HOCKEY - INSIDE and OUTSIDE

2009-08-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

DEAR VISITORS,

WE MOVED AND WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY SEE YOU AT

OUR NEW BLOG "HOCKEY OBSERVER"

DO YOU KNOW...

2009-07-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

What was the first NHL team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles?

Choose Your Answer:

A: Montreal Canadiens,
B: Vancouver Millionaires,
C: Ottawa Senators,
D: New York Rangers

On April 4, 1921, the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vancouver Millionaires 2-1 in the decisive fifth game of the 1921 Stanley Cup Final. Jack Darragh scored both goals for the Senators, who became the first NHL team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

OTTAWA SENATORS 1921 LOGO

2009-06-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

The NHL Draft. All-Time: Ups and Downs

2009-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Drafting is an inexact science -- for every late-round gem (Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk), there's a high pick that didn't work out the way the a team had planned (Patrik Stefan).

Here's a look at some of the best choices in the history of the Entry Draft, as determined by where they were selected among the top 30 picks. (Up and coming includes players taken from 2004-08)

No. 1: Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh, 1984) -- If the Penguins had not drafted Lemieux in 1984, the franchise likely would have left Pittsburgh two decades ago. Lemieux was brilliant from the day he arrived, and eventually the Penguins built a supporting cast that helped him lead the franchise to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991-92. Had he stayed healthy, it would have been interesting to see whether he could have broken some of Wayne Gretzky's scoring records. He was perhaps the most physically talented player in NHL history.

Runners-up: Guy Lafleur (1971), Denis Potvin (1973)
Up and coming: Alex Ovechkin (2004), Sidney Crosby (2005); Patrick Kane (2007)
Disappointment: Patrik Stefan (1999)

No. 2: Brendan Shanahan (New Jersey, 1987) -- Shanahan's career came full circle in 2008-09 when he re-signed with the Devils, the team he began his career with more than two decades earlier. He's one of the great power forwards of any era, with 656 goals, 1,354 points, 2,489 penalty minutes, three Stanley Cups -- and a Hall of Fame berth as soon as he's eligible, which could be soon depending on whether he plays next season.

Runners-up: Marcel Dionne (1971), Chris Pronger (1993)
Up and coming: Evgeni Malkin (2004), Drew Doughty (2008)
Disappointment: Dave Chyzowski (1989)

No. 3: Scott Niedermayer (New Jersey, 1991) -- Few defensemen in NHL history have had Niedermayer's wheels -- he's as swift and smooth a skater as you'll ever see. Niedermayer's offensive numbers were held down somewhat because he played much of his career with the defense-first Devils. There were benefits, however -- he helped the Devils to three Stanley Cups and then captained Anaheim to another in 2007. He became a Devil in one of Lou Lamoriello's greatest trades -- the New Jersey GM dealt journeyman defenseman Tom Kurvers to Toronto in 1989 for the pick that turned into Niedermayer.

Runners-up: Denis Savard (1980), Pat LaFontaine (1983)
Up and coming: Jack Johnson (2005), Jonathan Toews (2006)
Disappointment: Neil Brady (1986)

No. 4: Steve Yzerman (Detroit, 1983) -- It's hard to believe now, but then-Wings GM Jim Devellano actually hoped to get Pat LaFontaine with the fourth pick in 1983, because LaFontaine had played locally and might help sell tickets. Instead, the Wings had to "settle" for Yzerman, who came into the NHL as a high scorer but later showed he was willing to trade individual points for team wins. The result was three Stanley Cups in six seasons, all of them with Yzerman as captain.

Runners-up: Mike Gartner (1979), Ron Francis (1981)
Up and coming: Niklas Backstrom (2006)
Disappointment: Alexandre Volchkov (1996)

No. 5: Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh, 1990) -- Missing the playoffs on the last night of the regular season is painful, but the Penguins' consolation prize for their near-miss in 1990 was Jagr. The Czech teenager turned into the perfect sidekick for Mario Lemieux and was a key to the Penguins' back-to-back Cup wins in 1991 and '92. He owns five NHL scoring titles, a Hart Trophy and seven First-Team All-Star berths, as well as five 100-point seasons. His combination of speed, skill and power is matched by very few players in NHL history.

Runners-up: Scott Stevens (1982), Tom Barrasso (1983)
Up and coming: Carey Price (2005); Luke Schenn (2008)
Disappointment: Daniel Dore (1988)

No. 6: Peter Forsberg (Philadelphia, 1991) -- Talk about the one that got away -- the Flyers drafted Forsberg with the sixth pick, but traded him to Quebec a year later in the Eric Lindros deal. Forsberg became one of the NHL's toughest skill players, a center who could beat you with a shot, a pass or just by running over you. It's hard to imagine how good he'd have been if injuries hadn't slowed him down and ultimately cut short his career.

Runners-up: Phil Housley (1982), Vincent Damphousse (1986)
Up and coming: Eric Johnson (2006), Sam Gagner (2007)
Disappointment: Daniel Tkaczuk (1997)

No. 7: Bernie Federko (St. Louis, 1976) -- At (maybe) 6 feet tall and all of 178 pounds, Federko hardly was a physical presence, but he more than made up for any lack of physicality with his hockey skills, which helped him pile up 369 goals and 1,130 points in exactly 1,000 games on the way to the Hall of Fame. He was the first player in NHL history to earn at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons (1978-79 to 1987-88).

Runners-up: Bill Barber (1972), Shane Doan (1995)
Up and coming: Rostislav Olesz (2004); Kyle Okposo (2006)
Disappointment: Ryan Sittler (1992)

No. 8: Ray Bourque (Boston, 1979) -- Bourque stepped right into the NHL from junior hockey in 1979 and didn't step out until he skated away as a Stanley Cup champion with Colorado in 2001. Bourque holds all the NHL career scoring marks for defensemen (410 goals, 1,169 assists, 1,579 points), was a First-Team All-Star 13 times -- including 2000-01, when he turned 41 -- and won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman five times. Bourque rarely was flashy, but almost always brilliant.

Runners-up: Grant Fuhr (1981), Jeremy Roenick (1988)
Up and coming: Devin Setoguchi (2005), Peter Mueller (2006)
Disappointment: Rocky Trottier (1982)

No. 9: Brian Leetch (N.Y. Rangers, 1986) -- Leetch, who spent most of his career with the Rangers, arguably is the greatest U.S.-born player in NHL history. He joined the Rangers after one season at Boston College and a stint with the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and never stopped putting up points. Leetch won the 1989 Calder Trophy, took home the Norris Trophy twice and led the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup (their only one since 1940) while becoming the first (and still only) American to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Runners-up: Cam Neely (1983), Rod Brind'Amour (1988)
Up and coming: James Sheppard (2006); Josh Bailey (2008)
Disappointment: Brett Lindros (1994)

No. 10: Teemu Selanne (Winnipeg, 1988) -- In terms of raw offensive numbers, Selanne had the greatest rookie season of all time. He announced his arrival in 1992 by shattering NHL records for first-year players with 76 goals and 132 points. The Finnish Flash led the NHL in goals three times and was good enough to score 48 goals and 94 points at age 36, helping the Anaheim Ducks to their first Stanley Cup. He had 27 goals for Anaheim this season and likely will go past 600 for his career if he comes back next season.

Runners-up: Steve Vickers (1971), Bobby Holik (1989)
Up and coming: Michael Frolik (2006); Cody Hodgson (2008)
Disappointment: Mikhail Yakubov (2000)

No. 11: Jarome Iginla (Dallas, 1995) -- The Stars traded the future for the present when they sacrificed Iginla to get Joe Nieuwendyk from Calgary. Landing Nieuwendyk helped them win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 1999, but the long-term cost has been steep -- Iginla has become one of the NHL's top stars. He's won the Art Ross, Rocket Richard and Lester B. Pearson trophies and was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2007-08 after reaching the 50-goal mark for the second time. He owns the Flames' franchise records for career goals and points.

Runners-up: Brian Rolston (1991), Brendan Witt (1993)
Up and coming: Anze Kopitar (2005); Brandon Sutter (2007)
Disappointment: David Cooper (1992)

No. 12: Gary Roberts (Calgary, 1984) -- If it seemed like Roberts was around forever, that's because he was -- at least by hockey standards. Roberts won a Stanley Cup with Calgary at age 23, scored 53 goals three seasons later, missed most of three seasons recovering from a serious neck injury, and still managed to score 438 goals and 910 points in 1,224 games. At age 42 he was a key locker-room presence in Pittsburgh's run to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, and he played briefly with Tampa Bay before retiring this season.

Runners-up: Kenny Jonsson (1993), Marian Hossa (1997)
Up and coming: Marc Staal (2005), Bryan Little (2006)
Disappointment: Josh Holden (1996)

No. 13: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Hartford, 1995) -- The last first-round draft selection in Whalers history had to make a few stops before finding success, but Giguere has been one of the keys to the rise of the Anaheim Ducks. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2003, when Anaheim lost the Stanley Cup Final to New Jersey, and he could have won again in 2007 after the Ducks topped Ottawa for their first Stanley Cup.

Runners-up: Mattias Ohlund (1994), Ales Hemsky (2001)
Up and coming: Drew Stafford (2004); Jiri Tlusty (2006)
Disappointment: Michael Henrich (1998)

No. 14: Rick Middleton (N.Y. Rangers, 1973) -- Want to make a Rangers fan groan? Mention Middleton, who came up as the Rangers were entering a rebuilding phase and was sacrificed in a trade that brought Phil Esposito's long-time sidekick, Ken Hodge, to the Big Apple in 1976. The Rangers traded Middleton's future for Hodge's past -- Middleton had seven straight 30-goal seasons and went on to score more than 400 goals with the Bruins, while Hodge was out of the League 18 games into his second season in New York.

Runners-up: Brian Propp (1979), Sergei Gonchar (1992)
Up and coming: Kevin Shattenkirk (2007), Zach Boychuk (2008)
Disappointment: Jim Malone (1980)

No. 15: Mike Bossy (N.Y. Islanders, 1977) -- Twelve teams (including the Rangers and Toronto twice each) passed on Bossy because he was regarded as just another sniper from the run-and-gun Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Isles coach Al Arbour told GM Bill Torrey he could teach Bossy to play defense; he was right, and the rest is history. Bossy scored 573 goals in just 10 seasons and was a key to the Isles' four consecutive Stanley Cups before being forced to retire in 1987 due to back problems. Had Bossy stayed healthy, it's likely he -- not Wayne Gretzky -- would have broken Gordie Howe's all-time record for goals.

Runners-up: Al MacInnis (1981), Joe Sakic (1987)
Up and coming: Riku Helenius (2006), Erik Karlsson (2008)
Disappointment: Scott Kelman (1999)

No. 16: Dave Andreychuk (Buffalo, 1982) -- At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Andreychuk was a presence in front of the net for more than two decades. He was a big scorer in the first half of his career, totaling 30 or more goals seven times with Buffalo and getting 53 for Toronto in 1993-94. He remained a consistent scorer for another decade while improving his all-round game. He also became a leader and was captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the 2004 Stanley Cup. Andreychuk retired with 640 goals and 1,338 points in 1,639 games.

Runners-up: Al Secord (1978), Markus Naslund (1991)
Up and coming: Petteri Nokelainen (2004), Colton Gillies (2007)
Disappointment: Ty Jones (1997)

No. 17: Bobby Clarke (Philadelphia, 1969) -- Clarke fell to the second round in 1969 because teams didn't want to take a chance on drafting a diabetic. The Flyers called his name at No. 17 and got a Hall of Famer. The diabetes became a non-issue as Clarke became a star. He was named team captain at 23, at the time the youngest player ever to get the "C." Clarke's drive and skill led the Flyers to Stanley Cups in 1974 and '75, and he retired in 1984 with 1,210 points, three Hart trophies and a hatful of other honors.

Runners-up: Brent Sutter (1980), Kevin Hatcher (1984)
Up and coming: Martin Hanzal (2005), Trevor Lewis (2006)
Disappointment: Brent Bilodeau (1991)

No. 18: Glen Murray (Boston, 1991) -- Murray had two stints with the Bruins (sandwiched around time with Pittsburgh and Los Angeles); suffice it to say the second was better than the first. Murray never had scored 30 goals in a season before returning to the Bruins in 2001-02, and then did it three times in a row, including a high of 44 in 2002-03. A solid player for a long time, he had 337 goals and 651 points in 1,009 NHL games.

Runners-up: Ken Daneyko (1982), Petr Sykora (1995)
Up and coming: Kyle Chipchura (2004), Ryan Parent (2005)
Disappointment: Jesper Mattsson (1993)

No. 19: Keith Tkachuk (Winnipeg, 1990) -- The Jets grabbed Tkachuk in 1990 and he made the NHL after one season at Boston University. Tkachuk became one of the NHL's best power forwards -- a two-time 50-goal scorer and the first U.S.-born player to lead the NHL in goals when he had 52 in 1996-97. He continued scoring after being dealt to St. Louis in 2000-01, reached the 500-goal mark on the final day of the 2007-08 season and was a big reason the Blues surprisingly made the playoffs in 2008-09.

Runners-up: Craig Ramsay (1971), Olaf Kolzig (1989)
Up and coming: Lauri Korpikoski (2004); Jakub Kindl (2005)
Disappointment: Matthieu Descoteaux (1996)

No. 20: Martin Brodeur (New Jersey, 1990) -- It may be hard to believe now, but the winningest goaltender in NHL history was not the first goalie picked in 1990 (Calgary took Trevor Kidd at No. 11). Brodeur passed Patrick Roy for the wins record this season and figures to surpass Terry Sawchuk's mark of 103 shutouts early in 2009-10. He has three Stanley Cup rings, four Vezina trophies and is regarded as the gold standard among NHL goaltenders.

Runners-up: Larry Robinson (1971), Michel Goulet (1979)
Up and coming: Travis Zajac (2004), Michael Del Zotto (2008)
Disappointment: Barrett Heisten (1999)

No. 21: Kevin Lowe (Edmonton, 1979) -- The Oilers' first draft pick after the NHL-WHA merger was a superb choice. Lowe anchored the defense on a team that won five Stanley Cups in seven years, then provided stability on the blue line when the New York Rangers broke their 54-year drought by winning the Cup in 1994. Lowe wasn't flashy, but on an offense-first juggernaut, he was a huge stabilizing factor.

Runners-up: Patrick Flatley (1982), Saku Koivu (1993)
Up and coming: Wojtek Wolski (2004), Tuukka Rask (2005)
Disappointment: Evgeni Ryabchikov (1994)

No. 22: Bryan Trottier (N.Y. Islanders, 1974) -- The Islanders completed a Hall of Fame daily double when they picked Trottier, a center from Swift Current, with their second pick in 1974 (they took his future linemate, Clark Gillies, with their first pick). Trottier was the prototypical two-way center -- tough, strong, defensively diligent -- but his offensive skills were off the chart. Trottier, Gillies and Mike Bossy formed one of the NHL's best lines for years. After scoring 500 goals and helping the Isles to four straight Stanley Cups in the 1980s, Trottier finished his career with two more Cups as a checking center in Pittsburgh.

Runners-up: Adam Graves (1986), Adam Foote (1989)
Up and coming: Matt Lashoff (2005), Claude Giroux (2006)
Disappointment: Nikos Tselios (1997)

No. 23: Ray Whitney (San Jose, 1991) -- The second draft pick in team history is 37 but still going strong, with 24 goals and a team-high 77 points for Carolina (his sixth NHL team) in 2008-09. That moved the Edmonton native past 300 goals and 800 points for his career -- not bad for a kid whose first hockey claim to fame was being the Oilers' stick boy in Wayne Gretzky's last season in Edmonton (1987-88). That's pretty good for a 5-foot-10, 180-pounder who was told he was too small to make it in the NHL.

Runners-up: Travis Green (1989), Todd Bertuzzi (1993)
Up and coming: Andrej Meszaros (2004), Simeon Varlamov (2006)
Disappointment: Craig Hillier (1996)

No. 24: Doug Jarvis (Montreal, 1975) -- No one was better at showing up for work every night than Jarvis, who broke into the NHL on opening night of the 1975-76 season and suited up for 964 consecutive games, a record that's not likely to be broken. Jarvis scored as many as 20 goals only once, but was one of the NHL's best checkers and combined with Bob Gainey and Doug Risebrough to form one of the League's top shut-down lines during the Canadiens' dynasty of the late 1970s.

Runners-up: Sean Burke (1985), Daniel Briere (1996)
Up and coming: T.J. Oshie (2005)
Disappointment: J-F Damphousse (1997)

No. 25: Mark Howe (Boston, 1974) -- Gordie's son never did play for the Bruins. Instead, Mark and Marty Howe joined their father in Houston, where they led the Aeros to a WHA title and made the club one of the league's flagship franchises in its early years. The Howes went to Hartford in 1977 and stayed with the Whalers through the merger with the NHL. Mark shifted to defense and had a number of excellent seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. He obviously wasn't as good as his father, but totaling his WHA and NHL numbers, he scored more than 400 goals and had 1,246 points in 1,355 games.

Runners-up: Gilles Gilbert (1969), Brenden Morrow (1997)
Up and coming: Andrew Cogliano (2005), Patrik Berglund (2006)
Disappointment: Mikhail Kuleshov (1999)

No. 26: Claude Lemieux (Montreal, 1983) -- Lemieux somehow kept showing up when there were Stanley Cups to be won -- he took home rings with Montreal, New Jersey and Colorado. He also earned a reputation as one of the game's best playoff performers (and most irritating players). Lemieux was on four Cup winners, earned the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1995, and stunned the hockey world by making a comeback with San Jose this season at age 43. He has 379 goals and 786 points in the regular season, plus 80 goals and 158 points in 233 postseason contests.

Runners-up: Don Maloney (1978), Zigmund Palffy (1991)
Up and coming: Cory Schneider (2004), David Perron (2007)
Disappointment: Kevin Grimes (1997)

No. 27: Joe Nieuwendyk (Calgary, 1985) -- Nieuwendyk started his NHL career with a bang, scoring 51 goals in each of his first two full seasons, the second of which ended with the Flames hoisting the Stanley Cup. Nieuwendyk had 45 goals in each of the next two seasons, and though he never reached 40 goals again, he was a consistent scorer for winning teams until retiring in 2006-07 with 564 goals and 1,126 points, plus 66 playoff goals, and Stanley Cup rings with three different teams.

Runners-up: Scott Mellanby (1984), Scott Gomez (1998)
Up and coming: Jeff Schultz (2004), Ivan Vishnevskiy (2006)
Disappointment: Ari Ahonen (1999)

No. 28: Mike Richter (N.Y. Rangers, 1985) -- Richter arguably is the best U.S.-born goaltender in history. He was in net when the Rangers ended their 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994, led the United States to the World Cup two years later and to the silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He ended his career (prematurely, due to concussions) with 301 wins, the most in Rangers history, despite spending the first few seasons of his career splitting time with John Vanbiesbrouck.

Runners-up: Guy Chouinard (1974), Justin Williams (2000)
Up and coming: Matt Niskanen (2005), Viktor Tikhonov (2008)
Disappointment: Adrian Foster (2001)

No. 29: Danny Gare (Buffalo, 1974) -- The Sabres took Gare in the second round after he scored 45 and 68 goals in his last two junior seasons. He quickly showed those totals were no fluke, scoring 31 as a rookie to help the Sabres make the Stanley Cup Final, and he reached the 50-goal mark in his second season. He had a career-best 56 in 1979-80, when he was a Second-Team All-Star, and came back with 46 the next season. He finished his career in 1986-87 with 354 goals and 685 points in 827 games.

Runners-up: Stephane Richer (1984), Corey Perry (2003)
Up and coming: Mike Green (2004), Steve Downie (2005)
Disappointment: Brian Wesenberg (1995)

No. 30: Randy Carlyle (Toronto, 1976) -- The Leafs took Carlyle with their first pick (in the second round) in 1976, bounced him up and down between Toronto and the minors for two seasons, and then dealt him to Pittsburgh in the summer of 1978. It was a deal they would come to regret, as Carlyle won the 1981 Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman, played in four All-Star Games and wound up scoring 647 points in 1,055 games with the Leafs, Penguins and Winnipeg Jets. He's done pretty well as a coach, too, leading Anaheim to the Cup in 2007.

Runners-up: Mark Hardy (1979), Patrice Brisebois (1989)
Up and coming: Matthew Corrente (2006), Nick Ross (2007)
Disappointment: Luke Sellars (1999)

Pens Win the Cup, Malkin - Conn Smythe Trophy

2009-06-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Malkin - 2009 Stanley Cup MVP

DETROIT -- The comment came a year ago. Same time, same place, Stanley Cup on the line. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero was admiring the development of Evgeni Malkin as a player and person, and he wondered what his big, strong, talented young center might look like in two or three years.

"A lack of English sometimes holds him back," Shero noted. "But Geno has a great personality -- and it comes out more and more all
the time."

A second later, Shero came up with the ultimate sound bite, "When you look at his play, you don't need audio. You just need video."

Fast-forward from the day Malkin was selected No. 2 overall to Alex Ovechkin in the 2004 Entry Draft. He was awkward that day, kind of dizzy -- looking at adapting to life in a different world, different culture, with a new language. Even though there's a universal language in hockey, life around the sport can indeed be foreign.

Malkin will turn 23 on July 31. His spoken English is still a little iffy, but his body English is impeccably North American now after three seasons with the Pens and totals of 85, 106 and a League-leading 113 points this season.

"If you really wanted to do a book on him, you could do hundreds of pages long with all the things he does well," former Phoenix Coyotes GM Michael Barnett said after the 2004 Draft. "If you were looking for negatives, it wouldn't even fill up a page."

But the vagaries of youth and trying to get accustomed to a new world can be difficult, even for the best athletes. However, after struggling as many of his teammates did in the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings a year ago, when he had just 1 goal and 2 assists in the six games, Malkin has had a monster playoff performance this year.

After the Pens stumbled to an 0-2 hole in the Final, it was Malkin's three assists in Game 3 that gave the powerful Pittsburgh center a
League-leading 33 points in the playoffs -- making him the first NHL player to surpass 30 points in the playoffs since Colorado's Joe Sakic accomplished the feat in 1996. That total included 11 multiple-point games.

His deft interception of Brad Stuart's pass and subsequent sweep pass set up Maxime Talbot's goal 1:13 into the second period gave the
Penguins a lead they never relinquished Friday night en route to a 2-1 Game 7 victory and Stanley Cup triumph. It was Malkin's 36th point of the playoffs -- the most of any player since Wayne Gretzky in 1993. That was enough to earn him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

He also joined Wayne Gretzky, Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito and Mario Lemieux as the only players to lead the NHL in scoring in the regular season and the playoffs.

Ready to concede that Malkin is something very, very special?

"All young players struggle with consistency -- and, if anything, that's all he seemed to be missing in last year's Final series," Red
Wings center Henrik Zetterberg observed before Game 7. "This year, he seems to be more comfortable, more confident, more powerful. He's definitely physically stronger and harder to handle."

Sidney Crosby, who feeds off Malkin's strength as much as Malkin feeds off Crosby's leadership, singled out a more electric game from Malkin this season.

"If anything, it's energy," Crosby said. "He looks like he's full of it out there."

"He's a more experienced guy who has been through it once before and you can see he is more comfortable," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "He's a big guy that can hang onto the puck. He comes from the neutral zone with speed. And because of his reach and his size he
can be hard to handle. But I don't think anybody's really surprised. He's one of the best players in the world."

There's skill, grace, size and speed -- and he's still a kid.

"I started to get used to the faster pace," he said the other day. "Playing in a strong league definitely sped up my development."

Penguins center Jordan Staal has an interesting thought: He believes Crosby and Ovechkin have steered Malkin to the front row of talent.

"Geno's taken it to another level," Staal said. "I think he's figured out for himself that those two will keep improving, and if he wants to
be the best he's got to pick up his game.

"But, honestly, Geno's become pretty unreal the way he plays."

Though Malkin may still be shy in front of big crowds, he gives teammate (and fellow Russian) Sergei Gonchar plenty of credit for helping him bridge the gap from Magnitogorsk to Pittsburgh.

Gonchar took in Malkin as a house guest for his first two seasons in the NHL, allowing him to ease into the new culture. Gonchar talks about how Natalie, his 7-year-old daughter, used to help Malkin with English -- a few new words she had learned at school each day, and they would practice them together. That, plus watching American TV and listening to locker-room banter, has been his classroom.

"The great players usually find a way to make a difference," Shero said, with a big smile the other day.

Clearly, Evgeni Malkin is a natural on the ice. As he learns more about himself, his upside will be unlimited.

Reporters recently caught him at Mellon Arena, looking at photos of former Penguins stars Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr smiling as they gripped the Stanley Cup. The picture was on June 1, 1992, in a champagne-soaked visitors dressing room at Chicago Stadium.

It was one of those one-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words moments.

"It's my dream," Malkin said. "Me and Sid, just like that."

The snap shot of Malkin and Crosby is real now -- and there's clearly more to come.

Game 6 Numbers

2009-06-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

Game 6. Crosby vs. Lidstrom

A few of the pertinent numbers from Pittsburgh's 2-1 win over Detroit in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night:

0 -- Goals by Detroit's Marian Hossa in this year's Final. Hossa led Pittsburgh with 3 goals and seven points while playing against the Red Wings in last year's Final. He has only 3 assists in six games against his former team this year.

1 -- Games played in this year's Final by Pittsburgh forward Petr Sykora, who was a healthy scratch through the first five games after scoring 25 goals in the regular season. It was Sykora's 115th career playoff game -- but only his seventh appearance this spring.

2 -- Minor penalties against Pittsburgh in the third period, after the Penguins went more than two periods without taking a penalty. Evgeni Malkin was called for cross-checking at 9:18, and Bill Guerin drew a high-sticking minor at 12:40. It was a big contrast from Game 5, when the Penguins gave Detroit nine power plays and allowed three goals with the extra man.

3 -- Shots on goal by Detroit in the opening period. It was the third time in the Final that the Red Wings were limited to three shots in a period. They managed three in the third period of Game 2 and again in the final period of Game 3.

4 -- Takeaways by Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, the most of any player on either team. Malkin's total was one fewer than the entire Detroit team. Pittsburgh finished with 11 takeaways.

5 -- Times in this year's postseason that Detroit has been outshot, including Games 1, 2 and 6 of the Final. The Wings' loss in Game 6 marked the first time this spring that they've lost the game when being outshot.

5 -- Stanley Cup Finals this century that have gone to Game 7. This year's Final is the first to go the distance since 2006, when Edmonton and Carolina did it. The 2001, 2003 and 2004 Finals also went seven games. Before 2001, only two Finals since 1965 had gone to the max.

6 -- Blocked shots by Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik, the most of any player on either team. Rob Scuderi was next for the Pens with four, including a key block in the final seconds. Niklas Kronwall was tops with four of Detroit's 12 blocked shots.

7 -- Losses by the Red Wings in the 10 Game 6s they've played in the Final. The Wings won last year's Cup by winning Game 6 in Pittsburgh, but couldn't repeat the feat this year. Overall, the Wings are 28-22 in Game 6s, but 0-2 this year.

9 -- Wins by Pittsburgh in the 13 games in which it has scored first. The Penguins have scored first in four of the six games in the Final, winning three of them -- all at home.

10 -- Pittsburgh's record in this year's playoffs when leading after the second period. The Pens are 2-0 when ahead after two periods in the Final.

11 -- Faceoff wins by Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg, the most on either team -- and nearly half of Detroit's 24 wins in the circle. The teams each won 24 faceoffs, with Sidney Crosby going 9-7 and Jordan Staal going 8-6 for the Penguins. Darren Helm, who was dominant in the circle through the first four games for Detroit, lost six of seven faceoffs after going 1-5 in Game 5.

12:55 -- Elapsed time between shots on goal by Detroit in the first period. Dan Cleary had Detroit's second shot on goal 5:27 into the game. The Wings didn't get another shot until Henrik Zetterberg tested Marc-Andre Fleury at 18:22.

13 – Shutouts in this year's Playoffs, the same number as last year. Detroit's Chris Osgood has two, including one in the Final. Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury has not had a shutout, though he carried one into the third period on Tuesday night.

24 -- Times that a team has hosted Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final needing a win to avoid elimination. Pittsburgh is the 10th team to force the Final to a Game 7; only the 1950 Red Wings and 1971 Montreal Canadiens went on to win the Cup.

35 -- Hits credited to Pittsburgh, compared with 26 for the Red Wings. It's only the second time in the Final that the Penguins out-hit the Wings -- they've won both (Games 3 and 6). Detroit's 26 hits were its second-lowest total of the series; the Wings were out-hit 36-17 in Game 3, a 4-2 loss.

37 -- Shots by the Red Wings that didn't get to Fleury. The Wings missed the target on 17 shots and had 20 blocked. In contrast, the Penguins missed the net only seven times and had 12 blocked.

58 -- Wins in this year's playoffs by the team leading after the second period. Only three teams have lost a game this spring when taking the lead into the final period. Detroit has not won a game in this year's playoffs when trailing after 40 minutes; Pittsburgh has done it once.

Detroit Takes a Lead

2009-06-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

Tomas Holmstrom wins the battle against Brooks Orpik

A few of the pertinent numbers from Detroit's 5-0 victory over Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.

0 -- Points in the Stanley Cup Final before Game 5 by Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who has played all five games against Pittsburgh after missing the last three games of the Western Conference Finals against Chicago. Lidstrom assisted on Brian Rafalski's second-period goal that made it 4-0.

1 -- Losses by Pittsburgh in Game 5 of their four Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins had won both of their previous Game 5s, beating the Minnesota North Stars in 1991 and Detroit last year (they swept Chicago in 1992). Overall, the Pens are 19-17 in Game 5s, 1-2 this year.

2 -- Shutouts by Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood in this year's playoffs. The other came in Game 2 of the opening round against Columbus. It was the 15th of his career and third in a Stanley Cup Final game -- he blanked Pittsburgh 4-0 in Game 1 and 3-0 in Game 2 last year.

3 -- Power-play goals by the Red Wings in the second period. Niklas Kronwall and Brian Rafalski scored in a 2:25 span early in the period, and Henrik Zetterberg added another at 16:40. The Wings had managed just one goal on the power play in the first four games of the Final.

4 -- Goals by Detroit in the second period, the most the Red Wings have scored in any period during this year's playoffs. It's also the Wings' biggest period in the Stanley Cup Final since April 26, 1966, when they scored four goals in the third period of Game 2, a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Detroit had scored four second-period goals in the first four games of this year's Final combined.

5 -- Career playoff assists by Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood, whose breakout pass led to Valtteri Filppula's goal 1:44 into the second period that made it 2-0. It was Osgood's second of this year's playoffs -- half of the total by all goaltenders in the postseason -- and the first assist by a goaltender in the Final since 2003, when New Jersey's Martin Brodeur (Game 1) and Anaheim's Jean-Sebastien Giguere (Game 3) both had one.

6 -- Shots on goal by Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg, the most by anyone on either team. Sergei Gonchar led Pittsburgh with four. Unlike Gonchar, Zetterberg scored a goal.

7 -- Hits credited to Detroit rookie center Darren Helm, giving him 32 for the series, the most of any player. Marian Hossa led the Wings in Game 5 with eight.

7 -- Games missed by Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk, who returned to the lineup on Saturday for the first time since injuring his foot in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against Chicago. The Hart Trophy finalist missed three games against Chicago and the first four of the Final against Pittsburgh. He wasted no time making an impact, setting up Dan Cleary's goal 13:32 into the game that put Detroit ahead to stay, then added another assist in the second period and finished plus-2 with two shots and four hits.

7:19 -- Elapsed time from the opening faceoff to the game's first whistle. The teams went without a stoppage of play until Niklas Kronwall took the game's first penalty for tripping Chris Kunitz. Each team had three shots on goal during that span.

8 -- Play stoppages in the first period that resulted in faceoffs. Including the start of the game, there were just nine draws in the opening 20 minutes (an average period has 15-20 faceoffs). Detroit won five of the nine faceoffs.

11 -- Home victories by Detroit in its 12 games at Joe Louis Arena this spring. The Wings' only home loss in this year's playoffs was a 4-3, triple-overtime defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. They've won all eight games since then.

12 -- Years since the Red Wings won a Stanley Cup Final game by five or more goals. Detroit's last victory by that many goals was a 6-1 rout of Philadelphia in Game 3 of the 1997 Final. The last time the Wings scored as many as five goals in the Final was Game 2 in 1998, when they rallied for a 5-4 overtime victory over Washington.

19 -- Previous occasions in which the Final was tied 2-2 after four games. Good omen for the Red Wings: Fourteen of the 19 teams that won Game 5 went on to win the Cup. The last one that didn't was the 2004 Calgary Flames, who lost Games 6 and 7 to Tampa Bay. Only one team, the 1971 Montreal Canadiens, was tied 2-2, lost Game 5 on the road and rallied to win the Cup.

36 -- Wins by Detroit in Game 5s of a playoff series. Saturday night's victory moved the Wings back to .500 (36-36) in the 72 Game 5s they've played, including 6-8 in the Final.

48 -- Consecutive playoff starts by Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, who didn't make it through the second period in Game 5. It was the first time in this year's playoffs that Fleury was pulled.

49 -- Consecutive playoff victories for the Red Wings when they score four or more goals. The Wings haven't lost when scoring four or more goals in the postseason since the Phoenix Coyotes beat them 7-4 on April 24, 1998.

233 -- Stanley Cup Playoff games for Lidstrom, tying him with Scott Stevens for fifth on the all-time list. Detroit's captain will tie Claude Lemieux (234) for fourth place if he plays in Game 6.

300 -- Playoff victories in the history of the Red Wings' franchise, against 260 losses. The Wings are second in all-time playoff wins, trailing only the Montreal Canadiens, who have 398.

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers...

2009-06-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Tomas Holmstrom vs. Jordan Staal and M-A Fleury

A few of the pertinent numbers from Pittsburgh's 4-2 victory over Detroit in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night.

0 -- Goals scored by Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom in the Red Wings' last 16 playoff games. Holmstrom had goals in Games 3 and 4 against Columbus in the opening round, but has just three assists since then while going scoreless against Anaheim (7 games), Chicago (5 games) and Pittsburgh (4 games so far).

1 -- Shorthanded goals scored by Pittsburgh in this year's playoffs. Jordan Staal's game-tying goal in the second period was Pittsburgh's first this spring while playing down a man. It was also the first shorthanded goal allowed by Detroit this year.

2 -- Goals in the Final by Detroit's Darren Helm. The speedy rookie now has three goals in this year's playoffs and six postseason goals in his career -- but has never scored in the regular season.

3 -- Consecutive games in the Final in which Pittsburgh has scored first. Detroit got the first goal in Game 1; the Penguins got it in each of the next three games. Overall, the Pens have scored first in 12 of their 21 playoff games this spring, going 8-4.

4 -- Players who've swept the scoring titles in both the regular season and playoffs since the first expansion in 1967. Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, who's tops in postseason scoring this year, is trying to become the fifth player to do so, joining Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky (four times), Guy Lafleur (twice) and Phil Esposito (twice). Malkin led the NHL with 113 points (35-78) during the regular season to win the Art Ross Trophy.

5 -- Times in nine road games this spring that Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood has allowed three or more goals. The Wings have lost the last three of those games, including Games 3 and 4 to the Penguins in the Final.

6 -- Years since a team lost the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, then won the next two. Anaheim lost the first two games of the 2003 Final at New Jersey, then won the next two games at home. That series went seven games, with the Devils winning Game 7 at home.

7 -- Points by Malkin in the first four games of this year's Final, the most of anyone on either team. It's a big jump from last year, when he had no points in the first four games and finished 1-2-3 in six games.

9 -- Power plays received by the Penguins in the first four games of the Final. The Penguins have made the most of their opportunities, scoring on four of them -- a 44.4-percent success rate.

9 -- Goals by the Red Wings in the Final while playing 5-on-5, compared with four for the Penguins. Overall this spring, the Wings have outscored opponents 44-23 when playing at full and equal strength.

10 -- Times in this year's playoffs that the Red Wings have allowed the game's first goal. They are 5-5 in those games, including 1-2 in the Final. In the 10 games they've scored the first goal, the Wings are 9-1-- including Game 1 against Pittsburgh.

13 -- Faceoffs lost by Staal, in 15 attempts. Staal, who had his first goal and points of the Final for Pittsburgh in Game 4, is now 15-47 on draws in the first four games.

16 -- Games this spring in which Detroit has allowed at least one power-play goal. The Wings have held the opposition without a goal on the power play just four times in 20 games -- and just once in the first four games of the Final.

35 -- Points in this year's playoffs by Malkin, four more than teammate Sidney Crosby. It's the most by any player in a single playoff year since Wayne Gretzky had 40 for Los Angeles in 1993.

39 -- Shots on goal by the Red Wings, the most by either team in the first four games of the Final. The Wings had 19 of those shots in the opening period, the highest single-period total so far in the Final.

52 -- Game 4s lost by Detroit in the playoffs, against 44 victories. It's the Red Wings' highest loss total in any game of a playoff series. The Wings had won all three previous Game 4s in this year's playoffs, winning at Columbus, Anaheim and Chicago. They also won Game 4 of last year's Final at Pittsburgh

210:34 -- Elapsed time in the series before Crosby scored his first goal of this year's Final. He put the Penguins ahead when he beat Chris Osgood midway through the second period, putting him first among all players in this year's playoffs with 15 goals.

232 -- Postseason games played by Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who played No. 232 on Thursday. He's now alone in fifth on the all-time list, breaking a tie with Guy Carbonneau. He can tie Scott Stevens (233 games played) for fourth by playing in Game 5 on Saturday night, and could move past Claude Lemieux (234) if the series goes seven games

Pavel Datsyuk - ready to play?

2009-06-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

PITTSBURGH—If the smile on his face while skating at Wednesday's practice is any indication, expect to see center Pavel Datsyuk back in the Detroit Red Wings lineup for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals. Datsyuk hasn't played in the playoffs since Game 2 of the Western Conference finals because of a foot injury.

Datsyuk said he felt good Wednesday, but coach Mike Babcock wouldn't go so far as to say Datsyuk would be in the lineup tonight.

"What we'll do is go for the optional skate in the morning and see how he responded today and see how he felt," Babcock said. "He's one of the best players in the world. Obviously, we'd like to have him. But it's one of those injuries."

Datsyuk said it would be a game-time decision, but said he's healthy and feels as good as he did before the injury.

"I feel like again 18 years young," he said. "I have lots of fun, exciting wearing skates … I want to play so bad. I don't want to watch this game again."

Babcock confirmed that veteran center Kris Draper(notes) would return to the lineup regardless of Datsyuk's status. Draper has been out with a groin injury. The return of Draper and Datsyuk would be a boost to the Wings' struggling penalty kill. The Red Wings are killing only 71.4 percent of opposing power plays during the playoffs.

But it's not the percentage that bothers Babcock.

"It's when you give them up," he said. "You know, that's huge. Last night, we needed a kill. Without any question, it was a 2—2 game. We needed the kill."

Zetterberg logs serious minutes

Playing in Pittsburgh makes it more difficult to match Henrik Zetterberg(notes) against Sidney Crosby(notes), so Detroit's shutdown center ended up double-shifting and finished Game 3 with an ice time of 24:19.

It was his highest total of the season in a game that didn't go to overtime.

"Yesterday, when I saw the sheet, I didn't expect it to be that much. I thought it was my usual 20 minutes," Zetterberg said.

Babcock wasn't concerned with the extra time wearing Zetterberg down, although he admitted 24 minutes isn't ideal.

"I didn't think we overplayed him," Babcock said.

If Detroit continues to remain so focused on getting the right players on the ice to stop Crosby, Crosby's teammates have to take advantage.

"It does leave the onus on our other guys to play our game and get to the offensive zone to take some pressure off just one guy scoring," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "Better play in the offensive zone by everybody would make those matchups better, even better for us."

Same series, different feeling

The Red Wings are up 2-1, just like they were last year at this time. But Maxime Talbot said the Penguins' confidence level is much higher this time.

The first two games were much closer, Talbot said, and he never felt the same level of domination the Red Wings displayed last season.

"But we know how big this Game 4 is now because we lost it last year and it was hard to come back from a 3-1 deficit," Talbot said. "From the experience of last year, I think we feel it's different, and we're up to the challenge a little bit more."

Television Ratings for the Fianals

2009-06-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP)—Television ratings for the Stanley Cup finals are off to their best start since 2002.

NBC said Tuesday that Games 1 and 2 averaged a 2.8 rating and 5 share. That’s up 17 percent from last year, when the first games on the network were Games 3 and 4. Versus showed Games 1 and 2 in 2008; the cable channel is broadcasting Games 3 and 4 this year.

The ratings were the highest for the first two games on NBC or ABC since 2002, when the Detroit-Carolina series averaged a 3.4/7.

Detroit beat Pittsburgh on Saturday and Sunday.

The rating is the percentage watching a program among homes with TVs. The share is the percentage tuned into the broadcast among those households with TVs on at the time.

John Tavares - Ready for Draft

2009-06-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

PITTSBURGH -- Much has been written in recent months about John Tavares and why he should boycott Long Island should the New York Islanders select the 18-year-old with No. 1 selection in the 2009 Entry Draft, which will be held later this month in Montreal.

Time and time again, Tavares has stated that there will be no such boycott. If the Isles want him, he's theirs.

He reiterated that statement Tuesday morning at Mellon Arena, only hours before watching his first Stanley Cup Final game in person.

"Not many guys get that opportunity to be selected No. 1," Tavares said. "I'd love to go No. 1, but then again I'd love to go to any NHL team. I feel like I can contribute in a good way. If it happens, I'll be honored and very excited. But I'll be just as honored and excited if it doesn't happen."

Tavares recently met with Islanders brass on Long Island and said he came away impressed. While Isles owner Charles Wang still faces an uphill battle for a new/renovated Nassau Coliseum, Tavares was happy to get a first-hand look at some parts of Long Island -- including the rink that opened its doors 18 years before he was born.

At the meeting, though, Tavares wasn't assured that he would become an Islander on June 26. Highly touted Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman -- who is also here in Pittsburgh -- visited Long Island Monday. Matt Duchene also recently made a trip.

"I think they're keeping things low-key," said Tavares, who has an Ontario Hockey League record 215 goals. "They're trying to decide exactly what they want to do. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I got to meet a lot of people in the organization and I got to see the rink and a little bit of Long Island. I had breakfast with Doug Weight. It was a good experience for me and a good opportunity to check out Long Island and get to know (GM) Garth (Snow) a little bit, and Mr. Wang. I had a good time and we'll see what happens."

Should the Isles opt for Tavares, he would become part of a rebuilding process that already includes promising forwards Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey, and would almost certainly make the club out of training camp in September. New York had 13 selections in last year's draft and also holds the 26th, 31st and 37th picks later this month. While it's possible Snow could deal some of those selections on draft weekend for an established NHL player, there's little doubt either Tavares or Hedman -- or Duchene, a dark horse in this race -- will be an Islander in just over three weeks' time.

But at least one other GM is still willing to make a deal. Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke clearly would love to have Tavares call the Air Canada Centre home.

"We continue to try to move up," Burke said on Tuesday afternoon. "We haven't success so far. The two times that I have been successful making a deal happened on the (draft) floor. I'm not discouraged yet."

On Tuesday, Tavares made one thing perfectly clear -- he won't be discouraged if the Islanders call his name on June 26 at the Bell Centre. Perhaps it was on his visit when he learned there's much more to Long Island than Uniondale.

"It was a lot of fun," Tavares said of his trip. "I had a really good time and got to know them a lot more and what they're all about and their philosophy and see the way they do things. Long Island's a great city. Obviously, they've got a good organization and really have a good fan base when they have winning teams. They have a lot of tradition there from the Stanley Cups. I really enjoyed my time there."

Where Are They Now: Mike Vernon

2009-06-02T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mike Vernon. Calgary Flames. 1989 Stanley Cup

For 21 National Hockey League seasons, Mike Vernon prevented the opposition from putting pucks in the net.

These days, Vernon is still a gatekeeper of sorts. But as vice president of the Bear Mountain Resort in British Columbia, he’s trying to let everyone in.

Visitors to this resort who aren’t hockey fans will see this sharp-dressed 5-foot-9 man walking the grounds and have no clue that he won two Stanley Cups, played for four NHL teams and faced legendary players — such as his long-time rival, Patrick Roy.

The Vernon-Roy rivalry began in 1986 when Vernon’s Calgary Flames lost the Stanley Cup Finals to Roy’s Montreal Canadiens. Three years later, Vernon, still with Calgary, won the first of his two Stanley Cups. That same year, Roy won the Vezina Trophy. Another memorable moment came in the 1996 Western Conference Finals when Roy, now with Colorado, helped the Avalanche eliminate Detroit, whose No. 1 goaltender was Vernon.

But during the 1996-97 season, their rivalry took another twist. On March 26, 1997, Vernon won his 300th game in a 6-5 overtime Detroit victory over Colorado. However, that milestone was overshadowed by a line brawl which featured a center ice fight between Vernon and Roy.

That wasn’t the only time Vernon was victorious over Roy that season. In a Western Conference Finals rematch, Vernon and Red Wings swept Roy and the Avalanche in four games. Vernon would lead Detroit to their first Stanley Cup in 41 years and receive the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

“It takes certain ingredients to win the Stanley Cup — a great team and a little luck,” Vernon said about that memorable season, “and we had both. It was a great honor I dreamed about since childhood.”

As for battling against Roy, Vernon left his feelings on the ice.

“He’s a great goaltender and competitor,” Vernon said of his rivalry with Roy. “I think there’s mutual respect there. We both stick up for our teammates. That’s the sport.”

“The sport” also involves change. After that Stanley Cup season, Vernon was traded to the Sharks before the 1997-98 campaign. Vernon, along with Kelly Hrudey, gave the Sharks two credible Stanley Cup Finals-tested veterans in net, a necessary ingredient as the Sharks were building a foundation to compete. Over the next two-plus seasons, Vernon won 52 games and posted nine shutouts. Most importantly, in his first year (1997-98), Vernon won 30 games and helped the Sharks start a run of five consecutive playoff seasons.

When the 1999-00 season began, Vernon and Steve Shields were San Jose’s goaltenders. But on Dec. 30, 1999, Vernon was traded to Florida. Two days later, a rookie named Evgeni Nabokov made his debut in relief of Shields at Nashville.

While the trade would eventually create an opportunity for a future Calder Memorial Trophy winner and two-time NHL All-Star, Vernon was shocked when he got the news. “(Head Coach Darryl Sutter) told me to get ready to play the second half of the season. I was well rested and ready to play,” Vernon said. “I was completely thrown for a loop because I felt like we finally had all the pieces to challenge for the Stanley Cup. I was very disappointed.”

Vernon would finish the season with the Panthers before concluding his career by returning to his native Calgary for his last two seasons with the Flames. When he retired, Vernon had 385 wins, 27 shutouts and a 2.98 goals-against average. He’s still Calgary’s all-time leader in games played (526) and wins (262).

Vernon may have been disappointed about not staying in San Jose, but there’s no hard feelings. “The Sharks have great ownership,” Vernon said. “It was great to play for an organization that wanted to win and was willing to take risks to put a winning product on the ice. My wife and I enjoyed living there. It’s one of the best places to live.”

Lately, there’s been some rumblings in the hockey community about Vernon making the Hockey Hall of Fame. “If they (the nominators) believe I’m worthy, great,” he said. “But regardless, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. The Hockey Hall of Fame is out of my control.”

What’s in his control these days is the success of Bear Mountain, located in Victoria, which is southwest of Vancouver on Vancouver Island. Vernon was introduced to the resort business by Len Barrie, one of his former Florida teammates. Barrie, now one of the owners of the Tampa Bay Lightning, went into real estate development after retirement and became CEO and president of the resort. Vernon got involved with Bear Mountain a few years ago when Barrie asked him to look at the resort in its planning phase.

“Things are going well, but it’s a big project. The first 15 years are the most important for development and sustainability,” Vernon said. “Len and I used to travel around a lot to play golf all over the United States. We noticed there weren’t any golf resorts in Canada. We wanted to bring this concept to the west coast of Victoria because it has the best weather and caters to a huge tourist population.”

Bear Mountain has a golf course, housing, conference rooms, workout facilities and a little village with shops, markets and pubs. Facility guests can partake in numerous activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking and salmon fishing.

Vernon’s involvement with Bear Mountain coincides with his passion for golf. “Golf is just a good game,” he said. “I played as a kid. During the summer, I’d go workout for hockey and then head to the golf course. In fact, I owned a small course outside of Calgary.”

While Vernon is busy with the resort and being with his family, which includes four children, he’s still involved in hockey. He helps coach his children’s teams and is also Tampa Bay’s special assistant to the executive vice president of hockey operations. Vernon assists in hockey-related matters and provides guidance to the team’s goaltenders.

But despite all of the demands in his life, Vernon said family is No. 1. “It’s the time in my life where I need to focus on being a father and husband,” he said. “I want to be able to provide for them but also be there to experience as much as possible with them. My hope for the future is to live as normal a life as possible and spend time with my family and friends.”

Sarnia Bluewater Sharks Wins the Tournament

2009-06-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Sarnia 95 Bluewater Sharks

I have spent another terrific weekend watching my son playing for Sarnia Bluewater Sharks 95 "AAA" team. Even more important - we have won 2009 St. Thomas Annual Classic Tournament.

Thank you, Peter

2009-05-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Hundreds of mourners packed a Toronto-area church Friday for the funeral service of former NHL player Peter Zezel.

Zezel, who played several seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, died Tuesday at the age of 44 after suffering from a rare blood disorder for the last 10 years.

Some of those in attendance included former Leafs teammates Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark, and former team GM Cliff Fletcher.

Outside the mass at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Clark called Zezel an "ambassador for the game, an ambassador for how to love life and have fun."

The Toronto native played in the NHL for 15 seasons, including three-plus seasons with the Leafs in the early 1990s.

Over his 873-game NHL career, Zezel scored 219 goals and collected 389 assists for 608 points.

I happened to know him. Well, not too close... Peter was really nice person.

Tickets price - Detroit vs. Pittsburgh

2009-05-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings
Sat, May 30 2009 8:00 PM
Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI

294 tickets available from $161 to $1343 each.

Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins
Tue, Jun 02 2009 8:00 PM
Mellon Arena - Pittsburgh, PA

314 tickets available from $255 to $3745 each

I don't know about you but I am impressed with $3745 one-ticket-price. Who told our economy is down and Pittsburgh is dying city?

Ultimate Glory--Stanley Cup Preview

2009-05-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh. Playoffs Finals...but 2008

lovecrosby87

The stage is set. The ice is solid. The players are ready to fight for Lord Stanley. For the second straight year, the Detroit Red Wings will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins. My two favourite teams. Never would I have thought I would get to see my two favourite teams square off two years in a row…in fact, if you asked me this back in November, i would have laughed and said the Pens will be lucky if they even make the playoffs. Both teams are ready to go and no one wants to go home a loser.

Stanley Cup Finals

Detroit Red Wings versus Pittsburgh Penguins— Reigning Champs versus Reigning Runner-ups. At this point last year, the Wings held a 2 game lead over the “Final Freshmen” Penguins. The Penguins are determined to not let that happen again. Both teams have improved considerably since the last time they fought for Lord Stanley’s glory. Most notably, the Wings acquired Marian Hossa from..the Penguins. Hossa infamously said “I want to go on a team that has a chance of winning the Cup.” The Penguins were struck by his relatively harsh words and are determined to make him realize that the Penguins can win a Cup…without his help. Ty Conklin is also playing for the Wings this year..although, unless Osgood is injured, it is doubtful he will see any action versus his former team. Assuming Datsyk and Lidsrom are healthy, the Wings will be hard to beat. Every single line can score…even the defense. Also, it is very tough to get the puck to the net, if all deffensemen are healthy.

The Penguins have improved as well. With the acquistion of Kunitz and Guerin, the Pens now have a seasoned verteran who knows how to win the Cup..and a tough and gritty player who is not afraid to hit anyone..who also has a Stanley Cup to his name. Crosby is playing the best hockey he has ever played. He already has scored more goals than he did in last years playoffs…and there is still one round left. Malkin has also been on a tear, since being criticized for his lack of production in the first round. Staal has also improved his game since last year. This yound 20 year old is very tough to get by…he isn’t afraid to hit, has a plus rating, and when needed, he can score. He is blossoming into the ultimate defensive forward.

The Wings desperatly want to win back to back Stanley Cups. Another Cup win would be perfect for the struggling city of Detroit. On the other side, Crosby is so determined to win a Cup after suffering defeat last year..it is scary. You can bet, that if the game (or series) is on the line..Crosby will make magic happen.

This series is going to come down to defense and goaltending. Both teams can score. The Wings have strong defence but will it be strong enough to shut down the Crosby-Malkin duo (and with the help of Guerin it is that much tougher to shut out Sid)…something no team has been able to do successfully this playoffs? Penguins don’t have as good defense as the Wings…but there defensive pairings are still solid. If Datsyuk is healthy (and hey, even if he isn’t), the Wings can score from every angle and maintain puck control throughout the game.

Goaltending will be the critical factor in this series. Fleury saved the Pens quite a few times in last years Finals. So far this playoffs, he has been very good, with a few soft moments. Osgood has been the same way for the Wings. Fleury is the better goalie in the long run but Osgood has a mission to prove to his critics that he is not the Wing’s weakest link. Fleury doesn’t tend to crack under pressure or after letting in a weak goal. If Fleury stands on his head this round, the Pens are going to be damn near impossible to beat. However, Osgood is a playoff goalie. Put him in a Cup sitation, and he morphs into something incredible. If he stays healthy (along with the Wings D)…look out.

If the Pens can win at least one of the first two games then they will be very hard to beat. If the Wings take a two game lead and then win one in Pittsburgh like they did last year, then the Cup is as good as theirs.

Prediction—6 games..it doesn’t matter to me who wins! I cannot believe I am watching my two favourite teams battle for the Stanley Cup for the second straight year! It was a great birthday present last year to cheer them on in game 3…and it was a great birthday present to wake up this morning knowing one of my teams will be hoisting Lord Stanley this year. Here’s to the 2008-2009 Finals. Here’s to the Ultimate Prize. Here’s to…THE STANLEY CUP.

Red Wings - Key to Win

2009-05-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

When rookie Darren Helm showed up at Detroit Red Wings training camp last fall with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume, his plan was to make the parent team.
But that wasn't general manager Ken Holland's plan.

Helm was sent back to the American Hockey League with Holland telling him that he would see him in the playoffs. Now Helm is back with the Red Wings, more confident, quicker off the start and perhaps ready to claim the title as the NHL's fastest forward.

When it comes to prospects, Holland's take is "they are ready when they're ready."

If you look closely at the Detroit Stanley Cup Finals roster, particularly at youngsters like Jonathan Ericsson and Helm, it's clear why this franchise is the envy of most teams around the NHL. They know how to find players, they know how to nurture them, and they know how to handle them once they are ready for market.

This is a team that picks near the bottom of the first round every year and yet they are still probably have the NHL's deepest talent well.

Their three top centers — Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Valtteri Filppula — are all draft picks and Filppula was the earliest pick at 95th in 2002. Zetterberg was drafted 210th in 1999 and Datsyuk was the 171st pick in 1998.

Johan Franzen was a fourth round pick, and most scouts had him pegged as a role player. Holland told Franzen he believed that he could score more than he showed in his first season. Today, Franzen is one of the NHL's top power forwards

The funny aspect of the Franzen story is that the Red Wings have so much talent that they may not have known how much Franzen had developed had Tomas Holmstrom not been injured last season. With Holmstrom out, his role expanded and he started scoring goals as if he were Gordie Howe.

The other day, Franzen joked that he might still be a checker had Holmstrom not gone on the injury list.

Ericsson, a 6-5 defenseman, was 291st choice in 2002, and he probably was ready to play for most teams in the NHL last season. But he wasn't ready for the Red Wings.

Coach Mike Babcock wanted him earlier than he got him.

But Holland's approach is that the Red Wings are not running apprenticeship programs. When a prospect arrives in Detroit, he wants a finished product with no assembly required.

Helm played well for the team last spring and contributed to their Stanley Cup championship run. But the Red Wings still didn't believe he was ready.

Ericsson played three seasons in the AHL, and when he showed up, he was a model of composure. He performs as if he has been in the NHL for 400 games, not 34 games, counting the playoffs.

Goaltender Thomas McCollum is a highly regarded prospect, but he has already been told he will spend two or three seasons in the AHL. Former first-round pick Jakub Kindl has played two full seasons in the AHL, and he's probably going to spend another one there before he gets his chance to be a Red Wing.

The perception is that the Red Wings draft better than other teams, but their success isn't just about having scouts with sharp eyes for talent.

It's also about the commitment they have to slow-cooking prospects in an era when most GMs seem to want to microwave. Holland believes that coaches all like "new toys" but they become bored easily if the toy doesn't work properly. His belief is that the team's interests are better served if the toys show up performing like they should.

The Red Wings now have a lengthy history as a puck possession team, which began under former coach Scotty Bowman's command. Scouts look for players that fit that game plan. The Red Wings aren't looking for the toughest guy in the Western Hockey League. They are looking for the guy in the WHL who can protect the puck when he's being heavily checked. They are looking for the guy who can make plays at high speed. They are looking for the defenseman who passes as well as he defends. The Red Wings look for "between the whistles" toughness, not "after the whistle" toughness.

They look for the same style of players when they make trades or sign free agents. Dan Cleary and Mikael Samuelsson didn't have noteworthy careers until they were brought into Detroit's system. They became valuable NHL players under the Red Wings' guidance. The Red Wings liked Cleary's ability to play a variety of roles and they liked Samuelsson's big shot and offensive instincts.

Even the players understand that there are benefits to playing in this organization. Veterans take less to play in Detroit. Prospects are willing to wait longer to get there.

No game plan is flawless. And even the best franchises guess wrong on players and have down seasons. But in a salary cap world, it's hard not to look at Detroit's success, and its opportunity to win back-to-back titles, and not view the Red Wings as the NHL's model franchise.

They can't outspend anyone, and yet they seem to receive more talent for their dollar.

Red Wings joint Pens in the Finals

2009-05-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Brian Compton NHL.com

If you go by his regular-season numbers, Darren Helm has just 23 games of NHL experience.

If you go by the past two postseasons, you'd think the 22-year-old has been doing this for years.

Helm has yet to score an NHL goal in the regular season. But his third goal of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs came at 3:58 of overtime on Wednesday night, lifting his team to a return trip to the Stanley Cup Final with a pulsating 2-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals at Joe Louis Arena.

Not bad for a kid who played 55 games in the American Hockey League this season, even though he played a big role in Detroit's run to the championship 12 months ago. Like many of his teammates, there's something about this time of year that clearly brings out the best in the native of St. Andrews, Manitoba.

"Being in Grand Rapids (the Wings' AHL team) gave me a pretty big opportunity to go down there and develop," said Helm, who scored twice for the Wings last spring and went 13-24-37 in the AHL this season. "Coming up here and getting a chance to play, it's been a great experience for me. I try to pride myself on being a key player in playoffs. That's what I tried to do throughout last year's run and this year's run, as well."

With Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk out of the lineup with a foot injury, Helm has been one of several players to step up. Skating on a line with Mikael Samuelsson and Tomas Holmstrom, the trio kept the puck in deep before Helm found it loose in the crease, where he poked it past Cristobal Huet to create pandemonium at The Joe.

"I thought our line did a good job keeping the puck in," Helm said. "We put a lot of pressure on them. I just saw it sitting there and got a good whack on it just to make sure it went in."
Red Wings center Darren Helm, who had at least eight hits in a game for the second time in this series. He had seven in Game 4 and finished with 12 in Game 5 -- to go along with the OT winner.
"I'm going to remember that one for a while," Helm said.

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO DARREN HELM

Russian Veterans Departure.

2009-05-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Florida's Igor Larionov vs. Detroit's Sergei Fedorov

It was Hall of Fame weekend in Toronto and soon-to-be inducted Igor Larionov shared stories from his playing days with the crowd around him. Inevitably the discussion turned to his time in Detroit, where he won three Stanley Cups under Scotty Bowman. In 1997, Larionov and the famed Russian Five helped bring the first Stanley Cup to Detroit since 1955.

It also was Bowman and the Russian Five who implemented the puck-possession style of hockey the Red Wings continue to win with today.

"If you want to control the game, you have to control the puck," Larionov said last November before his induction. "Why should you give the puck away and go and chase? …That game was accepted in Detroit, even now the team is playing so well. I was part of that transition."

When Larionov retired in 2004 after one final season in New Jersey, he was 43 years old. But in those last years, he made a huge impact on an Original Six franchise. And all of hockey.

Now, with Russian players opting to spend their final seasons playing for the KHL, the NHL is being robbed of impact Russian veterans—the Larionovs of this generation.

On Tuesday, news broke that Sergei Fedorov was close to signing with the Russian KHL. His teammate in Washington, Viktor Kozlov, signed a two-year deal with the Russian league, according to an RDS report. Don't be surprised if Chicago goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is pursued heavily by the KHL after the playoffs.

In an e-mail to Sporting News Today, agent Pat Brisson said Fedorov does not have a done deal.

"Sergei will be exploring his options on the trip to Russia next week," Brisson wrote. "In the meantime, I will continue to speak with the Capitals."

Fedorov, 39, was a calming influence on the Capitals this season where he was a mentor to young Russians like Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin. Watching Fedorov beat Henrik Lundqvist in the third period of a first-round Game 7 also showed he still has an elite scorer's touch. The Capitals made serious strides this season, and Fedorov was a big part of that.

Detroit goalie Chris Osgood won two Stanley Cups with Fedorov and finds the trend of veteran Russians leaving the NHL early disturbing.

"To lose those guys is huge. We have to figure out a way to keep guys like Sergei and (Jaromir) Jagr and those great older veteran players," Osgood said. "I think it's important to have older guys like that, that younger European players can look up to when they get over here and understand how to handle themselves on and off the ice. That's what guys like Igor Larionov did for him."

But if this is it for Fedorov in the NHL, it's also time for the fans in Detroit to embrace his role in the Red Wings' success—past and present. The same fans who booed Fedorov during every return to Joe Louis Arena after he left for Anaheim in 2003 will be the first to cheer tonight if the Red Wings—and their Russian inspired puck-possession offense—put away the Blackhawks and advance to another Stanley Cup final.

Reacting to news of Fedorov's possible departure to the KHL, fans on Detroit sports talk radio discussed the worthiness of retiring Fedorov's No. 91. It shouldn't even be a debate.

Outside the Red Wings' locker room, the all-time award winners are painted on a cinder block wall. Fedorov's name is everywhere - there's a Hart Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Trophy, a pair of Selkes. There's also three Stanley Cups.

He loved his time in Detroit. Kirk Maltby said Fedorov still spends a lot of the summer in Michigan. Fedorov recently said he looks back at his time in Detroit and playing for Scotty Bowman fondly. He enjoyed both.

"Yeah, I certainly did," Fedorov said.

And playing for Bowman?

"If you played on the top six forwards, you play all the time," Fedorov said. "I personally like that idea very much."

He's not a top six forward anymore. He may not even be an NHL player anymore if the Russian reports are true. But with the Red Wings on the verge of another Stanley Cup final, his influence is still felt in Detroit.

"The Russian Five really changed the whole game in Detroit and then through the league," Chris Chelios told SN Today. "Everybody loves and respects what (Fedorov) did for the organization."

Congratulations to Pittsburgh

2009-05-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

MALKIN AND CROSBY. Getty Images

Pittsburgh has won all three of its series this postseason on the road; a good sign for the Stanley Cup Final, where the Penguins will open on the road against the Western Conference champion and will need at least one road win to be crowned champs. Pittsburgh won in three very hostile buildings: Wachovia Center (Philadelphia), Verizon Center (Washington) and the RBC Center

Peter Zezel dies at 44

2009-05-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Peter Zezel, a solid two-way center during 15 seasons in the NHL, died Tuesday at age 44.
Zezel had struggled on and off with a rare and serious blood disease called hemolytic anemia the past 10 years, and had been in critical condition in 2001. CSNPhilly.com reported that Zezel was taken off life support Tuesday after going into a coma last week. He had undergone chemotherapy and suffered a brain hemorrhage after a recent spleen operation.

Zezel was born in Toronto and played junior hockey with the Marlies before the Philadelphia Flyers chose him with their first pick, No. 41, in the 1983 Entry Draft. He made the Flyers the next year and had 15 goals and 61 points as a rookie, helping Philadelphia advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

He scored a career-best 33 goals and 72 points in 1986-87 for the Flyers and recorded a combined 49 assists for Philadelphia and St. Louis in 1988-89 after he was traded to the Blues for Mike Bullard. He matched his career-high with 72 points for the Blues in 1989-90.

Zezel again helped the Flyers advance to the Final in 1987, and was part of the Leafs' teams that made the conference finals in 1993 and 1994. He finished with the Vancouver Canucks in 1998-99.
In 873 NHL games with Philadelphia, St. Louis, Washington, Toronto, Dallas, New Jersey and Vancouver, he scored 219 goals with 389 assists and was a plus-39.

"On behalf of the Maple Leafs, I want to convey our deepest sympathies to Peter’s family, friends and former teammates," Toronto President and General Manager Brian Burke said in a statement released Tuesday night. "He was the consummate professional and he always carried himself with great class as a human being. Peter will be greatly missed."

Added former teammate Mark Osborne, a member of the Leafs' Alumni Board: "Peter was the ultimate caring friend and teammate. He was so dedicated to his family and friends and he would always freely give of his time and energies to help someone else. He was truly a passionate and loyal friend both on and off the ice. Our hockey family is devastated."

Zezel was also active in charitable work throughout his NHL career.

"What a lot of people don’t know is that Peter never said 'no' to someone wanting his autograph or anything someone wanted," former teammate Rick Tocchet, now coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, told CSNPhilly.com. "'Can you go to a school or a hospital?' He'd do it. He was pretty special when it came to that."

Zezel remained active in hockey during his post-NHL career, running a successful hockey school and coaching in the Greater Toronto Hockey League with the Don Mills Hockey Association. He was also an active member of the NHL Alumni Association and completed countless hours of charitable work during and following his hockey career.

"Peter will forever be remembered as a great teammate and a wonderful individual who touched the lives of many both on and off the ice," the family said in a statement. "In his typical character of generosity, Peter donated his organs through the Trillium Gift of Life Network."

"What a lot of people don’t know is that Peter never said 'no' to someone wanting his autograph or anything someone wanted. Can you go to a school or a hospital?' He'd do it. He was pretty special when it came to that."
-- Rick Tocchet on Peter Zezel

Fedorov returns to Russia?

2009-05-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

It appears Sergei Fedorov is ready to leave the Washington Capitals and play in the Kontinental Hockey League next season.

Citing sources in Russia, RDS.ca is reporting that Fedorov is about to agree to a two-year deal with Russia's Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

The report indicates the two-year contract will see Fedorov collect $3.8 million per season.

Fedorov would be joining his younger brother Fedor on the Metallurg Magnitogorsk roster.

Last season, Fedorov scored 11 goals and added 22 assists for 33 points with the Capitals. In 14 playoff games, he scored one goal and eight points.

Over his 18-year NHL career, Fedorov scored 483 goals and added 696 assists for 1,179 points in 1,248 games. Besides the Capitals, he also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets. He won three Stanley Cups and one Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player.

Last Night Best Player - Marian Hossa

2009-05-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

By Brian Compton - NHL.com NIKALE PHOTOS

They kept saying it was only a matter of time before Marian Hossa buried his chances.

On Sunday afternoon, the talented winger did just that as he scored two goals in the Detroit Red Wings' 6-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at the United Center.

It was a long time coming for Hossa, who had just four goals this postseason entering Sunday's action. All of those goals were scored in two games, which left Hossa scoreless in 12 of 14 playoff contests.

But with Pavel Datsyuk still out -- the Hart Trophy candidate suffered a foot injury in Game 2 -- Hossa found some chemistry with center Valtteri Filppula. The pair factored in on three of Detroit's goals, and it was Hossa who got the party started with a shorthanded tally at 8:41 of the first period.
"We were missing key players on our team," said Hossa, who hadn't scored since Game 4 at Anaheim. "We had to step up. I knew I had to drive to the net more and be more dangerous and play a little more physical. When you're getting chances and the puck doesn't go in for you, it's human nature you start pressing. I told myself I just had to play more relaxed and play with my instincts and keep things simple."

Hossa and Filppula did just that on Sunday. With his team trying to silence a raucous, capacity crowd, Hossa took a cross-ice feed from Filppula and ripped it past Cristobal Huet for the game's opening goal. Filppula gave the Wings a 3-0 lead with a power-play goal 1:13 into the second before Hossa beat Huet with a shot from the slot less than three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Hossa's second goal came just 12 seconds after Jonathan Toews had cut Detroit's lead in half.

"I thought ‘Hoss’ had an unbelievable game," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought he was awesome. We needed him to step up today, and he really did. The fourth goal put a knife in them. He did a great job there. I thought him and Fil were fantastic."

Whether or not the two will skate together in Wednesday's Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena remains to be seen. Babcock said after Sunday's win that Datsyuk is close to returning.

All of Hossa's goals this postseason have come in the fourth game of the series.

"He obviously scores when he has the chances," Filppula said. "He made a real nice play on both of those goals. He's a fast player. He can really score and he can shoot."

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO MARIAN HOSSA

Last Night Best Player - Patrick Sharp

2009-05-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Brian Compton | NHL.com NIKALE PHOTOS

This was the type of goal Patrick Sharp dreamed of scoring as a child while skating on the frozen ponds in his native Thunder Bay, Ontario.

With his team's season basically on the line, Sharp pulled out the defibrillator and pumped life back into the Chicago Blackhawks when he took a pretty feed from Samuel Pahlsson and ripped a wrist shot past Chris Osgood at 1:52 of overtime for a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals at an electric, yet relieved United Center.
"I think I got one in double overtime once in the minors and in college," said Sharp, who also scored a game-opening power-play goal 8:45 into the first. "But to do it in front of our home fans … it was pretty electric all night long. The fans weren't too happy with the three-goal letdown, but it was pretty loud when that puck went in. It was a great feeling."
"We have no pressure here … we're just having fun playing the game," Sharp said. "The crowd was big for us all night long, especially in overtime. It was a good feeling."
For Sharp, the timing couldn't have been any better. Not only did he give his team life, but he also scored arguably the biggest goal of his existence in front of someone awfully close to him -- someone who shared the same childhood dreams on the same ponds all those years ago. "My brother's in town and he hasn't seen a Hawks game live since last year," Sharp said. "It's a good feeling to put one in tonight in front of him and celebrate with the guys."

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO PATRICK SHARP

MARTIN HAVLAT. LOOKS LIKE CONCUSSION...

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Calgary's Keenan is fired

2009-05-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

By John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist. NIKALE PHOTOS

Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced Friday that coach Mike Keenan has been relieved of his duties.

Keenan, 59, became the Flames' coach on June 14, 2007, replacing Jim Playfair. In their two seasons under Keenan, the Flames went 88-60-16 and twice made the playoffs -- but were eliminated in the first round both times. Calgary finished second to Vancouver in the Northwest Division after leading the division for most of the season and was fifth in the Western Conference in 2008-09. But the Flames were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the opening round. Last spring, they fell to San Jose in seven games.

Keenan, who had one year remaining on his contract, said following the playoff loss to Chicago that he believed he would be back to finish his deal.

"I have another year left on my contract," Keenan said. "My expectation is to be here to fulfill my contract."

That didn't happen.

"Our team did not meet expectations,” Sutter said in a statement. “Following detailed evaluation over the past three weeks, and taking into consideration all factors affecting our season ending result, we believe this is a necessary change required to allow our team to continue toward our objective of winning the Stanley Cup."

The Flames have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday afternoon. The team said Keenan's assistants -- Playfair, Rich Preston, Rob Cookson and Daniel Marcoux -- "remain subject to further review and evaluation."

Calgary was Keenan's eighth stop as an NHL coach. He's won one Stanley Cup, with the New York Rangers in 1994. His 672 career victories are fourth on the all-time list.

MY COMMENT:

What are people!
It’s not too smart! I know Mike is a “Russian Style” coach hard to get along with, but he has brought this team to playoffs from NOTHING! According to their roster they had to be out of run together with Colorado and LA.

Last Night Best Player - Geno Malkin

2009-05-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

EUGENE MALKIN. NIKALE PHOTOS

The Hurricanes dropped a one-goal decision in Game 1 and believed they could win Game 2 -- something they've done in each of their last five series -- to take the series back to Carolina all even.
It didn't happen - largely because of Eugene Malkin.
Early in the second period of Thursday night's game at Mellon Arena, Carolina's Scott Walker felled Malkin with a clean -- but dangerous -- hip check. At the time, the game was tied 3-3, but Carolina seemed to have a good dose of momentum after erasing two one-goal leads.
But suddenly Malkin was angry at the Walker hit, as well as some intimidation tactics by other Hurricanes, particularly Chad LaRose. So Malkin did what he does best -- he took over the game with his all-world talent, scoring the final two goals of his first hat trick in the third period to lead Pittsburgh to a 7-4 victory and 2-0 series lead.
Nobody has ever denied Malkin his talent. However, there have been questions about his willingness to play through the hard areas of the ice -- especially when he struggled offensively in the Stanley Cup Final last year.
But on this night, nobody was questioning Malkin's will.
"He wanted to be out there," forward Max Talbot said. "Even when the game was chippy, he wanted to be a part of that."
"That's the way you want to react," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said of Malkin's offensive outburst, which also included an assist on Talbot's game-tying goal in the second period. "If anything, you want to use it as motivation to play. There are times when it might frustrate you, but you can't let it show -- especially in the playoffs. So that's the best way to do it, and he proved that tonight."
Malkin, who already had a goal and an assist before the Walker hit, finished with four points in the contest and now has a playoff-high 25 points -- including 13 in the last five games.
Afterward, Malkin tried to downplay his contribution, although he had to admit that he found it "awesome" when the sold-out Mellon Arena crowd littered the ice with hats after his third - and most spectacular goal -- made it 6-4 with 7:35 left in the game.

"It's just one game," Malkin said. "I try to play every game and smart.".

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO EUGENE MALKIN

STAAL vs. STAAL. Episode 2. 2-0 to Jordan.

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Ovie for Hart?

2009-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

In what could be a hint at the eventual Hart Trophy winner for NHL MVP, Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has been named Sporting News' Player of the Year, as 147 of his 292 peers have voted for the award.

The dynamic Russian scored a league-leading 56 goals in 2008/09 and has recorded three seasons of 50-plus goals in his first four years in the National Hockey League. The only other players to have accomplished that feat are Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy.

The player affectionately known as "Ovy" also finished the regular season with 528 shots, which is 156 more than the next highest total from a player.

“When he's got the puck, you have to make sure you're ready because he's going to fire away and he's going to fire away quick,” said Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo. “He's dangerous with his shot from anywhere in the zone. There are not a lot of guys who can score from anywhere.”

Ovechkin finished the season with 110 points.

Last Night Best Player - Nicklas Lidstrom

2009-05-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Have you seen a lot of Patrick Kane first two games Chicago vs. Detroit series? So do I. The best young forward of the Conference and the main factor of Blackhawks success in the second round of playoffs became invisible in Detroit. The 2007 first draft pick has 3 shots and -5 in these games. But I am not going to blame him. Why? Nicklas Lidstrom is in charge of covering him personally. The Norris Trophy nominee had another incredible night to add to his outstanding career. He is not known for unusual speed, deadly checks or killing slapshots. But I haven’t seen the player with better positioning play than Nicklas. It looks like he never does mistakes.

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO NICKLAS LIDSTROM

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Detroit Wins in OT

2009-05-19T17:33:00.001-07:00

Mikael Samuelsson scores in OT

Nikolai Khabibulin stops the puck

NIKALE PHOTOS

Staal vs. Staal - 1-0 to Pens

2009-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Eric Staal vs. Jordan Staal. NIKALE PHOTOS

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Last Night Best Player - Marc-Andre Fleury

2009-05-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Pitsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury didn't have to make many saves, but several of his 23 stops were of the highlight-reel variety. A second-period leg-pad save against Jussi Jokinen and a late save on Eric Staal from the doorstep were among the denied chances that will have the Hurricanes shaking their heads long into the night.

"He was big for us," Crosby said. "We didn't get the start we wanted. They got some quality chances early on. Usually when you are at home, you're not talking about weathering the storm, but he did that for us tonight."
"We had two breakdowns in the first period and they resulted in two goals, which was tough, but I thought our game was there and we created a lot of offense and Fleury made some huge saves, especially in the first period," Carolina's Eric Staal said.
"Both goaltenders played really well tonight," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "Our guy was very good. He made a couple of key saves for us at different times in the game when Carolina was carrying the play or had good chances. This is the time of the year you need that from your goaltender and Marc-Andre certainly gave us that tonight."

MY "THIS NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO MARC-ANDRE FLEURY

My Photos From Last Night Game

2009-05-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

DETROIT SCORES. NIKALE PHOTOS

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This Night Best Player - Dan Cleary

2009-05-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Dan Cleary paced the Red Wings with a pair of goals in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday. Cleary scored 2 goals, had 3 shots on net, 4 goals opportunities and +3 rating in today’s semi-finals opener. His determination and energy were outstanding even for playoffs. The first ever Newfoundlander who won the Stanley Cup last summer now Cleary has 11 points in 12 post season games leading whole league with +13 rating. You should probably understand Dan’s player personality better if I tell you that his favourite players are Wayne Gretzky and Garry Roberts, aren’t you? Not the worst combination of skills and spirit, right?

MY "THIS NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO DAN CLEARY

Second Round. "Who Is Hot and Who Is Not..."

2009-05-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

The second round of 2009 is become history. It was one of the best (if not the best) second round I have ever seen. Three games 7 and one series that ended in six – it says a lot. The quality of hockey itself was terrific. The effort of every game shown by every team was fantastic. Anyway, traditionally I would like to bring to your attention my version of “Who is Hot” and “Who is Not” based on the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup. I will be more than glad to get your opinion on this point!

“WHO IS HOT”

It’s definitely hard task. Ovechkin has got 14 points in 7 games. He becomes the first player to register 2 points-per-game-series since 1995, scoring 8 goals in 7 games. Johan Franzen is Red Wings playoffs scoring machine. Young Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane with his unthinkable hat trick in the last game. Or maybe it’s Cam Ward who was the shipwrecking rock for Bruins battleship? Awakened Geno Malkin or Sergei Gonchar who came back to game 7 playing on “one knee”? Maybe amazing Corey Perry or Jonas Hiller from Anaheim? Again, it’s your choice.

Being Capitals fan I have to admit – my second round “Who Is Hot” selection is Penguins Sidney Crosby. For me his brilliant performance against Washington finally proved his superstar status erased all criticism which he has got during past two seasons. Sidney carried Pittsburgh trough whole series scoring the goals, assisting to his partners but much more important he set the excellent example to his teammates how to fight in each episode, every game. He is true captain. Crosby behaviour is the key factor to the Pittsburgh success specially when trailing 2-0 after the first two games. Good luck, Sid, in the semis.

The hottest team which continues to surprise me is Chicago. This team plays vital, enthusiastic, offensive style of hockey scoring tons of goals against the top NHL goalies, allows tons of goals against only to come back in some romantic unbelievable way. I haven’t seen such type of hockey to be successful in playoffs for decades. Thank you, Blackhawks!

“WHO IS NOT”

I won’t give you too long list for election. Two regular season Norris Trophy finalist are on this list. Bruins Zdeno Chara failed to neutralize Canes offensive leader Eric Staal who dominated for the most games during this series. The shoulder injure reason of Caps Mike Green playoffs “absence” may convince you but not me. The one of the best League defenseman was, in my opinion, the worst in both teams during this series. Varlamov and Fleury both have allowed some amount of the goals which not supposed to be allowed by playoffs goalies. Detroit forwards Tomas Holmstrom and Pavel Datsuyk are far away from their normal level.

But this unpleasant award in my opinion goes to Washington forward Alexander Semin. His impact to his team play was negative, his plus-minus is horrible, he scored 0 goals, he has taken selfish penalties, he produced a lot of giveaways. Boudreau’s comment on Semin’s “undisclosed” injure AFTER playoffs finished for Caps is ridiculous. And on the top of everything is his stupid comments about Crosby who has truly shown “what is so special about him” as well as Semin did.

NIKALE PHOTOS

Washington Capitals Season

2009-05-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Washington fans,

The long 2008-09 NHL season is over now for Ovie and Co. Its 24 hours after this painful game 7 lost which ended Capitals season. Even I believe the emotional level is still high and negative I think we can discuss some “pros” and “contras” of this year in general and playoffs in particular regarding to the Washington Capitals. This is the list of topics that I would like to give you to discuss. Feel free to leave your comment or put a new question related to Caps.

1. Did this Caps season satisfy you and match your expectations?
2. Did this Caps playoffs satisfy you and match your expectations?
3. After the Pens series what do you now think about Varlamov?
4. Don’t you think Alex Semin is not “playoffs” style of player?
5. What was the reason for Green’s playoffs “absence”?
6. Don’t you think that Nylander is overpaid for his role to Caps this season?
7. Don’t you think Caps have to trade Theodore if he is not good enough for playoffs?
8. Don’t you think it’s not OK having team captain (Chris Clark) injured for ¾ of the season every year?
9. Don’t you think the Washington organization put way too much weight on one guy shoulders?
10. Don’t you think Caps have some players just waiting Ovie to win the games by himself?

Regards,
NIKALE

See You Soon, Alex!

2009-05-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Prior to heading to Verizon Center for Game 7, Alex Ovechkin sat in front of the television, staring at the Detroit Red Wings throttling the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Final.He should have changed the channel. "Detroit went up, 4-0," Ovechkin said late Wednesday night, "and after that, I thought, 'Jesus, it can't be like that.'" Unfortunately for Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, it was almost just like that.The Penguins needed only 2:12 more than the Red Wings needed on May 31, 2002, to take a 4-0 lead in this highly anticipated Game 7. It was lights out early at Verizon Center -- and Ovechkin couldn't believe it.The final score was 6-2, better than the 7-0 final in that Red Wings-Avalanche debacle, but the final four goals Wednesday night, including Ovechkin's 11th and last of the 2009 playoffs, were nothing more than filler in the box score."They just scored everything," Ovechkin said with a deadpanned look on his face, droopy eyes and messy hair. "They have chances to score and they scored. That's it."

What's worse for the Capitals' magnificent No. 8 is that he had early chances to score before the Penguins chased Simeon Varlamov from the net the same way the Red Wings chased Patrick Roy seven years ago.He couldn't capitalize, and that's a weight Ovechkin will carry with him into his longer-than-anticipated summer."Especially in a Game 7, it's so hard when you're so close," Ovechkin said. "I tell you if we had scored one goal, if I had scored one goal, maybe it's going to be a different game. They use their chances, but we don't, especially me. The first two shots, in my position, I have to score."Ovechkin was limited to three shots on goal. He scored on the last one -- but he easily could have scored on his first two as well if not for Marc-Andre Fleury. A mere 80 seconds into the game, Fleury came far out of his crease to cut down the angle Ovechkin had and gobbled up No. 8's hard drive from the high slot. Just 100 seconds later, only three minutes into the game, Fleury made the save of the night.Ovechkin got free on a breakaway by blowing past Rob Scuderi. He kept the puck on his forehand but shot it right into Fleury's outstretched catching glove, which was about a foot off the ice as Fleury was falling to his own left. "Yeah, I think I do the right thing, (but) I just shoot the glove," Ovechkin said. "I was afraid when (Scuderi) was behind me, when he fell I was afraid his stick would hit my stick and I lose a little bit balance, so I can't go to my backhand. I had to use my normal hand, and I just missed it."If Ovechkin scores there, who knows what happens? Maybe Sidney Crosby and Craig Adams still score twice within eight seconds later on in the first period. Maybe they don't.That's the mystery that now haunts Ovechkin, whose goal late in the second period came off a giveaway by Fleury and made it 5-1."I didn't score the breakaway, and if I score the first goal maybe it's going to be a different game," he said. "They scored the first two goals and they go back and use our mistakes. They're experienced guys and they're good."Struck with disappointment, Ovechkin didn't want to talk any more about himself, but it should be noted that he finished with 14 points in the series, becoming only the eighth player in NHL history to average two points per game in a playoff series.Despite being injured, which Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau admitted in his post-game press conference, Ovechkin had 8 goals and 6 assists against the Penguins, barely besting Crosby's 13 points (8 goals, 5 assists). "He had 14 points in seven games playing against their best defensive players all the time," Boudreau said. "So, I mean, his play was what it was -- magnificent. And, he is another one that if this was the regular season, he wouldn't be playing. If you want to know how good he is, that's how good he is."
When it was finally and mercifully over and the teams were meeting in the traditional handshake lines, Ovechkin took the time to mend some old wounds.He grabbed Sergei Gonchar, the Pittsburgh defenseman and fellow Russian he took out with a knee-on-knee collision just 14:55 into Game 4, and told him he was sorry."I just tell him I don't want to hit him and I just said, 'Sorry,' " Ovechkin said. "I explained what happened over there. I have a good relationship (with him). I don't want to hit guys to get them injured."

Ovechkin did a chest bump with Brooks Orpik, a defenseman he battled with all series, jawing back and forth on the ice and off it. He had a quick talk with Bill Guerin and then, when he met Crosby at center ice, he had a few words for his rival and the Pens' captain."I just wished him good luck and tell him to win the Stanley Cup," Ovechkin said. "You always wish good luck when you lose to a great team. It's hockey. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Right now, they win."

nhl.com

SEE YOU SOON, ALEX!

Last Night Best Player - Sidney Crosby

2009-05-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Sidney Crosby finished the series-within-a-series with 8 goals and 13 points. Ovechkin, no slouch, matched Crosby with 8 goals and added 6 assists to outscore Crosby, 14-13. But when it mattered most, in Game 7 at Verizon Center, it was Crosby scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist as the Pens skated away with a dominating 6-2 victory. Penguins TV broadcaster Bob Errey won a pair of Stanley Cups playing with Mario Lemieux and has watched almost every game of Crosby's career.
"He's a big-time player," Errey told NHL.com. "He's the leader of the hockey club. If there's one player I want, if you give me that vote today, I'll take Sidney Crosby. He's great on and off the ice, he's great for his teammates. He goes into the dirty areas to score goals, he scores big goals. We didn't know what he'd do in a Game 7, but we're not surprised by what he's doing here. I'm not surprised.".

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO SIDNEY CROSBY

The dawn of a new Russian global hockey dynasty?

2009-05-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't notice, there was an international tournament that took place in Bern, Switzerland recently. As much as even some of my fellow Russian speaking writers want to downplay the importance of the IIHF World Championships and the victory, it was an important one.
After Russia again captured the gold medal at the worlds, defeating Canada 2-1, defenseman Denis Grebeshkov said he believe it was the start of a new Russian hockey dynasty.
But Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators may be right when he said that by no means this is the start of the new dynasty.
No one can forget how the Russian juniors were crushed by their Canadian counterparts just two years ago in an eight-game series, with Russia unable to win even one game. Simeon Varlamov was in goal for Russia. And trust me, he did not forget the humiliation.
The Russians have, however, shown signs of recovery from 15 years abysmal results on the world hockey stage. The likes of Nikita Filatov, Evgeni Grachev, Dmitry Kurgyshev and others are the product of the new Russian hockey wave. Kirill Kabanov, a 16-year-old Russian, is now predicted by many to go No. 1 overall in the NHL draft two years from now.
And there is no other opponent for any of the Russian teams than Team Canada. And there is no bigger stage for the two teams than the 2010 Games in Vancouver. I had a chance to chat with Steve Yzerman about the upcoming Olympics a few months ago in Pittsburgh. While Yzerman also tried to downplay the importance of the Russia-Canada final, he admitted that this is a "historic rivalry."
The emergence of the KHL has left only the brightest Russian stars to shine on this side of the pond. For the first time ever we have three Russians finalists for the Hart Trophy (and all of them still in the Stanley Cup playoffs, before this evening.) And all of them are eager to play for their country.
"No, we don't have anyone who can play like Ovechkin," Yzerman told me when I asked him whether there is a player in Canada who can play with the skill and energy of the Washington Capitals superstar.
Guess what Pavel Datsyuk did to get ready for Game 5 against the Ducks? He watched the 2009 final against Canada.
"Not only do I know the score, I actually watched the final right before the game against the Ducks! It is so awesome to win gold two years in a row. Great, guys! Congratulations! There can be no better present for the Victory Day! [May 9 is the Victory Day in Russia]" Datsyuk told Sovetsky Sport's Dmitry Malinovsky in Detroit. Datsyuk will be an automatic choice for the Russian national team this upcoming Olympics.
He will be given a ride for his money to center the first line from Evgeni Malkin.
Is it time for Russia to dominate the world? Players Alexander Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk certainly think so.
Kovalchuk was electric after the gold medal win.
"Did I get my energy from Red Bull? A little bit. But the fans were our Red Bull! Did you see how many Russian fans were in the stands?" Kovalchuk told Sovetsky Sport's Pavel Lysenkov. "This is a historic victory for us. This is Russia's 25th title in history of the tournament. We overtook Canada now. And wherever we go now, we should be talked about as the No. 1 team in the world."
Indeed, for the first time since its establishment in 2004, Russia leads the IIHF Power Rankings as the number one team in the world.
"It's good. I know you guys are pissed off a little bit. But I think it was an unbelievable game," Kovalchuk told TSN after the game.
Is Russia the best in the world? We will know the answer next February. One can only hope that the tournament organizers will let Canada and Russia meet in the final game.

By Dmitry Chesnokov
ca.sports.yahoo.com

MY OWN PHOTO OF THE DAY

2009-05-12T08:41:00.001-07:00

CANUCKS ROBERTO LUONGO. NIKALE PHOTOS

Last Night Best Player - Patrick Kane

2009-05-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Patrick Kane tallied the Blackhawks' first playoff hat trick in 15 years en route to a 7-5 win over the Canucks in Game 6 Monday at the UC, sealing Chicago's first trip to the Conf. Finals since '95
"Winning this series was like getting our first job after graduation,” said Patrick Kane.
The Buffalo, N.Y., native notched his team-leading sixth, seventh and eighth goals on Monday while also adding an assist. "It's about time I got the first hat trick. I've been waiting two years. I guess it can't come in a better game than this," the 20-year-old Kane said.

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO PATRICK KANE

MY OWN PHOTO OF THE DAY

2009-05-11T09:33:00.001-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

RUSSIA WINS 2009 WORLD CHAMP

2009-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

SPORT-EXPRESS PHOTO

Yesterday the Russian ice hockey national team became world champion for the second consecutive year having outplayed Canada in the final.
In the contemporary history there was no a tournament with a more easily predictable final. And more desirable one. Everybody waited for the second after Quebec series of Russian-Canadian opposition in Switzerland.
"I saw how our guys appeared together on the ice in the morning," said the Russian Ice hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretyak. "They usually do it one by one, without haste."
"And today [May 10] they got together earlier and were waiting for the training session to start. That is a good sign. Only a team that is ready for the toughest tryout behaves this way."
"You know that before the semifinal with Belarus I was so worried that could not sleep a wink for half of the night," confessed Tretyak. "And before the final I slept quite calmly."
"It is obvious that the last fight is the most difficult but we have already achieved a lot at the World Championship and felt that we are able to win the main fixture."
"And I am also very glad with the positive emotions of Bryzgalov. After the success in the game with the USA no one should worry about his psychological state."
Ilya Bryzgalov starred also in the third period. Hу saved everything that was intended to get into the net behind him. And not for nothing did our goalie was awarded the MVP of the final title.

Last Night Best Player - Ilia Kovalchuk

2009-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

SPORT-EXPRESS PHOTO

Ilya Kovalchuk became MVP of the World Championship, and though he failed to score in the final he spent more than the half of it – 30:33 to be exact – on the ice. More important - he carried the team on his shoulders through the World Championship from the very first game till the last seconds of the final. His scoring abilities and outstanding leadership were the key factors to the Russia win.

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO ILIA KOVALCHUK

Last Night Best Player - Eric Stall

2009-05-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Eric Staal scored twice to become the franchise's all-time playoff points leader yesterday. More important he has Carolina driven to impressive 4:1 win that gave Cans 3-1 lead against Boston.
“It seems like every time we need a goal or a big play Eric comes and shows up,” Ruutu said. “That’s why he’s a great leader and one of the best players in the world. He shows up in the toughest times.”
“For me personally, I’m just so excited to get to the playoffs,” said Staal, who leads Carolina with 12 points in 11 postseason games. “It was a real, real tough two years missing, especially last year when we were so close. Coming off winning the Stanley Cup you remember how fun and how awesome it was and you want to be back there so badly. It has been a long two years. I feel good where my game is at and I’m finding areas where pucks are going in.”

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO ERIC STAAL

Last Night Best Player - Johan Franzen

2009-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

"We found a way to score goals and create momentum,” Hossa said. “Johan Franzen was the key to this game, I believe, because he scored two quick ones and got our team going. That was huge."
"We got our goals a little bit easier," Franzen said. "We had a high tempo and had guys in front. I had a lucky tip. We need stuff like that to break down that goalie. We did a great job with that tonight."
Big postseason goals are nothing new for Franzen, who first burst onto the scene during the 2008 playoffs when he followed a 27-goal regular season with 13 goals in 16 postseason games -- a franchise mark he shares with teammate Henrik Zetterberg -- despite missing six games with concussion-like symptoms.
"The Mule" has been a featured performer ever since. In his fourth NHL season, Franzen had a career-high 34 goals and 59 points. Now the 6-foot-3, 218-pound left wing is starring once again the playoff spotlight.
"I think he's figured out how to play in this League, and he knows how to use size to his advantage," Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. "He’s a strong player. Strong in taking the puck to the net. Strong in the offensive zone. He’s tough to move.
"And he’s a gifted goal scorer. He’s got a knack for finding the back of the net."

MY "LAST NIGHT BEST PLAYER" AWARD COMES TO JOHAN FRANZEN

Guys, Even If Your Team Lost - Don't Do It!

2009-05-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

BERN, Switzerland (AP)—Police say a Finnish ice hockey fan has died after falling from a farmhouse window in Switzerland.

Bern police said they received a report early Thursday morning of a body lying at the foot of a farmhouse. The man was identified as a 42-year-old Finn who was in Switzerland to watch the hockey world championship.

A police statement said there was no suspicion of anyone else involved in the man’s fall, but that the body has been sent to a forensic medicine institute for more analysis.

Police said the man and seven other people were renting an apartment in the farmhouse for the tournament, which is taking place in Bern and Zurich.

Finland was eliminated Wednesday, losing 3-2 in the quarterfinals to the United States.

Referring and Technology

2009-05-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

This is AlmostHuman's article about referring. I found it very interesting

"I watched Detroit Red Wings forward Marian Hossa's controversial disallowed goal many times. It really looks like the whistle blows at the same time the puck goes in. It looks like a goal to me. But the play couldn't be reviewed and the Red Wings lost.
Would the Red Wings have won the game? You never know. But it certainly appeared they had tied the game and if a replay had been allowed, they at least would have gone to overtime.

That play could cost the Red Wings the series. That's why I think the NHL needs to change the rules to allow a review on whether the puck enters the net before the play is blown dead. The games are too important. There's too much at stake for a team money-wise.

We've taken so much away from the referees already. Everything is done by video and the league looks over plays in Toronto. The referees, more than ever, have less decision making. So why would it hurt to let the league review that play, too?

I don't think referee Brad Watson did anything wrong Tuesday night. He lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle as he is supposed to do. But I know that if he could have gone to video review, he would have done that right away. He doesn't want to be the goat of the game. That's the last thing he wants to do, to be singled out as the guy who cost the Red Wings a possible win.

I do more than 100 games a year on TV. It bothers me that even when a goal is obvious, the league still goes upstairs and takes two, three or more minutes to review it. When it's obvious, just call the goal. So why can't you change the rule to allow this type of play to be reviewed?

Officiating is hard in any sport. I watch football games and there are missed calls. Baseball recently added instant replay to determine whether a hit is a home run. Hockey is probably the hardest sport to officiate. The pucks are traveling at 100 mph. The players are big and fast. That's why I personally can't get down on the referees. But they need a little more help with replay.

Just look at all the action going on during that type of play Tuesday night. The referee is behind the net. There are guys who are 6-4 or 6-5 on skates in front of the net. Players are crashing the net. That's a lot of action and it's easy to lose sight of the puck. But allow a review to see whether the puck went in before the whistle blew.

Referees could also benefit from clearer edicts from the league. Guys are going to the net more and running into the goaltender. The referee has to make a split decision. Did Player A push Player B into the goaltender or did Player B follow through and actually want to hit the goaltender? I've seen more contact with the goalie during this postseason than in the past. The referees have their hands full. It's got to stop. The NHL needs to come up with a strong statement that you can't hit the goaltenders anymore and tell the referees to allow absolutely no contact with goaltenders.

Same thing with blows to the head. The guys are so big and the equipment is so rigid that hits to the head can do damage. We saw Donald Brashear get suspended for his hit to the head. Personally, I think all blows to the head should result in the offending players being ejected from the game. The league also needs to tell referees that.

There is so much parity in the league these days in the playoffs. You don't see blowouts anymore, like in the Edmonton Oilers' heyday. Every game seems to be decided by one goal.

We're asking a lot of the referees. Give them some help."

Today's hero - Cans Jussi Jokinen

2009-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

NHL.COM PHOTO

For the second time of 2009 Stanley Cup my "Today's Hero" award is going to Hurricanes Jussi Jokinen.

Jussi Jokinen, a healthy scratch at times this season and put on waivers twice by Tampa Bay before being acquired by Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford in early February, may have a hard time buying dinner around town anytime soon after scoring yet another clutch goal, this time 2:48 into overtime for a 3-2 victory over the Bruins on Wednesday night.
Jokinen’s second dramatic game-winner at home this playoff season gave the Canes a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 at home on Friday night. Jokinen also scored the winning goal against New Jersey in the fourth game of that series with 0.2 seconds left to send the RBC Center crowd into a wild frenzy, and added the game-tying goal against the Devils in the waning moments of Game 7.
“That guy is money for us right now,” Cam Ward said of Jokinen. “He’s a guy who steps up his game and takes advantage of the opportunity. He has been a huge contributor to our hockey team ever since he’s gotten here. We’re sure happy he’s on our side.”
Jokinen, stationed in front of the net, picked up the rebound on Samsonov's shot from the right side, spun off his defender and quickly put it in – his fifth goal in seven playoff games after only 7 in 71 regular season games.
Maurice said Jokinen is a "very, very smart hockey player." He said Jokinen takes tape home and studies it and quickly grasps new concepts from the coaching staff.
It doesn’t hurt either when his new home – he arrived the first week of February from Tampa Bay on waivers -- feels more like home.

MY PHOTOS FROM CAPS vs. PENS GAME : "MY HOCKEY PHOTO ALBUMS"

2008-09 Lester B. Pearson Award

2009-05-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

TORONTO (May 6, 2009) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) announced today that Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals have been selected as finalists for the 2008-09 Lester B. Pearson Award. The Lester B. Pearson Award is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.

For the first time in the history of the Lester B. Pearson Award, all three finalists hail from Russia. This year will mark just the third time that a Russian player will accept the honour, following Sergei Fedorov (1993-94) and Ovechkin (2007-08). Ovechkin is looking to win the Pearson Award for the second consecutive season, and is now a three-time finalist for the award (including 2005-06). Malkin is also a finalist for the Pearson Award for the second consecutive season. Datsyuk is a Pearson Award finalist for the first time in his NHL career.

Datsyuk had an outstanding all-around season for the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, tying his personal best in points (97) and is a finalist for three other major individual honors in 2008-09: the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Frank J. Selke Trophy, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Malkin was instrumental in helping lead the Penguins back to the postseason, while topping all NHL scorers with 113 points this season, and will receive the Art Ross Trophy for this achievement. Ovechkin had another phenomenal season in Washington, finishing second in the league in points (110) and leading the NHL in goals (56) to capture the Maurice Richard Trophy.

Today's "hero" - Ref Brad Watson

2009-05-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

After Scott Niedermayer misplayed the puck behind his net, Watson lost sight of the puck as it trickled along the goal line underneath Hiller and out to his right. Brad Watson blew the play dead right an instant before Detroit's Marian Hossa jammed the puck in the net for the apparent tying goal with 1:04 remaining.
The play is not reviewable by the League’s control room since it is deemed dead.
"First off, as any of us watch on a replay, it's easy to make the correct call," said E.J. McGuire, the series supervisor of officials. "In the case tonight, the official was down along the goal line. He was moving forward toward the net to try to get a look at where the puck was.
"When he couldn't see the puck, all referees' instructions are to blow the whistle and blow the play dead. A combination of the black puck and the black pants may have been a factor. But when he didn't see the puck, he blew the whistle."

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock didn't mince words when asked for his viewpoint.
"We should be playing (overtime) obviously, right now," Babcock said. "Two teams scored twice tonight, but it just didn't work out that way. There's no sense in complaining about the refereeing or anything like that."

Ovechkin vs. Crosby. Game 2

2009-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Crosby: "Ovechkin scored again!"
Ovechkin: "I don't like Pens smell!"

For more NIKALE PHOTOS from this game visit "Capitals Photos" and "My Hockey Album"

Ovechkin and Crosby each notched hat tricks Monday night, but the Capitals' superstar did one better than his counterpart from Pittsburgh by bringing the house down with what proved to be the game-winning goal late in the third period, sending his team to a 4-3 victory and a 2-0 lead in this best-of-7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal round series.
"It's everything the media has made it out to be, a battle of the two best players in hockey, and tonight they both carried their teams," Capitals defenseman Mike Green said. "We were fortunate that Alex was at the top of his game."
"It's good for the fans to see great players play against each other and two great teams play against each other," Ovechkin said. "It's an interesting time and an interesting game. It's unbelievable when you play against great players and you win a game like this."
"I'm sure it's entertaining for people to watch," Crosby said of this classic duel.
"When you build that hype of superstars playing against each other and then the superstars play like superstars, it's a neat thing, fun to talk about," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Not too many people can do what they did tonight."

Incredible Performance Of Both Superstars

2009-05-04T19:29:00.001-07:00

Ovechkin is interviewed by TSN right after the game. NIKALE PHOTOS

Both Ovechkin and Crosby have got hat-tricks during this night game. Fantastic performance of both superstars is the brightest thing to be mentioned about 2009 playoffs right now.

More photos are coming tomorrow

Today's hero - Cans Cam Ward

2009-05-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Cam Ward finished with 36 saves in the 3-0 victory, his fourth career playoff shutout. He was spectacular on a desperate Boston power play late in the third, stretching for pad saves on Michael Ryder and Dennis Wideman.
Ward was on top of his game, finishing with 36 saves -- including 16 in the third period when Boston was exerting sustained pressure throughout. Ward's leg-pad save on Michael Ryder was the highlight of the third-period exhibition of the form that won him the 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP.
"It kind of came out of the pile and I didn't think he knew where the puck was, and I tried to throw it and I guess he did; he kicked his leg out and made a great save," said Ryder, who has a team-high five goals for Boston. "He definitely made a lot of big saves and kept the score 2-0 for the longest time there."

MORE NIKALE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME

HOW IS IT "NO GOAL"?????????????

2009-05-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

You know what, something is wrong with this "under review" system.

NIKALE PHOTOS

Marchant Scores In The Third Overtime

2009-05-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Todd Marchant is interwed by TSN. NIKALE PHOTOS

Todd Marchant scored early in the third overtime to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-3 victory over the host Detroit Red Wings on Sunday at the Joe Louis Arena.

The win ties the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal 1-1 with Game 3 on Tuesday night in Anaheim.

Today's Hero Award goes to Todd Marchant

Markus Naslund ready to retire?

2009-05-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Proud and classy to the apparent end, Markus Naslund has told his Rangers teammates he is retiring despite having one season at $3 million remaining on the two-year, $8 million free agent contract he signed last summer, The Post has learned.

It is believed that the 35-year-old Naslund, who wore down dramatically as the season and then the seven-game series against the Caps progressed, notified GM Glen Sather of his decision at his exit interview on Thursday, though The Post has not been able to confirm that.

5 unanswered goals in less than 16 minutes

2009-05-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Down often so far during the playoffs, the young Chicago Blackhawks never feel as if they're out of any game. An early, two-goal hole didn't faze them one bit Saturday night.
Patrick Sharp scored twice to tie it and Dave Bolland put Chicago ahead with a short-handed breakaway to help the Blackhawks tie their second-round playoff series at a game apiece with a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Down 2-0 after power-play goals by Sami Salo and Alexander Edler in the first seven minutes, Chicago took over Game 2 of the best-of-7 series with a strong second period.
"We're a confident team and we know despite the score we're still in any hockey game," Sharp said. "It's nice to have the ability to come back again."

My "Today's Hero Award" goes to Blackhawk Patrik Sharp.

NIKALE PHOTOS

Caps Win First Game

2009-05-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Caps' third-line center David Steckel (39) had a monster game that will certainly be overshadowed in the storylines that follow by the superstars in the series. Steckel scored the Caps first goal at 13:50 of the first period by going hard to the net and punching home a rebound before barreling into Fleury. He really wound up being Fleury's worst nightmare as he constantly found himself in front of the Pens' goalie, disrupting his vision on numerous occasions. Steckel got 19:11 of ice time and won 65 percent (11-6) of his faceoffs. He was also credited with four takeaways and two hits. He was on the ice in the final minute after the Pens pulled Fleury and won a defensive zone faceoff with 31.8 seconds left.

Today's hero - Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom

2009-05-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

Nicklas Lidstrom usually plays a subtle style of hockey appreciated most by coaches, players and die-hard fans.
The Detroit Red Wings defenseman's latest performance, though, was so spectacular it impressed an opponent.
"Special player," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.
Lidstrom scored his second goal of the game with 49.1 seconds left and had an assist, lifting the Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Ducks on Friday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series.
"I just get so amazed how he performs out there in a big game like this, in the last minute like that," teammate Jonathan Ericsson said. "He's so calm out there. I guess the experience speaks for itself. I get goose bumps."
During Detroit's opening-round sweep over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Lidstrom was, yet again, a tower of strength. He has possessed one of the best sticks in the game -- capable of sweeping the puck or forcing an opponent wide just by his positioning. He's not overly physical because he doesn't need to be. That speaks volumes about his ability to excel in any situation.

Is there any question Nicklas Lidstrom will conclude his career as the greatest defenseman in the history of the Red Wings?

I have put some of my photos from this game to MY PHOTO ALBUMS

Boston Beats Carolina, Takes 1-0 Lead

2009-05-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Boston blew away the Hurricanes in a dominating 4-1 victory in Game 1 at TD Banknorth Garden. It was the Bruins' fifth-straight victory to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- and in those five games, Boston has outscored its opposition 21-7.
The Bruins simply played the hockey that delivered them to the top of the Eastern Conference and left them just one point shy of winning the Presidents' Trophy as the League's best team.
They rolled four lines, played a disciplined game, got solid goaltending from Tim Thomas (26 saves) and defended across all three zones, forcing Carolina to make mistakes with the puck.
"We're playing pretty solid defensively and that is what helps us offensively," forward Michael Ryder said. "We create turnovers in the neutral zone and we take advantage of it. That is one of our strengths in the neutral zone and tonight we tried to clog up the neutral zone and force turnovers.
The Bruins continue to play disciplined hockey this postseason. Boston only gave Carolina one power play in Game 1, and that was after establishing a commanding 4-1 lead. Boston has allowed just nine power plays in five games and has yet to give up a man-advantage goal.

NIKALE PHOTOS. Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara during yesterday game

I have put some of my photos from this game to MY PHOTO ALBUMS

LaFleur Found Guilty

2009-05-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Let this morning's news about former Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers legend Guy Lafleur be a lesson to all of you "cool" dads out there: If you're going to be your son's wing-man when he's out on bail, don't lie about it in court.

From the CBC, news that the Hockey Hall of Famer has been found guilty of giving contradictory testimony and misleading a judge:

When handing down the verdict Friday morning at the Montreal courthouse, Quebec court judge Claude Parent said it was obvious Lafleur knew he was lying when he first testified at his son's bail hearing. Lafleur showed no reaction when Parent announced the verdict.

After his son was arrested in 2007 on assault charges, Lafleur agreed to supervise him as part of his bail conditions, which included a curfew. When asked in court if Mark had ever failed to spend a night at home during the time he was under curfew, Lafleur said no.

But at his son's review for the bail hearing, Lafleur told a judge that he drove Mark to a hotel to meet his 16-year old girlfriend, because he felt it was important for them to spend some intimate time together.

- The dad was trouble-maker, smoking during the game. The son goes further... Too bad. Guy is my childhood hero.
NIKALE

Ted Leonsis' Series Foreword

2009-05-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

We Got the Peanuts and the Circus is in Town
Please read this article by Michael Wilbon in today’s Washington Post.

It refers to our pending series with Pittsburgh as a “circus” but also as a celebration of great talent and of high-spirited competitiveness between two very good young talent laden teams.

We all must remember that the circus is great family entertainment where safety, security and high value is of paramount importance which is our commitment to everyone.

We all get back to work today. We had a day to chill out and I must admit that no one now is thinking of the past but is now just focused on the immediate task at hand. The joy we felt after winning Game 7 against the Rangers is now long gone for the staff and the players. The specter of playing a great team in Round 2 is now on everyone’s mind.

Our opponent is a mirror image of our team. They have been rebuilt in a similar fashion only they are ahead of us in the plan as they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. And this year, they also ended the season as one of the best teams in the entire NHL.

They have great goaltending; a strong D corps; a high scoring D man; edgy wings; veterans in the lineup; and two sublime world class centers. They also have a great ownership group; a terrific new coach; and a rabid and passionate fan base.

And soon they will have a much deserved world class facility to play in. It is a shame that both teams will have to play back to back games later in the series because the Pittsburgh building - against NHL rules - booked a series of concerts and forced the league to alter the playoff schedule. This is bad for the league, both fan bases and for the players.

The playoffs are very intense and physical and players need time to recoup. No one is advantaged by playing back to back games so no one can complain but it is unfortunate that the Yanni concert takes precedence over high quality NHL playoff hockey.

I also have stated publicly that I believe rivalries are forged in the playoffs and that Pittsburgh has certainly had the upper hand in our historic series. Until we get closer to them in terms of winning percentages in the playoffs, I understand why this isn’t yet a classic rivalry.

I am sure the league and the networks will set all sorts of ratings highs this series and that both fan bases will be on high alert with the passion and creativity flowing. This is the kind of series that you play the game to be involved in - great talent, high expectations and high drama. We need to embrace it. Extend it. Enjoy it and play to our capabilities.

This series represents the next step in the evolution for our team. This is a gigantic test for us. We will prepare well. Wish us luck. Start to save up those good vibes and we will see you all on Saturday at Verizon Center. Onward. Go Caps!

The Second Round Opener

2009-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like the kind of special Blackhawks entertainment to come back from 3 goals deficit during this playoffs. But not to come back only! It’s too boring for these guys. They have to overcome opposite team domination, have it done within one period and at the top off all – to lose the game finally. More likely finding some stupid way to do it. To take unnecessary penalty or allowed 3-on-1 rush 1 minute to play etc. This funny team did it again yesterday against Vancouver. Canuck Sami Salo scored on a 3-on-1 rush with 1:13 left, and Vancouver beat Chicago 5-3 on Thursday night in the series opener after blowing a three-goal lead in the third period. After Nikolai Khabibulin made a sliding save on Steve Bernier’s one-timer, the trailing Salo was all alone to tap in the rebound. Great way to lose another unbelievable comeback! At least, it’s fun to watch.

I have put some of my photos from this game to MY PHOTO ALBUMS

Pre-Game Ceremony. NIKALE PHOTOS

Second Round. My Predictions

2009-04-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's looks like one has much better chances to win lotto's grand prize than to get right winners at NHL playoffs. My 1st round predictions have shown this point perfectly. But anyway I feel obliged to do it. So...

Carolina vs. Boston 3-4
Washington vs. Pittsburgh 2-4
Anaheim vs. Detroit 2-4
Vancouver vs. Chicago 4-3

Let's go! Hope you understand that my predictions and my sympathy maybe different at some pairs (I was already called by my friends - Caps fans who want to kill me after my prediction. Sorry, guys)
NIKALE

1st Round. Who is Hot..

2009-04-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

So who was hot during the first round of the 2009 Stanley Cup? It’s the question of your test. Let me just mention such names as Alex Semin and Eugene Malikin, Ray Whitney and Roberto Luongo, Bobby Ryan and Sergey Gonchar, Marian Hossa and Henrik Lundqvist etc, etc... But my choice is coming to the Caps youngster Simeon Varlamov. The Washington goaltender is the main reason for Caps comeback from 1-3 deficit against New York Rangers. Now everyone can understand why Bruce Boudreau has his goalies switched after just the first game when Jose Theodore did not play well enough. “The team has great confidence in this kid” he said to the media. And next 6 games have proved he was right. I think he is the one who kept Washington alive during the game 7 first period when he played literally alone against much better played Rangers. It supposed to be tremendously difficult to step up after the home defeat and to play like this kid did. 21 years old, without playoffs experience with close to nothing NHL games played...WOW!

And what is it about the “hottest” team? Can I give you two of them? Thank you. These are Ducks and Hurricanes. Ducks dominated against the President Trophy winner San Jose Sharks. They have my prediction beaten completely (I said 4-0 to Sharks). Yes, I am ashamed, but not me only. It’s not so easy task now to predict Detroit vs. Anaheim result. Isn’t it?
Hurricanes have shown unbelievable spirit even for playoffs. The game winning goal they scored 0.2 sec to play and unprecedented comeback during last 80 seconds of game 7 is still beyond of my believe. And on the top of all – it was done against the Devils and Martin Brodeur! Enough, no more coments...

...and Who is Not...

2009-04-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

NIKALE PHOTOS

It’s pretty long list of individuals who are, in my opinion, underachieved, underplayed, underworked etc. Significant stronger performance was expected by such players as Caps Mike Green, Sharks Patrick Marleau and Eugene Nabokov, Columbus Rick Nash etc. But for me this unpleasant number 1 position of this round is belonged to San Jose Sharks’ Joe Thornton. He finished the regulations with +16 and 18.0% goals/shots numbers. Now, look his playoffs stats: -3 and 5.9% accordingly. It says a lot. He was able to shake his team and has shown some lack of leadership abilities.

So which team has brought the main disappointment to us? The answer is closed to the previous paragraph. San Jose Sharks. President Trophy winner was completely overplayed by Conference 8 placed team in contrary to the most predictions, my own included. The Sharks official website has posted the pool “Is this the toughest playoff loss in Sharks history?” The 86% of the Sharks fans answered “Yes”. I don’t think whatever has to be added to it.

Hart Finalists - Russians All and Only

2009-04-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) - Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is a finalist for a second straight Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player.
Fellow Russians Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings were also among the finalists announced by the league Wednesday.
The winner will be revealed June 18 at the NHL awards show in Las Vegas.
Ovechkin led the league in goals this season with 56, and could become the first repeat winner of the Hart since Dominik Hasek in 1997-98. Ovechkin finished three points shy of becoming the NHL's first repeat scoring champion since Jaromir Jagr in 2000-01.
Malkin was runner-up for the Hart Trophy last year and has already won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring with 113 points.
Datsyuk is considered by many the league's most complete player after finishing fourth in scoring with 97 points. He is also a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward, both of which he won last year.

WOW! It's the first time when the representatives of one non-canadian nation have been elected to any NHL Trophy. It's double remarkable that this is the main NHL personal award - Hart Trophy - Nikale.

Pavel Datsyuk Nikale Photos

Today's hero - Cans Jussi Jokinen

2009-04-29T08:20:00.001-07:00

New Jersey was literally 80 seconds away from advancing to a second-round matchup against the Washington Capitals -- who won Game 7 against the New York Rangers earlier in the night -- when Jokinen silenced the capacity crowd of 17,625 as he one-timed a cross-ice feed from Joni Pitkanen through Brodeur's legs to make it 3-3.
For those who thought that was unbelievable, they hadn't seen anything yet.
"It was pretty quiet after Jussi scored," Staal said. "We were on the bench and we were obviously the only ones pretty excited. When we went over the boards after that goal, we're like, 'Why not get another one?' It happened."

Nikale Photos

2009-04-29T08:19:00.003-07:00

MY CAPITALS PHOTOs from Game 7:

2009-04-29T08:19:00.001-07:00

You can find more "MY PHOTOs" here:

Today's hero - Blackhawks Nikolai Khabibulin

2009-04-28T06:05:00.000-07:00

Nikale Photos

Nikolai Khabibulin brings playoff experience to the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks, who are searching to add some of their own.
"We know the important of goaltending and what it means to our team," Quenneville said. "We've got a lot of confidence in our goaltending all year and we've got to rely on it a lot."
Khabibulin has a career 22-5-2 regular-season record against the Flames. Three of those wins came this season as the Blackhawks swept Calgary 4-0 during this regular season.
Why is he so good against Calgary?
"I don't know," Khabibulin said. "Luck of the draw. Sometimes against certain teams you play better than against others."
Everyone knows that Calgary is especially good at home ice. They won both meeting with Chicago at home during this series. Yesterday Flames were stopped by Chicago netminder who has 43 saves against them. His solid play made his teammates confident and relaxed. Calgary forwards and even crazy spectators and fans quickly became frustrated realized that it was one of those nights when a goalie is simply able to stop everything. My “Hero of the Night” award comes to Blackhawks’ Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikale Photos

Brashear gets 6 games suspension

2009-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington forward Donald Brashear has been suspended for six games by the National Hockey League and will miss Tuesday's Game 7 of the Capitals' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal round series against the New York Rangers for his action both prior to, and during, Sunday's Game 6.
Brashear was suspended one game for initiating contact with Rangers forward Colton Orr during the pre-game warm-up. Brashear was suspended for five additional games for a blind-side hit on New York forward Blair Betts at 9:54 of the first period.
"Brashear delivered a shoulder hit to an unsuspecting player," NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said. "It is also my opinion that the hit was delivered late and targeted the head of his opponent, causing significant injury."
Brashear's suspension will be served beginning tomorrow night when the Capitals meet the Rangers in Game 7 of the series. The suspension will extend through the Capitals' next five 2009 playoff games, the 2009-10 regular season, or both, as circumstances warrant.
Brashear has played in the last four games against the Rangers. His suspension could pave the way for Capitals' captain Chris Clark to join the lineup for the first time since Jan. 27 at Boston. He has been out since after having wrist surgery. Clark announced prior to Game 1 that team doctors cleared him to play, but coach Bruce Boudreau has yet to insert him into the lineup. Clark said Monday that Boudreau told him to "be ready," but that's what he has been telling him before every game of the series.
"It means the same thing it's always meant," Clark said. "If somebody got hurt, I would be in. I have been waiting for this chance."
Boudreau was non-committal about who would play for Brashear, either Clark or Michael Nylander, who has been a healthy scratch for the last four games.
"We've got a lot of players," Boudreau said. "Donald is a big part of our team, but so is Michael Nylander and Chris Clark and they haven't had a chance to play. We've said all year that if someone is not playing someone has to come in and do just as good a job."
Since it is Brashear leaving the lineup, it would seem appropriate for Boudreau turn to Clark, who plays with a little more of a physical edge to his game than the slick passing Nylander.
"Clarkie is a feisty guy so maybe he'll get in there and fill (Brashear's) spot," Capitals defenseman Mike Green said.
To a man, the Caps do think losing Brashear does hurt their team even though he is averaging only 3:25 of ice time and less than seven shifts per game.
"He's a big part of our team, for sure," Alex Ovechkin said of Brashear. "He's a big guy in our locker room."
"He obviously has a presence on the ice and makes guys look behind them whenever he's out there," Green said. "Not only that, but in the dressing room he's great helping us out. We're all going to have to step up our game and be a little more physical because we're missing that key component with him out."

Personally I think it was wrong move by Brashear. The Caps need him on ice and in the dressing room.

Ladislav Scurko murder case

2009-04-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

A former Philadelphia Flyers prospect has confessed to murdering a referee in his native Slovakia.

Ladislav Scurko, 23, faces 15 to 20 years in prison after admitting to police that he stabbed Marek Liptaj and buried him in the woods near Kosice, Slovakia in January 2008. Scurko played with Kosice in the Slovakian professional league.
The body was discovered this past December and Scurko admitted to the crime after being questioned by police last week. Police would not reveal a motive for the crime, but the Globe and Mail reported Monday that Scurko might have had problems with gambling.
Scurko, a centre, played three seasons in the Western Hockey League from 2004-07 and was selected in the sixth round (170th overall) by the Flyers in the 2004 Entry Draft. He never signed with the Flyers organization and played the past two years in Slovakia.

What a night for Ray!

2009-04-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

What a night for Carolina Hurricanes and Ray Whitney in particular! Dominated Cans tied the series. The opening goal was scored by Ray who participated in all four Hurricanes goals. The veteran player is one of the best of this battle.

Nikale Photos

Today's hero - Capitals Tom Poti

2009-04-27T08:33:00.001-07:00

"Who knew Sunday afternoon would turn into the Tom Poti show. The former Ranger, who is always booed when he's back at Madison Square Garden, silenced the sellout crowd for Game 6 by scoring a goal and adding three assists to lead the Caps to the 5-3 victory."
nhl.com

So for the second consecutive year Caps managed to come back from the 1-3 deficit to force game 7 be played at their home ice tomorrow. The big part of this turning point is my Hero of the Day Caps Tom Poti.

For more photos go to Nikale Photos Albums or Capitals Album

Check My Photo Albums!

2009-04-27T08:31:00.002-07:00

MY CAPITALS PHOTOs from Game 6:

2009-04-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

You can find more "MY PHOTOs" here:

Canada smashed Hungary 9:0

2009-04-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

Martin St. Louis had three goals and an assist for Canada, which is simply looking to jell and develop some chemistry in the early stages of this tournament. The team will take a 2-0 record into Tuesday's game against Slovakia.

Nikale Photos

Pens advanced to the next round

2009-04-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

-It was a huge comeback for the Penguins, who dug their way out of an early 3-0 hole made in part by their own mistakes. The Penguins continued their drive through the end of the second and into the third, when Gonchar became the hero of the day. "It's been a while, but in the playoffs, as a defenseman, you're not always thinking about goals," Gonchar said. "You have to keep shooting the puck, keep putting it on the net and one day it's going to come. Fortunately, today was one of those days." It can't be the sublimely skilled duo of Sidney Crosby and Eugene Malkin leading the offense every night. While Crosby had a pair of goals and Malkin added a pair of assists, teams win and lose in the playoffs as a team, which means contributions from everyone and everywhere. - nhl.com

As I predicted Penguins advanced to the next round after the yesterday victory. Fleury played solid and the Pittsburgh offence is too powerful to be controlled. Flyers failed to do it. Congratulations, Pens fans!

More “My Photos” from this game can be found here: “My Photo Album”

It's not MY Photo, but just watch THIS!

2009-04-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

"We're now a desperate team. We're losing. We don't have lots of opportunities to make some mistakes. You have to be all the time great. You have to be all the time 100 percent. We're still losing and (Sunday) is probably the biggest game in our year." -- Alex Ovechkin

2009-04-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

You can find more "MY PHOTOs" here:

2009-04-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

MY CAPITALS PHOTOs from Game 5:

Today's hero - Capitals Matt Bradley

2009-04-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Nikale Photos

It looks to be easy to pick up right one for my “Hero of the Day” nomination as only one game was played yesterday. But it’s not right. To take to consideration phenomenal second period Ovechkin’s goal highlighted by everyone and everywhere. Or maybe it’s the second shootout in four career playoffs games registered by young Simeon Varlamov? I have to apologize. Sorry, my Russian countrymen and millions of Ovie fans (me included). Today’s Hero of the Day is Capitals forward Matt Bradley. His 2 second period goals in my opinion decided this game. I would like to underline the first goal. It’s the best example of real hard work while shorthanded fighting to the end with perfect execution of the finishing minor touch. Caps started the game uncertain and obviously nervous, when have got the penalty. Matt’s goal turned the whole picture to Washington. Silent leader probably is the best description of such a player. Well done, Matt!

Canada wins opener

2009-04-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Nikale Photos

The 2009 IIHF World Championship was started today in Switzerland. Canada has Belarus team beaten in the opening game this afternoon. The final score is 6:1. Canada brought some NHL stars like Spezza, St Louis, Heatley and young Stamkos to the roster. The Belarus team has Maple Leaf Grabovsky who scored the team only goal

Today's hero - Devils Martin Brodeur

2009-04-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Nikale Photos

The player of the day is Martin Brodeur. He left behind all bad emotions from the previous game when Davils gave up the decisive goal 0.2 sec to play. Yesterday he was fantastic. He stopped everything and everywhere registered another shootout with his career playoffs high 44 game saves. He is my Hero of the Day.

What's wrong with Capitals Green?

2009-04-23T07:26:00.001-07:00

Nikale Photos

You might have the different opinion but I think that Montreal and Washington has at least one problem in common. The problem is absence of an offensive defenseman who can transfer the puck forward. To be more specific the names are Markov and Green to Montreal and Washington accordingly. Markov is injured and did not play. No more questions and as result of yesterday game Canadiens can book their flights to summer holidays. But what is about Caps Mike Green? I don’t know. Maybe he has an undisclosed injury or he is tired after long successful season, but something wrong with him. He is not skating, not shooting, not finishing his checks, he is losing his one on one battles, taking lazy penalties etc etc. Shortly, he is not himself. I don’t think Ovechkin, Semin, Kozlov, Fedorov and Varlamov are in any hurry to join Russian National team in Switzerland. So if Washington doesn’t want to join Habs and Blues something supposed to be done urgently. Do you know what's wrong with Mike Green? Let me know

2009-04-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

You can find more MY PHOTOs here:

2009-04-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

MY CAPITALS PHOTOs were updated:

Today's hero - Canucs Alex Burrows

2009-04-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Alex Burrows scored his second goal of the game with 18.9 seconds to go in overtime. This goal has finished this series and the Blues season. Alex is my “Hero of the Day”. He said right after the game - "We had a limited line-up, we were up 2-0 but they really came back in our end and were pressuring hard, but we found a way," said Burrows, who was a pivotal part of the penalty kill playing just under four minutes shorthanded. "We killed six minutes of power play in overtime and that was huge and we found a way to get it done."

My Photos from this exciting game can be found at MY PHOTO ALBUM

Keenan's plan works out

2009-04-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

After two blown games in Chicago coming home Flames were angry indeed. They dominated during the home game got the gap narrowed 2-1 after game 3. Tooday I am featuring this game using MY photos.
Visit MY PHOTO ALBUM to find more.

Today's hero - Capitals Simeon Varlamov

2009-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Who was the hero of the last game day? Don't go far away. It's Capitals Simeon Varlamov. The 20 years old Russian goaltender played fenomenal during his very first two Stanley Cup games. You don't trust me? How it's about Pierre LeBrun from ESPN?
"That's a good thing if you're the Caps. Rookie Varlamov looked cool as a cucumber as he shoved aside 33 shots for his first career playoff shutout. Boudreau raised eyebrows when he replaced veteran Jose Theodore before Game 2 with a 20-year-old netminder with 329 minutes of previous NHL experience. Varlamov has responded by stopping all but one of the 57 shots he has faced. Guess the Caps coach knew what he was doing."

Nikale Photos

Dominik Hasek to play for Czech club

2009-04-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

PRAGUE - Dominik Hasek is coming out of retirement to play for his former club in the top Czech league. The 44-year-old goaltender will play next season for HC Moeller Pardubice in the town where he was born and started his career. While Hasek will be the oldest player in the league, Pardubice has an option to extend the contract by one more year. "I'm really glad I could sign a deal with this club," Hasek told a news conference Tuesday. "It's a club where I spent the most years. I've never even thought I could play for any other club in the Czech Republic. I'm looking forward to the next season." The announcement comes less than a year after Hasek's retirement following winning won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings for the second time in June. "A year ago I said goodbye to the NHL but not to hockey," Hasek said. "After a year when I was engaged in other activities I felt like returning." Hasek helped Pardubice win the Czech title in 1987 and '89. "My return won't be easy," Hasek said. "We have big goals with Pardubice. I don't talk about my age but a return to top hockey will not be easy. I want to keep winning, I'm looking forward to it." Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1983, Hasek joined the NHL in the 1990-1991 season and won 389 games with the Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres and the Blackhawks. He was a six-time Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goaltender and two-time Hart Trophy winner as the league's most valuable player. He previously retired in 2002 after winning his first Stanley Cup with Detroit but rejoined the NHL in the 2003-04 season. Hasek played two games for Pardubice during the 2004-05 lockout season. He also led the Czech Republic to gold at the 1998 Olympics - and is now hoping for an encore at next year's Vancouver Olympics. Hasek said he didn't know whether the Czech coaches are interested in having him on the team, but that playing in another Olympics "will be a motivation for me in training."

By Karel Janicek, The Associated Press

Last Night Hero - Travis Zajac

2009-04-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have published MY OWN photos from the New Jersey vs. Carolina yesterday night game. Please, visit MY HOCKEY PHOTO ALBUMS.

Nikale Photos

Brodeur escaped from the record

2009-04-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Finally Brodeur has finished his really unpleasant consecutive series of loosing overtimes to Carolina. He was one lost shy of setting the NHL anti-record at this point. I don`t think that Martin is regret by not marking this kind of achievement. Now seriously, he was great.

Nikale Photos

Is it too late now?

2009-04-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Doing everything possible Blues cannot find the way to beat Canucs. Luongo is playing playoffs hockey for real – solid, steady with absolutely no mistakes. But, you know what, even against the outstanding goaltender Saint Louis was obliged to score on 5 on 3 situations which they had three times during this series already. Especially yesterday when Blues have it twice and looked helpless. They don’t lose the battles, they show strong spirit, but...they are not scoring. As result Blues are 0-3. Now is it too late?

Nikale Photos

Flyers shooting back

2009-04-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

It looks like Phillis can play hockey. Not only sitting in the penalty box. Last game proved it. I am happy to have another series to be intrigued instead of falling down to 3-0 deficit.

Nikale Photos

2009 Niagara Nike Bauer Hockey Tournament

2009-04-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, my readers. I have been away for 3 days. I hope you missed me. My boy participated in 2009 Niagara Nike Bauer hockey tournament. We advanced to the finals but lost the battle. Too bad. But the tournament was great. It’s the high ranked event so almost all the best “AAA” players of Ontario and some from the States shown up. So hockey was excellent, weather good, hotel acceptable and the falls are impressive as usual. Now let’s come back to hockey for the big kids. I mean the NHL.

Nikale Photos

Montreal vs. Boston 2:4

2009-04-16T19:36:00.001-07:00

Scott Thornton (22) has some conversations with George Laraque.

Boston leads 1-0. There is Makrov?!! Four penalties, no goals. And Chara scores game winner on power play - that's the key.

For more Nikale photos go to My Hockey Album

VISIT MY HOCKEY PHOTO ALBUMS!

2009-04-16T09:11:00.001-07:00

I have published MY OWN photos from the Rangers vs. Capitals opening night. Please, visit MY HOCKEY PHOTO ALBUMS. The quality is not perfect, but still fresh and, I hope, should be interesting.

The Start in My Photos...

2009-04-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Nikale Photos

Vancouver leads 1-0. The final score (2:1) is not reflecting the game. In my opinion Canucs overplayed Blues from the first minute till the very last. Thanks to Luongo, Kesler and Sedins brothers.

Nikale Photos

Devils lead 1-0. Brodeur was terrific. As usual, cannot say the same about Ward.

Nikale Photos

Penguins lead 1-0. I told that Pittsburgh seems to be better, but they were much better. All what Phillies could to put onto the table was test of dirty play.

Nikale Photos

Rangers lead 1-0. Ovechkin was flying, shooting and hitting but it’s not enough to win the game. Playoffs – it’s all about which team fewer mistakes do. Especially when it comes to goaltending. The worst scenario for Capitals has been played – Theodore’s performance was shabby.

VISIT MY HOCKEY ALBUMS!