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Archive for April, 2011

Conference Semifinals – Day 2

Apr 30

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Two more teams began second round action. And for the 10th time in the last 11 days, we see a game that went past 60 minutes.

Tampa Bay vs. Washington- In the more exciting matchups on the Eastern side of the ledger, the Lightning became the first team to win on the road in the second round with an upset over the top-seeded Capitals 4-2. Washington appears to have a difficult road ahead of them this series if they continue to play the way they did last night. After their collapse last season against Montreal, coach Bruce Boudreau changed their approach and playing style. He opted for more defensive-oriended hockey and they did everything but that last night. Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher and his team stuck to their game plan and allowed the other team to make mistakes.

It didn’t take long for the scoring to get started as Sean Bergenheim scored his fourth of the postseason 2:12 into the contest when he poked a loose puck past goalie Michal Neuvirth. Less than two minutes later Washington got on the board when Alex Semin scored his fourth goal of the playoffs. Just like Tampa Bay in the first period, it was Washington who struck early in the second period when a wide open Eric Fehr took a pass from Jason Chimera behind the net and fired the puck past Dwayne Roloson.

However, that would be all the Capitals would do offensively as lightning struck twice late in the second period for Tampa Bay. The first goal came at 16:17 by Steve Downie. The game winning goal was the only goal scored via special teams when Steven Stamkos backhanded a rebound past Neuvirth with 30 seconds remaining in the second period. An empty net late in the game sealed it for Tampa Bay, who won their foruth consecutive game. Three of those four wins came on the road, which has been very friendly to teams in the playoffs as the road team has won more games than the home team this season. Neuvirth made 20 saves in the loss while Roloson stopped 26 shots.

Detroit vs. San Jose- The Red Wings were on the road to begin the second round. They had a nine-day break after finishing Phoenix and before heading to San Jose. Their lack of game action showed in the first period as they were getting beaten to loose pucks. Despite not scoring, the Sharks played like the better team after 40 minutes. The least likely player, goalie Jimmy Howard, was clearly the Red Wings’ best player.

The scoring got started midway through the first period when Nick Lidstrom scored his fist goal of the playoffs when he fired a slapshot through traffic and past goalie Antti Niemi. The second period did not feature any scoring but it was dominated by San Jose as they out shot Detroit 18-9 in the second period. Detroit was playing unlike themselves, as San Jose was bringing a physical, rough style of play. Detroit is usually more mentally tough, letting the after-whistle scrums not bother them. But it bothered them this time around, as seen when Jimmy Howard shoved Joe Pavelski into the net after Pavelski sprayed Howard with snow. Both players were penalized for roughing. Pavelski was also a key component in tying the game when he drew a boarding penalty from Todd Bertuzzi. During that power play, Jow Thornton fired a shot towards Howard from the point, Howard made the save and Pavelski knocked a puck that was waist-high into the net for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

The game would enter overtime, the fourth extra session game for the Sharks in seven games. They had a big opportunity to score when they had a four-minute power play thanks to Justin Abdelkader’s high sticking penalty. They failed to score, but did win the game 20 seconds after the penalty expired. The Red Wings failed to clear the puck out of their own zone to make a line chance when Benn Ferriero, playing in his first career NHL playoff game, scored the gane winning goal when his shot deflected off the shaft of defenseman Brad Stuart and through the legs of Howard. It was the fifth consecutive one-goal victory for the Sharks over the Red Wings in the playoffs, dating back to last season when San Jose won all four games by one goal. Game two is tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EDT

Battleaxe BX7 Stick Contest Winner

Apr 30

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

After sifting through plenty of entries to our contest, we have finally chosen a winner. HockeyWorldBlog.com, along with Battleaxe Hockey, would like to congratulate Bryant Barnhill on winning a brand new Battleaxe BX7 hockey stick. Here is Bryant’s comment which won him the new twig:

I’ll try my hand at this, but I warn you, writing just isn’t my thing… at least that’s what my English teacher told me today after my final exam.

There are a dozen reasons reasons why I need a free BX7, but one stands out to me. I play club hockey for my University, and I’m by no means a “goal scorer”. In fact, I only have one point through twenty-something games, and it was from an assist. Sad I know. But eventually I’m going to bury one, and when I do I’d rather it be with a Battleaxe than some big-named brand that is more worried about the money they make, than the player they equip. Battleaxe keeps the hockey player in mind, not the hockey payer. So help me out guys, let my first goal in college be with a brand that still cares.

Congratulations Bryant! Someone will be in contact with you shortly, if they haven’t already, so you can claim your prize. Be sure to let us know when you score that big first goal with your new BX7 stick!

Conference Semifinals – Day 1

Apr 29

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Vancouver vs. Nashville - The Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators would get things going on the very first day of conference semifinal action. The Canucks fought hard through seven games, and overtime to advance. Nashville, on the other hand, took their series in only six games, giving them a few more days rest.

Many wonder whether or not Roberta Luongo will be able to carry the team after several sub-par performances in round one. For Nashville, Pekka Rinne is expected to continue his outstanding play against a very potent Canucks attack.

Game one featured outstanding goaltending, on both ends of the ice, but Luongo was better. He made 20 saves for Vancouver in the shutout effort, his second of the playoffs. Rinne made 29 saves, missing only one, which turned out to be the only one Vancouver would need. Let’s take a look at the game highlights for a full breakdown.

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Reebok 11k Helmet

Apr 28

Posted by Matt in Gear | 1 Comment

Reebok recently unveiled their latest helmet, the new Reebok 11k helmet. The Reebok 11k helmet is part of Reebok’s Safety Revolution Program. With this initiative, the company is looking to provide the “best possible protection against potential injuries.”

To help with this program, the Reebok 11k helmet commits to safety with the 5-point safety system, developed by Reebok. The system, as outlined on the Reebok site, is described below:

  1. High Impact Resistance (HIR) – Focuses on addressing high-energy impacts
  2. Repeated Impact Resistance (RIR)  - Addresses the lower intensity impacts, that, repeated over time, could be just as damaging
  3. Maximum Travel Extension (MTE) – Addresses the need to fit the widest range of the population
  4. Lightweight Composite Reinforcement (LCR) – The unique construction that maximizes light weight to high energy absorption
  5. Stable anchoring technology (SAT) – Developed  to improve the helmets ability to stay on your head

The 11k helmet itself looks great, and the green foam padding on the inside is a nice touch. The Reebok 11k helmet is now available for purchase at Ice and Inline Warehouse  for $149.99. They’re also offering free shipping, so if you’re in the market for a new bucket, definitely check out the Reebok 11k helmet.

 

Reebok 11k Helmet

Reebok 11k Helmet

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Conference Quarterfinals Recap – Day 15

Apr 28

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Just over two weeks into the playoffs, and round one is all squared away. Last night featured a couple of really entertaining game seven matchups, including another overtime winner.

Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh – Without Sidney Crosby, things seemed shaky for the Penguins heading into the playoffs. Despite not having their two stars (Crosby, Malkin), the Penguins fought their way to a 3-1 series lead, before allowing the young Lightning to battle back and even the series.

Game 7 was all about goaltending. Marc-Andre Fluery vs. Dwayne Roloson. Through the first period, neither keeper had an advtange as both teams remained scoreless. It wasn’t until early in the second when Tampa Bay broke the tie. The goal came on a play that was nearly identical to one in game six. As Dominic Moore skated behind the net, he dropped a pass back to the short side where Sean Bergenheim easily beat Fluery, who was confused on the play and going to cover the far post.

The play is actually so eerily similar that it featured the same goal scorer (Bergenheim), the same primary assist (Moore), as well as the same secondary assist (Steve Downie). To take it even further, the goal occurred at 5:44 of the second period of game six, and 5:41 of the second in game seven.

That was all the Lightning would need offensively in game seven. Dwayne Roloson stood on his head throughout the rest of the game, making 36 saves in the shutout. He definitely took control late making big saves after Nate Thompson took a slashing penalty at 18:27 of the third period. Now Roloson will look to take that stellar play to Washington where he will be forced to shut down some of the leagues best snipers in Ovechkin and Semin.

Boston vs. Montreal – Things were looking good for the Bruins on home ice as Johnny Boychuk got the team off to a quick start. It was only 3:31 into the first as he blasted a slapshot from the point to beat Carey Price. Just two minutes later, it was veteran leader Mark Recchi with a beautiful snipe from the slot that gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead. At 9:49, Yannick Weber found the top shelf with a nice power-play goal to put the Canadians on the board. Early in the second, Tomas Plekanec would steal the puck, while shorthanded, and beat Tim Thomas on a breakaway to tie things up at two.

In the third, Chris Kelly came up huge for the Bruins and gave them a 3-2 lead as he smacked home a rebound. For a while, it was looking like the Kelly goal would be all they needed. But late in the third, Patrice Bergeron took a real bad high-sticking penalty, giving the Canadians a man advantage heading down the stretch. It wouldn’t take long before P.K. Subban tied things up at three with an absolute bullet from the point.

Things were busy in the extra period, with both squads exchanging shots and quality chances. No shot was more important, however, than the Nathan Horton blast at 5:43. His shot beat Carey Price and sends the Bruins to the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers lack a quality goaltender at this point, and with Thomas playing strong for the Bruins, things could be looking up for Boston.

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Los Angeles Kings coach skips post-series handshake

Apr 27

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Los Angeles Kings Coach Terry MurrayOne of the NHL’s most long standing traditions comes at the end of every playoff series when the members of both teams come together at center ice to congratulate one another on their hard work and effort during the best-of-seven series. Missing the post-series handshake is looked upon as severely unsportsmanlike, which has some members of the San Jose Sharks wondering why Terry Murray, head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, failed to go through the handshake line when the two teams completed their first round playoff matchup earlier this week.

“Kings battled hard! Tough series with 3 OT games!,” said San Jose forward Jamal Mayers via his Twitter account after the series concluded Monday night. “Too bad Murray didn’t have class to shake hands like players (who bled) and Asst Coaches.”

Devin Setoguchi made a similar claim on his own Twitter feed by writing, “Would like to know why coach of the Kings Terry Murray never shook our hands?? Might be a first??”

Murray did make an effort to shake the hands of Todd McLellen, head coach of the Sharks, and his assistant coaches, but failed to walk through the line and shake the hands of each player. The Kings’ assistant coaches went through the entire handshake line. McLellan and his coaching staff also entered the handshake line after the game.

“(Shaking hands) has always been about the players. My opportunity to complement the opponent is through the media, which I did several times in the series,” Murray said in response to the criticisms. “And last night I said that they were good enough to win four series in this year’s playoffs. That’s high praise coming from me.”

Skipping one of hockey’s most honored traditions doesn’t sit well with players. Just ask Sidney Crosby, who missed the post-series handshake with the Detroit Red Wings in 2009 when the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Detroit to win the Stanley Cup. That incident certainly didn’t sit well with Red Wing veteran Kris Draper, who had no difficulty calling Crosby out on the situation. While there was no real resolution to the Crosby incident, stories continued to pop up for several weeks after as players weighed in on Crosby’s actions.

While Murray may believe that he rightfully has no place in the handshake line as a coach instead of a player, he still owes it to the opposition to go out and congratulate them personally on their hard work and effort. He can say whatever he wants in a press conference or through the media, but the handshake line offers him the opportunity to meet his foe face-to-face and congratulate them on their victory. It’s a humbling experience both for players and for coaches to admit defeat, but it’s a necessary growing opportunity as well. Hopefully next season Murray will wise up and step out to center ice and shake hands instead of speaking through the media.

What do you think? Should Los Angeles Kings coach Terry Murray have taken part in the handshake line or does he have a point that the handshakes are just for players?

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Conference Quarterfinals Recap – Day 14

Apr 27

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Boston vs. Montreal – Mike Cammalleri got things going for the Canadians with a power-play goal, his third of the series, midway through the first period. The wicked one timer came off a great pass from P.K. Subban. Early in the second, it was Dennis Seidenberg who tied things up for the Bruins on a great wrap-around effort. Five minutes later, it was Montreal who answered right back. This time, on the two-man advantage again, Brian Gionta slammed home a rebound to give the Canadians a 2-1 lead. Carey Price held strong through the second and third periods, allowing only one goal on 32 shots in the victory.

Montreal ties the series at three games a piece, and are now headed for a game seven of their own. Tim Thomas played strong in this one, and there wasn’t much he could do about the two five-on-three goals that Montreal scored. Look for goaltender battle in game seven, but for Tim Thomas and the Bruins to come out on top with home ice advantage.

Buffalo vs. Philadelphia – The other day I was calling for Ryan Miller to have a huge game and lead his team to round two. Unfortunately, game seven wasn’t really going in Miller’s favor as he was pulled early in the third.

Things looked good for Miller in the first, however. Despite Philadelphia controlling play and out-shooting the Sabres, things were all tied up. Well, they were all tied up, until Braydon Coburn scored on a weak wrist shot from the point. Buffalo finished with only two shots on goal in the first period.

While the Sabres rebounded in the second, and began applying some pressure, the scoreboard fell in favor of the Flyers even more. Less than five minutes in, it was Danny Briere on the power-play who scored his sixth of the series. The Flyers power-play hurt Buffalo once again as James van Riemsdyk scored midway through the second to give his squad a 3-0 lead.

Less than two minutes into the third, the damage would continue to build. As Ville Leino skated in along the left wing, he blasted a slapshot over the shoulder of Ryan Miller to give Philly a 4-0 lead. Miller would be pulled after, and hope was lost for the Sabres. They would tally a couple in the third period, but could never cut the deficit to less than three goals. Philly closed out the win, 5-2, and will now head to round two.

Vancouver vs. Chicago – This would be the series to watch, and the game to watch of the evening. Game seven, Chicago and Vancouver. The Canucks stole the first three games, only to allow the defending champs to climb back in with three straight of their own. In a close matchup, we saw ridiculously good goaltending from Corey Crawford. He absolutely proved himself as a number one ‘tender in this series. Despite all he had, the Blackhawks turned the puck over one too many times, and it finally cost them. Let’s take a look at the video highlights for this game seven.

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Conference Quarterfinals Recap – Day 13

Apr 26

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

Things are definitely starting to wind down in the conference quarterfinals. But the closer we get, the more exciting the games are. Last night’s games featured a series clincher, and another team fighting to see a game seven.

Tampa Bay vs. Pittsburgh – The Penguins jumped out to an early lead in this one after capitalizing on a Lightning turnover. Pascal Dupuis was the goal scorer with the assist coming from Max Talbot. After failing to capitalize on two power-play chances, the Lightning finally tied things up at even strength late in the first. Teddy Purcell banged home the puck for Tampa Bay after the initial shot on goal by Ryan Malone. We were all knotted up at one after the first period.

The lone goal in the second period came from  Sean Bergenheim and was his second of the series. He collected a nice pass from behind the net by Dominic Moore and had all day to beat Marc-Andre Fleury. Pittsburgh had a great opportunity to tie things up in the second as Chris Conner was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down on a breakaway. The pressure was too much for Conner, however, as he overskated the puck before even getting a shot off. He was able to regroup and take a half-hearted slapshot, but the damage had already been done. It was a fortunate break for the Lightning. Tampa Bay held on to a 2-1 lead despite being outshot 9-7 in the second.

Early in the third, Pittsburgh jumped right back into the game as Jordan Staal buried a wrist shot from the slot at 3:48. A Lightning response was only a minute away when Steve Downie snuck one past Fluery to regain the lead, 3-2. Five minutes later it was Ryan Malone who sealed the deal for Tampa Bay with a breakaway slapshot goal. The top shelf tally was Malone’s first of the post-season, and guaranteed his team would see a game seven.

Dwayne Roloson played absolutely incredible in this game, making several clutch saves. This included a barrage of shots he stopped early in the third, just after Jordan Staal’s goal. Roloson has turned out to be a great pickup for the Lightning, and if they survive to see round two, he will be a huge reason why.

Los Angeles vs. San Jose – We had a tight first period which was held scoreless, so let’s jump right to the second. Kyle Wellwood gave the Sharks a big 1-0 lead early in the second after a great feed from Joe Thornton. Los Angeles would answer back at 13:27 of the second with a power-play goal from Justin Williams. Williams was able to capitalize on a huge rebound after the initial shot by Jack Johnson. San Jose didn’t need much time to take control again, however, as Jason Demers buried a wrister from the right circle three minutes later. L.A. headed to the intermission trailing by one and on the verge of elimination.

The message must have been clear in the locker room because the Kings came out quick. Eighteen seconds into the third, Ryan Smyth tied the game at two. Dany Heatley would give his guys a 3-2 lead later in the third with a beautiful snipe. The Kings would not back down, and certainly would not give up, because three minutes later it was Trevor Lewis tying things up 3-3. It remained all tied up through the end of regulation, and headed to sudden death.

It didn’t take long in the extra session for the Kings season to officially end. Only 2:22 in, it was Joe Thornton smacking home the rebound for the game and series winner. Thornton had a good series finishing with two goals and three assists. His OT celebration was a bit awkward, but he’s moving on and the Kings are headed home. You have to think, if Anze Kopitar could have been healthy, things might not have ended nicely for the Sharks. I think we’ll see a great Kings team again next season though, and with a healthy squad, they could have the depth to make a good run.

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Three Games on the Docket Tonight

Apr 26

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

Should be a fun filled night of hockey playoff action tonight as two of the games are do-or-die game 7′s and one is bound to be. Here are the match-ups and why you should or should not tune in.

Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens

More drama than a soap opera, the Montreal Canadiens look to tie up the series at 3 a piece. Starting in the regular season with the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty, the Habs fans tried to get Chara in hot water by calling the police to investigate the action. Failing to have Chara serve hard time before the series, the show continued. Game four brought another bit of excitement as Boston Bruins Andrew Ference was fined for displaying the California howdy to the Montreal crowd. Ference took a Janet Jackson defense claiming a wardrobe malfunction.

The games have been quite abnormal with a win-on-the-road series for the first four games. The  Boston Bruins have finally won one at home to lead the series 3-2. This was of course without lack of excitement as the win came in the second overtime. Expect Montreal to come out flying fast and peppering goalie Tim Thomas with pucks. The series is set-up to be going to game 7.

Buffalo Sabres @ Philadelphia Flyers

The Buffalo Sabres had the Philadelphia Flyers on the brink of defeat, only to lose on home ice in 5-4 loss in overtime. Traveling to the sea of Orange, the Sabres have a tall order to fill to win.

On a bright note, the Sabres look to bring back secret weapon Derek Roy after suffering a torn left quadriceps tendon. This will however be at the offsetting loss of Tim Connolly. Connolly was driven into the boards from behind by Flyers Mike Richards. Some might even call it a boarding. Richards, who you could say started the whole reason for taking blindside hits to the head more serious with his hit on David Booth, will not receive any suspension. After reviewing the tape, it was difficult to decide the severity of the hit and if it warranted a suspension…. if your name is Helen Keller. Connolly knocked out the for the series, hit from behind, can NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell be fired yet? I think the weather man/woman gets more calls right.

Regardless of the outcome of the game, one team needs to advance only to be eliminated in the next round. Watch if you have nothing better to do.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks

Welcome to the maiiiiiin event!

That’s right, the defending Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks look to eliminate the season leading record Vancouver Canucks. After losing the majority of their team in the offseason to salary cap issues, the Blackhawks barely made it into the postseason only to give the Canucks a run for their money. Losing the first 3 games and winning the last 3, momentum looks to be on their side.

Vancouver is in a panic and rightfully so. On the verge of being called the new San Jose Sharks with their lack of ability to produce in the postseason, the “untouchable on paper” Canucks can be eliminated. Media outlets are trying to pin point the turning point, saying the Canucks Raffi Torres hit on Blackhawk defender Brent Seabrook woke up the giant. I don’t quite buy that, but I do buy that Vancouver General Manager Mike Gillis is trying to deflect media attention from net-minder Roberto Luongo with his claim that the referees are out to get them. Sure Chicago has had 27 power-plays to your 16 in the series, 22 to your 12 in the last 4 games, but hey, who’s counting? OK, maybe Gillis has a point, but still, Luongo looks bad, real bad. With a career 2.57 goals against average and .915 save percentage for the playoffs, I think we know who to point the finger at and it is not the refs.

Should be a fast paced game and worth watching, even worth staying up late on the east coast. Either one of these teams very well could be in the championship this year, which one though will be decided tonight.

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Hockey World Blog NHL Power Rankings: Playoff Week 3

Apr 25

Posted by Eddie in Power Rankings | 1 Comment

The first round is coming to an end in the next couple days. The Red Wings, Capitals, and Predators have already advanced while other teams still have 1-2 games remaining in their series. If there was anything to be taken away from the first round this playoff season, it would be the large amount of wins by the road team and large amount of 3-4 goal deficits being erased. As I am writing this, there are two game 7′s being played Tuesday night. Vancouver can complete the biggest choke job in league history should they lose at home against Chicago and Buffalo will try to win on the road at Philadelphia. Detroit was the first team to advance and they could potentially have as much as 8-9 days off before playing again. We have also seen a streak of six consecutive days with an overtime game, with the visiting team winning seven of the nine games played in the last week. Boston is the only team to win multiple overtime games in the last week.

Rank Team (LW) Team Notes
1 DET (2) They get the top spot being the only team to sweep in the playoffs. They flipped on the switch and dominated the Coyotes. They will be even better as Henrik Zetterberg will return and Johan Franzen should as well for round 2.
2 WAS (4) Despite losing game 4, they failed to allow the Rangers to get in the series as they won in 5 games. The got the demon of playoff woes behind them and they can now focus on advancing to the Conference finals against an opponent yet to be determined.
3 BOS (16) If you told me last week Boston would win three straight against Montreal, I wouldn’t know if Boston finally showed up or Montreal choked away the series. The Bruins need 1 more road win to complete the comeback.
4 NSH (5) Congrats to the Preds and coach Barry Trotz for their first ever series win in franchise history. Friday night’s game 5 was one of the more exciting final minutes of a game this playoff season. Depending on who they play next, they won’t be a pushover.
5  CHI (15) They have turned into the Blackhawks of 2010. They have mounted a comeback against Vancouver to tie the series 3-3 as they head to Vancouver for game 7. All the momentum is riding in their favor as Vancouver is trying to figure out how to win a hockey game.
6 PHI (11) The goalie roulette game should stop. Despite them having a 2-1 record this series where they changed goalies, Peter Laviolette needs to pick one goalie and stick with him. Who will get the start in game 7?
7 TB (8) The Bolts stayed alive in the playoffs thanks to an 8-2 spanking of Pittsburgh in game 5. They return home tonight where they have to fend off elimination for the second straight night. The Lightning have scored eight power-play goals in the series and posted a 36.4 power-play percentage against the top penalty-killing team during the regular season.
8 PIT (10)  Could the Penguins play a little too cautiously going into game 6? They got ran out of the rink in game 5 and will have to score early and often to put away the Lightning. History says the Penguins had better win this contest. The Penguins are 2-7 all-time when Game 7 of a series is played in Pittsburgh. Also, in team history, the team that wins Game 6 of a series has ultimately won Game 7 nine out of 10 times.
9 SJ (9) They are on the road tonight for game six. Should they win, they will likely face the Red Wings depending on how Vancouver and Chicago shake out. They are under no pressure, except for the fact San Jose is 3-13 all-time in Game 6 of a playoff series and 2-9 on the road.
10 LA (7) Should the Kings lose tonight, they will look back on the missed opportunity in game 3 when they let a four-goal lead slip away. But now they are at home in game 6, they have to focus and find a way to get to Anti Niemi the way they did in game 5 when they scored 3 goals in the first 8:42.
11 MTL (3)  Having lost twice in overtime to the Bruins, they might feel dejected. But they are heading home for game six. The extra rest today might help for tomorrow’s game six, because they will suit up the very next night in Boston for game seven.
12 VAN (1) They are risking being branded choke artists if they can’t seal the deal against Chicago. I am afraid that if the Canucks lose game 7, fans in Vancouver will riot and tear up the streets. I kinda don’t blame them as they won the President’s Trophy and was expected to contend for the Stanley Cup.
13  ANA (14)  The newest member of the elimination club, the Ducks simply couldn’t recover from having a one-goal lead in the final minute of game five in which the Predators scored twice in a span of 2:33 between the end of regulation and overtime. If Teemu Selanne retires, he would go out on a high note as he tied Joffrey Lupul as both scored six goals in a playoff series. Lupul did his against Colorado in a four-game sweep in 2006.
14  BUF (6)  The Sabres are ranked this low this week because they failed to take advantage of the carousel of Flyers goalies and finally put them away. Buffalo cannot afford to get behind in game seven because the Sabres are 1-5 in game 7′s in franchise history, including a 0-4 record on the road. Derek Roy is supposed to play tomorrow, but could he be enough to save them?
15 NYR (12)  Just like the Sabres, what doomed the Rangers was failing to seal the deal after having a multi-goal lead. Game four was the game that blown their chance to extend the series as there was going to be small chance of winning game five on the road. They need to find a way to score on the power play as they went 1-20 against Washington. Bench boss John Tortorella will be around next season and beyond as it’s reported he will receive a contract extension.
16 PHO (13) Who is the goalie in net for the Coyotes and what have they done with Ilya Bryzgalov? His regular season stat line: 2.48 GAA and a .920 save percentage in 68 games. In four playoff games: 4.36 GAA and a .880 save percentage. You can’t blame it all on the goalie, but you can blame the players for becoming flustered and trying to beat up the Red Wings in games three and four instead of trying to beat them. It also didn’t help that off-ice drama surrounding the team was becoming a distraction.