Random thoughts from the week so far...

Crosby's consecutive games points streak ends at 25 - I have a feeling this will be the first of many extended points streaks in his career. The irony of it is it stopped against the Isles, the team he's been the most productive against in the league. You know that's burning him up inside.

24/7 Winter Classic - 3rd Installment - A very entertaining episode but it was too much about the Pens-Caps game in Washington last Thursday. You get the sense that if the Caps win the game at Heinz Field, it could turn their season around. Everyone needs to stop worrying about the potential weather issues. The NHL will find a way to have it run smoothly.

James Wisniewski - I can't believe the Isles traded him. He's your best defenseman that's healthy and has shored up their back end as much as he can. I know you're a team that's perennially building towards the future, but c'mon. Great pick up for Montreal, though. Their power play should be firing on all cylinders soon.

Marek Svatos - What a genius move by the Predators. They wait for another team to sign him (division rival St. Louis) and grab him before he clears waivers, and only have to foot half the bill. Anytime Marek scores against St. Louis, it will cut just a little deeper. Svatos isn't what he used to be, but in an anemic offense like Nashville's, he'll provide a spark.

Bye Bye Sutter - The Flames axed GM Duane Sutter. It's about damn time. He wasted Miika Kiprusoff's career and didn't know how to follow up their Cup run after the strike. Calgary needs to officially go in to rebuild mode. If they can get a great offer for Jarome Iginla at the deadline, they need to think about it. If Ray Bourque can leave Boston to go win and have the Bruins fans behind him, Jarome should mean the same to Flames fans.

NHL Weekly TV Viewer Guide

MONDAY - Minnesota @ Columbus - 7:30PM - Versus

It boggles my mind how Versus picks their nationally televised games sometimes. I thought the goal was to grow the popularity of the game, not stiffle it. This is a match-up of the 12th and 13th place teams in the West. Columbus has only earned four points in its last eight games. The Wild come in to the game having won three of its last four. The teams have split 3-2 regulation victories in each others buildings. While the Wild have been a fun team to watch this year, I can't imagine why they wouldn't take Detroit @ Coloraod or Islanders @ Rangers instead (luckily I will be at the Rangers game)

TUESDAY - Boston @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM - Versus

The Lightning have a slim edge on 1st place in the Southeast Division and are in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference while the Bruins have a hold of 8th place in the Conference by four points. Boston is in the midst of a 4 game swing against the Southeast Division. They beat Atlanta on Thursday night 4-1 and will travel to play the Panthers tonight before heading to Tampa. The Lightning finished up a 3 game road trip in Atlanta last night and earned five points on the trip. The teams have split the two meetings so far with Boston dominating Tampa 8-1 in their last meeting

WEDNESDAY - NO GAME

THURSDAY - NO GAME

FRIDAY - Phoenix @ St. Louis - 8:30PM - Versus

This is another game that features two non-playoff teams in the West (St. Louis is in 10th, Phoenix is in 11th), but both of these teams are competitive and can hang with the best teams in the conference. The Coyotes went 2-3-1 on a 6 game road trip heading in to the week while the Blues have won three in a row heading in to Tuesday's game against Chicago. The Coyotes won 5-3 in their only meeting of the season back in November.

SATURDAY - Washington @ Pittsburgh- 1PM - NBC (WINTER CLASSIC)

This is the game everyone has been waiting for whether you're an avid hockey fan or a casual sports fan. The Winter Classic has been a big success so far and now the NHL has their two poster boys facing off at Heinz Field. The Penguins won 3-2 in a shootout in Washington this past Thursday in their first meeting of the season.

SATURDAY - Toronto @ Ottawa - 7PM - NHL Network

Another match-up of two teams below 8th place in their respective conference (not a banner week for the NHL to close out 2010). The Maple Leafs would get talked about more as the worst team in the NHL if it wasn't for the injury-ridden Islanders and the just plain awful Devils. Ottawa is in better shape than Toronto and is only four points out of a playoff spot. This will be their 4th meeting of the season and Ottawa has won the past 2.

SUNDAY - NO GAME

MERRY CHRISTMAS

FROM THE HOCKEY PRESS!

Stamkos So Far...

 
There's no doubt that Lightning C Steven Stamkos is a lethal offensive weapon. After finishing with 23 goals and 23 assists in his rookie year, he doubled his overall point total in his 2nd season with 51 goals and 44 assists. Right now, Stamkos is on pace for 65 goals and 53 assists, which would be an improvement on his previous season's totals again. It's time to start classifying Stamkos in the same class as Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. This may sound crazy but, there are similarities in their career paths.

Stamkos is in his 3rd season in the NHL. Ovechkin missed the playoffs his first two seasons before losing a tough 7-game series against Philadelphia in the 1st round in his 3rd season. Ovechkin's point total dropped slightly from his rookie season to his sophomore season, but Stamkos had five more goals in his 2nd season and a 3 point edge on total points. Stamkos is on pace to match Ovie's 3rd season goal total but have 6 more assists. Stamkos also missed the playoffs in his first two seasons.

If you're the Lightning, you hope that #91's career path follows #87's. Crosby missed the playoffs his first season, lost in the 1st round in his sophomore year, and then lost to the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals in his 3rd season. Crosby's point total is astronimcal in his first two seasons compared to Stamkos' (39-63-102 & 36-84-120). Crosby is more of a set-up guy where as Stamkos and Ovechkin are more keen on lighting the lamp. Crosby's point total took a dip in his 3rd season (24-48-72), but he only played 53 games that season due to injury. Crosby also had a great supporting cast (Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, Marc Andre-Fleury, Brooks Orpik, Ryan Malone, Jordan Staal, etc) around him for his Stanley Cup run. Stamkos has a very good supporting cast in guys like Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier, Malone, Brett Clark, Victor Hedman and Simon Gagne.
 
This season is still very young and a lot of things can happen between now and mid-April. But the Lightning have the look of a playoff team and could be a very tough out if they improve their goaltending. Steve Stamkos is the main reason the Lightning would be a scary 1st-round opponent and needs to start getting mentioned more often in the same breath as Ovechkin and Crosby.

NHL Weekly TV Viewer Guide

 Crosby and Ovechkin meet for the final time before the Winter Classic on Thursday night in the NHL's Game of the Week

NHL Viewers Guide for the week of 12/20/10 - Happy Holidays!

MONDAY - Ducks @ Bruins - 7:30PM - Versus

Why you should watch: The Ducks are in the midst of a seven game road trip. This will be the 4th game of an Eastern Road Swing and they are 1-2 on the trip thus far. Anaheim has one of the best young goalies in the league in Jonas Hiller. The Bruins beat the Caps 3-2 on Saturday night to snap a 3 game losing streak. Boston's 3rd ranked Penalty Kill against Anaheim's 9th ranked PP will be fun to watch. The Bruins have a 4 point edge on 8th in the East while Anaheim has a one point lead in 7th.

TUESDAY - Devils @ Capitals - 7:30PM - Versus

Why you should watch: Versus didn't expect the Caps slip-sliding in to 7th place and the Devils to be the 2nd worst team in the NHL this year when they selected this for their Tuesday night game. The Devils yet to reach double-digit wins in 32 games while the Caps have just snapped an 8 game losing streak and have only earned 4 points in their past 9 games.  It will be interesting to see if this game swings towards getting the Caps back on track or if the Devils can jump on a good team in disarray right now.

WEDNESDAY - Canucks @ Red Wings - 7:30PM - NHL Network
 
Why you should watch: Anytime you get a match-up of two division leaders it's always a tough battle. Detroit and Vancouver are arguably the two best teams in the West. The Red Wings are 3-4-2 since a 4 game winning streak while Vancouver has won 3 in a row and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 heading in to tonight's game in St. Louis. The Canucks have one of the best special teams units in the NHL with a 2nd ranked power play and 5th ranked penalty kill.

THURSDAY - Penguins @ Capitals - 7PM - NHL Network

Why you should watch:  It's Penguins-Capitals and it's their last meeting before the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh. We all know where the Caps are at. The Penguins 2nd ranked penalty kill looks to stay sharp and help snap the Pens 2 game's losing streak heading in to tonight's home game against the Coyotes. Pittsburgh had won 12 in a row before that and have a game at Florida the night before this game.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY - NO NHL GAMES DUE TO CHRISTMAS BREAK

SUNDAY - Game TBD
 
There may not be an NHL Network game on Sunday the 26th but there is 11 games on the slate that day. I would love to see them air Tampa Bay @ Atlanta, which has been a very good Southeastern Division match-up so far this season.

HBO 24/7 - Winter Classic - Episode 1

 Could we be seeing the last days of Bruce Boudreau as head coach of the Capitals? It's beginning to look like it.

(A running blog while I watched episode 1 of HBO's 24/7 on the Winter Classic)

The intro was perfect. Just enough back story on both franchises, what links these two together as rivals, why this show exists, and the obligatory Ovechkin-Crosby link.

I like how they got right in to the game action in the midst of the Penguins winning streak (at 10 games at that point - vs. Toronto). I really liked how HBO brought you practically in to the midst of a fight between Colton Orr and Deryk Engelland. Being in the locker room in the intermission was a new perspective. You see why fighting is a part of the game that should never be removed. This point is reinforced later in the episode when Ovechkin and Rangers Center Brandon Dubinsky fight. When the fight is over, the simultaneously say "good job buddy". Guys who fight on a hockey rink will buy each other beers after the game. That's how it has always been and how it will always be.

In the first Capitals segment, we see coach Bruce Boudreau use the presence of HBO to motivate his players. The Capitals were in the midst of a 3 game losing streak and Boudreau talked about how the Penguins side of the HBO coverage will be all smiles since they are in a a long winning streak. The Caps are going in the opposite direction and changing in to more of a balanced team than being an "offensive juggernaut" . We also learn Boudreau is not a man to mince words. Throughout the course of this episode we see how much Coach Boudreau likes to gratuitously use the word "fuck". I'm okay with foul language, but it's every other word out of this guy's mouth and it almost sounds forced. With all the "Boudreau to be fired" rumors going around because of the Caps losing streak, I've been defending him, saying it's not his fault. After seeing the locker room dynamic, you can see the players tuning him out. But I digress, back to the running blog of the episode...

The profile of Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma was pretty good. You can see why the players like playing for him. The shootout competition for "Mustache Boy" is pure genius.

The Ovechkin/Backstrom profiles were done well. Working in the Scott Hannan trade that close to the beginning of filming and chronicling what its like for a player to move to a new team in the middle of the season was done well.

Seeing Bylsma and Penguins GM Ray Shero evaluate the players on their 5 scale was another example of how HBO Sports takes you deeper in their coverage.

Going inside the Capitals 3-0 loss is what frustration looks like. The frustration continues in a Sunday night game against the Rangers at MSG.I took personal enjoyment in seeing an in-depth perspective of seeing the Rangers embarrass the Capitals (I picked going to the Jets game instead that day...a 10-6 loss to the Dolphins...I made the wrong choice).

My only issue with the show was it was an awkward transition from the scene-setting to going right in to the grind of the season. With a sport like hockey that is only remotely popular with the general public (and HBO Sports features have to strike a balance of appeal for the die-hard fan AND the casual or novice fan), you need to show more of the personality of the two main focuses (Crosby and Ovechkin). Maybe more of that is to come over the next two weeks.Overall, I thought the first installment was solid. I'm looking forward to next week's episode. It should help the series that most television shows are in repeats for the Christmas Break.

WINTER CLASSIC PREVIEW BEGINS TONIGHT

My Checklist of Storylines for HBO's 24/7 Winter Classic to be a success in no particular order:

 (Over the course of the 4 episodes)

-How much goes in to getting the stadium ready for the Winter Classic

-The rivalry between the Capitals and Penguins

-Profiles of Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Bruce Boudreau, Dan Bylsma, Mario Lemiuex, Ted Leonsis, Ray Shero, Semin or Backstrom -all varying in length

-Evgeni Malkin's escape from the KHL

-Obligatory Jordan Staal from a hockey family piece

-George McPhee's hunt for a goalie

-Quick review of the Penguins being in the first Winter Classic

-Recap of the Penguins-Capitals game right before the Winter Classic

-Recap of the Winter Classic

-Pittsburgh being a football town but loves its hockey

-Crosby living at Lemiuex's property

-A brief history of the Winter Classic/Herritage Classic

-Penguins winning streak (if it continues in to the airing of the series)

-The Capitals losing streak

-Penguins-Capitals Conference Semifinals series from 2 seasons ago

A review of each episode will be posted every Thursday

Plight of the Pacific

 Jaime Benn and Mike Ribiero celebrate a goal in last night's 3-2 road win for the Stars in San Jose last night (Ben Margot - AP)

We're about 30 games in to the NHL Season and the Dallas Stars are in 1st place in the Pacific Division while the San Jose Sharks are in last place. Granted, 1st place and last place are separated by 4 points, but the order is practically upside down. A brief recap of each team's season in the NHL's tightest division:


Dallas - Goalie Kari Lehtonen has benefited from a change in scenery (13 wins 2.59 GAA before his back injury) and head coach Marc Crawford is executing his style of play well. The blueline could use one another Top 3 guy, but the top 2 lines are producing and the bottom two lines are grinding it out and wearing down the other team. As great as the Stars are at home (11-3-1), they need to improve on the road (6-7-1) and on special teams (22nd ranked PP, 27th ranked PK)


Anaheim - When you're getting production from where you're supposed to (their top 5 scorers are Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan, Lubomir Visnovsky), solid production on the blueline (Tony Lydman 's +18 is good enough to hover around the league lead, rookie Cam Fowler has chipped in with 15 points), solid goaltending (Jonas Hiller's 14 wins are 3rd best in the league); and have leadership (Saku Koivu, Todd Marchant, Jason Blake), that all adds up to being a tough out each game.


Los Angeles - The team went in to a really bad funk for most of November, but was one of the hottest teams out of the gate and it looks like they are finding their form again. Goalie Jonathan Quick has stepped up this season and played very well. Getting D Willie Mitchell back from injury provides the blueline with experience and leadership. It will be interesting to see what type of role newly acquired winger Marco Sturm takes on this team. Getting that 27th ranked PP going would help the Kings get back on track.

San Jose - The optimistic Sharks fan can say that the Sharks are pacing themselves this year instead of dominating the regular season to fall short in the playoffs. That could be the case, but this team is struggling no matter how you slice it. Ryan Clowe and Logan Coture are the only two guys on the roster to have scored multiple goals this month. Clowe is the team leader in assists and Coture is the leading goal scorer...this is a problem when you have guys like Thornton, Heatley (the team leader in points, at least) and Marleau (an ugly -17 on the season) on your roster. G Antti Niemi has hardly looked like the most recent Stanley Cup winning goalie but Antero Niittymaki has been serviceable. The 6th ranked PP is one of the bright spots this season.

Phoenix - The surprise team of the West last season is hanging tough this season. They've lost 4 of 7 after winning 7 in a row and rank in the middle of the pack of goals scored (13th), goals against (13th), power play (12th) , and penalty kill (18th). Off-season acquisition winger Ray Whitney has panned out nicely and leads the team in assists (16) and points (20). Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is shouldering the load between the pipes and is as reliable as usual (12-5-6, 2,54 GAA, .922 Save%). I'd like to see someone distinguish himself as a top goal scorer on this team as the season hits the midway point (Lee Stempniak, Lauri Korpikoski, and Scottie Upshall each lead the team with 8 goals - none of which are household names).

NHL Weekly TV Viewer Guide

Sidney Crosby travels across the Keystone State for the NHL's Game of the Week on Tuesday

NHL Viewers Guide for the week of 12/13/10

MONDAY - Kings @ Red Wings - 7:30PM - Versus

Why you should watch: The best in the West are hosting a Kings team that is turning it around as of late. After spending much of the season near the top of the Western Conference, LA went through a stretch where they lost 8 of 9 and dropped to the bottom of the Pacific Division. However, they've won 3 of 4 and this team is much better than their record. The Red Wings have won 2 in a row after dropping 3. This is their 2nd meeting of the season (Kings won at the Staples Center last Saturday 3-2 in OT)

TUESDAY - Penguins @ Flyers - 7PM - Versus

Why you should watch: This is the game of the week in the NHL. These are the top 2 teams in the league points-wise. The Penguins are looking for their 13th win in a row while the Flyers have earned points in 5 straight games since a 3 game losing streak to end November. This is their 4th meeting of the season with Philly winning 2 of the 3 games so far.

WEDNESDAY - No nationally televised game

THURSDAY - Bruins @ Canadiens - 7:30PM - NHL Network

Why you should watch: This classic Original 6 rivalry always provides for entertaining hockey. The Canadiens lead the Northeast Division but the Bruins only trail them by 2 points. Montreal won the only prior meeting of the season back on Veterans Day. The Canadiens set off on a 7 game road trip to close the calendar year after this game.

FRIDAY - Red Wings @ Blackhawks - 8:30PM - NHL Network

Why you should watch: Another classic Original 6 rivalry that always provides entertaining hockey. The Hawks trail Detroit by 6 points in the Central Division and this is only their 2nd meeting of the season (Detroit spoiled the Blackhawk's banner-raising party on Chicago's opening night). Keep an eye on Blackhawks rookie goaltender Corey Crawford, who is starting to heat up.

SATURDAY - Maple Leafs @ Canucks - 10PM - NHL Network

Why you should watch: This cross-Canadian match-up features the 2nd best team going against the worst in the Northeast. While this seems like a mismatch on paper, both teams can score goals quickly and have strong bluelines. Vancouver has earned at least a point in 7 of their last 8 games. The Canucks beat the Leafs 5-3 in their previous match-up and this will be the last time these two play each other this season.

SUNDAY - Kings @ Blackhawks - 7PM - NHL Network

Why you should watch: Both of these teams play a fast-paced game and like to get the puck up the ice quickly. Common sense says this would be a high scoring match-up, but Chicago has won the prior 2 match-ups this year 3-2 and 2-1 respectively. These teams have one more meeting in LA after Sunday's game.

A LOOK BACK AT THE FIRST ROUND

(Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images Sport)

By Chris Carrano

Three Stars Of the 1st Round

1st- Jaroslav Halak, G, Montreal- Halak proved that old hockey cliché true that a hot goalie can steal a series away. In his case however, it was more like highway robbery. With his eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens trailing the overall number one seed Washington Capitals three games to one in their series, the supposedly “shaky” Halak was anything but. He came through with 37 saves in Game 5, 53 in Game 6 and 41 more in Game 7. Of those 131 shots, Washington only managed to put three past Halak; one in each game.

2nd- Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh- You knew Crosby’s name would’ve crept up in here somewhere. Crosby is the leading points getter through the first round with 14 total points (5 G, 9 A). When he’s not selling soft penalties, he can also play goalie, as evidenced by his swiping the puck out of the crease when goalie Marc Andre-Fleury couldn’t see it behind him.

3rd- Henrik Zetterberg, C/LW, Detroit Red Wings- Zetterberg had six goals and five assists during the Wing’s seven game first round series with the Phoenix Coyotes. That’s 11 points in six games and six goals in five games after not getting on the score sheet in the series opener.

Team That Needs The Heimlich Maneuver…

…The Washington Capitals. Not only did the President Trophy winning Capitals exit in the first round of the playoffs, they became the first number one seed to lose to a number eight seed when having a 3-1 lead. The Capitals, who practically clinched a playoff spot around Christmastime, have another off-season to ponder just what the heck happened. In their last four playoff series, all which went seven games, the Caps managed only one series win and that was after being down 3-1 against the New York Rangers. A very disappointing season for a team that has all that offensive firepower and a top scorer and playmaker as its captain. Washington is on the fast track to winning another award: the San Jose Sharks of the East. However, another team may take a crack at that title and they are….

…The New Jersey Devils. It was another disappointing season for the Devils as they couldn’t live up to their high expectations yet again. Every single year New Jersey somehow manages to put a legitimate Stanley Cup contender on the ice, but once the calendar turns to April, the Devils look more like figure skaters in Rockefeller Center than a playoff hockey team. Even though they were ousted in the first round for the third straight year, I’m sure they’ll be back in the post-season next year.

Team looking over its shoulder…

…the San Jose Sharks. As if facing the Detroit Red Wings isn’t a big enough challenge, not beating themselves will be another obstacle that the Sharks will have to over come. The only two games the Colorado Avalanche “won” against the Sharks, came when San Jose’s players scored in their own net. Maybe they were just making it more suspenseful and exciting for their tortured fan base, but rest assured, the Red Wings will not need “own goals” to beat San Jose.

Biggest Disappointment of the First Round...

...There will be no Crosby vs. Ovechkin Round 2. After watching the NHL’s two mega stars go head-to-head in last year’s playoffs, I couldn’t wait till they met again this year. Looks like I’ll have to keep waiting. It was almost a certainty, that the way the regular season went, we were going to be treated to another Penguins-Capitals series. The stakes would have been much higher this year, as it would have come in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ponder that for a second: Game 7 between the Penguins and Capitals with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line. Instead, the NHL doesn’t get it’s ratings bonanza, and while us hockey fans will still see some great hockey, we’ll have to wait for the next Winter Classic to see these two teams square off again.

Best Game Of The 1st Round

Game 5- Chicago vs. Nashville-With the game winding down and the Nashville Predators nursing a 4-3 lead, the Chicago Blackhawks were pressing for the equalizer when all of a sudden, Marian Hossa drew a major penalty, five minutes to be exact, for shoving Dan Hamhuis into the boards. With only 1:03 left in regulation, the penalty couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Chicago had no choice but to pull goalie Antii Niemi for an extra skater and with 13.7 seconds left on the clock, Patrick Kane found himself in the right place at the right time, and put the puck in the net for a clutch goal that he described as the “best of his carreer.” After Chicago killed off the remaining 3:57 of Hossa’s penalty in overtime, Hossa came out of the box and raced up the ice and found himself in the perfect position to score the game winner. A shot from teammate Brent Sopel was deflected to his stick and Hossa was able to slide the game-winning puck into Nashville’s goal. After their come from behind win, the crowd in the United Center erupted and two nights later, Chicago went on to win the series in Nashville.

Honorable mention: Game 5- Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa- Ottawa’s Matt Carkner scored in the games 107th minute (7:06 of the third overtime) to force a Game 6 against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Anytime an NHL game goes into overtime it’s must see TV. Unfortunately, the Senators lost the series in six games, but they had a nice run this year and played a lot better against the Penguins than most people thought they would have.

Who’s Gets the Humble Pie In His Face?

Alexander Ovechkin. I wonder if Ovechlin still thinks Halak is “shaky” now. After the loss Ovechkin had this to say, "I'm in shock right now. It was great going up 3-1 in the series. But it's only one step. We didn't do it."

Second Round Predictions

I didn’t do too well with my first round picks, so maybe I’ll do better now. Here they are:

Red Wings vs. Sharks- Wings in six.
Blackhawks vs. Canucks- Blackhawks in six.
Penguins vs. Canadiens- Penguins in six.
Bruins vs. Flyers- Bruins in seven.

COYOTES SILENCE HOCKEYTOWN

(Photo credit: Dave Reginek NHL/Getty Images)

by Chris Carrano



Game 7 here we come. It’s only fitting that the series between two franchises that are on opposite ends of the hockey spectrum, goes the distance. The Detroit Red Wings, a proud and storied franchise that has qualified for the postseason for 19 consecutive seasons was walloped in front of their home crowd yesterday afternoon by an up and coming Coyotes team that at the beginning of the season was in such financial disarray, their head coach quit and many didn’t know whether or not the team would fold or move elsewhere.

“Home-ice advantage is only good if it comes down to a Game 7,” said Coyotes coach Dave Tippett. History is on the Coyotes side. The last time the Detroit Red Wings have won a Game 7 on the road was in 1964. "Our building will be a crazy atmosphere. Anytime you can compete in a Game 7, that's like the pinnacle right there. I'm sure our team will be charged up. We've worked awful hard to get home ice."

Despite playing without injured captain Shane Doan, the Coyotes came together for a 5-2 victory to even the series up at three games apiece. There is a possibility that Doan will lace up his skates for what will be the biggest game in franchise history. "That'd certainly be sweet," said defenseman Mathieu Schneider, who scored a power-play goal early in the second period. "He was present all night. He was in the room in between periods, talking to the guys and keeping everyone focused. Just a tremendous leader -- one of the best leaders I've ever been fortunate enough to play with. He's another great captain in this League."

That enthusiasm was well received in the locker room. The Coyotes used their power play and penalty kill to dominate the Red Wings. Phoenix took three consecutive penalties in the games opening minutes but it didn’t matter as forward Laurii Korpikoski opened the scoring just 4:10 into the game with a shorthanded goal that silenced the Hockeytown crowd.

Schneider connected with a power play goal at 2:27 of the second period but Detroit quickly responded when Brad Stuart scored 24 seconds later to cut the Coyotes lead 2-1. A power play goal by Radim Vrbata, which turned out to be the eventual game winner and an even strength goal from Wojtek Wolski put Phoenix up 4-1, and they never looked back. Just for kicks, Taylor Pyatt added a power play goal at 5:25 in the third to send most of the crowd home.

"We needed our power play to give us something," Tippett said. "We got a good effort out of them. I was surprised that we needed our penalty kill so much so early, but [Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov] just jumped in the game and was excellent."

Jimmy Howard made 24 saves for Detroit and will play in his first Game 7 tomorrow night in Phoenix. "They scored on the power play three times," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said when asked about Howard's performance. "I don't think you can blame him for anything that happened here today. We were all in it together."


CANUCKS DETHRONE KINGS

Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, long vilified for his inability to come up big in big games, made the save of the year last night. It came as the Los Angeles Kings held a 1-0 lead early in the second period and Ryan Smyth found himself alone with the puck knocking on Luongo’s doorstep, who as Dave Lozo of NHL.com describes it, looked like a disoriented turtle that couldn't roll over to get back into position.With the top half of the net exposed for Smyth to do his best Lamar Odom impression, Luongo made a dynamite glove save to preserve the lead. Luongo was fortunate that it was Smyth who took the shot. "I was just laying down and I saw Smitty winding up," Luongo said, "and luckily he doesn't have a Howitzer and I was able to snare it."

Canucks winger Steve Bernier tied the game less than two minutes later and Daniel Sedin broke a 2-2 tie at 2:03 of the third to put away the Kings for good.

"Obviously our goaltender tonight gave us an opportunity to stay in this game and win this series," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "We weren’t nearly good enough in the first half of the game and he kept us in there."

Could it be that Luongo is putting his doubters to rest? Only time will tell as Vancouver gets a bit of a reprieve as they await their second round opponent.

TONIGHT’S GAMES

Washington at Montreal 7 pm (WAS leads 3-2)
Buffalo at Boston 7 pm (BOS lead 3-2)
Chicago at Nashville 9 pm (CHI leads 3-2)

SHARKS BITE THEMSELVES

(Photo credit: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

By Chris Carrano


A classic hockey game was shaping up at the Pepsi Center last night between the top seeded San Jose Sharks and the eighth seeded Colorado Avalanche. All it needed was a classic finish and what transpired last night is sure to be talked about for years to come.

The San Jose Sharks, who have authored the book on epic playoff collapses, added another chapter to their woeful story last night. Both goalies were superb throughout regulation. Avalanche net minder Craig Anderson stopped 50 shots and his counterpart Evgeni Nabokov, who didn’t have to work as hard, stopped all 16 Avalanche pucks that were launched at him. Suddenly, 51 seconds into the overtime period, the Sharks finally scored the game’s first goal. Unfortunately, they scored it into their own net and now find themselves down 2-1 to the Colorado Avalanche in this best-of-seven quarterfinal series.

Ryan O’Reilly was credited with the goal; although no one is absolutely sure his stick touched the puck. Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News described the bizarre sequence of events best: Sharks defensemen Dan Boyle attempted to pass the puck back to teammate Douglas Murray, who was behind the net. Instead, the puck ticked the shaft of O'Reilly's stick and squeezed past Nabokov, who was properly positioned, hugging the right post. But there was just enough space for the puck to somehow find the net.

"We didn't beat their goalie," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We found a way to beat ours."

Anderson is used to seeing a large number of pucks being flung at him. He leads the NHL in shots faced and saves this season. Even though his team was out shot by the Sharks at a 3 to 1 margin, Anderson never lost focus and continued to make fantastic saves to keep his team in the game. Devin Setoguchi, who scored the overtime game winner for the Sharks in Game 2, tried to ram a puck past Anderson in front of the net, but “Andy”, as the fans were chanting all night long, managed to position his skate just in time to stop it. San Jose out shot Colorado 42-7 over the final two periods.

"When you work hard and you stay positive, good results happen and you get the lucky bounces," Anderson said. "It's remarkable."

"We can't change what happened," Nabokov said. "We should be proud of ourselves, the way we played. Sometimes, you have to tip your hat to Anderson. He played really well and he kept them in there."

Let’s hope the Sharks have short memories and put this one behind them quickly. I know their fans won’t.

AROUND THE NHL

The Phoenix Coyotes took back their home ice advantage with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena yesterday afternoon. Petr Prucha, the ex-New York ranger, had the game winner at 8:16 of the third period and Sami Lepisto scored the fastest playoff goal in franchise history 29 seconds into the game that gave the Coyotes an early lead. Despite Vernon Fiddler being scratched and the loss of Shane Doan to an upper body injury, the Coyotes controlled the puck for most of the game.

"They just got better," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "With no Fiddler and no Doan, they had the puck more than we did." Game 4 is tomorrow night in Detroit.

Up at the United Center in Chicago, Blackhawks goalie Antii Niemi blanked the Nashville Predators 2-0 to even their best-of-series at one game apiece. Dave Bolland scored on a second period power play and Patrick Kane scored an insurance goal at 4:18 of the third.

"Nobody really filled his role," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I thought their goaltender saw way too many pucks. We made it easy on him. ... You've got to fight for inches. We didn't fight for those inches. We need to be in his face a little more and make him fight through and find pucks.”

"Antti came off a game where we were all disappointed. It was a nice response by him," Chicago Joel Quenneville said. “We were more tenacious in the puck area, we had more traffic at the net, better board play and better in the scrum areas. ... There was more energy in our game." The series shifts to Nashville on Tuesday night for Game 3.

Across the border in Ottawa, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins took a 2-1 series lead over the Senators last night with a 4-2 victory. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each scored a goal to go along with goals from Alexei Ponikarovsky and Bill Guerin.

At one point the Senators thought they had tied the game with 40.8 seconds to go in the first period, but the referee ruled that the puck was kicked in. Game 4 is tomorrow night in Ottawa and the Penguins will surely look to put a stranglehold on the Senators.

And finally, down to Broad Street in Philadelphia last night where the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers battled in the night’s second overtime game (well technically it was the first).

Flyer’s tough guy, Daniel Carcillo, who has probably knocked out more guys on the ice than knocked pucks past an opposing goalie, was the unlikely hero last night scoring the game winner at the 3:35 mark in overtime.

Mike Richards set up the goal off a pair of shots against the sensational Martin Brodeur. Richards' first shot bounced off Brodeur. Richards then slid the second one past Brodeur to Carcillo -- who put it behind Brodeur. (espn.com)

"Richards was banging away and they seemed occupied with him," Carcillo said. "It was a pretty easy tap in for a game winner. I'm still kind of shaking. It was huge. It was awesome. Everybody dreams of a goal like that."

Game 4 is tomorrow night at the Wachovia Center.

Some information and quotes from ESPN.com were used in this story

TONIGHTS GAMES (All times EST)

Buffalo at Boston 7:00 pm. VS. (series tied 1-1)
Washington at Montreal 7:00 pm TSN (series tied 1-1)
Vancouver at Los Angeles 10:00 pm VS. (series tied 1-1)

NHL PLAYOFFS: DAY 1 WRAP UP

(Photo credit: Joe Sargent- NHL.com/Getty Images)

By Chris Carrano

SENATORS STIFLE PENGUINS COMEBACK ATTEMPT

(Ottawa lead series 1-0)

Suddenly that little bump on their road to defending the Stanley Cup became a little bit larger after last night. The Ottawa Senators stunned the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 last night and snatched away the home-ice advantage for the defending champions in the process.

“Nobody’s picking us to win the series,” said Ottawa forward Jason Spezza.

Despite two goals from star forward Evgeni Malkin and three assists from their other star Sidney Crosby, the Penguins were held in check by Ottawa’s pesky defense. Malkin brought the standing room only crowd of 17,132 to its feet just 3:03 into the game with his first goal. After that, the Penguins could only muster one shot on net for the next 21:53. During that stretch, Peter Regin, Chris Neil and Chris Kelly scored goals for the Senators to give them a 3-1 lead.

The Penguins fought back as they came within one goal of the Senators on three different occasions. But each time they did, Ottawa answered back with goals of its own. Former Penguin, Jarkko Ruutu, ended up with game winner when he beat Penguins goalie Marc Andre-Fleury with a wrist shot 9:40 into the third.

"We can't hang our heads and just say something [like] 'We didn't execute,'" forward Alexei Ponikarovsky said. "We just have to do a better job. We've got to work and win the rest of them.”

Interesting facts (from ESPN.com)- Craig Adams scored after becoming the only player in the NHL this year to not score a goal despite playing in all 82 games…… Erik Karlsson became the first defenseman under the age of 20 to score a postseason goal since Wade Redden in 1997. (Seems like it’s been that long since Redden has scored too)

FLYERS EDGE DEVILS

(Philadelphia leads series 1-0)

In front of a sold out Prudential center crowd, the Flyers did what they’ve done all season against New Jersey: beat them. The Jersey Turnpike rivalry added another chapter last night as the Flyers took game one from their division rivals, 2-1, on impressive goaltending from their journeyman net minder Brian Boucher.

After a scoreless first period, Chris Pronger put the Flyers on the board with a power play goal at 9:25. Pronger backhanded his shot off the skate of Devils forward Brian Rolston and into the net. Mike Richards scored to make it 2-0 when he rifled a 35-foot shot that beat Devils goalie Martin Brodeur on his glove side.

Travis Zajac’s fluky goal at 17:17 of the third period gave the Devils a little hope, but Philadelphia was able to close it out. Despite having a four-minute power play early in the third period, the Devils only managed two shots on goal, which resulted in fans booing them as if they were Javier Vasquez of the New York Yankees.

Despite facing only 14 shots, Brodeur though his team “played decent”. He said, "Defensively, we did a great job. We didn't allow much. Offensively, the power play was the story of the game. We just couldn't get going. We couldn't get any momentum off it. We didn't do well."

COYOTES CLIP WINGS

(Phoenix leads series 1-0)

Penalties will kill you in hockey, and the Detroit Red Wings experienced that first hand last night. The Phoenix Coyotes used three power play goals to take their series opener at the Jobing.com arena in a 3-2 victory over last years Western Conference champions.

Derek Morris had the game winning goal and assisted on the other two as he earned the games first star honors. (Why didn’t the Rangers keep him???) Morris launched a shot off of Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard’s shoulder and into the net to give the Coyotes their first lead at 2:19 of the third period. It was Morris’ first career post-season goal. "He's got an absolute bomb," Howard said. "I was trying to come out as far as I could without giving up the backdoor."

Thomas Holmstrom scored the games first goal at 12:17 of the first period to put the Red Wings up 1-0. A little less than two minutes later, Keith Yandle’s power play goal tied it up. The celebration was short-lived however as Nicklas Lidstrom responded just 2:14 later with a power play goal of his own.

Wojtek Wolski, who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche at the trade deadline, tied the game at 6:15 of the second period when he one-timed a shot that was set up by Yandle. Wolski, has been a point-per-game player since coming to the desert.

There were some fireworks at the end of the game as the players were pushing and shoving each other. It was a physical game from top to bottom but in the third period, Lidstrom took a stick to the face from Phoenix’s Vernon Fiddler, which required five stitches to close. The ref didn’t call a penalty saying that Lidstrom was hit by his own teammate’s stick. "The [referee] would have been better off telling me he missed it," Lidstrom said.

There is sure to be some carryover for Game 2.

SHARKS BITTEN BY OWN MISHAP

(Colorado leads series 1-0)

The ghosts of playoffs past seem to haunt the San Jose Sharks and they were definitely in the HP Pavilion last night. Rob Blake, who was used to scoring big goals for the Colorado Avalanche during his career, scored another one for them- but this time he was wearing a Sharks jersey. Such is life for the Sharks who dropped their playoff opener 2-1 last night and probably has fans thinking about the “same ol’ Sharks.”

Blake’s “goal” came with 50 seconds left in regulation when Chris Stewart’s centering pass deflected off his skate and into the net.

Down 1-0 in the third period, Sharks’ forward Ryan Clowe’s misaligned shot from the boards made its way through a screen by Joe Pavelski and past Colorado goalie Craig Anderson at 7:59 to tie the game. In what may have been thought to have reversed the Shark’s post-season misfortune, the goal only delayed the inevitable.

"If you're thinking about that kind of stuff you're not in the right mental frame of mind," Clowe said. "What are losses in the past years going to do for us? These guys have a lot of character. The visiting team always wants to steal a game on the road. We would too. We just have to bounce back, work it out in practice, and come back

Craig Anderson made 25 saves, including a 6-shot flurry during a San Jose power play. "The first game is an important game, let's not kid ourselves," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. "But there's still a long ways to go. We are the eight seed and they are the one seed. Not a lot of people are giving us a chance in this series, and the pressure is on them. We played to our identity tonight right from the first start."

Information from ESPN.com was used in these stories.

TONIGHT’S GAMES (All times EST)

#8 Montreal @ #1 Washington 7 pm VS.
#6 Boston @ #3 Buffalo 7 pm CBC
#6 Los Angeles @ #3 Vancouver 10 pm VS.

2010 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS PREVIEW

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS - 1st Round
By Adam Bernard

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Montreal Canadiens vs. (1) Washington Capitals
SEASON SERIES: Split 2-2
The Canadiens find themselves in the same predicament as last year - a 1st round opponent that they have no chance of beating. Goalie Jaroslav Halak has played superbly for the Canadiens this year and the Canadiens offense can break out in spurts. But Washington is too good and too deep for Montreal to have a chance against. Washington's goaltending can be had and Halak is capable of stealing a game for Les Habitents, but look at this as a tune-up for the Capitals 2nd round match-up (which I think will be a rematch with Pittsburgh). Expect Ovie will use this round as a prelude for the showcase he'll put on in the 2nd round.
PREDICTION - CAPITALS IN 5

(5) Ottawa Senators vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
SEASON SERIES: Split 2-2
Ottawa has had a great season and has been playing great hockey since Head Coach Cory Clouston took over last season. While I think we’re seeing the return of a powerhouse Sens team (like we saw just a couple of season ago), they are not ready to knock off the defending champs. Pittsburgh has too many good players and as long as Marc-Andre Fleury doesn’t implode, the Penguins win in a short series. Look for Sens F Jarkko Ruutu to go after Evgeni Malkin’s foot injury when possible.
PREDICTION - PENGUINS IN 5

(7) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (2) New Jersey Devils
SEASON SERIES: Flyers 5-1
It seems like these two teams always have a hard-fought and physical series when they meet in the playoffs, and this time will be no different. Interesting note about the Atlantic – the Devils swept the season series with Pittsburgh, the Penguins beat the Flyers 5-1, and Philly has beat the Devils 5-1. Playoff series come down to goaltending and I can’t see Brian Boucher out dueling Martin Brodeur. Marty has played very well since the Olympics and should have the rest he needs. Travel will be easy but winning this series won’t be.
PREDICTION - DEVILS IN 7

(6) Boston Bruins vs. (3) Buffalo Sabres
SEASON SERIES: Bruins won 4-2
This is the only series with a chance of an upset in the 1st round in the East. Boston scored the least amount of goals in the East (only Calgary scored less goals) in the regular season, but they play very well in their own end of the rink. You beat Buffalo by limiting their scoring opportunities since you won’t beat Sabres G Ryan Miller often. While Buffalo doesn’t score a lot themselves, I can see Miller taking the series by himself. Expect a very physical series between two division foes. While I really think Boston has a good chance…
PREDICTION - SABRES IN 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Colorado Avalanche vs. (1) San Jose Sharks
SEASON SERIES: Split 2-2
Last year we saw why the Sharks were less than thrilled when Anaheim fell to 8th place in the West on the last day of the regular season. As good as San Jose was last season, they are a Dany Heatley better this season. While the story of this year’s Avs shouldn’t be overlooked (very young core, Craig Anderson’s fantastic play between the pipes, Joe Sacco’s performance as a rookie coach), they will not go beyond the 1st round in the team’s first playoffs in the post-Joe Sakic era. Expect a lot of scoring this series.
PREDICTION - SHARKS IN 6

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Phoenix Coyotes
SEASON SERIES: Split 2-2
Consider the following: the Coyotes ownership situation is a mess, Dave Tippett takes over for Wayne Gretzky late in the off-season, and the team is built around a young core of players. Now consider that Phoenix has been comfortably in 4th place for about a week. Dave Tippett should win coach of the year and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov should be nominated for the Vezina. It’s a shame that Phoenix ran in to the hottest team in the league in the 1st round. Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock has had his team playing great hockey since he donned gold in Vancouver. Goalie Jimmy Howard has played very well for the Wings this year and should get some Calder consideration. Detroit will be the only lower to seed to win a series in the 1st Round.
PREDICTION - RED WINGS IN 6

(7) Nashville Predators vs. (2) Chicago Blackhawks
SEASON SERIES: Blackhawks won 4-2
It seems like the Predators always run in to an opponent in the 1st round that they can’t beat. Ask anyone in the Central Division and they’ll tell you that Nashville is a tough opponent night in and night out. But the Blackhawks know the Preds well and are too talented for Nashville over the course of a 7 game series. As long as Chicago goalie Antti Niemi doesn’t get cold feet in his first playoffs, the Blackhawks win in a short series.
PREDICTION - BLACKHAWKS IN 5

(6) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks
SEASON SERIES: Canucks won 3-1
If LA’s goaltending down the stretch (maybe the gas tank went to “E” for Jonathan Quick in his first full season) didn’t falter, I’d say this is the closest match-up of the 1st round. While the Kings are a well put together team, they need more playoff experience. Vancouver has been playing solid, consistent hockey throughout the season and it won’t stop here. Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo will face a shooting gallery but can handle it. Expect a Sedin Twin Showcase in this series.
PREDICTION - CANUCKS IN 6

2010 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

By Chris Carrano

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Capitals vs. #8 Canadiens- Montreal has no shot against the President trophy winning Capitals. The Caps are too deep and talented and will be way too much for the Habs to handle. Capitals in 4.

#2 Devils vs. #7 Flyers- These two Atlantic division rivals typically do not like each other and I expect an intense, physical, penalty filled series. Watching these two teams play each other in the playoffs is a Ranger fan’s worst nightmare. The playoff experience of Marty Brodeur and company should be enough to get the Devils through the first round. Devils in 6.

#3 Sabres vs. #6 Bruins- The Buffalo Sabres return to the post-season after their Eastern Conference finals run a few seasons ago. They’ll face a Bruins team that stumbled a little bit down the stretch, but still managed to finish in sixth place. The main attraction in this series will be the battle of Team USA net minders: Buffalo’s Ryan Miller against Boston’s Tim Thomas. Sabres in 5.

#4 Penguins vs. #5 Senators- Ottawa also makes its return to the playoffs after a brief absence, but unfortunately it runs into a talented and deep Penguins team that beefed itself up at the trade deadline. The defending champs will look to close out the Igloo in style and I expect Ottawa to be a small bump on their road. Penguins in 5.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Sharks vs. #8 Avalanche- The Avalanche were left for dead at the start of the season, then surprised everyone by being in contention for a postseason berth. They briefly fell out of the top eight, but managed to slip in over the Calgary Flames. The Sharks do not have the pressure of being the President’s trophy winners this time around, but they do have a history of choking in the playoffs. They’ll make it past the first round, but not without a little bit of a scare. Sharks in 6.

#2 Blackhawks vs. #7 Predators- The Blackhawks have been one of the best teams in the West all season long and they are poised for another run at the Western Conference finals. Despite their issues in goaltending, their offense should be enough to get them past the Predators. Blackhawks in 5.

#6 Kings vs. #3 Canucks- The upstart Kings, who haven’t been to the playoffs since 2002, will have to find a way to beat Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, as well as limit the amount of times the Sedin twins end up in the box score. Luongo has fallen apart in big games and since I feel compelled to pick an upset, Im picking this one. Kings in 7.

#4 Coyotes vs. #5 Red Wings- On paper, this should be the best series of the first round. The surging Coyotes, who have no idea where they’ll be playing in the future, take on one of hockey’s premiere dynasties in the Detroit Red Wings. With all the young talent and acquisitions the Coyotes made at the deadline and all of Detroit’s veteran playoff warriors healthy and at the top of their game, this is a series a true hockey fan will love. Coyotes in 7.

STICK A FORK IN 'EM (for real this time)

(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

By Chris Carrano

********

Henrik Lunqvist sat all alone in the goal,
While 46 shots eventually took their toll,
All Sather’s horses, and Tortorella’s men,

Left poor King Henry out to dry again

********

That’s the story of the Rangers’ season folks. After a 7-1 start to the season, and a 7-1-2 run to end it, the Rangers found themselves on the outside looking in as they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1, in a shootout yesterday afternoon at the Wachovia Center.

Henrik Lunqvist stood on his head, did cartwheels and landed back flips in making 46 saves, but it was all for nothing. As is always the case, he is their best player in their biggest games and it’s a shame that the guys in front of him played the way they did. Were the Rangers waiting for him to score goals too? The guy can’t do everything and by the time the game went to a shootout, he admitted he was “beat-up.” As he has done all season long, Lundqvist bailed out his teammates who turned over way too many pucks and couldn’t control their opponents through the neutral zone, as the Flyers out shot the Rangers 47 to 25. He basically gift-wrapped the game for them, but just like how the guy on the chess team can’t score with prom queen, the Rangers failed to close.

"We played well over the last 10 games and gave ourselves a chance, but it should never have come to this," a somber Brandon Dubinsky said in the Rangers' locker room after the loss. "The way we started the year [was good]; the start and the finish. What really hurt us was everything that happened in between [24-31-9 record]. It's tough to put it down to one goal and a shootout. We had our opportunities all year, and we just couldn't get it done."

Marion Gaborik, by far their best offensive player this season, did a pre-2009 A-Rod impersonation and was no where to be found yesterday. Granted he was left out of the shootout and thus didn’t have a chance to redeem himself, but a career 2-18 record in shootouts was probably why. Instead that honor was bestowed upon Olli Jokinen (you must be Joke-inen, right?), as coach John Tortorella tabbed him to go third in the skills competition.

After P.A. Parenteau tied the Flyers in the shootout, Claude Giroux put Philly back on top after a blistering wrist shot found its way to the back of Henrik’s net. Jokinen’s back-handed attempt was then pushed aside by the Flyers’ third-string goalie, Brian Boucher, to seal the deal for Philadelphia. It’s safe to say that Jokinen pretty much played his way out of the Big Apple. Jody Shelley, a 35-year old journeyman, was their best forward on the ice, scoring the Rangers’ lone goal just 3:27 into the game, his second in two games.

“We did what we could the past few weeks to get back in the race," said Lundqvist. "They were better than us tonight. It's tough to win two games against Philly when the fourth line is your best line. It's tough."

Maybe something good will come out of yesterday’s heartbreaking loss. Let’s face it; the Rangers have been on a steady decline since they swept the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the 2006-07 playoffs. With the Knicks wrapping up their miserable season this week, Madison Square Garden will now be collecting dust for the next few months, save for a few concerts and wrestling matches. This is best way to get through to James Dolan; hit him where it hurts. No, not a kick to the Dolan family jewels, but rather, in his wallet.

According to Ian Begley on ESPNNewYork.com, Dolan wore a look of disgust as he sauntered out of the bowels of the Wachovia Center after the game. History has shown that when Dolan is angry, the heads of his Garden employees tend to roll. Maybe this is the wake-up call to let go of Glen Sather?

If I’m Henrik Lundqvist this morning, I’m walking into Dolan and Sather’s office demanding that changes be made or I’m taking my services elsewhere. Like my friend Adam Bernard suggested one night, Lundqvist is too good of a goalie to waste away his talent with a team that plays the way the Rangers do. By the time Rangers are a true Cup contender, Lundqvist will be past his prime. And if Sather is still calling the shots, Lunqvist’s number will be hanging from the Garden rafters before the Rangers are in serious contention for any type of run at Lord Stanley’s Cup. Save for a few players, he really has no supporting cast and a lot of needs must be addressed this off-season. Maybe Rex Ryan can lend a hand as a special consultant for next season.

**********

RANGERS' STEADY DECLINE

2005-06- Got swept in the first round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils after being picked to finish last in the Eastern conference.

2006-07- Swept the Atlanta Thrashers in the first round of the playoffs, then lost in six games to the Buffalo Sabres in heart-breaking fashion, after originally falling down 2-0 and rallying to tie the series 2-2.

2007-08- Beat the Devils in five games in the first round of the playoffs and crapped the bed against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round after taking a 3-0 lead in game one.

2008-09- Lost in the first round of the playoffs to Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals after taking a 3-1 series lead on them.

2009-10- Lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in a shootout in Game 82 in which the winner is assured of a playoff berth.

"IT'S WITHIN US"

(Photo Credit: NY Daily News, Kmonicek/AP)

RANGER'S CRUISE TO VICTORY, SHOWDOWN IN PHILLY UP NEXT

By Chris Carrano

Goonies never say die, and apparently, neither do the Rangers. It took only 21 seconds for the Blueshirts to make a statement last night at Madison Square Garden; that it’s not over until the fat lady sings. Well the Rangers silenced the fat lady for one more night as they cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The often inconsistent and sloppy play New York has shown this season was brushed off to the side last night, and now, they control their own destiny heading into the final two games of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Erik Christensen, who has really raised his level of play since the Olympic break, scored two goals last night, his first opened the scoring 21 seconds into the game. His second came exactly 30 seconds after Vinny Prospal scored a goal to put the Rangers up 2-0. Christensen took Marion Gaborik’s feed and skated in alone on Leaf’s goalie Jonas Gustavsson, who was powerless to stop him.

"He was huge," said teammate Brandon Dubinsky, "He's been putting a lot of pressure on himself lately to find a way to put the puck in the net. A lot of guys have been telling him just relax, it's going to happen, it's going to come, and tonight he got rewarded with all the work he's been putting in leading up to this."

Olli Jokinen, who played one of his best games since coming to New York, gave the Rangers a 4-1 lead in the third period. Just 2:42 after Dion Phaneuf scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf, Marion Gaborik’s shot was blocked but it came right to Jokinen, who overpowered Gustavsson as he scrambled to get into position after the original shot changed directions. Aaron Voros put another nail in the Leafs coffin when he came off the bench and beat Gustavsson less than two minutes after Jokinen’s goal.

"That was as bad a first period as we played all season, simply put," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said.
With their season on the line, it all comes down to a home and home series against their bitter divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. Tomorrow night, the two teams will face-off at Madison Square Garden and will finish the season on Sunday afternoon at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Rangers will clinch a playoff berth if they can get at least three points over the next two games.

"We wanted to make the Philly games count. And they do know," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "It's within us. But we don't have to look at the board anymore, because it's right in front of us.

For Ranger fans, the playoffs officially begin tomorrow.

Information from NHL.com was used in this story

OTHER SCORES (home team in CAPS)

DETROIT 4, Columbus 3

CHICAGO 6, St. Louis 5

EDMONTON 5, Colorado 4

PHOENIX 5, Nashville 2

TONIGHT'S GAMES

Buffalo at Boston, 7 pm

Montreal at Carolina, 7:30 pm

NY Isalnders at Pittsburgh, 7:30 pm

Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 7:30 pm

New Jersey at Florida, 7:30 pm

Anaheim at Dallas, 8:30 pm

Minnesota at Calgary, 9:30 pm

Phoenix at Los Angeles, 10:30 pm

Vancouver at San Jose, 10:30 pm