First Round Meltdowns

Last night's double whammy of game 7 action featured the culmination of a slow, methodical breakdown (Rangers) and a sudden turnaround (Devils) sending both teams packing for the summer.

The Rangers played a strong opening 40 minutes, scoring the game's first goal and limiting the Capitals to just 11 shots. In the third period, the Rangers appeared to lose steam and Sergei Fedorov (yeah, he's still alive) delivered the knockout punch in the form of a short-side Kovalev-like snipe over "King" Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder.

So yes, the Rangers blew a 3-1 series lead for the first time in their franchise history. It will leave a mark for awhile. The only saving grace for tormented Rangers fans is there aren't many who believed the Rangers were good enough to get by opponents like the Bruins or Penguins. They were only good enough to get deep in the postseason, riding the coattails of their stud goalie.

Now begins an offseason with questions and very few answers. Big contracts remain on the books, but John Tortorella's coaching should rejuvenate this franchise for next season.

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For the Devils, this was obviously a series they should have won as they held the lead in the series several times. Last night's 52-second meltdown has left Devils fans stunned. It's not a familiar feeling to fans of this very successful franchise. The look on Marty Brodeur's face after Eric Staal's game winning goal certainly confirmed that.

By the way, who knew that shootout specialist Jussi Jokinen would play such a big role in this series. After scoring the infamous game-winning goal with 0.2 seconds left earlier in the series, Jokinen tied the game with 80 seconds left, one-timing a beautiful pass by Joni Pitkanen.

The next 48 hours are critical for Devils fans. They will be wondering how this happened for a long time, but the reality of the situation will settle in once the numb feeling wears off.

Believe me, I know the numb feeling. I was at game 6 in Philadelphia when the Penguins erased a 3 goal deficit in front of a hostile Flyers crowd and ended the series after scoring their 5th straight goal.

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It wouldn't be a meltdown without the San Jose Sharks though. After all the media coverage heading into the playoffs about this season being "the one" for this talented Sharks team, where do they go from here? Bruins management is looking pretty smart right now. It was four years ago they decided to trade Thornton when they collectively agreed that he was not the right type of leader for their hockey team. Big Joe has all the talent and physical ability you could ask for in a team captain, but for whatever reason, his teams fail to move past the first two rounds of the playoffs. It's a mystery. I cannot figure out the Sharks - a team with all the tools to make a Cup run over the past 4-5 seasons. They remind me of the Flyers, with better regular seasons and no goalie controversies.

We'll preview the second round tomorrow.

Inner City Pressure

Tonight, two New York city area teams battle for survival in game 7 of their opening round series. In what the sauce would like to call, Inner City Pressure.

New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals 7:00 PM EST
Carolina Hurricanes @ New Jersey 7:30 PM EST

Both the Rangers and Devils failed to seal the deal on an opening round victory in game 6 and will look to rebound in do-or-die fashion.

Here's the big difference for both teams, plain and simple.

The Devils' franchise goaltender Marty Brodeur hasn't been brilliant, but has been consistent and will need a better effort in front of him if the Devils want to advance.

The Rangers' franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been brilliant in the beginning of the series, but was recently pulled in the last two consecutive contests.

Which Henrik shows up tonight? The King or the Jester?

In all seriousness, this will go one of two ways (duh)...

- Lundqvist is too good to fall apart for three games in a row. He knows what's on the line and he has the opportunity to play his most legendary game as the Rangers' goalie. The Rangers will pull out a low-scoring victory... perhaps an OT thriller.

- Lundqvist has been exposed, the Rangers have been outplayed throughout the series, and the Capitals will finish them off Mortal Kombat style on home ice in emphatic fashion.

I truly believe in the former, but my money will be on the latter. I think Alexander Ovechkin will carry this Caps team beyond the opening round (as the the Sauce predicted... Capitals in 7).

Confessions of a New York City Devils Fan

Sitting in a local Manhattan bar. It's 7:38 pm and not one television has game 6 of the Hurricanes-Devils series on... so I ask for it on one of the mid-sized LCD televisions splattered across this fine establishment.

“Let me see if I can change this baseball game” a cute bartendress says.

“Jeez, I can't get a playoff hockey game on... a local team mind you... over the White Sox-Orioles game??” this dummy (being me) says.

She puts it on.

Ten minutes go by and now she changes it to basketball. I ask for hockey to be switched back on ANY TV in the bar! This exchange goes on through the first 2 periods... until I realize I have beer at home and should just watch it there uninterrupted.

Ahh, such is life as a Devils fan in NYC. For anyone who is clueless about this Devils-'Canes matchup, it is the most exciting series in the playoffs right now. There have already been 2 overtime games - not to mention a game in which a 3-0 lead by Carolina was erased by the Devils who then lost in regulation with 0.2 seconds left on a controversial goal.

Last night, game 5 was phenomenal even for a 1-0 game. 40+ shots on each side? And only one goal??? Most would think, BORING. Not even close. It’s a shame this series is getting no media attention because the small size of each team's respective market. Oh well, understandable.

Now let me revisit the situation I wanted to write about yesterday morning until stupid life got in the way. The 0.2 seconds goal. Yeah, that one... Marty was interfered with when Jussi Jokinen bumped into him outside of the crease. Marty saw Jokinen, and in my opinion tried to draw a penalty in OT and stepped into him. After he was knocked backwards, he was still able to regain his position, and a nasty tip-in ended the game.

While I’m a devils fan, that is what I saw objectively. It was a heartbreaking goal and I thought... the Devils are in trouble now. They came back and played a great game and now have a nice 3-2 lead in the series. Lots of work to do still.

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Five Alive: Last night, the Flyers go into Pittsburgh facing elimination and pull out a 3-0 win to get the series back to Philly for game 6 on Saturday. What a great effort. Claude Giroux - are you kidding me? This kid is legit (Sunday's epic assist). The things he’s done in the playoffs are pretty amazing. I’d be very excited for the future with this kid if I'm part of the Flyers' Faithful. Big game at home for the Orange Crush on Saturday.

Spread Your Wings and Sweep: What do I have to say? The Red Wings are unreal. Right now, they're the only really scary team in the playoffs. Hats off to the Columbus Blue Jackets who didn’t give up last night and kept battling back. Down 1-0. Then 1-1. Down 3-1. They make it3-3. Down 5-3. They end up tying it late at 5-5. Then they lose in heartbreaking fashion in the final minute. Congrats to Columbus on their first short playoff stint and hopefully despite not winning a single playoff game, the fans in Ohio got a real treat.

Oh, and how could I forget? Lastly, way to get that 8th win with 146 games left in the season Orioles! Thank God you were on 8 of 24 screens at the bar tonight.

Flyers Avoid Elimination, Red Wings Sweep

The Flyers will live to fight another day - and since the game is in Philadelphia Saturday there will be no shortage of aggression from the orange and black - as they shutout the Penguins on the road 3-0.

The Flyers played their most disciplined game of the series and frustrated the Penguins throughout the contest holding them to 13 shots in the game's final 40 minutes.

Besides a few tense moments when goaltender Marty Biron lost sight of the puck behind the net, he was in great position all night to make every save. Rebounds were a rare occurrence and it allowed the Flyers defense to remain calm when the Pens brought the heat.

Penguins fans must've been surprised as their captain Sidney Crosby disappeared for most of the game. Evgeni Malkin was still dominant with his physical play and puck handling but was unable to score with his stick in this one. Malkin put one past Biron in the 2nd period, but replays showed a distinct kicking motion on the play and the goal was correctly disallowed.

For the Flyers, the bounces went their way - and not to sound like a whining fan but it just hasn't happened for this team so far in the postseason. The Pens had several sloppy offsides on odd man rushes and failed to execute down low when the Flyers' defense was out of position. One area of concern is the play of center Jeff Carter. The NHL's 2nd leading goal scorer in the regular season has been non-effective in this series showing little interest in competing at a higher level.

It's great to see the Flyers extend this series, but they won't pull out this comeback unless Carter brings his goal scoring touch back.

Game 6, Saturday @ 3 PM on NBC. I'll be there with orange on.

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Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Red Wings spoiled the Blue Jackets' first playoff series with a 4-0 sweep. In an amazing back and forth hockey game, Johan Franzen sealed the deal giving the Wings a 6-5 lead with under a minute to go. 

So, will the Chris Osgood questions continue or cease to exist? We'll find out once the second round matchup is determined.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

In a physical game Sunday afternoon the Philadelphia Flyers cut the Penguins' series lead in half after a spirited effort led by rookie forward Claude Giroux.

After the Rod Scuderi tied the game early in the second period, it seemed like the Penguins had all the momentum and were on their way to embarrassing Philly in their home barn.

Enter, Claude Giroux. After a juicy rebound by Marc-Andre Fleury, Daniel Briere fed Giroux and he deposited the puck into the open net to give the Flyers the lead. But it was the apparent game-winning goal that impressed all hockey fans watching game 3. Giroux forechecked deep into the Penguins zone while shorthanded. He stole the puck and then put on a clinic, shielding the puck from Kris Letang and then sliding a perfect pass through the crease by Sergei Gonchar and the goaltender Fleury before Simon Gagne banged in the winner midway through the second period.

The Flyers went on to win 5-3 and will look to tie the series at two Tuesday night on VERSUS.

* The Devils won it in OT on a Travis Zajac goal giving them a 2-1 series lead.

* The Canucks took a 3 games to none lead on St. Louis. Roberto Luongo remains the playoffs MVP to this point.

Matt Gilroy to the Rangers

The New York Rangers announced the signing of Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy from Boston University this afternoon.

Details of the signing are on nypost.com.

Thoughts from an entertaining night #2

What to Watch Tonight:

Game 2: Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh, 7 PM. PIT Leads 1-0 (VERSUS)

This game will determine whether or not the Flyers can adjust to the Penguins speed. In game one, the Flyers looked flat and took needless penalties.

Game 2: Carolina @ New Jersey, 7:30 PM. NJ Leads 1-0 

The Canes need to find new ways to generate offense. Especially playing in an environment not quite as hostile as other buildings this time of year. I expect a much different game from them tonight, although Brodeur will probably be up for any challenge thrown his way.

Game 2: St. Louis @ Vancouver, 10 PM. VAN Leads 1-0 (VERSUS) 

The more experienced Canucks can really put the screws to the apparent Cinderella team from St. Louis. Roberto Luongo will be key in net, as his play can catapult the 'Nucks to a 2-0 series lead.

* Rangers-Capitals have the night off. 

Reaction from last night's games...

Blue Jackets @ Red Wings

After the Red Wings got on the board first, the Blue Jackets responded well with a goal from R.J. Umberger on a nifty pass from behind the net by Jakub Voracek. With a 1-1 score, the Jackets were surprisingly holding their own... until their defense decided to interfere with their own goaltender.

First a defenseman tried to glove the puck in the slot, even though goaltender Steve Mason would've easily stopped it, instead deflecting it into their own net.  Minutes later, Jan Hejda used his knee to block a shot in the slot but it resulted in another deflected goal past Mason. Suddenly the score was 3-1 Wings and the Jackets never recovered.

Canadiens @ Bruins
Alex Kovalev's laser found the top shelf to tie the score at 2-2 and we had quite a game down the stretch. Eventually, that impressive slapper from Zdeno Chara on the power play resulted in the game-winning goal.

Interestingly enough, Maxim Lapierre hit Phil Kessel after the empty net goal with 13 seconds left. Was he sending a message? Is this worthy of a suspension?

Certainly the NHL has set a bad precedent after handing down a 1 game suspension to Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo for perceived "message sending" antics at the end of game one between the Flyers and Penguins.

It's doubtful they follow up that precedent with any other suspensions even though Lapierre's actions were inexcusable since there was no doubt the game was over.

Flames @ Blackhawks
I found this the most entertaining game of the night by far. Jonathan Toews was everywhere in the 2nd period as he helped get the Blackhawks back into the game.

Though it was Marty Havlat stealing the show in the game's final 20 minutes...and 12 seconds.
Havlat followed his own rebound to tie the score at 2 with just a few minutes left in the game.  And just :12 seconds into overtime, Havlat wins it in front of the home crowd giving the Hawks a 1-0 series lead. 

The Flames definitely helped wake the beast as Flames forward Mike Cammalleri delivered a dangerous butt-end/glove combo to Havlat's head during a faceoff. The puck was nowhere near the two players and Cammalleri received a 2 minute minor. Given his reputation, it's hard to believe the NHL will discipline Cammalleri despite the random attack that looked like a scene from Youngblood (he must've been channeling his inner-Racki). 

Ducks @ Sharks

Missed most of this contest, though as expected, the Ducks found a way to grab game one.

Thoughts on Night #1... pre-game Night #2

What to Watch Tonight:

Montreal @ Boston, 7 PM. CBC (NHL Center Ice)

Will the Bruins set the tone early? Or will their undisciplined play allow the road team a chance to find momentum?

Columbus @ Detroit, 7 PM. VERSUS

Detroit has fared extremely well in series openers over the years. How will the Blue Jackets respond to their first playoff game? Should be an interesting first period to watch.

Calgary @ Chicago, 8:30 PM. VERSUS 

I'm most intrigued by the 8:30 start time and how Versus plans to show it when the Red Wings-Blue Jackets game starts 90 minutes earlier?

Anaheim @ San Jose, 10:30 PM. VERSUS

A late night battle royale in California. I get the feeling the Ducks can pull out game one setting up some interesting conversation tomorrow.

Winners and Losers From Last Night:

Winners...

* Henrik Lundqvist helped the Rangers steal one on the road. No one is surprised

 when the Rangers get outshot and still win. That's why they have a legitimate chance in this series.

* Daniel Sedin scored the opening goal, set up the eventual game-winner, took 6 shots on goal and finished +1 to lead the Canucks to a game one victory.

* The Devils defense held the high flying Hurricanes to 19 shots making goaltender Marty Brodeur's evening much easier than it should have been.

Losers...

* The Flyers. That was a pretty uninspired performance to open up the playoffs. Forget a goaltending concern... the Flyers take too many penalties and now everyone's wondering if it's caught up to their best players, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, who are counted on in every situation.

* The Capitals' worst nightmare came true as Jose Theodore allowed the Rangers to break the Capitals' momentum on the road. Will we see Simeon Varlamov in nets for game 2... or 3 if the Caps are down 2-0?

It's Time For New Heroes

Well maybe not that kind of Heroes featuring Hayden Penettiere (great hockey name by the way), but the kind of heroes that bring cities together and have a huge impact on a team's Stanley Cup chances by doing the little things right.

We all know the superstars. We know the prime-time players that have risen up and led their teams to glory while taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

Henrik Zetterberg in 2008. Scott Niedermayer in 2007. Steve Yzerman in 1998. Joe Sakic in 1996.

But what about those unsung heroes. The role players or 2nd line goal scorers that emerge as the heart and soul of a franchise for a grueling two months of do or die hockey. It doesn't always result in a Stanley Cup. But it results in very fond memories that fans can carry with them forever.

The 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs start Wednesday night. It seems like the most wide open field the NHL has ever seen. Each conference has four, maybe five, legitimate threats to win it all. At the top of each conference, we have some of the finest teams we've seen in some years. But at the bottom of each bracket we see some of the scariest #7 or #8 seeds in quite some time. Teams that didn't meet expectations in the regular season and snuck in. We even have teams in each conference that were written off months ago... Carolina and St. Louis.

So without further adieu... I present to you the unscientific results of my playoff predictions. For the NEW season. Let's go.

Eastern Conference

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

There has been a lot of talk about this storied rivalry and the upper hand the Canadiens teams of the past have had over the Boston Bruins. It makes you wonder about the psyche of this well balanced Bruins team and whether they'll allow doubt to creep into their minds if the Canadiens steal a game in Boston early. Perhaps that would be the case if Andrei Markov was healthy and the Habs didn't have such a strange season, but it seems unlikely this Bruins team doesn't have the confidence necessary to pull this out. The B's have all the ingredients necessary for a Stanley Cup run, while the Canadiens will need amazing play from their goaltender, Carey Price, to disrupt the flow of this series. Don't count on it.

Key Player: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. Besides shutting down some of the savvy Canadiens forwards that Montreal boasts in Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay and Saku Koivu, Chara will need to have an impact on the Bruins power play with that booming shot of his.

Prediction: Bruins in 5

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #7 New York Rangers

One of the NHL's top offenses, the Capitals, runs into one of the NHL's stingiest defenses. Which one will be overwhelmed first? Probably neither. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is a difference maker and an asset the Capitals don't have. His play gives the Rangers upset potential, but will it be enough to win 4 games? The Rangers are an improved team since head coach John Tortorella has taken over but their play has been too inconsistent to believe in. Especially against a team with the most explosive goal scorer in the league in Alexander Ovechkin. I expect the Capitals crowd to have an impact in the series' first two games putting the Rangers behind early.

Key Player: Ryan Callahan, Rangers. He's been one of the strongest Rangers forwards of late and can play a pivotal role in frustrating the likes of Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Prediction: Capitals in 7

#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes

Probably the least anticipated series of the bunch, the red hot Hurricanes skate into the playoffs with an offense AND a defense that can score (Anton Babchuk, 16 goals!). Most importantly, the play of goaltender Cam Ward reminds some of their Stanley Cup winning run in 2006. While the Devils continue to be a model of success with their defense-by-committee style and consistent goaltending from the great Martin Brodeur, they don't seem to have a squad formidable enough to score goals when it's going to matter most.

Key Player: Zach Parise, Devils. Parise reminded many of Sidney Crosby with his play this year. The Devils' leading goal scorer was the heart and soul of the team this year. But can his clutch goal scoring make up for a lack of scoring depth against a deeper 'Canes team?

Prediction: Hurricanes in 6

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

The battle of Pennsylvania occurs twice in two playoff seasons. Last year the Penguins got the better of the Flyers, defeating them in 5 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Logic tells you the Flyers will have an answer for the Penguins this time around with a healthy Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Simon Gagne. Both teams feature amazing scoring depth and slightly above average goaltending, but the Penguins might be playing better hockey than they were last year - and last year they pushed the Red Wings to 6 games in the Stanley Cup. It might be asking too much of Marty Biron to help shut down a Penguins offense featuring Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, especially when his team gives up far too many scoring chances every night.

Key Player: Mike Richards, Flyers. Richards' play has dipped lately. If he's unable to find his best game, the rest of the Flyers will follow suit. If he can help shut down Crosby or Malkin, Philly can pull this out but it just doesn't seem like they're able to string together 60-minute efforts at this crucial juncture of the season.

Prediction: Penguins in 7

Western Conference

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks

This was not the matchup the Sharks were hoping for. After steamrolling the competition, they draw a rival team with the chops to make a surprising run after a mostly mediocre regular season. Similar to the Bruins-Canadiens series, history shows the top seeded Sharks are susceptible to losing confidence early in the playoffs. Most of the pieces from the Ducks 2007 Cup winning team are still in place, but this is the Sharks time. They have their best D corps in years and Joe Thornton knows that it's now or ever with this talented club.

Key Player: Evgeni Nabokov, Sharks. The goaltender can be a difference maker in every series, but this is where the Sharks have a serious edge. Nabokov has been strong for them all season long while the Ducks are flip-flopping between former Conn Smythe MVP JS Giguere and youngster Jonas Hiller.

Prediction: Sharks in 6

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets

It'll be exciting to see how the Columbus crowd reacts to their first NHL playoff home game

once the team returns from Motown. Hopefully they're not down 2 games none at that point, which very well could be the case. If the Red Wings didn't have goaltending issues, this looks like a team that could casually take out opponents en route to a repeat. But that's not how it will work. The Blue Jackets have come this far for a reason. Their franchise leader, Rick Nash, will try his best to lead the way and rookie goaltender Steve Mason should keep the Jackets in every game.

Key Player: R.J. Umberger, Blue Jackets. The Flyers might've taken this forward for granted after his clutch performance in the 2008 playoffs. His competitiveness will rub off on other teammates and his propensity for the big goal should be witnessed at least in two games during this series.

Prediction: Red Wings in 6

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues

The Blues' improbable second half merits respect from other teams and even fans. But their roster is a who's who of young talent and veterans who most people wrote off long ago. Vancouver seems to be firing on all cylinders of late, too. Moving Alex Burrows to the first line and giving Mats Sundin a couple of linemates to gel with has paid dividends. The Canucks just seem like a playoff team. They're solid in all areas and have the star power up front to make the difference in close games.

Key Player: Roberto Lungo, Canucks. At times during the season, the Canucks played without their franchise goalie and struggled mightily. With Luongo back there, the Blues will find it tough to score too early to give them the confidence they need to pull off this upset.

Prediction: Canucks in 6

#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames

The young and the restless. At least that has to be the feeling in the Hawks locker room as they prepare to take the ice in game 1 to a roaring United Center crowd. Young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have their first opportunity to shine... or fall flat on their faces. With head coach Joel Quenneville's experience, they should have enough leadership to guide

them through this opening round. The Flames, however, are trying to find their game and stay healthy. Not a good combination in April. Goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff will need to regain his 2004 form or else it could be a quick fizzle for the Flames.

Key Player: Jarome Iginla, Flames. One has to believe that the captain of this team will lead by example on the ice and have the support of his team off the ice giving the Flames a powerful bond that goes back many years... before the Hawks had players like Toews, Kane, Marty Havlat, and Duncan Keith. Seeing is believing though.

Prediction: Blackhawks in 6

Goodbye HK

This blog wasn't supposed to include anything emotional or sentimental, but I felt like I had to comment on the sudden passing of broadcasting legend Harry Kalas. 

Kalas, the Phillies play-by-play man since 1971 collapsed Monday, at the age of 73, in the broadcast booth in D.C. today before the Phillies took on the Nationals, thus stunning the city of Philadelphia - which became home to him and homes became friends of his.

This isn't the first time we all lost a great Philly broadcaster. The late Gene Hart started out his career with the expansion Philadelphia Flyers in 1966 and was the voice of the team for 29 years. His famous Stanley Cup winning call stills ring in Philadelphia sports fans' ears.

"Ladies and gentlemen. The Flyers... are GOING to WIN.... the Stanley Cup!! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup!!! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup!!! The Flyers have WON...the Stanley Cup!!!" You can listen here.

Over the past 38 years, Harry Kalas had his fair share of great calls. This tribute includes many of them, specifically Mike Schmidt's 500th home run versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"SWING and a long drive... there it is!!! Number 500!!! The career 500th home run for Michael...Jack....Schmidt!!!"

That call, which inexplicably included Schmidt's middle name and made it all the more special, coupled with Schmidt's memorable celebration down the first base line are engrained in fans' minds and will live on forever.

Kalas had a uniquely deep voice that was unmistakeable when you tuned into a baseball game, an NFL Films production, or a Campbell's Chunky Soup commercial.

Bill Lyon's column in the Philadelphia Inquirer will surely sum things up much better than I could ever dream.... or check out Bob Ford's emotional story, too.

People my age have long listened to stories from the older generation waxing poetic about Howard Cosell or nights spent with the AM radio at their bedside tuned into a nightly sportscast. I've never felt like I had a similar story to tell until now.

I remember spending many mid-summer days down at the Jersey Shore as a kid, and there were days I'd refuse to go to the beach with the rest of the family because the Phillies were on TV. I can still remember every detail about those days... the house to myself, a cold coke or iced tea in hand, breezy salt air infiltrating the screened-in sliding doors, a few packs of opened baseball cards in a mess on the floor, and most importantly... the VOICE... the voice of a great storyteller was loud and clear.

Who Plays Who?

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Boston Bruins vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

#2 Washington Capitals vs. #7 New York Rangers

#3 New Jersey Devils vs. #6 Carolina Hurricanes

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Philadelphia Flyers

Here's what I look forward to or wonder about with these East match-ups:

• Two Original Six franchises go to war: B's and Habs. If you type in 'bruins canadiens' into youtube, you'll see the words "fight" and "brawl" appear as the 2nd and 3rd options. Just sayin'.
• Alexander Ovechkin comes to the biggest city in the world and on the biggest stage at Madison Square Garden.
  
• Can Marty Brodeur cool off one of the league's hottest teams? 
• The battle of Pennsylvania featuring 4 of the NHL's best centers in Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Anaheim Ducks

#2 Detroit Red Wings vs. #7 Columbus Blue Jackets

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 St. Louis Blues

#4 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #5 Calgary Flames

Here's what I look forward to or wonder about with these West match-ups:

• A Sharks-Ducks match-up is what Barry Melrose has been clamoring for since early March. If it's as physical as he expects, this will be the series to watch.
• Can the Blue Jackets hang with the defending champs in their first-ever playoff series?
• I was more excited about a Canucks-Blues series when players like Pavel Bure, Cliff Ronning, Al MacInnis and Brett Hull were involved, but this one should be interesting as the Blues have come out of nowhere to claim this #6 spot.
• Won't it be cool to see Chicago Stadium, er the United Center, rocking again for playoff hockey?

Playoff predictions and much more coming tomorrow and Wednesday.

Best Safety At Work Video Ever

This might be the craziest video I've ever seen.  Unintentional comedy at its best.

Fridays Are Good

Some random musings on this Friday to get you ready for Saturday and Sunday:

• The Eastern Conference playoff spots have been claimed with 3 days left in the regular season. It's good to see two storied franchises make it despite the roller coaster seasons the Rangers and Canadiens have had. Though I'm pretty sure their will be riots in Miami today as fans realize the Panthers will now lose defenseman Jay Bouwmeester for nothing. (checking cnn.com right now....... ) Wait, no riots? Oh, well maybe there's a one-man riot in GM Jacques Martin's office. The Miami Herald didn't even mention it... too soon?
  
• Speaking of the Rangers, last night's crowd at Madison Square Garden was one of the more spirited crowds I've seen at a regular season game. It's just a shame referee Don Van Massenhoven joined the party in the first minute of the game. I'm not one to gripe about calls costing a team a game, but there was absolutely no good reason that the Rangers' first goal counted. Last time I checked, you can't slash a goalie's glove (6 times in total) and push him behind the goal line. Bad officiating like that is definitely unfair this time of year when one-goal victories are a nightly occurrence.
• HBO's next installment of their 24/7 series featuring Manny Pacquiao and Ricky 'the hitman' Hatton starts tomorrow. Set your DVRs. Why? Because Floyd Mayweather, Sr. is the trainer that's why. Check out the trailer.
• The season finale of NBC's Friday Night Lights is on tonight at 9 PM. This has to be the best TV show I've never seen. Honestly, my DVR is too full... don't think for one second that I'm not setting my DVR for the Groomer Has It finale on Saturday night. Blah.
  
• Have you heard of this rising comic star, Seth Rogen? Ok you probably have, but did you know he's starring in his 9th film (not counting voice work) in 3 years? Observe and Report hits theaters today and hits you over the head with Rogen. Remember Will Ferrell in Semi Pro? That's what's going on with Rogen right now, although this film does have potential. Ah, nevermind...thanks for saving me $12 Metacritic.
• Back to the NHL... four teams are battling for the final 2 spots in the Western Conference. Minnesota trails the Ducks, Blues and Predators by 3 points and faces the former squad tonight for a must win game. This is also the Preds' last game of the season and without gaining at least a point in tonight's game, they will be eliminated from the playoffs. Cool, right?
• Last night's BU-Vermont NCAA Hockey game on ESPN2 was a pretty epic battle. BU got a late goal from big-time NHL prospect Colin Wilson for the 5-4 win.
• Lastly, Sunday is the officially the best nap day of the year with the Masters on CBS. Tune in to the soothing sounds of Jim Nance, set the volume to 22 and take in all that Augusta has to offer...just make sure you wake up in time to catch the back nine.
  

A First For The Blue Jackets

For the first time in their franchise's existence, the Columbus Blue Jackets are headed to the playoffs. And it only took eight seasons get there!

This is a team that has picked within the top 8 of every NHL entry draft since 2000. Let's take a look.

• 2000, Rusty Klesla (D) #4 overall
• 2001, Pascal LeClaire (G) #8 overall
• 2002, Rick Nash (LW) #1 overall
• 2003, Nikolai Zherdev (RW) #4 overall
• 2004, Alexandre Picard (LW) #8 overall
• 2005, Gilbert Brule (C) #6 overall
• 2006, Derick Brassard (C) #6 overall
• 2007, Jacub Voracek (C) #7 overall
• 2008, Nikolai Filtaov (RW) #6 overall

So basically, the Jackets only nailed it perfectly once in all those drafts - and that's when they really had no choice but to take the much-hyped Rick Nash (pictured above). In all fairness, half of these picks have become full-time NHLers and it's still too early to rule out players like Picard or Brule.

When the franchise needed a strong start via the draft in 2000, they missed out on the three players chosen (Rick DiPietro, Dany Heatley, and Marian Gaborik) before them. All three players eventually became franchise cornerstones and when looking at picks #5 - 17, the other choices for were nothing to regret. So the Jackets were dealt a bad hand from the start and it took them awhile to figure things out.

Just when it looked like the team was turning a corner with a 12-point improvement upon the previous year in 2005-06, their play regressed.

It would take 2 key changes to get this franchise to respectability.

1. The hiring of head coach Ken Hitchcock. A great teacher of the game and a man who knows how to push the right buttons with veterans and how to motivate and educate the young players.

2. The emergence of goaltender Steve Mason. The 3rd round pick in the 2006 draft could turn out to be a savior for a team that has never had elite goaltending.

The Jackets need to avoid finishing the season in the #7 spot. Something they can take care of with at least one win in their final two games. I believe this is a team that can advance a round - if they face the Canucks, Blackhawks or Flames - making them a team to watch once the Stanley Cup playoffs commence.

I Didn't Know Bemidji Was A State

Here's a good New York Times story on the unlikely journey to the Frozen Four for Bemidji State Hockey.

Thanks to J. Klevans for being a good cousin. It's pretty unlikely he was looking for a hockey story on this Wednesday morning. I'm betting he was googling the word "beavers". Oh, Klevans.

The Habs or Hab-Nots?

The Montreal Canadiens received bad news Monday as they learned they'll be without their top two defenseman for the next three weeks. Andrei Markov, the team's leading scorer with 64 points will be out three weeks with an injury to his left knee. Mathieu Schneider, acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta, will be out for the remainder of the season and will undergo surgery to his shoulder.

The team could receive a boost at some point in the first round of the playoffs with the return of Markov, but first they have to clinch a playoff berth and that might be a challenge. The Canadiens fell to the Senators 3-2 on Monday night, blowing a third period lead in a matter of 38 seconds. Dany Heatley scored both third period goals for Ottawa to erase the deficit and then move ahead. Goaltender Jan Halak could not be faulted with the loss, but the team's defense sure didn't get the job done in what could've been considered a must-win game for the recently surging Canadiens.

The Canadiens were coming off a three-game winning streak and starting to turn it around after what many have considered to be a disastrous season that has included underachieving play from key players (Alex Kovalev/Carey Price), off-ice scandals (the Kostitsyn brothers + Roman Hamrlik), the firing of their head coach (Guy Carboneau), and off-ice shenanigans that weren't appreciated by the fans, media and management.

Now, with 3 games to play (all against playoff-bound or playoff hopeful teams) they need to avoid a collapse and figure out the best way to replace their two offensively gifted defensemen.

Alex Kovalev will move to the point on the power play, but between the 6 defensemen, there will be no easy substitution available. Markov averaged 24:37 minutes of ice time per game, while Schneider averaged over 21 minutes. Head coach Bob Gainey now must allocate some of that time to players like Ryan O'Byrne (yikes, remember this goal?) and Doug Janik (double yikes).

Beyond using those two inexperienced defensemen, the domino effect will take quite a toll on some other key defensemen as ice time will spike for Mike Komisarek, Josh Georges, Roman Hamrlik and Patrice Brisebois. The increased ice time won't negatively impact the Canadiens in the short term, but after a long season you can bet it will have a tremendous affect throughout a grueling playoff series where coaching staffs step up their pre-game scouting.

The Habs were already struggling with the man advantage this season after having the NHL's top power play during the previous two seasons. The loss of free agent defensemen Mark Streit in the offseason played a big role in the decline this year. The Canadiens tried to rectify the situation by acquiring Schneider from Atlanta, but now that move has been completely null and void. Schneider scored more than half of his points on the power play this season (17 of 31). Even worse, Markov scored an overwhelming 39 of his team-leading 64 points a man up.

Most playoff-bound teams could alter their style with a more defensive approach and hope their goaltending bails them out in tight games. Unfortunately, the Habs goaltending doesn't seem capable of that yet. I fully expect the Habs to claim a playoff spot, even though the schedule this week will truly test them, but at this point I can't see them advancing past the first round potentially making a long summer even longer in this hockey hotbed.

Check out the Daily Hab-It for more Canadiens insight and a morning playoff check up.

Western Conference: Five Teams Fight For Last 2 Spots

Although the Eastern Conference playoff picture comes with more questions, half of the teams in the West have been in or around the same slot for weeks. The top 5 teams in the West have clinched playoff spots. Columbus should be next as they sit in 6th with 90 points with 3 games to play.

Let's check in on the Western Conference:

• Like Boston, San Jose is assured the #1 seed. Who they play is anyone's guess at this point. The Sharks will deal with questions about being able to come out of the West (as has been the question for so many consecutive years now)... Detroit still gets more respect for obvious reasons, but the Sharks look like the real deal this year. Hard to find weaknesses on that team.
• Speaking of the defending champs, the Red Wings will roll into the post-season as the #2 seed. The favorites, to repeat, will deal with the same yearly questions about their suspect goaltending. Can Chris Osgood get it done for them or will we see Ty Conklin?
• The Flames were in danger of losing control of the 3rd seed (getting shut out in 3 of the 5 games), but the Canucks have stumbled down the stretch. The Flames visit Vancouver Tuesday night in a game that should feature plenty of aggression. If the Flames can win that contest, their final 2 games of the season would be against an Edmonton team that might be eliminated by then. I expect Calgary to seize the 3rd seed and home ice.
• The Blue Jackets are a win away from clinching the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They will be a story over the course of the next week. They've finally put it all together thanks to the emergence of rookie Steve Mason in goal.
• With only 2 games left, the Anaheim Ducks better not make any mistakes. There are 4 teams behind them and all are fighting for their playoff lives with 3 games to go.
• St. Louis' unlikely second-half resurgence could result in a playoff berth, but they're neck and neck with Nashville and the Wild and Oilers are hanging on the ledge. With 2 of their last 3 games against non-playoff teams (Avalanche and Coyotes), the Blues find themselves in a pretty favorable position. I'll be rooting for head coach Andy Murray's club.
• The Oilers and Wild basically have to win out if they want that final spot and I'd imagine the Ducks, Predators and/or Blues would have to stumble. I think we'll have a 2-team race for that 8th spot before we hit the weekend.
  

In random news, Universal Pictures' Fast and Furious (same title as the first one? Really?!?) was no.1 at the box office pulling in over $72.5 million. SNL paid tribute to the film this weekend with their own ad and an alternate title. Pretty funny stuff.

Check it out here.