongo is coming off a season he calls his best ever and
will be facing a rookie in Corey Crawford.
The Canucks also seem to have a special teams edge. Both the Canucks
(No. 1) and Chicago (No. 4) have excellent power plays, but Vancouver has
a big edge when it comes to penalty-killing. The Canucks' PK tied for
second in the regular season, while the Hawks were 25th.
"We have been confident all year that no matter who we face we know we
match up good against anybody in the league," Luongo said after
Tuesday's practice. "What happened the last two years doesn't translate to
this year. I don't think it gives them an advantage. It's a clean sheet for both
teams. We can't be affected by what happened the last couple of years.
That would only give us a crutch. We start with a fresh sheet, we're
confident in the guys that we have in this lockeroom. It's just a matter of
going out there and executing."
The Canucks are attempting to keep things as low-key as possible as they
prepare for the series. As crazy as it might sound, they are trying to treat
these upcoming games like the 82 ones that preceded them.
"We are pretty composed," said NHL scoring champion Daniel Sedin. "We
talked a lot during the season about not getting too high or too low. It's the
same right now. We know we have a big game tomorrow, but it shouldn't
change the way we approach it or the way we play."
"There is a little bit of anxiety and stuff for the first game, but it's a good
energy, I think, and we're trying to make it seem as much like a regular
game as possible," added Bieksa. "We had a lot of success in the regular
season and we want to maintain that and not build this up to be bigger than
it is."
For the most part, the Canucks have gone out of their way to sing the
praises of the Blackhawks, repeatedly calling them the Stanley Cup
champs.
But at least Bieksa was honest enough to say he still hates them, although
the cast of characters has changed considerably since last season's
playoffs with the likes of Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Ben
Eager, Adam Burish and Brent Sopel now playing elsewhere.
"When you put that jersey on instant hate comes into this dressing room,"
he said. "It's a team that we want to beat badly."
Hate but respect. Bieska was quick to mention the considerable challenges
the Hawks' top forwards present.
"They have some of the best one-on-one forwards in the league in (Patrick)
Kane and (Jonathan) Toews and (Patrick) Sharp and (Marian) Hossa," he
said. "These are guys that are very skilled and they attack you with a lot of
speed. It's up to us to try and take away their speed in the neutral zone and
not allow them to come flying in the zone and make moves on us. I know
we've got a pretty good D corps, so there is going to be a lot of pressure on
us to perform."
There will be pressure on the whole Canuck team, pressure that comes
with the expectations raised by their remarkable regular season. Their
coach thinks they are ready to deal with that pressure and meet those
expectations head-on.
"Obviously they have proven they can play on the big stage through the
adversity, the challenges and the pressure that comes with winning four
rounds to get your hands on the big prize," Vigneault said of the Hawks.
"We think we can do it and we are going to set out starting tomorrow to try
and prove it. Our first opponent is the defending Stanley Cup champions.
We worked all year long to finish first and we are getting the Cup
champions. It doesn't get much better than that."
564814
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks know the Blackhawks are still the real deal
One of the great guys would be Ryan Johnson, the fourth-line shot blocker
the Canucks set free last summer and who was without a NHL contract
when this season began. If Byfuglien has rhinoceros hips, then Johnson
has the rhino's heart.
By Iain MacIntyre,
But Vancouver knew it had to upgrade its depth, and Johnson's new job
with the Blackhawks seems only to reinforce the idea that the balance of
power has shifted among these teams.
VANCOUVER - It's just as well the Vancouver Canucks aren't saying much
about their last two playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks because
they'd probably be talking about the wrong guy.
Who else does Chicago have besides Toews and Kane, Marian Hossa and
Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook?
Jake Dowell and Viktor Stalberg, Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger, Michael
Frolik and Johnson.
If the Canucks weren't entirely preoccupied with Dustin Byfuglien last
spring, at least everybody else was in Vancouver. The only thing bigger
than the 265-pound net-jammer was a reputation greatly inflated by a
couple of memorable nights against the Canucks.
"We hear a lot about the old guys and the new guys," Sharp said. "We're
the Chicago Blackhawks; we're a team. We're not looking at anything in the
past. We're trying to put that behind us. Last year was a great season but
it's over with and we've moved on."
While goalie Roberto Luongo and the Canucks worried about Byfuglien,
Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews quietly killed Vancouver. His darting
sidekick, Patrick Kane, was an accomplice.
The way he talked, it sounded like reporters miss Byfuglien more than do
the Blackhawks.
Byfuglien had a fantastic hat trick in Game 3 and collected a goal and assist
when Vancouver's season ended at home in Game 6 of the second-round
National Hockey League playoff series. Byfuglien was largely - yes, that's a
pun - inconsequential the rest of the series.
Toews merely had 12 points and made the scoresheet every game, while
Kane collected eight points and was blanked just once.
Yet, you'd think Byfuglien should have won the Hart Trophy as well as the
Conn Smythe in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup season.
"I wrote the poem about [Byfuglien]," Luongo said Tuesday, as if anyone
could forget his "Human-eclipse, rhinoceros-hips" ode to the ex-Blackhawk.
"What else do you want me to say? He was never as big a factor as the
media made him out to be. Doesn't he play in Atlanta now?"
Yes, Atlanta, where Byfuglien's inflation continued this season with a fiveyear, $26-million contract extension the Thrashers will probably regret.
Canuck winger Daniel Sedin said: "We can say we're happy we don't have
to play Byfuglien, but we're happy we don't have to play against Chris
Pronger, too. Chicago has a lot of other great players and they're the
Stanley Cup champions."
The reason Byfuglien is still relevant is that his absence, rather than the
handful of world-class players the Blackhawks possess, coloured the preamble to Chicago-Vancouver III, which opens Wednesday at Rogers Arena.
Overhyped or not, it was Byfuglien's ability to climb inside Luongo's head
and create mayhem around the goal crease that embodied the gritty depth
that helped drive Chicago to its Stanley Cup. And it's his absence, too, that
represents the salary-cap-induced erosion of that depth.
Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg may have been only third- or
fourth-line players in Chicago, but they had big-game moments.
Their departure last summer while beer still sloshed inside the Cup appears
to have turned Chicago into Blackhawks Lite. The team floundered through
much of the regular season, surged desperately towards the end to keep
from becoming the third Stanley Cup holder in 40 years to miss the playoffs,
and still needed the Dallas Stars to lose the final game of the regular
season.
Of course, the Blackhawks plan this week and next to refute evidence from
their last 82 games that they are not the team they were. But they will have
to do it with only five of the 12 forwards who finished off the Canucks a year
ago if Troy Brouwer (shoulder) and Dave Bolland (concussion) - two more
players whose guile and abrasiveness the Blackhawks need - are unable to
play.
"Everyone loves to talk about Buf and he deserves all the credit in the world
for what he did against this team," Toews said of Byfuglien. "But. . . he
played 82 games for another team so I don't know why we're still talking
about the necessity of having a player like that. It's not reality; we don't
have him here. We have a lot of great guys in this locker room who can go
fill that role and play just as hard as he did and write some new stories this
year.
"We feel we're the best team regardless of what happened this regular
season. We deserve to be here just as much as they do."
"It was entertaining, that's for sure," Sharp said. "He was on the cover of a
lot of different papers. He had a big smile on the ice. I know he's an
effective player this time of the year, but it's not going to do us any good
thinking about Dustin Byfuglien."
The Canucks won't be thinking about him Wednesday. Luongo said Toews
was always the stronger net presence anyway. At least Vancouver will be
focused on the right players this time.
564815
Vancouver Canucks
Ryan Kesler matures into dominant on-ice force for Canucks
By Brad Ziemer,
VANCOUVER - The numbers lie. At least these ones do, the ones that
seem to suggest Ryan Kesler wasn't any better this season than he was
last year.
After all, Kesler had a career-high 75 points in 2009-10 and came up two
points shy of that number this season.
Associate coach Rick Bowness just laughs at the comparison.
"You are looking at numbers and we look at consistent play," Bowness
says. "He has had a better season in terms of all-out consistent effort night
in and night out regardless of what his point totals are telling you. He has
been a top penalty-killing guy, been great on the power play, great against
the opposition's top lines. He has done everything and more that we could
have asked for."
Now the Canucks need him to do it in the playoffs. More than ever,
especially given the season-ending injury to third-line centre Manny
Malhotra, Kesler needs to be a dominant player in the post-season.
He averaged a goal every other game this season, scoring a career-high 41
times. The Canucks hope he can continue that pace in the playoffs, where
Kesler has had a little more difficulty finding the back of the net.
Kesler heads into tonight's series opener against the Chicago Blackhawks
with just three goals in 23 career playoff games. He was blanked - although
he did tally four assists - in Vancouver's six-game series with the Hawks
last season.
Kesler is confident things will be different this year. For starters, he's
healthy. He played that Chicago series last year with a banged up shoulder
suffered in the first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings. Kesler's not
only healthy, he's enjoying the confidence a 41-goal campaign brings.
"I feel like I have been doing it all year and I'm going to continue it in the
playoffs," he says. "I am just happy I'm healthy this year and going into the
playoffs on a high note."
Kesler has elevated his game on a number of different levels this season.
He was better in almost every statistical category: His faceoff percentage
improved to 57.4 per cent, up from 55.1; his ice time increased to 20:29 the most of any Canucks forward - from 19:37 the previous year; he was
plus-24 this season versus plus-1 last season; he took more shots, 260
versus 216 last season; he cut his penalty minutes nearly in half, and of
course increased his goal total to 41 from 25.
"I think I have become a more complete player," Kesler says. "Personally,
my plus-minus is better and I feel like defensively I'm even better this year.
I'm just shooting the puck and going to those hard areas to score."
Kesler has developed one of the league's best wrist shots and has become
more accurate with it. His shooting percentage also improved this season to
15.8 per cent from 11.7 the previous season.
"He took a huge leap this year," goalie Roberto Luongo says of Kesler. "He
has been a dominant force and I think the fact he plays on the first power
play with the [Sedin] twins has really helped not only himself but the power
play as far as his presence in front of the net and getting the screens, tips
and rebounds and all the stuff he does in front."
The Canucks power play could be one of the difference-makers in this
series and as Luongo notes, Kesler has become a big part of the first unit.
Vancouver hopes to feast on a Chicago penalty-kill that ranked a dismal
25th in the league this season. Look for Kesler to get in the grill of Chicago
rookie goalie Corey Crawford on Vancouver power plays.
"He is a great guy in front, with the screens he gives for our D-men when
they are shooting," says Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin. "And by getting
coverage to him, that is going to open up things for us up top. That has
been a key for us."
Almost overlooked these days given his 41-goal season is the fact that
Kesler remains one of the league's best defensive forwards. After coming
close the last couple of seasons, Kesler seems to be the heavy favourite to
win the Frank Selke Trophy at season's end.
He figures to see plenty of Chicago's top line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick
Kane and Patrick Sharp. He'll also be called upon to take many of the key
defensive zone faceoffs, the ones that used to go to Malhotra. And he will
partner with his friend and former linemate, Alex Burrows, as one of
Vancouver's top penalty-killing duos. Both he and Burrows are now top-six
forwards, but they still enjoy the challenge of facing opposition power plays.
"You never forget your roots and how you made it in the league and me and
Burr made it into the league the hard way," Kesler says. "We haven't
forgotten that and we're not going to change. We still want to go out and
work hard, block shots and be a big part of the PK. That's what it's all
about."
Kesler is perhaps the prime example of what many observers like to call a
more mature Canucks team. Once regarded as one of the league's best
trash-talkers, Kesler has for the most part kept his lips sealed this season
and avoided getting involved in all the extracurricular stuff.
Or as Kesler put it the other day: "Staying out of scrums, not getting into
fights, just focusing on my game. Just maturing, I think."
He sees his development on that front as a reflection of the entire team. "I
think we are a confident group, but we know what is ahead of us," Kesler
says. "We can't get too high or too low. I think we're more mature that way.
"No team has gone 16-0 and we're probably going to lose a game. It's going
to happen. We just can't let that bother us. It hasn't all year and I don't think
it's going to in the playoffs."
564816
Vancouver Canucks
Solid six-pack of grinders strengthens Canucks' Cup run
By Ian Walker,
VANCOUVER - You don't have to go back very far to see the impact the
bottom-six forwards can make in the NHL playoffs. Whether it be the
defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks third line of Andrew
Ladd, Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg of last season or the Anaheim Ducks
trio of Sami Pahlsson, Travis Moen and Rob Niedermayer from their league
title in 2007, it's almost a given that a team needs contributions from
everyone to have any chance of playoff success.
But maybe a little misleading is the perception of the word "contribution." It
doesn't necessarily mean getting one's name on the score sheet. Rather, it
can be in the form of a blocked shot, a big hit, wearing down the other
team's skilled players or a great defensive play.
"Part of our overall success this year has been in different moments in
different games at different times getting contributions from different
sources," said Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault, following
his team's practice at Rogers Arena earlier this week. "Every game is a
different entity and you get different contributions from different people to
have continued success and that is what we have this year."
Canucks winger Mikael Samuelsson won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008
- another team with a strong bottom six - and would argue that third- and
fourth-line players are no more - or less - vital to a team's success than they
are during the regular season. It just seems that way.
"I wouldn't say those lines are so much more important, they're always
important," said the Canucks winger. "In the playoffs, a lot is made of it
when those guys score because everyone thinks it's going to be your top
guys carrying the offensive load. It's perception because the games are so
much more under the microscope. I can't stress it enough, everyone is
important all the time and that's why depth is so important."
When a bottom-six player does chip in with the occasional goal, no one will
deny it provides an emotional boost that almost defies explanation.
"Those guys work their tails off for their breaks and an opportunity to score,"
said Canucks winger Chris Higgins. "In the playoffs, those goals you get
from those lines, it's more than a goal. It lifts a team to another level when
those guys score."
Vancouver will be starting the post-season missing two-thirds of its third
line, what with Raffi Torres's suspension and Manny Malhotra lost for the
season with an eye injury. Judging from practice this week, it looks like
rookie call-up Cody Hodgson will centre the new-look unit while Mason
Raymond and Jannik Hansen, the lone carry-over from the regular season,
will round out the Canucks' top checking line. The fourth line will consist of
Maxim Lapierre between Tanner Glass and the big-bodied Victor
Oreskovich, another call-up from the farm. Jeff Tambellini looks to be the
odd man out to start the team's first-round series with the Chicago
Blackhawks.
"Raffi's out for a few games to start, but I've spoken with Jannik and Cody
and a few other guys and yeah, it's going to be huge for us to contribute
when we're out there," said Raymond. "It makes a big difference when all
four lines are contributing. That's when any team is at its best. That third
and fourth line, if you can chip in it takes a lot of pressure off the top lines to
do other things."
564817
Vancouver Canucks
Bolland not quite ready to face Canucks
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun
Pesky Chicago Blackhawk centre Dave Bolland, who tormented Canuck
Daniel Sedin in last year's playoffs, is still recovering from a concussion and
won't start the series Wednesday night.
Bolland was concussed by an elbow from Tampa Bay defenceman Pavel
Kubina five weeks ago. He began skating last week but still hasn't been
cleared for contact. He did participate in the full Blackhawk practice
Tuesday, an indication he is getting closer to a return.
"There is still a bit there, you know," Bolland replied when queried about his
symptoms. "You're going to have your ups and downs. You're going to have
the roller coaster so it's just whenever I feel great and whenever I feel
ready. We'll see what happens with this in the next few days and how this
progresses. It is pretty frustrating. I wish I felt a lot better and that I was
ready to go for the first game."
Kubina was suspended three games for the elbow and Bolland seemed to
bear no malice toward the Lightning blueliner.
"I know he didn't mean to do it," Bolland continued. "He's not that kind of
player. You wish stuff like that didn't happen but it's something you have to
deal with."
The news on Troy Brouwer was more positive. The North Delta native has a
bad shoulder but told reporters Tuesday he was ready to go. Blackhawk
coach Joel Quenneville didn't seem as convinced.
"We'll say we're hopeful that it is a possibility," commented Coach Q,
uttering the best line of series (so far).
Brouwer practised Tuesday on a fifth line with Bolland and Swedish rookie
Marcus Kruger.
COHO LANDS: Canuck rookie Cody Hodgson will be in the lineup tonight
for Game 1 but not necessarily on coach Alain Vigneault's third line.
Vigneault was generous enough with his information to confirm Hodgson's
appearance - a near shock in the age of 'it will be a game-time decision' and then continued to spill more details to grateful reporters. He plans to
"mix and match" his bottom-six forward group, even though Hodgson
practised Tuesday between Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen for a
second straight day.
"I've got six forwards in that situation I can use in different ways and that's
what I'm going to do," announced Vigneault.
That likely means Hodgson will be deployed in offensive-zone situations but
not when there's a faceoff in the Canuck end. Hodgson was a team-worst
minus-12 for the Manitoba Moose in 52 American League games so he
apparently has work to do without the puck. He also didn't receive much ice
time from Vigneault in his earlier callups, averaging just 7:44 per outing.
Hodgson's inclusion in the lineup comes at the expense of Jeff Tambellini,
who has gone 25 games without a point and more than three months
without a goal.
LOU'S LIPS ZIPPED: Canuck netminder Roberto Luongo, usually an
accommodating figure on game days, will be keeping his lips zipped during
the playoffs. He'll still talk following games, and on off-days, but plans to
shut out reporters at the game-day morning skates.
"I am a goalie and I want to be focused on stopping the puck and that's
pretty much it," explained Bobby Lou. "There's nothing to it. I know tons of
goalies who don't do game-day interviews even during the season. For me,
it's nothing but trying to put my whole focus on playing the game."
MORE SEDIN-ERY: Weirdest question of the day was posed to Canuck
defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who was asked if he could tell Daniel and Henrik
Sedin apart. "That's like a question from 2003," responded an incredulous
Bieksa.
He then proceeded to explain that it only took him two weeks to figure it out.
"They totally look different to me," said Bieksa. "I don't know if that's me
being around them more, or what. If you look at some of their draft pictures,
they looked exactly the same. Now they look different. They have different
mannerisms and they look physically different."
QUOTABLE: "Winning a Cup in a Canadian environment, in a Canadian
city, with the attention and exposure and hockey being the No. 1 sport, it
would be something every player would want to do. We appreciate and we
love the support we're getting from our fans. We know they are as excited
as we are and we're going to try and do our best." - Canuck head coach
Alain Vigneault.
564818
Vancouver Canucks
On top of his game, Roberto Luongo saves quest for last
Luongo's workload dropped to 60 games from 68 last season and an
average of 74 the last four years he was fully healthy. New goaltending
coach Rollie Melanson has made Luongo more efficient, better with the
puck and more confident in everything he does.
But more than that, Luongo is more relaxed, at ease with himself and his
place on the team.
By Iain MacIntyre,
VANCOUVER - See, this is why Roberto Luongo isn't captain any more.
It wasn't the leadership demands or distraction from the job of stopping the
puck or the under-rated simple pleasure of speaking daily with the media
and answering questions such as "talk about your thoughts?"
It was optics and the awkward statements. It was a netminder-captain
noting that the defence needed to be tighter and his failed humour, like
suggesting a goalie can be expected to do only so much by making the first
three saves and leaving the fourth rebound to teammates.
That's why Luongo went to general manager Mike Gillis and head coach
Alain Vigneault at the end of last season - yes, he to them and not the other
way around - and suggested maybe it would be better for everyone on the
Vancouver Canucks if he gave back his captaincy. Vigneault was opposed
at first. But a few months later, Luongo returned the 'C' after the team fired
his personal coach and the new guy told the two-time Vezina finalist that a
few things would be changing.
Still, Luongo can't help himself. Or maybe we can't. Like when he said
during a quiet morning late in the regular season that he has nothing to
prove to anyone about the National Hockey League playoffs because he
won the biggest game in history.
"I want to win a Cup," Luongo said. "But I don't have to prove to myself that
I can because I know that I can win. I've won at every level. Everything
imaginable I've won. I know that I can do it. It's not a matter of knowing that
I can do it or not or having confidence in my capabilities. I've played in the
biggest game imaginable, ever. This is nothing compared to that."
"This" is the best chance the Canucks have had to win a Stanley Cup. And
"that" was Canada's gold-medal victory against Team USA at the
Vancouver Olympics 14 months ago. And this is nothing compared with that
because if the Canucks win the Stanley Cup in June it will eclipse in the
great hockey narrative, at least in British Columbia, Team Canada's
Olympic victory.
But Luongo was correct about the captaincy.
At age 32, he is the best he has ever been - significantly better than he was
last season when that gold medal was draped upon him. So sound and
prepared is Luongo, he says there are no longer any grey areas in his
game.
But there is one: the National Hockey League playoffs.
One of the greatest goalies of his generation, a winner at every major
international tournament, Luongo has yet to move halfway through a
Stanley Cup tournament.
His playoff reputation was not enhanced by an erosion of form the last two
years during consecutive second-round losses against the Chicago
Blackhawks, who in their eight wins pumped 36 goals past Luongo. The
Canuck's save rate in those losses was .858.
Luongo failed the netminders' most basic mandate - to give his team a
chance to win.
Now let's look at some better numbers.
In 26 starts since Jan. 18, Luongo allowed two or fewer goals 19 times and
not once surrendered more than three. His goals-against average over that
span was 1.76, and his save percentage was .939. That is, as the kids say,
sick.
"We all want the same thing; we all want to win the Cup," Luongo said when
asked if he felt under-appreciated in Vancouver. "All I know is this is the
best I've felt in my career and I'm just excited to hopefully bring something
special to this city. And if we do, I'm sure there won't be any criticism.
"I feel good. I feel fresh. That ties into all the stuff that's been changed this
year and that has really given the end result so far."
What changed? Everything.
"I am more comfortable; there's no doubt about that," he said.
"A lot of it has to do with winning. I'm trying, obviously, to have a different
approach ... and not get emotionally involved with things.
"If you look at life, you grow up as a person as you go through things. This
is my fifth year here. We've been in the playoffs three times. You learn
certain things. You live through disappointment - all that stuff. It makes you
grow as a person. It's comparable to life."
Luongo's growth is indicative of the Canucks.
"We believe we're a better group, more mature," Luongo said. "I don't know
what else to tell you.
"We think we can do something special here. We didn't have a lot of ups
and downs. In previous years, yeah, we'd win our division, but we'd go
through stretches where we'd lose five, six, seven games in a row.
"When we were struggling [this season], we'd play .500 hockey for a 10game stretch. To a lot of teams in the league, that's not struggling. We just
have that confidence right now."
Luongo fervently believes the Canucks can win the Stanley Cup, but he
can't imagine what that moment would be like.
"If you asked me before the Olympics what it would feel like to have a gold
medal around my neck, I could have given you a million answers," he said.
"Until you live that moment, you can't describe it. I couldn't imagine what it
would be like to win a Stanley Cup. Probably the city would burn down."
No, that's what will happen if the Canucks don't win.
"Either way, it would burn down," Luongo smiled.
I believe Luongo can win a Stanley Cup. Of course, he has to prove it.
564819
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks' 'CoHo' swims upstream to NHL playoffs
By Iain MacIntyre,
VANCOUVER - From the Manitoba Moose to the Stanley Cup playoffs,
rookie Cody Hodgson will be in the Vancouver Canuck lineup Wednesday
for Game 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks (7 p.m., CBC, Team 1040).
Canucks coach Alain Vigneault confirmed Hodgson's lineup spot, but said
he'll be mixing and matching his bottom six forwards. That means Max
Lapierre could play ahead of the prospect who has struggled through injury
and a stacked Vancouver lineup to get his National Hockey League career
going.
Jeff Tambellini will be coming out of the lineup for Hodgson, who was
strangely left in the minors after third-line Canuck centre Manny Malhotra
suffered a season-ending eye injury.
"We had a plan for him and part of that plan was making sure he got lots of
minutes with playing time in Manitoba," Vigneault explained after this
morning's practice at Rogers Arena. "There was also financial restraints.
But the plan was to make sure he got a lot of minutes."
He hasn't had a lot of minutes under Vigneault.
Hodgson's eight NHL games were in February on the Canucks' fourth line.
Despite looking relatively effective - or at least better than most players
Vigneault tried in that situation this year - the former 10th overall draft pick
was returned to the American Hockey League and left there.
Mikael Samuelsson, meanwhile, returned to practice after taking Monday
off for maintenance and will play Wednesday on the second line with Ryan
Kesler and Chris Higgins. Mason Raymond foes back to the wing but could
still take some shifts in the middle after a late-season trial as Malhotra's
replacement.
The top-seeded Canucks are being careful not to say anything that could
inflame or inspire the eighth-seeded Blackhawks, who knocked out
Vancouver the last two playoffs but backed into this year's tournament after
losing their final regular-season game.
"We're playing the Stanley Cup champions," NHL scoring champion Daniel
Sedin said. "There's no need for us to go out and say we're going to beat
them or anything else. It's going to be a battle."
The Blackhawks practise at Rogers Arena this afternoon.
"Obviously they've proven they can play on the big stage through adversity
and pressure," Vigneault said. "We think we can do it and we're going to set
out starting tomorrow night to prove it. We worked all year long to finish first
and we're getting the Cup champions. It doesn't get much better than that."
564820
Vancouver Canucks
the first game, it may be enough to haunt them. A Game 1 loss would test
the Canucks' resolve, and whether they really are the more mature team
they want to be.
Canucks' claimed mental toughness is a key factor, both teams agree
"We've learned from our mistakes in the past," Alex Burrows said. "And one
of those mistakes is being too emotionally involved.
By Jason Botchford,
"We want to control our emotions (especially in the first game). There is
going to be a lot of energy and intensity in the building. We want to do what
we've been doing the whole year, and that's playing the right way."
Leading up to the playoffs, the Canucks repeatedly laid claim to confidence
and maturity.
Daniel Sedin said the team has spent a significant portion of the season
trying to drive home the fact they can't get "too high or too low."
Experience gained from losing would be a factor in winning. So would the
calm leadership of the Sedins.
"This year has been a totally different atmosphere in the room," Daniel said.
The belief was the Canucks had apprenticed long enough. They were
equipped to cope with adversity, would stick to a game plan and were able
to avoid being rattled.
This was the talk from last year, before the Canucks panicked and exposed
their emotional fragility.
Funny, the lead-up sounds a lot like this year's.
"We talked about it last year, too," Daniel Sedin said. "But, obviously, we
didn't have the composure to really follow through."
But will this postseason be any different?
Impossible for anyone to say until Vancouver is pushed. It's just unclear if
Chicago has anyone to do the pushing. Gone is Dustin Byfuglien. It's
something Roberto Luongo played down, but Patrick Kane did not.
"If you don't get traffic, you won't be successful," Kane said. "The past two
years we had a lot of traffic on him. We had Dustin Byfuglien, who got in his
face and in his grill.
"Hopefully, a new guy can step up and do it."
Out is Dave Bolland, who, still hazy from a concussion, practically broke out
into song when he was asked how he memorably wedged his way into the
Sedins' mental health last spring.
"Maybe physical, mental, everything was in the mix," Bolland said.
"Anything to do to get in there, to get in their heads to get them going."
That element is missing. Bolland isn't playing Game 1, and by his
description of the symptoms may not play Games 2 or 3, either. It leaves
the biggest hole, by far, the Hawks have to fill. They may have the mental
advantage, and you can even say they are in the Canucks' heads.
"We'd like to say we have a mental edge, but this is a new year," Kane said.
"You always hope you have a mental edge. You hope you're in the back of
their minds - that what happened in the past two years wasn't a fluke and it
could happen again."
But if the Hawks don't have a stick to prod around in Vancouver's psyche
and remind the Canucks of that point, it may not do them much good.
For all the Canucks' talking points heading into the series - and all the
players are reading from the same script - the presumption that they will
control their emotions is at the top.
"But we still have to prove it on the ice," Mikael Samuelsson said. "It's a
thin, thin line.
"Things can happen. I'm not saying they won't.
"You have to have emotions but in the right way. We can't take any stupid
penalties. You will see emotions this year, but I think it's going to be
different. This is a new team, a different team."
It's also a better team, and that threatens to trump everything. If the
Canucks play anywhere near their best, the ghosts of playoffs past aren't
going to matter.
"We're a different team and that's No. 1," Henrik Sedin said. "We're deeper
in every position. Our D's, from top to bottom, are the best D's in the
league.
"We're a confident group, but we know it's going to be tough."
It's easy to conclude it makes Game 1 more important than in past years. If
the Canucks crack early, and give up a couple of goals in the first period of
"[Last year], we took too many penalties and their special teams where
better than ours. If that happens, we're not going to win a lot of series."
Vancouver Province: LOADED: 04.13.2011
564821
Vancouver Canucks
Shots 268, Sharp.
In net: 33-18-6 Crawford GAA 2.30/SV%.917
Canucks Gameday
By Jim Jamieson,
PLAYOFF GAMEDAY
Western Conference Quarterfinal
Blackhawks (eighth seed) at Canucks (first seed) 7 p.m., Rogers Arena
TV: CBC Radio: TEAM 1040
Canucks: Vancouver is coming off a franchise-best Presidents' Trophywinning season where they led most major statistical categories. But they're
also facing Chicago - which bounced them out of the playoffs in the second
round the last two seasons. Time to get it out of their heads.
Blackhawks: Chicago isn't the same team as last season's Stanley Cup
champion, but the Hawks have a core of talent that compares with any top
NHL team - with the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp,
Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. They'll be trying to work
their playoff mojo against the Canucks for the third year in a row.
Three things to watch
1. Does Roberto Luongo get off on the right foot? The Canucks goaltender
is coming off his best NHL regular season, but can he carry it over into the
playoffs? The Hawks know a big key to the series will be getting to Luongo
early. Without Dustin Byfuglien and Dave Bolland to crash the net, it'll be
interesting to see how they get it done.
2. Canucks retooled third line. One of the Vancouver's offseason goals was
to upgrade the third line, but with Manny Malhotra (eye) and Raffi Torres
(suspension) out, that means two-thirds of it will be changed. The
experiment is expected to have rookie Cody Hodgson at centre and Mason
Raymond at left wing, leaving Jannik Hansen as the only incumbent. Can it
work? We'll see in the first period tonight.
3. Hawks goalie Corey Crawford. Chicago will be resting their hopes on a
26-year-old who played every game down the stretch and has just one
playoff game on his resume. A tall order, but Crawford had an excellent
break-out season and won the only game he's played against Vancouver the 7-1 embarrassment the Canucks suffered on Nov. 20 that was the
turnaround point for their season.
By THE NUMBERS: 16
The number of points (9-7) that Hawks' winger Patrick Kane has in 12
career post season games against Vancouver.
Injuries
Canucks: D Lee Sweatt (foot), C Manny Malhotra (eye, out for season), LW
Raffi Torres (suspension).
Blackhawks: D Jordan Hendry (knee surgery, out for season), RW Troy
Brouwer (right shoulder, possible for Game 1), C Dave Bolland
(concussion, indefinite).
REGULAR-SEASON STATS
CANUCKS
Goals 41, D.Sedin, Kesler
Assists 75, H.Sedin
Points 104, D.Sedin
Shots 266, D.Sedin
In net: 38-15-7 Luongo GAA 2.11/SV%.928
BLACKHAWKS
Goals 34, Sharp
Assists 46, Kane
Points 76, Toews
564822
Vancouver Canucks
Versatility definitely Raymond's long suit
By Ben Kuzma,
Mason Raymond was big news in tiny Cochrane on Tuesday. The weekly
newspaper in his Alberta hometown placed a perfectly timed call just as the
Vancouver Canucks speedster stepped off the practice ice at Rogers
Arena.
Raymond will be much bigger news if his timing is right and he produces
more answers than questions in the postseason.
Hampered by injuries and indifferent play, the winger has played centre and
also played on the second, third and fourth lines in an uneven and
unnerving regular season. Raymond not only lost zip on his wrist shot after
missing 10 games with a broken thumb, he lost confidence and then lost his
second-line job to trade-deadline acquisition Chris Higgins.
However, Raymond gained something of significance Thursday.
In a meaningless regular-season home-ice finale, Raymond ripped two
wrist shots home as if to signal better times ahead.
And in a Western Conference quarterfinal meeting with the defending
Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, he might be perfectly
positioned to make a difference.
Without top-six scoring pressure and being a forgotten experiment on the
fourth-line, there's potential to turn a terrible 15-goal campaign into a
memorable postseason run.
"I've been through a lot and when you have a bunch of broken bones it
doesn't help," Raymond said Tuesday. "I want to do some big things in the
playoffs and contribute any way I can. Of course, it felt good to score, but
the goals didn't mean anything and it doesn't put me over the top. I've felt
good lately and think I'm playing well, but a lot of times people dictate how
you play by how many points you get. For me, it's not so much like that
sometimes."
That's because Raymond has had to tailor a game that could boost his
postseason production. He may not rack up John Druce numbers - 14 goals
in 15 playoff games after just eight regular-season goals with Washington in
1989-90 - but combining with Jannik Hansen gives a revolving third line a
dimension to defend and attack.
The Canucks can't replace the value of Manny Malhotra in the faceoff circle,
but they can add an offensive element no matter what look coach Alain
Vigneault throws at the Blackhawks in the opener Wednesday or through
the duration of the series.
"I'm going to mix and match there," Vigneault said of his third and fourth
lines. "I've got six forwards in that situation that I can use in different ways."
With the suspended Raffi Torres sidelined two more games, the recalled
Cody Hodgson will start between Raymond and Hansen. When Torres
returns, Raymond could go back to centre.
But what Raymond needs to get back to is playing in the middle of the ice,
regardless of where he lines up. A penchant for a perimeter game
hampered his effectiveness this campaign following a career 25-goal
season.
The wonky thumb didn't help, either, as Raymond scored just once in a
dozen games after his Dec.8 injury and only three times in the next 27
outings. He's age- (25) and cap-friendly ($2.55 million US) next season, but
needs to make an impact now.
The irony of all this is that Raymond might now be best suited for the
rigours of the playoffs, in which he has five goals in 22 career games. He's
fast enough to be responsible without the puck and dangerous enough to
do something with it.
A strong transition game might be the difference with the top line attracting
so much attention and struggling second-line wingers still looking to
complement Ryan Kesler. Playing different roles may play in Raymond's
favour.
"I think that's just it - the versatility," he added. "It's going to be a benefit in
any situation. I've been through a lot this year with positions and players. If
anything, you feel more prepared. And we've been through so much as a
team that we know what to expect. We know what to do and we think we
can dictate the outcome."
Hansen led the Canucks with 149 hits, which speaks to the Dane's
enthusiasm and forechecking ability. Torres was right behind at 134, but the
wild card is Raymond. He's not going to run over anybody, but he can run
around them.
"He's proven he can score and he's one of those guys that you need to step
up," said Hansen.
Maybe Henrik Sedin put it best. No team gets anywhere as a one-line entity
and he knows leading the league in scoring during the regular season
doesn't mean much now. And he believes there's reason to believe that
Raymond can quiet his critics.
"He's been great ever since he was put on the third line," said the Canucks
captain. "He's holding on to the puck and making plays, and those are the
guys who you need if you're going to go deep. That line has really speedy
guys and really tire the defence out."
564823
Vancouver Canucks
Sedins know well that Canucks' core players have something to prove
By Ed Willes
In their 10 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Daniel and Henrik Sedin
have played in 11 playoff series.
The Canucks' record over that span? They've won four series, lost seven
and never made it past the second round.
In his five seasons with the Canucks, Roberto Luongo has played in six
series, winning three and losing three. Like the twins, he's never been
beyond the second round of the playoffs and his goals-against average and
save percentage were demonstrably higher in the past two postseasons
than they'd been in the regular season.
Ryan Kesler, for his part, is a different case, but in the 2008-09 playoffs he
had four points in 10 games, and last season he had one goal in 12 playoff
games.
Just so you know, Henrik is the reigning Hart Trophy winner, Daniel might
win it this year, Luongo is in the conversation about the best goalies of his
generation and if Kesler doesn't win the Selke Trophy this year, there
should be an investigation.
All four Canucks, in short, are among the best players in the game and the
Sedins and Luongo are starting to build Hall of Fame credentials.
But here's the cold, hard reality facing the team's four best players: For
everything they've accomplished in the regular season, they haven't done it
in the playoffs, and that record of postseason failure is starting to define
their careers as much as their gaudy regular-season numbers.
They now have a chance to do something about that against the team that's
sent them packing the past two playoff seasons, and while this series will
be a proving ground for the Canucks team, there are also individuals who
have a huge stake in its outcome.
Maybe there are more original storylines to this Canucks-Hawks matchup.
But none are more important.
"You're never recognized as a great team until you do it in the playoffs, and
this franchise has never done that," said Henrik Sedin, addressing the
question head-on. "There are always going to be questions until you win it.
"That's a big difference between playing here and playing in Detroit or
Chicago. They won and no one's doubting them. Now we have to prove we
can win. We know that. We're past the point where we're tired of it. We
know that's the way it is and there's only one thing we can do to change it.
That's to win."
Funny how that works.
The Canucks, of course, have never been better positioned for a long
playoff run and you can make the case that - with the exception of the 2003
loss to Minnesota when the twins played a support role - they simply lost to
the superior side in each postseason.
But there's also something about the cumulative effect of those defeats that
raises uncomfortable questions about the Canucks' core four.
OK, they're not quite in the territory occupied by Joe Thornton, Patrick
Marleau and Dany Heatley in San Jose. Those guys have luggage. The
Canucks still have carry-on. But somewhere along the line they have to
prove they have the stuff which is attributed to the game's greats.
Again, this doesn't come as a news flash to Daniel and Henrik, who've both
recorded 24 points in their last 22 playoff games. But the twins also believe
this Canucks' team is different from the editions that crashed and burned in
past postseasons. They have depth. They have balance.
This time, they don't need superheroes so much as they need players to
follow the script.
"I think we realize if we don't do this as a team we're in trouble," said
Daniel. "I think that's been a problem in the past. Maybe we're thinking we
have to do it by ourselves. Guys have to score three goals a game or Louie
has to stand on his head. But this season we've done it as a team, and
that's how we have to win."
And that's about what you'd expect from the Sedins, who see everything
through the prism of the team. But against the Hawks especially, the
Canucks' best players have to hold up their end. Maybe they don't have to
outplay Jonathan Toews, Patick Kane and Marian Hossa, but neither can
they let the Hawks' stars take over.
It doesn't sound that difficult. In reality, it will be the determining factor of
this series.
"We're not expecting to blow this team out," said Henrik. "They're going to
win their share of games. But if we stick to our game plan, like we have all
year, we'll come through."
And that will change a lot of things for this team and its players.
564824
Vancouver Canucks
Blackhawks' goaltending philosophy faces test
"How you take care of yourself and how you prepare and keep that mental
balance, I'm sure Marty has been a big help to him."
Schneider has been a lot more help to Luongo than that this year. Time will
tell if that has made any difference.
By Tony Gallagher,
Scotty Bowman came into Rogers Arena for the Hawks practice Tuesday
afternoon and began talking about the playoffs.
And without specifically referring to this series, he simply said for a lot of
these postseason matchups: "It all comes down to goaltending."
That was certainly the case the last two times these teams played in the
playoffs, and if history and Bowman's wisdom are any indication, that could
well be the case again this year.
And if that's to be the case, how many people think Corey Crawford is going
to beat Roberto Luongo over seven games - unless there are some pretty
bizarre circumstances, which would include the Hawks getting into the
Canuck goalie's psyche?
Some might argue they already have, based on Luongo's decision not to
talk to the media after Wednesaday's pregame skate. Others think it's a
very good decision, whether it's Luongo's personally or one being made by
the organization. But no matter what one thinks of the new policy, at least it
changes the pattern of the last two seasons.
Crawford, meanwhile, has been the Hawks' workhorse down the stretch:
He'll be making his 28th straight start tonight and will be well into the 30s by
the time this series concludes. That will certainly test the 'rest' theory for
goalies which the Canucks have been operating under this season by virtue
of using Cory Schneider as much as they have. If the Hawks win, the theory
takes a pounding.
Because Chicago has had no such luxury, as they feel they can't go to
Marty Turco - even though historically he's been great in this building,
particularly in the playoffs. Heavens, they couldn't even use him in a game
down the stretch to spell the kid.
"The summer before last we were on the ice together at the same goalie
camp," said Crawford of Luongo Tuesday, the day before his playoff
baptism.
"He was a lot more established than me, of course, but we were working on
our games with Francois Allaire, who was hooked up with our agent Gilles
Luipien. He wasn't there last year, I heard he was working with his guy [Ian
Clark] in Florida. But the year before, there were tons of guys there, [J.S.]
Giguere, [Mathieu] Biron, [Mathieu] Garon and Luongo. It was great for me."
Now he'll find himself in the bright lights in a crazy atmosphere, but he's
looking forward to it. And he was fascinated to hear of the adjustments
Luongo has made this year, playing deeper in his net, before being asked
about the crazy atmosphere that will greet him tonight.
"I think it's going to be fun," he said. "Of course I'm going to be a little bit
nervous going into a situation like that, being it's my first playoff game, but I
think that's normal."
To be honest, Crawford hasn't really been at his best lately; perhaps the
workload is taking its toll, although you have to read between the lines to
pick it up. No 26-year-old would be willing to admit he's getting tired.
"Of course, there have been nights when I've felt better than others and
times when I've thought about it, but it's a matter of how you take care of
yourself, getting the proper rest and managing it that way."
That's a tall order for a kid in his first full year on a team that has had to
make as many changes as the Hawks have. But Antti Niemi won a Cup with
this team in his first playoff last year, and while hoping that lightning strikes
twice is a profound longshot, he may have enough left in his gas tank to pull
off a series.
"They're very comparable in their demeanour," said Chicago coach Joel
Quenneville when asked about Crawford trying to do the same as Niemi did
last season.
"You have to commend him on how he's gone about his business and how
he approaches [the time] in between games, knowing he's going to be in
there the next game.
564825
Vancouver Canucks
Chicago pest Bolland still out with concussion
The Province
It appears the Chicago Blackhawks will have to begin their playoff series
against the Canucks without the MVP of last season's second-round victory
over Vancouver.
That would be Dave Bolland, and that's MVP as in Most Valuable Pest.
Bolland and his linemates Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd hacked,
whacked and hounded Daniel and Henrik Sedin to frustration a year ago.
It got to the point where, in Game 3, -Daniel dropped his gloves in a scrum
and looked like he wanted to strangle Bolland.
Out against the Swedish twins often, -Bolland's line held Danny and Hank
to a combined three goals and 10 points in the six games.
It was huge, considering Henrik was coming off a 112-point scoring
championship and Daniel was right behind him in points per game.
The Sedins, just as dynamic this season, aren't likely unhappy that the line
won't be in evidence this time around.
Versteeg and Ladd were both traded last summer as the Hawks moved
salary, while Bolland is still recovering from a concussion suffered on an
elbow from Tampa Bay's -Pavel Kubina on March 9.
Kubina received a three-game suspension for the hit.
Bolland travelled to Vancouver with the Hawks and participated in a team
practice on Tuesday, but hasn't been cleared for -contact.
He did show he hasn't lost his sense of humour, though, when asked about
missing a chance to play against the Sedins.
"I'm always disappointed when I miss -seeing those guys, my buddies on
that team," cracked Bolland.
"Those are two great players and it's always fun, always a challenge
playing against them."
While practising with the team - which Bolland did for the first time on
Saturday - is a significant step, the abrasive centre said he's still feeling
some ill effects.
"There's still a bit there," said Bolland. "But you're going to have your ups
and downs. I still feel a little bit of haze. It's when I feel great, when my
mind's back and my head's back, that's when I'll be out there.
"I'll wait and see the next few days, how this progresses."
Bolland said the concussion was the -second of his career. He suffered one
when he was playing in the minors in the 2006-07 season, but it didn't
sideline him nearly as long as this one has.
"You do get pretty worried, because you never know when you're going to
snap out of it," said Bolland.
"It's sort of depressing. Guys want to go do something and you just want to
stay in. It was a tough time going through it.
"I could feel for (Sidney) Crosby and some of the other guys who are hurt
right now. I'm glad I'm over that hump."
Due to the seriousness of his injury, Bolland vows he won't rush himself
back into action.
"These are things you don't want to play around with. A guy on Vancouver,
Dan -Hamhuis, had one and a little conk on the head knocked him back
out."
Chicago winger Troy Brouwer said he's ready to return after missing a week
with a shoulder injury.
The North Delta native would likely take the place of Viktor Stalberg on the
Ryan Johnson-Tomas Kopecky unit.
564826
Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup playoffs: Washington Capitals put philosophical differences to
the test
By Barry Svrluga
On the morning of Dec. 13, Bruce Boudreau arrived at the Washington
Capitals’ Arlington training facility as he would any morning during the
season, just after 7. In the restless hours immediately preceding,
Boudreau’s club had endured the most ignominious defeat of his three-year
tenure as coach: a 7-0 humiliation by the New York Rangers, the team’s
sixth loss in a row. In the hours ahead, nothing short of a sea change
awaited the organization. “We had to do something,” Boudreau said.
When Boudreau took over the Capitals in November 2007, he helped
transform a gifted but moribund roster into one of the most entertaining
teams in the NHL, a goal-scoring machine that overwhelmed opponents
with talent, skill and a wide-open, risk-taking style. But that Monday
morning, when Boudreau sat down with his boss, General Manager George
McPhee, both men knew another transformation was necessary. Capitals
coaches and officials huddled. As the players trickled in for a practice
session the next day. tension filled the building.
“I didn’t know if George was going to come down and scream at us,”
veteran forward Mike Knuble said. “There was something that was going to
happen that day. You kind of come in, waiting to see.”
No one lost his job that morning. Instead, Boudreau and McPhee decided to
replace the team’s trademark — offense — with defense. The risks were
significant. The Capitals entered the season with one goal: win the Stanley
Cup. Could a team, in the middle of the season, fundamentally alter both its
physical style and its mental approach and emerge in better position?
“It was a dramatic change,” McPhee said late last month. “And changing
systems in the middle of the season is dangerous, because if it doesn’t
work, you have players who are confused. Your system of play has to
become ingrained. It has to become second nature. You can’t go on the ice
thinking about a system because then the game’s going to be going by
you.”
As the Capitals open the playoffs Wednesday night against the same
Rangers who instigated the change, they say their new system is ingrained,
and their goal of winning the Stanley Cup appears much more achievable
than it did that distressing Monday morning last December. The team that
posted the best record and scored the most goals in the NHL a year ago
averaged more than a goal per game fewer during this regular season. Its
most talented stars, led by two-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin, endured
what appear statistically to be among the worst seasons of their careers.
The flip side, though, shows that what Boudreau and McPhee set out to
accomplish in the middle of December worked: Just three teams allowed
fewer goals than the Capitals. And no team in the Eastern Conference, from
that point on, posted a better record. Washington, playing a different style,
is again the top seed in the East.
“They still have that talent,” said Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, who
played the Capitals six times this season. “Now, they’re just playing a
smarter game. I think they’re definitely a tougher team to play against now
than they have been in the past. As a whole, as a team, they play a tougher
brand of hockey.”
Getting defensive
To develop that, though, involved some angst. The Capitals ended the
2009-10 season — by many measures, the best in franchise history — by
blowing a three-games-to-one lead in the first round of the playoffs against
Montreal. Afterward, McPhee said it was his job not to over-react. “We have
a good team,” he said then, and he would not blow it up because of three
straight losses, however excruciating they felt then.
In exit interviews with players after the season, as well as during selfevaluations by the coaching staff and front office, a theme developed. All
three areas team officials determined they needed to address —
goaltending, penalty-killing and general defensive play — had to do with
preventing goals, not scoring them.
Yet Boudreau, a scorer as a player and an offensive-minded coach, didn’t
overhaul the approach entering this season. Rather, he and the coaching
staff tweaked it. The sell of a defensive style — to a team that had just
posted the league’s best regular-season record — would have been difficult
on the first day of training camp.
“If we were winning, and say, ‘Hey, listen, you’re leading the league in
scoring, and doing this and doing this, but we’re going to change it into a
totally defensive mode,’ they would have had a hard time believing it and
buying into it,” Boudreau said. “When you don’t do it fully, then you don’t
have success, and when you don’t have success, you’re sitting there
wanting to do other things.”
So the first practice after the Rangers’ game became critical. This was the
opportunity: Success was no longer a given. The players — with that
anxiety that anything could happen — were attentive. They had no choice.
“When you go through a skid like that, you know something’s got to
change,” forward Boyd Gordon said. “It could be personnel. It could be
systems. But it’s got to be something.”
Though the ripples of the change were felt throughout the organization —
McPhee said he regularly communicates with owner Ted Leonsis, because
“we don’t want there to be any surprises” — the front office did not interfere
with implementation of the new system, both Boudreau and McPhee said.
When they met the morning of Dec. 13, they were like-minded.
“It’s really remarkable how Bruce and I think the same a lot,” McPhee said.
“That’s why our relationship works.”
During the losing streak, the two had bounced ideas off each other. Yet
they had not, McPhee said, seriously discussed a fundamental change
before. But once they agreed that’s what had to happen, McPhee left his
coach with one message: “How you do it is up to you.”
The coaching staff began by breaking down video of other teams, splicing
clips to show players how they wanted things done. In Boudreau’s tenure
leading the Capitals, they had built an unmistakable identity. If that identity
was going to change, it had to be done carefully, meticulously.
On Dec. 14, the coaching staff met with the players in the small theater
room at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the team’s training facility in Ballston.
According to several players, Boudreau’s approach was simple: “Okay,
we’re going to try and do a couple of things different here.” Then they ran
the film.
“The coaching staff did a great job of saying, ‘If you don’t know, ask,’”
forward Brooks Laich said. “‘Take the time to learn this. This is going to be
how we’re going to play.’”
The ensuing practice was different than any the Caps had held all season.
Old habits had to be broken, new ones created.
“There were a lot of guys standing around at the beginning of practice,”
Knuble said. “Usually the pace is up. But there was teaching, a little bit of
standing around, a little bit of talking about stuff, a little bit more X’s and O’s
than Bruce had ever done before.”
Adjustable goals
The Capitals did not have a full training camp to fine-tune those X’s and
O’s. They had a day for the coaches to plan and strategize, then one
practice, then a home game against the Anaheim Ducks. That night,
Boudreau addressed his team in the dressing room, making the final sell of
the new style.
“We might have to win the game 2-1, and we can’t get frustrated because it
might be 1-1 all the way through,” Boudreau said in his pregame speech,
which ran as part of HBO’s “24/7” series. “It might be 0-0. Who knows?”
Indeed, through two periods, the score was tied at 1. “Don’t get too antsy,”
Boudreau reminded his team before the third. And though the Ducks scored
in overtime for a 2-1 victory, Boudreau questioned neither his players’ effort
nor their commitment to the new system. Instead, after their seventh
straight loss, he encouraged them.
“If you play like that,” he said, “you’re going to win an awful lot of games in a
row.”
That did not, though, happen right away. The Capitals lost their next game,
3-2 in Boston, and trailed 2-0 after one period in Ottawa before finally
coming back for a 3-2 victory, ending what had become an eight-game skid.
The style was changing, slowly, but it dominated players’ thoughts. At
dinners on the road, small groups discussed the changes.
“It’s not just in the locker room,” Knuble said. “Some guys adjusted easier
than others, put it that way. Guys feel like chatting. We had to talk about it.”
Convincing skilled players to prevent goals first became a process.
Ovechkin had never scored fewer than 46 goals in a season; this season,
he finished with 32. Winger Alexander Semin’s production fell from 40 goals
in 2009-10 to 28 this season. Center Nicklas Backstrom averaged 86 points
the previous three seasons; he posted 65 this year.
As Boudreau said Tuesday, “Every player in the world likes to score goals.”
“If it’s good for team, I will do it,” Ovechkin said Tuesday.
It has been, indisputably, good for the team. The words Boudreau spoke
after that loss to the Ducks, the first in the new system — “You’re going to
win an awful lot of games in a row” — came true. A nine-game winning
streak spanned from late February to mid-March. The evidence that the
change was the right course mounted.
“So many people are used to them scoring six, seven, eight goals a game,
but giving up five, six, seven goals a game,” said Jason Arnott, acquired
from New Jersey at the trading deadline in March. “Now, it’s 2-1, 3-2.
People are wondering: Why aren’t the Capitals scoring? Well, the Capitals
are winning. They’re winning.”
So the question, prior to Wednesday night’s playoff opener, becomes an
easy one: Given the change, are the Capitals better-equipped entering
these playoffs than they were a year ago?
“I think our mind-set is more prepared to go in than last year,” Boudreau
said Tuesday. “I think everything had come so easy. We weren’t pushed, I
don’t think, as a unit too hard. And this year, we’ve been pushed really
hard.”
Washington Post LOADED: 04.13.2011
564827
Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals seek a different ending
Katie Carrera
After being upset in seven games by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010
Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Washington Capitals were stunned.
Here's what the Capitals believe they've learned about succeeding in the
playoffs after last year's stinging defeat.
Regular season Killer instinct Boring is good Little things
Forget the regular season
Presidents Trophy and Southeastern Division champions banners
The 2009-10 season saw the Capitals race to the Presidents' Trophy, earn
numerous franchise records including points, wins and goals scored. Their
dominance was so thorough that owner Ted Leonsis proclaimed
Washington had arrived in early February 2010. All of that quickly became
irrelevant after Montreal celebrated a first-round series win. Suddenly, the
multitude of accolades wasn't worth anything.
This season, Washington managed to claim the top spot in the East for a
second consecutive season after changing to a more defensive system and
more struggles than the team had previously experienced. But the players
understand it doesn't mean anything if they don't follow up with playoff wins.
"We took a step back last year," forward Matt Bradley said. "Obviously the
higher you finish, the better it is for your confidence and things like that. But
when it comes to the actual series you have to be ready to play hard —
none of it matters."
The Capitals say the No. 1 seed guarantees them home ice early on,
nothing more.
Finishing first "is just one of those things that, yeah, it's nice but it shouldn't
mean that much right now," defenseman John Carlson said. "Maybe it will
help us a little bit down the road."
564828
Washington Capitals
Capitals vs. Rangers
Katie Carrera
Series: Best of seven games. Season series: Rangers won 3-1-0.
Prediction: Capitals in five.
Records: Capitals (No. 1 seed, first place in Eastern Conference) 48-23-11,
Rangers (No. 8 seed third in Atlantic Division) 44-33-5.
Capitals: Stats | Roster | Results Rangers: Stats | Roster | Results
Forwards
Both teams have struggled to create offense consistently this year, but
while they are close statistically – New York's 2.73 goals per game to
Washington's 2.67 -- the Capitals have arguably the greater amount of
explosive options up front. Only Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Mike
Knuble posted more than 20 goals this season for the Capitals. Washington
will need contributions from all of its lines but particularly from Semin, who
has eight goals in 28 career playoff games and hasn't scored in the
postseason since the series against the Rangers in 2009. Meanwhile, the
Rangers are well balanced with five 20-goal scorers but will be without its
second leading scorer, Ryan Callahan, who will miss the first round with a
broken ankle. This all puts more pressure on $7.5 million man Marian
Gaborik, the enigmatic winger has 12 goals in 29 career playoff games, to
produce.
Defense
Once again, the Capitals and Rangers are close when considering
defensive units. Washington went through it's greatly publicized transition to
a more defensively sound system this year and over the last 20 games
allowed only 1.85 goals per contest. The Capitals should get a boost from
the expected return of Mike Green after he missed 20 games with a
concussion. But wunderkind pair of John Carlson (plus-21, 22:38 minutes
per game) and Karl Alzner (plus-14, 20 mpg) will likely continue to serve as
the Capitals' shutdown pair. New York, meantime, has an established
reputation as a shot-blocking machine led by the pairing of Marc Staal and
Dan Girardi, who have spent their young careers shutting down Ovechkin.
Goaltending
In net is where, on paper, the Rangers may have a distinct advantage with
veteran Henrik Lundqvist (36-27-5, .923, 2.28), who posted a league best
11 shutouts this year. The Swedish netminder has similarly strong numbers
from his playoff history (.207, 2.66 in 30 games) but hasn't always had the
supporting cast necessary to advance. The Capitals must crash the net
consistently to try and prevent Lundqvist from gaining confidence early in
the series. Washington will start rookie Michal Neuvirth (27-12-4, .914,
2.45) in his first NHL playoff series after the 23-year-old Czech carried the
load in the regular season. That's not to say that Semyon Varlamov (11-9-5,
.924, 2.23) won't make an appearance should Neuvirth struggle.
Coaching
Capitals: Bruce Boudreau went through the toughest time of his coaching
career at any level when Washington struggled back in December but has
come out on the other side with a team that bought in to his new defensefirst strategy. In his fourth trip to the postseason with the Capitals, though,
the 56-year-old has pressure to avoid an early exit like the seven-game,
first-round defeat his team suffered last spring to the Montreal Canadiens.
Rangers: Firy John Tortorella, now in his third year with New York, is
respected as a great tactician and motivator, who excels at getting the most
out of every player on the club he coaches. But he hasn't won a playoff
series since capturing the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in
2004 and lost his only postseason round as the Rangers bench boss in
seven games to the Capitals back in 2009.
564829
Washington Capitals
Dennis Wideman discharged from hospital
By Katie Carrera
The Capitals said defenseman Dennis Wideman was discharged from a
local hospital Monday after being treated there for a hematoma and
compartment syndrome in his right leg.
Wideman has been out since suffering the injury March 29, when he
absorbed a knee-to-thigh hit by Carolina’s Tuomo Ruutu.
Capitals General Manager George McPhee said last week that despite the
serious nature of the injury, Wideman’s leg “muscle’s in really good shape,
so it’s just a matter of things coming together and him feeling better.”
Coach Bruce Boudreau has said the team expects Wideman to miss at
least the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The news of Wideman’s release from the hospital was first reported by
TSN, a Canadian English language sports network.
564830
Washington Capitals
Michal Neuvirth set for first playoff start of NHL career
By Gene Wang
Three Washington Capitals goalies have had stretches when each looked
worthy of consideration for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Rookie
Michal Neuvirth will get the call, drawing the first postseason start of his
NHL career tomorrow night against the New York Rangers.
Neuvirth went 27-12-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average, four shutouts and
a .914 save percentage. He set the franchise record for most wins by a
rookie goaltender, became the first Capitals goalie to log 10 wins in his
team’s first 16 games, tied Olie Kolzig’s club record for longest home
winning streak (10) and was the youngest Washington goalie to start an
opener since Jim Carrey in 1996-97.
Now he makes his postseason debut opposite Henrik Lundqvist, among the
most skilled goalies in the game and a nemesis to the Capitals this season
and in previous playoff series.
“I’m not nervous,” Neuvirth said following practice this morning. “I’m pretty
excited. It’s an interesting game, you know. I’ve been waiting for this game
all season long. It’s a good challenge and good opportunity for me.”
Even though Neuvirth, 23, is new to the demands of an NHL postseason,
he is not without professional playoff experience. As the starting goalie for
the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, Neuvirth won consecutive
Calder Cups, including being named most valuable player in 2008-09.
In two seasons with Hershey, Neuvirth combined to go 30-10, including five
shutouts, in the playoffs with a 2.05 GAA.
“He hasn’t been through this,” Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau said of
Neuvirth having to deal with the increased media attention during the NHL
playoffs. “But he’s been through championship series and everything else.
He’s ready. I don’t have to say anything to him. As a matter of fact, I’ve tried
not to say anything to him for fear that it would get him wound up or
whatever.
“He does what he does. He’s played really big in big games for us, and
we’ve got a lot of belief in him.”
Neuvirth finished the season winning nine of 11 games and five of his final
six. His only loss during that span was 1-0 to Florida in Saturday’s regular
season finale, when he stopped 22 of 23 shots.
Neuvirth has played twice this season against the Rangers. On Nov. 9, he
stopped 25 of 28 shots in a 5-3 victory at Madison Square Garden. On Feb.
25, he allowed six goals on 28 shots in a 6-0 loss at Verizon Center that
was among the club’s most disastrous of the season.
Backing up Neuvirth will be Semyon Varlamov (11-9-5, 2.23 GAA), who has
the most playoff experience among any of the Capitals’ goalies. Varlamov
has played in 19 postseason games over the past two seasons, including
going 7-6 in 2008-09. Washington also used Braden Holtby this season.
Holtby went 10-2-2 with a 1.79 GAA and .934 save percentage.
“We’re comfortable any which way,” defenseman Scott Hannan said.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in everybody in this room. We got a lot of
good players. We’ve got a lot of depth, and we know we’re going to need it.”
564831
Washington Capitals
Defenseman Mike Green on track to return for Game 1
By Gene Wang
Capitals defenseman Mike Green said Tuesday he was sure he would be
on the ice Wednesday night for Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff
series against the New York Rangers at Verizon Center. Coach Bruce
Boudreau, however, didn’t go that far, calling the all-star’s availability a
“game-time decision.”
Green missed the Capitals’ final 20 games and 26 of 28 following a Feb. 6
game against Pittsburgh in which he was struck in the side of the head by a
puck. The two-time finalist for the Norris Trophy played Feb. 12 against Los
Angeles before skating just two shifts against the Rangers on Feb. 25.
(Jonathan Newton - WASHINGTON POST) In that 6-0 loss, Green came in
from behind on New York forward Derek Stepan, who was trying to handle
the puck along the boards. Stepan raised his left side and connected with
Green’s jaw, forcing him from the game with a concussion after 2 minutes
25 seconds of ice time.
“Absolutely, yeah,” Green said when asked if was ready to go after practice.
“I feel great and in game-shape ready to play.”
Asked again immediately thereafter, he said: “I’ll be playing. Expect to see
me out there.”
Of course, we’ve been here before with Green, who said in the days leading
up to Washington’s regular season finale on Saturday he was confident he
would play. Green then did not travel with the club to Florida to face the
Panthers.
Green’s status has been fluid throughout his recovery, and his availability
has become a bit more urgent considering puck-moving defenseman
Dennis Wideman is out for at least the first round of the postseason with a
leg hematoma. The Capitals had acquired Wideman to help alleviate some
of the pressure off the rest of the defense in Green’s absence.
“I think he’s ready to play,” Boudreau said of Green. “It’s a question of how
he feels tomorrow, and if he’s comfortable playing, and if we’re comfortable
putting him in, I guess. We’ll figure it all out tomorrow, but he looks fine out
there.”
Based on Green’s extensive participation in practice Tuesday morning, it
appears he’s on track to re-join the club sooner rather than later. The
Capitals worked primarily on special teams, and Green skated with the top
units on both the power play and penalty kill.
Green has been among Washington’s most potent offensive threats on the
blue line, having scored 50 goals combined over his previous two seasons
before injuries limited him to eight goals this season. The Capitals also rely
heavily on Green on the power play, where over the past three seasons he
has scored 33 of his 58 total goals.
“For me it’s exciting,” said Green, who indicated there’s some extra
incentive in coming back against the team that knocked him out for the final
portion of the regular season. “It’s been frustrating sitting out this long, and
I’ve been ready for a while but just making sure I’m in game shape to play,
and finally the day is here. I was just excited to be out there with the boys. I
can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Said Capitals defenseman Jeff Schultz, who often is paired with Green,
about his teammate’s presumptive return against the Rangers: “I know that
Mike’s ready to play. No matter who we’re playing, I think he would have
been back in.”
564832
Washington Capitals
Capitals’ practice update
By Katie Carrera
The Capitals are using the same line combinations for the second
consecutive day at KCI and it’s likely these will be the groups Coach Bruce
Boudreau rolls out for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series
against the Rangers on Wednesday.
Those lines are:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble
Sturm-Arnott-Semin
Laich-Johansson-Chimera
Hendricks-Gordon-Bradley
King-Beagle-Fehr
— Nine defensemen are taking part in practice. The only player absent is
Dennis Wideman, who is out with a leg hematoma and is expected to miss
the first round.
— Boudreau is running a special teams practice with a few different powerplay looks but one of the units appears to still utilize the five-forward
strategy, with Brooks Laich on the point, that has worked well in recent
games.
One of the top two units had Alexander Semin, Marco Sturm and Jason
Arnott with Brooks Laich and Alex Ovechkin on the points. Arnott also
occasionally rotated in on the point with Ovechkin moving down.
The other had John Carlson and Mike Green patrolling the points with
Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble and Marcus Johansson.
564833
Washington Capitals
Capitals find a leading man with Jason Arnott in the fold
By Mike Wise
On the way home from Dulles International Airport after the Washington
Capitals’ last regular season game, Jason Arnott needed transportation
back to his apartment. He had no doubts regarding whom he would ask for
a ride.
Easy — the quiet one he was still getting to know.
“I rode with Sasha,” said Arnott, referring to Alexander Semin, the Caps’
mercurial young Russian star whose English curiously becomes worse the
harder he is probed for answers to his game and life. “We were just shootin’
the [breeze], talkin’ about the playoffs. I wanted to know what he saw in the
team. I wanted to know about his parents. Where he originated from, you
know, things that make me know him better. .?.?.
“He doesn’t talk a whole lot, but you keep asking and eventually he opens
up a little. He’s a very quiet, shy guy, someone guys gave up on a little bit
as far as getting to know him. But you have to keep talking to him every
day, get past the language barrier and find that common ground, even if it
doesn’t look like you have any.”
After his very first game in Washington on March 1, Arnott gave his new
team a bit of a dressing down — a brutally honest assessment of what he
saw as Washington’s weaknesses, from “watching them on TV, playing
against them and even that one game I played with them.”
Asked Tuesday about Arnott’s “talk,” Brooks Laich said: “I think it showed
us right away who he was and what he was about. When he said, ‘I’m going
to say some things that might sound tough, but I’m going to say them
anyway,’ we took notice. This wasn’t coming from just anybody, but a guy
who has won a Cup and wants to win another.”
In a mere 41 days, since General Manager George McPhee acquired the
36-year-old center from the New Jersey Devils at the NHL trading deadline,
Arnott has built bridges on and off the ice for the Capitals.
As they meet the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup
quarterfinals Wednesday night at Verizon Center, the Capitals still have
hard questions. Can Michal Neuvirth last an entire postseason in net? Will
Alex Ovechkin be the old Ovi? Can Coach Bruce Boudreau harness the
talent through at least two rounds of the playoffs and beyond? And, the
most important, do Ovi, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and a recovering Mike
Green have the mental and physical toughness to match their peerless
skill?
What they don’t have to worry about is leadership. That’s covered by a
second-line center who believes this team might be his last, best chance to
hoist the grail as he did 11 years ago with the Devils, scoring the Cupwinning goal in the second overtime against the Dallas Stars — the sort of
indelible moments he wants to share with his new teammates.
“Did Arnie tell you he was going out to lunch with Ovi?” Laich asked. “It’s
pretty amazing how he’s really tried to get to know the guys.”
In point of fact, prior to Wednesday’s Game 1, Arnott has a dinner
reservation with Green and Ovechkin, whom he has become close to in
less than two months (“He is very important to our team and good guy in
many ways,” Ovi said Tuesday afternoon).
The skeptical part of you wonders if a wily veteran trying to hang on would
try to ingratiate himself with the team’s biggest star for political reasons
alone. But that’s not Arnott, who is on his fifth team in 18 seasons and
remembers being the outsider on an Edmonton Oilers team that wasn’t sure
what to make of him. Nearly 20 years ago, Luke Richardson and Shayne
Corson showed a kid from Collingwood, Ontario, what team-building was all
about.
“Shayne made me feel a part of the team, inviting me over to his family’s
house for dinner, making me feel welcome and like I belonged,” Arnott said.
“Same with Luke. He was my roommate the whole time I was in Edmonton.
When older guys help you like that, make you feel like you can make it and
be a part of what they’re doing, you realize that’s part of the NHL, that you
have to do that for someone else one day.”
Of his opening-game salvo, Arnott said, “It was important to see whether
the guys reacted to it, take it to heart or brush it off. This group, I can tell,
took it to heart.
“I basically gave them a few pointers that were going to help us in the long
run. Like cutting down on the little mistakes. Making smart decisions at
certain times of games. Also, our defensive play, making sure we keep
certain things in our zone — keeping that third guy high. Chippin’ the puck
in instead of going for another goal one-on-whatever. When you’re up a
goal or two, keeping the puck deep instead of trying to go for another goal
or two.”
Basically, things that help teams win in the crucible of a tight playoff game
— all the things that can help the Great Eight realize his potential and
passion.
“With Ovi, I know he is the leader of this team and the team runs when he
goes,” Arnott said. “How he’s thinking, what he feels, is important. He
doesn’t always know how to talk to the team about how he feels because of
his English, but if I can draw that from him, it’s that much easier to
understand. .?.?.
“You don’t have many chances to win [the Stanley Cup]. When you have a
special team like this, you want to make sure you give yourself every
chance.”
The moment McPhee acquired him, the Capitals suddenly had a better one
— thanks to a 36-year-old consensus-builder who doesn’t have time to
waste if he wants to parade around the ice with the trophy held high.
564834
Washington Capitals
Neuvirth set to start Game 1 for Caps
By Stephen Whyno
There won’t be a coronation. Bruce Boudreau won’t make the
announcement with flashbulbs popping. But one thing is clear: Michal
Neuvirth is the Capitals No. 1 goalie going into the playoffs.
“I wanted the job all season long. I had some ups and downs, but I play [48]
games this year, so that’s a big year,” Neuvirth said Tuesday after practice
at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. “I had a lot of big games for us, and
it means a lot to me to be the No. 1 goalie for the first game of the playoffs.”
Neuvirth’s numbers are actually the worst of Washington’s three
netminders, but he did shoulder the biggest load and has been seen as “the
guy” for at least the past few weeks. So Boudreau hasn’t had the need to
talk to him and reassure him of anything.
“I don’t have to say anything to him; as a matter of fact, I try not to say
anything to him for fear that it’ll get him wound up or nervous or whatever,”
the Caps’ coach said. “He does what he does; he’s played really big in big
games for us, and we got a lot of belief in him.”
Neuvirth has brought up his playoff success at lower levels recently. He
won the Ontario Hockey League title with the Plymouth Whalers in 2006-07
and two Calder Cups with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears.
Whether that success translates to the NHL playoffs remains to be seen,
but Neuvirth believes it will.
“It was a great experience for me. I played two Calder Cup Finals — that
was a lot of pressure. The buildings were packed. I don’t think it’s gonna be
that much different than those playoffs,” he said. “Obviously, it’s the NHL,
but down in Hershey there was a lot of pressure on us because everybody
expected us to win. Same here — everybody expects us to win.”
And at least for now, they expect Neuvirth to do that winning.
Washington Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
564835
Washington Capitals
Neuvirth to start Game 1 for Capitals vs. Rangers
By JOSEPH WHITE
ARLINGTON, VA. (AP) - It's a goalie matchup that hardly seems like a fair
fight. The New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist started more games this
season (67) than the Washington Capitals' Michal Neuvirth has started in
his NHL career (64).
Lundqvist is also a veteran of 30 Stanley Cup playoff starts, while Neuvirth
will be making his NHL postseason debut.
Neuvirth confirmed Tuesday that he will be in net when the top-seeded
Capitals host the eighth-seeded Rangers on Wednesday night in Game 1 of
their first-round Eastern Conference series.
"It's a big challenge," said the 23-year-old Czech. "But I think I can handle
it."
Neuvirth beat out Semyon Varlamov for the job, hardly a surprise after a
regular season in which Neuvirth posted 27 wins to Varlamov's 11. This
was supposed to be the year of a great competition between the two young
goalies, but both were hurt so much that the starter was often chosen by
default. When both were hurt, Braden Holtby would get the call from the
minors and put up better stats that both of them.
But Neuvirth was solid down the stretch, winning five of his last six starts to
finish 27-12-4 with a 2.45 goals against average. Still, coach Bruce
Boudreau has had little patience with goalies in previous playoff series, and
he's already made it clear that he will again make a switch if his starter is
struggling.
With no NHL playoff experience to speak of, Neuvirth was left to tout his
back-to-back titles with the Hershey Bears, the Capitals' AHL affiliate.
"It was a lot of pressure. The buildings were packed," Neuvirth said. "I don't
think it's going to be that much different between the two playoffs.
Obviously, NHL is NHL. Down in Hershey there was a lot of pressure on us
because everybody expected us to win. Same as here, everyone expects
us to win, and I've got no problem with it."
Boudreau also thinks the Hershey experience should count for something.
"He hasn't been through this, but he's been through championship series
and everything else," the coach said. "He's ready. I don't have to say
anything to him. As a matter of fact, I've tried not to say anything to him for
fear that it would get him wound up or nervous or whatever. He's played
really big in big games for us and we've got a lot of belief in him."
Asked about Lundqvist, Neuvirth had an answer for those who might the
consider the goaltender matchup to be lopsided.
"He may be the best goalie in the league," Neuvirth said, "but I think our
shooters are better than theirs."
Washington Times LOADED: 04.13.2011
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Feaster: Iginla not getting traded
Staff Writer
Before the Calgary Flames head into an offseason that could bring
changes, acting general manager Jay Feaster made one thing clear — the
captain is going nowhere.
On Tuesday, Feaster stressed that Jarome Iginla will definitely return for a
15th straight season with the Flames.
"Jarome isn't going anywhere," Feaster said. "Jarome is the face of the
franchise in many ways. Jarome is a guy who at times this season has
carried this hockey club."
Feaster says building the Flames around a core group that includes Iginla is
the best way to have success moving forward.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Jarome wants to win a Stanley Cup and
he wants to win it here and we want to win a Stanley Cup and win it with
Jarome here," he said. "It's a nonstarter."
Feaster also said that a plan is in the works to re-sign unrestricted free
agents Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross.
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ESPN / Michal Neuvirth unfazed by playoff stage
By Scott Burnside
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau may have
the reputation of being Dr. Hook when it comes to playoff goaltending, but
don't expect that to a) continue, and b) have any effect on rookie netminder
Michal Neuvirth.
Boudreau was quick to yank veteran goaltender Jose Theodore during the
past two postseasons, but he spoke glowingly about Neuvirth, who will start
Game 1 of the Capitals' first-round playoff series against the New York
Rangers on Wednesday night.
"He hasn't been through this," Boudreau said Tuesday, gesturing at the
throngs of media gathered around him at the team's practice facility. "But
he's been through championship series and everything else. He's ready."
Neuvirth outplayed Semyon Varlamov, the youngster who took over for
Theodore last postseason and in 2009, and ended up third among all rookie
netminders with 27 wins. His success follows a remarkable run at the AHL
level, where he guided the Caps' minor league affiliate to eight straight
playoff series victories en route to back-to-back Calder Cup championships.
Michal Neuvirth
Michal Neuvirth had a 27-12-4 record and .914 GAA for the Capitals this
season.
"I don't have to say anything to him. As a matter of fact, I've tried not to say
anything to him for fear that it would get him wound up or nervous or
whatever," Boudreau said. "He does what he does. He's played really big in
big games for us and we've got a lot of belief in him."
During training camp, we talked with Neuvirth about his first taste of the
NHL, when he was invited to the Caps' post-draft workout in 2006 only to
show up without his goaltending gear. He agreed Tuesday it seems as
though that was a long time ago.
"I can't believe the NHL playoffs are coming up," Neuvirth told ESPN.com.
"It's another great chance, another great opportunity. Obviously, the NHL
playoffs are going to be a different story."
As for the revolving door around the Caps' goal the past couple of
postseasons, Neuvirth seemed nonplussed.
"Obviously I know what happened the last couple of years," he said. "I'm
just going to try and do my job, minute by minute, second by second."
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ESPN / 2011 NHL playoffs: Expect the unexpected
stunning 3-0 series lead. The Sharks with a 3-0 series lead over the
league's modern-day dynasty?
And so what awaits us this spring?
Could the Blackhawks go from backing into the playoffs on the final day of
the regular season to a repeat Cup performance?
By Pierre LeBrun
Could the Predators not only win their first playoff series but take home the
Cup?
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- On the eve of the NHL's second season, I am reminded
of what makes the playoffs so darn pulsating. Many of us enter the 2010-11
playoffs with clear thoughts in mind. We've identified trends, picked our
favorites and ruled out others. The evidence, backed by statistics, points to
plausible scenarios and storylines.
Could the Penguins railroad through the East without Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin?
And yet, year after year, especially over the past decade, the Stanley Cup
playoffs teach us one paramount lesson: Expect the unexpected.
Picture yourself a year ago on the eve of the postseason, the puck not yet
dropped, no matter what fan of what team, just how you felt about the way
the playoffs would play out. And imagine your surprise over the following
two months when these things happened:
The Presidents' Trophy winners in Washington, monumentally favored to
destroy the eighth-seeded Canadiens, carry a 3-1 series lead into Game 5.
Remember how you felt the morning of that fifth game and how sure you
were that Alex Ovechkin & Co. would close the deal that night. The Habs
had gotten their Game 1 win, but now the fun was over. Reality was settling
in. And then, bam, three straight wins for the underdog Canadiens. Do you
remember how you felt seconds after the buzzer sounded in Game 7? The
words "I can't believe it" likely left your lips.
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
NHL Playoffs As the final 16 teams fight to raise Lord Stanley's Cup, get
all of your scores and analysis for every matchup on ESPN.com. Complete
coverage »
Game 5 in Chicago, first round, and the Predators have a one-goal lead
heading into the final minute with Blackhawks star Marian Hossa in the
penalty box. All Nashville has to do is kill off the clock and head home with
a stunning 3-2 series lead and the favored Hawks on the ropes. Do you
remember thinking the Hawks were cooked? Then Preds winger Martin Erat
sends a blind pass into the slot in the offensive zone, creating a turnover.
And with 13.6 seconds to go, the Hawks' Patrick Kane scores short-handed
goal to force an overtime nobody believed possible just moments earlier.
The Hawks would win the game on Hossa's OT goal and never look back.
Game 3 in Denver, first round, and the eighth-seeded Avalanche get a gift
in overtime. Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle then scores in his own net to
give Colorado a stunning 2-1 series lead. Didn't you say to yourself after
that bizarre ending, "Here we go again with the Sharks?" Didn't you feel at
that very moment like San Jose was surely headed for more playoff
heartache? I mean, scoring in your own net in overtime, surely this team
was doomed yet again. Then something funny happened. The Sharks
displayed resiliency, Boyle himself scored the opening goal 74 seconds into
the next game and top-seed San Jose recovered to beat the Avs in the first
round. Were you surprised the Sharks could pick themselves off the floor
like that?
The Bruins take a 3-0 series lead in their second-round series with the
Flyers. It's certainly not hard to remember how we all felt at that very
moment. Over. Remember four games later when Boston scored early and
often to take a lead in Game 7? You figured, "OK, that was a great
comeback effort by the Flyers, but it's over now." Except the Flyers rallied
yet again to stun the hockey world with the NHL's first 3-0 series comeback
in 35 years.
Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins take
Game 5 in their second-round series with the upstart Habs, taking a 3-2
series lead. You remember how you felt after that game? Nice story, these
little Canadiens, but the dream is over now. Two games later in Pittsburgh,
you probably couldn't believe your eyes as Montreal lit up Marc-Andre
Fleury in the last game ever played at Mellon Arena. The No. 8-seeded
Canadiens had knocked off Ovechkin's Caps and Crosby's Pens.
The Sharks carry a 2-0 series lead into Joe Louis Arena in Round 2. I was
there that night for Game 3. The feeling in the press box before the game
was darn near universal. There was no way Detroit was going down 3-0.
Then, Patrick Marleau scored in overtime that night to give San Jose a
Could the Kings without Anze Kopitar stun the Sharks and win a few
rounds?
Could the Sabres beat out Vancouver in a Cup final featuring the twin 1970
expansion cousins?
Could Carey Price channel Patrick Roy and 1986 for the underdog Habs?
Could rookie Brad Marchand become this spring's multiple playoff hero as
the Bruins end a 39-year drought?
Who knows? Expect the unexpected.
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FOXSports.com / Stanley Cup playoffs: Western preview
Lyle Richardson
Here's what to look for when the National Hockey League's Western
Conference quarterfinals open with games on Wednesday and Thursday —
check our NHL Playoff Central for series schedules:
Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (8)
Strengths: The Canucks led the league in goals scored and fewest goals
against, possess tremendous depth at every position. The Blackhawks are
defending champions who eliminated the Canucks from the playoffs the last
two years.
Weaknesses: The Blackhawks cannot match the Canucks’ depth this year.
Vancouver is facing incredible pressure to succeed, plus Chicago's
previous postseason success over them hangs over this series.
Players to Watch: Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo must silence criticism
over his previous postseason failures against Chicago. Blackhawks captain
Jonathan Toews hopes to lead his team to a third straight playoff series
victory over Vancouver.
Who will win: Canucks in 6
San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Los Angeles Kings (7)
Strengths: Both clubs possess strong goaltending and defense. The Sharks
have considerably more scoring punch and the NHL's second-best power
play, while the Kings had the fourth-best penalty kill.
Weaknesses: Kings top scorers Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams are
currently sidelined by injuries. The Sharks struggled on the penalty kill and
remain dogged by the “playoff choker” label.
Players to Watch: Sharks captain Joe Thornton must overcome a reputation
for soft postseason play. Kings hopes for success could ultimately rest with
goaltender Jonathan Quick.
Who will win: Sharks in 5
Detroit Red Wings (3) vs. Phoenix Coyotes (6)
Strengths: The Red Wings possess considerable depth and playoff
experience. Phoenix has a strong starting goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov, a solid
team defense and desire to avenge last season's playoff elimination by
Detroit.
Weaknesses: Many of the Wings’ top players are aging and Henrik
Zetterberg could miss the first three games of the series. The Coyotes can't
match Detroit's firepower and have one of the league's worst power plays.
Players to Watch: Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk will be his club's
offensive linchpin, while the Coyotes will look to Bryzgalov to backstop them
to their first series victory since 1987.
Who will win: Coyotes in 7
Anaheim Ducks (4) vs. Nashville Predators (5)
Strengths: The Ducks possess a lethal scoring punch and the league's
third-best power play. The Predators have strong goaltending and defense,
particularly on the penalty kill, where they were fifth overall.
Weaknesses: The Ducks lack a quality starting goaltender and their penalty
kill is average at best, while the Predators were amongst the league's
lowest-scoring teams and lack a game-breaking scorer.
Players to Watch: Anaheim forward Corey Perry enters the playoffs coming
off a 50-goal performance. Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne emerged as one of
the league's top netminders.
Who will win: Ducks in 5
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FOXSports.com / Stanley Cup playoffs: Eastern preview
Lyle Richardson
Here's what to look for when the National Hockey League's Eastern
Conference quarterfinals open with games on Wednesday and Thursday —
check our NHL Playoff Central for series schedules:
Washington Capitals (1) vs. New York Rangers (8)
Strengths: Both teams significantly improved their defensive play
throughout the season. The Capitals have a better penalty kill and more
goaltending depth. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist is one of the league's
best.
Weaknesses: Injuries have taken a toll (Capitals: D Mike Green, D Dennis
Wideman . . . Rangers: RW Ryan Callahan, G Martin Biron) on both clubs.
The Rangers now lack an experienced backup in net, while Capitals are
dogged by recent postseason failures.
Players to Watch: Washington's Alexander Ovechkin and New York's
Marian Gaborik both had sub-par offensive performances this season but
are still capable of breaking a series open.
Who will win: Capitals in six.
Philadelphia Flyers (2) vs. Buffalo Sabres (7)
Strengths: The defending conference champion Flyers have considerable
depth and experience at forward and defense. The Sabres enter the
playoffs peaking at the right time and were ninth overall on the power play.
Weaknesses: Philadelphia struggled down the stretch, plus questions linger
yet again over goaltending. The Sabres could find it difficult over the course
of a seven-game series to match the Flyers' depth.
Players to Watch: Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller has returned from injury in time
for the playoffs, while Flyers rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky makes his NHL
playoff debut.
Who will win: Sabres in six.
Boston Bruins (3) vs. Montreal Canadiens (6)
Strengths: Both teams possess superb goaltending. The Bruins have a
distinct edge in big, physical players and scoring depth, but the Canadiens
counter with superior special teams.
Weaknesses: The Bruins struggled at times against the Canadiens' speed
and lost the regular-season series, but Montreal's smaller forwards and
pop-gun offense could be worn down over a seven-game series.
Players to Watch: This series could become a duel between Boston's Tim
Thomas and Montreal's Carey Price, two of the league's top goaltenders.
Who will win: Bruins in seven.
Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (5)
Strengths: The Lightning possess a strong offensive attack, including the
sixth-best power play in the league. Meanwhile. the Penguins have a sound
defensive system, including the NHL's best penalty kill.
Weaknesses: Tampa Bay lacks defensive grit, plus its offensive production
drops off beyond the first line. Injuries will keep Penguins superstars Sidney
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out of this series.
Players to Watch: Lightning superstar Stephen Stamkos makes his NHL
playoff debut. Penguins playoff hopes ultimately rest upon goalie MarcAndre Fleury.
Who will win: Penguins in six.
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NBCSports.com / Cup cold spell likely to come to an end
By Bob Duff
A year later, as his team readies to defend its title, Chicago Blackhawks
coach Joel Quenneville can still get a warm and fuzzy feeling when he lets
his mind reminisce about the day they turned the Windy City back into the
Stanley Cup-winning city.
The previous Cup triumph for the Blackhawks came in 1961, when
Quenneville was 2-years-old.
“The reception and the enthusiasm in the town of Chicago was
unbelievable. It was an amazing celebration,” said Quenneville, referring to
the crowd of two million that honored their new champions in a parade last
June.
“Forty-nine years is a long time. Forty-nine years is an eternity.”
If that's the case, then what does 96 years factor out to be?
That's how long they've been waiting for a Stanley Cup parade in
Vancouver.
The 1914-15 Vancouver Millionaires were a legendary club, with seven
future Hall of Famers in their lineup, including playing coach Frank Patrick,
along with brother Lester the patriarchs of modern hockey, and the dynamic
Fred (Cyclone) Taylor, the Wayne Gretzky of his era.
Champions of the Pacific Coast League, the Millionaires lived up to their
billing, sweeping the National Hockey Association champion Ottawa
Senators in the best-of-five Stanley Cup finals.
Two years later, the National Hockey League was born.
So why the history lesson? Because history could soon be made in
Vancouver. This spring, it wouldn't be surprising to see a Stanley Cup
parade roll through Stanley Park.
Lately, it's been an era of drought-stopping in the sports world. The cursed
Bambino no longer an albatross around their necks, the Boston Red Sox
have won two World Series since 2004. For crying out loud, the sad-sack
New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl.
Perhaps then, it is Vancouver's time to shine on the ice. And if they do win,
the Canucks could put a halt to a pair of droughts. A Canadian-based NHL
club hasn't won the Cup since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens.
“We think about it every day,” admitted captain Henrik Sedin, a Canuck for
the past decade. “To see other players and talk to other players going
through the journey and winning it, I mean, it's an unbelievable feeling the
way they speak about it.
“To win here in Canada. in a market like this, that's something you dream
about in the summer time when you spend your hours in the gym and
everything. Being here for a long time, you realize how important this is for
people and for the fans.
“It's a tough trophy to win, but it would be unbelievable.”
If it turns out not to be the Canucks' turn, then there are plenty of other
contenders — and they're all among the favorites — looking to bring a halt
to Stanley Cup cold spells.
Let's take a look at all of them ...
Vancouver Canucks
Last Stanley Cup: Have never won it
Close calls: Lost in 1994 and 1982 Cup finals.
They say the road to the Stanley Cup is paved with heartbreak and that's
certainly been the case for the Canucks. They haven't reached the
conference finals since 1994 and the last two springs, have been secondround victims of the Blackhawks — the team they open up against this time
around — but feel they have learned the necessary lessons to take the final
step.
“The experience of losing two years in a row to the same team was one that
was very difficult for a lot of people to accept,” Canucks general manager
Mike Gillis said. “However, we did it with a team that we don't think is as
competitive as the team we have this year.
“We felt that Chicago had the best team top to bottom last year in the
National Hockey League, and so we went about trying to bolster our core
group of players, surround them with players that were like minded, that
were desperate to win and desperate to play on a good team.
“We've learned from the experience of last year that if we stick to our game
and play the way we want to play, we have the ability to beat most teams in
this league on any given night. I think our team right now is a very different
team in terms of mindset that's come about through those two losses to
Chicago, and hopefully we can translate it into success this year.”
Why they'll win: Last year, captain Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy
as NHL scoring champion and the Hart Trophy as MVP. This season, twin
brother Daniel Sedin was scoring champ and is a top contender for the
Hart. Vancouver, which finished with the best record in the league, has
plenty of secondary scoring behind them, led by 40-goal scorer Ryan
Kesler, and is outfitted with a deep defense.
“I think we feel more confident this year,” Gillis said. “Last year, we took a
very hard look at the end of the playoffs organizationally about where we
were, and we analyzed every element of this team from training staff,
medical staff, coaching staff, players, how we handled things as managers.
It was a difficult time frame to go through, and at the end of the day we
made some adjustments, but we still believed in this core group of players.”
Why they won't: All eyes will be fixated on Canucks netminder Roberto
Luongo as the playoffs get underway. A regular-season sensation — he
was Hart Trophy runner-up in 2006-07 — and an international hockey
legend with gold medal performances at the world championships and the
2010 Winter Olympics, Luongo has yet to deliver that level of puckstopping
in postseason play, where he's never advanced past the second round.
“He puts more pressure on himself than anybody else, and the pressure
that he puts on himself is to be the best that he can possibly be,” Gillis said
of his netminder. “Every playoff is very important for Roberto, because he
has a tremendous amount of pride, and he desperately wants to win.”
Gillis recognizes that Luongo's legacy as a netminding legend won't be
complete without an etching on Lord Stanley's mug. “When you're in a
position to win, if you want to be considered one of the greatest goalies in
the history of hockey, you need to step up and have your 'A' game,” Gillis
said. “I think last year in the Olympics under intense pressure, Roberto
stepped up and showed that 'A' game, and we're hopeful that he'll have it
again this spring.”
Philadelphia Flyers
Last Stanley Cup: 1975
Close calls: Six losses in the Cup finals since, including last spring's sixgame setback against Chicago.
Bernie Parent. Bobby Clarke. Bill Barber. Ed Van Impe. Rick MacLeish.
Dave Schultz. Bob Kelly. Reggie Leach. Don Saleski. Names that are as
much a part of the landscape of Philadelphia history as the Liberty Bell and
Ben Franklin.
They were the Broad Street Bullies, who terrorized the NHL en route to
consecutive titles in 1974 and 1975, the only Cups ever won by the Flyers.
“I don't think there's any question about what that group means to the city in
terms of the two Stanley Cups,” said Paul Holmgren, a Flyers forward from
1976-84 and currently the team's GM. “A lot of those guys still live in the
area, guys like Clarke, Dave Schultz, Don Saleski, Orest Kindrachuk, both
of the Watson brothers (Joe and Jim) live here, Ricky MacLeish is around
here. Bob Kelly works for the team, Gary Dornhoefer is still around, Bernie
is around. So quite a few of those guys that were part of those
championships are still here and they're revered as athletes in the city.”
As legendary as that legion of Flyers are within the city, Holmgren believes
his team could soon stand beside them forever. “If the Flyers were able to
win the Stanley Cup again, I think we'd have another group that would be
revered in the city,” Holmgren said. “Philadelphia is a passionate town. The
one thing they do expect is hard work and sacrifice, and if you win a Stanley
Cup, obviously that takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice, so that's what
we're trying to do.”
Why they'll win: The Flyers have grown together as a team, and many of
their young players made huge strides last season, reaching the Stanley
Cup finals after squeaking into the playoffs on the last day of the season
and rallying from a 3-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference semifinals
against Boston. No team in the league is deeper up front and on the back
end than the Philadelphia.
“Guys know what to expect a little bit more,” Flyers forward Claude Giroux
said. “With the experience that we had last year, our guys are going to
know what to expect.”
Why they won't: The ongoing hand issue with All-Star defenseman Chris
Pronger is of great concern. He's a horse on the back end who plays all
night, takes no prisoners and has helped carry three different teams
(Edmonton, Anaheim, Philadelphia) to the finals since 2006. Without a
healthy, capable Pronger, the Flyers go nowhere in the playoffs.
Behind him, there's the annual issue of Philadelphia's goaltending. Rookie
Sergei Bobrovsky and veteran Brian Boucher have carried the load this
season after back surgery sidelined 2010 playoff hero Michael Leighton.
But Leighton was recalled from the minors on the eve of the playoffs,
leading to speculation that he might again be the go-to guy come spring.
Washington Capitals
Last Stanley Cup: Have never won it.
Close calls: Lost in 1998 Cup finals
From the moment last season ended in disappointment with a first-round
upset loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals captain
Alexander Ovechkin threw down the gauntlet in front of himself and his
teammates.
“Next year's going to be a different year,” Ovechkin said.
After a Presidents' Trophy win in 2009-10, many thought that would be the
year that the Capitals made their playoff move, but it didn't happen when
the Habs shunted them aside in seven games. Will Washington be the
latest team to learn what it takes from the pain of a shocking setback?
“You're always trying to put a positive spin on something that happens
negatively,” Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. “The experience of going
through what we've done is probably the best teacher to everybody we've
got on the team.”
Phil Esposito was the game's most prolific goal scorer, shredding the record
book in the 1970s in similar fashion to to way Gretzky assaulted it in the
1980s. Bobby Orr's knees were still relatively intact. And the Bruins were
the scourge of the NHL.
They've had numerous chances to return to the promised land since then
— the Don Cherry lunch bucket Bruins of the late 1970s and the Ray
Bourque-led Boston squads of the late 1980s both had multiple close calls
— but the Bruins have never got over the hump again.
Why they'll win: The most unorthodox puckstopper in the NHL now that
Dominik Hasek plies his trade in the KHL, Tim Thomas is also headed for
his second Vezina Trophy. Rebounding from the hip injury that slowed him
last season, the Boston netminder led the NHL in save percentage with a
record .938 and in goals-against average (2.00).
“Thomas has been the regular Thomas that we know,” Boston coach
Claude Julien said. “Last year was an off-year for him. I don't think we want
to necessarily look at it other than that he had an off-year last year.
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“This year, he's more like he was the year before. He's a battler, he's a
competitor, he never quits on pucks. He tracks them well. He's got his own
style, but at the end of the night, he's a guy who makes the saves, and the
big saves, and gives us an opportunity to win.”
Why they won't: While the Bruins suit up two key elements for Stanley Cup
success — a world-class goaltender in Thomas and a Norris Trophy-caliber
defenseman in Zdeno Chara — what they desperately lack is a No. 1
center. The loss of Marc Savard to post-concussion syndrome again this
season hurt the Bruins dearly regarding their hopes for a Stanley Cup.
Overall, the Bruins simply may not have enough offense to get the job
done. Left winger Milan Lucic was their only 30-goal scorer, and just three
other players got past 20 goals. No Bruin was able to average a point per
game, something every Stanley Cup champion has done since the 2005
NHL lockout opened up the game.
San Jose Sharks
Last Stanley Cup: Have never won it.
Why they'll win: Call it the hockey version of the perfect storm. On the
surface, there seems little to indicate that this will be the spring that the
Capitals finally take the next step in the playoffs. Defenseman Mike Green
is struggling with concussion issues, and hasn't played since Feb. 25.
Superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin barely cleared the 30-goal barrier,
some 20-30 goals off his regular pace.
Close calls: Reached Western Conference finals last year.
Yet look around and who do you see in the East that's better than
Washington? Philadelphia has goaltending issues and its own injury
concern along the blueline in Chris Pronger. Pittsburgh is minus its two
superstars, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Meanwhile, Green is skating
symptom-free and appears close to returning.
Video
Maybe, just maybe, things are falling in the Capitals' favor.
March 15: Ask the Expert: Mike Milbury says following previous playoff
disappointment, the Sharks are better prepared to make a run at the
Stanley Cup this time around.
“I hope so,” Boudreau said. “We'll soon find out.”
Why they won't: Who's in goal? On the surface, it's impressive for the future
that Washington had three netminders 22 or younger — Michal Neuvirth,
Semyon Varlamov and Braden Holtby — win at least 10 games this season,
an NHL first. But the future is now for this team and one of the kids has to
step up and carry the playoff load.
Varlamov has the most playoff experience, but Neuvirth has played the
most this season. This could be a rotating question mark even as the
playoffs continue.
“They're both really competitive guys having a friendly competition of who
wants to be number one,” Boudreau said.
But one of them needs to emerge and win that battle for the Capitals to
capitalize on the Stanley Cup hopes.
Boston Bruins
Last Stanley Cup: 1972
Close calls: Five losses in the Cup finals, most recently in 1990
Why they'll win: For years the team that's been billed as the NHL's next
great thing, the Sharks have perennially failed to deliver on that promise.
This season, a slow start enabled the Sharks to fly under the radar and out
of the cross hairs of their many critics. Since the new year, they've been
among the NHL's elite teams again, winning the Pacific Division.
San Jose Sharks v Chicago Blackhawks
Milbury: Cup on way to San Jose?
“With all the skill they have on this team, you try to fit in and get them the
puck,” said center Kyle Wellwood, who joined the Sharks in January. “This
team plays quick and plays with good defense. Eventually, this team’s
going to win with its skill.” The Sharks are a big, imposing team up front and
are getting outstanding goaltending from Antti Niemi, last spring's Cup
winner with Chicago.
Why they won't: The same guys who've failed the Sharks in the past,
players such as Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, remain the key core
players for this team. On the back end, they aren't nearly as deep as in past
seasons. Last season, they finally moved past the second round of the
playoffs with a decisive win against Detroit, but couldn't find an answer for
the Blackhawks, getting swept aside in the conference finals. There's still
work to be done in the character department, but Sharks coach Todd
McLellan believes the mid-season additions of Wellwood and rugged
forward Ben Eager addressed his club's needs for backbone and
experience.
“It was important that they had NHL resumes,” McLellan said. “At the time
when we brought them in, we had a number of real young players up from
the American (Hockey) League. Not that they couldn’t play, but it kept
everyone else honest when Kyle and Ben Eager showed up.”
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Pressure’s on Canucks
"Our first opponent is the defending Stanley Cup champions," Canucks
head coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday, as a big smile crossed his lips.
"We worked all year long to finish first, and we're getting the Cup champion.
It doesn't get much better than that."
Mark Spector
Someday, of course, he's hoping another coach is faux-lamenting the same
fact; that the mighty Canucks are coming to town, with all the intangibles
that are inherent in winning Big Stanley.
VANCOUVER - Guys like Mikael Samuelsson, who've won a Stanley Cup
elsewhere, can talk a patient game.
"This franchise has been knocking on the door for a couple years," the
Vancouver winger said on Tuesday, the day before his Canucks set sail on
The Great Voyage. "(We're a) good team. Let's keep knocking. Sooner or
later they've got to let you in."
Here in (Soon To Be) Title Town, British Columbia, there aren't a lot of
people flying "sooner or later" flags from the rear windows of their hybrids.
It's been 40 years of "sooner or later" out here.
"They've proven they can play on the big stage, and play through the
adversity, the challenges, the pressure that comes with winning four rounds
to get your hands on the big prize," Vigneault said of the Blackhawks. "We
think we can do it. We're going to set out starting (Wednesday) and try and
prove it."
We asked Samuelsson if back-to-back second-round exits have made
Vancouver hungrier than everyone else.
His response? "Everybody wants to win the Stanley Cup."
Perhaps; but "everybody" doesn't have 40 years of mostly futility hanging
around.
Now they've got the best team in hockey, and the time has come to start
using that three letter word.
Here in Vancouver, everybody really wants that Cup. And you probably
don't want to be one of the guys who fails to deliver.
"If we put our A game on the ice, we're going to win most games," reasoned
Henrik Sedin. "(There might be) the off game here or there where we're not
going to have the bounces, or they're going to be great on the power play.
But over a seven game series, we like our chances."
Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 04.13.2011
Henrik is well aware of the destination this spring.
They've hung around base camp long enough, these Canucks. This time,
it's summit or bust.
"You're not going to be seen as a great player until you've won something.
This franchise has never done that," Henrik admitted. "That's the big
difference in playing here, than maybe in Detroit, or Chicago…"
"From Day 1, no one is doubting them. (Here), we have to prove we can
win. We know that, and we are past the point where we're tired of it. We
know that's the way it is, and we can only do one thing to change that. That
is to win."
The Sedin brothers are, in fact, the perfect metaphor for the entire Canucks
franchise.
They were expected to carry the load well before they were truly ready. Just
as this Canucks team - as with any Canadian market - was treated as
championship material long before it truly was.
"It's not a burden," Henrik said of the expectations, taking the question into
the context of him and Daniel. "It was a burden, maybe, our first couple
years. We had tough series' against Dallas and Anaheim (in '07), and all the
talk was starting at that time. But we have to remember that in our first
couple of years we played 10 or 11 minutes."
And that's where the confidence comes from this spring.
Like the Sedins in '07, the Canucks weren't necessarily ready to get past
Chicago these past two springs. Let alone win four rounds.
Now, they are.
"We feel good about our team, that we're a pretty solid team when we play
the right way," said Alex Burrows. "We haven't found the top of the
mountain this year for no reason. We got there, we worked hard. I don't see
how that will change."
Well, if you squint real hard - or if you've watched playoff hockey for any
length of time - you could perhaps come up with a few plausible scenarios
under which a President's Trophy-winning season doesn't constitute an
open highway right into the Stanley Cup Final.
They probably couldn't see a first round exit in Washington last season, or
in San Jose the year before; or Detroit, in '06.
Yet, three of the last five President's Trophy winners lost in Round 1. Only
one of the last seven winners - the Cup-winning Red Wings in '08 - have
even made it to the Stanley Cup final.
So that trophy the Canucks worked so hard for - and $2.15 plus HST - will
get you a grande coffee at Starbucks out here. Nothing more, nothing less.
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TSN.CA / Nugent-Hopkins tops TSN's Top 10 draft rankings
Bob McKenzie
There's a new name atop the leaderboard in TSN's Top 10 rankings, draft
lottery edition.
Red Deer Rebel centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has knocked Swedish
defenceman Adam Larsson from the top spot.
TSN surveyed 10 NHL scouts last week to get an up-to-date consensus on
where things currently stand for the prospects vying to be No. 1 overall in
the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Nugent-Hopkins received six of 10 first-place votes, with a pair of Swedes,
Larsson and Kitchener Ranger captain Gabriel Landeskog, getting two
apiece.
Larsson, who received five first-place votes to be No. 1 on TSN's MidSeason Top 30 rankings in early January, is now No. 2 on the Draft Lottery
edition of the rankings, just ahead of the No. 3 man, Landeskog.
At this point, they appear to be the only three prospects getting serious
consideration to be the first overall selection in the draft.
Saint John Sea Dog centre Jonathan Huberdeau is No. 4, with a bullet,
having moved up from No. 9 on our mid-season list. There's a lot of buzz
about Huberdeau's dynamic offensive play and the longer his team plays,
the more buzz there will be.
Drummondville centre Sean Couturier, who went from being tied for No. 1
(with Larsson) in September to No. 4 on the January list, has now slipped
ever so slightly from No. 4 to No. 5.
While there has been much talk about Couturier's fall from grace, the scouts
we talked to suggest reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
While it's true he doesn't appear to be the mix to legitimately challenge for
first overall, two of the 10 scouts we surveyed still had him in their top three,
seven of 10 have him solidly in the top 5, including four scouts who still
ranked him ahead of Huberdeau.
Niagara Ice Dog offensive centre Ryan Strome remains at No. 6 and is
considered a threat to be a Top 5 selection in June.
Strome's Ice Dog teammate, defenceman Dougie Hamilton, is No. 7, down
two spots from our January list. Hamilton is the seventh and final prospect
who was on every scouts' Top 10 ballot.
Kitchener Ranger offensive defenceman Ryan Murphy is No. 8 this around,
down just one slot from the TSN mid-season evaluation.
Saskatoon Blade defenceman Duncan Siemens jumped from No. 11 to No.
9 on this list.
The 10th spot goes to Swedish centre Mika Zibanejad, who was No. 19 in
January.
Siemens and Zibanejad's inclusion in the top 10 came at the expense of
Saginaw winger Brandon Saad and U.S. Under-18 power forward Tyler
Biggs, who were eighth and 10, respectively, in January.
Both Saad and Biggs received some Top 10 consideration this time around
but not enough to keep Siemens and Zibanejad from moving up.
TSN's final rankings for the 2011 NHL entry draft will be released in the
week leading up to the June 24th draft in St. Paul, Minn.
TSN.CA LOADED: 04.13.2011
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USA TODAY / First-round NHL series offer plenty of intrigue
He said his team must be smart, intense and competitive.
"We know they're going to be excited to knock us off after what happened
the last two years," Quenneville said.
USA TODAY LOADED: 04.13.2011
By Mike Brehm, USA TODAY
The Vancouver Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs the past two
seasons by the Chicago Blackhawks and face them again, this time in the
first round.
Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green will return to action
Wednesday night against the New York Rangers for the first time since
Rangers rookie Derek Stepan's check on Feb. 25 left him with a
concussion.
Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby remains out of action since
suffering a concussion in a Jan. 5 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning,
his team's first-round opponent.
And the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins season series seemed to spill
over with emotion in every game.
WESTERN FEEL: All three California teams in playoffs
CAPSULES: Eastern Conference
CAPSULES: Western Conference
But when the puck drops Wednesday night on the NHL postseason, a key
to success is forgetting that and focusing on hockey.
"Any marks you have to collect, you don't start collecting them in the
playoffs," said CBC analyst Don Cherry, a former NHL coach.
Cherry knows something about rivalries, having coached the Bruins during
their big series against the Canadiens in the 1970s. But he says discipline
is key in any series.
"You can't go running around," he said. "As long as the game is close, you
have to play it smart. No retaliatory dumb penalties or things like that."
The longtime Bruins-Canadiens rivalry ratcheted up several notches this
season.
The Canadiens won the series 4-2, but the Bruins prevailed in a fight-filled
8-6 game on Feb. 9.
In the next game, on March 8, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara checked the
Canadiens' Max Pacioretty into the end of a glass partition near the bench,
leaving him with a broken neck vertebra and a concussion. The Canadiens
were incensed that the NHL didn't suspend Chara.
A March 24 rematch was relatively calm, except for the score: The Bruins
romped 7-0.
Cherry pointed out there could be shenanigans if there's a similar rout, but
he said that smart veterans such as Boston's Mark Recchi and Montreal's
Michael Cammalleri will remind teammates to remain calm.
Versus/NBC analyst Pierre Maguire, also a former coach, says other factors
could keep emotions from boiling.
"If the Canadiens try to make it a street fight, they're going down fast," he
said. "They have no artillery to play that kind of game."
The bigger Bruins will have to be equally disciplined.
"If Boston takes penalties, Montreal's power play is unbelievably effective
against them," Maguire said. "So that will guard against some of the
potential nastiness you could see. But if the Bruins want to get physical and
play physical in a smart way, they have a chance to do some good things in
the first round."
Rivalries are often built in the playoffs — think of the Detroit Red Wings and
Colorado Avalanche in the 1990s — and the Canucks and Blackhawks are
starting to develop one now.
"The history of having a playoff series against a familiar foe creates a whole
different level of intensity," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Let's
make sure we respect that part of it, but at the same time, let's respect
what's at stake."
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Wall Street Journal / The Blueprint for Stopping Ovechkin
By STUART WEINBERG
In the world of professional hockey, Washington Capitals forward Alex
Ovechkin has been called the closest thing to perfect. The 6-foot-2, 235
pound Russian's combination of speed, power and outrageous offensive
skills makes him a wrecking ball on skates.
But in last season's playoffs, the Montreal Canadiens did something in 120
minutes that was deemed inconceivable: They stopped the unstoppable.
Montreal, an eight seed, held Ovechkin to one assist in the final two games
of its first-round playoff series. Doing so helped the Canadiens pull off an
upset of the league's best team and perhaps provided a blueprint for how to
defend hockey's most fearsome player.
The aftershocks from that upset have seemingly carried into Ovechkin's
current season. At a time when he should just be entering into his prime,
Washington's 25-year-old captain has seen a steep dropoff in his
production. His 32 goals and 85 points were both career lows. In one
particularly rough stretch, he scored just twice in 19 games.
While his scoring numbers still rank among the best in hockey, Ovechkin's
standards are different. In his first five seasons, he has scored 50 goals or
more four times, including 65 in the 2007-08 season.
"Teams are more ready for him," said Craig Button, hockey analyst with the
NHL Network and former general manager of the Calgary Flames. "They
know what he does well and what to do to take it away."
The strategy is simple enough: Keep Ovechkin from gathering speed in the
first place, which is precisely what the Canadiens did in last year's playoffs.
In hockey parlance, the tactic is known as gapping-up, or stepping up to
challenge the puck carrier near the neutral-zone redline instead of the
defending team's blue line.
Teams also instruct their forwards to apply intense back pressure on
Ovechkin, challenging him simultaneously from the front and back
whenever he touches the puck. This makes it difficult for him to gain
momentum and cut to the middle of the ice, where he can use his speed to
blow by defensemen. "You want to make sure you've got him angled to the
boards at all times," said John Torchetti, assistant coach of the Atlanta
Thrashers. "You don't want to give him the middle of the ice."
Besides the defensive tactics employed to slow Ovechkin, a shift in strategy
by the Capitals could help explain his scoring decline. The playoff loss to
the Canadiens caused Washington to rethink its high-octane attack, which
has been successful during the regular season but hasn't translated into
playoff success. The Capitals have only won one playoff series with
Ovechkin.
"We gave up too many goals last year," said Capitals winger Brooks Laich.
This season, the team has emphasized defense, taking fewer chances,
blocking more shots and being more responsible in their own end. As a
result, the Capitals yielded just 191 goals this season, fourth fewest in the
league and well below the 227 allowed last season. However, the team only
scored 219 goals compared to last season's league-leading 313.
Ovechkin has bought into the change. In a January game in Toronto that
may have marked a turning point in his season, he dove head first to block
a shot late in the game with his team under siege. The attempt may have
been feeble, but it was the act that mattered, as it sent a message that he
was prepared to do whatever it takes to win.
Yet as the Capitals begin their playoff conquest Wednesday versus the
eighth-seeded New York Rangers, opposing defenses will surely devote
much of their attention to stopping No. 8. Last year, the Canadiens used 6foot-7, 250-pound Hal Gill, a savvy veteran who could challenge Ovechkin
physically. Not only do such behemoths like Gill match him in size, they eat
up space on the ice leaving him less room to maneuver, Torchetti said.
The Rangers need to be careful, though, as there's evidence Ovechkin is
learning how to counter such swarming defensive tactics.
Recently, Ovechkin appears to be sharing the puck more with teammates,
both at even strength and on the power play, where the Capitals have
struggled this season. "If two guys are going to go to him, it usually means
somebody else is open," Laich said. "Everybody talks about his shooting,
but he's also a great passer."
By distributing the puck more, Ovechkin becomes less predictable, forcing
defenders to pull back and give him more space. In his final 16 games, he
was able to tally 22 points, including 14 assists.
Ovechkin is confident the team is better prepared for the upcoming playoffs.
"We [have] more experience," he said before a game last week in Toronto.
Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said his team hasn't devised a master plan
to jumpstart Ovechkin. "I mean we will not dissect frame by frame where
Alex has to go," he said. "We say, 'Alex, the guy is putting back pressure on
you. They're not allowing you the middle of the ice. You've got to find
something different to do."
Boudreau also isn't worried about his team's captain. "He's still the same
beast," he said. "He still hits. He still shoots."
Wall Street Journal LOADED: 04.13.2011
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YAHOO SPORTS / Playoff Power Rankings: Vancouver’s No. 1
By Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Sixteen teams. One Stanley Cup.
I want to be bold. I want to predict the unpredictable. As I compile playoff
power rankings – listing the teams in order of their odds to persevere
through four punishing rounds – I want to identify the underdog who will
shock us all.
But I can’t. The Vancouver Canucks are too good. They’re so good that
they can shake off 40 years of frustration, recent playoff disappointments
and the supposed curse of winning the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s
best regular-season team. They’re so good that, even in a relentlessly
competitive league, at a time when anything can happen, anyone can win,
they can be the surprise team by actually living up to the hype.
The Canucks deserve to be the prohibitive favorites. They were 10 points
better than anyone else in the regular season, which is even more
impressive when you consider that 10 points separated the next 12 teams.
They scored the most goals and allowed the fewest. They ranked first on
the power play, third on the penalty kill. They’re talented, deep, hungry and
businesslike.
“We’re not here to win scoring titles,” said Daniel Sedin(notes), who won the
Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer one year after his twin
brother, Henrik. “We’re here to go a long way.”
And so we begin with the …
1. Vancouver Canucks: To go a long way the Canucks must answer three
main questions: Can they overcome the loss of Manny Malhotra(notes),
who added defense, faceoff prowess and leadership before suffering an
eye injury? Can goaltender Roberto Luongo(notes) win when it matters
most? And can they beat their nemesis, the Chicago Blackhawks?
4. Boston Bruins: The Bruins have much to prove themselves a year after
the biggest choke in NHL history, blowing a 3-0 lead in their second-round
series with the Philadelphia Flyers, including a 3-0 lead in Game 7. There
were mitigating factors, yes, like an injury to David Krejci(notes). But
excuses? No.
There should be plenty of motivation for a tough, veteran group that plays a
tight defensive system in front of goaltender Tim Thomas(notes), who had
surgery to repair a hip problem, regained his Vezina Trophy form and set an
NHL record for save percentage at .938. He turns 37 on Friday. Despite his
age, he’s capable of stealing a series or four.
5. Philadelphia Flyers: At their best, which they were earlier this season, the
Flyers have four lines that can score and a deep defense corps. They have
inexperience in goal with rookie Sergei Bobrovsky(notes), but they have
gone deep in the playoffs with goaltending concerns in the past.
At their worst, which they were down the stretch, the Flyers seem less than
the sum of their parts. Plus, one of their lynchpins, defenseman Chris
Pronger(notes), is questionable for the start of the first round because of an
injury. The Flyers haven’t inspired a lot of confidence lately, making them
candidates to be upset in the first round by the streaking Buffalo Sabres.
But they remain confident they can flip the switch in the playoffs. Which
sounds a little like the …
6. Detroit Red Wings: Just like the Flyers, the Wings are deep and
experienced, looked strong for a while, finished flat and believe they can
turn it on now. They need goaltender Jimmy Howard(notes) to be better in
his second playoff run and Henrik Zetterberg(notes) to return from a knee
injury. When they won the Cup in 2008, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the playoffs’ most valuable player. He’s out for at least the opener.
Just like the Flyers, the Wings are candidates to be upset in the first round.
They face the Phoenix Coyotes, who pushed them to seven games in the
playoffs last year. The Wings were loose defensively this season, ranking
23rd in goals against (2.89). But remember: The Wings were 20th in goals
against (2.93) in 2008-09, when they went to Game 7 of the Cup final.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning: Steven Stamkos(notes). Martin St. Louis(notes).
Vincent Lecavalier(notes). Simon Gagne(notes). The Bolts have scorers,
and not just the big four. They have 10 men who scored at least 10 goals
this season.
They should overcome the loss of Malhotra the way they have overcome
injuries all season. Luongo seems more relaxed with such a solid team in
front of him, though we’ll see how he – and hysterical Canucks fans – react
the first time he allows an iffy goal. As for the ’Hawks, after losing to them in
the second round the past two years, beating them in the first round could
give the Canucks confidence that this, finally, is their year.
Stamkos has gone cold, though, scoring only two of his 45 goals in his last
13 games before his NHL playoff debut. The question is whether the Bolts’
firepower and the goaltending of 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson(notes) can
overcome a leaky defense. The Bolts finished 21st in the league in goals
against (2.85), though that statistic was skewed by some blowout losses.
Yes, with the Lightning, when it rains, it pours.
2. San Jose Sharks: When will it be the Sharks’ year? How many times
have we held up this team as a top contender, only for them to let us down
in the playoffs? They made the Western Conference final last year, only to
be swept by the Blackhawks. Then they started this season so poorly that
they became almost an afterthought.
Roloson led the underdog Edmonton Oilers to the 2006 Cup final. If the
Bolts are going to go deep, he must be brilliant again.
“All the talk has been about, ‘What are you guys going to do in the playoffs?
What are you guys going to do in the playoffs?’ And this year, not so much,”
defenseman Dan Boyle(notes) said in December. “That might not be a bad
thing.”
Quietly, the Sharks shot up the standings in the second half. Suddenly, the
storyline is that the Sharks still have the talent to win the Cup, that all the
adversity prepared them for the playoffs. Which sounds a little like the …
Alex Ovechkin knows he needs to lead Washington deep into the
postseason to be considered truly great.
3. Washington Capitals: The Capitals committed to changing their style this
season, going from a high-risk attack to a more conservative, defensive
approach – hoping to go from a successful regular-season team to one that
can win in the playoffs. They dropped their goals against from 16th last
season (2.77) to fourth (2.33).
For all the kvetching about Alex Ovechkin’s(notes) down season – a careerlow 32 goals and 85 points – he still ranked seventh in scoring. All he kept
hearing after last season, when he failed to medal in the Olympics with
Russia and lost in the first round with the Caps, was that Sidney
Crosby(notes) was better because his teams won. As Ovechkin heated up
down the stretch, I went back to something he said in September: “You
have to win something to say, ‘Yeah, I’m the greatest player in the world.’ ”
He knows what he has to do.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins have kept winning despite a number
of injuries – most notably to Crosby, out with a concussion since early
January, and Evgeni Malkin(notes), out with a knee injury since early
February. They have executed coach Dan Bylsma’s system. They have a
formidable defense, and Marc-Andre Fleury(notes) has been great in goal.
Still, the Penguins just aren’t the Penguins without Crosby and Malkin.
Crosby was on pace for the best season the NHL has seen since the mid1990s, and though everyone is excited he’s skating again, there remains no
timetable for his return. If he does return, there is no guarantee he will be
able to jump into playoff intensity and perform at his former level. Malkin
hasn’t played like Malkin for a long time, but this is still the guy who won the
Conn Smythe two years ago.
Jonathan Toews and the defending champion Blackhawks have a tough
road to travel if they're going to defend the Stanley Cup.
9. Chicago Blackhawks: The ’Hawks don’t have Dustin Byfuglien(notes) to
mess with Luongo anymore. They lost 10 members of the team that won
the Cup last year, thanks to an off-season salary-cap purge, and they
backed into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.
But when the Dallas Stars failed to beat the Minnesota Wild on Sunday,
handing the eighth seed to the ’Hawks, it set up a tantalizing first-round
matchup. The ’Hawks still have Jonathan Toews(notes), Patrick
Kane(notes) and the rest of their talented core. They hope Troy
Brouwer(notes) (shoulder) and Dave Bolland(notes) (concussion) will return
in the first round. They have confidence they can beat the Canucks.
The big question is whether rookie goaltender Corey Crawford(notes), as
well as he played in the regular season, can do what Antti Niemi(notes) did
last year in the playoffs.
Without Kopitar and Williams, no one filled the void offensively for the Kings
down the stretch. If someone doesn’t fill it now, it could be up to Quick to
prevent a quick exit.
10. Nashville Predators: Five times, the Predators have made the playoffs
in the past. Five times, they have lost in the first round.
16. New York Rangers: There is so much to admire about the Rangers –
the Blueshirts’ blue-collar ethic, working hard, sacrificing, blocking shots –
and they have a goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist(notes) who can carry them.
That could be the formula for upsetting the Capitals, whom the Rangers
took to seven games two years ago.
Now they think they’re ready to win. They felt they came close to upsetting
the Blackhawks last year. Had they not allowed a shorthanded goal late in
regulation and another goal in overtime in Game 5, they would have gone
home with a 3-2 series lead. As it turned out, they lost in six and watched
the ’Hawks go all the way.
The Predators struggle to score, but as is often the case with this efficient
franchise, they squeeze the most out of what they have. Led by Shea
Weber(notes) and Ryan Suter(notes), they play tight defense in front of
superb goaltender Pekka Rinne(notes). They’ll have to be airtight in the first
round against the …
11. Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks have one of the league’s best lines with
Corey Perry(notes), Ryan Getzlaf(notes) and Bobby Ryan(notes). They
have Teemu Selanne(notes), still excellent at age 40. They have assets on
defense with Lubomir Visnovsky(notes), Toni Lydman(notes) and rookie
Cam Fowler(notes).
So what don’t they have? A healthy goaltender, for one. Jonas Hiller(notes)
is fighting vertigo. Ray Emery(notes) has a lower-body injury, after coming
back from hip surgery and filling in admirably down the stretch. Dan
Ellis(notes) could end up starting Game 1. The Ducks need good
goaltending, because they take a lot of penalties, don’t kill them well and
give up too much defensively.
12. Phoenix Coyotes: All season, all the talk about the Coyotes has been
about Glendale and the bond sale and Matthew Hulsizer and the Goldwater
Institute and Winnipeg. There has been little talk about the exceptional
season of defenseman Keith Yandle(notes) or the goaltending talents of
Ilya Bryzgalov(notes) – except when people talk about where Bryzgalov, a
pending unrestricted free agent, might play next season.
Upset the Red Wings, though, and the Coyotes can bring attention to their
hockey. They pushed the Wings to seven games in the first round last year,
before being humbled at home, 6-1. They know they can beat the Wings
and should be desperate to do it, and they will be well-coached, as always,
by Dave Tippett.
13. Buffalo Sabres: Is this Terry Pegula guy great or what? He buys the
Sabres, gets misty-eyed talking about his memories of rooting for the team,
promises to spend money and dreams out loud about winning Stanley
Cups. Cups! And just like that, the Sabres, who struggled so badly early in
the season, started winning and winning and winning.
Can they keep winning in the playoffs? Well, they have Ryan Miller(notes),
don’t they? The Sabres’ skaters will be no match for the Flyers’ in the first
round, but Miller gives the Sabres a big edge in goal, even if he hasn’t had
his Vezina Trophy form this season. While finishing 16-4-4, the Sabres beat
the Flyers twice.
Perhaps no player in the playoffs is more critical to his team's fortunes than
Montreal goalie Carey Price.
14. Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price(notes) has proven the Canadiens
wise for trading last year’s playoff hero, Jaroslav Halak(notes). Since being
booed in the preseason by his own fans, Price has been so stellar that he
has become a fan favorite in Montreal. But for the Habs to go deep again,
he’ll probably have to be better than Halak was last year when they went to
the Eastern Conference final. Mike Cammalleri and P.K. Subban(notes) will
have to reprise their performances, too.
Injuries have thinned the defense, and the Habs are short on scoring and
size up front. For all the emotion, hype and history surrounding their firstround series with Boston, they risk being pushed around by the bigger,
badder Bruins – one of the few teams that can boast the edge in goal.
15. Los Angeles Kings: Good thing the Kings kept Jonathan Quick(notes)
fresh by playing him 61 times this season, down from 72 last season.
They’re going to need goaltending.
Their playoff hopes took two huge blows when they lost Anze
Kopitar(notes) to an ankle injury and Justin Williams(notes) to a shoulder
injury. Kopitar was their leading scorer. Williams tied for second on the
team in points. He might return as soon as Game 1, but reportedly at less
than 100 percent, wearing a harness.
But the Rangers lost their heart and soul when they lost Ryan
Callahan(notes) to a broken ankle, the latest in a long series of injuries this
season. Their biggest star, Marian Gaborik(notes), has been so
unproductive that coach John Tortorella has benched him at times. And it’s
hard to believe in a team that lost to the Atlanta Thrashers last week – by
the score of 3-0, no less – and had to back into the playoffs because of it.
It’s easier to believe in Vancouver.
“There’s a lot of pressure, but at the same time, this year, I think it’s a lot of
positives,” Henrik Sedin(notes) said. “We’ve got a good team. We’ve shown
it all year. There’s an optimism in the city for sure.”
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Climatic Classification: Wladimir Peter Köppen ( UG Hons. 2nd year

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