bluejackets.nhl.combluejackets.nhl.com/v2/ext/05.25.2013 nhlc.doc · Web viewSPORT-SCAN DAILY...

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFNHL 5/25/2013

Boston Bruins678524 Seidenberg skates, but status for Game 5 remains uncertain678525 Refocused Rask ready for Rangers, Game 5678526 The four crucial mistakes that doomed the Bruins in Game 4678527 Tuukka Rask, Bruins try to shake off a tough night in New

York678528 Rangers top Bruins in OT, force Game 5 in Boston678529 Return of power play helps save Rangers678530 Rask remains upbeat after a rare shaky performance678531 Seidenberg skating, but uncertain for Game 5678532 New York Rangers’ new fourth line injected energy678533 Dennis Seidenberg practices but still no word on his return678534 Rookie Torey Krug follows his dream with B’s678535 Cam Neely’s cool with Claude Julien678536 Kings flex their muscles678537 Notebook: Fourth line won’t bite678538 B’s must be better to clinch678539 Rangers find way after fluke goal in Game 4

Buffalo Sabres678540 Want to bet Lindy Ruff will end up in Vancouver? You can

Chicago Blackhawks678541 Hawks, Wings know 'series isn't over yet'678542 Thanks, Captain Self-Inflicted Mess678543 'Demand for winning' drives Red Wings678544 Hawks not getting down about deficit678545 Blackhawks-Red Wings Game 5 spotlight678546 Seabrook not talking about reduced ice time678547 Captain Jonathan Toews needs to lead Blackhawks by

example678548 Brent Seabrook’s struggles reflected in his playing time678549 Jonathan Toews says winning only thing on Blackhawks’

minds678550 Playoff rally vs. Canucks in 2011 gives Hawks confidence678551 Hawks need to create problems for Howard678552 Blackhawks just focused on winning Game 5678553 Blackhawks’ Seabrook admits it’s been a struggle678554 Hawks try to help Toews keep his cool678555 Blackhawks working on getting traffic in front of Howard678556 Seabrook: This is what we play for, the Cup678557 Chicagoland third grader answers "Hossa" on math exam

Colorado Avalanche678558 Patrick Roy must dump Semyon Varlamov, get elite goalie

for Avalanche

Dallas Stars678559 Former Stars standout Brad Richards scratched for key

game: 'Nothing's over'678560 Did Dallas Stars accidentally release new logo ahead of

June 4 unveiling?678561 Avalanche getting the band back together, hiring Patrick Roy

as head coach678562 Kari Lehtonen's backhand save against Columbus up for

play of the year678563 Readers with mixed reactions to Dallas Stars' possibly

leaked logos: 'It could have been worse'

Detroit Red Wings678564 Helene St. James: Red Wings surprising even themselves,

but know job not yet finished678565 Jamie Samuelsen's blog: Red Wings' unsung hero for playoff

run? Ken Holland678566 National writers impressed by Red Wings, Jimmy Howard678567 Captain Jonathan Toews says Blackhawks are embracing

adversity678568 Blackhawks say they are frustrated, working hard678569 Red Wings forward Drew Miller's return helps penalty kill

deliver at right time678570 Column: Red Wings leave Blackhawks gasping, grasping678571 Wings' Jimmy Howard accepts big money for starring role

without ego678572 Wings' Mike Babcock drives players to succeed with one

priority: winning678573 Red Wings brace for raucous Chicago crowd, fired-up

Hawks678574 Ten questions about Wings-Hawks series: Abdelkader

answers the call678575 Agent for Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk says report that he has

agreed to deal with Russian team is false678576 What they're saying: Henrik Zetterberg is Detroit Red Wings'

equalizer, Jimmy Howard is their eraser678577 NHL will announce award winners with pair of TV specials

during Stanley Cup finals678578 Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews running out of time to turn

things around against Detroit Red Wings?678579 Red Wings have dominated, frustrated Jonathan Toews; last

change at home could help Blackhawks678580 Detroit Red Wings want to close out Blackhawks in Game 5

but say final victory in a series is toughest678581 Blackhawks hope to rally from 3-1 series deficit678582 Blackhawks taking it one game at a time678583 Red Wings expect to see Chicago’s best Saturday

Edmonton Oilers678584 Oilers look to sign Gagner long-term and say goodbye to

Khabibulin

Los Angeles Kings678585 Matt Greene is back and the Kings are more than happy to

have him678586 Let the gamesmanship begin as Kings, Sharks call each

other for diving678587 Kings' Lewis appears eager to take trophy back to Utah678588 Kings hope road 'kill' matches home success678589 Seeing Greene: Kings defenseman, finally healthy after back

surgery, brings needed brawn and leadership to def678590 JILL PAINTER: Meet the Kings' Darryl Sutter -- the quirky

L.A. coach who knows how to win678591 May 24 afternoon quotes: Darryl Sutter678592 Players eager to articulate Greene’s value678593 Another Stoll update678594 Waking up with the Kings: May 24678595 May 23 postgame notes678596 Kings to play at 5:00 or 7:00 on Sunday

Minnesota Wild678597 NHL award winners to be announced before Game 2 of

Stanley Cup final

Montreal Canadiens678598 Marking the 27th anniversary of Habs’ 23rd Stanley Cup

Nashville Predators678599 Nashville Predators put faith in Scandinavian scouts678600 Predators' staff changes not limited to coaching staff

New York Rangers678601 Rangers Ask a Do-It-All Defenseman to Do a Little More678602 Rangers Game and Wedding Form a Blissful Union678603 John Tortorella discusses Ryan McDonagh's value and NY

Rangers' need to handle Bruins' surges at Friday practi678604 Crushed Ice: John Tortorella defends Brad Richards and

benching of veteran center, notes from NY Rangers Game678605 Fourth line of NY Rangers trying to get Bruins to drop gloves678606 NY Rangers look to carry momentum against Bruins in

Game 5678607 Brassard swats Boston’s gnat678608 Rask mistake gives Rangers new life heading into Game 5678609 Tortorella: More ‘power’ to underused McDonagh678610 Rangers going ‘fourth’ with new focus678611 Rangers' three keys to Game 5678612 Rangers notes: McDonagh gets more power play time678613 Gulitti: Finishing a series has been a tough task for Bruins'

Tuukka Rask678614 Rangers stand tall with backs against the wall678615 Game show legend Monty Hall was once a Rangers

announcer678616 John Tortorella faults himself for not playing Ryan

McDonagh on power play678617 Rangers again will try to keep their season alive Saturday

night678618 Bruins coach Claude Julien not concerned about loss to

Rangers

Ottawa Senators678619 Morning skate update: Big line is back for the biggest game

of the year678620 Scanlan: Senators can hold their heads high678621 Ugly end to Senators’ storybook season678622 Sens captain Alfredsson won’t be anything but honest678623 Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson may retire after

playoffs end678624 Ottawa Senators struggle on penalty kill against the

Pittsburgh Penguins678625 Ottawa Sens just can't hang with Pens

Philadelphia Flyers678626 Flyers prospects fight for supremacy in Memorial Cup678627 Danny Briere preparing for buyout from Flyers678628 Briere talks broadcasting, future with Flyers

Phoenix Coyotes678629 Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney agrees to

a long-term contract extension678630 NHL may lay out Coyotes ownership deal Tuesday, mayor

says678631 May 24, 2013 7:38 pm

Pittsburgh Penguins678632 Kovacevic: Matt Cooke 1, Ottawa Senators 0678633 Letang dazzles with dynamic play in Game 5 win678634 Penguins notebook: Tickets for Eastern Conference final on

sale today678635 Senators notebook: MacLean puts onus on veterans678636 Penguins rout Senators, return to Eastern Conference final678637 Alfredsson ponders his future678638 Gene Collier: Ottawa desperate? It sure didn't look that way678639 Senators captain Alfredsson on the mark in the end678640 Tough, smart Cooke gets Penguins on move678641 Penguins Notebook: Long stretch of starts no problem for

Vokoun678642 James Neal's hat trick leads Penguins to 6-2 victory

San Jose Sharks678643 San Jose Sharks elimination games678644 San Jose Sharks must bounce back from 'weakest game of

playoffs'678645 San Jose Sharks' Game 6 heartaches678646 San Jose Sharks notebook: Adam Burish might be ready to

return678647 Sharks on brink after 3-0 loss in L.A.678648 Sharks notes: Home dominance continues678649 Sharks hope history eclipses this year's home ice dominance678650 Penguins eliminate Senators, secure Sharks' second-round

pick678651 Burish could return for Sharks in Game 6

St Louis Blues678652 Blues re-sign forward Adam Cracknell

Tampa Bay Lightning678653 Lecroix will not return as Lightning assistant coach678654 Tampa Bay’s pro coaches showcase their philosophies678655 Fennelly: Tortorella, Richards forever linked by Cup678656 Lightning assistant Lacroix will not return next season

Vancouver Canucks678657 Canucks and the art of the (coaching) hire678658 Canucks Hat Trick: Here’s the Deal with Utica, John Stevens

and Booth

Washington Capitals678659 Capitals season review: Defensemen

Websites678660 ESPN / Penguins' tidal wave washes away the Sens678661 ESPN / Crosby, Pens taking nothing for granted678662 ESPN / Greene's monster presence calms Kings678663 FOXSports.com / Kings find offensive production in Game 5

win678664 NBCSports.com / Report: NHL to present Glendale with

Coyotes ownership plan next week678665 NBCSports.com / NHL awards to be announced during Cup

finals678666 USA TODAY / Blackhawks' offense goes cold678667 USA TODAY / Why Patrick Roy will be a good coach678668 USA TODAY / What makes a Stanley Cup champion?

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

678524 Boston Bruins

Seidenberg skates, but status for Game 5 remains uncertain

May 24, 2013 07:01 PM

By Seth Lakso, Globe Correspondent

If Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg knows whether he is going to be back in the lineup for Saturday’s Game 5 against the Rangers, he didn’t give it away to reporters following Friday's optional team skate.

However, he was one of the first Bruins to take the ice for what was a brief but intense workout at TD Garden.

Seidenberg, who hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury on his first shift in Game 7 of the first round against the Maple Leafs May 13, initially looked a bit stiff but appeared to loosen up as the practice progressed.

Following the workout, the 31-year-old told reporters that he is continuing to improve and felt “comfortable” on the ice.

“Ice time right now helps me,” Seidenberg said. “It doesn’t matter what it is. It always helps somebody getting back. It helps you get your timing back a little bit and maybe a feel for the puck.”

Asked how much he wants to play Saturday, the defenseman replied, “Really bad. Nobody likes watching hockey games, especially around this time of year. Hopefully I get back in there soon and hopefully I can help.”

Veteran blue liner Wade Redden, who has been out with an upper-body injury, also was on the ice, paired with Seidenberg, but coach Claude Julien wouldn't commit to any lineup changes.

“I keep telling guys they’re progressing every day,” he said. “That’s why you see them on the ice.”

Andrew Ference (lower-body injury) was the lone Bruin not to participate in the skate.

If Seidenberg does return, defenseman Dougie Hamilton -- who was visibly upset in the locker room Thursday night after New York’s Chris Kreider beat him for the game-winning goal -- is the likely scratch.

However, Hamilton’s willingness to take responsibility for his mistake seemed to impress his coach.

“I think the one thing our guys have been is they’ve done a great job being accountable,” Julien said. “Acknowledging it is certainly a great thing because it means they know what needs to be done and then, from your end of it, you make the correction and then you show confidence in them that they’re going to go back and get an opportunity to redeem themselves.”

Julien went on to say that he has been happy with Hamilton’s work alongside Zdeno Chara in this series.

“We’ve played four games in the series,” said Julien “and then you look at one goal and do you jump all over [Hamiton] for that or do you give him a pat on the back for everything he’s done so far in the series and us being up, 3-1? I think it’s more that.

“We want to rally back tomorrow and play an even better game so that we can win this series. That’s all we’re thinking about right now, not about mistakes and everything else more than, 'What do we need to do here tomorrow?' ”

Boston Globe LOADED: 05.25.2013


Refocused Rask ready for Rangers, Game 5

By JIMMY GOLEN

May 24, 2013

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask saw the replay of his Game 4 gaffe over and over on television.

‘‘I saw it in my head, too,’’ he said Friday, a day after he fell in the crease and allowed a goal that helped the New York Rangers stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals. ‘‘You can either cry about it or laugh about it. I choose to have a sense of humor.’’

That attitude will help when the Bruins try for a second time to finish the series at the TD Garden in Game 5 on Saturday. The Rangers would need a win to force the series back to Madison Square Garden for a sixth game on Monday.

‘‘We want to do the pushing now,’’ Rangers forward Michael Haley said. ‘‘Put out some hits and get a good forecheck and get the energy in our favor.’’

The Bruins took a 3-0 lead into the fourth game of the best-of-seven series on Thursday night, and Nathan Horton and Torey Krug scored in the second period to give Boston the lead. But just 54 seconds after the Bruins went up 2-0, Rask stumbled in the crease and fell just as Carl Hagelin backhanded a shot on net.

Rask swiped at the puck with his stick, but it was moving so slowly it eluded him.

‘‘Probably the ugliest goal I have ever seen turned it around for us, and that’s hockey,’’ Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. ‘‘A save or a goal or one shift can change everything. It was an ugly goal. Sometimes that’s all you need to get us going, to get the building going. We kind of lowered our shoulders a little bit and started playing our game.’’

Rask gave up another soft goal — with help from an uncharacteristic turnover by defenseman Zdeno Chara. The 2009 Norris Trophy winner was stripped of the puck behind the Bruins net, and Derek Stepan wrapped it into the net behind the unsuspecting Rask to tie it 2-2.

‘‘Sometimes it (stinks) to be a goalie,’’ Rask said after practice on Friday.

But Bruins coach Claude Julien said he didn’t need to talk to Rask to boost his spirits.

‘‘What do you want me to say?’’ Julien said. ‘‘There’s not much you can say on those types of things. We know the impact it had.

‘‘He lets one of those in and how many does he save for us? You kind of balance those things out and it becomes a non-issue.’’

Tyler Seguin gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead, Brad Boyle tied it for the Rangers with 10 minutes left in regulation, and then former Boston College Eagle Chris Kreider won it in overtime.

‘‘We were ugly the first part of the game. We end up finding ourselves. After a fluky goal, I think we played better,’’ Rangers coach John Tortorella said Friday after practice. ‘‘All is forgiven. You don’t go back and dissect it. You won a game to keep yourself alive. That’s what we have to look to here now.’’

Just 10 minutes from elimination, New York now has a chance to get back into the series against a team that just three years ago blew a 3-0 lead in its second-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Rangers rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits against Washington in the first round to earn the right to face the Bruins.

‘‘That’s something you try to hang your hat on, I guess,’’ Tortorella said. ‘‘I'm not a real big believer in it. I think that every new game is a different situation. But our team doesn’t give.’’

The Bruins skated for about 30 minutes on Friday afternoon in preparation for the 5:30 p.m. start for Game 5. Julien said he wanted his players to work up a good sweat, even with the late finish on Thursday night.

Everyone was on the ice except for Andrew Ference — including injured defensemen Wade Redden and Dennis Seidenberg, who have been out for the entire second round so far. Seidenberg said he felt comfortable but would have to talk to the doctors and trainers



The four crucial mistakes that doomed the Bruins in Game 4

May 24, 2013 08:03 AM

By Marie Torto

The Bruins were unable to sweep the Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday night in New York's Madison Square Garden and must now try to win the series back in Boston on Saturday. The team said mistakes caused the loss, like Tuukka Rask's tumble and Zdeno Chara's undoing behind the Boston net.

Take a look at the four biggest mistakes the Bruins made that prevented them from sweeping the series.

1. Derek Stepan steals the puck and scores: "I wasn't aware he was right behind me," defenseman Zdeno Chara said after having his pocket picked on the play. "I've got to make sure I take a look."

2. Dougie Hamilton fails to stop Chris Kreider: "Right now, for me, that last goal obviously bugging me and that's a play I have to have and just feel like I kind of let the team down," said Hamilton. "Just pretty upset right now."

3. Bruins called for too many men on the ice and Rangers score tying goal on ensuing power play: "I think it was my fault," winger Tyler Seguin said. "I saw Thorty [Shawn Thornton] coming. I hopped over, and I think he got hit. I haven't seen the replay. He stayed on for an extra second. I don't know exactly the ruling. Our centerman, whoever was out there, touched the puck, not me. I don't know if that's too many men, or if I touch the puck, it's too many men. Regardless, I think it was a close call. They made me pay for it."

4. Tuukka Rask falls, Carl Hagelin scores easy goal: "I just took a step to the side in what I think there was probably a skate mark or something," said Rask. "My skate dug in it, that's what it felt like, and then I lost my balance and the rest is history. It happens to me twice a year in practice, maybe. Focus, got to be more focused, I think, but just a tough mistake. It looks pretty bad on TV, I bet."



Tuukka Rask, Bruins try to shake off a tough night in New York

By Steve Silva,

NEW YORK – The Bruins have fallen. But they can still get up Saturday night and end the series with the Rangers.

With a chance to send the Blue Shirts home for the summer, the Bruins reared their evil Mr. Hyde head Thursday night and turned a 2-0 lead into a 4-3 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden.

The play everyone will be talking about came when Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask payed homage to Jets QB Marc Sanchez and his Thanksgiving butt fumble in the second period. Rask lost his balance setting up for a Carl Hagelin shot, fell to the ice, and watched helplessly as the puck slithered over the goal line to get the Rangers on the board in the second period, cutting the Bruins lead to 2-1.

“I just took a step to the side in what I think there was probably a skate mark or something,’’ said Rask. “My skate dug in it, that’s what it felt like, and then I lost my balance and the rest is history. It happens to me twice a year in practice, maybe. Focus, got to be more focused, I think, but just a tough mistake. It looks pretty bad on TV, I bet.’’

Rask talked about trying – and failing – to recover once he was seated on the ice.

"Just sloppy I think," Rask explained. "It kind of freezes you, like 'what the heck happened,' then you still have a second to decide whether you're going to try to scramble, put the paddle down or just try to whack it away and I just tried to whack it away and I know it's just awful."

Fast forward to sudden death overtime when former Boston College player Chris Kreider notched the game winner with a beautiful tip deflection at 7:03 of sudden death.

“I thought that was the best goal of the night for them,” said Rask. “That was really a good goal on that. Shot first taken, really good tip.”

Bruins defenseman Doug Hamilton was not so quick to credit the Rangers for making a great play on the game-winning goal.

"Right now, for me, that last goal obviously bugging me and that's a play I have to have and just feel like I kind of let the team down," a visibly distraught Hamilton said after the game. "Just pretty upset right now."

Hamilton was reminded that he was not alone in making miscues that ultimately cost the Bruins the sweep.

"I think a little bit sloppy I guess," Hamilton said regarding the Bruins play in Game 4. "That's pretty much it."

Hamilton described what went wrong on the Rangers game winner.

"I had him coming through and I knew exactly what he was going to do," he said. "Just couldn't get his stick in time. He just got it right when the puck was coming there, I just couldn't get his stick … I have to obviously take him away and remove his stick from playing that puck,” Hamilton said. “If I get rid of his stick, the puck goes in the corner and that’s it. That’s the play. Obviously like I said, I'm pretty upset."

Rask agreed that the Bruins had a hand in giving the game to the Rangers.

“We gave them a couple gifts, obviously,” Rask said. “At the end of the day, that’s what cost us a lot of energy.”

Another miscue took place on the Rangers' second goal, which came at 1:15 of the third period and tied the score, 2-2. Rask skated behind the net to attempt to control the puck for defenseman Zdeno Chara, but Rask didn't get back to the crease in a timely manner and the Rangers' Derek Stepan took the puck from Chara and scored a classic wraparound.

“I wasn’t aware he was right behind me,” Chara said. “I’ve got to make sure I take a look.”

“A breakdown in front of our net,’’ was how Rask described the play.

On the bright side for Boston, Tyler Seguin got untracked when he scored his first goal of the postseason, giving the Bruins a short-lived 3-2 lead at 8:06 of the third period.

"Obviously a little bit of a sigh of relief, and maybe even a confidence booster," Seguin said. "It was nice to finally get one in. It was a tough game, it was a weird game, you gotta give credit to them. They played a hard game. We knew it would be a tough one to win. I think a lot of the goals were kind of given to them but they went in."

The Bruins made yet another mental mistake less than one minute after Seguin's go-ahead goal when they were called for having too many men on the ice (channelling Don Cherry in Montreal). The Rangers capitalized on the penalty and tied the game 3-3 when Brian Boyle's wrist shot beat Rask cleanly.

“Stupid mistakes cost us the game,’’ Rask said. “It’s a game of mistakes. We’ve just got to learn from them and move forward. Shake it off and move on."

Bruins coach Claude Julien blamed the sloppy play on execution.

"There's no panic here," Julien said. "Had we been outworked and not been there at all, we would be talking differently here. But we didn't get outworked, and all it was, as a team, we didn't execute as well as we have been. We have to go back home and play a better game."

And now the Bruins will be home and hosting the new-life Rangers Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with hopes of ending the series in five games.

If they don't finish off the Rangers at home, they'll be back in the world's most famous arena Monday and the pressure will be squarely on Boston's back as they're sure to be reminded of the 2010 up-3-games-to-none slide that saw the Philadelphia Flyers advancing to the next round over Rask and Co.



Rangers top Bruins in OT, force Game 5 in Boston

By IRA PODELL

May 24, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — During a sluggish first period, a difficult second period, and a tense third period, there were few signs the New York Rangers would be able to hold off the Boston Bruins and extend their season for at least one more game.

The Rangers played poorly in the opening 20 minutes, but managed to get to intermission in a scoreless tie. Offensively challenged New York fell behind by two goals in the second and trailed by one twice in the third.

Yet, the Rangers dug out of those deficits and were still tied at the end of regulation. Surely the overtime bug would bite them again, no?

No. Not this time.

Chris Kreider deftly deflected a pass from Rick Nash past goalie Tuukka Rask 7:03 into the extra period, and the Rangers escaped with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 Thursday night that kept them alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

‘‘Tonight is a good example of just how deep we are,’’ Kreider said. ‘‘There is no quit in this room.’’

Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle scored tying goals in the third period for the Rangers, who even found a bit of success on the power play. Carl Hagelin netted New York’s first goal in the second.

Henrik Lundqvist made 37 saves for New York, which totaled only five goals while losing the first three games of the series. The Rangers still trail 3-1 and will need to win Saturday in Boston to force a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden.

‘‘This was a big one,’’ Lundqvist said. ‘‘It was such a great feeling to see that puck go in.’’

The Rangers, who were outshot 40-32, won a faceoff deep in their zone, and Nash rushed the puck up ice. He stopped above the right circle and fed a hard pass in front that Kreider skated into and tipped in for his first of the playoffs.

‘‘It is so surreal,’’ the 22-year-old Kreider said. ‘‘It’s not something that can really be explained. It is something that just has to be felt, but it was awesome. I'm just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game.’’

New York, which improved to 1-3 in overtime in these playoffs, was eliminated from the conference finals last year by New Jersey after regulation in Game 6.

‘‘There is no negativity in the room,’’ defenseman Dan Girardi said. ‘‘We’re not worrying about anything else that is going on. We knew we just had to win one game. Now we have to go to Boston and try to win another one.’’

Kreider, who made his NHL debut in last year’s playoffs, has six postseason goals in just 25 games.

Boston got second-period goals from Nathan Horton and rising star Torey Krug to build an early lead. Tyler Seguin’s first of the playoffs put the Bruins back on top 3-2 in the third.

Only three teams have lost a series after leading 3-0, but the Bruins are the most recent to do it in 2010 against Philadelphia.

One more win will put Boston into the conference finals for the second time in three years. The Bruins gave up a 3-1 lead to Toronto in the first round before rallying in Game 7 to advance.

‘‘There is no panic here,’’ coach Claude Julien said. ‘‘We have to go back home and play a better game.’’

Stepan got New York even at 2 just 1:15 into the third after a dump-in. Rask went behind the net to slow the puck down for defenseman Zdeno Chara, but Stepan forced a turnover when he surprised Chara from behind.

Stepan gathered the puck and tucked it inside the left post for his team-leading fourth of the playoffs.

‘‘We made some mistakes, mistakes we haven’t been making, mistakes you can’t have, and they capitalized on them,’’ Chara said. ‘‘They made us pay.’’

The Bruins made the most of another power play and took a 3-2 lead just 2 seconds after a goalie interference penalty against Ryan McDonagh expired. Seguin got to his own rebound in close and shoved a shot past Lundqvist at 8:06.

However, the Rangers still wouldn’t go away and they finally connected on the power play for the first time in the series and the third time in 41 man-advantages this postseason.

Boyle took a pass from Stepan in the slot and snapped a drive that nestled into the middle of the net at 10:00 after the Bruins were caught with too many men on the ice.

New York coach John Tortorella made desperate moves with his lineup, hoping to find some chemistry to spark his club. Tortorella benched star center Brad Richards, who had just one goal in the playoffs, and rugged forward Arron Asham in favor of seldom-used Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley.

‘‘By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I'm blaming him,’’ Tortorella said of Richards. ‘‘I need to make decisions about what I feel is right for our team to win.’

Veteran Roman Hamrlik also played for the first time in these playoffs in place of injured defenseman Anton Stralman, who left Game 3 in the second period.

The Bruins used their power play to grab control in the second period, connecting twice in a span of 3:02 to take a 2-0 lead.

After Newbury was sent off for goalie interference, when he knocked down Rask, Horton got the scoring going. He tried to feed a pass from the bottom of the left circle into the slot, but the puck hit Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and bounced back to Horton.

This time, Horton let a shot go that struck the inside of Lundqvist’s left leg and caromed in at 4:39.

Lundqvist blocked a hard shot by Chara, who rattled a drive off of the goalie’s mask. At the next stoppage, there was a brief delay as Lundqvist had repairs made.

Del Zotto took an interference penalty 1:25 after Boston took the lead, and Krug made the Rangers pay again. Krug, a rookie defenseman who made his NHL postseason debut in the series opener, fired a slap shot from the Stanley Cup logo in the Rangers’ zone that sailed past Lundqvist and into the top right corner at 7:41.

Krug has scored in three of the four games he has played in this series, and his goal gave Boston as many power-play tallies at Madison Square Garden in this playoff year as the host Rangers had mustered to that point.

But New York got a big break just 54 seconds later to cut the deficit in half.

As the Rangers were moving the puck up ice, Rask stumbled in the crease and fell at around the same time that Hagelin was backhanding a shot on net. Sliding as slowly as possible, the puck eluded Rask as he tried to recover in time to stop it.

‘‘I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something,’’ Rask said. ‘‘I lost my balance, and the rest is history.

‘‘We gave them a couple of gifts and it cost us the game.’’



Return of power play helps save Rangers

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell

May 24, 2013

NEW YORK — The Rangers went into Thursday’s Game 4 with a couple of monkeys on their backs. No. 1, they were down, 3-0, in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Bruins and they faced elimination.

No. 2, the power play was abysmal, producing just two goals in 38 opportunities in their first 10 postseason contests.

But Thursday brought relief on both fronts — the Rangers won in overtime, 4-3, at Madison Square Garden, which forces a Game 5 on Saturday in Boston, and they scored a power-play goal that tied the game at 3-3 at the 10-minute mark of the third period.

Rangers center Brian Boyle, a former Boston College standout, potted the man-advantage goal on a shot from the slot that beat Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask.

“It tied the game and that was good,’’ said Boyle. “It was a good pass by Derek [Stepan]. We can make plays, we’ve got to have the confidence. I thought their unit did a really good job moving the puck around and getting some opportunities. Derek just makes a great feed, so it’s there, I think, we just have to execute. We want to score on every power play. It’s frustrating when you don’t. You can’t accept the fact that it’s not working and say, ‘OK, it’s all right, we missed another opportunity.’ We need to be determined enough to go out and try to make a difference. Tonight, especially with Derek’s unit, they did a great job. We need to do it. The games we lost, if we get a power-play goal, it’s a different game obviously.’’

Boyle was excited to see another former Eagle, Chris Kreider, get the overtime winner.

“He’s been playing well and he’s playing better and better,’’ said Boyle. “He puts a lot of pressure on himself to do well. He wants to be a big part of this team. That’s a huge, huge goal.’’

Decisions, decisions

Coach John Tortorella had a bee under his bonnet when it came to his decision to sit center Brad Richards. Richards, who has struggled, was a healthy scratch because Tortorella said he felt it wasn’t fair to put him on the fourth line because his skills are wasted there, and others are playing better on the scoring lines, so he wasn’t going to replace anybody there. But he stressed he isn’t punishing Richards, and if anyone believes differently, they are flat-out wrong.

“By no means is this a situation where I take him out that I’m blaming him,’’ said Tortorella, who recorded his 19th postseason victory, passing Colin Campbell for third on the Rangers’ all-time coaching list. “I’m playing Brad on the fourth line, he’s playing 7 or 8 minutes, it’s not good for him. It doesn’t work playing Brad Richards that way. But I also feel some other guys have played better, so that’s where he is right now in our lineup. I can’t put him in a situation otherwise because I think the other lines have stepped up.’’

So he used a different fourth-line combination in Game 4 — Micheal Haley, Kris Newbury and Derek Dorsett.

“Brad Richards is a hell of a hockey player,’’ said Tortorella. “He has had struggles here. It continues. Me putting him in that role doesn’t help him. It’s not blaming Brad Richards. He’s a hell of a hockey player that’s having a hell of a [tough] time. This is a Conn Smythe winner, this is a guy I’ve grown up with [in Tampa Bay], a guy that I love as a person and a player, but I have to make that decision regarding this.’’

Saving grace

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 37 saves to post his 30th career victory. He improved to 5-0 with an 0.98 against average, a .966 save percentage, and two shutouts in the last five playoff games at MSG in which the Rangers faced elimination.

“[The Bruins are] good but I am really happy with the way we responded the second half of this game,’’ said Lundqvist. “I told the guys before the game that there was no way we were losing this game, we want to keep playing. We owe it to ourselves, our fans. All our focus today was just on this game. It’s going to be a challenge [in Game 5], no question, but I am really happy we got this one.’’

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell



Rask remains upbeat after a rare shaky performance

By Seth Lakso

May 25, 2013

What occurred at the 8:39 mark of the second period Thursday night at Madison Square Garden was painful to watch for the Bruins and their fans.

Boston had just taken a 2-0 lead and the Rangers had only six shots on net in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Bruins had managed to take the air out of the historic arena and looked well on their way to a series sweep.

Then Tuukka Rask fell down.

Or tripped.

Or caught his skate in a rut in the ice, as the goaltender put it.

Either way, it wasn’t pretty.

Rask’s tumble came as he tried to slide into position to make a stop on New York’s Carl Hagelin, who had come streaking into the Boston zone.

Hagelin’s shot was slowed by the stick of Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk. But without his footing, Rask wound up with a front-row seat as the puck inched across the goal line.

“I saw [the replay],” said an upbeat Rask after Friday’s morning skate at TD Garden. “I saw it many times in my head, too.”

Rask, who said he had slipped in a similar way in practice a few times, made it clear he has the proper perspective.

“You can either cry about it, or laugh about it,” he said. “It’s better to have a sense of humor and laugh about it.

“It was a tough break. Those happen, and to be honest, I think throughout the years I’ve been pretty good at making those not-so-top-10 plays and here we are again.”

Hagelin’s goal resuscitated the Rangers and the crowd, and set in motion a comeback that resulted in a 4-3 overtime win and a Game 5 in Boston on Saturday.

“You know, in the playoffs you just have to move on after a good game or a bad game,” said Rask, who made 28 saves Thursday. “You’ve just got to focus on the next one.”

In a series where New York’s Henrik Lundqvist is the more heralded goaltender, Rask has been on his game.

In 11 starts this postseason, Rask is 7-4 and has a 2.33 goals-against average. He’s stopped 119 of 128 shots on net this series (.929 save percentage).

“There’s just something about [Rask],” said rookie defenseman Torey Krug, who has burst onto the scene with three goals and an assist in the series. “You look at him back there and he’s just so collected and it’s a good feeling as a defenseman, especially one like myself who takes a few risks trying to jump up in the play. I know he’s back there and he’s going to make a big save for me if I am caught out of position, so it’s a good feeling for me.”

Rask was asked to compare the 2010 Bruins team, which blew a 3-0 series lead to the Flyers, with this year’s squad, but he wouldn’t bite.

“I don’t even want to compare,” he said. “It’s a totally different team. We beat Philly the next year, 4-0, and went on to win the Cup, so lots of things have happened and we’ve said all along that we don’t want to look at the past too much. We like to live in the moment and focus on the task at hand.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien was asked if he had spoken to Rask following the morning skate.

“What do you want me to say?” Julien said. “Not really, not really. There’s not much you can say on those types of things. It’s things that happen. We

know the impact it had. He lets one of those in and how many does he save for us? You kind of balance those things out. It becomes a non-issue.”

If Rask and the Bruins take care of business on Saturday, it will officially become a non-issue.

“You’ve just got to move on,” Rask said. “You let in goals and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what kind of goals you let in, they’re still goals. Just some days it [stinks] to be a goalie.

“It didn’t decide the game. It obviously gave them momentum, but it wasn’t like in overtime or anything. If we move on [in the playoffs], everybody forgets about it, but it’s not in the back of your head every day.”



Seidenberg skating, but uncertain for Game 5

By Seth Lakso

May 25, 2013

If defenseman Dennis Seidenberg knows whether he will be back in the lineup for Game 5 against the Rangers Saturday, he didn’t give it away to the media following Friday’s optional team skate.

However, he was one of the first Bruins to take the ice for a brief but intense workout at TD Garden.

Seidenberg, who hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury on his first shift in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs May 13, initially looked a bit stiff but appeared to loosen up.

Following the workout, the 31-year-old said he is continuing to improve and felt “comfortable” on the ice.

“Ice time right now helps me,” Seidenberg said. “It doesn’t matter what it is. It always helps somebody getting back. It helps you get your timing back a little bit and maybe a feel for the puck.”

Asked how much he wants to play Saturday, the defenseman replied, “Really bad. Nobody likes watching hockey games, especially around this time of year. Hopefully I get back in there soon and hopefully I can help.”

Veteran blue liner Wade Redden, who has been out with an upper-body injury, also was on the ice, paired with Seidenberg, but coach Claude Julien wouldn’t commit to any lineup changes.

Andrew Ference (lower-body injury) was the lone Bruin not to participate in the skate.

When Seidenberg returns, rookie Dougie Hamilton — who was visibly upset in the locker room Thursday night after New York’s Chris Kreider beat him for the overtime goal — is likely to be a healthy scratch.

However, Julien made a point to show his support for the 19-year-old defenseman Friday, saying he’s been happy with Hamilton’s work alongside Zdeno Chara in this series.

“We’ve played four games in the series,” Julien said, “and then you look at one goal and do you jump all over [Hamilton] for that? Or do you give him a pat on the back for everything he’s done so far in the series and us being up, 3-1? I think it’s more [the pat on the back].”

Krug feels confident

Rookie defenseman Torey Krug continued his strong play in Game 4, blasting a slap shot past Henrik Lundqvist for his third goal of the series. It put the Bruins ahead, 2-0, in the second period.

“It’s always good to help the team,” said the 22-year-old, who was called up from Providence after Seidenberg went down. “It would have been my favorite [goal] if we had won the game. Unfortunately it didn’t work out that way.”

However, it’s not the offensive output that has the 5-foot-9-inch Krug feeling so confident.

“I don’t even think it’s scoring the goals that’s giving me the confidence,” said Krug. “I think in Game 3, that was my best individual game overall defensively. I don’t think they got very many opportunities when I was on the ice.

“It feels great when you’re out there and the coaching staff is playing you more in those pressure situations.”

Krug drew such a crowd of reporters that defenseman Johnny Boychuk couldn’t get to his locker. The veteran shook his head and walked away laughing.

“I was sitting there watching Game 7 [vs. Toronto] much like you were as a fan,” Krug said. “It was unbelievable to watch, and when Seidenberg went down, I didn’t even really think about it. I was just so focused on our playoffs at the time down in Providence.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m very lucky to have it and I’m just glad I get to spend it with a great group of guys.”



New York Rangers’ new fourth line injected energy

By Allan Kreda

May 25, 2013

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The surprise boost the Rangers received in their season-saving Game 4 victory Thursday night came from more than overtime hero Chris Kreider and Vezina Trophy goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Coach John Tortorella cobbled together a new fourth line to match the grit and relentless play of the Bruins and give his team a jolt of energy after it fell behind Boston, three games to none, in this second-round series.

The trio of Micheal Haley, Kris Newbury, and Derek Dorsett proved the perfect tonic — at least for one game — to the Bruins’ supremely effective fourth line of Daniel Paille, Shawn Thornton, and Gregory Campbell. Paille’s line played a huge role in Boston’s 2-1 win in Game 3 in New York as he scored the winning goal after assisting on defenseman Johnny Boychuk’s tying score.

Rangers captain Ryan Callahan lauded New York’s new line, which played about only eight minutes but gave the Rangers a discernible surge, especially late in the game.

“Newbs and Hales created good energy and played a lot of strong shifts in Boston’s end,’’ Callahan said. “They stepped right in and played well. We needed that.”

Game 4 marked the playoff debut for the 27-year-old Haley and only the second postseason game for Newbury, a veteran of 10 seasons in the AHL.

Dorsett, a right wing acquired from Columbus in the late-season trade that sent Marian Gaborik to the Blue Jackets, had only three games of playoff experience before this spring.

Haley marveled at the palpable tension and excitement of a playoff contest at Madison Square Garden.

“The energy before the game was incredible — even the national anthem gave me goose bumps,’’ said Haley, who spent most of his career in the New York Islanders organization. “Our mission was to go out and give our best energy every shift. We wanted to make their team look over their shoulders.”

The efforts paid off as the Rangers rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to force overtime, where Kreider scored at 7:03 to send the series back to Boston for Game 5 Saturday.

Tortorella, who benched All-Star center Brad Richards for Game 4 with the plan of creating a fresh fourth line, praised the Haley-Newbury-Dorsett unit.

“They did a good job,’’ he said. “Our team is a team that doesn’t give. We keep working hard and playing strong shifts. We battled through and have our chance in Boston now. It’s about one game at a time.”

Tortorella, who won the Stanley Cup with Richards and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, drew criticism for leaving his underachieving center off the ice in an elimination game.

The 33-year-old Richards, winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2004, struggled badly this season. He had just one goal in 10 playoff games and had been demoted to the fourth line, a shocking fall for the gifted playmaker.

So Tortorella decided to sit a player long known as a personal favorite. Richards is completing the second year of a nine-year, $58.5 million contract he signed in July 2011.

Because Richards — who didn’t skate with the team during Friday’s 20-minute practice — was absent in Game 4, Tortorella was able to elevate Kreider to a line with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard, the team’s leading scorer in the playoffs and also part of the Gaborik trade. The move also allowed the Rangers to roll four lines steadily throughout the game.

Kreider wasn’t available Friday following his heroics about 12 hours earlier, but Tortorella gave high marks to the 22-year-old left wing, who fought

through an arduous season after his breakout last spring when he scored five playoff goals as the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference finals.

“I’m glad for Chris, it’s terrific,’’ the coach said. “We had a different look and we had success. We found a way to get it done because he and the team battled through it.”

Newbury, the scoring leader for the Rangers’ affiliate in Hartford this season, has played 599 AHL games over 10 seasons.

The 31-year-old right wing smiled as he mulled the uproarious celebration the night before at Madison Square Garden after Kreider tipped a perfect cross-ice pass from Nash past Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask.

“It was crazy, something special I’ll never forget,’’ said Newbury, mindful the Rangers still have a huge uphill climb in this series. “We know their fourth line plays hard and scores goals. We definitely worked to match their energy and I think we accomplished that. Now we have to keep it going.”



Dennis Seidenberg practices but still no word on his return

Friday, May 24, 2013

Mark Daniels

Dennis Seidenberg was the first defensemen on the ice during this afternoon’s practice. He said he felt better, but there is still no word whether he or Wade Redden, who also practiced, will return tomorrow for Game 5 against New York.

Seidenberg said it hasn’t been fun watching the Bruins play from afar, but he has to have more discussions with coaches and team doctors before he returns.

“Nobody likes watching games, especially this time of year,” Seidenberg said. “I felt comfortable out there…I have to talk to them first. And go from there.”

Andrew Ference was the only Bruins not on the ice today. Seidenberg was paired up with Redden during the team’s drills. The rest of the defensive pairings were the same.

Claude Julien said that his injured defensemen are improving, but wouldn’t say if one or the other would be available tomorrow.

“(Seidenberg) skated today. I keep telling you guys they’re progressing every day,” Julien said. “That’s why you see them on the ice.”

Mark Daniels

Boston Herald LOADED: 05.25.2013


Rookie Torey Krug follows his dream with B’s

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Mark Daniels

Earlier this month, many of Torey Krug’s friends graduated from Michigan State.

The rookie defenseman would’ve been a college senior this year, but last spring he left East Lansing, Mich., to sign with the Bruins. He said it was strange to hear about his friend’s graduation, but he couldn’t be happier with his decision.

While his classmates may have just left school to pursue their hopes and dreams, Krug already has been living his.

“Yeah, it’s a bit weird,” Krug said. “They’re going off trying to find, I guess you can call it, a real job. And I’m here, doing the thing I love to do. It’s not a job when you love to do it and I’m having the time of my life.”

During this Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the New York Rangers, Krug has gone from emergency call-up to the Bruins’ hottest offensive weapon from the blue line. His power-play goal in the second period of Thursday’s Game 4 was his third goal of the best-of-seven series, which the Bruins lead 3-1.

Even when Dennis Seidenberg returns, it seems likely Krug will stay in the Bruins’ lineup. Heading into today’s Game 5, that’s the furthest thing from his mind.

“You never know what’s going to happen when these guys get back,” Krug said. “Obviously (Seidenberg, Wade Redden and Andrew Ference are) veteran defensemen and have a lot of experience. A couple of them won Stanley Cups. You never know what the coaching staff is going to decide. You just do your part to take advantage of the opportunity you were given.”

Despite being thrown into the team’s Stanley Cup run with the start of this second-round series, Krug has remained composed. It’s been a trend throughout his early career. When he went undrafted, Krug’s confidence never wavered. He always believed if he was meant to play in the NHL, he would find a way. He believed that scouts would find him.

That confidence is clear every time he shoots from the point, or carries the puck through neutral-zone traffic.

“I think it’s just the confidence that my teammates show in me and the coaching staff shows in me, putting me out there in pressure situations,” Krug said. “It gives you a chance to play your game. You don’t think about it. There’s times when you can get stuck up in the crowd and the lights and everything, but when you’re out there playing hockey you’re in the zone.”

Every so often Krug will take a step back to appreciate where he is. He’s come a long way since his days in East Lansing, where he traded in his chance for a college diploma for a shot at his dream.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Krug said. “I’m very lucky to have it.”



Cam Neely’s cool with Claude Julien


Stephen Harris

Bruins president Cam Neely was sitting alone in the Madison Square Garden stands late Thursday morning watching his team’s morning skate in advance of what would be a sloppy, gift-wrapped 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers that night.

The B’s have three more chances to win the first-round series and very much hope they’ll require only one: today’s Game 5 at the Garden.

Neely was talking about the B’s season-long inconsistency, and about how the club, in defiance of NHL accepted wisdom, has been able in the postseason to “flip the switch” and start playing the right way.

What might have occurred had that switch not been flipped — say, if the Bruins had squandered their 3-1 first-round series lead vs. Toronto and lost Game 7? Or what if, heaven forfend, the B’s were to fritter away their current series after taking a 3-0 lead? From the outside, it’s easy to presume there would be sweeping changes for this team.

This led, inevitably, to the perception prevalent in Boston that Neely is not a big fan of Claude Julien’s system and would prefer a different, more offensive-minded coach. Neely admits he knows this perception exists.

“Yeah,” Neely said. “I think a lot of that stems from a few years ago when I thought we could have created some more offense. It wasn’t like I just came out and said it: I had conversations about it internally with Claude.

I reflect a lot of the coaches I had and players I played with in my career. I think it’s served me well to understand situations that have happened over the past few years when I’ve been in this position. I reflect a lot upon that.”

Listening to Neely now, it sounds as though his view on Julien’s style may have changed — at least to a degree. He went on and on Thursday saying nice things about the coach, who is believed to have one year remaining on his contract.

“I feel like Claude has done a really good job of continuing to improve,” Neely said. “The whole coaching staff has done a good job and I think most of our players have continued to improve. That’s what you want.

With everybody, we’d all still like to improve. Claude has made adjustments throughout his tenure here. He’s a very good coach. I think he’s handled the players really well. I think he’s done a really good job.”

Neely acknowledges that the Bruins did not play particularly well this season, but noted that the crowded schedule made playing with consistency more difficult. At times, it seemed the sound system play and diligent work ethic for which this team is known had vanished — which inevitably reflects on the coach.

“It’s hard, especially with the condensed schedule and the way we have to play — the way we have to play,” Neely said. “It’s difficult. We have to work hard for everything we get, and a condensed schedule makes it that much harder for our guys to recover and regroup.

Also, we talked a lot over the offseason about the things we’d like to work on and improve, but it’s difficult to do that with the little practice time we had.”

But it sounds as though he still isn’t fully in accord with the system Julien preached.

“Look, communication is very important, but not everybody has to agree always — as long as you’re all pulling in the same direction and understand what we all want to see,” Neely said. “I feel like everybody here is pulling in the same direction. No matter what relationship you’re in, you’re not going to always agree.”

And, of course, it would appear the talk about Julien’s job security has become moot — assuming the B’s close out the Rangers and advance to the third round. That switch has been flipped and the team is, most of the time, playing with the proper approach, execution and compete level.

“It wasn’t like we were playing really bad; we just weren’t playing the way we were capable of playing,” Neely said. “But then there was improvement from certain guys who we all know can lead and carry this team. And I think that brought everybody else along.”

It’s amazing in the playoffs how even one game alters perceptions. The Bruins had this series well in hand as they claimed a 2-0 lead in Game 4 on Thursday in New York. One could almost feel embarrassed for the Rangers in the first period, as they made a succession of errant passes and unforced errors, and were widely outskated and outplayed.

But then, boom, B’s goalie Tuukka Rask took his absurd pratfall and gave the Rangers the most generous of gift goals. And just like that, snap, the Blueshirts looked like a different team. They were skating better, working harder, playing with confidence. Their best players suddenly looked like their best players.

That’s the dangerous door the Bruins opened Thursday. Let an inferior team hang around — instead of ending it for them decisively — and it finds new confidence and starts to believe a comeback is possible. New York may get some injured guys back, and has a goalie in Henrik Lundqvist who can steal a game.

So the Bruins need to wrap this up today. No excuses.



Kings flex their muscles


Herald Staff

Less than three minutes into Game 5, Matt Greene spotted TJ Galiardi loitering in front of the Los Angeles Kings’ net. Greene flattened the agitating San Jose forward with a nasty hit, sending Galiardi’s stick flying as he fell.

There’s nothing fancy about the way Greene plays hockey, and that’s why the veteran defenseman fits perfectly with the no-nonsense Stanley Cup champions. In a series increasingly pitting the Sharks’ flash against the Kings’ smash, Greene and fellow hard-hitting defensemen Robyn Regehr and Rob Scuderi are hanging in with San Jose’s formidable offensive talent, and occasionally crushing it.

Greene’s return to the Los Angeles lineup coincided with a return to form by the Kings, who struggled for long stretches of the first four games, yet still earned a chance to close out the Sharks in Game 6 tomorrow night.

“We’ve got to be a physical team if we’re going to win,” Greene said. “That’s the plan, just to bring it up there to San Jose.”

After missing the first nine games of the playoffs and sitting nearly the entire regular season with a back injury, Greene came back for Game 4 and immediately started hitting people. After a strong finish to their 2-1 loss in Game 4, the Kings have shut out the Sharks for the last 96 minutes, moving to the brink of a second straight trip to the Western Conference finals.

Game 5 was Los Angeles’ best effort of the series, according to coach Darryl Sutter. The Kings agreed, and star goalie Jonathan Quick led a chorus of compliments toward Los Angeles’ playoff-tested defense.

“The start of the game was a big focus for us, and I think Greenie set the tempo with that, and we just followed in his footsteps,” Mike Richards said yesterday after a team meeting at the Kings’ training complex. “Matt coming back is a big boost for us. I think you can just see how different of a team we are with him in the lineup just setting the tone physically.”

Elsewhere in the NHL — Phoenix general manager Don Maloney signed a long-term contract extension yesterday with the NHL-owned team.

Maloney has guided the Coyotes for six seasons, leading the franchise to the Western Conference finals last year. The Coyotes missed the playoffs this season.

The NHL has run the team since ex-owner Jerry Moyes took the franchise into bankruptcy in 2009.

Coach Dave Tippett remains without a contract for next season. . . .

The Blue Jackets signed veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney and European defenseman Ilari Melart to one-year contracts. . . .

The Predators signed junior league defenseman Mikko Vainonen to a three-year contract.



Notebook: Fourth line won’t bite


Matt Kalman, Bruins Notebook

New York Rangers coach John Tortorella wanted a new look for his fourth line for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins Thursday night.

So he risked public ridicule by scratching his second-highest paid player, Brad Richards, along with grinder Arron Asham and inserted Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley to join Derek Dorsett.

While the new fourth-line trio was somewhat effective during the Rangers’ series-extending 4-3 overtime victory, it didn’t get to prove all its worth to Tortorella. Several attempts to drop the gloves with Bruins fourth-liners Daniel Paille, Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell, or defenseman Adam McQuaid, were rebuffed.

“Well, we weren’t necessary told. I think we’re just aware with ourselves,” Paille said yesterday after the Bruins practiced to prepare for Game 5 today at the Garden. “They definitely want to try to get us off our game, and why not? They’ve got nothing to lose, being down at the time 3-0. So they have to do everything they can to stay alive. And for us, it was just trying to be smart and that’s what we have to do.”

Paille had a goal and an assist in the Bruins’ 2-0 win in Game 3 that earned them a 3-0 series lead. Campbell scored his first goal of this postseason in Game 2, so the B’s have needed their best energy players on the ice regularly.

Campbell gave in to Dorsett’s urge to fight with the Bruins holding a comfortable lead in the third period of Game 2, but don’t expect another bout unless the Bruins need a spark or they’re on their way to an easy victory.

“The guys on my fourth line, to me, aren’t worth the trade off with their fourth line right now,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “Those guys are pretty valuable players for us. So whichever way they see their players, I certainly don’t want to see one of mine necessarily in the penalty box with one of theirs, because it plays to their advantage.”

The Bruins’ fourth line was held off the scoresheet in Game 4, while mostly matching up against the Rangers’ new energy trio.

“It’s a different look, of course. They’ve got a little more grittier players,” Paille said. “But for us, we try not to change too much, and I felt that we still had a stronger game and we need to continue that for (Game 5).”

Recovery room

Injured defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden continued to practice with the Bruins yesterday. Seidenberg, who was second on the Bruins in average minutes played this season, said he felt more comfortable skating and would consult with the training staff before determining if he could play today.

Julien only offered that “they’re progressing every day. That’s why you see them on the ice.”

Powered up

Long a Bruins weakness, the power play is 3-for-9 against the Rangers so far. Rookie Torey Krug has scored two of the three goals.

“I think that we’re just not passing up those good opportunities,” Krug said. “You’d see sometimes in the past we’d be passing the puck and we’d want to make that extra pass. But this time, we’re shooting pucks, we’re getting pucks to the net and guys are taking away Henrik (Lundqvist)’s ice.”



B’s must be better to clinch


Matt Kalman

The Bruins peppered Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with 40 shots, cashed in on 2-of-4 power plays and were one sudden-death goal away from ending the Eastern Conference semifinal series in four games on Thursday.

That they were so close before falling in overtime was of little consolation yesterday.

“I don’t know. I think that loss sucked,” defenseman Matt Bartkowski said after a 30-minute practice at TD Garden.

“We had the lead in the third and they score and we got into overtime. We could’ve closed the series out. I don’t know if you can really put a degree to whether or not it would be better if it was 5-0 or something like that, or if it wasn’t, I think it just sucked. We’ve just got to be ready for tomorrow, I guess.”

For the second time this series, the Bruins will try to close out the Rangers today, now with a 3-1 lead.

The B’s have been here before, having used up all their chances — three total — to finish the Maple Leafs in the first round. The Bruins actually have lost their last seven road close-out opportunities dating back to 2010, when they lost a Game 5 in Buffalo and lost two games in Philadelphia en route to their historic collapse after a 3-0 lead. The first loss in that series was also in overtime.

Through all the Bruins have dealt with in falling apart in 2010 and hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2011, they’ve learned their lesson about moral victories. That’s a big reason they weren’t gloating about a decent Game 4 outing.

“Yeah, good enough to lose, lose by one, obviously,” goaltender Tuukka Rask said about Game 4. “You play good enough to win, but then when you make those kinds of mistakes, I don’t think you can expect to win hockey games. I mean, we gave us a chance, we got the lead a couple times, but we couldn’t hold onto it. So it ended up costing us a game.”

Center David Krejci added: “We still had a chance to win. I think we played an OK game. But I don’t think we were . . . we didn’t show the emotions that we wanted to finish the series (Thursday) night.”

It’s still a credit that the Bruins came out strong for Game 4. Against Toronto, they barely looked alive until the third periods of Games 5 and 6 with chances to end that series early.

And the Bruins didn’t implode after the mistakes in Game 4 that let the Rangers back into the game. Rask made several show-stopping saves after his fall allowed Carl Hagelin to score the Rangers’ first goal. The penalty kill rebounded after surrendering the tying goal to Brian Boyle with a kill a few minutes later after a Chris Kelly tripping penalty.

Even a downtrodden Bartkowski had to concede there were things from Game 4 the Bruins could build on.

“We had spurts where we were pretty good,” the rookie said. “We just need to maintain it through the whole game and get back to what we were doing in the first three games. More like Game 2, Game 3, I think we were pretty solid. And then last game we had a couple lapses and they got a couple bounces. We just have to work harder and create our own bounces.”



Rangers find way after fluke goal in Game 4


Dan Duggan

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Rangers promised they wouldn’t go down without a fight in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They backed up their words in Game 4 on Thursday, overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat the Bruins, 4-3, in overtime.

The victory gave the Rangers life, but they remain in critical condition. They enter today’s Game 5 at the Garden in a 3-1 hole and must play better to get the best-of-seven series back to New York.

“Listen, we were ugly the first part of the game, and we end up finding ourselves after a fluky goal,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “I think we played better, but bottom line is all’s forgiven. You don’t go back and dissect it. You won a game to keep yourself alive and that’s what we have to look to here now — just to win a game. We talked before the game that we wanted to get to Boston. We did, now we need to try to win a game in Boston. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”

The Rangers have more reason to be optimistic than their circumstances indicate. First, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask has a spotty track record in closeout games: 2-8 record, 3.20 goals-against average. More importantly, New York has proven recently to be a difficult team to finish.

The Rangers are 6-1 in elimination games in the past two postseasons, including a 3-0 mark this year. New York trailed the Washington Capitals 3-2 in the first round, but prevailed in Games 6 and 7 behind consecutive shutouts by goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

“I guess there’s just a sense of desperation,” captain Ryan Callahan said. “I think it shows the character we have in this room and the willingness to go out there and work and battle and not give in.”

Lundqvist is the primary source of New York’s confidence. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has allowed 13 goals in this series, but has been under constant pressure. He’s made 141 saves, many of the spectacular variety, to keep the sputtering Rangers offense within striking distance.

“He’s so good all the time,” Callahan said. “He stood in there again (Thursday) night. Sometimes when we were struggling or they had the momentum, he stood in there like he always does.”

Lundqvist is 7-6 in 13 career elimination games, allowing 27 goals total. But in the past two postseasons, he’s 6-1 and has surrendered just 10 goals in seven elimination games.

“In the back of your head you know there’s no turning back,” Lundqvist said. “There’s no option here now. You have to leave everything out there. I don’t try to change my mindset. You try not to change the way you think during the game, but of course you know that if we don’t do well now it’s over. That puts a little extra pressure on you, and as long as you can handle it the right way, it might help your game.”


678540 Buffalo Sabres

Want to bet Lindy Ruff will end up in Vancouver? You can

May 24, 2013 - 1:05 PM

By John Vogl

Lindy Ruff stood strong in Buffalo for 16 years while coaches all around him lost their jobs. Now, whenever someone gets fired, Ruff gets mentioned as a replacement.

He's the betting man's choice to end up in Vancouver.

The Canucks fired Alain Vigneault this week, and the gambling website Bovada.lv has installed Ruff as the favorite to take over.

Here are the odds, with the usual disclaimer: Gambling is bad. Your money is much better spent on concerts, women and whiskey.

Who will be the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks?

Lindy Ruff 2/1

Dallas Eakins 5/2

Dave Tippett 5/2

Scott Arniel 9/1

Tom Renney 9/1

Doug Houda 12/1

Larry Robinson 12/1

Who will be under contract for the New York Rangers for Game One of the 2013-2104 Season?

John Tortorella and Brad Richards 7/2

John Tortorella Only 5/1

Brad Richards Only 7/4

Neither 1/1

Buffalo News LOADED: 05.25.2013

678541 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks, Wings know 'series isn't over yet'

By Chris Kuc

9:20 AM CDT, May 24, 2013

DETROIT -- There is no question that the Chicago Blackhawks are reeling.

After dropping Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena, the Hawks find themselves with a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series. Three consecutive losses have the Hawks on the brink of elimination and they will try to avoid that fate when the teams take the ice for Game 5 on Saturday night at the United Center.

While things look bleak for the Hawks, they aren't ready to concede anything. And the Wings aren't quite prepared to look ahead to the next round.

"We've gone on streaks before," Hawks goaltender Corey Crawford said. "We just have to keep playing hard and it's going to have to turn our way."

Said Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl, who scored the winning goal in Game 4: "The series isn't over yet but we're happy with the way the games we've played here. But they're a great team and they're not going to give up. Their building is going to be jumping, so we just have to play the same type of game and play tight in the neutral zone."

After an historic season that began with a record-setting 24-game run without a regulation loss and ended with the Presidents' Trophy--given to the team with the best record in the NHL--the Hawks have seen their offense silenced by Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard. In the three losses in the series, the Hawks have a combined two goals. This despite a strong first period in Game 4 when the Hawks created several glorious scoring chances that Howard turned aside.

"We knew they were going to play desperate hockey (and) they are going to play even more desperate on Saturday night," Howard said. "We’re going to have to match it, we can’t rest on our laurels. We’ve played good the last three games but we have to ratchet it up even more. The hardest win of the series is to get that fourth win."

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 05.25.2013


Thanks, Captain Self-Inflicted Mess

Steve Rosenbloom

8:52 AM CDT, May 24, 2013

Jonathan Toews lost it.

The Blackhawks captain lost his composure. Lost a period. Maybe lost a playoff series and a season.

It was costly and embarrassing, and those two points are more than Toews has in this series against Detroit.

The Hawks were looking for heroes. Toews was looking for a goal. With the Hawks fighting to avoid a three-games-to-one deficit against Detroit in Game 4 on Thursday night, it seemed like a good time for the center on the top line deliver.

Toews entered Game 4 with no goals in eight playoff games this year and just three in his last 29. Both Toews and the Hawks needed something big.

What the Hawks got was misery. They got outward frustration. They got their captain in the penalty box. Three times. Ahem, leadership.

After failing on a 2-on-1 break in the first period, Toews took three penalties in the first 11 minutes of the second period of a scoreless game. The Wings converted the second opportunity to take a 1-0 lead the Hawks couldn’t afford after skating so aggressively but failing to accomplish themselves.

Thanks, Capt. Self-Destruction.

Sure, the Wings are targeting Toews, but the best players have to fight through the abuse in the playoffs. They have to set the example. They have to score. They can’t scream and flail and lose composure.

Toews has one assist and is a minus-2 in this series. Even in the Hawks’ one, measly win, way back in Game 1, if you can remember, Toews was a minus player. Too much ice time, too little production.

Before and after Toews’ meltdown, the Hawks showed signs of being able to take this must-win contest. It wasn’t the Hawks’ best game, but it was better than the one the Wings brought.

Problem was, the Hawks’ output mirrored the meager offensive results of Games 2 and 3.

Check that: worse, as they suffered their first shutout this season.

Patrick Kane? Anything?

Marian Hossa? You there?

Patrick Sharp? A little something?

The Hawks forechecked well enough to force turnovers all over the Red Wings zone, but Jimmy Howard came up big.

The Hawks also used their speed to force the Wings into penalties, but again, nothing.

Nothing, period. Nothing is what this dwindling season is turning into.

The Hawks were looking for heroes. They didn’t need their captain to pretty much waste a period. They didn’t need the rest of the band to pretty much waste a great regular season.



'Demand for winning' drives Red Wings

By Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune reporter

7:39 PM CDT, May 24, 2013

Mike Babcock has done much to goad the Red Wings to the verge of exterminating the best team in hockey's regular season, to jam well-timed adrenaline needles into his club. Cheerleading is not one of those things.

"He deserves a lot of credit for our success, but he's not doing cartwheels and pompoms in front of the room," defenseman Kyle Quincey said. "It's just, 'We've been here before, 22 (playoff) years in a row, we have a responsibility to win.' "

If that precise phrasing — a "responsibility to win" — isn't exactly what Babcock said, it is what his team has heard. And that has been enough, a message that's more motivation than pressure, one resonating with a potpourri of veterans and youth to bring the Red Wings from scrounging for a postseason berth to sitting one win from the Western Conference finals.

Babcock has his team playing its best at the right time. His approach — gumming up the neutral zone, getting physical with the Blackhawks' skill players — has been a master stroke. Sprinkle in some luck, and the Red Wings are living up to what the Red Wings are supposed to be.

"You can tell there's a demand for winning, and the responsibility to come in and be a contender every night," rookie defenseman Brendan Smith said from his corner locker stall at Joe Louis Arena.

"I mean, look around the room. You see all the (pictures of) Stanley Cups over there. There's so much history. And now being a part of that, I try to take that on, and a bunch of the other guys are as well."

There had to be something for Babcock to use as a toehold this season, and this was it. Nicklas Lidstrom had retired. Six rookies and first-year NHL player Damien Brunner became regulars. There was carryover with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk as exemplars of what it meant to be a Red Wing, but it needed to be said as well as done.

"When you put on our sweater, there's an obligation to Mr. (Gordie) Howe and Mr. (Ted) Lindsay and people that came before you to compete like a Red Wing," Babcock said. "I don't think there's an obligation to win like a Red Wing. There's an obligation to prepare for the opportunity you're given, to compete for what you've been given and to maximize your potential. ... That doesn't guarantee winning.

"You need a certain amount of players and depth and breaks to win. So, to me, that's not the pressure. The pressure comes to prepare well, to work hard, to compete hard, to make sure you're doing what you should do, in respect of the uniform and respect of one another."

Late Thursday, after the Red Wings' Game 4 win thrust the top-seeded Hawks onto the brink of elimination and infused Detroit with hope for an even deeper run, Babcock was asked if he could have imagined all this. Two months ago, he said, he would have been shocked.

But that was two months ago. That was before he got the Red Wings playing like the Red Wings, and not just a scuffling seventh seed. That was then, this is wow.

"We're competing at a high, high level," Babcock said. "We don't do things right all the time, that's for sure. But we're doing things hard all the time. We're trying hard. There's a lot to be said for effort and compete and battle."



Hawks not getting down about deficit

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

7:36 PM CDT, May 24, 2013

The day after being pushed to the brink of elimination, the Blackhawks met to discuss their predicament.

Players and coaches gathered at the United Center on Friday, not to lick their wounds but to devise a plan to drag themselves out of the hole they've dug by falling behind the Red Wings 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.

"We are as upbeat as we can be," defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "We talked about past experiences and what we can do as a group."

There are precedents of teams rallying from down 3-1 in best-of-seven series: It has occurred 20 times in 229 series. Coach Joel Quenneville was at the helm for the Blues when they did it against the Coyotes in 1999, and winger Daniel Carcillo was a member of the Flyers when they came back from a 3-0 deficit against the Bruins in 2010 en route to a showdown with the Hawks for the Stanley Cup.

"It's happened," Quenneville said on the eve of Game 5 on Saturday night at the United Center. "(With) momentum, we talk about how important it is come playoff time. (The Wings) obviously have it right now, but one game can turn everything around. That's what we're looking for.

"The big picture looks bleak, but at the same time, we have two home games. We have one at a time, and getting off to a big start is what we're looking for and simplifying it and go shift by shift."

Another nearly momentous comeback hits closer to home for others in the Hawks dressing room. Two years ago the Hawks fell behind the Canucks 3-0 in the first round before storming back with three consecutive victories to force Game 7. The dream ended in overtime but left an indelible mark.

"It just goes to show that things like that are possible," said Jonathan Toews, who scored late in Game 7 to force overtime. "We were very, very close to winning that series.

"I'm sure Detroit knows and we know that this series is long from being over, that (Saturday night) is going to be the toughest game for both teams. We can keep that in our hip pocket (and) just know that … if we focus on one game at a time, that there's a way out of it. We're not worried about winning three in a row yet. We want to win (Game 5) and we'll go from there."

Added Seabrook: "There have been a few guys in this room who have come back from 3-0 and given themselves a chance to win. We look back at the Vancouver series and being down 3-0, we gave ourselves a chance and had a hard-fought game in Game 7 and just missed out by one goal."

If the Hawks are feeling the pressure of seeing their historic season end in a footnote along with the other Presidents' Trophy winners who failed to win the Stanley Cup, they went out of their way to hide it.

"What's there to be down about?" Toews said. "Obviously, we're not where we want to be in the series, but dwelling on that and feeling sorry for ourselves isn't going to do anything. We've got a positive group of guys and had a great season all year for that reason, and we're going to stick to what helps us win.

"We're positive. There was a good feeling in the locker room (Friday). The guys were very confident that we're very close to finding a way to win one game, and when we do that, we know all that confidence and momentum will come rushing back. That's what we're focused on, and that's all we can worry about."



Blackhawks-Red Wings Game 5 spotlight

Chris Kuc

7:30 PM CDT, May 24, 2013

Blackhawks' Patrick Kane

Position: Right wing

Number: 88

Height, weight: 5-11, 181

Shoots: Left

Born: Nov. 19, 1988 (Age 24)

Birthplace: Buffalo

2013 regular-season statistics: GP: 47; G: 23; A: 32; P: 55; Plus-minus: Plus-11; PM: 8.

Playoff experience: GP: 60; G: 22; A: 38; P: 60; Plus-minus: Minus-9; PM: 34.

Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk

Position: Center

Number: 13

Height, weight: 5-11, 198

Shoots: Left

Born: July 20, 1978 (Age 34)

Birthplace: Sverdlovsk, Russia

2013 regular-season statistics: GP: 47; G: 15; A: 34; P: 49; Plus-minus: Plus-21; PM: 14.

Playoff experience: GP: 137; G: 36; A: 66; P: 102; Plus-minus: Plus-34; PM: 47.

Chris Kuc says: The magicians with the puck are able to create scoring chances on their own or set up teammates. Kane and Datsyuk are players who thrive in the spotlight and should ramp up their efforts during an elimination game.



Seabrook not talking about reduced ice time

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

7:34 PM CDT, May 24, 2013

Brent Seabrook stood in front of his dressing-room stall and answered every question thrown his way — except the one about his reduced playing time.

"I don't really want to talk about that," the Blackhawks defenseman said after practice Friday at the United Center. Asked later if the series has been a struggle for him, Seabrook merely replied, "Yep," and stepped away from his locker.

Seabrook averaged 21 minutes, 59 seconds of ice time during the regular season but was on the ice for 17:07 and 12:03 in the last two games against the Red Wings. His defensive partner, Nick Leddy, saw only 8:38 of ice time during the Wings' 2-0 victory in Game 4 on Thursday after averaging 17:25 in the regular season.

Coach Joel Quenneville at first said playing time among the defenseman was determined by matchups. When pressed, Quenneville said it was also performance-based.

"Usually it's a reflection of your performance and your contribution," Quenneville said. "Sometimes your minutes are higher in games and stretches of games. We want to make sure everyone has confidence and ... (the) importance to the team is to get everybody going."

Said Leddy: "Obviously, I want to be out there. I've got to keep focusing on the game and when I'm out there make the best of it."

It's possible Quenneville will reshuffle the defensive pairings for Game 5 on Saturday to balance ice time.

Shut it down: Still without a goal in the postseason, captain Jonathan Toews said he has been able to create scoring chances despite the strong defensive effort against him by Henrik Zetterberg.

"I'm not as worried about him as maybe you guys think I should be," Toews told the media. "He's a good player. I'm obviously trying to limit his scoring chances when he gets the puck, but I'm still getting chances. He's doing a great job of playing smart, defensive hockey, but it doesn't mean I'm not getting chances and not getting to the net. Those chances are coming, and at some point they have to go in."

Said Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard: "(Zetterberg) is doing a great job with Toews. He's all over him out there. He's really taking away his time and space … and not really letting him generate too much."

Follow the leader: After Toews was whistled for his third penalty in a span of 5:34 during the second period of Game 4, Seabrook skated over to the penalty box to soothe the steaming Hawks captain.

"After the third one he looked frustrated, and I don't know if that was a reason for the penalties," Seabrook said. "I just tried to calm him down. He's the best player on the team and our leader. If the rest of the group sees him like that, it's going to trickle down.

"We need him to be focused and ready, and I just told him to sit down and take a couple of deep breaths and get ready to be back out there because we need him."

One-timers: The Hawks had meetings and an optional practice Friday. Twelve players took the ice, including Toews, Seabrook, Leddy, Brandon Saad and Michael Frolik. ... Blackhawks Charities will donate its portion of Saturday night's Split the Pot proceeds to the OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund, established after the devastating tornadoes this week in Oklahoma. For more information, go to unitedwayokc.org.



Captain Jonathan Toews needs to lead Blackhawks by example

BY RICK MORRISSEY

May 23, 2013 10:46PM

DETROIT — There was something a tad much about what Jonathan Toews said Thursday morning. Something overboard, something overdone. Something too too, if you know what I mean.

“When you put it all together and we play the right way, we’re an amazing, amazing bunch of guys,” he told reporters.

It didn’t sound like the understated captain we know. It sounded like a guy working on self-esteem exercises, Captain Serious morphing into Captain Chamber of Commerce.

“There was a reason we made it this far,’’ he said. “We’re a good team — we’re a really good team.”

Maybe Toews needed to say those uplifting things to remind himself of who he is, or was. Maybe he needed to positively reinforce himself and his teammates. By saying good things out loud, maybe he could make them be true. The Blackhawks would hear it and recall that, by golly, they are good.

Or maybe not.

The top-seeded Hawks fell 2-0 to the Red Wings on Thursday, giving seventh-seeded Detroit a 3-1 series lead in this Western Conference semifinal. They were done in by Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, who stopped everything like a dartboard. It’s every bit as grim as it sounds for the team that had the NHL’s best record during the regular season.

The Hawks needed a huge effort by Toews, and he responded with … wait for it … three straight penalties in a five-minute stretch of the second period. Two of them were high sticks.

It was almost unimaginable that a player normally so calm and collected could leave such a huge crater on the ice. That might have been more unlike him than his earlier rah-rah comments. The frustration of a tough playoffs clearly has gotten to him, no matter what he told media members Thursday morning.

“Emotions run high in some of these games, and my stick got a little loose there,’’ he said after the game. “I was playing hard. Sometimes that happens.’’

Effort isn’t the issue. Toews played like a man possessed. Unfortunately, he played like a man possessed by Jamal Mayers’ scoring ability. He was all over the place, hustling and forechecking, but when it came to goals, nothing. Toews knows it’s a team game, but he also knows that stars are expected to produce in big games. He is not.

He has no goals in nine postseason games. His 23 regular-season goals tied for fifth in the league.

“We played our tails off,’’ Toews said. “We did a lot of good things. We just didn’t find the back of the net.’’

Things had gotten so bad that for Game 4, Michal Handzus took Toews’ place on the top line with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. Toews played on the second line with Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell. It was one of the few times this season he didn’t have Sharp and Hossa as linemates. It was about as drastic a move as coach Joel Quenneville could make.

It’s why all eyes were on Toews. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby has played well in the playoffs. So has Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg. Lots of stars have. Where has Toews been? Mostly blanketed by Zetterberg’s suffocating, borderline felonious defense.

“There’s a lot of elements to his game that help our team game,’’ Quenneville said in defense of his star. “We don’t measure just his contribution offensively.’’

Toews’ best chance came when he got ahead of the defense in a scoreless first period, but Howard made a pad save, and that was that.

Toews was furious about the second of his three second-period penalties, a high-stick call that was more wrong place/wrong time than anything else. He knocked Justin Abdelkader’s stick into Abdelkader’s face.

Detroit’s Jakub Kindl scored a goal on that power play, ending a streak of 30 kills by the Hawks.

It wasn’t just that Howard was spectacular, though he certainly was that. It was that it never felt like the Hawks were going to score, even with all the pucks clanging off iron. It was a reminder that inspirational speeches don’t score goals; people do.

No matter how many pucks the Hawks put on Howard, he acted as if they were spitballs. And they were dreadful on the power play all night.

“Eventually, something’s got to give,’’ Toews said.

“We’re too good a team. We’ve got too much talent. For as hard as we’re working, something’s got to go our way.’’

The Hawks don’t need a cheerleader. They need their captain back.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 05.25.2013


Brent Seabrook’s struggles reflected in his playing time

BY MARK POTASH

May 24, 2013 8:44PM

Updated: May 25, 2013 2:09AM

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville doesn’t point fingers. He just takes away playing time.

So no matter how reticent he is to dissect Brent Seabrook’s postseason performance, the playing time tells the story: Seabrook, one of the defensive stalwarts of the 2010 Stanley Cup championship core the Blackhawks so dearly worked to keep intact, is in a slump.

Seabrook’s playoff-low 12:03 of playing time in the Hawks’ 2-0 loss to the Red Wings is an alarming number for a player of his caliber — an eight-year veteran in the middle of a five-year, $29 million contract. He averaged 22:00 of ice time in the regular season, second highest on the team behind iron man Duncan Keith. The 12:03 against the Red Wings in Game 4 is the lowest time-on-ice of Seabrook’s 658-game NHL career. His previous low was 13:27. He’s never played less than 16:00 in a game over the last six seasons.

‘’Maybe we’re talking about the matchup,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said when asked why the pairing of Seabrook and Nick Leddy (8:38) had limited ice time in Game 4. ‘’We’ve been looking at pairings across the board, whether we’re looking for more even minutes as we go along. But moreso the pairing and the matchups were [why] their minutes were down the last couple of games.’’

With the Blackhawks trailing 3-1 in the series and facing elimination, Quenneville indicated changes in the defensive pairings — currently Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson, Seabrook-Leddy and Michal Rozsival-Johnny Oduya — could be made for Game 5 on Saturday night at the United Center.

‘’We’ll see,’’ he said.

But pressed on the matter of Seabrook’s playing time, Quenneville acknowledged it was a performance-based reduction. Seabrook had eight goals and 12 assists and was a plus-12 in 47 games in the regular season. He has no points and is a minus-4 in nine games in the postseason, including a minus-5 in four games against the Red Wings.

‘’Usually it’s reflection of your performance and your contribution,’’ Quenneville said.

But when it comes to lighting a fire under an under-performing player, Quenneville usually does it with playing time and healthy-scratch benchings rather than public floggings.

‘’Sometimes your minutes are higher than others in games or stretches of games,’’ Quenneville said. ‘’But at the same time, we want to make sure everybody’s got confidence. And we want to make sure their importance to the team is something that ... getting everybody going is part of it as well. So sometimes, it’s earned. And sometimes there’s hope to get more, too. We’ll see.’’

Seabrook spoke with reporters Friday about the team’s predicament, but would not address the playing-time issue.

‘’I don’t really want to talk about that,’’ he said

Asked if this series has been a struggle for him personally, Seabrook’s one-word answer said it all.

‘’Yep,’’ he said with no further comment.

The 22-year-old Leddy also has struggled to make a positive impact in the postseason. He has two assists and is a minus-4 in nine playoff games, with one assist and a minus-1 against the Red Wings.

‘‘It’s out of my control,’’ Leddy said of the reduced playing time. ‘‘I’ve just got to keep working and keep improving.’’



Jonathan Toews says winning only thing on Blackhawks’ minds

BY MARK LAZERUS

May 24, 2013 8:44PM


Jonathan Toews grudgingly skated to the penalty box for the third time in 5 minutes and 34 seconds, and the look on his face spoke volumes to longtime teammate Brent Seabrook. With the Blackhawks trailing in the second period and the Western Conference semifinals starting to slip away, Seabrook skated over to the box and had a quick word with Toews — because as the captain goes, so go the Hawks.

“I just tried to calm him down,” Seabrook said. “We need him. He’s the best player on the team and our leader, and if the rest of the group sees him like that, it’s going to trickle down. So we need him to be focused and ready. I just told him to sit down and take a couple of deep breaths, and be ready to be back out there, because we need him. He’s our best player.”

Calm down. Deep breaths. Be focused.

Seabrook’s pep talk might as well have been to the whole team.

The Hawks trail the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals, and need to win three straight — starting with Saturday night’s Game 5 at the United Center — to prevent their dream season from ending in nightmarish fashion. The Hawks have lost three straight. They’ve scored two goals in their last three games. They come up empty on 11 straight power plays. And they’re on the brink of a stunning elimination at the hands of their oldest rivals.

Despite all that, Toews and Co. again put on a brave face Friday afternoon. The message? Well, like Seabrook said — deep breaths. All is calm. All is well.

“What’s there to be down about?” Toews said. “Obviously, we’re not where we want to be in the series, but dwelling on that and feeling sorry for ourselves isn’t going to do anything.”

The Hawks held a team meeting before an optional practice — Toews, Seabrook and Brandon were the big-name participants — where the message was simple. You can’t win three until you win one.

So never mind the daunting task that lay ahead. And never mind the possible repercussions that could shake the foundation of the team should the Hawks suffer a third straight early exit, particularly after a season of such promise.

Never has the “one game at a time” cliché been so apt.

“You’ve got to think about winning,” Toews said. “That’s the only thing that should be on our mind. Everything’s got to be positive. You can’t be thinking what-if. If you have anything like that cross your mind, Detroit’s too good of a team. We’re not thinking about that at all.”

While Toews’ job is obviously one of the safest in all of sports, the captain has been shouldering much of the criticism this series. The 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner has no goals and three assists in nine games this postseason. He’s actually played quite well and has generated some quality chances the last two games. In fact, the Hawks have put together two strong efforts. Detroit’s simply been better.

“He’s one of the best players in the world, he’s a hard worker and he’s going to work through this,” Seabrook said of Toews. “I think we all take the burden for being down 3-1. We all win as a group, we lose as a group. Just because one guy’s not scoring doesn’t mean he’s going to win the game or lose the game for us.”

Said Hawks coach Joel Quenneville: “He’s a true leader and he’s everything that represents our organization in the right fashion. You couldn’t ask for a better captain or a better competitor than Johnny.”

But Toews knows the pressure’s on him, as well as on the other big names who’ve been largely absent this series, including Seabrook, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp.

“I think when things go well for our team, sometimes I get maybe more credit than I deserve, and same goes the other way,” Toews said. “I understand that’s part of it, and our best players need to be our best players. We need to lead and we need to grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys. It starts with myself.”

And it starts on Saturday. Toews, as he’s been saying all week now, believes the Hawks are agonizingly close to breaking through — one puck that hits the post and goes in rather than out, one greasy goal in a crowded crease, one seeing-eye shot from the point on the power play.

Then the floodgates will open. He believes this. The team believes this. At this point, they have to.

“There’s a good feeling in the locker room, and the guys are very confident that we’re very close to finding a way to win one game,” Toews said. “And when we do that, we know all that confidence and momentum’s going to come rushing back. That’s what we’re focused on. That’s the only thing we can worry about.”



Playoff rally vs. Canucks in 2011 gives Hawks confidence

BY MARK LAZERUS

May 24, 2013 8:44PM


Two springs ago, the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks found themselves down 3-0 in a first-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. The series was over. And then it wasn’t.

The Hawks won three consecutive games to force a Game 7, then Jonathan Toews scored with less than two minutes left to force overtime before the Canucks finally escaped with a victory. Thirteen Hawks played in that Game 7, and they hope to draw confidence from the experience.

‘‘It’s huge,’’ defenseman Brent Seabrook said. ‘‘Everybody’s counting us out now except us in here. The only thing you can really do is look back at past experiences and go from there.’’

There have been 229 teams that have trailed 3-1 in a Stanley Cup playoff series; 20 have come back to win. It last happened twice in 2010, with the Montreal Canadiens rallying to beat the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers becoming the first team since the 1975 New York Islanders to erase a 3-0 deficit by beating the Boston Bruins. Daniel Carcillo was on that Flyers team that eventually lost to the Hawks in the Stanley Cup finals.

Coach Joel Quenneville’s St. Louis Blues won a first-round series against the Phoenix Coyotes in 1999 after trailing 3-1.

‘‘Things happen,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘Momentum — we talk about how important it is come playoff time. [The Red Wings] obviously have it right now, but one game can turn everything around.’’

Net investment

Despite scoring only one goal in the two games in Detroit, the Hawks were relatively pleased with the chances they were getting against Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. But they’re hoping to increase the traffic in front of the net even more to make life harder on the red-hot Howard, who has stopped 86 of 88 shots in the last three games.

‘‘We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing,’’ Toews said. ‘‘We’ve been getting in front of him; we’ve been shooting from all over the place. We’re going to keep doing that and even more so.’’

Home cooking

Quenneville said he hoped

returning home will give the Hawks a boost in Game 5.

‘‘It’s a fun building to play in,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m sure it’s going to be rocking. Starting with the anthem [Saturday], it’s a good place to start.’’



Hawks need to create problems for Howard

By Mike Spellman

Q. Simply put, how do the Blackhawks get the offense going?

A. When a goalie is hot and playing with a lot of confidence, you have to take away his sight lines, you have to create traffic and make it hard on him.

Q. Are they shooting in the wrong areas?

A. When you're looking for the second and third opportunities, the shots have to be low on the ice. If you get them up in the midsection, it's in a position where the goaltender can make the save and not allow a rebound.

An example was a shot from Nick Leddy that was down on the ice. It created second and third opportunities and created some chaos.

Q. Is there enough traffic in general in front of Jimmy Howard?

A. Obviously there's not. Whatever you're doing is not good enough right now.

They've scored 2 goals in the last three games and for that you have to give a ton of credit to Detroit for the way they're protecting the area in front of the net. They've got a lot of bodies down there, getting sticks in the passing lanes and blocking shots when they have to.

Whatever you have to do to get through that high traffic area, you have to do a better job because at this point it's not good enough.

Q. Are the Red Wings in the Hawks' heads?

A. I wouldn't say in their head but they have the upper hand in this series — mentally. They've been able to do things that have quieted the Blackhawks' production.

Obviously they're feeling pretty confident right now in the way they're playing.

Q. For Blackhawks' fans who are on the ledge, what would you tell them?

A. Hopefully there's a belief inside this locker room that they're going to be able to come back.

To me, they didn't have a full complement of players playing the way they needed to play in Game 4 and yet they were only down by one goal — and that was a power play goal.

So there is optimism to believe that this team, if it plays up to its potential, can get back in this series.

•Troy Murray is in his 13th year as a member of the Blackhawks broadcast team and his eighth year as the color analyst for the team's radio broadcasts. The Selke Award winner was a five-time 20-goal scorer and a veteran of 15 years in the NHL, playing in 915 career games.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 05.25.2013


Blackhawks just focused on winning Game 5

By Tim Sassone

Don't count out the Blackhawks just yet.

They might trail the Red Wings 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinals after 3 straight losses, but the Hawks feel they still have a chance to win the series — a real good chance.

"We know that if we win one game there's a way out of it," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said Friday. "We're not worried about winning three in a row yet."

The Hawks held a team meeting Friday where they talked about comebacks.

"It's happened," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We were down 3-1 when I was in St. Louis (and won a series against Phoenix); Car Bomb (Daniel Carcillo) was in Philly (when the Flyers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to stun Boston in 2010).

"We were down 3-0 against Vancouver (in 2011) and took it to Game 7 in overtime. Things happen."

They just don't happen that often. Teams have led in a series 3-1 a total of 229 times and the club that's down has rallied to win just 20 times.

"We talk about momentum and how important it is come playoff time," Quenneville said. "They've obviously got it right now, but one game can turn everything around. That's what we're looking for. The big picture looks bleak, but at the same time we've got two home games here."

The Hawks are going to need better results from Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.

Toews still is without a goal in nine playoff games. Hossa, Kane and Sharp each have 1 goal in the series, while Keith and Seabrook are part of a power play that has fizzled badly (1-for-12).

"Our best players need to be our best players," Toews said. "We need to lead. We need to grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys, and it starts with myself."

Toews is coming off one of the most forgettable games of his career Thursday in Detroit. He took 3 straight penalties in the second period and was in the box when Jakub Kindl scored what turned out to be the winning goal on a power play in the Red Wings' 2-0 victory.

"I understand what happened in the second period wasn't a good thing, but I don't attribute it to me losing my temper," Toews said. "I was a little bit careless with my stick and unfortunately it cost me and it cost our team."

Toews obviously thinks he got too much of the blame for the Game 4 loss.

"I think when things go well for our team sometimes maybe I get a little more credit than I deserve and I think the same goes the other way," he said. "We're positive. There's a good feeling in the locker room today.

"We're very close to finding a way to win one game, and we do that we know all that confidence and momentum is going to come rushing back and that's what we're focused on."

Seabrook played only 12 minutes in Game 4, and Quenneville hinted Friday that there might be a change happening on defense in terms of pairings. So maybe look for Seabrook to go back to playing with Keith.

"Everybody is counting us out now except us in here," Seabrook said. "There's been a few guys in this room who have come back from 3-1. We're as upbeat as we can be. I think we all take the burden for being down 3-1.

"We all win as a group, and we all lose as a group. We've all got to pick up our socks here."

The Hawks have to find a way to solve Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, who has stopped 124 of 129 shots in the first four games.

"I think we'd like to have more quality with traffic," Quenneville said. "I think we're getting some decent looks, but I think more traffic would make it a little more of a challenge."

The Hawks believe if they can win one game it will have the Red Wings thinking that maybe they can blow this series.

"Obviously, we're not where we want to be in the series, but dwelling on that and feeling sorry for ourselves isn't going to do anything," Toews said. "We've got a positive group of guys and we've had a great season for that reason, so we're going to stick to what has helped us win hockey games.

"I'm sure Detroit knows and we know this series is a long way from being over."



Blackhawks’ Seabrook admits it’s been a struggle

By Tim Sassone

Brent Seabrook played only 12 minutes and three seconds Thursday in Game 4 and got 21 seconds of power-play time.

What's up with that?

"I don't really want to talk about that," Seabrook said Friday when asked about his lack of playing time.

The Blackhawks defenseman, who averaged 21:59 of ice time during the regular season, was later asked if this series has been a struggle for him personally.

"Yep," Seabrook said.

Coach Joel Quenneville hinted that Seabrook would get more ice time in Game 5 on Saturday, perhaps even reunited with longtime partner Duncan Keith, and that his lack of playing time in Game 4 was based mostly on matchups.

"We've been looking at the pairings across the board, whether we're looking at more even minutes, but more so the matchups were why their minutes were down last game," Quenneville said of Seabrook and partner Nick Leddy, who saw only 8:38 of ice time.

But later Quenneville didn't deny that at least part of Seabrook's benching was performance based.

"I think as a team usually it's a reflection of your performance, your contribution," Quenneville said. "Sometimes your minutes are higher in games and stretches of games. Sometimes it's earned and sometimes there's hope to get more, too."

The power play is 1-for-12 in the series and has looked out of whack at best. The Hawks are 0 for their last 11.

"You want to be out in key situations," Seabrook said. "It's a big part of the game and it's been struggling. I've been on it and I haven't produced."

Quenneville thinks the key to the power play starts with winning faceoffs, which the Hawks haven't done much of this series.

"It starts with winning faceoffs," he said. "We talked about shots with traffic. We feel shots with traffic is the best way on the power play instead of the perfect play because they're checking well."

Change it up:

Joel Quenneville refused to admit that his line switching Thursday in Game 4 pretty much was a failure.

"We haven't changed too much with the lines," he said. "The majority of guys have played with each other over the course of the season, whether it's two guys on a line or one adjustment here and there.

"We don't necessarily visit changing when things are going well, and this year that's kind of been the case. We've tried a few adjustments here to spark our offense. Certainly we felt over the last few games it's been a little sparse."

Toews vs. Zetterberg:

So far in this series Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg has managed to get the best of Jonathan Toews.

"I guess I'm not as worried about him as much as maybe you guys think I should be," Toews said. "He's a good player. Obviously, we try to limit his scoring chances, but I'm still getting chances.

"He's doing a great job of playing smart defensive hockey, but that doesn't mean I'm not getting chances and getting to the net. Those chances are coming and at some point they've got to go in. I keep telling myself that."

Red Wings surprised:

It's hard to find someone who didn't pick the Hawks to win this series after the regular season they had. Even Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard admitted he would have picked the Hawks if he were a journalist.

"You know, I think if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing," Howard told the Detroit Free Press. "They had an unbelievable year this year. They were playing great hockey coming into the playoffs. They're a great team."



Hawks try to help Toews keep his cool

By Mike Spellman

Just about every day for the last couple of weeks or so, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been asked the same question in one form or another:

"How frustrating is it not to have scored a goal yet in the playoffs?"

And each time Toews has quietly, yet confidently, responded that, yeah, it's a little frustrating, but he's just going to keep his head down, keep playing hard and eventually it'll come around.

But as the games continued, the goals never came, and the losses to Detroit began to mount. Finally, in the second period of Game 4 on Thursday, Toews' reached his boiling point after being sent to the penalty box for the third time in less than a 6-minute span.

Just minutes before, the Red Wings' had scored the eventual game-winner while Toews was in the box, and there he was again, and as frustrated as some have ever seen him, including Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook, who skated over to have a word with the captain.

"I just tried to calm him down," Seabrook said. "We need him. He's the best player on the team and our leader. If the rest of the group sees him like that it's going to trickle down so we need him to be focused and be ready.

"I just told him to sit down and take a couple deep breaths and be ready to be back out there because we need him."

Seabrook wasn't the only one who wanted to have a word with Toews.

"I was looking to chat with him as well," coach Joel Quenneville admitted.

Toews didn't need to be told, he knew, and no one felt worse about it than he did.

"I understand that what happened in the second period wasn't a good thing," he said. "I don't attribute it to me losing my temper. I think obviously I was a little bit careless with my stick, and unfortunately it cost me, it cost our team.

And after the Hawks dropped a 2-0 decision to put them on the brink of elimination, it was Toews' play that was topic No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 — on any platform you can think of — among Blackhawks fans.

"When things go well for our team, sometimes I get maybe more credit than I deserve, and I think the same goes the other way," Toews said. "When we don't play as good as we can, we don't win games, the same thing goes for me. I understand that's part of it.

"The players need to be our best supporters. We need to lead, we need to grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys.

"It starts with me."

Statements like that are exactly why Quenneville is thrilled, goals or no goals, to have this captain on his side.

"He's a true leader," Quenneville said. "He's everything that represents our organization in the right fashion. You couldn't ask for a better captain or a better competitor than Johnny.

"Sometimes his frustration shows because he wants to do things the right way and he will continue to do it the right way."



Blackhawks working on getting traffic in front of Howard

Staff report

May 24, 2013, 3:45 pm

Jimmy Howard. The Chicago Blackhawks are probably seeing him in their sleep, the latest goaltender that they’ve struggled to solve in the playoffs.

This postseason’s Mike Smith for the Blackhawks, if you will.

For the last three games, the Blackhawks have gotten just two goals past the Detroit goaltender. Two, and both of those were by Patrick Kane. It’s why the Blackhawks are looking up at a 3-1 deficit in these Western Conference semifinals, and it’s why they’ve been frustrated, frazzled and looking for answers to beat them.

So with their proverbial backs up against the wall, the Blackhawks need to pull out all the stops to make sure Howard gets a lot fewer of them.

Howard has been great, there’s no doubt about that. But he’s also seen a lot of what the Blackhawks have thrown at him, and that has to change. Yep, we’re breaking out the old get-traffic-in-front-of-the-net mantra. But there’s a reason teams preach it: it works. Now the Blackhawks need to implement it.

“We’ve had some quality shots. We’d like more quality with traffic,” coach Joel Quenneville said following Friday’s team meeting and optional practice. “He’s been challenging. We’re getting decent looks, but more traffic would make it more challenging.”

The Blackhawks have had their shots and they’ve hit their posts and crossbars. Those iron shots have been especially frustrating, since they represent the few they’ve actually gotten past Howard. They need those to go in, obviously. They also need more shots that Howard doesn’t see.

“I think we have a lot of shots in these games, but maybe we have to go in and try to have a good screen on him and make sure he doesn’t see the puck,” Michael Frolik said. “We can be better with that. It’s hard, but he’s played unbelievable. We have to be better.”

Traffic, sticks, bodies, screens: whatever it takes, the Blackhawks have to do it. The usual stuff isn’t working. The perimeter shots, the one and dones, Howard’s seen them, stopped them and hasn’t allowed many rebounds on them. It’s time for the Blackhawks to get those ugly goals. Otherwise, it’ll be an ugly end to these playoffs.

“There are some instances where pucks come through, they hit the post and he doesn’t see them. We’re doing everything we can. It’s going to work for us,” Jonathan Toews said. “We’re confident we can turn things around.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.25.2013


Seabrook: This is what we play for, the Cup

Staff report

May 24, 2013, 3:45 pm

Jonathan Toews had a quizzical grin on his face as the inevitable questions came. Where’s the confidence level? How down are the Chicago Blackhawks?

“What’s there to be down about?” he said following the Blackhawks’ optional practice on Friday. “Obviously we’re not where we want to be in the series but feeling sorry for ourselves isn’t going to do anything. We have a positive group of guys. We’ve had a great season all year for that reason. We’re going to stick to what helps us win hockey gams, going to focus on tomorrow night, and that’s it.”

The focus is on tomorrow night because, if it isn’t, there’s no other night to focus on. The Blackhawks will try to stave off elimination when they host the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday night. Down 3-1 in the series, the Blackhawks have been stymied by the Red Wings’ defense and their hot goaltender, have struggled on the power play, and have probably wondered what they did to anger the hockey gods with the many posts and crossbars they’ve hit.

But Toews said the Blackhawks are still confident they can get back into this series, and he said it’s up to the team’s leaders, himself included, to lead the charge.

“Our best players need to be our best,” he said. “We need to lead, grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys, and that starts with me.”

The Blackhawks’ top guys have continued to struggle in this series, in which the team has just two goals in their last three games. The Blackhawks had a team meeting before the optional today, where they talked about what’s already happened and what they need to do to keep their season alive.

“Momentum: we talk about how important it is come playoff time. One game can turn everything around,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “That’s what we’re looking for. The big picture looks bleak but we have two home games here; one at a time. Getting off to a big start is what we’re looking for.”

The start is going to be very important for the Blackhawks. If they get off to a good one – and by that, we mean they finally get something past Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard – then they could start getting that confidence back. If Howard starts denying them right off the bat tomorrow, it could be the end.

The odds don’t favor the Blackhawks here. Teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series about eight percent of the time. The Blackhawks almost came back from a 3-0 deficit against the Vancouver Canucks two springs ago, losing to them in a Game 7 overtime. They’ll keep that memory in the front of their minds when the puck drops tomorrow night.

“It just goes to show that things like that are possible,” Toews said. “We were very close to winning that series. I’m sure Detroit knows and we know this series is long from being over. Tomorrow’s going to be the toughest game for both. We’ll keep that (thought) in our hip pocket.”

[WATCH: Toews: Eventually something has to give, we are too good of the team]

A lot will have to change for this comeback to happen. Stars have to start clicking, as does the power play. Those pipe-clanging shots have to go in instead of ricocheting out. The Blackhawks say they just need to get a break, take advantage of their chances. Tomorrow could be their last one.

“We’re as upbeat as we can be; we’re just trying to focus on tomorrow’s game,” said Brent Seabrook. “We talked about past experiences and what we can do as a group and we have to come out with a strong effort tomorrow. This is what we play for: the Cup. It’s the best time of the year. Our season’s not over yet.”



Chicagoland third grader answers "Hossa" on math exam

May 24, 2013, 1:15 pm

Tony Andracki

Quick quiz, hotshot: What's nine times nine?

Yes, I know we all did our multiplication tables in grade school and if you're reading this on a computer/tablet/phone, you undoutedly have a calculator at your disposal.

So it's an obvious question when we all know the answer is "81."

While that is correct, it's not as fun -- or creative -- as Maggie Ciara's answer.

Maggie, a third grader at Columbus Manor Elementary School in Oak Lawn, Ill., was faced with the same math problem on a quiz recently and came up with "Hossa" as the answer (h/t Puck Daddy).

In other words, she didn't simply just say "81," but rather chose the Blackhawks player who wears the No. 81 sweater.

How cleverly cute.

Her teacher didn't think so, intially, asking "What is this?" on the quiz. But all was forgiven after Maggie explained her response, and she received a 100 percent on the exam.


678558 Colorado Avalanche

Patrick Roy must dump Semyon Varlamov, get elite goalie for Avalanche

By Mark Kiszla

Posted: 05/24/2013 12:05:00 PM MDT

Updated: 05/24/2013 01:59:23 PM MDT

Patrick Roy? Coach of the Avalanche? That's awesome news for Colorado.

And very bad news for goalie Semyon Varlamov.

Nice knowing you, Varly. Now pack your bags. And get out.

Hiring Roy was an inspired idea. Kudos to Avs president Josh Kroenke for a bold stroke to change the culture of a slumbering franchise.

The only way this move could have been better is if Roy could lose 40 pounds, shed 15 years and get back to work between the pipes, instead of on the bench for Colorado.

His first job as coach should be to find the Avs a top-notch, stand-on-the-head, Vezina-worthy goalie the team has lacked since some guy named Roy left the building in 2003.

A lost decade for the Avalanche can be succinctly described as a futile search for a goalie capable of leading a team to the Stanley Cup.

No offense to Varlamov. But he's not it. He doesn't have it.

Gripe all you want about the Avalanche's obvious lack of talent at the blue line. That's why the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft exists for Colorado. Pick 18-year-old defenseman Seth Jones. Ask questions later.

Everything about Varlamov, from his goals-against average to his save percentage, shouts: Average. Pedestrian. Ho-hum.

We've seen Saint Patrick, and Varly is no Saint Patrick.

Nobody in sports during the past 30 years, from Tiger Woods to Lance Armstrong to Michael Jordan, is a more passionate, demanding winner than Roy.

Varlamov is going to have a devil of a time meeting Saint Patrick's exacting standards. In fact, it might be a waste of time to even try.

J.S. Giguere hasn't started more than 50 games in goal since 2008. But here's a vote to make Giguere the primary goaltender until front-office executive Joe Sakic can find Roy a top-10 netminder.

Yes, the Avs will undoubtedly grow as a team as 20-year-old Gabriel Landeskog and 22-year-old Matt Duchene mature into brilliant NHL forwards. But, of all Roy's strong attributes,

patience isn't on the list. He not only wants to make the playoffs, but do damage in the postseason ASAP, not in 2016.

Sorry, Varly's not the guy.

John Elway joined the Broncos and did what was necessary. He obtained a truly elite quarterback, even if it meant dumping the popular Tim Tebow for Peyton Manning.

Before agreeing to join the Avs as coach, Roy smartly demanded the title of vice president of hockey operations, so he would have a say in issues more important than line changes. If that title carries any real power, then it's obvious what a top priority for Roy must be:

Go get a goalie.

Mark Kiszla

Denver Post: LOADED: 05.25.2013

678559 Dallas Stars

Former Stars standout Brad Richards scratched for key game: 'Nothing's over'

Staff Writer

Published: 23 May 2013 04:15 PM

NEW YORK - Struggling Rangers center Brad Richards said he will be a healthy scratch when New York faces elimination in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

Richards, a star player earning $12 million this season, stayed on the ice with the extras Thursday during the morning skate. He then confirmed that Rangers coach John Tortorella had called to tell him he would be sitting out.

"I don't know if surprised is the right word for it," Richards said. "I'm disappointed."

More changes could be made to New York's roster for Thursday night's game. Tortorella wouldn't reveal what his lineup would be before the team took the ice for the morning skate.

Defenseman Anton Stralman, who was injured in the second period of Tuesday night's loss, will likely be out of Game 4. Veteran Roman Hamrlik could be the one to take his place. Healthy forwards Arron Asham and Chris Kreider might also be replaced.

The 33-year-old Richards, an alternate captain who has seven years left on the nine-year, $60 million deal he signed in July 2011, has been largely ineffective in 10 playoff games. He has registered one goal and no assists and posted a minus-3 rating.

He had already been dropped to the fourth line and had his ice time cut. Richards' inability to get New York's woeful power play going has left him as an odd-man out. He said being on the fourth line made it difficult for him to be effective.

Richards, in his 12th NHL season, had only 10 shifts and a career playoff-low 8:10 of ice time Tuesday in New York's 2-1 loss to Boston in Game 3 that put the Rangers on the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Richards is a prime candidate to have his contract bought out after this season. After this year's lockout, each team was given the option of two amnesty buyouts that could be used to terminate contracts before next season or the 2014-15 season.

The buyouts will cost two-thirds of the remaining amount on a deal - paid evenly over twice its remaining length - and will count against the players' overall share in revenues, but not the individual team's salary cap. A buyout for Richards would cost the Rangers $24 million over 14 years.

"Nothing's over," Richards said. "Work harder and try my best to never let it happen again."

Richards, who had 11 goals and 23 assists in 46 games during the regular season, was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP when he and the Tampa Bay Lightning captured the Stanley Cup under Tortorella in 2004.

-Associated Press

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.25.2013

678560 Dallas Stars

Did Dallas Stars accidentally release new logo ahead of June 4 unveiling?

MIKE HEIKA

Published: 24 May 2013 09:00 AM

Updated: 24 May 2013 11:37 AM

Ah, the tentatcles of the internet.

The Stars have appeared to accidentally release their new logo long before the official June 4 unveiling.

It appears the team placed the logos on a mobile app, and these pictures have since been removed, but not before fans captured them forever. A couple of posters on the Hockey's Future Boards revealed their findings here last night.

The uniform website Icethetics then picked up on it. Check out that story here.

Puck Daddy also did its version of the reveal here.

The Stars today say they will neither confirm nor deny that this is the logo, and that they will make their official announcement on June 4.

The guess, though, is that this is the real deal. The colors are the green we anticipated, and it appears they have dropped gold as an accent and will go with some form of silver with white and black.

So, if this is the new logo, are you on board?


678561 Dallas Stars

Avalanche getting the band back together, hiring Patrick Roy as head coach

Staff Writer


Updated: 24 May 2013 11:07 AM

DENVER - Patrick Roy has been hired as coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

The team said Thursday it has reached an agreement in principle with the Hall of Fame goaltender to take over as coach and vice president of hockey operations.

The 47-year-old Roy won two Stanley Cups with Colorado. He becomes the sixth coach in Avalanche history and the 14th in franchise history; the team began as the Quebec Nordiques and joined the NHL in 1979.

Roy has spent the last eight seasons as coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, winning the 2006 Memorial Cup. He is also a part owner of the QMJHL franchise.

"This is an unbelievable day for me," Roy told the team's website. "It's a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to.

"Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am."

Roy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006. He retired with the most regular-season wins in NHL?history (551), since passed by New Jersey's Martin Brodeur. Roy also won two Stanley Cups with Montreal and remains the winningest goalie in Stanley Cup history with 151 postseason victories.

"This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization's history," Avalanche President Josh Kroenke said. "Patrick's passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver, where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships."

Roy won three Vezina Trophies (1989, 1990, 1992) and was selected to the NHL All-Star team six times.

-Associated Press


678562 Dallas Stars

Kari Lehtonen's backhand save against Columbus up for play of the year

Kevin Sherrington


Updated: 24 May 2013 09:47 PM

The crazy Canadians are at it again.

TSN has created a bracket looking for the play of the year from the 2013 season.

Kari Lehtonen's back hand save of a puck that hit his shoulder and started fluttering towards the net was the only entry in the field of 32 from a Stars player.

After dispatching Henrik Lundqvist in the first round, Lehtonen is up against San Jose defensman Dan Boyle's nifty stick work in round two.

You can vote here. The poll is open for two more days.

For those too lazy to click the link, here are both plays:


678563 Dallas Stars

Readers with mixed reactions to Dallas Stars' possibly leaked logos: 'It could have been worse'

By SPORTSDAYDFW.COM


Updated: 24 May 2013 07:48 PM

A new logo popped up on the Dallas Stars' official app Thursday night. While the Stars would neither confirm or deny whether it is the logo they will unveil on June 4, it didn't stop many of you from giving your opinion on the (allegedly) new logo.

Here is some of what you and your fellow readers had to say:

Jerry Johnson: I guess it's OK, will be interesting to see how it looks on a jersey, obviously the wallpaper version is digital, but from that image it doesn't look classic.

Blake West: This logo will by the shoulder patch. The main logo looks like it will just be the D-star in the middle. As for the colors, I love it. It's North Stars green, so I'm not sure why anyone would have a problem with that part. Gold is out though.

Joshua: I like the colors. Just having a D in the star looks plain though. Glad its not the bull. I’m not of the circle logos popping up more. Keep the Cup-winning jerseys.

Justin Cook: This is precisely what I'm hoping has happened. I like the star and the colors. I hate the D in the middle of the star.

ThatGuyInRF: The Texas Stars new jerseys are awesome. I was hoping for something like that. I thought the point was to reduce black and make green and gold the main colors again. Now silver replaces gold?!? I don't mind if that's the new crest and shoulder patch but I would rather gold replace the silver part.

michael mcnally: What in the he -double hockey sticks were yall expecting ? This is definitely a more than suitable replacement for the current unis. First actual new logo for the team -pretty nice I'd say

Danhubb1986: mmmmm kinda sucks... looks too old school.

Ryan Gibbs: These look like USHL logos or something. I'm just one person but these are just not even done very well. I will say it depends on how the entire uni looks. I should complain before i see the entire product. But if its on the same level as the logo then this was a pretty big fail. Can't see people really backing this.

Saul McGill: It could have been worse. A lot worse. See Mooterus.

Andrew: I actually like it, especially the outlined, standalone "D-star" as a possible crest on the sweater. My only disappointment might be the lack of gold, which I think would allow the logo to really pop. I guess we'll see more in a week or two. It's growing on me, though.


678564 Detroit Red Wings

Helene St. James: Red Wings surprising even themselves, but know job not yet finished

3:55 PM, May 24, 2013

By Helene St. James

CHICAGO — There are no guarantees in hockey, but sometimes there are great opportunities. The Red Wings have created a doozy of the latter, and it’s hard to think they won’t take advantage of it.

The Wings hold a 3-1 edge in their series against the Chicago Blackhawks, a top-seeded team suddenly precariously close to toppling in the second round of the playoffs. The Wings have the first of three opportunities to advance Saturday night at United Center (8 p.m., NBC), and if it doesn’t happen then, there’s a shot at doing at home and make for a very memorable Memorial Day.

Even the Wings are surprised they’re in this position. Not that they’ve lacked faith in themselves; it’s just the sheer improbability of suddenly being one win from the Western Conference finals after being so close to missing the playoffs entirely a month ago. Jimmy Howard, whose openness and honesty matches the fantastic goaltending he’s been providing, said minutes after shutting out the Blackhawks, 2-0, in Game 4 that he’d have picked the Blackhawks to win the series, too, were he a journalist.

“You know, I think if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done the same thing,” Howard said. “They had an unbelievable year this year. They were playing great hockey coming into the playoffs. They’re a great team.”

This is what’s special about hockey, though: Great teams don’t guarantee great results. It’s not like the NBA, where talent trumps tenacity. The Blackhawks came into the series with more depth, and they still have it. What the Wings have — in addition to Howard, who has added playoff MVP to his status as the team’s regular-season MVP — is that indefinable something that is seen so often in the NHL, when a lower-seeded team becomes unstoppable. Like the 2003 Anaheim Ducks and 2006 Edmonton Oilers, both of whom upset the-then mighty Wings.

It would be a disaster for the Presidents’ Trophy Blackhawks to lose in this round, and it would mandate organizational changes. The Wings, on the other hand, are playing with house money. They’re playing with such a hot hand, they barely remember they finished seventh.

“I don’t think we think about that,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “It’s more we go out and focus on playing hockey. We don’t really look at where we finished in the regular season. It’s a new season, playoffs, we know that.

“We’ve been through it a lot. We’ve been the top seed and lost in the first round. It’s a new season. You can’t really care what you did in the regular season. You’ve got to play good hockey when playoffs start, otherwise it goes fast.”

Zetterberg has set the tone for his teammates with the way he’s flustered Chicago captain Jonathan Toews. “That sends a message,” Howard said, “to the rest of the team.”

Howard went on to say the Wings have to match the Blackhawks’ desperation the rest of this series, but really, it’s the Blackhawks who are on notice to match Detroit’s determination. It’s Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa who must lead the way for their teammates. It’s Chicago’s third line that must separate itself from Joakim Andersson and his wingers, Damien Brunner and Gustav Nyquist, a trio that’s been a huge factor as Detroit and Chicago’s top two lines have canceled one another.

The Wings are back-checking to perfection, are killing penalties with fervor, are showing stick-to-it-ness, as Mike Babcock likes to call it. There are spots to shore up, like starts, but slow starts are forgivable when the finishes are so flourished.

To a man, the Wings have made sure to note they have won only three games, not four. And this is a team with players who know there are no guarantees no matter how much a series looks in hand. Zetterberg and Howard, Pavel Datsyuk and Niklas Kronwall, along with Jonathan Ericsson, Justin Abdelkader, Daniel Cleary, Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen were

part of the 2009 Stanley Cup finals team that held 2-0 and 3-2 leads over the Penguins, only to ultimately lose.

No guarantees, then, but goodness, what an opportunity the Wings have given themselves. They haven’t been to the Western Conference finals since that 2009 run. They weren’t expected to go there this year, but here they are; so close, reservations are but a victory away.

Contact Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 05.25.2013


Jamie Samuelsen's blog: Red Wings' unsung hero for playoff run? Ken Holland

3:19 PM, May 24, 2013

By Jamie Samuelsen

What’s the biggest thing about the Red Wings-Blackhawks series that no one is talking about?

The first time most of us went through this with the Red Wings, there wasn’t a single person who went unnoticed for their part in the process. Al Sobotka and Karen Newman were on the same celebrity level as Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby. There were tons of Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov jerseys at Joe Louis Arena, but there were also plenty people wearing Doug Brown’s and Aaron Ward’s. Articles were written about the DJ at the Joe and about where to by the best octopus (Superior Fish in Royal Oak).

The Red Wings were a super team and all of Detroit was behind them as evidenced by the ubiquitous car flags.

Will these Red Wings reach that level? Time will tell. But we’re getting to know these guys rather quickly as an expected short playoff run is turning into something more magical than most can remember. As a result, deserved praise has been heaped upon the likes of Mike Babcock, Jimmy Howard, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. The third and fourth liners have become cult heroes with huge goals. I won’t tell the Wings merchandise department how to do their job, but I bet that they could sell a Patrick Eaves jersey or two the way he’s been playing.

In fact, it’s hard to sit here as the Wings stand on the verge of dispatching the mighty Blackhawks and give you the name of someone who hasn’t gotten the proper attention for what he’s done in the last month. So let’s pause for a moment to praise the one person who’s gotten the most heat in the last year — general manager Ken Holland.

It’s been quite a transformation for Holland. Nationally, he’s still regarded as one of the very best in the business. Locally, his reputation has taken a bit of a hit. His deadline move a year ago to send a first round pick to Tampa Bay for defenseman Kyle Quincey didn’t pan out. The Wings were stymied in free agency last summer as the two prize targets (Ryan Suter and Zach Parise) went to Minnesota. The Red Wings were left with Mikael Samuelsson, Jordin Tootoo and Jonas Gustavsson; three players who have played a combined 71 minutes and 47 seconds in these playoffs. Tootoo and Samuelsson have two points and are minus-1 in their six games combined. And this year at the deadline, the Wings didn’t make a move. Some speculated that the price was too high. Some speculated that the Wings didn’t have any prospects that other teams would want. And some felt that the team just wasn’t good enough to contend this year, so why rock the boat.

We’ll never know exactly what Holland was thinking, but I’m guessing that it was something along these lines: “The team is completely beat up, the youngsters are improving and the goaltender is maturing the way we hoped. If we can get a little bit healthy and a little bit lucky at the right time, we could make this interesting.” Maybe that’s giving him too much credit. But you don’t get to this point in your career in hockey without knowing a little something about your roster. And while the rest of us were dissecting and criticizing his draft picks, Holland was likely being patient and waiting for them to come around.

Which is exactly what they’re doing.

The Red Wings are playing well because of depth. And the roster is deep thanks to homegrown products. And those homegrown products are Holland draft picks that are maturing at the perfect time.

Gustav Nyquist is the speedy, scary forward that Red Wings fans have been waiting for. He played four games and registered one shot in his first postseason action last year. This year, he’s got two goals and two assists. Both goals were huge, one an overtime goal in Game 2 in Anaheim. The other, perhaps the biggest goal of this series in the pivotal Game 3.

Jakub Kindl was drafted back in 2005 and has been mentioned as a Wings prospect ever since. He’s a prospect no longer with a goal and three assists this postseason and a plus-3 in 11 games. The Red Wings defense was

supposed to be the weakness this season with all the departures over the last two years. Kindl picked an excellent time for his arrival, and he delivered the game-winning goal in Game 4.

Damien Brunner was a shrewd, quiet pick-up by Holland this past off-season, but he’s been vital to this team. He’s got four goals and four assists and reminds me of the role Slava Kozlov played on the 90’s Wings teams. He doesn’t get the accolades or have the star power of the big names. But he scores key goals at the most important moments.

Justin Abdelkader was a popular whipping boy for Wings fans over the years. How could this 2005 draft pick earn top line minutes and earn the admiration of Babcock? Well, he’s shown how this spring with his physical play and a plus-5 rating in nine games.

And, of course, Howard. He’s got a postseason career-high .929 save percentage and career low 2.22 goals against. He recorded his second career shutout in Game 4. And he’s clearly crossed that line in Detroit where the fans now trust him instead of fearing him.

The Red Wings will be the first ones to tell you that they’ve accomplished nothing yet, other than to make hockey matter again in Detroit. If the Hawks win three in a row, this spirit of jubilation will quickly subside. But there’s little doubt that there’s a hockey foundation here, something that can be built upon in the years to come. And it’s equally clear that the foundation was laid by Holland who remains one of the very best in the business. Holland was heavily praised. Then he was heavily questioned. This spring should remind us not to make that mistake again.



National writers impressed by Red Wings, Jimmy Howard

3:42 PM, May 24, 2013

Posted by James Jahnke

So the Detroit Red Wings lead the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-1, in their second-round series. Admit it: You had no clue this was coming.

But just as we’re all waking up to the idea that the Wings are serious Stanley Cup contenders, so are the national media. Here’s a sampling of what’s being said around the web today:

■ Craig Custance, espn.com: There’s a bond forming between a city that’s starting to believe in its hockey team — one that isn’t nearly as loaded with the talent as some in the past — and the group of players making it happen. Especially the goalie.

Detroit isn’t a town that’s known for treating its netminders particularly well. And yet, on the day of the Red Wings' biggest game of the season, the local sports talk radio station was debating which of its current star athletes fans trusted more for a big-time performance: (Jimmy) Howard or Tigers ace Justin Verlander. Howard got overwhelming support.

The Red Wings are the pesky underdog. The goalie is the local folk hero. It’s all backward this spring in Detroit.

■ Jamie McLennan, tsn.ca: (Howard) was brilliant and aggressive all game long. His glove was locked in and tracked the puck really well. Big save on the (Patrick) Sharp breakaway was about the positioning — Howard had taken ice and not given the shooter anything. On the big save on (Dave) Bolland, it was more of a Jonathan Quick lunge across and forward that he came up with, took the angle up approach on the puck, and it came back on the ice to the right pad. Good read.

■ Greg Wyshynski, yahoo.com: The Detroit Red Wings are looking more and more like their vintage playoff selves with each victory. Despite the inexperience on the roster, especially the blue line, the Wings have frustrated the Stanley Cup favorites to the brink of elimination.

■ Allan Muir, si.com: When Jonathan Toews watches the tape of Chicago’s 2-0 Game 4 loss in Detroit, he should pay close attention to the play of his nemesis Henrik Zetterberg and of Zetterberg’s Red Wings teammate Pavel Datsyuk. He’ll see the two stars were subjected to a series of hooks, jabs, slashes and all manner of uncalled cheap shots, just as Toews was. He might also notice that, despite that duress, they rarely lost their cool. And really, that was the difference (Thursday). ... While Toews and the Hawks allowed their frustration to get the best of them over and over again, the Red Wings simply gritted their teeth, put their heads down and kept their focus.

■ Larry Lage, Associated Press: Jimmy Howard kept Jonathan Toews in his misery, making three saves against the struggling star to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks. ... When Howard wasn't using his glove or pads to deny Toews, Detroit's skaters were rattling him and his teammates with a physical presence that is clearly making them uncomfortable.

■ Corey Masisak, nhl.com: The days of thinking this was going to be a rebuilding year for the Detroit Red Wings are over. The days of thinking this was going to be an amazing finish to an incredible season for the Chicago Blackhawks — well, those could be numbered.

■ David Haugh, Chicago Tribune: You knew how out of sync the ’Hawks were in the second period, when their man advantage produced a bigger threat for the Red Wings to score. Nothing summed up the futility better than the last power play with 4:45 left, when the ’Hawks failed to test Howard. The Wings' penalty-killing unit simply outworked the Hawks, who have gone 11 straight power plays without a goal.

“The one at the end wasn't very good,” (coach Joel) Quenneville acknowledged.

The sequence underscored how effective goalie Jimmy Howard, the Wings' best penalty killer, has been throughout a series he has dominated. The ’Hawks hit the post twice, chances teams can't squander against a hot

goalie. Sure, the Hawks have been unlucky, but Howard simply has been too good.

“We pay him to do that,'” coach Mike Babcock said.



Captain Jonathan Toews says Blackhawks are embracing adversity

10:35 AM, May 24, 2013

By George Sipple

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews acknowledged before Game 4 on Thursday that the Blackhawks haven’t faced a lot of adversity this season.

Although they lost Games 2 and 3 in the series, Toews said the team was embracing what was at stake and not sitting around being negative.

“The talk the last few days has been the adversity that we’re facing,” Toews said. “We knew that this was going to be (a) tough series against Detroit. So we’re not running into anything that we didn’t expect.”

Patrick Kane also said the Blackhawks haven’t really experienced much adversity. Chicago finished the 48-game season with an NHL-best 77 points and went 36-7-5.

“We had a lot of momentum going throughout the regular season,” Toews said. “This seems to be the first time that we’re running into some tough adversity, as we’ve said. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s something you have to embrace come playoff time. You don’t win a Stanley Cup without going through something like that. We have to welcome it and whatever they throw at us, we gotta smile and throw it right back in their face. That’s what playoff hockey is all about.”

Asked whether it felt like the Red Wings were getting more confidence in themselves, Toews said: “Yeah, maybe so, but so are we. We’re going to keep believing in ourselves. There’s a reason we’ve made it this far. We’re a good team. We’re a really good team. We have a lot of players with some great ability ... you put it all together and play the right way and we’re an amazing bunch of guys.”

■ PUCK LUCK: Toews had no puck luck entering Game 4. He came into the game with no goals in eight playoff games, despite ranking second on the team in shots (28).

Patrick Sharp led the team with six goals and 34 shots.

Asked about puck luck, Toews said: “If there’s a few bounces that aren’t going your way, you can’t just chalk it up as that, puck luck, and say too bad. The harder you work, the more bounces you’re going to get going your way.”

Coach Joel Quenneville said puck luck is earned.

“You gotta fight through that type of situation,” Quenneville said. “Measuring who has the advantage. We feel you earn ’em by how you compete and the frequency of getting those bounces. Eventually you get your turn.”

■ NOTEBOOK: Wings coach Mike Babcock coached Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2010 Olympics. Toews, who played for Babcock, was named the tournament’s best player. Asked about Babcock as a coach, Toews said: “He knows how to give his team a chance to win. Obviously he’s a good coach. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got a lot of experience this time of year and in big situations.”



Blackhawks say they are frustrated, working hard

May 25, 2013

By George Sipple

The Blackhawks are a frustrated bunch.

That was clear after their third consecutive loss to the Red Wings in this second-round series.

The Blackhawks hit a few posts but failed to score in a 2-0 loss Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Chicago was shut out for the first time this season (regular season and playoffs).

The top-seeded Blackhawks are now on a season-worst three-game losing streak. On the brink of elimination, they must win three straight games to survive.

“Everyone’s a little (peeved),” goaltender Corey Crawford said. “I thought we played well again. It just seems like we can’t get bounces.

“Three off the post and they get one off the post and in. That pretty much sums it up for the last couple of nights for us. We’re getting chances, going to the net hard and doing a lot of good things.

“I think there’s times when you’re just not getting bounces and doing a lot of things right. I just can’t explain it. It’s another thing if you’re not playing hard and you’re not battling. That’s not the case with our team right now.”

Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said the team is working hard.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I don’t really know what to say right now. ... We got to look at it. And we competed, but obviously it’s still not good enough. So we’re going to have to find a way to give more.”

Can they win three in a row?

“Definitely,” Crawford said. “We’ve gone on streaks before. We just have to keep playing hard, and it’s going to have to turn our way.”

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews agreed.

“As hard as we’re working, something’s got to go our way,” he said. “We’ve got to be positive.”

Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard said he doesn’t pay attention to whether the Blackhawks are frustrated.

“I try to stay out of everything,” Howard said. “If they are getting frustrated, that means the guys are doing a great job in front of me of taking away their time and space.”

■ HOT HOWIE: Howard made 28 saves to become the third Wings goaltender to earn a shutout over the Blackhawks in the playoffs. Terry Sawchuk earned a 3-0 win over Chicago on March 31, 1964. Roger Crozier helped the Wings to a 7-0 win over the Blackhawks on April 10, 1966.

Howard improved to 5-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage in his last six games.

“We’re doing a great job of getting above them, cutting them off, not letting them come with speed, and also another huge thing is we’re taking care of the puck,” Howard said. “We’re getting pucks out of our blue line and getting them deep. It’s slowing them down a little bit.”

His other previous playoff shutout came in a 3-0 win over the Coyotes on April 20, 2010, when he made 29 saves in Game 4 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.



Red Wings forward Drew Miller's return helps penalty kill deliver at right time

May 25, 2013

By Helene St. James

The Red Wings used their power play to push within a victory of advancing past the Blackhawks, but herald goes to the penalty kill for getting to this point, too.

The Wings have killed off nine straight Chicago power plays headed into tonight’s Game 5 at United Center, helping to give Detroit a 3-1 series lead over the No. 1 seeded Blackhawks.

“We just try to minimize their space and time,” Henrik Zetterberg said Friday. “They’re good players, and they will find a way to hurt you if you give them room.”

The Blackhawks haven’t converted on a man advantage since winning the opening game of the second-round series.

“I think we’ve been able to do some good things, disrupt them up ice and make it hard for them,” defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “We know that they’re so talented, all they need is once chance and the puck’s in. We’ve been able to do a good job there, I think.”

The hot streak has not without reason coincided with Drew Miller’s return from a broken thumb. He entered the series for Game 2, giving the Wings three options on the fourth line to use as penalty killers, in Miller, Patrick Eaves and Cory Emmerton.

As Kronwall put it, “Millsie getting back in the lineup’s been huge for us.”

Depending on the situation, the Wings will use Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk on the penalty kill, but if a little wear and tear can be saved on those two, that’s not a bad scenario. Miller (Michigan State) and Eaves both bring so much speed to the PK units, and Emmerton has shown a nice little knack for opportunistic breakaways; even if they aren’t turned into goals, they eat up valuable seconds and stick a little dagger into opponents, who’ve given up a scoring chance on their power play.

The Wings’ penalty kill was a “work in progress” all season, as was everything else. The power play had a very good outing against Anaheim, but went 0-for-13 to start the Chicago series, as unable to break the Blackhawks as Minnesota had been through its five-game first-round series against Chicago. Jakub Kindl changed that in Game 4’s 2-0 victory when he scored with a second left, wiring the puck in from the top of the circle to score the game-winning goal.



Column: Red Wings leave Blackhawks gasping, grasping

David Haugh

Detroit — Bewildered, Jonathan Toews stood in front of his locker Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena and offered an explanation he didn't have.

How does the leader of the best team in hockey explain the Blackhawks being shut out for the first time in 57 games and a once-magical season suddenly coming within 60 minutes of disappearing?

Toews had as many answers as goals this series: zero. I have seen deer look more comfortable in headlights than Toews did describing the Blackhawks' third straight loss, a 2-0 crusher to the Red Wings.

"We played our tails off and did a lot of good things,'' Toews said. "We just couldn't find the back of the net. We're not making any excuses. We just need to find a way to score.''

Nobody can say coach Joel Quenneville didn't try.

Before Game 5 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, Quenneville famously sat next to adviser Scotty Bowman on the team flight back from Philadelphia and discussed juggling lines. Anybody know whose seat was next to Quenneville's on the plane that brought the Blackhawks here for Game 4? Good luck finding that person to fess up.

Nothing worked as the new combinations resulted in an outcome getting old in Chicago. One goal has become a literal objective for a Blackhawks team that has scored twice in its last three losses.

The way Quenneville mixed and matched line combinations illustrated he realized this was the biggest playoff game since the Blackhawks won the Cup three years ago. If you would have followed Quenneville out of a downtown restaurant after lunch, you might have found several napkins with scribbles on the back of them.

It seemed like typical Quenneville tinkering when Michal Handzus replaced Toews between Patrick Sharp and former Red Wing Marian Hossa. Toews started on the second line between Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell. The third and fourth lines also included combinations together for the first time.

The power-play units reflected even deeper desperation. The first group concocted by Quenneville consisted of Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad, Sharp, Bickell and Hossa. The so-called second unit included Kane and Toews. Both fizzled, failing to generate a goal or momentum. The word discombobulated comes to mind.

"We're comfortable playing wherever Joel puts us,'' Sharp said.

Seldom has it been harder to tell.

In contrast, the Red Wings used their power play to win the game. With one second left on the Blackhawks' penalty kill at the 10:03 mark of the second period, Jakub Kindl fired a laser from the faceoff circle past Corey Crawford. It marked the first time the Blackhawks had failed to kill a penalty since April 22, back when they were feared and full of confidence.

You knew how out of sync the Blackhawks were in the second period when their man advantage produced a bigger threat for the Red Wings to score. Nothing summed up the futility better than the last power play with 4:45 left, when the Blackhawks failed to test goalie Jimmy Howard. The Wings' penalty-killing unit simply outworked the Blackhawks, who have gone 11 straight power plays without a goal.

"The one at the end wasn't very good,'' Quenneville acknowledged.

The sequence underscored how effective Howard, the Wings' best penalty killer, has been throughout a series he has dominated. The Blackhawks hit the post twice, chances teams can't squander against a hot goalie. Sure, the Blackhawks have been unlucky, but Howard simply has been too good.

"We pay him to do that,'' coach Mike Babcock said.

Howard's $2.25 million salary looks like a bargain. Outside of Kane, no Blackhawk has scored since the final minute of Game 1. Playoff hockey calls for the Blackhawks needing to create more traffic because Howard's view was as good as the season ticket holder's behind the glass.

Howard set the tone in the first period, denying Toews on a 2-on-1. Midway through the third, when Bolland had an open chance to tie, Howard came through again. The Blackhawks had chances. Either Howard or the defense in front of him denied all 28 shots.

"JIM-MY! JIM-MY!'' the crowd at The Joe chanted.

The better Howard got, the more the Blackhawks' frustration grew.

Nobody expressed it like Toews. It isn't so much the Wings are in Toews' face constantly as in his head, thanks mostly to Henrik Zetterberg. Toews went to the penalty box three times in a 5:34 span of the second period. Captain Serious seldom has looked less stable on the ice.

He came close to changing the subject — and the game — in the third period until Valtteri Filppula made a nice play to poke the puck away after Toews had broken free.

It was that kind of night. It has been that kind of series.

Detroit News LOADED: 05.25.2013


Wings' Jimmy Howard accepts big money for starring role without ego

John Niyo

Detroit He'd faced an opponent's best shots and hadn't flinched once, pitching a playoff shutout Thursday night in front of a sold-out home crowd at Joe Louis Arena.

Afterward, as reporters peppered Jimmy Howard with questions inside the Red Wings' dressing room, the goaltender deflected them all with ease, too. He talked about confidence, but steered clear of cockiness. He talked about making big stops, but saved most of his praise for his teammates. He talked about pushing the top-seeded Chicago Blackhawks to the brink of elimination, but pulled back at the slightest hint of presumption.

Finally, someone in the crowd had Howard flustered. In the middle of his lengthy media session, a white-haired gentleman approached with a smile and an outstretched hand.

"Mr. Hockey," Howard said quietly, looking a bit startled as he greeted Hall of Famer Gordie Howe. "How are you? Nice to see you."

A moment later, and a bit sheepishly, Howard returned to answering questions, many of them about growing comfortable amid all the history and tradition — and pressure — that's a fact of life when you're playing hockey for the Red Wings. And particularly when you're the masked man in net.

As his coach, Mike Babcock, had explained earlier in the day, it's not just defending the goal in Detroit. It's about respecting all those who'd established the loftiest goal — Lord Stanley's Cup — as the standard.

Jimmy Howard is not a Hall of Famer.

He is not Terry Sawchuk or Dominik Hasek or even Chris Osgood, though after four full seasons as Detroit's No. 1 goaltender he sure sounds a lot like the latter, doesn't he? Self-assured and self-deprecating, soft-spoken yet defiant, sounding oblivious and completely aware all at once.

Jimmy Howard knows what he is, and what that means. And so do his teammates.

"I don't know if you can ask much more from Howie than what he's done for us since he's got here," veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall said of Howard, who has stopped 86 of 88 shots the last three games. "If you're not appreciating what he's doing right now, I don't know if you're a true fan, to be honest with you. That's how good he's been. He's been the backbone of our team."

The Wings are underdogs in this series against the Blackhawks, and they're enjoying every minute of that. So is Howard, who admits he once wondered, "Do I really belong here?" but now is just fine being perceived as the goalie who can't or won't, even as he shows everyone he can and just might.

"I sort of feel like I've been an underdog all my life," said Howard, who grew up in tiny Ogdensberg, N.Y. and spent three years in college and four in the minors before finally getting his shot in the NHL. "Coming from a small town, people always said, 'You'll never have an opportunity. You'll never have a chance to do this or that.' For me, I sort of just relish it. I kinda like playing that role."

His teammates kinda do, too, though they're all starting to outgrow it. The seventh-seeded Wings are one win from the Western Conference finals — suffocating a Chicago team that hadn't lost three consecutive games all season — while Howard's suddenly a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Proving it

Howard, 29, was one of the few constants for Detroit in a turbulent regular season, ranking fifth among NHL goalies in even-strength save percentage — .937, tied with the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist — and minutes played. (He started 20 of the last 21 games as the Wings scrapped to make the playoffs.)

He was solid, if not spectacular, in the first-round series against Anaheim, evening his career playoff series record at 3-3. And he has been excellent

thus far against the Blackhawks, posting a 1.26 goals-against average and .961 save percentage, including Thursday night's 28-save shutout.

"He's been in a groove for a while and we need that to be successful," Babcock said. "We pay him to do that. We expect him to do that."

Those expectations have changed, of course. Or at least that's the perception from the outside, where the shots are easier to take — and defend. Howard began the lockout-shortened regular season as the NHL's 27th-highest-paid goalie. He ended it with the ink still drying on a six-year, $31.8 million deal. And while that salary-cap hit won't even rank in the top 10 next season — it puts him 11th, just ahead of Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury, for now — it divided the fan base this spring.

Too much money? Too long a term? My response then, and now, is the same: Too bad. That's the price you pay for stability these days at the one position in the NHL where you absolutely must have it.

But when asked Thursday night if he thought he'd won over some of those critics, Howard just shrugged.

"That's a good question," he said. "You're going to have to ask the fans that. For me, it's about going out and performing, not only for these guys in the dressing room but for the guys like Kenny (Holland) and (goaltending coach) Jim Bedard, who had a lot of faith in me to give me the ball and run with it four years ago, and to stick with me. It's about proving myself to the guys in here in the organization."

He's doing that as he speaks. And while he's not interested in calling his shots — "I don't think I'm like Dom, who could just say I'm gonna get a shutout tonight," he joked Thursday night — he is intent on stopping them.

"I always had faith in myself," Howard said, reiterating a point he has made frequently the past couple years. "I always believed in myself, that I could go out there and play extremely well in the playoffs. So far in these playoffs, I think I've done that. But we still have a long way to go."



Wings' Mike Babcock drives players to succeed with one priority: winning

Gregg Krupa

Detroit -- His team is now called "the surprising Red Wings" and "the surging Red Wings." Although they beat the Blackhawks 2-0 Thursday to take an improbable 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals, you might have thought they had lost when Mike Babcock walked into the media lounge for the postgame conference.

He was impassive, unaffected, deadpan.

He spent a good part of the time perusing the scoring sheet and seeming unimpressed. But then he was asked if he still felt the Red Wings "have accomplished nothing" so far in the series.

Babcock paused.

"Well, no," he said. "I mean, you've got to win the fourth one.

"I've been in the league a long time. We've had lots of highs and lots of bitter disappointments. Let's just not get ahead of ourselves."

Babcock is process oriented, often to the exclusion of anything else. His players sometimes wonder why he is so rarely satisfied, why even a string of victories may fail to please him.

But his obsession with detail and preparation marks his singularly successful career.

Babcock did not become the only coach to win the World Junior Championship, the World Championship, the Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup by leaving any doubt about his intentions.

"Needless to say, I came to respect him for his intensity and his thoroughness," Scotty Bowman, the only coach in history to win nine Stanley Cups, wrote in the forward of Babcock's book, "Leave No Doubt, A Credo for Chasing Your Dreams."

Single-minded focus

In the book, published last year, Babcock mixes a chronicle of coaching Team Canada to the 2010 gold medal with guidance about achieving success.

Bowman's summation of it could well be an abstract of Babcock's intentions as a coach.

"Mike demonstrates in this book a clear conception of what he wanted, a confidence this goal could be attained, a focus on what it would take, a commitment to how important it was to Canada, a strong character to stay on a proper course and an ability to enjoy the process along the way."

The process.

Concerned the Red Wings are too high after pushing the mighty Blackhawks to the brink of elimination? Rest assured, their coach is grounded.

So grounded, in fact, he is unlikely to think about the need to be grounded.

Instead he is most likely thinking obsessively about the process, just as he was on April 16, when the team teetered on the brink of elimination from the playoffs for the first time in two decades.

Asked if he had considered which of the last six opponents would be easy to play, Babcock forced himself to search for some relevance in the query.

"I mean, we've still got to play them, you know?" he said, shrugging.

"So, what's tougher to play, a team that knows they're in the playoffs? A bunch of kids that are up trying to impress? A bunch of guys who are fighting for their job?

"I don't know the answer to any of those things," he said.

"I just know that we have a game against Calgary and we have a good preparation day here today and we fly there and get something to eat and get after her."

On the eve of the first-round series with the highly favored Ducks, Babcock was asked if he was concerned that some of his young players had no playoff experience.

Without a hint of irony, he answered with nine words, "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

It does not much matter to him what other teams are doing or what anyone is saying, unless it impacts the course he plots. And his self-assuredness about the process for achieving victory in any game or playoff series is exceeded by no other coach in the NHL.

"He's confident. He's very confident," said the Red Wings' general manager Ken Holland, clearly aware of his understatement.

Resume entry

Holland told the story of Babcock approaching him during the first round of the playoffs in Detroit in 2002 about becoming the next coach of the Red Wings, after Bowman. At the time, Babcock, then 39, coached Cincinnati, which was a minor league affiliate of both the Wings and Ducks.

"You know, I told him, 'I don't hire interns,'" Holland said.

One year later, Babcock's new team, the Ducks, upset the Wings in a first round sweep in the playoffs.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Holland said. "We joke about it.

"He's a great coach. He makes players accountable. He's got tremendous work ethic. He's passionate.

"There's a lot that goes into it. He's here every day at seven in the morning going over tape. He's got a plan. When the players come in, he's got it down, what message he wants. He makes his judgments."

Some players may blanch at the intensity and unwavering purpose.

Asked whether he sought a more positive approach to them this season, given the turnover and relative youth of the roster, Babcock said, "I actually think we're positive with all our people.

"I think the impact of the words positive and accountability and feedback sometimes are in how it's received, not given," he said. "And so, to me, the key in life — I don't know what you're like — but when someone's got an issue with me, I like them to tell me so I can fix it and I can get better at it.

"And some people, when you give them feedback, they take that in a negative way. Whereas I think when people are trying to help you, that's a positive thing.

"Young guys need a lot of work. You spend a lot of time with them. You share as much as you can with them. Ideally, they're coachable and you can help them.

"What we do with our veterans here is we still try to help them. But we try not to have as many meetings and give them more space, and when we need to show them something, show them. But when we don't have to, we leave them alone that way."

Does his style and singular purpose make him difficult to play for, possibly even unlikeable, at times?

It certainly would not be a first in the NHL.

The forward Steve Shutt played for Bowman with the Canadiens in the 1970s, forming one of the great scoring lines in history with Guy Lafleur and Jacques Lemaire.

Of Bowman, Shutt said, "You hated him 364 days a year, and on the 365th day you got your Stanley Cup ring."

About relationships between coaches and players, Babcock said perceptions are in the eyes of the beholder.

"You know, it's interesting to me," he said. "Steve Yzerman told me when Scotty coached him here, he hardly ever talked to him, and then when he was working with me for two years, Scotty was talking to players all the time.

"Scotty Bowman loved the players, absolutely loved them. But he had a job to do."

Babcock said he "loves the players," too.

"When you're pushing people who don't want to be pushed, sometimes they don't like it.

"I'm here to tell you when you look at the group of coaches who are still playing right now, they're pushing people. That's just the reality. Whether that's perceived as positive or negative? See, in my world, that's positive."



Red Wings brace for raucous Chicago crowd, fired-up Hawks

Ted Kulfan

Chicago — The United Center will be loud and roaring and noisier than usual.

So the way the Red Wings see it, if they can get off to a good start and keep the crowd somewhat under control, their chances for success tonight in Game 5 are that much better.

"The United Center will be loud; that's probably an understatement," forward Daniel Cleary said.

"The start will be important. You want to play a good road game, be real sharp.

"The start will be important to them. That's going to be their main focus. The crowd will be charged up, and the main thing is to keep them loose physically and make sure our minds are sharp."

The Red Wings weren't thrilled with their first period in Game 4.

Chicago had 14 shots on net, and it took some outstanding goaltending from Jimmy Howard to keep the Blackhawks off the score sheet.

"We got better as the game went on," coach Mike Babcock said.

"We need to start on time for sure. On the road, the first 10 minutes is always important.

"I would say the start is important every night."

The Blackhawks have scored only two goals in the last three games and face an unexpected and long summer answering questions if they lose to the Red Wings in Game 5.

For that reason alone, and the fact the Blackhawks have the confidence and knowledge they didn't lose in regulation time in the first 24 consecutive games this regular season — so what's the next three games in this series? — should keep the Blackhawks flying in Game 5.

"They're going to come out with everything they have," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We have to match that."

Rumors about Datsyuk

Neither the Red Wings nor Pavel Datsyuk 's agent gave any credence or substance to a Russian report Friday saying Datsyuk had agreed to a three-year contract to play in Russia beginning in 2014-15.

Datsyuk, 34, will become an unrestricted free agent after next season.

"All B.S. rumors," said Datsyuk's agent, Gary Greenstin , of the story in Sovetsky Sport. "Nothing is true."

Greenstin said he will meet with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland after the season to discuss the future.

Datsyuk enjoyed his time in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League during the NHL lockout this season, and he has said he would like to finish his career in Russia.

But Datsyuk added recently that the competition level in the KHL isn't nearly the same as it is in the NHL.

Goaltending is fine

The list of goalies who have stonewalled the Red Wings in the playoffs over the years is long and impressive.

Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff , Edmonton's Dwayne Roloson , Anaheim's J.S. Giguere and Nashville's Pekka Rinne are some of those who come to mind who have been extraordinary over a playoff series.

But in this series against Chicago, Jimmy Howard is doing a similar thing against the Blackhawks — simply not letting pucks get past him.

"Howie has been phenomenal all season long, even last year," Kronwall said. "He's been coming up huge for us, so calm back there.

"We've had our fair share of running into hot goalies (in the playoffs) and we've always had real good goaltending. But right now he's a step above everything else I've seen."



Ten questions about Wings-Hawks series: Abdelkader answers the call

Ted Kulfan

The Red Wings are one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Not many analysts or fans would have suspected that, heading into a series against the league's best regular season team, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Here are 10 questions many fans have asked about heading into either the end of this series — or beginning of the next one.

1. Which Wings player has surprised you the most?

Justin Abdelkader.

There was the belief Abdelkader would always be a solid third- or fourth-line grinder, a big body who plays hard, could kill penalties and maybe surprise with a goal every once in a while.

But a top-six forward? Playing on a line with Pavel Datsyuk?

It seemed far-fetched, but watching Abdelkader score goals in the Anaheim series and the way he's complemented Datsyuk with his physical play against Chicago, Abdelkader is slowly evolving into a force in some way.

He's a physical presence who can score goals, fight, and is a good character guy.

Those players, by the way, earn huge contracts down the line.

2. What other Wings players have risen to a new level?

There are so many. Jimmy Howard looks like a top-tier, elite goalie. Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson have become a full-fledged, shutdown pair of defensemen in these playoffs. The huge stage of the NHL playoffs hasn't been too imposing for Damien Brunner. The likes of Joakim Andersson, Gustav Nyquist, Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl are getting better every game despite the glare of the playoffs.

Not many people expected all of this.

3. Has Valtteri Filppula done enough to earn a new contract?

No, but that doesn't mean he's not going to get one. Probably not for as much as Filppula and his agent want, but I fully expect the Red Wings and Filppula to come to a length and dollar figure somewhere in the middle.

Filppula is comfortable here. It's the only organization he's known and he likes his teammates. He's not the most outgoing guy in the world, so moving to a new organization wouldn't seem something like he would totally enjoy doing.

And playing with the likes of Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg can help a player's statistics.

Just ask Jiri Hudler, who struggled in Calgary this season after chasing big money.

4. What about Daniel Cleary and his status for next season?

Like Filppula, an unrestricted free agent, Cleary will be 34, and how much production he can provide in the next few years is debatable.

You have all the forwards currently playing so well on a nightly basis, some other Grand Rapids forwards knocking on the door (remember Tomas Tatar?), and Darren Helm, Todd Bertuzzi, Mikael Samuelsson and Jordin Tootoo all not playing because of injuries or being listed as healthy scratches.

It's pretty crowded. If you keep 14 forwards, there are still guys who will not return.

5. Which Wings player has to do more?

Filppula is an obvious choice for many fans, but Johan Franzen (four goals and two assists in 11 games) has been hot and cold during the playoffs.

Franzen has a point in the last three games, all Red Wings victories, which is a positive sign.

The playoffs are usually Franzen's time of year, and if he plays to the level he has in the past, the way the other Red Wings are playing, the team could be in for a real special run here.

6. What is the Blackhawks' biggest problem?

Some of Chicago's star offensive players simply haven't produced.

The Blackhawks have scored a grand total of two goals over the last three games — both scored by Patrick Kane, who, incidentally, went scoreless in the first round against Minnesota.

Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp scored goals in Game 1 and have gone silent since. Jonathan Toews' all-around struggles have been well-documented.

The much-discussed depth up front the Blackhawks have hasn't done anything offensively.

For a team known for its scoring, the Blackhawks have been shut down by the Red Wings completely.

7. Where is Todd Bertuzzi?

Bertuzzi is a top-six forward who didn't fit as a fourth-line player.

He wasn't getting the playing time he needs, the last three games he played less than 10 minutes, and it is questionable his back is even 100 percent after missing most of the regular season.

The fact Bertuzzi did return and play is a positive for Bertuzzi, and gives the Red Wings confidence regarding him for these playoffs and into next season.

8. Babcock has gotten a lot of praise. He has new assistants this season. Have they made an impact?

Just look at the results: Tom Renney (power play) and Bill Peters (penalty kill) have produced with the special teams.

The power play struggled the start of this series but came through with a game-winning goal in Game 4. The penalty kill has been superb for the majority of this series, and was particularly effective Thursday against the Blackhawks.

9. Where does Jimmy Howard rank among the league's goalies?

If you go by these playoffs, Howard has been as good as anyone.

The Red Wings have had many goalies play out of their minds and defeat them almost singlehandedly in past playoffs (Miikka Kiprusoff, J.S. Giguere, Dwayne Roloson, Pekka Rinne, Patrick Roy).

But in this series, particularly, Howard is doing that to the Blackhawks.

10. If the Wings win the series, who do they match up better against, San Jose or Los Angeles?

The Kings are defending Stanley Cup champions and play a rugged brand of hockey. They are so big and strong and when they begin cycling the puck, it's difficult to get it away from them.

Injuries on defense plagued the Kings much of this season, but they're getting healthier.

And goalie Jonathan Quick is duplicating last season's magic.

The Kings could be a tough out.



Agent for Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk says report that he has agreed to deal with Russian team is false

Ansar Khan

on May 24, 2013 at 2:07 PM,

updated May 24, 2013 at 2:55 PM

DETROIT – The agent for Pavel Datsyuk said Friday that a report claiming the Detroit Red Wings star has agreed to a contract with a Russian team starting in 2014-15 is false.

“It's all B.S. rumors, you can't believe it,'' Gary Greenstin told MLive.com.

“Pavel can't talk to anybody, he's under contract with the Red Wings for one more year. It's stupid rumors, not from me, not from Pavel.''

The report in Sovetsky Sport claimed Datsyuk had reached a tentative agreement on a three-year deal with AK Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League starting in 2014-15, after his contract with the Red Wings expires.

“Nobody is talking to any Russian team. We have rules,'' Greenstin said. “We'll talk with (Red Wings general manager) Kenny Holland after the playoffs. Everything's on hold right now because of the playoffs.

“We have time with Pavel. We're not in a hurry.''

Asked if Datsyuk has made up his mind, Greenstin said, “We discussed something, but we'll talk more after the playoffs.''

Datsyuk, 34, said during training camp that it would be his dream to return home to play in Russia one day, but did not say whether that would be after his current deal expires or later in his career.

Greenstin reiterated that if Datsyuk stays in North America he will play only for the Red Wings.

"Gary Greenstin and I met a couple times very briefly over the past six weeks to two months and we both agreed at the end of the summer we'll sit down and talk,'' Holland said.

Datsyuk, who has one more year left at $6.7 million, can't sign an extension until July 5.

Michigan Live LOADED: 05.25.2013


What they're saying: Henrik Zetterberg is Detroit Red Wings' equalizer, Jimmy Howard is their eraser

Brendan Savage

on May 24, 2013 at 12:00 PM,


Howard isn't swiping the series by himself, although he's coming close. -- Bob Wojnowski.

Good goaltending and veteran leadership are always two of the key ingredients for playoff success.

The Detroit Red Wings have gotten both from Jimmy Howard and Henrik Zetterberg in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Howard has been sensational in backstopping three straight victories, stopping 86 of 88 shots as the Red Wings have pushed the Blackhawks to the brink of elimination by taking a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 Saturday at the United Center.

He held the Blackhawks to one goal in Games 2 and 3 before pitching his second career shutout in Thursday's 2-0 victory in Game 4. This against a team that was never blanked during 48 games in the regular season, when they were held to one goal a measley five times.

And Zetterberg has been the chief thorn in the side of Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, who has just one point in the series and took three penalties in less than six minutes in Game 4.

Handing Chicago three straight losses for the first time this season has hardly been a two-man effort for the Red Wings but it's Howard and Zetterberg who are leading the assault.

"Howard isn't swiping the series by himself, although he's coming close," writes Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News. "He may be the main source of frustration for the Blackhawks but he isn't the only one. Henrik Zetterberg has twisted Jonathan Toews into mental knots, a shadow that can't be shaken.

"The Blackhawks still are skating as if they mean it, and Howard is stuffing just about everything. He collected his second career playoff shutout by stopping 28 shots, none bigger than a sliding save on Dave Bolland midway through the third period. It takes maximum effort to beat the top seed, and Detroit just won its third consecutive over a team that hadn't lost three straight all season.

"The series isn't over, and the once-heavily favored Blackhawks remain dangerous. They fired a few more shots off the posts and lamented their bad luck. But, Zetterberg has become the equalizer and Howard has become the eraser."

LOCAL

• Detroit Free Press: Perhaps the only person who takes more heat in Detroit than the Red Wings' goaltender is the quarterback of the Lions. But given the way Howard is playing these days, he's become even more reliable than a certain starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, writes Drew Sharp. "As tall as the Wings have stood in this unlikely series of twists, nobody has stood taller than the goalie many in this town have embraced skeptically for no other reason than because he's the Red Wings' goaltender. That's what people do here. But the unthinkable has happened now, with the Wings' standing one win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals. Howard is more trusted in this town at this moment than Justin Verlander is."

• Windsor Star: Howard will receive a hefty raise next season thanks to a six-year contract extension that will pay him the type of money reserved for elite goalies. Not everybody agreed with the deal when it was announced but Howard might be winning over his skeptics, writes Bob Duff. "Late in the season, the Wings invested in Howard as their long-term solution between the pipes to the tune of six years and US $31.75 million. Some questioned whether this was money well spent on a goaltender who'd never carried his team further than the second round of the playoffs. Entering the spring,

most hockey people viewed Howard as a very good netminder, but not an elite puckstopper on the level of a Henrik Lundqvist or Jonathan Quick. That perception may very well be changing with every solid save that Howard makes."

NATIONAL

• Chicago Sun-Times:Chicago needs Toews to be more of a captain and less of a cheerleader, wirtes Rick Morrissey. "There was something a tad much about what Jonathan Toews said Thursday morning. Something overboard, something overdone. Something too too, if you know what I mean."When you put it all together and we play the right way, we're an amazing, amazing bunch of guys," he told reporters. It didn't sound like the understated captain we know. It sounded like a guy working on self-esteem exercises, Captain Serious morphing into Captain Chamber of Commerce. "There was a reason we made it this far,'' he said. "We're a good team — we're a really good team." Maybe Toews needed to say those uplifting things to remind himself of who he is, or was. Maybe he needed to positively reinforce himself and his teammates. By saying good things out loud, maybe he could make them be true. The Blackhawks would hear it and recall that, by golly, they are good.Or maybe not."

• Chicago Tribune: Toews didn't have any answers when it came to the Blackhawks' third straight loss against a team they swept during four regular-season meetings, writes David Haugh. "Bewildered, Jonathan Toews stood in front of his locker Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena and offered an explanation he didn't have. How does the leader of the best team in hockey explain the Blackhawks being shut out for the first time in 57 games and a once-magical season suddenly coming within 60 minutes of disappearing? Toews had as many answers as goals this series: zero. I have seen deer look more comfortable in headlights than Toews did describing the Hawks' third straight loss, a 2-0 crusher to the Red Wings. 'We played our tails off and did a lot of good things,'' Toews said. 'We just couldn't find the back of the net. We're not making any excuses. We just need to find a way to score.' "

• Sports Illustrated: The Red Wings are keeping their composure in the Western Conference semifinals. The Blackhawks are not, writes Allan Muir. "When Jonathan Toews watches the tape of Chicago's 2-0 Game 4 loss in Detroit, he should pay close attention to the play of his nemesis Henrik Zetterberg and Red Wings teammate Pavel Datsyuk. He'll see the two stars were subjected to a series of hooks, jabs, slashes and all manner of uncalled cheap shots, just as he was. He might also notice that, despite that duress, they rarely lost their cool. And really, that was the difference tonight and in the previous two games that have seen the Wings wrestle control of this series from the Stanley Cup favorites. While Toews and the Hawks allowed their frustration to get the best of them over and over again, the Red Wings simply gritted their teeth, put their heads down and kept their focus."

• ESPN.com: There's no better goalie still standing in the playoffs than the guy who wears No. 35 for the Red Wings, writes Craig Custance. "For most of this postseason, Howard has been an afterthought among the mentions of outstanding playoff goalies such as New York's Henrik Lundqvist and reigning champion Jonathan Quick. With his performance Thursday night, Howard's postseason now stacks up with any of them. There's not a goalie remaining playing better; he is now 7-4-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in the playoffs. Detroit has seen extended playoff runs by its hockey team in the spring, but really nothing quite like this. The Wings are used to being the heavy favorites who run up against the hot goalie, not the other way around."



NHL will announce award winners with pair of TV specials during Stanley Cup finals

Ansar Khan

on May 24, 2013 at 11:56 AM,


Due to the playoffs starting and finishing two weeks later because of the lockout, the NHL is skipping its traditional awards show and will announce the winners in two TV specials during the Stanley Cup finals.

The winners of the Calder Memorial Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, James Norris Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Vezina Trophy will be revealed at 7 p.m. as a lead-in to Game 2 of the Cup finals.

The hour-long program will originate from the location of Game 2 and will be televised on NBC Sports Network and CBC.

At 5 p.m. the previous evening, the day prior to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, the NHL Network and NHL.com will stream live the announcement of the winners of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy, Jack Adams Award, King Clancy Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone, NHL Foundation Player Award and the NHL General Manager of the Year Award.

The Detroit Red Wings' Pavel Datsyuk is a finalist for the Selke as the top defensive forward.

The league said the NHL Awards will return to Las Vegas in 2014.



Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews running out of time to turn things around against Detroit Red Wings?

Brendan Savage

on May 24, 2013 at 7:00 AM,

updated May 24, 2013 at 7:02 AM

DETROIT – It's unlikely things can get much worse for Jonathan Toews in the Western Conference playoffs semifinals.

In four games against the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks captain hasn't looked anything like the player who coach Joel Quenneville said could be mentioned among the candidates for the NHL's Most Valuable Player award.

Toews has just one point in the series against the Red Wings and picked up three three penalties in less than six minutes Thursday, one of which led to a power-play goal during a 2-0 loss in Game 4 at Joe Louis Arena.

Things surely have to get better, right?

Perhaps but there's only one problem: Toews and the Blackhawks are quickly running out of time to turn things around against the underdog Red Wings, who didn't make the playoffs until the final game of the regular season while Chicago cruised to the Presidents Trophy.

After winning Game 4, the Red Wings will take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 Saturday at the United Center, where they can eliminate the Blackhawks after a magical regular season that saw them post a 36-7-5 record.

"Eventually, something's got to give,'' Toews said after Game 4. "We're too good a team. We've got too much talent. For as hard as we're working, something's got to go our way.

"We played our tails off. We did a lot of good things. We just didn't find the back of the net."

Toews was in the penalty box the first time the Red Wings found the back of the net.

He was hit with three penalties in a span of 5:34 in the second period, picking up a hooking minor on Drew Miller before getting back-to-back high sticking penalties against Justin Abdelkader and Valtteri Filppula.

There was one second left in Toews' penalty on Abdelkader when Detroit defenseman Jakub Kindl opened the scoring with the first goal the Blackhawks penalty killers allowed in 30 power-play opportunities during the playoffs.

That proved to be the game winner.

"Emotions run high in some of these games, and my stick got a little loose there,'' Toews said. "I was playing hard. Sometimes that happens. I'm not going to say anything about the officiating. Obviously I disagree with the calls but it's in the heat of the moment. They see what they see.

"I've gotta be careful of my stick. That doesn't help my team, but I still think we played hard through it, found a way to stay in the game, killed off two big penalties."

Although he didn't pick up any penalties in the first three games of the series, Toews complained about the officials not cracking down more on Detroit in Game 2 and he's clearly been frustrated by the defensive efforts of Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, who has often been matched against Toews.

"We're all frustrated," said Chicago forward Patrick Sharp. "It's not about one guy. We're a whole team in here. Jonny is the first one to say that. We're all frustrated. We're not happy with the situation.

"No one is going to feel sorry for ourselves. It's up to us to dig in and find a way to get into it."

Toews' lone point in the series came in Game 1, when he drew an assist on a power-play goal by Marian Hossa in a 4-1 victory. Since then, Toews has gone almost 231 minutes without a point.

And this is the guy who Quenneville said last week would have been a deserving finalist for the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP since he might have been Chicago's best player during the regular season.

In addition to being a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward – Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk was also a finalist – Toews shared the Blackhawks' team lead in goals with 23 while finishing tied for 13th in the NHL scoring race with 48 points in 47 games.

"We'd like to keep him in the box," said Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. "He's not as good for them in the box."



Red Wings have dominated, frustrated Jonathan Toews; last change at home could help Blackhawks

Ansar Khan

on May 24, 2013 at 7:03 PM,


CHICAGO – Jonathan Toews has been blanketed by Henrik Zetterberg, dominated in the faceoff circle and frustrated into taking penalties. He has no goals in the playoffs and his Presidents' Trophy-winning team is on the brink of elimination.

“What’s there to be down about?'' Toews said Friday.

Toews is trying to put a positive spin on a desperate situation for his Chicago Blackhawks, who trail the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 in their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.

About the only positive the Blackhawks can take away is that they're returning home to the United Center for Game 5 Saturday night (8 p.m., NBC, CBC). And perhaps coach Joel Quenneville, with the last change, can keep Toews away from Zetterberg, something Chicago refused to do in Game 2, a 4-1 Detroit victory that started this disastrous downward spiral for the NHL's best team this season.

“I’m not as worried about (Zetterberg) as maybe (media) think I should be,'' Toews said. “He’s a good player. I’m obviously trying to limit his scoring chances, but I’m still getting chances.''

That's not good enough for a premier player like Toews, the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP during the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship season and had 23 goals and 48 points in 47 games this season.

The relentless Zetterberg has dominated Toews by outworking him, playing smarter and being more physical.

“He’s doing a great job of playing smart, defensive hockey, but it doesn’t mean I’m not getting chances and not getting to the net,'' Toews said. “Those chances are coming and at some point they have to go in. I’m just trying to stick with it and keep telling myself that.''

To make matters worse in Game 4, Toews uncharacteristically took three consecutive penalties (one for hooking, two for high-sticking) in the second period. The Red Wings scored on the second one and went on to win 2-0.

“I understand what happened in the second period wasn’t a good thing and I don’t attribute it to me losing my temper,'' Toews said. “I think, obviously, I was a little bit careless with my stick and unfortunately it cost me and it cost our team, but I think we’re looking to have that controlled emotion as a team.''

Toews said he gets too much credit when the team plays well and too much blame for when things go sour, which they rarely have this season.

“I understand that’s part of it and our (best) players need to be our best players,'' Toews said. “We need to lead and we need to grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys, and it starts with myself.”

Teammate Brent Seabrook defended his embattled captain.

“He hasn't been able to find the back of the net and I'm sure that's frustrating for him,'' Seabrook said. “It doesn't help with (media) talking about it every day. He's one of the best players in the world. He's a hard worker and he's going to work through this.''

Zetterberg downplayed the individual matchup with Toews.

“I don’t think it’s man on man,'' Zetterberg said. “It’s two teams that play out there.''

The Blackhawks will try to draw on their experience from 2011, when they battled back from a 0-3 deficit to tie the Vancouver Canucks 3-3 in the first round, only to lose Game 7 in overtime.

“It just goes to show that things like that are possible,'' Toews said. “We were very, very close to winning that series. I’m sure Detroit knows and we know that this series is long from being over, that (Saturday) night’s going to be the toughest game for both teams.''



Detroit Red Wings want to close out Blackhawks in Game 5 but say final victory in a series is toughest

Brendan Savage

on May 24, 2013 at 7:56 PM

, updated May 24, 2013 at 7:57 PM

CHICAGO – The Detroit Red Wings have three chances to close out the Chicago Blackhawks in order to move on to the Western Conference Finals.

But the ideal scenario for the Red Wings is to end the series as soon as possible since they've got the Blackhawks on the ropes after handing Chicago three straight losses for the first time this season to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

They don't want to let the Blackhawks build any momentum after taking control of the series so the Red Wings would like nothing more than to send Chicago packing Saturday in Game 5 at the United Center.

"Of course that would be our goal," said veteran forward Daniel Cleary. "It's a race to four. We feel we're in a good position. We also understand Chicago is a great team. They're loaded with champions, with winners, guys who know what it takes.

"Their leadership group I'm sure is talking. 'We've won three games in a row all season.' That's what they're trying to do. That's what they got to do."

If the Blackhawks win Game 5, they would send the series back to Detroit for Game 6 Monday night at Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings have won four straight games dating back to their seven-game series with Anaheim in the opening round.

Game 7, if necessary, would be Wednesday at the United Center, where the Blackhawks have a 22-4-3 record this season. That includes their Game 2 loss to the Red Wings.

But the Red Wings know they would be taking a huge chance by letting the series go the distance.

"Of course we want to win the next game," said captain Henrik Zetterberg. "We know the fourth win is always the toughest one. We need to come out, play good from the start and sort it out."

Scoring the first goal is important because it's been a good sign for the Red Wings in the playoffs.

In their seven playoff victories against Anaheim and Chicago, they've scored first in five of them including the last two against the Blackhawks.

"The start is important every night," said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. "I didn't think we were very good (in Game 4). We gave up 14 shots and were very loose last night in the first period, turned the puck over and weren't sharp. We got better as the game went on,

"We got eight (shots) in the second and six in the third, so we need to start on time tomorrow, for sure. I think when you're on the road that first 10 minutes is always important."

A quick start could take the crowd out of the game but if the Red Wings fall behind early, they know the Blackhawks could feed off the energy of their rowdy crowd.

"They're going to come out with everything they have and we have to match that," said defenseman Niklas Kronwall. "Take care of the puck and make sure we get the pucks deep and hopefully spend some time in their zone instead of the other way around."

After turning aside 86 of 88 shots in the past three games and allowing Chicago a combined two goals, goaltender Jimmy Howard is looking forward to the challenge of trying to end the series on the Blackhawks' home ice.

"I think it's a lot of fun to play here," Howard said. "It's a blast from the national anthem to hearing how the fans are constantly into the game. The atmosphere here at the United Center makes for a great game.

"(Winning Game 5 is) important, but it's also the most difficult, knocking a team out of the playoffs. You're expecting them to come out and play extremely hard, extremely urgent tomorrow night, and we're going to have to be extremely focused at the same time.

"Our mindset can't change. We have to go out there and match the intensity tomorrow night."



Blackhawks hope to rally from 3-1 series deficit

By LARRY LAGE

Friday, May 24,2013

DETROIT (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks began the year with a record-breaking start.

The NHL’s best team during the regular season will have to finish the season strong to avoid flopping out of the playoffs in the second round.

Jakub Kindl scored on a power play in the second period, Daniel Cleary had an empty-net goal and Jimmy Howard made 28 saves to help the Detroit Red Wings earn a 2-0 win Thursday night that puts the Blackhawks on the brink of elimination.

After losing Game 1, the seventh-seeded Red Wings have surged into control of the second round series by handing the Blackhawks their first three-game losing streak of the year.

Is Detroit coach Mike Babcock surprised that his team that barely made the playoffs is a win away from the Western Conference finals.

“If you would ask me two months ago, I would be shocked,” he acknowledged.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Chicago, where goaltender Corey Crawford is confident the team can win the first of three straight games.

“We’ve gone on streaks before,” Crawford said. “We just have to keep playing hard and it’s going to have to turn our way.”

Chicago’s chances will improve if captain Jonathan Toews can score and keep his cool.

He couldn’t do either in Game 4.

When Howard wasn’t using his glove or pads to deny Toews, Detroit’s skaters were rattling him with a physical presence that made him uncomfortable.

“Eventually, something’s got to give,” Toews said. “We’re too good a team. We’ve got too much talent.

“For as hard as we’re working, something’s got to go our way.”

Crawford did a solid job in his net, but he couldn’t kick his right leg out quick enough to stop Kindl’s shot on a power play midway through the second period and he was on the bench in favor of an extra skater when Cleary sealed the victory in the final minute.

“The pressure is on them,” Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said.

Yes, it is.

And, no one in the Windy City will want to extend the series more than Toews.

“We’ve got to find a way to force a Game 6,” he said.

The Blackhawks desperately need Toews to score and lead after he extended his goal drought in a composure-crumbling performance.

Toews was called for three penalties in the second — two for high-sticking — and could’ve gone to the box a fourth time in the period for slashing Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg while an official stood between them.

“Emotions run high in some of these games, and my stick got a little loose there,” he said. “I was playing hard. Sometimes that happens.”

The Red Wings took advantage of the second power play Toews gave them when Kindl sent a low shot to the near corner from the top of the left circle.

“We’d like to keep him in the box,” Ericsson said. “He’s not as good for them in the box.”

Chicago had killed its first 30 penalties of the playoffs and matched the 2001 St. Louis Blues’ feat of playing eight postseason games without giving up a power-play goal, the longest such streak since 1988.

The Blackhawks had a power play with 4:45 left in the game when Kindl was called for hooking, but they couldn’t tie the game.

Crawford made 25 saves and allowed one goal, after giving up seven goals in the previous two games.

Howard was just a little bit better, earning his first shutout of this postseason and the second of his career in the playoffs. He has helped the Red Wings win five of their last six games since trailing Anaheim 3-2 in the first round.

“He made a couple of big saves there,” said Chicago’s Patrick Sharp, who had five goals in five games against Minnesota and only one so far against Detroit. “We hit a few posts.”

Kindl scored his first goal of his first postseason to help the rapidly improving Red Wings pull within a win of their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2009 when they got past Chicago and went on to lose Game 7 in a Stanley Cup finals rematch against Pittsburgh.

“Biggest goal of my life so far,” Kindl said.

Toews has gone 10 postseason games without a goal — dating to last year’s playoffs — in what is the longest scoring skid for a former Conn Smythe winner since Claude Lemieux went 20 games without a goal from 2000 through 2009, according to STATS.

Toews, who has three goals in his last 30 playoff games, broke a tie for his second longest streak without a goal in the postseason and trails his 14-game skid that spanned 2010 and 2011.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville insisted Toews, who he put on a line with Patrick Kane, is doing a lot of things and isn’t the only one struggling to score.

“We just have to find a way to get more about of everybody,” Quenneville said.

NOTES: Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, Chicago has lost in the first round twice and is a loss away from a second-round exit. ...... Chicago hadn’t given up a power-play goal since April 22. ... Detroit D Danny DeKeyser, who broke his right thumb in the first round and was ruled out for the playoffs, said he is holding out hope that he can come back if his teammates can advance.

———

Follow Larry Lage

Macomb Daily LOADED: 05.25.2013


Blackhawks taking it one game at a time

By CHUCK PLEINESS

Friday, May 24,2013

CHICAGO – The Chicago Blackhawks have been here before.

After dropping their first three games of their opening round playoff series with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, the Blackhawks went on a three-game winning streak to force a Game 7, which they eventually lost 2-1 in overtime.

On Saturday, Chicago faces its first elimination game of the 2013 playoffs.

“It just goes to show that things like that are possible,” Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said when asked about the Vancouver series. “We were very, very close to winning that series. I’m sure Detroit knows and we know that this series is long from being over, that (Saturday) night’s going to be the toughest game for both teams. We can keep that in our hip pocket, I guess, just knowing that if we win one game and if we focus on one game at a time that there’s a way out of it. We’re not worried about winning three in a row yet. We want to win (Saturday) night and we’ll go from there.”

The Blackhawks trail the Wings, 3-1.

“We talk about momentum and how important it is come playoff time,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “They obviously got it right now, but one game could turn everything around. That’s what we’re looking for. The big picture looks bleak, but I think, at the same time, we’ve got two home games here (if it goes seven games) and you’ve got one at a time. Getting off to a big start is what we’re looking for and simplifying and going shift by shift.”

Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook feels everyone is counting them out just like they heard after falling behind 3-0 to the Canucks in 2011.

“Everybody’s counting us out now except us in here,” Seabrook said. “The only thing you can really do is look back at past experiences and go from there. There have been a few guys in this room who have come back from 3-0 and given them a chance to win. We look back at the Vancouver series and being down 3-0 we gave ourselves a chance and had a hard-fought game in Game 7 and just missed out by one goal.”

After winning Game 1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series, Chicago has dropped the last three to the Wings, being outscored 9-2 over that stretch.

“What’s there to be down about? Obviously we’re not where we want to be in the series, but dwelling on that and feeling sorry for ourselves isn’t going to do anything,” Toews said. “We’ve got a positive group of guys and had a great season all year for that reason and we’re going to stick to what helps us win hockey games. So, we’re focused on getting ready for (Saturday night) and nothing more than that.”

Datsyuk rumors untrue

It didn’t take long for Pavel Datsyuk’s agent Gary Greenstin to shoot down a report in Sovetsky Sport that his client had reached a tentative three-year agreement with AK Bars Kazan of the KHL after his contract expires next season with the Wings.

“It’s BS rumors,” Greenstin said in a phone interview Friday. “He can’t talk to anybody. He’s under contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

“Nobody is talking to any Russian team,” Greenstin continued. “There are rules and he’s under contract.”

Datsyuk, who has expressed feelings about returning to play in Russia one day, will make $6.7 million next season and can’t sign an extension until July 5.

“We have time,” Greenstin said. “If he stays here it will be with the Red Wings.”

Quote of the day

Toews on his three straight penalties he took in the second period, one of which the Wings scored a power play goal on that snapped the Blackhawks’ penalty kill streak.

“I understand what happened in the second period and wasn’t a good thing and I don’t attribute it to me losing my temper,” Toews said. “I think obviously I was a little bit careless with my stick and unfortunately it cost me and it cost our team, but I think we’re looking to have that controlled emotion as a team. I think when things go well for our team, I sometimes get maybe more credit than I deserve. Same goes the other way. When we don’t play as good as we can and we don’t win games, the same thing goes for me. I understand that’s part of it and our (best) players need to be our best players. We need to lead and we need to grab the rope and start pulling for the rest of the guys and it starts with myself.”

Toews was sent off at 5:20 for hooking and then he was assessed back-to-back high sticking penalties at 8:04 and 10:54.



Red Wings expect to see Chicago’s best Saturday

By CHUCK PLEINESS

Friday, May 24,2013

CHICAGO – If the Detroit Red Wings haven’t seen the best from the Chicago Blackhawks through the first four games of their Western Conference semifinal series, they’ll for sure see it Saturday night at the United Center.

The Blackhawks are at the point where it’s win-or-go-home, trailing the Wings 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

“It’s like every game that you play in the playoffs, it’s the most important one that you can play and they get harder and harder,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said at the team hotel in downtown Chicago. “We know that they’re a desperate team. I’d like to think that we’ll be desperate as well. You want to be as prepared as the opportunity is important and we have to play that hard.”

After dropping Game 1, 4-1, Detroit has won the last three games in the series, outscoring Chicago by a combined 9-2 over that stretch.

“It’s important, but it’s also the most difficult, knocking a team out of the playoffs,” goalie Jimmy Howard. “You’re expecting them to come out and play extremely hard, extremely urgent (Saturday) night and we’re going to have to be extremely focused at the same time.”

This is the Blackhawks’ first three-game losing streak this season. They had just three two-game losing streaks during the regular season.

“Our thing is it’s a race to four,” forward Daniel Cleary said. “Those guys are champions, they’re winners, they know the toughest game ever is the one to eliminate a team. We have to be ready. It’s going to be the hardest game we’ve played all season.”

Chicago began the season 21-0-3 and sprinted its way to the Presidents’ Trophy.

“They had a sense of urgency realizing the importance of the game (Thursday), but knowing some of those guys and their mindsets they know that they can win three in a row, they’ve done it the whole year.”

And what a difference a couple weeks make.

The Wings were on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs by Anaheim in Game 6 at Joe Louis, only to win that game in overtime and then ousting the Ducks in Game 7 on the road.

“We learned a lot,” forward Henrik Zetterberg said. “As a team here, the last two weeks and so far in the playoffs we’ve done a lot of good things. We did a few bad things. We lost a lead in the third a couple times and we won a few in overtime. I think we got a lot of experience the last month or so and I think it’s good for the club.”

In the opening series with the Ducks the Wings lost a three-goal lead and a two-goal lead in the third period only to rebound and win the games in overtime.

They also never held a games-lead in the series until taking Game 7.

Then, the Wings were outplayed in the opener with the Blackhawks over the final two periods after an even opening 20 minutes.

“Game 1 wasn’t the game we wanted to play,” Cleary said. “We regrouped and had a good Game 2. Obviously Game 3 was another good game, we got some timely scoring from depth players and (Thursday) night was just a battle all game and we just came out ahead. The turn of the series, I don’t know if the series has turned, we’re just in the lead.”

Every player and coach knows the importance of getting out to a good start Saturday.

“The start is important every night,” Babcock said. “I didn’t think we were very good (Thursday), we gave up 14 shots and were very loose in the first period, turned the puck over and weren’t sharp. We got better as the game went on, we got eight in the second and six in the third, so we need to start

on time tomorrow, for sure. I think when you’re on the road that first 10 minutes are always important.”

“The lead is important, the start is important,” Cleary said. “You want to go out and play a good road game. Their building is going to be loud and we have to keep our minds real sharp and play real loose. We can’t play tight.”

Since the Presidents’ Trophy was introduced in 1985-86, the Wings are 2-1 in the playoffs against the team that won it. They beat Colorado (1997) and Dallas (1998) and lost to Edmonton (1987).

“I guess the way that I look at it is when you’re coaching and playing it usually doesn’t matter to you what the people on the outside think,” Babcock said when asked about being in a position that no one felt they would be at against the Blackhawks. “It matters what you think and we think we have a good group and we’re determined to keep playing and we have a tough task ahead of us but we’re excited for our opportunity.”

The last time the Wings won consecutive series as the lower-seeded team was 1997.


678584 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers look to sign Gagner long-term and say goodbye to Khabibulin

May 24, 2013. 9:26 am • Section: Cult of Hockey, Oilers

David Staples

Tencer’s post on MacTavish reveals much about direction of team

Oilers GM Craig MacTavish recently answered questions of season ticket holders. CHED’s Dan Tencer transcribed highlights and you can read his post here.

What follows is my own take on what I saw as Mac’s key points…

On Khabibulin

MacTavish on getting a new goalie: “Well, we’re going to be very active in finding at least a couple goalies.”

MacTavish added that Nikolai Khabibulin played well but …. “The problem with Nik, from our perspective, is that he’s a 40 year old body who wasn’t able to stay as healthy as what you need.”

My take? This is exactly what I wanted to hear. MacTavish nailed it in terms of Khabibulin, that you need players to stay healthy and Khabibulin can no longer do so. It’s time to bring in some younger goalies to both challenge and back up Devan Dubnyk.

On Horcoff

Horcoff’s future with team is to be determined this summer. Horcoff, Mac said, has “gotta get energized as well and we’ll see what happens or what the summer has in store for Shawn and the Edmonton Oilers.”

Mac added he’d like to see the Oilers pick up a big centre this summer. “Absolutely, and we’ll be trying to acquire that piece.”

My take: This is more of a case of keeping open the Oilers options. Good move. Horcoff can still get the job done as a checking centre, but this is an area where the Oilers need to get better. Perhaps Oilers will move Horcoff in a centre for centre swap, to give him a change of scenery.

On Unrestricted Free Agents

MacTavish: “I approach that market very cautiously. I think there are a lot of mistakes made with the UFA’s when you sign players who are diminishing in terms of what their contribution can be and they’re always inflated contracts.”

My take: One need look no further than the Oilers signing of Eric Belanger and Ben Eager to realize the truth of what Mac is saying here. The fact is by the time many players reach the UFA stage of their careers, the best years of their careers are behind them. I strongly suspect this is most true when you’re looking at grinder type players like Eager, who need to be hungry and healthy to do their best work. A big contract combined with deteriorating health is not likely the right tonic for that kind of player. You want to get these grinders when they’re 22 or 23 or 24, when they are still desperate to make a name for themselves.

I’m not a big believer that the Oilers will get great value out of the UFA market, though this is also related to the fact that the Oilers pro scouts — to the extent they are to blame for recent pro trades and signings — have done a poor job in recent years. Can they identify bargains and talent? It’s fair to have serious reservations on this point.

Sam Gagner

Gagner can be a UFA in one year, and Mac does not want to see that happen.

“Sam likes it here, he has been a valuable member of our team and is always trending up and he’ll be a guy that we’ll be looking to sign.”

My take? This is good news. Gagner is heading into his prime years as a two-way NHL player. If things don’t work out for him at centre, he will be a good second line winger. It’s the right move to try to sign him up long-term.

He might even make it as a centre if he’s given the right wingers. He has done well with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle in the past, so maybe that is

the right mix. This would see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins team up with Nail Yakupov on the other Oilers line.

Mac added that as Nugent-Hopkins and Gagner get older they should become better two-way players, as seen in Detroit with Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. ”They’re players that can win battles and I feel like our centermen are very capable of doing that.”

On keeping the 7th pick

Mac made it clear he’s talked to other teams about moving up or down in the draft, and he also mentioned the Oilers want to take a centre or a d-man with their top ick. He mentioned three centres by name as being at the top of most scouting lists: Nathan MacKinnon, Sean Monahan and Alexander Barkov. “I think that those three centermen, relative to some of the public rankings, we would finish just out of the realm of getting one of those three centermen if we didn’t move up.”

Mac may well be right about that, but there’s a fourth centre who is as highly rated as Monahan by many scouting services, Elias Lindholm. Perhaps the Oilers aren’t interested in Lindholm, or maybe Mac is being cagey here, and not showing his hand, which would be the smart thing to do.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 05.25.2013

678585 Los Angeles Kings

Matt Greene is back and the Kings are more than happy to have him

Helene Elliott

9:02 PM PDT, May 24, 2013

Matt Greene's return has increased the Kings' physicality and lifted their collective mood, and there's no saying which is more vital to a team that has clawed its way into position to clinch its second straight tense, punishing playoff series on Sunday.

Greene, an alternate captain and stalwart defensive force in the Kings' Stanley Cup run a year ago, missed most of the regular season after undergoing back surgery. His absence and Willie Mitchell's knee injury created gaping holes in the defense corps, and General Manager Dean Lombardi did well to fill in by acquiring Keaton Ellerby and Robyn Regehr at minimal cost.

But neither was Greene, who brings a rugged fearlessness to the ice and a dry wit behind the scenes. The Kings got by without him but got surer and deeper with him the last two games, especially in the 3-0 victory Thursday that gave them a 3-2 series lead over the San Jose Sharks in the teams' Western Conference semifinal.

They can advance to the West final by winning Sunday's game, which will start at 5 p.m. at HP Pavilion in San Jose. A seventh game, if necessary, would be played Tuesday at Staples Center.

To end the pattern of the home team winning each game, the Kings on Sunday will have to be as unrelenting as they were on Thursday, when Greene led by word and by deed.

"He's a big voice in the locker room and when he was missing this year, you could really feel it in the atmosphere of the dressing room," said defenseman Rob Scuderi, who partnered with Greene on Thursday on a penalty-killing unit that was three for three and has negated 16 of 17 disadvantages at home during the playoffs.

"So it's not something that is necessarily needed to play well, but it lightens the atmosphere and it keeps things loose, which is a big part of a season in the playoffs. It can't be serious all the time."

Greene, who missed the regular-season finale and the first nine playoff games because of a lower-body injury, delivered hits early and often on Thursday. As usual, his teammates followed his lead. They maintained that bruising pace and were strong in the fundamentals that can be the difference when teams know each other well and are closely matched.

After playing 14 minutes and eight seconds Tuesday in his first game back, Greene played 13 minutes and 17 seconds Thursday, including 2:42 while the Kings were short-handed. He was credited with four hits and one blocked shot. He deserves credit for much more.

"The things that you guys don't see — the leadership in the dressing room, that powerful voice — I think all year we missed him," forward Mike Richards said Friday.

"On the ice, too, just how physical he plays and how hard he is to play against. Even before we got Regehr, too, I think that's kind of what we were lacking on the back end. We have some skilled guys, guys that move the puck well, but I don't think you can replace someone who plays that physical and how hard both of those guys are to play against, and Matt coming back is a big boost for us.

"I think you can just see how different of a team we are when he's in the lineup to set the tone physically."

That physicality has taken its toll, and Coach Darryl Sutter used the extra day before Game 6 to give players time to rest their bumps and bruises. Sutter said center Jarret Stoll, who suffered a concussion in Game 1 against the Sharks, skated for about 15 minutes and will be evaluated Saturday. "There's still a long ways to go," Sutter said of Stoll, a key penalty killer and faceoff specialist.

Greene wasn't among the few players made available to the media on Friday but he was a hot topic of conversation. "He's just a presence, is the best way I can describe it," Scuderi said.

Sutter said having Greene, Scuderi and Regehr balances the defense pairs and ensures one rugged defenseman will be on the ice at all times. "It gives you a settled-down experience even though they're different types," Sutter said. "But it clearly gives you some composure in your own zone and composure with the puck."

Greene brings some laughs, too, though the usually serious Scuderi insisted otherwise. "I don't think he's particularly funny, no," Scuderi said with a deadpan delivery. "I'm hilarious."

Now, that's funny. The Kings just want to have the last laugh.

LA Times: LOADED: 05.25.2013


Let the gamesmanship begin as Kings, Sharks call each other for diving

By David Wharton

7:04 PM PDT, May 24, 2013

Boos rained down from the Staples Center crowd as Anze Kopitar headed for the penalty box.

The Kings center had been whistled for tripping even though, on the replay, it appeared his stick had merely tapped San Jose Sharks captain Joe Thornton on the ankle.

Thornton might have been fouled or might simply have lost an edge, going down on his own. But this has been a Western Conference semifinal marked by gamesmanship.

Players have traded barbs, accusing each other of faking penalties. It's nothing new — the art of the dive is a hot topic in the NHL.

"Most players know how to sell a call," said Eddie Olczyk, a former player and coach who now works as an NBC analyst. "You've got guys snapping their heads back, their hands go up."

The formal term is "embellishment." It is hockey's version of flopping in basketball or collapsing to the pitch in soccer.

Maybe a forward crumples after incidental contact or a defenseman feels a stick whoosh past his face and lurches as if struck. Maybe there is a legitimate foul but the victim wants to ensure officials see it.

This week, Sharks forward TJ Galiardi accused Kings goalie Jonathan Quick of being overly dramatic when opponents brush past. Kings defenseman Drew Doughty shot back, calling Galiardi "the biggest diver on their team."

"You can just watch three of his shifts and you'll see how many times he dives," Doughty said. "There's been times where even the refs are telling him, just get up, because he's diving so often."

Not everyone considers embellishment a problem. Still, penalties have played a critical role in the Kings-Sharks series and there has been plenty of finger-pointing around the league this season.

Claude Julien, who coaches the Boston Bruins and Brad Marchand, a player with a reputation for diving, lashed out at the Montreal Canadians in early March.

"The embellishment embarrasses our game," Julien said, adding: "Once we start calling those penalties for embellishment, maybe teams will stop doing it. But until we take charge of that, it's going to be an issue."

More recently, during the first round of the playoffs, the oft-criticized Vancouver Canucks complained about Thornton and forward Logan Couture of the Sharks.

"Couture, you can't go near the guy," Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa told reporters. "He snaps his head back. He flails. You touch him after the whistle, and he's going to jump off the ice and throw himself into the glass."

Players say the best fakers keep track of position, game situation and the way officials are calling penalties. Goalies, in particular, can take advantage of rules meant to protect them.

If they get hit, Olczyk said, "all of a sudden it's a yard sale. Gloves and helmets come off."

League executives have discussed stricter enforcement of Rule 64.2, which calls for a minor penalty when a player "attempts to draw a penalty by his actions."

Olczyk suggests that when a player embellishes a legitimate foul, officials should penalize only the dive.

As for the Kings and Sharks, their squabbling took an ironic turn during Game 5 on Thursday night, officials sending Galiardi to the penalty box for interference after shoving Quick.

This time, no Sharks complained. But don't be surprised if the bickering — and some embellishment — continues as the teams head to San Jose for Game 6 on Sunday.

Kings captain Dustin Brown figures it is all part of competing.

"It's funny that they're complaining and making comments," he said. "Guys are going to do whatever they have to do to win games."

LA Times: LOADED: 05.25.2013


Kings' Lewis appears eager to take trophy back to Utah

By MARK WHICKER

2013-05-24 19:02:48

EL SEGUNDO – The Stanley Cup had visited Utah before, but not when the marching band was making it vibrate.

Trevor Lewis, from the Salt Lake City suburb of Murray, brought it to the U. of Utah's home football opener last Aug. 30, against Northern Colorado.

It shone there at halftime, and fans who wouldn't know cross-checking from personal checking were, as always, mesmerized.

Most knew that Lewis had earned it with the Kings last spring. Very few knew that the Cup had visited Salt Lake when Lewis was 12. He went to the Maverik Center, the local ice arena, to see it. But his father Randy warned him not to touch it.

Three years later Trevor left Utah to play midget hockey in Colorado, as two friends had done the year before. The odds said he was leaning over his skis.

Only three other Utah players had ever been drafted. None had won the Cup. He was trading all his future high school experiences for a wild puck chase, based only on self-belief.

Now? Well, the Utes open the 2013 home schedule against Utah State. Better get the Cup some earplugs.

Just like last year, Lewis is barging into the biggest moments of these playoff games.

On Thursday night in Game 5, he beat San Jose's Joe Thornton on a draw, fell on his chest to poke the puck back to Slava Voynov, and watched the defenseman drill the goal that created a 2-0 lead in what became a 3-0 victory that gave the Kings a 3-2 series lead.

Lewis was 7-9 on faceoffs for the evening and Thornton 20-9, at the time.

After that Lewis applied the final clear on a penalty kill, after Anze Kopitar was given two minutes for tripping Thornton, who fell like Sonny Corleone.

But you remember that Lewis, who scored three goals in the entirety of the 2011-12 season, got two in the Cup-clinching victory over New Jersey.

In the first round, he drilled Dan Hamhuis and liberated the puck that Jarret Stoll shot to win Game 5 in overtime at Vancouver.

"He's the most underrated player on our team," defenseman Rob Scuderi said.

Lewis was a center, then moved to the wing on Stoll's line, then moved back to center when Stoll was felled by Raffi Torres in Game 1 of this series.

"When you go from 16 teams to eight, and eight to four, you don't get there unless you're sound fundamentally," Coach Darryl Sutter said.

Yet fundamentals require talent, and Lewis did not have to hang around Toyota Sports Center, begging the Kings for a tryout.

In fact, he was so good for Des Moines in the U.S. Hockey League that Kings general manager Dean Lombardi drove an unusual bargain with Minnesota's Doug Risebrough in 2006.

The Kings were trading Pavol Demitra for Patrick O'Sullivan, but Lombardi also wanted Minnesota's 17th pick in the first round of the draft. And if Lewis was already gone, the trade was off.

To convince Risebrough, Lombardi wrote Lewis' name on a slip of paper and promised to show it to Risebrough if Lewis wasn't available, which he was.

"Dean knows his guys really well," Lewis said. "It was awesome to know he liked me that much."

The Buccaneers won the USHL championship, and Lewis improved his goal total from 10 to 35 in his second Des Moines season.

"The coach (Regg Simon) told me that summer would be big for me," Lewis said. "I had to focus on training and conditioning. I'd been hurt a lot of my first year, and was just getting my feet wet. My confidence grew after that."

Lewis also played with Bobby Ryan for Owen Sound of the OHL and averaged 1.18 points per game.

Again, it's not like Lewis picked up a hockey stick one day because he thought it was a forerunner of the 5-iron. His dad played Division III hockey in Hibbing, Minn., and the Lewises lived across the street from a rink in Murray.

"Trevor was either going to love hockey or hate life," Randy once told the Salt Lake Tribune.

"The weird part is that my dad grew up in Alberta and yet didn't start playing hockey until he moved down here," Lewis said. "He was my main coach growing up. We actually had good coaches but at the time you had to get out of there if you wanted to advance.

"But when I started all this, my thought was just to get a college scholarship (which he earned, at Michigan, before the Kings signed him)."

Last fall he completed the circle and brought back what he'd sought. If the Kings do what they're designed to do, the Cup might get its own fight song.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 05.25.2013


Kings hope road 'kill' matches home success

By RICH HAMMOND

2013-05-24 18:37:18

EL SEGUNDO – The Kings' penalty-killing philosophy doesn't change at home, but the results certainly do.

The Kings will attempt to close out the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series. If they can stop the Sharks' power play, their chances will increase exponentially.

That's no simple task, given that Game 6 will be at San Jose's HP Pavilion – the Kings lead the series, 3-2 – and that the Kings' penalty-killing unit has been more porous on the road. In this postseason, the Kings are 16 for 17 on the penalty kill at home, compared to 15 for 19 on the road.

That's not a shocking stat, necessarily. During the regular season, 22 of 30 NHL teams (including the Kings) had better penalty-kill percentages at home than on the road, but the contrast has been stark of late.

In Games 3 and 4 in San Jose, the Sharks scored three power-play goals in nine chances. In Thursday's Game 5 at Staples Center, the Sharks went 0 for 3 and recorded only five power-play shots on goal.

"Just taking away their time and space, I think, is the biggest thing, but you know they're going to get opportunities," Kings center Mike Richards said Friday. "You just want to limit those and not give them those grade-A scoring chances in the middle. If you can push things to the outside, it's obviously better, but they're still dangerous."

Of course, it's not just about what the Kings do. During the regular season, the Sharks scored on 25.6 percent of their home power-play chances, compared to 14.9 percent of road chances.

San Jose is annually one of the NHL's top power-play teams, and given the tight nature of this series – three games have been decided by one goal – every Sharks power play will be critical.

"I think we've sat back and kind of let them dictate the pace," Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "We realize that we have one less player, but there are still things you can do to push them in a certain direction and make them take a bad shot, and I don't think we've been doing a good enough job of that on the road."

STOLL SKATES

Kings center Jarret Stoll took a big step Friday in his recovery from a concussion when he skated for approximately 15 minutes, according to Coach Darryl Sutter. Stoll had been completely off the ice since May 14, when he was hit in the head by Sharks forward Raffi Torres.

The Kings did not practice Friday. Stoll has also been riding a stationary bike to test his symptoms, but there is no timetable for his return.

''There's still a significant, long ways to go,'' Sutter said.

CIRCLE OF SUCCESS

For the first time in the series, the Kings won the faceoff battle in Game 5, as they won 37 of 72 draws (51 percent). The Kings had been struggling in the circle without Stoll, and struggling to match up against San Jose's Joe Thornton, who has won a whopping 65.3 percent of his draws in this series.

"We definitely miss (Stoll) there, but last night I think we were just kind of bearing down a lot," Trevor Lewis said.

The Kings won only 32 percent of draws in Game 2, then improved to 48 percent in Game 3 but dipped to 43 percent in Game 4.

FAINT PRAISE?

Upset with his team's effort in Game 5, Sharks coach Todd McLellan didn't exactly gush over Kings goalie Jonathan Quick's 24-save shutout. McLellan said, "There were a number of goalies in the league that could have performed that way."

McLellan's point, clearly, was that the Sharks made life too easy on Quick, but Scuderi offered a different perspective.

"I guess I would take it as a compliment to the team defense we played," Scuderi said. "I didn't think we gave them a lot of inside opportunities, like we had in the past few games. We were able to keep them to the outside, and with the talent they have, that's not easy. If we can make it an easier night for Quickie, after some of the tough saves he had to make in Games 1, 2, 3 and 4, that's a good thing for us.''

Orange County Register: LOADED: 05.25.2013


Seeing Greene: Kings defenseman, finally healthy after back surgery, brings needed brawn and leadership to defending Stanley Cup champions

By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer

Posted: 05/24/2013 10:57:52 PM PDT

Updated: 05/24/2013 11:13:42 PM PDT

Matt Greene's statistics are nonexistent after two games back in the Kings' lineup. He has zero goals and zero assists in a modest average of 13 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time during the team's second-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks.

Greene brings something to the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings that can't be measured in raw data, however. He brings a sense of order, a sense of direction and a sense of humor that might or might not be appreciated by all of his teammates.

"The things you guys (reporters) don't see are the leadership in the dressing room and the powerful voice," Kings center Mike Richards said of Greene, 30. "All year on the ice, too, we missed him, just how physical he plays and how hard he is to play against."

Greene, a veteran defenseman who plays with an emphasis on defense, sat out 42 regular-season games after undergoing back surgery. He was back on the ice for four late-season games, but when the playoffs began late last month it was obvious he wasn't back up to speed.

Kings coach Darryl Sutter scratched him for all six games of their first-round series victory over the St. Louis Blues and the first three games against the Sharks. When it became obvious Greene was a better selection than the struggling Alec Martinez, Sutter made the switch.

Greene's play was the least of the Kings' concerns during their 2-1 loss Tuesday to the Sharks in Game 4 in San Jose. He was easy to miss on the ice, but

maybe that was a good thing, considering the only time you really notice a player who plays his style is when he's making a mistake.

Then he played a key role in helping to blank the Sharks during a 3-0 victory Thursday at Staples Center that gave the Kings a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series. The Kings can eliminate the Sharks and advance to the Western Conference final with a win Sunday in Game 6 in San Jose.

When you think of the Kings' best defensemen, Drew Doughty and Slava Voynov come to mind because of their remarkable puck-handling skills and heavy shots from the perimeter. Greene's game is subtler, but no less effective.

Greene was a physical force, a dependable puck-mover and a calming influence in Game 5.

"We've missed him a lot this year," center Trevor Lewis said. "I think in the locker room, especially, he's a very vocal guy. He's a leader, a real leader. Like you saw (Thursday), he made a couple of big hits that really picked up our bench and got the energy going.

"We're really happy to have him back."

Greene hurt his back in the Kings' lockout-delayed season-opener Jan. 19 against the Chicago Blackhawks and underwent surgery a few days later. His absence, coupled with a season-ending injury to defenseman Willie Mitchell, ensured a new look for the Kings' defense corps after their Cup victory.

Their defensive play was so strong, so overwhelming at times last spring during the playoffs opponents wilted under their pressure. Greene, in particular, punished opposing forwards with strength-sapping checks around the boards and in front of the net.

Kings management was so concerned about a lack of a physical presence without Greene that general manager Dean Lombardi sent second-round draft picks in 2014 and '15 to the Buffalo Sabres for rugged defenseman Robyn Regehr on April 1.

"Before we got Regehr, that's what we were kind of lacking on the back end," Richards said of Greene's absence. "We have some skilled guys and guys who move the puck well. But I don't think you can replace someone who plays that physically, and just how hard those guys are to play against.

"Matt coming back is a big boost for us. You could just see how different of a team we were with him in the lineup, just setting a tone physically."

To be sure, the Kings adapted and adjusted during Greene's absence. Rookie defenseman Jake Muzzin, for instance, made the most of his chance to play while Greene was sidelined. Muzzin kept his spot in the lineup after the trade for Regehr and after Greene's return to the lineup.

But with a healthy and productive Greene on the ice, the Kings are back to having the same kind of mix of strength and finesse that carried them to the Cup title last spring. Greene brings the brawn and players like Doughty, Voynov and Muzzin add a more skillful style of play.

Greene also strengthens the Kings' penalty-killing unit and makes it possible for Sutter to spread the minutes around rather than over-taxing a player like Doughty, who is averaging a team-leading 28:05 in 11 postseason games.

"When he was missing this year, you could really feel it in the atmosphere of the dressing room," defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "So, it's not something that's needed to play well, but it lightens the atmosphere and it keeps things loose, which is a big part of the season and the playoffs.

"It can't be serious all the time. We certainly missed him in that way and certainly what he brings to us on the ice. We've missed his experience and leadership."

So, he's a funny guy, someone who lightens the mood?

"I don't think he's particularly funny, no," Scuderi said, waiting a beat or two before joining a group of laughing reporters. "It's nice to have him around. He's a big presence in our locker room. Statistics aren't going to be his thing, but he's just a presence.

"That's the best way I can describe it."

LA Daily News: LOADED: 05.25.2013


JILL PAINTER: Meet the Kings' Darryl Sutter -- the quirky L.A. coach who knows how to win

By Jill Painter, Staff Writer

Posted: 05/24/2013 05:20:03 PM PDT

Updated: 05/24/2013 05:47:01 PM PDT

EL SEGUNDO -- Darryl Sutter has the most job security of any coach in Los Angeles.

He's also the most fascinating, yet simple, least recognizable, worst dressed. Sutter is the only one with a side job that requires a tractor license.

Oh, and he has the best bitter beer face.

Sutter is winning, and that's more than most high-profile Los Angeles coaches can say these days. Sutter has his defending champion Stanley Cup Kings one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

No other coach has reaped near the success as Sutter recently.

Sutter is one playoff series win better than Vinny Del Negro's Clippers. And Del Negro was fired earlier this week.

Sutter is one playoff series win better than Mike D'Antoni. And D'Antoni

still could be fired. Has anyone heard from Dwightmare?

The last-place Dodgers are on pace to miss the playoffs, and Don Mattingly's future is speculated by the hour.

Lane Kiffin is a controversy away from being fired. Jim Mora is on top of the world, but a six-win season and blowout loss to USC would change that. Steve Alford was on the hot seat from the moment he was hired, and apparently USC thinks the best thing about Andy Enfield is his wife.

Sutter is the best coach to happen to L.A. Since Phil Jackson. He's gruff and evasive. He's never Zen or philsophical. And he sure gives the funniest faces to questions he hates and most detailed impromptu farm chats.

The 54-year-old Sutter is anti-L.A. in every way except for the wins.

The Kings throttled San Jose 3-0 Thursday to lead the series with the Sharks 3-2. If the Kings can't win on the road in Sunday's Game 6, they would have a Game 7 Tuesday at Staples Center.

Staples isn't home on the Canadian range, but Sutter is quite comfortable on this bench.

So much so he's missing the planting season back home again

"They're a little bit behind (on the farm) just because it was a late spring," Sutter said referring to spring snow. "But they know the deal. I was hoping not to get home until the 15th of June."

He knows the planting and harvesting schedule better than the NHL schedule. Because of the lockout, the playoffs could end as late as the end of June. Last year, Sutter arrived home on June 15. If he's home then this season, he's not bringing the Stanley Cup back for a day.

When reminded the playoffs could run through June 28, he seemed like a kid on Christmas: "That'd be too late. Too late for me to help them."

And then came a laugh we've never heard from Sutter.

Sutter seems at his happiest when he's answering questions about farm equipment and family. He seems at his most annoyed when talking about injuries and struggles and winning and losing.

The Kings are 1-4 on the road this postseason after dominanting road games last year by losing just twice in four rounds.

So how does Sutter fix those road woes?

"By winning. That should be a good way of doing it. It's like fixing a hole in your boat."

Hey, we didn't understand Phil Jackson's analogies half the time, either.

Sutter's wife has a horse named Hat Trick. Instead of hiring a company to run the farm, his son-in-law is in charge when he's tied up with the playoffs.

Sutter has been so good this time of year that those back on the farm shouldn't plan on his return any time soon.

And Sutter's son, Christopher, is a joy to watch. After a recent game, while wearing a jersey with the name Sutter and No. 1 on back, he was walking by himself in the Staples Center tunnel and jumped up, yelled and pumped his fist.

It was the best celebration you didn't see this postseason.

Meanwhile, his dad was anti-celebrating. After a bloody, physical bout against the Sharks that the Kings came from behind to win in Game 2, Sutter started his postgame chat with the news that he'd had a bad start to the day.

He dangled his new leopard-print eyeglasses he wasn't happy about purchasing for $79. He wanted to go to Costco for his three-for-$20 deal, but with the playoffs and all, he didn't have time.

Perhaps that's where he got that short-sleeved, checkered red jersey he wore out during last year's playoffs. He had it on again the other day. He has yet to make the pages of US magazine with the can't-believe-he-wore-the-same-outfit-again section.

Later, Sutter said the woman at the store told him the glasses he picked out were "too girlie." And they were, but isn't it awesome that the best coach in L.A. was ridiculed for his eyewear selection and wasn't even recognized?

Hockey still isn't the most popular sport.

But winning is popular, and Sutter has cornered the L.A. market on that. No other coach is even close.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 05.25.2013


May 24 afternoon quotes: Darryl Sutter

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 5:00 pm

On whether the new lines will stay intact for Game 6:

“We’ll practice tomorrow and see where some banged up guys are and shift from there.”

On the benefits of the new lines:

“I think it moves some minutes around for the wingers, not so much for centermen. It probably took a little fatigue out of some guys’ shifts.”

On the team looking for stronger penalty killing on the road:

“Well, it depends what you call penalty killing. The goals that we’ve given up really aren’t penalty killing. One was a faceoff goal in San Jose, and one was basically a point shot goal with a deflection. The difference is numbers, really. Last night we had three penalty kills. It’s really not a matter of ‘where it is.’ It’s ‘less is better.’”

On what the return of Matt Greene brings to the defense:

“First off, it’s some experience. Really when you look with Robyn being on the ice, and then Scuds being on the ice, and then Greener being on the ice. When you look at San Jose, too, it’s the very same. They have either Hannan-Stuart always on the ice, or Dan Boyle always on the ice, or Vlasic always on the ice, so it gives you settle-down experience even though they’re all different types. But it clearly gives you some composure in your own zone and composure with the puck.

On how to change the pattern of the home team winning every game:

“By winning. That should be a good way of doing it. It’s not that easy. I mean, ‘how do you change that?’ That’s like fixing a hole in your boat. [Reporter: Actually, you can fix a hole in your boat.] So is it impossible to win on the road? Well, then how do you change that? We lost 2-1 there twice. If we’d have won 2-1 in overtime, you wouldn’t be saying that. I mean, that’s how close they are. It’s not much difference.”

On Todd McLellan’s assertion regarding Jonathan Quick’s performance that “There were a number of goalies in the league that could have performed that way [in Game 5]”:

“We’ve seen it during the coach of the season. He had his struggles early, and he’s been better the last two months. For teams that are still playing, that’s a fact. [They] have outstanding goaltending.”

On whether Game 5 was the team’s best performance in the playoffs:

“Best in the series. We’ve won what, seven games and lost four? So don’t expect much more. That’s about as good as you can get.”

On whether the road team having their center touch their stick on the ice first causes a faceoff advantage for the home team:

“Yeah, I think it’s important…because our centermen really focus in on what other guys do. We watch a lot of it and break it down and watch a lot of it. Obviously, you watch Thornton – he’s playing pucks to be boards a lot, but it’s basically a slap play, so we want his stick down. So that’s the importance of it. It’s not easy beating those big, strong guys that have good hands. So there is something there about having your stick on the ice. I mean, two guys last night – Kopitar and Joe, that’s a lot of faceoffs that they took. Lewie won it – Lewis and Fras both won key draws in our zone. They’re talking about Lewie because he won one for a goal, but still, you’ve got to win some faceoffs. You have to, and he’s not easy to win against.”

On Anze Kopitar “bearing down” on faceoffs to improve his faceoff percentage:

“Well, they have to bear down. As a team, we still have guys that are really struggling with it. Our percentages have [gone] up, and it does manifest in how much time you have the puck or how much time you play in your own zone.”

On “fundamentals” playing a major role at this time of the year:

“I don’t think there’s enough of a difference in teams, so it comes down to the reason teams are still playing – I say it over and over – when you go from 30-to-16 and then you go 16-to-8, the reason is because you’re fundamentally sound. That’s why you’re still playing at the end of the day. So then it comes down to the individual execution of it, and you just try and get everybody to do that. It’s just basically a repetition.”

On the status of his family’s farm:

“They’re a little bit behind, just because it was a late spring. But they know the deal. I was hoping not to get home until like the 15th of June. [Reporter: This year it’s later than that.] Yeah, it could be. Last year I got home on the 14th. [Reporter: it ended on the 11th. This year it could go as late as the 28th.] Yep. That’d be too late. [Reporter: Too late for the wheat?] No, too late for me to help them.”

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.25.2013


Players eager to articulate Greene’s value

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 3:36 pm

Though Matt Greene had appeared in four April games prior to an undisclosed injury unrelated to the back injury and subsequent surgery that kept him shelved for the nearly three months prior, he was yet to distinguish himself defensively at the level he had maintained for his previous four seasons as a Los Angeles King.

After getting his footing and showing improvement through Game 4 of the San Jose series – his first game after 26 days of practice and rehabilitation – Greene broke through with a rugged Game 5 performance in which he continued to clear traffic in front of Jonathan Quick and gave the Sharks second thoughts about venturing near areas of the ice in the Kings’ zone where goals are scored. He received 2:42 of shorthanded ice time alongside Rob Scuderi, forming an effective tandem that fueled a perfect 3-for-3 penalty killing performance.

Overall, Greene took 26 shifts in 13:17 of ice time for an average of just under 31 seconds per shift.

Players often speak about his contributions extending off the ice, down the tunnel and into the locker room, and judging from their quotes during Friday’s media availability, they’re glad to have the defenseman back in the fold.

Trevor Lewis, on the team’s reaction to Matt Greene’s effective return:

“It’s awesome. I think it provides a lot of energy to see him out there, and being a physical presence and coming down and making strong plays, it’s great to see. We missed him a lot this year. He was really good early last night.”

Lewis, on Greene’s value to the team on and off the ice:

“In the locker room, it starts in there with him. He’s a very vocal guy. He’s a leader, a real leader. He makes sure everyone’s going, and he’ll talk to everyone. What you saw last night, a couple big hits that really picked up our bench and got our energy going. We were really happy to have him back.”

Mike Richards, on the team’s strong start:

“The start of the game was a big focus for us. I think Greenie set the tempo with that, and I think we just followed in his footsteps.”

Richards, on Greene’s Game 5 performance:

“He stepped up. When he comes back, I think the things that you don’t see – the leadership in the dressing room, that powerful voice, I think – all year we missed him. On the ice, too, just how physical he plays and how hard he is to play against. Even before we got Regehr, too, I think that’s kind of what we were lacking on the back end, and we have some skilled guys, guys that move the puck well, but I don’t think you can replace somebody who plays that physical, and how hard both of those guys are to play against, and Matt coming back is a big boost for us. I think you can just see how different of a team we are with him in the lineup, just setting the tone physically.”

Rob Scuderi, on the team’s penalty kill:

“It’s been great having Greenie back. He brings a lot of experience, and certainly with last year and the way he’s made his career in the past, penalty killing’s a big part of it, so it’s nice to have him back. I think we’ve always been pretty good at home. I think we’re looking to step it up on the road a little bit. I think we’ve sat back and kind of let them dictate the pace. We realize we have one less player, but there’s still things you can do to push them in a certain direction and make them take a bad shot, and I don’t think we’ve been doing a good enough job of that on the road.”

Scuderi, on Greene being a “glue guy,” and whether something was missed with him out:

“Of course. He’s a big voice in the locker room, and when he was missing this year, you could really feel it in the atmosphere of the dressing room. It’s not something that is necessarily needed to play well, but it lightens the atmosphere and it keeps things loose, which is a big part of a season and the playoffs. It can’t be serious all the time. We certainly missed him in that way, and certainly what he brings to us on the ice, we’ve missed his experience and leadership.”

Scuderi, on whether Greene is a “funny guy,” and lightens up the room:

“I don’t think he’s particularly, funny, no. [Reporter: Are you funny?] I’m hilarious.”

Scuderi, on whether Greene said anything before Game 5:

“Just his usual thing. Like I said, it’s nice to have him around. He’s a big presence in our locker room, and sometimes I know he may not get a lot of press, might not get a lot of points. Statistics aren’t going to be his thing – or my thing really – but ‘it’s a presence’ is the best way I can describe it.”



Another Stoll update

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 1:54 pm

Darryl Sutter provided his second update in as many days on injured forward Jarret Stoll, who hasn’t played since Game 1 of the San Jose series due to an injury that indications point towards being a concussion.

Stoll rode the stationary bike on Thursday, and on Friday stepped onto the ice for the first time since his collision with Sharks forward Raffi Torres.

Darryl Sutter, on Jarret Stoll’s progress:

“He skated for a few minutes this morning, so you just keep seeing where it goes. It’s not if he fell off the bike because he had a headache or something, then you’re back to square one. It’s basically, OK, he rode the bike, had a certain heart rate for eight minutes, so it’s really not that big a deal. So this morning he went and skated for 15, so then you just evaluate again tomorrow morning and go from there. So that means there’s still significant, long ways to go. [Reporter: That was the first time he skated?] Yep.”



Waking up with the Kings: May 24

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 10:28 am

-There were plenty of reasons to be encouraged by the Los Angeles Kings’ performance in a 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks at Staples Center on Thursday in what represented the club’s strongest 60-minute performance of the postseason. There was naturally some push-back by the Sharks during stretches of the third period, but it’s really not that possible in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for one team to completely suffocate another for a full 60 minutes, and when San Jose applied pressure, goaltender Jonathan Quick was at his best in stemming any teal-tinted momentum. Had Los Angeles hit more nets early in this game – Slava Voynov, Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter shot wide and had quality opportunities deflected – the Kings could have built up their lead through the first 20 minutes.

-The quick start that the team had been searching for materialized in the win. Do you remember Dustin Penner’s comment about Mike Richards last spring that “he arrives at every part of the ice in ill humor”? That appeared to be the mantra of a determined Kings team that played with a chip on its shoulder in a first period in which they were credited with 24 hits. In a game in which the Kings had the puck on their sticks for more time than the Sharks did, they out-hit their opponents 51-24, according to the Staples Center statistician.

-Los Angeles showed in Game 5 that the best defense is strong possession and offensive-zone time, and for the first time in the San Jose series they were able to control the time of possession and forecheck more functionally than the Sharks for significantly longer stretches of the game. It helped that the Kings’ best players were their best players in the win, while the same couldn’t necessarily be said of the Sharks’ top guns – for what it’s worth, Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle and Logan Couture were a combined minus-11.

-While Colin Fraser was able to establish the team’s physical identity early with a hard hit on Brad Stuart just over two minutes into the game, Matt Greene rallied the team with several quality hits that served notice to the Sharks that they were going to have to fight for every inch of the ice. He cleaned up after a giveaway by Jake Muzzin early in the first period, deflecting a Joe Thornton feed away from the slot and simultaneously sending TJ Galiardi to the ice with a heavy open-ice hit. It was easily Greene’s best performance in an injury-marred season and an encouraging sign for a Los Angeles defense that is trying to clear lanes and make life easier for Jonathan Quick. Dustin Brown and Robyn Regehr should also be recognized for their contributions in making Game 5 tough sledding for a San Jose team that has been pushed to the brink of elimination.



May 23 postgame notes

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 12:49 am

-Including regular season games, the home team has won all nine games in the Los Angeles-San Jose rivalry this season.

-The Kings have led a best-of-seven series 3-2 eight previous times and are 7-1 in those series.

-The Kings improved to 16-12 all-time in Game 5s. When winning a Game 5, they have won nine of 15 playoff series.

-Including the regular season, the Kings have won 13 consecutive games at home and are 25-4-1 overall at Staples Center this season.

-Dating back to last season, the Kings have won seven consecutive playoff games at home.

-Jonathan Quick earned his 27th career playoff win, surpassing Kelly Hrudey for the Kings’ all-time record.

-Quick has stopped 313 of 330 shots in the playoffs for a .948 Sv%.

-Quick has seven career playoff shutouts, a Kings record. He has three shutouts in this year’s playoffs to tie the mark he set last year. The only other goaltender in franchise history with more than one playoff shutout is Felix Potvin, who had three.

-The Kings have killed 16-of-17 penalties at home in the playoffs for a 94.1 home PK%.

-The Kings out-hit San Jose 51-24. Dustin Brown finished with a game-high seven hits, while Dustin Penner and Robyn Regehr finished with six each.

-The Kings won 37-of-72 faceoffs and finished better than 50 percent for the first time in the series. Anze Kopitar took the most faceoffs and finished 14-of-24. Joe Thornton finished 20-of-29 on faceoffs for San Jose.

-Kopitar’s goal was his second goal in the last 27 games.

-Mike Richards has points in four of five games this series (2-3=5).



Kings to play at 5:00 or 7:00 on Sunday

Posted by JonRosen

on 24 May 2013, 12:35 am

The Los Angeles Kings will play at either 5:00 or 7:00 pm on Sunday, the NHL announced on Thursday. The start time is based on the winner of Game 5 of the Pittsburgh-Ottawa series, which begins at 4:30 pm PT on Friday. The Penguins currently lead the best-of-seven series three games to one.

From the NHL’s release:

SUNDAY’S START TIMES IF OTTAWA WINS GAME 5

4:30 p.m. PT Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators Game 6 (CBC, RDS, NBC Sports Network)

7 p.m. PT Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks Game 6 (NBC Sports Network, TSN, RDS)

SUNDAY’S START TIME IF PITTSBURGH WINS GAME 5

5 p.m. PT Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks Game 6 (NBC Sports Network, TSN, RDS)


678597 Minnesota Wild

NHL award winners to be announced before Game 2 of Stanley Cup final

Michael Russo

May 24, 2013 - 10:37 AM

We don't know when Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final will be, but we do know the NHL's major award winners will be announced before that game.

The league said today that winners of the Calder, Hart, Norris, Lindsay and Vezina will be announced as a lead-in to Game 2 at 6 p.m. that night in an hour-long program.

The day before, at 4 p.m., winners of the Masterton, Selke, Adams, Clancy, Lady Byng and leadership awards will be named.

Wild defenseman Ryan Suter is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman) and Josh Harding is one of three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Award (perseverence and dedication to hockey).

The show before Game 2 will be co-produced by NBC and the CBC from the site of the game. The previous day's program will be televised by the NHL Network.

Following are the 2013 NHL Awards finalists, in alphabetical order:

BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY (Perseverance and dedication to hockey)

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild

Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top rookie)

Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers

Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (Top defensive forward)

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (Most valuable player to his team)


Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

John Tavares, New York Islanders

JACK ADAMS AWARD (Top head coach)

Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks

Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators

Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top defenseman)

Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens

Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (Best sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability)

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Matt Moulson, New York Islanders

Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

MARK MESSIER NHL LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED BY BRIDGESTONE

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators

Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings


NHL GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens

Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks

Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins

TED LINDSAY AWARD (Most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHLPA)




VEZINA TROPHY (Top goaltender)

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

Star Tribune LOADED: 05.25.2013

678598 Montreal Canadiens

Marking the 27th anniversary of Habs’ 23rd Stanley Cup

Posted by Stu Cowan

Friday, May 24 marks the 27th anniversary of the Canadiens’ 1986 Stanley Cup victory when they defeated the Calgary Flames 4-3 to win the final series in five games.

Rookie goalie Patrick Roy, at age 20, became the youngest player ever to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP as the Habs won the 23rd Cup in franchise history.

“A bonus,” Roy told reporters after the game. “It’s nothing more than that.”

“You could take a whole bunch of names on this team, throw them into a hat, pick out one, and he’d be just as worthy of the Smythe Trophy as I was. Maybe more.

“We all know that the Stanley Cup is a team award,” Roy added. “The Smythe is no different. Right now, I’m sitting here in the dressing room and watching all of the other guys on the team and I’ll bet I can pick out a lot of them who could have his name on this trophy.”

Roy, who had 23-18-3 record with a 3.45 goals-against average in 47 regular-season games, went 15-5 in the playoffs with a 1.92 GAA.

Coach Jean Perron says his 1986 Stanley Cup champions are the best defensive team in Canadiens history.

“We won the Stanley Cup without snipers,” he said in the wild, noisy moments after the Canadiens had won their 23rd Stanley Cup with a tight-collar 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.

“When you don’t have great goal-scorers, you’ve got to be great defensively. When we hang up that banner in the Forum, it will be screaming ‘defence . . . defence’.

“I really believe this is the best defensive team in Canadiens history. We were great defensively all through the playoffs – except in the last few minutes of this game. Now that it’s over, I can live with that.”

Defence?

For starters, the name is Patrick Roy, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs to go along with his Stanley Cup.

One reason Roy has that trophy is the stop he made with 14 seconds remaining in the game after the Flames had rallied furiously and bravely for two goals with time running out.

“Patrick Roy,” Canadiens defenceman Chris Chelios was to mention, “made the biggest play of his life.”

What Chelios was trying to say above the terrible din in the winners’ locker room was that Roy’s save was the stop of the season in a game the Canadiens seemed about to win handily – before they almost lost it.

A little beyond the halfway mark of the third period, the Canadiens were congratulating each other on the bench with a 4-1 lead. Gaston Gingras had scored on a power play in the first period, Brian Skrudland had provided the Canadiens with a 2-1 lead midway through the second, and goals by Rick Green and Bobby Smith within 19 seconds in the third period appeared to have left the Flames dead in the water.

Steve Bozek, who had scored the first Calgary goal in the second period, scored again at the 16.46 mark of the final period. Then Joe Mullen scored with 46 seconds remaining in the game – with Calgary’s Mike Vernon out of the net.

Now time was running out in Game 5 and the series, and well, listen to 20-year-old Roy:

“The Flames were all around the net, and I had made the first save on Mullen, but the rebound went to (Jamie) Macoun, who was right beside me. I made the split and got my pad on his shot and then covered the puck with my glove.

“I was really lucky on that play, but you make your own luck, eh?”

“I was going nuts,” said Chelios. “We panicked a little at the end, but right now I don’t care about anything because we won.

“Roy,” he muttered, “Patrick Roy. Whew!”

The series, won by the Canadiens with four consecutive victories after they lost the opening game of the best-of-seven round 5-2, clearly belonged to the rookie goaltender. It also belonged to other young bloods such as Claude Lemieux, whose 10 goals in the playoffs included four game-winners. But more than anything, it may have belonged to some of the fine, old wine associated with the team.

“You can talk all you want about rookies and the job they did,” said Bobby Smith, “but where would we have been without two of the best leaders I’ve ever seen – Bob Gainey and Larry Robinson?

“Here are two guys who never let any of us play anything less than our best. I’d watch those two line up during the national anthem, and I’d promise myself to play the best I possibly could.”

Smith’s views were echoed by coach Perron.

“I don’t think we’d be anywhere without the leadership of Gainey and Robinson. I can’t begin to tell you how great they were. You can’t get anywhere unless you get leadership like that. It’s what you need desperately when you have so many youngsters on your team.”

Not surprisingly, Gainey and Robinson represent defence at its finest – a quality coach Perron has been stressing from the start of the playoffs.

What, then, happened in the final few minutes when the Flames came within a hair of sending the game into overtime?

“Remember the timeout I called?” asked Perron. “I told the players on our bench what I wanted them to do. We were ahead by two goals and there wasn’t much more than a minute left. I felt we were in good shape.”

Thirty seconds after the Canadiens’ timeout, Mullen beat Roy with a short shot from the slot.

Thirty-seconds later . . . Patrick Roy! Whew!

“I wasn’t on the ice when Roy made that save,” grinned Smith. “When he made it, I was on my feet yelling: ‘Roo-ah! Roo-ah!’ This smile, is going to stay on my face until next September.”

“What a thrill,” exulted Canadiens president Ronald Corey. “I nearly died at the end. I was behind the bench when it was 4-2, and when they scored their third goal, I just ran out of there. When I saw the stop Roy made with 14 seconds left, my heart almost stopped.

“If they had tied the game, it could have been the series. Who knows? But now that it’s over, I can’t be happier. There are a lot of people to thank on this team. “I also have to thank Irving (former general manager Irving Grundman) and Ron Caron. They were responsible for a lot of those players being on this team.”

One is defenceman Green, acquired by Grundman in a controversial deal which sent Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Craig Laughlin and Doug Jarvis to the Washington Capitals for Green and Ryan Walter.

Green’s spectacular goal midway through the third period came after he out-foxed Mullen abut 10 feet inside the Calgary blueline. From there, he beat Vernon with a rising shot, which provided the Canadiens with a 3-1 margin.

Only 19 seconds later, and before the Flames had recovered from the Green goal, Smith beat Vernon from the same area. As it developed, as much as the Canadiens welcomed the Green goal, they needed Smith’s to win the game and the series.

“We needed a lot of things to go our way if we were going to win,” said Mats Naslund. “Everybody knows we had a lot of problems during the regular season, and while we were having those problems, anybody who said we’d win the Stanley Cup had to be out of his mind.

“There were a lot of things wrong with us. Goaltending was one of them, and there were a lot of little things. But when things started to fall into place, we felt we had a chance. We had the feeling we could beat the teams we faced, and this,” he said with a wave of his hand at the celebrations taking place around him, “is the payoff.”

It is quite a payoff.

Montreal Sun LOADED: 05.25.2013

678599 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators put faith in Scandinavian scouts

May 24, 2013 11:29 AM

Josh Cooper

Janne Kekalainen likes to tell a story. It’s about a tall, stick-figured goaltender playing in Finland who slipped to the Predators in the eighth round of the 2004 draft and worked himself into one of the top netminders in the NHL.

Lucas Bergman also has a good story. It’s about a fiery winger playing in Sweden who didn’t skate well, didn’t have a great shot or ideal size, but had a nose for the net and an ability to score. The player fell to the final pick of the 2005 draft, but turned himself into a 30-goal scorer with the Predators.

They admit they were a little bit lucky in finding Pekka Rinne and Patric Hornqvist for the 2004 and 2005 drafts, respectively. But they also saw the necessary NHL-level tools in both players.

And with the chances high that the Predators could draft a European in the first round this year with the fourth overall pick, they will likely call on Scandinavian scouts Bergman and Kekalainen to help find another player who can become a valuable component of the organization.

The NHL draft is June 30 in Newark, N.J.

“They really do a great job of sifting through all the players and coming up with guys, particularly in the later rounds, that have the ingredients and intangibles of players that we’re looking for,” Predators chief amateur scout Jeff Kealty said. “They’ve had some great results for us.”

Scouting Europe is different than scouting North America. On this side of the Atlantic, most players follow a consistent development regimen. They’re often drafted to junior in their mid-teens, and usually either play with a junior team or go to college until they turn pro.

All games are on smaller North American ice, and most are against players the same age.

In Europe the ice sheet is significantly wider, and many prospects play in professional leagues against adults. Also, the playing styles in the varying European leagues are often quite different.

It all makes scouting in Europe a tricky proposition. So Bergman, from Sweden, and Kekalainen, from Finland, employ certain strategies.

For example, Bergman said it’s important to “do your homework” on a player and talk with a coach or scouting contacts. But sometimes, emotion is involved.

“When push comes to shove it’s what you see on the ice. And at the end of the day I think it’s a gut feeling … when you get into the later rounds. You feel it that he’s going to be that player you predict him to be,” Bergman said.

Said Kekalainen: “The biggest thing for us and the biggest factor when we had success was always finding mentally strong people.”

Both scouts come from hockey families.

Bergman’s father Thommie is a scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When Thommie worked for the then-Mighty Ducks, Lucas became friends with Paul Fenton, then an Anaheim scout. Fenton, who became Predators assistant general manager, hired the 23-year-old Lucas for Nashville’s first season in 1998-99.

Janne’s brother Jarmo pushed him into the scouting business after he finished his professional career in the Finnish Elite League in 1999. Jarmo was then a scout for the Ottawa Senators, and Janne would accompany his brother when he was evaluating talent. Janne made contacts and eventually latched on with the Predators.

“He was a very talented player that in my opinion fell a bit short of his potential, so that probably taught him a lot. His studies in psychology at the university in Finland supported his views and analysis and gave him another tool to analyze,” said Jarmo, now Columbus Blue Jackets general

manager. “The biggest thing for me is that he sees the good, potential and strengths in players, instead of dwelling on negatives and weaknesses that every young player has.”

The Predators have drafted seven players out of Finland or Sweden the past two years. This year, it’s likely that Finland’s Aleksander Barkov or Sweden’s Elias Lindholm will be available for Nashville at the No. 4 pick.

The Predators know they can value the opinions of Bergman or Kekalainen when selection time comes.

“Lucas has been here since the beginning, Janne has been here for over 10 years, so they’re experienced guys, they know what we’re looking for,” general manager David Poile said. “I think they really fit in good with our organization.”

Reach Josh Cooper

Tennessean LOADED: 05.25.2013

678600 Nashville Predators

Predators' staff changes not limited to coaching staff

May 24, 2013 at 7:50am

David Boclair

Dan Redmond has been fired as the Nashville Predators head athletic trainer.

The team, which also changed assistant coaches this week, has not officially announced the news.

Redmond has been with the franchise since its inaugural season of 1998-99 and his connection to Nashville coach Barry Trotz dates back to five seasons with the Baltimore Skipjacks of the American Hockey League.

He was honored Nov. 12, 2011 as one of several members of the organization who had been involved in each of the franchise’s first 1,000 games. He also was the 2011 Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society professional athletic trainer of the year.

Redmond also spent three years as a trainer with the Cleveland Indians’ developmental clubs.

Associate coach Peter Horachek, who had been with the team since 2003-04 was fired Monday. Phil Housley, fresh off a stint as an assistant with Team USA at the World Championships, was announced Tuesday as Horachek's replacement.

Nashville City Paper LOADED: 05.25.2013

678601 New York Rangers

Rangers Ask a Do-It-All Defenseman to Do a Little More

BEN SHPIGEL

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — A potential solution to the Rangers’ power-play woes surfaced in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins, and Coach John Tortorella only wished he had thought of it earlier. After all, it seemed so obvious.

As is often the case for the Rangers, the answer involved Ryan McDonagh. Specifically, more of him.

McDonagh already seems to spend more time on the ice than he does on dry land. He played a team-high 29 minutes 43 seconds Thursday night, when the Rangers avoided elimination and embarrassment by toppling the Bruins, 4-3, in overtime.

And in that time, about as long as an episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” McDonagh forechecked, backchecked, stymied scoring chances and generated opportunities. He blocked shots, thrashed Bruins against the boards, clanged a wrist shot off a goal post and skated around players as if they were traffic cones. His last pass of the night, a short feed that sprang Chris Kreider out of the defensive zone, led to the winning goal.

McDonagh is the Rangers’ top defenseman. He has also been their best player other than Henrik Lundqvist this postseason, impressing on both ends night after night.

“When players are deemed a shutdown defenseman and it’s the defensive part of it, I think sometimes players get trapped — ‘O.K., this is what I am,’ ” Tortorella said. “And Ryan McDonagh’s not just that. And he’s going to be able to do both.”

The Bruins lead this Eastern Conference semifinal series, 3-1, in large part because of unexpected contributions by their defensemen, particularly the rookie Torey Krug (three goals) and Johnny Boychuk (two goals).

But it could be argued that McDonagh, who has 3 points (one goal and two assists) this series, has played as vital a role for the Rangers. Again and again Thursday he tried to generate offense, pinching in the offensive zone. By doing so, he revealed instincts and awareness that have Tortorella excited about his prospects of developing into a complete player.

Tortorella called McDonagh, 23, one of the most intense and competitive people he has seen at that age.

“You don’t notice that type of edge about him on the ice, but he is a guy that wants to be there, and he just competes,” Tortorella said. “It’s not flashy. You guys won’t see it. It’s just within him.”

Tortorella added: “If he makes a mistake, it does not affect him; it doesn’t take him five shifts to get back. He’s ready to go the next shift. I think that’s part of an intangible that he has, a mental toughness, and I think he’s one of the best at that on our team.”

McDonagh logged 3:32 of power-play time Thursday. In the first three games, he played 1:19 total on the unit. McDonagh was not on the ice for Brian Boyle’s tying goal, which ended an 0-for-12 power-play drought this series, but he is likely to bring his steady presence and strong puck-handling to the unit for the rest of the series.

An increase in responsibility will not take away from McDonagh’s primary task of neutralizing the Bruins’ waves of scoring depth. Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger said McDonagh frustrated opposing players because of his skating ability and his anticipation. Those skills allow McDonagh to spend more time in the offensive zone than other defensemen do because he can catch up if he has to transition back to defense.

“I think that’s maybe what the fans don’t notice about him,” Eminger said. “He’s not so much of a guy that’s going to crash and bang and waste energy. It’s more his body positioning and speed and strength that allows him to keep the puck away from you or take it away.”

Through Thursday’s games, McDonagh had the fourth-most ice time in the playoffs, trailing Zdeno Chara, Drew Doughty and his defensive partner, Dan Girardi.

“Of course,” Lundqvist said, “we need him to be at his best right now.”

So far, McDonagh has been. On defense. On offense. And, soon enough, on the power play, too.

SLAP SHOTS

With Ryane Clowe, Darroll Powe, Brad Richards and Marc Staal skating with the Rangers’ extra players Friday, it seemed likely that John Tortorella would keep the same lineup for Game 5 on Saturday in Boston. The composition of the Rangers’ forward lines might change if Tortorella moves Derek Stepan off the top line to have him center Chris Kreider and Rick Nash. Tortorella said he made the switch during Game 4 to generate more offense, and that line produced the winning goal.

New York Times LOADED: 05.25.2013


Rangers Game and Wedding Form a Blissful Union

ZACH SCHONBRUN

For the longtime Rangers season-ticket holders Phil and Joan Boening and their two sons, Justin and James, tensions were agonizingly high Thursday evening.

Their beloved Blueshirts, down by three games to none to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, needed to stave off elimination. Game 4 was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. James Boening’s wedding ceremony was scheduled to begin at 6.

And so for a few hours, the New Leaf Restaurant at Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan became part wedding hall, part sports bar, with 64 guests waving Rangers rally towels as party favors, and the groom sporting a Henrik Lundqvist jersey over his suit.

“It was a great wedding, only capped off by the Rangers’ win,” Joan Boening said. “The party literally took off after that.”

Until the overtime goal by Chris Kreider, things were a bit nerve-racking. There were no televisions at the bar at New Leaf, so the game was streamed through a computer, and then connected to a television monitor, which went fuzzy at times because of the foul weather.

The weather and corresponding traffic delays got the ceremony off to a late start. The bride, Amanda Ely, 25, did not arrive until nearly 7, minutes before Game 4 was to begin.

“James said we have to move fast,” Joan Boening said. “It was very short and sweet and beautiful.”

The Boenings have held season tickets since 2003. James Boening, 26, and his older brother, Justin, played hockey as youngsters in the Sky Rink program at Chelsea Piers. Ely, too, became an avid Rangers fan not long after dating James.

James had not missed a home Rangers game for more than three years. Until Thursday.

“He said if I have to miss one, I’ll have to miss one,” Joan Boening said. “We all heard him say it, so he couldn’t back out.”

The family made the most out of the conflict of interests. Joan Boening arranged with the Rangers to order more than 60 rally towels and found Rangers wristbands at a party store. The bride and groom brought along their lucky jerseys. Friends and family from afar were instructed to text-message score updates, in case the wedding party stepped away from the television for, say, cake.

But once Kreider scored to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory, all the fussing and fretting fell away, and a memorable night finished on a happy note.

“The whole place erupted. Everybody was screaming and high-fiving, waving our towels and hugging,” Joan Boening said. “It was really pretty awesome. And then we started dancing like crazy.”

New York Times LOADED: 05.25.2013


John Tortorella discusses Ryan McDonagh's value and NY Rangers' need to handle Bruins' surges at Friday practice

Pat Leonard

BOSTON – Here are a few nuggets from the Rangers’ off-day optional practice in Greenburgh to accompany my main story and insider on the Hockey Page:

EASY MAC

Ryan McDonagh leads all Rangers defensemen with four points (one goal, three assists), has a plus-two rating in the playoffs, and is averaging the second most minutes per game (25:37) behind only fellow top defenseman Dan Girardi (25:58).

His strong postseason play drew praise from John Tortorella on Friday afternoon:

“He is probably one of the most intense, competitive (people) and player(s) that I’ve seen at such a young age,” Tortorella said. “You don’t notice that type of edge about him on the ice, but he is a guy that wants to be there and he just competes. It’s not flashy. You guys won’t see it, but it’s just within him. And I love that about him at such a young age. And as I’ve always talked about Ryan, if he makes a mistake, it does not affect him. It does not take him five shifts to get it back. He’s ready to go the next shift, and I think that’s part of an intangible he has – it’s a mental toughness. And I think he’s one of the best at that on our team.”

CRUSHED ICE: TORTS DEFENDS RICHARDS, PLUS GAME 4 STORY LINKS, NOTES, QUOTES

Tortorella also said he was pleased with McDonagh’s performance on the Rangers’ power play in Game 4, when the 23-year-old logged more time on the man advantage (3:32) than he had in the first three games of the series combined (1:19). Then McDonagh got the second assist out of the defensive zone on Chris Kreider’s overtime game-winning goal.

Tortorella said there is no question McDonagh’s increased offensive involvement is an indication that there is even more upside to his game.

“Absolutely,” the coach said. “I think when players are deemed a shutdown defenseman, and it’s a defensive part of it, I think sometimes players get trapped in ‘I think this is what I am.’ And Ryan McDonagh is not just that, and he’s going to be able to do both. We’re using him on the power play now. I think he helped us last night on the power play. I screwed that up, not using him earlier, and I should have. But he wants to become that complete player, and he is still so wet behind the ears as far as his age and what he needs to learn about that position. It’s really encouraging.”

McDonagh could receive a significant pay-day as a restricted free agent this offseason, more than the typical two-year bridge deal the Rangers hand out after entry-level contracts expire.

HAMMERING HOME THE POINT

Tortorella assessed that the Rangers have fallen into a 3-1 series hole mainly because they’ve failed to handle the Bruins’ surges, such as the Bruins’ Game 4 overtime possession on which defensemen Roman Hamrlik and Steve Eminger were on the ice for almost three minutes straight.

The Rangers eventually escaped danger and scored the game-winner, but Tortorella still admitted in a funny answer on Friday that he was worried during the sequence when Boston had hemmed the Blueshirts in.

“Well we have to get (the puck) deep,” Tortorella said. “Even after a couple minutes, Cally has the puck, he doesn’t get it deep and (Hamrlik and Eminger) are still stuck. And I think that’s a big part of understanding surges in a series or within a game. We talk about momentum swings and surges every pre-game, and I think the forwards need to know when they’re stuck like that, and I think you need to have that awareness.

“That’s hurt us this series is we have not been able to stop momentum swings and surges from Boston, and those type of plays it just enhances it for them when you have two tired guys out there,” Tortorella said, before smirking. “I can’t even tell you what I was saying on the bench, but we battled through it. We didn’t get hurt, and again, you may need a couple

great saves. It’s just when a team is surging on you, don’t get hurt. That’s what we always say. Don’t get hurt. and they did a great job of that, and that’s why we’re where we’re at right now – or part of it – and as we continue to go through here, we need to be better with those situations.”

BEST OF THE REST?

Henrik Lundqvist said the Rangers must continue to be confident and optimistic and understand that the Rangers can mirror the Bruins’ makeup, but they have to work during each game to do so.

“You just have to keep working really hard and stay positive and things might happen for you,” Lundqvist said. “These are two teams that play pretty similar when both teams play at (their) best. In a couple of games they were the better team, but for the second half (of Game 4), I felt we really turned it around and played a strong game, so hopefully we can continue it.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 05.25.2013


Crushed Ice: John Tortorella defends Brad Richards and benching of veteran center, notes from NY Rangers Game 4 win

Pat Leonard

The Rangers survived with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 at the Garden on Thursday night, but they did it with one of their team leaders, veteran center Brad Richards, made a healthy scratch.

John Tortorella, who won the 2004 Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay with Richards as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner and has a close relationship with the 33-year-old alternate captain, made clear after the victory just how difficult the decision was in an impassioned two-minute speech:

“I think it’s important to spend a couple of minutes on that, out of respect for Brad,” Tortorella began. “By no means is this a situation when I take him out that I’m blaming him. I’m playing Brad on the fourth line (since Game 6 against Washington). He’s playing seven or eight minutes; it’s not good for him. It doesn’t work playing Brad Richards that way. But I also feel some other guys have played better, so that’s where he is right now in our lineup. It just doesn’t work for him.

“I’m not playing him in the proper way,” Tortorella continued. “But I can’t put him in a situation with the other lines, because I think the other lines have stepped up. So I look at the fourth line, I’m looking just to get some sort of life and identity on that fourth line, and that’s where Brad comes out and I go with these guys here. You get some fresh legs, you get some enthusiasm. And I’m sure people will pick it apart. I want to make sure you know: Brad Richards is a hell of a hockey player. He has had struggles. He’s had struggles here. It continues. (My) putting him in that role does not help him, so I’d rather have him out and identify how we’re going to run our fourth line.

BONDY: FORMER BC STANDOUT KREIDER DOES IT AGAIN FOR BLUESHIRTS

“So none of yous, don’t put words in my mouth,” Tortorella said, the tone of his voice rising. “It’s not blaming Brad Richards. I’ve already heard enough of that crap already as far as this is concerned. He’s a hell of a hockey player that’s having a hell of a time, so I need to make decisions for what I feel is right for a team to win tonight’s game, and that’s why I made that decision. This is a Conn Smythe winner, a guy I’ve grown up with, a guy that I love as a person and a player, but I have to make that decision regarding this.

Then came the grand finale:

“So kiss my ass if you want to run something different,” Tortorella said. “It’s not about blaming that guy, and I don’t want anybody to pile on. This is my decision, and I made it for the hockey club.”

BOYLE GIVES NY POWER PLAY A LIFT ; OVERTIME BECOMES HAMR TIME

One would think Tortorella’s decision indicates that the organization is strongly considering using its second compliance buyout allowed in the NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement this offseason to wipe Richards’ nine-year, $60 million contract through the 2019-20 season off the books.

But clearly in the here and now, it is eating up Tortorella having to scratch not only a team leader, but a friend.

BRUINS' TUUKKA FALLS ON HIS RASK TO GIVE RANGERS MOMENTUM

NOTES AND NOTES AND …

The Rangers won an overtime game for the first time in four tries this postseason (1-3), and Henrik Lundqvist improved his career playoff OT record to 4-11. Lundqvist made 37 saves to post his 30th career playoff win (30-36 career record). Lundqvist improved to 5-0 with a 0.98 goals against average and a .966 save percentage, with two shutouts, in the last five elimination games played at the Garden … The Rangers improved to 5-6 all-time in Game 4 of a playoff series when trailing 3-0 … The Bruins out-shot the Blueshirts, 40-32, and attempted 74 shots to New York’s 70. Boston blocked 21 shots, led by defenseman Johnny Boychuk (seven). The

Rangers blocked 17 shots, led by defenseman Dan Girardi (four), who absorbed an absolute cannon slapper from Boston blue liner Zdeno Chara in the chest to close the second period … The Rangers out-hit the Bruins, 40-24, led by captain Ryan Callahan’s seven hits … Chris Kreider’s game-winning overtime goal was his first in seven games these playoffs, and his second point. Kreider now has six goals and three assists in 25 career NHL playoff games … Tortorella passed Colin Campbell for third on the Rangers’ all-time playoff coaching wins list, recording his 19th postseason victory behind the Blueshirts’ bench … Top center Derek Stepan scored one game-tying goal and assisted on another, Brian Boyle’s power play tally, in 24 minutes of ice time. Stepan has recorded three points in the last four games (two goals, one assist) and leads the Rangers with four goals in the playoffs … Derick Brassard tallied two assists, including one on the power play, and won a team-high 11-of-17 faceoffs (65%) in 25:29 of ice time. He leads the team and ranks fourth in the league in assists (10), and is tied for fifth in the NHL in scoring with 12 points in 11 playoff games … Boyle is now tied for second on the team with three goals in the playoffs … Power forward Rick Nash recorded the primary assist on the overtime, game-winning goal, a team-high, five shots, was credited with three hits, and posted a plus-two rating in 22:59 of ice time. He has registered a point in four of the last five games (one goal, three assists over the span) … Defenseman Ryan McDonagh tallied an assist on the overtime, game-winning goal, was credited with three blocked shots, and logged a team-high, 29:43 of ice time. He has now registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last four games, and leads all team defensemen in playoff scoring with four points (one goal, three assists) … Carl Hagelin notched the ugliest goal Lundqvist has ever seen and registered three shots in 20:24 of ice time. He is now tied for second on the team with three goals and six points in the playoffs … Veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik recorded his first point as a Ranger with an assist and logged 10:55 of ice time while making his playoff debut as a Blueshirt. He has now registered 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 26 career playoff games against Boston … Fourth-line winger Micheal Haley was credited with two hits and logged 7:56 of ice time in his NHL playoff debut. The Bruins refused to fight Haley, Kris Newbury, Derek Dorsett and even Brassard when he dropped the gloves on Brad Marchand (only to pick them back up off the ice). But there’s always Game 5 …



Fourth line of NY Rangers trying to get Bruins to drop gloves

Pat Leonard

Friday, May 24, 2013, 11:57 PM

BOSTON — The Rangers showed fight on Thursday night. Now if only the Bruins would do the same.

On numerous occasions in the Blueshirts’ 4-3 Game 4 overtime victory at the Garden, Rangers fourth-line agitators Derek Dorsett, Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley challenged Boston skaters to drop the gloves in an effort to rile up the crowd and the Ranger bench.

Bruins fourth-liners Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton and defenseman Adam McQuaid exercised tremendous restraint. Boston pest Brad Marchand (5-9, 183 pounds) wouldn’t even take on Derick Brassard (6-1, 202 pounds) in the second period, forcing the slight Rangers center to pick up his gloves and stick after he had dropped them to the ice in a comical scene.

Perhaps Boston will oblige Saturday afternoon in Game 5 in order to give its own fans a lift, though that could be just what the Rangers intend — to drag the B’s down into the mud.

“We were able to get in some big hits when we could and create some good energy,” Newbury said of the Rangers’ fourth line at Friday’s practice in Greenburgh.

“I don’t think they were expecting us to come out that hard and make as many hits early. But we want to go out there and help the team any way we can.”

MIDDLE MEN: John Tortorella was pleased with the results in Game 4 when he flipped centers Derek Stepan and Brassard. Stepan moved in between wingers Chris Kreider and Rick Nash, on the line that generated Kreider’s game-winning overtime goal. Brassard, meanwhile, shifted onto a speedy line with Carl Hagelin and captain Ryan Callahan.

“Just (to create) a different look,” said Tortorella, who insisted the move wasn’t about keeping Brassard away from Bruins top defenseman Zdeno Chara. “I just don’t think we’re developing enough offense. I’ve tried to stay with it. I thought Brass and Nasher were playing well together. We’re just not developing enough offense, so I wanted to change the centers.”

Who’s a go? Healthy forwards Brad Richards and Arron Asham, injured forwards Darroll Powe (concussion) and Ryane Clowe (likely concussion)and injured defenseman Marc Staal (right) all skated separate from the team Friday afternoon with the Rangers’ extras, while injured defenseman Anton Stralman (likely concussion) did not take the ice. But none of them is expected to play in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, as Tortorella figures to use the same lineup he dressed in Game 4.



NY Rangers look to carry momentum against Bruins in Game 5

Pat Leonard

Friday, May 24, 2013, 11:36 PM

BOSTON — Another elimination game. Right where the Rangers want to be.

The Blueshirts elevate their urgency in do-or-die showdowns such as Saturday’s Game 5 against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. Some of them do because the pressure narrows their focus or they don’t sweat the high stakes at all.

Top-six winger Carl Hagelin, 24, for example, was 31 minutes from being swept on Thursday night in Game 4 at the Garden, driving to the net in the second period down 2-0. But the young Swede, who forced in a fluky and momentous goal, was thinking not of the insurmountable odds but that he deserved a reward for his work.

“I think I was due for one,” Hagelin said Friday at practice in Greenburgh, voicing an undeterred attitude shared by captain Ryan Callahan and top center Derek Stepan. Meanwhile, center Brian Boyle, 28, told the Daily News the playoff pressure forces him to clear his head and focus only on the play he is making at the moment.

Boyle had just two goals and three assists in 38 regular-season games this year, was a healthy scratch four times and has battled injury. But after scoring three goals in the first round last year against Ottawa, he is tied with Hagelin for second on the Rangers with three goals this postseason, including the game-tying power play tally in the third period of Game 4.

“I think it is more of a pressure situation, but I look at it as more black and white,” Boyle said. “You’re not worried about ‘What’s the coach think,’ or what happened in the week or what the stats are — which you shouldn’t, really, because you’re trying to go out and play the game. But you do what you can to help your team win the game or you’re going home. That’s just the way I’ve tried to approach it. That helps me with my confidence and that helps me put that other stuff away, out of my head. You get in slumps during the year, obviously this year was tough.

“I tried to do it. It took a little longer than I should have I guess. But now it’s just go out and try to help the team win a game.”

Then there is the constant among the Rangers’ three wins in three elimination games this postseason: goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. He recorded a 27-save shutout in a 1-0 home win over the Washington Capitals in Game 6 of the first round, a 35-save shutout the next night in a 5-0 Game 7 road romp of the Caps, and a 37-save performance Thursday night in a 4-3 OT victory over the Bruins, allowing just one even-strength goal.

“Of course you know that if you don’t do well now, it’s over,” Lundqvist said. “That puts a little extra pressure on you, but then as long as you can handle it the right way, it might help your game. So far, we’ve really stepped up at a crucial time, but at the same time we’re in a big hole here. That’s why I think it’s so important for us not to look too far ahead — just to focus on the first 20 (minutes) and then try to (win one game).”

The Rangers also hope that Tuukka Rask’s failed “butt save” — he slipped to the seat of his pants to allow Hagelin’s deflected backhand to trickle in and change the course of Game 4 — has unsettled the Bruins.

Boston won the Stanley Cup in 2011, but the 2010 Bruins were one of only three teams in NHL history to cough up a 3-0 playoff series advantage. Then in this year’s first round, Boston allowed the Toronto Maple Leafs to erase a 3-1 series deficit and then needed a miraculous Game 7 comeback just to advance. “You make the correction and show the confidence in (the Boston players) that they can go back in and redeem themselves,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said Friday of how to manage his team’s response.

The Bruins refused to drop the gloves with Tortorella’s new fourth-line grinders in Game 4. Perhaps that will change in Game 5. Maybe the Rangers’ resistance will turn this lopsided series into a more even, mental

game in which Boston begins to feel the pressure that right now is heaped on the Rangers.

Not that the Blueshirts have had trouble handling it this postseason. “I don’t think our team gives,” John Tortorella said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/brassy-blueshirts-stay-alive-game-5-article-1.1354379#ixzz2UIBdz9do



Brassard swats Boston’s gnat

LARRY BROOKS

4:21 AM, May 25, 2013

BOSTON — There he was, a Ranger who finally had enough of Brad Marchand and his verbal challenges.

There he was, a Ranger not only standing his ground, but standing up for his teammates.

There was Derick Brassard, of all people, dropping his stick and gloves with about four minutes remaining in the second period of Thursday night’s live-or-die Game 4 at the Garden after dueling with the Boston agitator in front of Henrik Lundqvist’s net.

And there was Marchand skating away from the challenge as play continued, leaving the Blueshirts center to gather his equipment and scramble back into the action.

Let’s just say that four games of familiarity has bred a bit of contempt for Marchand.

“Sometimes he doesn’t show any respect for his opponents,” Brassard told The Post following yesterday’s prep work for tonight’s Game 5. “He’s been asking everybody on our team to fight all series, so I thought it was time to take him up on it, but then I guess he didn’t have any interest.”

Marchand once got away with popping Daniel Sedin in the face with a half-dozen gloved lefts in the final minutes of the Bruins’ Game 6 victory over Vancouver in the 2011 finals without a Canuck so much as raising a finger in protest. He’s one of those guys who constantly agitates and apparently claims he’s ready to fight, but won’t.

Fact is, Brassard and Marchand each have four career fighting majors. The dastardly Marchand has fought Mike Ribeiro, P.K. Subban, Matt Niskanen and Andrew Cogliano while the gentlemanly Brassard’s fight card features bouts against Dan Boyle, Lubomir Visnovsky, Matt Cooke and James Neal, according to hockeyfights.com.

“[Marchand] can be effective at what he does, but sometimes he pushes it too far,” said Brassard, who had his best game of the conference semis in the Rangers’ 4-3 overtime victory. “He can get on your nerves if you don’t handle it the right way.

“Like I said, he’s been asking everyone on our team to fight. So at that point I thought enough was enough. I thought that was the time to deal with it,” No. 16 said. “Either he didn’t want to [fight] or his coach didn’t want him to.

“You have to make sure you don’t allow him to get you off your game. That’s what he always tries to do. So you deal with it and you move on.”

So a Ranger dealt with Marchand. And the Rangers moved on to fight — or, not — another day.

➤The uproar and outrage around the NHL over John Tortorella’s decision to designate Brad Richards as a healthy scratch for Game 4 (and until further notice) is not borne out of any type of objective hockey-based analysis.

Rather, it is a reflection of the enormous amount of goodwill that good guy Richards has cultivated throughout his career and the amount of antipathy that his black hat-wearing coach (and not the Broadway Hat, either) has invited throughout his tour of duty.

Honestly, if there’s one thing this was not, this was not Mike Keenan benching Brian Leetch against the Devils during Game 4 of the epochal 1994 conference finals.

Hey, there’s a subject for the next coach’s show on MSG.

➤ When Tortorella moved Brassard between Carl Hagelin and Ryan Callahan while shifting Derek Stepan between Chris Kreider and Rick Nash for Thursday’s third period and OT, that effectively switched the match against Zdeno Chara.

Stepan thereafter drew most of the time against the Big Z, while Brassard was freed for the majority of his shifts. Tortorella said he made the switch “because I didn’t think we were generating enough offense,” and not to change the match, but the move worked.

It was Stepan who stripped Chara behind the net before his continued motion wraparound goal to tie the match at 1:15 of the third period. And Brassard operated with more time and space.

“I got more confident against him after the first couple of games,” Brassard said. “You have to deal with his reach and how he likes to grab behind the net and in the corners.

“You want to make him skate and play facing his own net. He’s probably one of the top three defensemen in the league, but if you can do that, sometimes he makes poor decisions.”

New York Post LOADED: 05.25.2013


Rask mistake gives Rangers new life heading into Game 5

BRETT CYRGALIS

3:51 AM, May 25, 2013

BOSTON — Sometimes it’s the smallest of things — say, about the size of a rut in the Garden ice — that can shift an entire playoff series, an entire season, an entire team’s destiny.

So maybe, just maybe, that supposed rut in the ice on Thursday night that forced Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask to fall over on his butt and allowed Carl Hagelin’s deflected dribbler to cross the goal line gave the Rangers just enough of a charge to shift the momentum, not just of that Game 4, but of the whole of this Eastern Conference semifinal.

At the very least, it gave the Rangers a heartbeat to come back in that game and win 4-3 in overtime, forcing the next step in this do-or-die sequence, Game 5 tonight in Boston with the Bruins still holding a 3-1 lead that suddenly seems less commanding in this best-of-seven contest.

“Bottom line is, all is forgiven, you don’t go back and dissect it,” coach John Tortorella said after yesterday’s practice in Westchester. “We talked about it before the game. We just wanted to get to Boston. We did. Now we need to try to win a game in Boston, and we’ll see where we go from there.”

For sure, that Hagelin goal — or more appropriately, that Rask gaffe — is all but distant memory unless the Rangers can back it up. Over the past two postseasons, they’re 6-1 in elimination games, including taking Games 6 and 7 of the first round this year against the Capitals.

“I guess in the back of your head you know there’s no turning back, there’s no option,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who managed to creep his postseason overtime record to 4-11. “You have to leave everything out there.”

It’s a strange phenomenon, these elimination games. Some say it speaks to the mettle of a team that fights them off, as the Rangers have done so dutifully.

“I think we find a way. We’re resilient. We’re not a team that’s going to quit,” said Brian Boyle, who scored the game-tying goal on a third-period power play. “But I don’t really know the exact answer.”

There wasn’t a direct answer from the team in light of Brad Richard’s healthy scratch, either, as the alternate captain and former Conn Smythe winner was benched in Game 4 in favor of some fourth-line grinders. If Tortorella’s goal with that move was to light a fire underneath his team, it didn’t work.

“Yeah, it was a little bit surprising,” Boyle said. “But all that other stuff that we can’t control, it has nothing to do with us. If you’re in the lineup, you have go out and try to help win a game.”

That effort wasn’t exactly apparent in a lifeless and scoreless first period, and the Blueshirts found themselves down 2-0 just eight minutes into the second. That’s when Hagelin fluttered a backhand, Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk deflected it, and Rask fell over into what could be an infamous hole if the Rangers are willing and able to dig.

“We were ugly the first part of the game,” Tortorella said. “We end up finding ourselves after a fluky goal, and I think we played better.”

So maybe the answer to the question of turning tides lies somewhere between resolve and luck, somewhere in that strange place where history is pushed along by something like a rut in the ice.

“I have no idea how it all works,” Tortorella said, knowing enough to pack his bag and head to Boston, the opportunity for at least one more game.

Blueshirt brinksmanship

The Rangers are 6-1 in the past two playoff seasons when faced with elimination, with all but one game decided by one goal:

2012

at Senators, Game 6, W 3-2

Derek Stepan, Brad Richards and Chris Kreider score in a 10:24 span in the second period.

vs. Senators, Game 7, W 2-1

Second-period goals by Marc Staal and Dan Girardi hold up.

vs. Capitals, Game 7, W 2-1

Goals by Richards and Michael Del Zotto clinch series.

at Devils, Game 6, L 3-2 (OT)

Adam Henrique OT goal sends Devils to finals.

2013

vs. Capitals, Game 6, W 1-0

Derick Brassard’s second-period goal holds up, thanks to 27 saves by Henrik Lundqvist.

at Capitals, Game 7, W 5-0

Rangers win first-round series in rout with 35 saves by Lundqvist.

vs. Bruins, Game 4, W 4-3 (OT)

Kreider’s deflection of a Rick Nash pass at 7:03 caps a comeback from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.



Tortorella: More ‘power’ to underused McDonagh

BRETT CYRGALIS

4:15 AM, May 25, 2013

BOSTON — For all of the good things Ryan McDonagh has done, he may have spent this whole time being underutilized.

At least that’s the opinion of Rangers coach John Tortorella, who Friday admitted he has made a mistake in not playing his top-pair defenseman on the power play more often.

“It’s me. I screwed that up, not using him earlier [on the power play] and I should have,” Tortorella said as his team prepared for Saturday night’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins, who hold a 3-1 lead. “He wants to become that complete player, and he is still so wet behind the ears as far as his age and what he needs to learn about that position that it’s really encouraging.”

McDonagh has shown sparks of offense in the playoffs, especially in the 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 on Thursday. He made a great solo rush up the ice and hit the post early in the second period, and went out with the first power-play unit for the team’s final two man-advantages of the game.

The 23-year-old Minnesotan got 3:32 of the team’s 7:05 total power play time, and created momentum that led to Brian Boyle’s game-tying goal in the third period. With each kind word spoken by the coach, it’s also clear McDonagh’s stock as a restricted free agent this summer is rising.

“I think that when players are deemed a shutdown defenseman, and [the emphasis is the] defensive part of it, I think sometimes players get trapped into, ‘This is what I am,’ ” Tortorella said. “Ryan McDonagh is not just that, and he’s going to be able to do both.”

* All indications are Brad Richards will remain a healthy scratch for Game 5. He practiced Friday with the rest of the scratches before the regular team, and was not made available to the media. The former Conn Smythe winner was benched for the first time in his postseason career on Thursday.Joining Richards at the early practice were forwards Ryane Clowe and Darroll Powe (both coming back from presumed concussions), along with defenseman Marc Staal (eye). That means all three are highly unlikely to be available.

* It’s highly doubtful defenseman Anton Stralman will be able to return tonight, as he did not skate Friday and still is reeling from the hit delivered by Milan Lucic in Game 3. Instead, 39-year-old veteran Roman Hamrlik practiced with the regulars, and is likely to get in for his second game in a row. after playing 10:55 in Game 4. ... Rookie forward and overtime hero Chris Kreider didn’t practice for what the team called maintenance.

“The first couple shifts were pretty hard on me,” said Hamrlik, whose Game 4 action was his first since April 1. “They’re a fast team and the situation I’m coming from is not easy. I’ve been skating [as a scratch] for almost two months.”



Rangers going ‘fourth’ with new focus

HOWIE KUSSOY

4:15 AM, May 25, 2013

It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.

Rangers coach John Tortorella didn’t want to bench Brad Richards, but he felt he had no other choice. The game was passing the veteran center by on the top lines and Tortorella and Richards agreed the time allotted to him on the fourth line wasn’t suitable to his skill-set.

So Tortorella sat the former Conn Smythe winner in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins, hoping to give the fourth line the physical spark the Rangers needed after getting pushed around for three games.

The difficult decision, which also saw Arron Asham a scratch, paid off with energy and a 4-3 overtime win at Madison Square Garden after Micheal Haley and Kris Newbury were inserted into action with Derek Dorsett.

“I look at the fourth line, I’m looking just to get some sort of life and some sort of identity on that fourth line and that’s where Brad comes out and I go with these guys here,” Tortorella said. “You get some fresh legs, you get some enthusiasm. ... I thought they gave us some good shifts. For the most part, I thought they did a pretty good job.”

Newbury, who played six games in the regular season, hadn’t played since Game 1 of the opening round against Washington, and Haley, who made nine appearances in his first season with the Rangers, hadn’t played since March 19 and was appearing in his first career playoff game.

Both players said adjusting to the long layoffs wasn’t much of an issue because the linemates shared similar styles and knew that going into the game, forechecking was going to be their focus. For the Rangers, the forecheck is always the focus.

Outside of an interference penalty from Newbury, the fourth line found some success in Boston’s zone, with Newbury, Haley and Dorsett combining for nine hits and each player playing approximately eight minutes. Newbury also added two shots and a blocked shot.

“We just want to dump it in and get them nervous that they’re going to get hit,” Haley said after yesterday’s practice, heading into Game 5 today in Boston. “That’s the way I try and play every time I get on the ice. I don’t bring any tricks up my sleeve. What you see is what you get. Dorsett and [Newbury] have the same idea. We just want to be reliable and if we get out there and keep the puck in their end, maybe it could change momentum our way and we could start a surge.”

Still just one game from elimination, the Rangers’ one win has changed how they feel about the series.

“I think everyone’s confident now that we know we can beat them,” Newbury said. “I think that was huge for our team’s confidence. We’re going into [today] definitely on a high and we just got to get more shots to the net, spend some more time in their zone and I think we’ll be fine.”



Rangers' three keys to Game 5

Andrew Gross

The Record

1. Up their game: Yes, the Rangers won Game 4 to avoid a sweep. But they can’t forget they trailed 2-0 in the second period and needed an incredible flub by Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask to kick-start their comeback. The Rangers did not start Game 4 with the requisite sense of desperation. A repeat won’t work on the Bruins’ home ice.

2. More from the new guys: Coach John Tortorella shook up his Game 4 lineup and is expected to keep the changes in Game 5. Brad Richards and Arron Asham out, with Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley anchoring the fourth line. Rookie Chris Kreider, who scored the overtime winner in Game 4, starting the game with Derek Stepan and Rick Nash and veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik in for the injured Anton Stralman. The Rangers need balanced production to have a chance.

3. Special teams: While the focus has remained on the Rangers’ dreadful power play — they snapped an 0-for-23 drought with Brian Boyle’s third-period, power-play equalizer in Game 4 – they must also make sure their penalty kill doesn’t slip. The Bruins’ power play was 2-for-4 in Game 4 and is 3-for-9 in the series.

Bergen Record LOADED: 05.25.2013


Rangers notes: McDonagh gets more power play time

Tom Gulitti

More to McDonagh

Already known for his defensive skill, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh is taking a bigger part in the team’s offense in the conference semifinals against Boston.

McDonagh, 23, was active in joining the offensive attack and coach John Tortorella increased his power play time to 3:32 in the Rangers’ 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 Thursday night.

Tortorella believes the offensive side of McDonagh’s game is still developing.

"When players are deemed a shutdown defenseman and it’s the defensive part of it, I think sometimes players get trapped, ‘OK, this is what I am’," Tortorella said Friday.

"Ryan McDonagh’s not just that. He’s going to be able to do both. We’re using him on the power play now. I think he helped us [Thursday] on the power play. I [messed] that up, not using him earlier and I should have."

Long shift

Defenseman Roman Hamrlik said he felt "not bad" physically in playing his first game since April 1 with Anton Stralman out with an unspecified injury.

Hamrlik’s conditioning was tested during overtime when he and defense partner Steve Eminger were stuck on the ice for a marathon shift.

With no stoppages and the Rangers forwards unable to get the puck deep in the Bruins’ zone to allow them to change, Hamrlik had a shift of 2:41 and Eminger was on for 2:56 before he finally came off when an off-sides call stopped play. Chris Kreider scored the winning goal nine seconds after the ensuing faceoff. "I was getting a headache," Hamrlik said. "Me and Eminger, we stayed there for a long time, but we battled through. We tried to get off the ice, but we didn’t have much chance. It was probably the longest shift in a playoff [game] I played."

"I almost died," Eminger said. "That was my longest [shift of his career]."

Richards out again?

It appears Brad Richards will be a healthy scratch again today. He skated along with Marc Staal (right eye), Arron Asham (also a healthy scratch for Game 4), Ryan Clowe (suspected concussion), Darroll Powe (suspected concussion) and the team’s other extra players prior to Friday’s practice. Kreider (maintenance) and D Stralman were the only players not to skate.



Gulitti: Finishing a series has been a tough task for Bruins' Tuukka Rask

Gulitti

Tuukka Rask will take another shot at closing out a playoff series today when the Boston Bruins host the Rangers for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Rask is only 26, but he’s already dangerously close to becoming known as a goaltender that can’t finish. After a head-scratching performance in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers in Game 4 on Thursday night, Rask is now 2-8 with a 3.20 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in his career in games in which his team can close out a playoff series.

Conversely, the Rangers are 6-1 in elimination games over the past two seasons, but were there for the sweeping Thursday night. They appeared dead, trailing 2-0 in the second period with only six shots on goal, before Rask tripped and fell on his butt, allowing Carl Hagelin’s seemingly harmless deflected shot to trickle by him and over the goal line.

"Got to be more focused," Rask said afterward.

He could have said similar after his nonchalance contributed to Derek Stepan’s tying goal 1:15 into the third period. Rask left the puck behind the net for Zdeno Chara and casually coasted back into his crease as Stepan stripped Chara of the puck and deposited it in the net.

If this was another goalie on another team, you’d dismiss it as one unfortunate game, but another one like it today will stir up all of the Bruins’ bad memories from 2010. Rask was the goalie that year when the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead to Philadelphia in the conference semifinals.

Although the Bruins appeared to exorcise all of those demons the next season by sweeping the Flyers in the second round on their way to winning the Stanley Cup, Tim Thomas was in net for every playoff minute during that run.

With Thomas gone, Rask was thrust back into the No. 1 role for the Bruins this season and their finishing problems returned. They nearly blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round against Toronto, needing a miracle to overcome a 4-1 third-period deficit and win Game 7 in overtime.

If Rask loses focus again today, all the questions will be about whether he and the Bruins could be headed for another collapse.



Rangers stand tall with backs against the wall

May 25, 2013, 12:26 AM

ANDREW GROSS

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – It’s a dangerous game the Rangers play.

The Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist is 6-1 in elimination games the past two postseasons.

The Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist is 6-1 in elimination games the past two postseasons.

But at least they play it well.

Today’s Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Bruins at TD Garden marks their eighth elimination game over five playoff series in two years. So far, the Rangers are 6-1 after avoiding a sweep with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I guess in the back of your head, you know there’s no turning back, there’s no option here,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “You try not to change the way you think during the game but, of course, you know that if you don’t do well now, it’s over. That puts a little extra pressure on you and as long as you can handle it the right way, it might help your game.”

Lundqvist, of course, is a key reason, if not the reason, the Rangers have been so good with their season on the brink.

He made 37 saves against the Bruins on Thursday night, including seven in overtime. Lundqvist is now 5-0 with an 0.98 goals-against average and two shutouts in his past five home playoff games with the Rangers facing elimination.

In addition to Thursday’s must-win, Lundqvist blanked the Capitals in Games 6 and 7 after the Rangers trailed, 3-2, in their first-round series.

“To me, he’s always good,” defenseman Steve Eminger said. “But [Thursday], there were points in the game where he makes a save or he comes across [the crease] and it’s like, ‘I think he’s stepped it up an extra bit’ when you think, ‘how possibly can he?’ because it seems like he’s already at the top.

“And then he does something to amaze you again.”

The only elimination game the Rangers have lost so far the past two playoffs – they also rallied from a 3-2 first-round series deficit against the Senators last season – was falling to the Devils, 3-2, in overtime of Game 6 of their 2012 conference final.

“I don’t think our team gives,” coach John Tortorella said.

“I guess it’s just a sense of desperation,” captain Ryan Callahan added.

“I think it shows the character we have in this room and a willingness to go out there and work and battle and not give in.”

But rallying from a 3-2 deficit, or a 2-0 hole, as they did this year against the Capitals, is far different from trying to come back after dropping the first three games of a series. Only three teams in NHL history have done so, the last being the Flyers against the Bruins in the 2010 conference semifinal.

Gaining, and keeping, momentum is a huge factor in any playoff series and if the Rangers manage to win today and return the series to Madison Square Garden for a Game 6 Monday, there’s no doubt the Bruins will be reminded of their past playoff failure.

Also their near-collapse from a 3-1 series lead in the first round against the Maple Leafs. Toronto even took a three-goal lead in the third period of Game 7 before the Bruins rallied to win, 5-4, in overtime.

And Tortorella is not satisfied with how the Rangers have handled surges so far in this series.

“We haven’t done a great job of that and that’s why we’re at where we’re at right now, or part of it,” Tortorella said. “As we continue to go through here, we need to be better at it.”



Game show legend Monty Hall was once a Rangers announcer

May 24, 2013 2:25 PM

NEIL BEST

Monty Hall has enjoyed a spectacularly successful career in what he calls the "game show field," to the point he will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Entertainment Emmys June 16 on HLN.

For that he is grateful, but . . . "I would have preferred making my career in the sports field," Hall, 91, said Friday from his home in California.

It nearly happened.

Before he started "Let's Make a Deal" in 1963 - a show he still owns, by the way - Hall served as a color man for Rangers games on WINS radio, working alongside Jim Gordon in 1958-59 and '59-60.

Hall was hired without a tryout based primarily on having grown up in Winnipeg. "I guess my qualifications were that I came from the Far North and played a little bit of hockey in my time," he said. "It was a dream job for me . . . Anyone who comes from there has hockey in their blood."

It hardly mattered that the Rangers were awful, finishing in last place by a wide margin in 1959-60. He got $50 per game but said he would have done it for nothing.

Hall recalled a between-periods interview he did with coach Phil Watson early that season during which Watson ripped several players, saying of goalie Gump Worsley, "He drinks so much beer he can't stand in that cage."

"When the next period started, I noticed he wasn't behind the bench," Hall said. "[GM] Muzz Patrick fired him between periods."

Upon Watson's death in 1991, Patrick told The New York Times that he had to fire his old roommate and friend not because he was losing but because he "sometimes talks too much."

Also that season, Hall was working on Nov. 1, 1959, when Jacques Plante of the Canadiens left a game against the Rangers bleeding profusely after being hit by a shot from Andy Bathgate.

Hall correctly predicted during the break while Plante was stitched up that he would return wearing the mask he had worn in warmups. So he did, and the history of goaltending changed forever as "15,000 people jumped up and booed him."

Hall's sports announcing career - he also worked soccer and wrestling events - ended when he moved to California to host the game show "Video Village" in the fall of 1960. He said he remains a "mild fan" of the sport, although he laments that there was more finesse in the game in the old days.

Rarely do people ask him about his time with the Rangers, but NBC's Al Michaels, a Kings season ticket holder who was a teenager in North Bellmore at the time, once saw Hall outside a restaurant in southern California and told him he was an avid listener.

Said Hall: "So at least I had one fan."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.25.2013


John Tortorella faults himself for not playing Ryan McDonagh on power play

May 24, 2013 8:05 PM

ANTHONY RIEBER

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - John Tortorella took a shot at someone Friday. Turns out it was himself.

For the second time in this postseason, the Rangers' coach took himself to task without being challenged by anyone.

On Friday, it was for not using defenseman Ryan McDonagh enough on the power play before Thursday night's 4-3 overtime win over the Bruins in Game 4.

Coming Thursday: Rangers live chat with Steve Zipay at 2 p.m. Request an email reminder now at newsday.com/rangerschat

"That's me," Tortorella said. "I screwed that up not using him early enough, and I should have."

McDonagh played 3:32 on the power play in Game 4. In the Rangers' first 10 playoff games, he was on the ice with a man advantage for only a total of 4:16. The Rangers scored their first power-play goal of the series in the third period to tie the score at 3.

Tortorella was answering a question about the 23-year-old McDonagh's overall play when he veered into self-critical mode.

"I think when players are deemed a shutdown defenseman and it's the defensive part of it, I think players sometimes get trapped and think, 'This is who I am,' " Tortorella said. "Ryan McDonagh is not just that; he's going to be able to do both. On the power play, he helped us . . . He wants to become that complete player and he's so wet behind the ears. [At] his age and what he needs to learn about that position, it's really encouraging."

Tortorella chided himself in the first-round series against Washington for not using his bench enough in Game 6.

Richards with subs

Brad Richards, who was a healthy scratch Thursday night, skated in practice with the Rangers' "Black Aces" taxi squad. Ryane Clowe and Darroll Powe also skated with that group. Injured Anton Stralman didn't get on the ice at all, indicating Tortorella is not planning to change his lineup for Game 5.



Rangers again will try to keep their season alive Saturday night

May 24, 2013 8:01 PM

ANTHONY RIEBER

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Nineteen of the 20 Rangers who played in the team's season-saving 4-3 overtime victory over the Bruins on Thursday night were back on the ice Friday for an upbeat optional skate.

The lone Ranger to get a rest was Chris Kreider, who scored the game-winning goal. Kreider got what the team called a "maintenance day."

The Rangers, who are trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series, would like to have another optional skate Sunday. But that will happen only if they beat the Bruins in Boston Saturday night in their fourth elimination game of this postseason.


The Rangers won the first three, starting with Games 6 and 7 against Washington in the first round, and then Thursday night's game at the Garden.

"We worked for too long and too hard to go out in four straight," goalie Henrik Lundqvist said Friday.

The Rangers improved to 6-1 in elimination games in the last two postseasons. It's something the players and coach John Tortorella can point to, but not rely on, as they look to become the fourth team in NHL history to win a series after being down 3-0.

"I don't think our team gives," Tortorella said. "We've done some good things there. I go back to the first series, just winning two in a row to win that series. That's something you try to hang your hat on, I guess."

Still, Tortorella said, "I'm not a real big believer in it. I think every game is a different situation. But our team doesn't give. Listen, we were ugly the first part of [Game 4]; we end up finding ourselves after a fluky goal. I think we played better. Bottom line is all is forgiven. You don't go back and dissect it. You won a game to keep yourself alive, and that's what we have to look to now. Just win a game."

The fluky goal Tortorella mentioned was one that will go down in franchise lore if they do manage to win this series. With the Rangers trailing 2-0 in the second period, Carl Hagelin scored when Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask fell down and was helpless to stop the puck from rolling in off Hagelin's stick.

The Rangers had been lamenting the bounces they didn't get in the first three games. They got a big one Thursday night and took advantage of it, playing with much more desperation and moxie after that.

"It's two teams that play pretty similar when both teams play at its best," Lundqvist said. "I think for a couple of games they were the better team, but for the second half [of Game 4], I thought we really turned the momentum and played a really strong game. So hopefully we can continue that."

If not, there won't be any skating going on at the MSG Training Center Sunday.

"In the back of your head, you know there's no turning back, there's no option," Lundqvist said. "You have to leave everything out there. You try not to change the way you think about the game, but of course you know that if you don't do well now, it's over."



Bruins coach Claude Julien not concerned about loss to Rangers

May 24, 2013 7:53 PM

ARTHUR STAPLE

BOSTON -- The Bruins regrouped with their practice here Friday, though there wasn't much to regroup from. Coach Claude Julien didn't see his team's 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers in Game 4 as something to be quickly erased, just a back-and-forth game in which the Bruins didn't play as consistently or as strongly as they did in building a 3-0 series lead.

"I don't think we got outplayed, I don't think we got outworked; it was just one of those games where a couple of good bounces went their way, and that was the difference in the game," Julien said after practice. "For us right now, and I said it when I was in New York, we're living in the present. Yesterday's the past. Right now, we're looking to get ourselves ready to play a real good game tomorrow and play to win ourselves a hockey game."

The Bruins have the luxury of needing to win only one, starting with Game 5 here Saturday night. Their power play, 3-for-9 in the series, kept the Bruins in front for much of Game 4, but there were some mistakes from usually reliable Bruins stars such as goaltender Tuukka Rask and captain Zdeno Chara that let the Rangers off the mat.


Julien hardly is worried about either of those two, considering they have had a lot to do with the Bruins being close to clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

"What do you want me to say? Not really, not really," Julien said when asked if he spoke to Rask, whose gaffe on Carl Hagelin's goal in the second period opened the door to the Rangers' comeback. "There's not much you can say on those types of things. It's things that happen. We know the impact it had. He lets one of those in and how many does he save for us? You kind of balance those things out. It becomes a non-issue."

Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who set up Tyler Seguin's goal that put the Bruins briefly in front in the third, was particularly tough on himself about Chris Kreider's overtime winner. Hamilton had decent position on Kreider but wasn't physical enough to disrupt either Kreider's speed or his stick, and the Rangers rookie deflected the winner past Rask.

"That's a play I need to make," Hamilton said Thursday night. "I feel like I let the team down."

Dennis Seidenberg, Chara's regular partner, skated Friday and pronounced himself day-to-day, meaning there's a better chance he'll play for the first time in the series. But even if he doesn't, Julien is pleased with the three rookie defensemen -- Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug, who has three goals in the series -- and doesn't see them as liabilities.

"For us, it's remaining honest and objective and saying there's some mistakes made, but also there have been a lot of great things happening," Julien said. "A lot more great things than bad things, and we want to rally back tomorrow and play an even better game so that we can win this series, and that's all we're thinking about right now."


678619 Ottawa Senators

Morning skate update: Big line is back for the biggest game of the year

The big line is back as the Ottawa Senators hope to extend their season Friday night.

by Ken Warren

on May 24, 2013

PITTSBURGH — The big line is back, as the Ottawa Senators hope to extend their season Friday night.

Senators coach Paul MacLean has put left winger Milan Michalek, centre Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson together again, hoping their veteran presence can provide a lift to the team that trails the best-of-seven series 3-1.

“The start of the game hasn’t been very good for us in the first four games (of the series) and maybe if we put our veteran guys together and get them on the ice early in the game, it can have a calming effect on the rest of the group,” said MacLean.

The move screams desperation, but the time does call for the Senators to do everything possible to keep playing. Following the Penguins 7-3 victory in Game 4 in Ottawa on Wednesday – which included a four-goal third period outburst by the explosive Penguins – the Senators need to win three consecutive games to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

Spezza says MacLean is looking for a “jump” from the threesome.

“I haven’t played with (Alfredsson) very consistently over the past couple of seasons, so it will be nice to play with him,” said Spezza, who has yet to register a point in his two games since returning from back disc surgery. “We would like to have a big game.”

While it’s an enormous task to try and win a hat trick of games against the powerhouse Penguins, Spezza says the Senators are prepared to do whatever is possible to get back in the series.

“The guys are excited for the challenge ahead of us,” he said. “They’re going to want to try and close us out tonight. We know we’re going to try and give our best game of the series, so it’s a good opportunity for us to play in a big game and we have our backs against the wall now. That’s when we’ve played our best hockey all year.”

With Mark Stone out to do an ankle injury he suffered in Game 4, the Senators have a roster decision to make. It will likely boil down to either Matt Kassian or Cory Conacher stepping into the lineup and playing on a line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Chris Neil.

The other line combinations – at least to start the game – will feature Zack Smith with Mika Zibanejad and Jakob Silfverberg and Kyle Turris at centre between Colin Greening and Erik Condra.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 05.25.2013


Scanlan: Senators can hold their heads high

While marathoners in Ottawa are limbering up for their long Sunday ramble, the Senators’ run has come to an end.

by Wayne Scanlan

on May 24, 2013

PITTSBURGH — While marathoners in Ottawa are limbering up for their long Sunday ramble, the Senators’ run has come to an end.

The Pittsburgh Penguins closed out the semifinal series four games to one, with a thunderous 6-2 victory in Game 5. The heads of Senators players were held high at the finish line, after losing to a Penguins team armed and loaded for a long and prosperous playoff life.

For the honour of representing the east in the Stanley Cup final, the Penguins will face the winner of the Boston Bruins-New York Rangers series in the Eastern Conference final beginning next week.

The Senators, meanwhile, can reflect on a season without shame, a season in which they fought off injuries to earn a playoff berth and then erased the Montreal Canadiens in a five-game first round series.

The Penguins were another matter. It was like joining a higher league. While Ottawa was able to steal a game on home ice, in double-overtime, the Senators didn’t get much of a sniff otherwise as the Pens came after Senators goaltender Craig Anderson in waves of black jerseys.

Backup goalie Tomas Vokoun was supposedly the weak link of the Penguins, but the Senators weren’t able to consistently expose Vokoun’s propensity for yielding rebounds. Now that the series is over, who is to argue with the veteran Czech’s spectacular stats? He came into the game with a 15-2 record in his previous 17 starts, and held firm again Friday.

Beforehand, Vokoun said the Penguins didn’t necessarily carry any mental edge into Game 5 just because they had whacked Ottawa 7-3 in Game 4.

“Mental edge is more about how you execute that game … if you are able to push the things you want to do on them or they are pushing things they want to do on us,” Vokoun said. “That’s the difference between winning and losing the game.”

Over the five games, the Penguins more consistently imposed their will, controlled the play on a Senators team that was forced to chase.

On the morning of Game 5, James Neal told me that the Penguins hoped to break some of that renowned Senators spirit as quickly as possible.

“You definitely want to put doubt in their mind right away, that’s a big part of winning a fourth game,” Neal said. “If you come out and put them behind early, make them feel the pressure and try to break them, it can only help you.”

A Neal goal, his first of three, helped do that very thing, on a power play early in the second period.

Anderson lost sight of the puck, and had actually stepped on it before Neal drove the puck across the line.

Little more than five minutes later Norris Trophy candidate Kris Letang cut across the middle of the ice and drifted a wrist shot over Anderson’s glove for a 3-0 Pittsburgh lead. Now the pursuit was a Pittsburgh bridge too far.

If the Senators were to have any chance of coming back, they would need to score on a power play late in the second period. They did score, one second after the penalty expired, but the Michalek goal lost meaning when a Neal pass sent Evgeni Malkin in on a breakaway a couple of minutes later.

The big Russian centre made no mistake, and with 30 seconds remaining in period two, there wasn’t a fan in the new Igloo that had any doubt the home team’s 4-1 lead into the third period would stand up.

For the occasion — a potential clinching game — Senators head coach Paul MacLean reunited the Jason Spezza-Daniel Alfredsson-Milan Michalek line for the first time in the series.

MacLean hoped the veteran trio might help his team weather early fire from the Penguins as well as provide what he called a “calming effect on the rest of the group.”

While there was no explosive push from the Penguins in the first minutes, neither did the Spezza line have any early opportunities, and it was winger Brenden Morrow who provided the Penguins the lead they wanted, although it required league approval first. Morrow got his stick on a Mark Eaton pass, but the puck hit Morrow’s skate before sliding past Anderson and the play was reviewed.

In the dying seconds of the period, the Spezza line did sustain deep pressure and got a scoring chance that dribbled wide of Vokoun, off Spezza’s stick.

The Senators could have used the magic of a previous Game 5 that went deep into the good night here before Matt Carkner, of all goal scorers, banked in a point shot in triple overtime to force a Game 6 back in Ottawa. That was in the spring of 2010, in old Mellon Arena.

The Senators carried a 3-0 in Game 6, but the Penguins scored four straight goals and won in overtime on a Pascal Dupuis shot that beat Pascal Leclaire.

Old news. This Penguins team, in what Letang had phrased a “must win” wasn’t interested in heading to Ottawa one more time.

The Penguins had been 0-6 in their past six opportunities to close out a playoff series on home ice. Make it 1-6 in their past seven.

This was Ottawa’s third playoff series loss to the Penguins since 2008. The Senators lone series victory over Pittsburgh came in 2007, a five-game set when Sidney Crosby was participating in his first NHL playoffs.



Ugly end to Senators’ storybook season

The long, bumpy road of the shortened season, full of countless potholes and unforeseen lifelines, finally came to an end for the Ottawa Senators Friday.

by Ken Warren

on May 24, 2013

PITTSBURGH — The long bumpy road of the shortened season, full of countless potholes and unforeseen lifelines, finally came to an end for the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.

In convincing fashion.

The Pittsburgh Penguins sent the Senators into the summer with a thorough 6-2 win here, wrapping up the second-round series in a tidy five games.

Ultimately, the Senators couldn’t come close to matching the Penguins’ talent. Pittsburgh put plenty of polish on the finish.

After the teams shook hands and the Senators flew home to Ottawa on their charter flight following the game, there was no way to deny the Penguins were the better team. While the Senators had enough talent and grit in their patchwork lineup to get past the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round, the Penguins exploited a Senators’ lineup hobbled by injuries and youth. The Penguins outscored the Senators 13-5 in the final two games of the series.

“It’s a hard lesson to swallow, these last two games,” said Senators coach Paul MacLean, who congratulated the Penguins for their impressive display. “It’s real tough for our goaltender, our team and our coaching staff and our organization to get beat like we did in the last two games, but one thing about our group is adversity really tends to be something (we learn from).

“We will take good things out of this and it will make us better. (The Penguins) never stepped off the pedal one time and that’s what it takes.”

James Neal delivered the hat trick, while Brenden Morrow, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin also found the range against Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, while only Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris scored on Penguins goaltender Tomas Vokoun.

In a desperate attempt to shake things up and change the club’s history of slow starts in the series, MacLean reunited the line of Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson, hoping the veteran leadership of the club’s top forwards could provide an early spark.

The fire never started. The Senators had no gas to ignite it. The Penguins, meanwhile, were flying from the outset.

“We weren’t able to slow them down or stop them from scoring,” said Alfredsson, who will now take time to evaluate whether or not to retire. “One thing that hurt us was that we took too many penalties. They’re too good on the power play to be able to fend them off. As skilled and as fast as they are, they’re also well coached.”

The Penguins took control a mere 6:06 into the game when Morrow finished off a pretty passing play, deflecting the puck off his stick, then his skate, behind Anderson. Just in case the early goal wasn’t enough, it was also set up by Public Enemy Number One in Ottawa — aka Matt Cooke — who had an outstanding series.

Neal padded the lead to 2-0 when Anderson couldn’t find the puck in his skates during a Penguins’ power play. Letang, who has six points in his past two games, then flashed the talent which made him a finalist for the Norris Trophy, dancing his way into the slot before rifling a shot over Anderson’s trapper.

Michalek gave the Senators a glimmer of hope, scoring seconds after a power play expired. The dream of a comeback didn’t last long, though, as Malkin buried the Senators on a breakaway with 30 seconds left in the second period, following one in a long line of ghastly Senators turnovers in the neutral zone.

At that point, all the Penguins had to do was run out the clock in the third, much to the delight of the sellout crowd inside the Consol Energy Center.

Neal added to the damage with a pair of goals in the final period and the caps came raining down on the ice when he completed his hat trick. Turris also scored for the Senators in the third, but it was meaningless in the face of the Penguins’ onslaught.

“It sucks that you lose, it’s never a good feeling and everyone is going to be hanging their heads for a little bit here, especially the way we lost, with back-to-back games like this,” defenceman Marc Methot said. “It’s certainly not what we wanted. We hoped to put up more of a fight. We lost to a better team. You have to give them props. They outplayed us.”

At the same time, Methot says he is incredibly proud of how far the Senators did get, considering few people gave them much of a chance to make the playoffs when Anderson, Erik Karlsson and Spezza suffered their long-term injuries.



Sens captain Alfredsson won’t be anything but honest

By Bruce Arthur, Postmedia News May 24, 2013

PITTSBURGH — The other day, William Alfredsson turned two years old and his father was in Pittsburgh. His father wanted to be home, but he had to go to work. Daniel Alfredsson has been playing for the Ottawa Senators since 1995, before any of his four children were born, and that means sometimes he misses things. It’s part of the price. Always has been.

“It’s tough,” Alfredsson said earlier in the week, before his team faced elimination in Game 5 of their second-round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night. “It is. They enjoy me playing and watching games but for me personally, being away, missing a lot of stuff, it doesn’t get easier.

“I’ve had a lot of moments when it’s been a lot of fun, there’s no question. I thoroughly enjoy my job; I love what I do. But I can’t say I enjoy every moment of it because I find the travel to be extremely tough. With a young family at home and time away, it doesn’t get easier. But when I’m at the rink, I still enjoy what I do.”

He was honest; it’s part of his charm. Alfredsson has been in the news this week; first for Game 3, when he managed to make the Penguins forget about him for about seven seconds, enough to skate behind them to the front of the net and tie the game with 28.6 seconds left on a short-handed goal. It was incredible. Of course, people said, it was Alfie.

And then, after the Penguins drilled Ottawa 7-3 in Game 4, Alfredsson was asked if he thought the Senators could realistically come back from a 3-1 series deficit. Alfredsson considered the question for a second and told reporters, “Probably not. I mean with their depth and power play right now, it doesn’t look too good for us.”

There was the predictable cluck-clucking that occurs whenever an athlete actually says what he is thinking, followed by some people wondering whether ol’ Alfie was really much of a leader, or whether he was kind of a quitter, or whether he should say he was sorry — which, since he had just pulled his team from the jaws of a 3-0 series deficit two days earlier, was probably poor timing on some people’s part.

“I’m OK with what I said,” Alfredsson said before Game 5. “I’m not going to take it back. Looking back, I didn’t think it was going to get the reaction it did, I understand it, though. But it doesn’t change anything for me.”

The media used to bother him; it doesn’t so much anymore. But at some point, Daniel Alfredsson will quit. His children are still young — “As of June 21 they will be 10, seven, five and two,” he says — and he wasn’t sure if he was coming back last year, but the season was so fun and he was still good. He says this year has been fun, too. He had 10 points in Ottawa’s first nine playoff games; he’s not a passenger, even at 40 years old.

“He was dangling me all morning in keepaway,” said Senators defenceman Marc Methot. “So if you ask me, he’s got a couple years left.”

Alfredsson is the last of a generation in Canada. Calgary traded Jarome Iginla. Mats Sundin left Toronto. Ryan Smyth left Edmonton and returned. The Sedins are still in Vancouver and are probably the closest thing. Saku Koivu left Montreal a long time ago.

But Alfredsson stays, for now. He picked up a puck after Game 4 ended at home. He was asked earlier this week whether Sweden would see him at the Sochi Olympics and he replied “I don’t know in what capacity, but they might.”

Last year, on the morning of his last game of the season, Alfredsson said when he was young, Game 7 meant more to him than anything else. Then he had a family and grew up and Game 7 wasn’t everything anymore. It was still important, still required everything you could give it, but it wasn’t everything. “I think people grow most through tough times,” he said then. “If it’s your job or your family or friends or your tragedies, that’s what makes you grow. Doing well, if you only do well all the time, you don’t really enjoy it as much, either, if you haven’t had tough times before. Yeah.”

After Game 4, he didn’t just put odds into words; he kept talking. He said, “I know what we’re going to do. We’re going to go out and play a hell of a

game. That doesn’t worry me at all. We never quit. We’re not going to stop now.”

He will, sooner or later. And when it’s over, there will be no need to apologize.



Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson may retire after playoffs end

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Friday, May 24, 2013 06:02 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, May 24, 2013 06:12 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH - He is the heart and soul of the Senators.

The straw that stirs the drink. The beat that makes them tick.

Daniel Alfredsson has faced a lot of heat in the last 48 hours for suggesting the Senators would "probably not" comeback from the 3-1 deficit they were facing as they prepared for Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday night.

Most of the criticism was ridiculous. He was the talk of the town for many of the wrong reasons, but that will go away as the Senators prepare for the summer months and start looking forward to next year.

All eyes will be on Alfredsson for one reason: Will he or won't he back next season?

Lost in all the talk about his "probably not" comment was the subject of whether Alfredsson was about to suit up for his final game with the Senators Friday.

"If it is, we'll make it a fun one," said defenceman Erik Karlsson when asked about the possibility.

Alfredsson has worn the 'C' for the Senators since 1999. A UFA on July 5, he won't sign anywhere else if he does return, but Alfredsson hasn't made a decision on whether he'll play. That's why he has been trying to cherish every moment.

"Whatever happens, happens. I haven't made a decision myself," said Alfredsson. "I'm not thinking about what ifs."

No, Alfredsson isn't thinking about tomorrow, but everybody around him is wondering if he'll be back. He has shown that he has plenty of life left and he's one of the club's best players. If he decides to return, he'll be a contributor.

Many believe Alfredsson won't retire. He is playing too well to call it quits. The Senators have shown they are headed in the right direction by knocking off the Montreal Canadiens and advancing to Round 2 for the first time since 2007.

Alfredsson has said given everything the club went through this season-- with injuries to top players like Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson, Milan Michalek and Craig Anderson -- this group has been special and fun to play with.

"We've got a great locker room. It's fun to come to the rink," said Alfredsson. "It starts with the coaches to the players and everybody having a good attitude each and every day.

"Our mantra is to try to get better all the time. We've done a good job of that."

Alfredsson said he hasn't lost his desire to come to the rink. He remains prepared to put on his work boots and lead by example. If he does retire, it might be to spend more time with his family.

"I thoroughly enjoy my job. I love what I do, but I can't say I enjoy every moment of it," said Alfredsson, a father of four children. "The travel can be extremely tough with a young family at home.

"Time away doesn't get any easier, but when I'm at the rink I still enjoy what I do."

The Senators have a hard time imagining the dressing room without Alfredsson. He will remain in the organization in a senior VP role if he does hang up his skates and can then decide what kind of role he wants to pursue.

Defenceman Marc Methot, an Ottawa native who grew up watching Alfredsson, said a first-hand glimpse has allowed him to see what makes the man tick.

"I love his leadership. He is probably the best captain I think I've ever had," said Methot. "Everything he does -- from preparation to how hard he works on the ice.

"The biggest thing for me was even in practice seeing him compete, see how competitive and passionate he is about the game ... It's unbelievable with the amount of hockey he has under his belt that he can maintain that.

"That's why the guys respect him so much."

Alfredsson went through a similar scenario last summer before announcing his final decision to return in August. He told me once he wants to make sure "the fire still burns" to do the off-season training it takes to get ready.

The Senators don't want Alfredsson to go anywhere. It was his goal with 30 seconds left in Game 3 that helped push this series to a Game 5. He has a flare for the dramatic.

"I think he's a got a lot of hockey left in him. It's up to him whether he wants to (play) or not, but we all know he's capable of it," said Methot. "He's one of our best players. That's going to be up to him.

"I don't know what he's thinking. I'd love to have him back, though."

So would the fans.

FIVE REASONS ALFIE SHOULD RETURN

A Stanley Cup contender: The Senators reached Round 2 this spring. Ottawa is a team on the rise.

Four young Swedes: Alfredsson can mentor Erik Karlsson, Robin Lehner, MIka Zibanejad and Jakob Silfverberg.

Hall of Fame chance: With 1,108 career points in 1,178 NHL games, one more full season wouldn't hurt.

He can still play: Alfredsson missed only game during the shortened season and has been healthy.

Sochi Olympics: If Alfredsson does decide to return, he'd most certainly get to play with Karlsson in Sochi.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.25.2013


Ottawa Senators struggle on penalty kill against the Pittsburgh Penguins

By Don Brennan ,Ottawa Sun


PITTSBURGH - The Senators have spent far too much time watching the playoffs from the penalty box.

Heading into Friday's game, Ottawa had been nailed for 51 minor infractions, most of any team in the post-season.

Next in line were the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had taken 45 minors.

Cory Conacher led the Senators in minors, with eight, while Sergei Gonchar had been whistled down seven times.

"Taking no penalties, or very few penalties," defenceman Jared Cowen said after the morning skate when he was asked how the Senators could avoid elimination. "I don't know if we've done a great job of that throughout the series.

"Our penalty killing has been good at times, and not so good at times. But I think it goes without being said that we need to take less penalties. Uncalled for penalties, when they're not even in the defensive zone, are tough penalties to take. There's penalties you can kill off, where you're just after the puck and things happen ... but I think there's unnecessary penalties where we're giving slashes or plays away from the puck."

The fact the Penguins entered the night with the best playoff power-play success rate (28.6%) should have been enough to remind the Senators they needed to be more disciplined.

"It's hard not to get emotional, but things do happen, and you kind of lose your head sometimes," said Cowen. "I think in this game there shouldn't be any excuses for that kind of play or those kind of penalties.

"It's just self discipline, and trying to put the team before yourself."

[email protected]



Ottawa Sens just can't hang with Pens

By Don Brennan ,Ottawa Sun


PITTSBURGH -- The Senators' best was not nearly good enough.

Putting together a first line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek was coach Paul MacLean's way of providing the team with a calming influence from the start of Game 5.

His three top guns were supposed to help the Senators get over the slow gate departures that had plagued them in this series. It didn't work. None of them registered a single shot on goal -- including their shift on the lone power play -- during a first period once again dominated by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The SAM Line had a chance to be a game changer, in theory. Last season, when all three were healthy, Spezza, Alfredsson and Michalek scored 96 of the team's 249 goals -- or 38.5% of the team's offence.

"They're our top three guys and they've got a lot of experience," Erik Karlsson said before the game. "We've just got to hope they play the best they can, and other guys have got to play the best they can."

"Hopefully, that will be enough."

Michalek finally did score on the power play, assisted by Spezza, late in the second. But when the outcome was still up in the air, the line was ineffective.

The three top guys did not play their best. Neither did the rest of them.

Come to think of it, even at the top of their game, it's pretty clear the Senators were no match for the Penguins in this series. The experience they gained in the last five weeks will help, but for Ottawa to seriously contend next season it's also clear GM Bryan Murray will have to make a significant move in the summer.

With a small taste of success in the spring of 2013, Ottawa is going to want more very soon.

STARTS AND STOPS

For all his shining moments in the playoffs, Craig Anderson entered Game 5 with a second-round save percentage of .899 and goals against average of 3.85. On Friday, when some expected him to bounce back from a rocky Game 4, he landed flat ... The Evgeni Malkin goal in the last minute of the second was scored after the big Russian stripped the puck from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who was playing, and clearly affected, by some sort of foot/leg injury. Perhaps it was from late in Game 4, when Jussi Jokinen mistook the rook for a Douglas Fir and tried to chop him down with heartfelt whacks ... On Friday, the Penguins eclipsed the five-million mark in attendance since the team's streak of consecutive sellouts began on Feb. 14, 2007 ... Kris Letang was the best player on the ice through the first 40 minutes, when he had a goal, an assist and was plus-3. "Tonight is a must win for us," the Penguins defenceman said after the morning skate. "We don't want to give them any life, to get back in the series. So we've got to bring our best game." He certainly brought his.

BETWEEN PERIODS

Brenden Morrow was back in the lineup after sitting out Game 3. At 6:06 of the first period, that proved to be unfortunate for the Senators. Morrow, whose second goal of the playoffs was the ice breaker, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. At 34 years old, his 2012-13 cap hit was $4.1 million "You try to stay in the moment," Morrow said. "It's the first time I've ever been through it, so I don't want to totally focus on what's going to happen July 5. Obviously I'm having a lot of fun here and this is my team for now, so I don't want to think too much past that." It's easy to see Morrow would like to stay put, but the Penguins likely can't afford him. "I came from a place (Dallas) where I thought things were done right, and then you get here and realize not only are they a good hockey team but they're full of class," he said. "They really treat their players right." ... Morrow's goal put the merciful end to a tough shift for Jared Cowen. It was

also assisted by Matt Cooke, who has done his job about as well as any player in the series has done theirs ... Getting a roar from the crowd was Michael Keaton, who played hockey star Bobby Barbato in the 1986 movie Touch and Go. The Senators could have used Barbato Friday.

THINGS I THINK I THUNK

Didn't somebody say those offensive zone penalties are the toughest penalties to kill? The Penguins got only two shots on goal during the one Chris Neil took. Of course, it helped that Malkin was called for one of his own one minute into it. Both were in the box when Letang effectively ended this game at 12:48 of the second period ... If he was here and located in the spot on Feb. 13 from which he viewed the first period Friday, the Sun's Errol "Shooter" McGihon would have had the award-winning photo of Karlsson's face after his ankle was stomped on by Cooke ... The words sounded good at the time. "I don't think we want to roll over and die," Marc Methot said earlier in the day. "We owe it to our fans to get back there to The Bank and keep playing this series."

BUTT ENDS

We will not miss the long waits for Dan Bylsma's post-practice media conferences and his traditional, opening remarks: "The lineup and injuries are a non-discussion point." At least John Tortorella has the decency to be up front when telling reporters to kiss his ass ... Through two periods, Alfredsson had not registered a shot on goal in Game 5 ... Not once in this series did the real Karlsson show up.

[email protected]


678626 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers prospects fight for supremacy in Memorial Cup

Friday, May 24, 2013, 5:39 PM

Deanna Vasso

The Mastercard Memorial Cup in Saskatoon, Canada is starting to wrap up as it heads into the semifinal round. In preparing for the upcoming NHL draft, paying attention to this tournament is important since we can see draft prospects in action, many for the first time, and check in with the prospects already in the system.

The London Knights and The Portland Winterhawks will go head-to-head on Friday, and this matchup should be of particular interest to the Flyers since they have prospects on both teams.

Flyers prospect Anthony Stolarz, who was drafted in the second-round of the 2012 draft (45th overall), is the backup goaltender for the Knights. He joined the team halfway into the season, posting a .920 save percentage in the regular season with a 2.29 goals against average. As the backup he has only played three games in the tournament but has been welcomed relief for Knights' starter Jake Patterson.

If they are considering Max Domi as an offensive draft option, the Knights should also interest the Flyers. Domi is a focused and responsible player who had to learn to play that way while living with juvenile diabetes. Domi also has hockey in his blood. He is the son of retired NHL player Tie Domi. During the Memorial Cup he has logged two assists with the Knights.

Knights defenseman Nikita Zadorov may also be a target in the draft if Darnell Nurse or Rasmus Ristolainen are taken before the Flyers' No.11 pick. Zadorov has been solid with the Knights this season and has already scored two goals in the tournament.

It will not be an easy game for the Knights, as the Winterhawks have the top-ranked defensive prospect in Seth Jones. While the Flyers have no chance to draft Jones with the 11th pick, they already have a prospect in the system who plays alongside him.

Leftwinger Taylor Leier was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2012 draft (117th overall) by the Flyers. Since entering the tournament he has a goal and two assists.

Unfortunately, we will not see much more of Leier in the Memorial Cup. Leier is experiencing “concussion-like symptoms” after getting hit by the Saskatoon Blades’ Dalton Thrower on Wednesday. Leier is expected to be out for the duration of the tournament.

Stolarz and Leier were both present at the Flyers Trial on the Isle prospects camp last summer, and the Flyers are still interested in them, but neither player has had the opportunity to play for the NHL team.

The victor of the semifinal game between the Knights and the Winterhawks will go on to play the Halifax Mooseheads, who have already secured their spot in Sunday's final.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.25.2013


Danny Briere preparing for buyout from Flyers

Travis Hughes

Friday, May 24, 2013, 9:40 AM

The buyout of Danny Briere makes a ton of sense for a ton of reasons, namely:

* He's not very good anymore. We already know he's a weak defensive player, and the last two seasons have been by far his least productive offensively since he came to Philadelphia in 2007. He can score in the playoffs, but you need to get to the playoffs for that to work.

* He's expensive, not in real dollars but in a $6.5 million cap hit over the next two seasons.

* The Flyers could use the savings. The salary cap is dropping to $64.3 million next year and they already have $70.3 million committed to the roster. Gotta cut down somewhere.

But just because it makes sense doesn't mean the Flyers will do it, and Briere's buyout remains perhaps the biggest question facing the team this offseason. Will they buy him out? Well, he thinks they will.

Ran into Daniel Briere last night. He's pretty sure the Flyers are going to buy him out. He wants to stay.

— steve simmons (@simmonssteve) May 23, 2013

It's a bit complicated for Briere. When he signed here in 2007, it was no doubt with the intention of finishing his career in Philadelphia, and a buyout would change all of that. He has two young sons and has roots down in the Delaware Valley. Picking up and moving to a new city at this stage in his life is not something that he wants to do for reasons we can all understand.

But hockey doesn't care about the lives of its players, nor does the business of hockey, and Briere seems to be coming to terms with the fact that he could have to make that move. The Flyers would probably prefer to trade him instead of buying him out, considering that even with a buyout, they will still owe him a bit of money until his current contract expires.

There are probably a few teams that would be interested in acquiring him via trade even despite his cap hit, but there was a reason Briere didn't waive his no-trade clause back at the trade deadline, and he's not likely to do so now. For starters, if he's bought out he'll become a free agent and will have the choice to pick from any team in the league that's interested. He'll get a new contract as well, obviously, and he'll still be making money from the Flyers. He has more control over the situation AND more money. Hard to imagine him putting that control in Paul Holmgren's hands.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.25.2013


Briere talks broadcasting, future with Flyers

Staff Writer

May 24, 2013, 10:00 am

Danny Briere may have a future in broadcasting, but it's not something he wants to think about just yet.

"Hopefully I have a couple more years to play," the Flyers' center said Thursday when he joined the panel of "Philly Sports Talk."

During the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Briere has served as a guest player analyst on TSN, afforded the opportunity because the Flyers missed the playoffs for the first time since he joined the team in 2007.

"It's a lot of fun," he said. "Obviously, I'd rather be playing but I guess it's the second-best seat."

Briere is entering a crucial offseason in his Flyers career. Following his least productive year with the orange and black and sitting at age 35, Briere could find himself with a new organization next year if the Flyers choose to amnesty his contract.

It's known that Briere wants to stay, but the team also has to clear space as the salary cap decreases going into next season.

So what does Briere make of the whole situation?

"I think I'm at the same stage as I was when we cleaned out our lockers at the end of the year," he said. "I still don't know. Like I said at the time, it's out of my control at this point.

"I'm hoping that I'll still be around come next season, but I don't have any more control over it."

Briere tallied just 16 points on six goals and 10 assists in 34 games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. He's always been a better performer with the club in the postseason than in the regular season, but he didn't have the chance to prove he can still get it going in the playoffs this past year.

Another amnesty candidate for the club is goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who was unspectacular in net and shared time with newcomer Steve Mason at the end of the season.

Briere was positive in hoping that Bryzgalov wants to remain with the Flyers -- an issue on which not everyone agrees.

"I have to believe [he wants to be here]," Briere said. "There's a reason he signed with the Flyers. I know it was two years ago, but at the same time he's a competitive guy.

"I would certainly hope being a teammate of mine that he wants to be [here] and he wants to help our team get to the next level."


678629 Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney agrees to a long-term contract extension

Sarah McLellan

May 24, 2013 2:39 PM

Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney has agreed to a long-term contract extension to remain with the franchise amid its ongoing ownership search.

This was supposed to be a telling off-season for the Coyotes with Maloney and coach Dave Tippett’s contracts set to expire this summer. Many expected that to force an ownership resolution after four seasons under league management, but Maloney hinted that he didn’t need an owner in place to remain at the helm of the organization.

“I am grateful to continue working for this franchise,” Maloney said in a statement released by the team. “We have a strong core of talented people, both on and off the ice, who are committed to building a championship team and a first class organization. I would like to thank NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly for their tremendous support these past few years.”

Maloney has been an impressive architect of the Coyotes since they were thrust into bankruptcy in 2009, acquiring players that have not only fit within his limited budget but also thrived under Tippett. The Coyotes advanced to the playoffs three straight years before missing out this past season.

Maloney was honored with the inaugural General Manager of the Year Award following the 2009-10 season after the Coyotes secured 50 wins and a 107-point regular season.

While Maloney’s future is settled, uncertainty surrounding the franchise still exists. Tippett would be a highly-coveted coach if he’s without a contract July 1 when his current one expires. Goalie Mike Smith is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 5. And the league still hasn’t found a buyer for the team from the list of interested suitors.

But perhaps Maloney’s new deal is a sign that more encouraging news is on the way.

“We are very pleased that Don has agreed to sign a long-term contract extension with the Coyotes,” Daly said in a statement. “Since joining the team in 2007, Don has done an outstanding job managing his team and building a competitive roster that has produced on the ice, even given less than ideal circumstances off the ice.

“The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes’ future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don’s long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed.”

Arizona Republic LOADED: 05.25.2013


NHL may lay out Coyotes ownership deal Tuesday, mayor says

Paul Giblin

Fri May 24, 2013 7:01 PM

Glendale’s mayor said he expects the National Hockey League to lay out its ownership deal for the Phoenix Coyotes early next week.

Developments came quickly Friday afternoon. At about 4:30 p.m., NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman scheduled meetings with Mayor Jerry Weiers and other council members for Tuesday morning.

Two weeks ago, Weiers told Bettman not to ask for a meeting until the ownership picture was set.

“If he’s doing what I asked him to do, which is to not bring us anything unless he had it 100 percent ready to go, if he thinks they’re ready to go, we’ll see what they’ve got to propose,” Weiers told The Arizona Republic.

Hours earlier on Friday, the Coyotes scheduled a press conference at Jobing.com Arena for Tuesday afternoon, purportedly to discuss General Manager Don Maloney signing a long-term contract extension.

“Other than Don Maloney’s new contract, we have nothing new to report on the Coyotes,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told the Republic on Friday.

The Coyotes’ ownership has been in a constant state of flux since the NHL purchased the franchise in bankruptcy four years ago.

The developments come exactly a week before Glendale’s deadline for management firms to bid for the job of operating Jobing.com Arena, which is significant because any potential new owners are expected to want that business.

Until now, the city-owned arena has been managed by whoever has owned the team.

The bidding process is open to potential Coyotes owners and non-Coyotes owners alike, a clear indication that the Glendale City Council is willing to consider untying team ownership from arena management.

NHL executives have been negotiating a purchase agreement for months with Renaissance Sports & Entertainment, a business that was formed specifically to buy the Coyotes with the intent of keeping it in Glendale.

The investment group is headed by Canadian businessmen George Gosbee and Anthony LeBlanc, and U.S. businessmen Avik Dey and Daryl Jones.

Meanwhile, the city’s consulting firm Beacon Sports Capital Partners of Needham, Mass., is conducting a competitive national search for an arena management firm to run the 17,125-seat arena.

Beacon executives are expected to review the bids, then recommend a firm in time for the Glendale council to have a contract signed July 1.

The deadline was intended to put a sense of urgency to the selection of an arena manager, but the council retains the authority to alter the terms of the search or to ignore Beacon Sports’ recommendation altogether.

The city already altered the search once. Originally, the deadline for companies to bid was May 24, but that was extended until May 31.

“This would allow the interested parties additional time to perform their due diligence and submit their proposals,” Assistant City Manager Horatio Skeete wrote in a memo to the council.

City Councilman Gary Sherwood, who initiated the idea to hire an outside consulting firm to find an arena manager, said it’s entirely possible the city and the NHL could strike a deal without Beacon Sports’ involvement.

“In a perfect world, we’d love to say, ‘National Hockey League, we’re going to pick our own arena management company and you take care of the rest it.’ We’d love that,” he said.

NHL interests, however, are intent on retaining the arena management responsibilities and the fees associated with them.

Bettman told Sherwood in a phone call recently that Beacon Sports’ involvement in the arena management selection process was silly, he said.

“He called it ‘silly.’ He used the word ‘silly,’” Sherwood said.

NHL executives requested, then canceled, meetings with council members two weeks ago. The intent at the time was to brief council members on developments with Renaissance.

At the time, Weiers told Bettman to complete the terms of a sale before rescheduling.

“He called up and said they weren’t quite there and did I want him to come out? I said, ‘No. When you come out, I want you to come out fully prepared and give us the whole skinny,’” Weiers said.

Renaissance executives have not responded to several requests for comment by the Republic.

However Jones, who is part of the Renaissance group, may have hinted to Coyotes followers that a deal was done, or close, on May 16, when he posted on Twitter: “I’m currently holding my tongue.”

When asked by the Republic whether his short online message suggested a deal for the Coyotes was complete, he responded in a text message: “Jones declined comment.”

After reaching an agreement with the NHL to purchase the team, the next step for Renaissance or any other potential buyer would be to reach an agreement with Glendale for the team to continue playing at the arena, and potentially, for the new owners to manage the $220 million facility.

There are too many uncertainties to guarantee that the city will be able to reach a deal with the NHL or Renaissance, Weiers said.

“Hopefully, we can put something together, but like I’ve told everybody all along, it’s always going to be public safety first. We’re not cutting into our general fund to support a hockey team,” he said.

In recent weeks, the council has declined requests by the police and fire departments for additional funding, even at the risk of closing a fire station.

“At any rate, at least we’ve got something moving, which is different. At least something’s happening,” Weiers said.

Sherwood said he believes any potential owners will want to be paid substantially more than $6 million a year, which is the figure that’s been earmarked in numerous proposed city budgets for the arena management fee.

Similarly, in February, just after the last proposed purchase agreement for the Coyotes fell apart, LeBlanc told the Republic that his interest in acquiring the team was contingent upon an arena management deal that was similar to the $15 million-a-year offer the council approved last year.

The $15-million-a-year offer expired when former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison missed a city-imposed deadline to purchase the Coyotes from the NHL by Jan. 31.

Since then, four of seven members of the Glendale council have been replaced and the new line-up has struggled to balance the city’s budget. Glendale has implemented cutbacks in municipal services, pay freezes and staff reductions in virtually every department to help balance the books.

For now, Glendale finance officials are comfortable with the $6 million-a-year figure, said interim City Manager Dick Bowers.

“Our estimate, based on audited statements and reviews, we believe that’s in the neighborhood of what it would take. We could be wrong, up or down,” he said.

It may not be adequate, Sherwood said. Council members may have to consider new revenue streams to generate additional funds if NHL-affiliated interests or outside management companies seek more to manage the arena.

The council may have to consider implementing higher ticket surcharges for events at the arena, parking fees at the arena or a special tax district, Sherwood said.

The alternative, he said, is losing the Coyotes and the revenue the team brings to the city. The problem is that city officials are uncertain what the possible trade-off might be.



May 24, 2013 7:38 pm

Sarah McLellan

Maloney signing hints at more positive news for Coyotes

Negotiations between Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney and the NHL on a contract extension picked up momentum this week and although a timeline for when that deal might be completed wasn’t clear as recent as Thursday, according to a league source, it sure seemed like a resolution was imminent.

The Memorial Day holiday easily could have postponed any type of news until Tuesday, but instead the Coyotes announced a long-term extension for Maloney Friday afternoon to give fans something else to celebrate this weekend.

Maloney won’t address the media until Tuesday, so we’ll have to wait to get his take on why he wanted to recommit to the franchise amid its ongoing ownership uncertainty. But what is hard to ignore is the positive ramifications this move could have for the Coyotes and their future in Glendale.

0109131259smBased on interviews I’ve had with Maloney, it seemed clear that he wanted to remain the team’s GM regardless of where it plays in October. Obviously, he wants that to be in the Valley and is optimistic that’s still a real possibility. But it’s undeniable he has a passion — and strength — for this job seeing as how he’s been able to maneuver the last four years with very limited resources.

Whether or not this signing is a precursor to the sale of the team to an ownership group, it certainly could instigate other encouraging developments.

With Maloney in place, he can now start negotiating a new contract for coach Dave Tippett. Before Friday, both sides had not started negotiations, Tippett said. But the Coyotes bench boss was definitely happy about Maloney’s news.

“Don has done a great job building and leading our team, and it’s only fitting he will continue that quest,” Tippett wrote in a text message.

With Maloney signing winger Rob Klinkhammer to a two-year deal last week, that would seem to suggest that he has received a budget from the league. That budget could change if ownership is secured, but the parameters no doubt help him work in the meantime.

Besides inking Tippett to a deal, goalie Mike Smith is another top priority for Maloney. While Smith may need more ownership clarity before seriously negotiating with the Coyotes, Maloney’s decision to stick with the Coyotes could be an influential factor.

And if Tippett is next to sign, that would help even more with the team’s credibility in negotiations.

It’s still too early to tell, though, whether or not the Coyotes will be able to keep the nucleus of the team intact. But what has to be encouraging for fans is the fact that Maloney has more than a month to work on contracts for Tippett and Smith.

Tippett is under contract until July 1. Smith becomes an unrestricted free agent July 5.

Perhaps that’s one upside to an early exit this season. The off-ice business was confronted early, with Maloney’s new deal settled approximately one month after the team’s final game.

The situation could still be better, but Maloney has proved many times in the past that if anyone’s able to do more with less, it’s him.


678632 Pittsburgh Penguins

Kovacevic: Matt Cooke 1, Ottawa Senators 0

Dejan Kovacevic

To: Ottawa Senators Hockey Club

From: The Agency representing National Hockey League forward Matt Cooke

Re: Rejection

Dear Sirs,

As you doubtless are aware, our client can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. At that time, we will entertain offers from 29 of the league's 30 member clubs, including from his current employer, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Your club, we would like to inform you well in advance, will be Mr. Cooke's exception.

As we are confident you will agree, he would make for a terribly poor fit given all that has transpired over the past year, culminating with the events of Friday night in which his team achieved the Eastern Conference final by eliminating yours from the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 6-2 Game 5 triumph.

Put bluntly, gentlemen, you are not worth our time.

But please, permit us the courtesy to explain:

On the 13th of February, on the same ice where your season just ended, Mr. Cooke lowered his skate blade into the ankle of Erik Karlsson, your fine defenseman. That unfortunately resulted in Mr. Karlsson missing two months to a severed Achilles' tendon.

We know, of course, that it was indeed unfortunate rather than intentional because, as even a third-grader could see from the replay, our client was facing away from Mr. Karlsson upon contact.

Now, our client is capable of the occasional blind pass — witness his skating around half your franchise to set up Pascal Dupuis' short-handed goal Wednesday — but he does not, in fact, have eyes in the back of his head.

And yet, your general manager, Bryan Murray, cast aspersions on Mr. Cooke's role in the accident after the game. As did coach, Paul MacLean.

Your owner, Eugene Melnyk, put the tent on the circus days later by broaching NHL etiquette — and common sense — by mimicking this absurdity. He even called our client a “goon” and said he belongs in “the Central League.”

Let the record show that our client never responded with a negative syllable toward the Senators and, in fact, reached out — unrequited — to wish Mr. Karlsson well. The closest Mr. Cooke came to directly addressing the matter was to restate the obvious — it was accidental — and to say: “I wish Erik Karlsson the best.”

Soon after, not content to let it lie, Mr. Melnyk became the laughingstock of the league by declaring he would pay a Toronto forensics firm to study the incident.

Naturally, when asked about that before this series, Mr. Melnyk described the investigation as “still in progress.”

Of course it is. Because the “investigators” haven't had time to “investigate” while splitting their sides laughing.

Look, we as The Agency for NHL forward Matt Cooke fully grasp our client is not without past transgressions. Our group has a well-worn path to Brendan Shanahan's office. But Mr. Cooke not only has learned from those but also has emerged as nothing less than an elite checking winger.

Did you notice the 19 goals he put up last season?

Or the eight in this shortened season?

Or the cut in penalty minutes from annual triple-digits to 80 total the past two seasons?

Or the exemplary penalty-killing on one of the league's premier units?

Or, for that matter, the hustle and hardly-Central-League pass to spring Brenden Morrow's opening goal Friday?

Or the glass-rattling check on Milan Michalek for one of his team-high 46 hits this postseason?

If not, we are guessing you did notice that he has been among Pittsburgh's top forwards throughout the playoffs, even if he has only three assists and still hasn't scored.

Here's how goaltender Tomas Vokoun assessed it: “Cookie's been a big part of this team, but I think he played great all year, to be honest with you. He's been so solid. I can tell you from playing against him, I never realized how good a player he is. Yes, he has a past, his problems and all that. But when he stayed away from that, he's a really good player.”

Here's how teammate Brooks Orpik assessed it: “Cookie's been unbelievable for us, consistent, physical, aggressive … I don't care how many points he's got, he's been outstanding. There's no quit in the guy.”

We call attention to the difference in that latter facet to that of your otherwise esteemed captain, Daniel Alfredsson.

Yet another reason there is no match to be had here.

Matt Cooke never quit, not in these playoffs and not when everyone from the NHL to Mario Lemieux to the local public turned on him. He took the high road and kept his head held high.

Right to the end. Your end.

This is what our client told reporters after the game Friday: “No, there's no special satisfaction. It's still a freak accident. You know, I felt terrible about it at the time, and I'm just glad that he's back playing.”

Mr. Karlsson, he meant. And yes, they shook hands in the line afterward.

Someone then asked our client why he never barked back: “I don't think there's any benefit. I'm comfortable in knowing what the situation is and how it happened. I've tried to answer as many questions as I could, and I reached out to him. I did what I could.”

You might not think any of the criticism or outright loathing from Canada's capital bothered him, but trust us, away from the cameras and microphones, it did.

And he won't say it, so we will...

Gentlemen, Matt Cooke won.

Your Senators lost.

Run that result by your forensics specialists, and they'll tell you it's case closed.

Tribune Review LOADED: 05.25.2013


Letang dazzles with dynamic play in Game 5 win

Josh Yohe

Defenseman Kris Letang passed his old mentor, Sergei Gonchar, on the franchise's all-time postseason scoring list Friday.

He also badly outclassed Gonchar and his contemporary, Erik Karlsson, while igniting the Penguins' charge in a 6-2 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Ottawa Senators.

Letang is now tied with teammate Evgeni Malkin for second in the NHL in postseason scoring with 16 points. He led all players in the series with 10 points.

“He's pretty impressive,” defenseman Douglas Murray said.

Letang was enduring a tumultuous postseason through nine games, his production as consistent as his turnovers.

Then something happened in Game 4 in Ottawa.

In the past five periods of the series, Letang produced one goal and five assists. Coach Dan Bylsma decided to place Letang with old defense partner Mark Eaton after the first period in Game 4, and the plan worked to perfection.

“It's a comfortable pair,” Bylsma said. “They've played a lot together, both this year and in the past. Kris was playing the off side with (Matt) Niskanen at times in Game 4. That wasn't the strongest period in Game 4. We switched our pairs at that time. It worked well. Kris is comfortable there.”

A comfortable Letang is a dangerous Letang.

With Eaton by his side, Letang suddenly stopped committing turnovers and whistling the puck blindly into the neutral zone. Instead, the Norris Trophy nominee played a more thoughtful game, making the right plays while letting his unparalleled athleticism do the rest.

He essentially put Game 5 away with two terrific plays in the second period, one of the cerebral variety and the other that required nothing but exquisite skill.

Letang wisely threw a puck at goalie Craig Anderson's feet from behind the net in the second period. Right wing James Neal was there to tap it in.

Later in the period, Letang skated down the left wing, swerved violently toward the slot and buried a shot past Anderson.

The goal was beauty, but Letang was more pleased with his solid defensive work during a plus-3 evening.

“You can't really look at it that way,” said Letang, when it was mentioned that he is now second in the NHL in playoff scoring. “We have to see how I play defensively. Just have to make sure I do a good job in my own end. When you do that, you get rewarded.”

Letang's 10 points are the most he has ever produced in a series and only three fewer than he scored during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoff run.

His numbers not only led all scorers in the series but dwarfed those of Karlsson and Gonchar.

The pair finished with two assists apiece. Karlsson was a minus-5 during the series, Gonchar a minus-7.

Statistically, Letang stood alone.

Among NHL defenseman, he might also stand alone if he can bottle his performance from the previous five periods.

“I played against him for a long time so I know how good he is,” goalie Tomas Vokoun said. “He's got everything there is to have, from talent to skating ability, to vision. Everything. He works hard, too. When you have a person like that, the success, it's got to come.”

Did it ever.



Penguins notebook: Tickets for Eastern Conference final on sale today

Josh Yohe

Approximately 2,000 tickets for the Penguins' first two home games of the Eastern Conference final will go on sale at noon Saturday.

Fans are encouraged to order tickets at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also will be available for purchase at the Dick's Sporting Goods Box Office at Consol Energy Center, all Pittsburgh area Ticketmaster locations, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Fans are advised that lottery systems will be used at the box office and Ticketmaster locations.

The award goes to...

Because of the NHL lockout, the league's award show will take on a new twist this season.

A special 60-minute program will air an hour before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. Originating from whichever city is hosting the game, the NHL will present winners of the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP), Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year), Norris Memorial Trophy (best defenseman), Ted Lindsay Award (best player as voted by players) and the Vezina Trophy (best goaltender).

Penguins nominated for awards include Sidney Crosby (Hart, Lindsay trophies) and defenseman Kris Letang (Norris Trophy).

In previous seasons, the NHL awards have taken place after the Stanley Cup Final in Las Vegas and, previously, Toronto.

However, because the season could extend into the final days of June because of the lockout — and because the league's draft is held in late June and free agency begins in early July — the league simply doesn't possess the time to showcase the awards ceremony after the Stanley Cup Final.

Morrow returns

Left wing Brenden Morrow entered the lineup after missing Game 4 in Ottawa with an unknown injury. It didn't take long for Morrow to assert himself.

The veteran, who predicted he would improve his play following a disappointing series against the New York Islanders, scored the game's first goal in the first period. It was his second marker of the postseason.

Bennett sits

Morrow's entry into the lineup meant that winger Beau Bennett was a healthy scratch. The coaching staff, however, remains pleased with Bennett's play. Given the Penguins' depth, there isn't always room for the talented rookie.

Health kick

The Penguins entered Game 5 without any injuries. Defensemen Deryk Engelland, Simon Despres and Robert Bortuzzo, along with forwards Bennett, Joe Vitale, Tanner Glass and Dustin Jeffrey, were all healthy scratches.

A good cause

Penguins fans before game 5 raised $16,100 for victims of this week's tornado in Moore, Okla.



Senators notebook: MacLean puts onus on veterans

Jerry DiPaola

Coach calls on veterans

Coach Paul MacLean opened Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal Friday night at Consol Energy Center with the veteran line of center Jason Spezza, left wing Milan Michalek and right wing Daniel Alfredsson.

His aim was to stock the ice with veterans. Before Friday, the trio had combined to play in 229 career playoff games, with a total of 81 goals. Michalek and Spezza are former first-round draft choices and Alfredsson, 40, is the team's respected captain.

“Maybe if we put our veteran guys together and get them on the ice early in the game, it will have a calming effect for the rest of the group,” MacLean said.

Initially, MacLean's strategy didn't work. While Spezza had the second-most ice time among Ottawa forwards in the first period, his line had none of the Senators' 10 shots.

Michalek scored on a power play late in the second period after the Penguins had seized a 3-0 lead. Spezza and Kyle Turris assisted.

MacLean speaks

MacLean, who took no questions and cut short his news conference Wednesday night, stayed as long as anyone wanted Friday afternoon after his team's game-day skate.

But reporters threw only two questions at him and he sat on stage for a total of 76 seconds. He did offer a bit of news everyone expected when he said goalie Craig Anderson, who was pulled before the end of Games 1 and 4, would start Game 5 on Friday night.

He also said right winger Mark Stone, who was injured in Game 4, did not make the trip to Pittsburgh.



Penguins rout Senators, return to Eastern Conference final

Rob Rossi

Everything about this knockout was technical.

The Penguins, though, were all power and might in their second-round slamming of the Ottawa Senators.

They advanced to the Eastern Conference final with a 6-2 win over the Senators on Friday.

“The depth we have showed, different guys chipping in,” captain Sidney Crosby said of what he liked most about a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal they won, 4-1.

That said it all, actually.

The Penguins doubled-up the Senators, 22-11, in a five-game romp against the team that finished the regular season second in goals-against average and first in penalty kill.

They chased goalie Craig Anderson twice, and bested him for at least four goals three times.

Anderson allowed four goals only twice during the season.

He, like the Senators, succumbed to a Penguins' power play that was devastating, dominant — if at times a bit too daring.

The Penguins went 6 for 25 (24 percent) in the series, all of those goals coming in their wins.

“I hope they don't bill us for the clinic,” Senators coach Paul MacLean said.

Up next for the Penguins is either Boston or the New York Rangers, and the series will open with Games 1 and 2 at Consol Energy Center at a date to be determined.

Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon.

Winger James Neal might want the next series to begin then, too.

He had only one goal going into Game 4 on Wednesday, but finished as the Penguins' leader against the Senators with five markers.

He turned a hat trick in Game 5, which returning winger Brenden Morrow (left arm) opened with a goal about seven minutes into the first period.

Neal scored next, on a second-period power play, and from that point it seemed clear that Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson had been spot-on with his series assessment after the Penguins' 7-3 win in Game 4.

The Penguins were just too much too handle.

Alfredsson, along with former Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar playing perhaps his last NHL game, provided his opposition with its greatest compliment by basically conceding the series after the Senators' third loss.

However, defenseman Marc Methot perhaps most accurately captured what these Penguins are like when he referred to them as “a monster.”

Fittingly, Michael Keaton, the Coraopolis-born Hollywood star who played “Beetlejuice” and “Batman,” took in Game 5 from Consol Energy Center.

Coach Dan Bylsma is directing a film with many stars — consider that 500-goal scorer Jarome Iginla has switched positions and agreed to play on the second power-play unit just to be a part of this cast — although one has shined most unexpectedly.

Tomas Vokoun replaced franchise goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 of Round 1 and has lost just once.

The Senators needed five-plus periods to defeat him in Game 3, and he would have won that had the Penguins' power play not allowed a goal while protecting a 1-0 lead with 29 seconds to play.

Vokoun made 29 saves in Game 5. He finished the series with a .935 save percentage.

“Obviously, Vokoun was very solid for us all the way through,” Crosby said.

There were few Penguins who weren't solid — from Crosby, who scored highlight-reel goals in Games 2 and 4, to winger Matt Cooke, who finished with 20 hits.

The Penguins had not defeated a lower-seeded opponent in three years or won a series in two before knocking off the Islanders in Round 1.

They had not wrapped a series at home in five years since ousting the Senators in Round 2.

They have not been to the Stanley Cup Final in four years.

That is what Round 3 will be about.



Alfredsson ponders his future

Jerry DiPaola

Daniel Alfredsson's decision to continue his NHL career into an 18th season — beyond the Ottawa Senators' disappointing loss to the Penguins on Friday night in the Eastern Conference semifinals — won't be his alone.

Hugo, Loui, Fenix and William Erik — his children aged 10 through 2 — will have something to say about it.

His wife, Birgitta, will have an opinion, too.

Then there is Senators general manager Bryan Murray, who will meet with the 40-year-old captain in the next few days.

Coach Paul MacLean, however, was the only member of the Senators organization to weigh in definitively after the 6-2 loss to the Penguins.

Asked about the possible returns of unrestricted free agents Alfredsson and 39-year-old defenseman Sergei Gonchar, MacLean said, “My expectation is they will be back until they tell me they are not going to be.”

For Alfredsson, however, it's not that easy. He said he really doesn't know what he will do.

Even if the decision was only his, he is unsure.

“I really can't say now,” he said after the 1,179th game of his 17-year career. “I love the game, I love to practice, I love to play the games.”

But ...

“I find the travel really tough with four kids at home,” he said. “That's where I struggled personally.”

Alfredsson, who has 426 career goals, missed one goal recently that especially bothered him. His son scored it.

“My son's first career goal, birthdays,” he said. “I missed out on a lot at home.”

“My wife draws a pretty heavy load at home. Without her, I would never have been able to play this long.”

Alfredsson, who retrieved the puck Wednesday at the last game at Scotiabank Place, said there were no special thoughts running through his head at the end of Friday's game at Consol Energy Center.

“If I had decided to retire already, it would have been different,” he said.

Teammate Kyle Turris said it would be difficult for the Senators to carry on without Alfredsson.

“Alfie is the heart and soul of Ottawa, not just our team,” he said. “To possibly be losing him, that's something that will be real tough that we would have to work through.”



Gene Collier: Ottawa desperate? It sure didn't look that way

May 25, 2013 12:35 am

Gene Collier

The Penguins kept warning about the impact of desperation in the ramp-up to Game 5, leaving no doubt about for which side desperation would be skating.

The Ottawa Senators, this little psychological exercise held, would be bringing not just their increasingly inadequate hockey skills to this elimination game, but packing desperation as well, which happened to be the very thing that could produce what Pittsburgh would consider a highly unfavorable result.

That storyline went nowhere.

The Penguins are in the Eastern Conference final today for the third time in six years essentially because they were flat-out unmanageable for the Senators, but it didn't hurt that all of that supposed Ottawa desperation was performed Friday at the approximate tempo of "Desperado."

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy,

She'll beat you if she's able,

The queen of hearts is always your best bet.

Meanwhile, to Ottawa's faltering metronome, it was 1-0 Penguins, 2-0 Penguins, 3-0 Penguins, and the Senators knew how the rest would go.

Your pain and your hunger are driving you home.

Ottawa had an idea for this episode, the one after the Penguins blasted them, 7-3, in a frightening display of sharpshooting the other night in Canada, at one point scoring three times in less than two minutes. Coach Paul MacLean was going to reunite the line Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, hoping to rub an offensive spark to counteract the hot starts for which the Penguins seemed so capable.

No spark. No tempo. No Game 6.

"We did our game plan, the way we wanted to do it, the way we wanted to play," said winning goaltender Tomas Vokoun, now 6-1 in these playoffs and seemingly irremovable from the Penguins net. "Eventually, we filled the net again."

James Neal filled it up to the victory level all by himself, his hat trick the most memorable component of a 6-2 win, the Penguins' sixth in their past seven postseason home games. But it was defense that set the table for the final act of this Eastern Conference semifinal.

Two nights after playing in front of Vokoun was mostly a matter of watching the forwards fill the net at the other end, Penguins defensemen not only rose to meet the Alfredsson-Spezza-Michalek gambit, they likely played the best defensive zone 60 minutes of the series to help deliver this clinching 6-2 victory.

Playing ultra-confident, precise, crease-clearing defense that kept traffic in front of Vokoun to a minimum, the Penguins still got major offensive contributions from their blue-liners, most particularly when Mark Eaton put a perfectly calculated pass into the slot that Brenden Morrow tapped in for the first goal of the game and when Kris Letang rifled a shot over Craig Anderson's left shoulder in the second period, the shot that made it 3-0.

Morrow's goal represented the very antithesis of what the Penguins were doing defensively, because Morrow got to the net by going around Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen as if he were a traffic cone. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Cowen should have been a major impediment in a then-scoreless game, but Morrow had none of the difficulty Senators forwards experienced in the other end all night.

"We learned some tough lessons here," said MacLean after the obligatory series-ending handshake. "We learned some in beating Montreal, but the tougher lessons were here. We hope it makes us a better organization."

It's not always easy to maintain a passion for defensive responsibility when you're with a team that scores four or five or seven goals just about every night. The fact that the Penguins do it is no small part of why they're the first team to arrive at a conference final this season.

"I think our desperation was there," Crosby said. "You find out really quickly that it's not all that enjoyable to play in our own end all the time. Especially in the first round where it took away from our offense because we were always playing in our own end.

"The more diligent we are there, the more opportunities we're going to get offensively and that's a lot more like the game we want to play. It's something we have to focus on and get better at, but the more desperation we have there, the better our chances of playing the type of game we want to play."

Post Gazette LOADED: 05.25.2013


Senators captain Alfredsson on the mark in the end

May 25, 2013 12:32 am

Jenn Menendez

Daniel Alfredsson was right.

A day after Ottawa's longtime captain caught fire for remarking his team could "probably not" come back against the Penguins -- out of context or not -- they certainly did not.

In the end, it was the Penguins' skill laced throughout the lineup that proved insurmountable. Ottawa lost Game 5, 6-2, and the series, 4-1.

Is it the deepest Penguins team he has seen?

"It's hard to say because we've been in different situations with ourselves," Alfredsson said. "But they were a class above us."

Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson, said unequivocally, they are.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a team that deep to be honest," Anderson said. "Maybe pre-lockout when there wasn't a salary cap? But like I said, star players doesn't mean you're going to win. It's how they come together, play as a team.

"They're well-coached over there. They work well together. Everyone is pulling in the same direction on the team and it shows."

Ottawa's locker room was packed up and cleared out just minutes after the final horn, but several players trickled back in to talk about what went wrong.

"We lost to a better team," defenseman Marc Methot said. "You've got to give them props over there. They outplayed us. They're a better hockey club. That's the difference."

Alfredsson, who said he hasn't yet thought about what's next for him, said the Penguins' next opponent will be hard-pressed to make it past them.

"I think if Boston would win [tonight] they're a team that's really strong defensively. You look at Pittsburgh they would be the favorite," Alfredsson said. "They have skill, speed, well-coached. They're going to be a tough team to beat."

The Senators' only win in the series came at home in a second overtime period in a game the Penguins' power play was snakebit.

By midway through the second period in the elimination game Friday night, the Penguins had built a 4-1 lead on goals by Brenden Morrow, Kris Letang, James Neal and Evgeni Malkin.

The Senators made a last-ditch effort to extend the series by opening with their three best forwards together on the top line: Jason Spezza at center with Milan Michalek on the left wing and Alfredsson on the right.

Despite trailing, 3-0, by 12:48 of the second period, Michalek scored at 16:18 of the second period after a power play expired.

But Malkin's breakaway on four-on-four play was the backbreaker. Neal scored twice more to complete a hat trick after that.

"Hope they don't bill us for the clinic," Senators coach Paul MacLean said. "I think [my team] got a solid lesson of what it takes to move on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a hard lesson to swallow the last two games."

Methot said the Penguins' skill and ability to move the puck made it difficult to follow their game plan, which was to get physical.

"The fact they can handle and move the puck around so well makes it hard for us to play physical against them," Methot said. "We couldn't beat down on their forwards as much as we maybe wanted to, especially having the big defense. They're a [heck] of a hockey team."

MacLean added: "I thought they were very good. Very consistent. Really had us on our heels almost every game. Credit to them, their organization. It was a great learning experience for our team."



Tough, smart Cooke gets Penguins on move

May 25, 2013 12:32 am

Shelly Anderson

Penguins left winger Matt Cooke made a conscious effort two years ago to change his game, to pare it down from mean and nasty to tough and smart.

It has been a success, with his penalty minutes dropping and his NHL suspensions for blatantly illegal plays falling to, well, none.

But he might never stop fielding questions about his reputation as a dirty player, regardless of whether it's still deserved.

Friday night, he was still being asked about a Feb. 13 incident when his skate blade inadvertently sliced the Achilles tendon of Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson -- even though Karlsson and the Senators had just been eliminated by the Penguins, 6-2, in Game 5 at Consol Energy Center.

Asked if perhaps getting through the series without any lingering hostilities spilling into the games was a chance to turn the page, Cooke said, "I hope so."

In the teams' traditional handshake line on the ice that marks the end of a series, Cooke's exchange with Karlsson was brief.

"I just said, 'Great series,' " Cooke said. "That was it."

Cooke successfully ignored the vitriol aimed at him from fans and Senators management -- including owner Eugene Melnyk.

"At the end of the day, it's still a freak accident and I felt terrible about it at the time," Cooke said. "I'm just glad that he's back playing. I didn't expect there to be anything [carrying over] in this playoff series because winning the series is most important."

Cooke carved out some attention for himself in other ways in the series. Friday, that included a prominent role in the opening goal.

The Penguins already seemed to be the more intense team when a savvy play by Cooke set up that goal, in the first period.

He carried the puck into the right circle, with Ottawa defenseman Jared Cowen closing in. It appeared as if Cooke made a decision not to shoot the puck or try to outmaneuver Cowen. He dug his skate blades into the ice, sending up a spray as he curled away from Cowen.

Cooke insisted it wasn't as skillful as it might have looked.

"I actually lost the puck and Cowen skated by it," he said. "I stopped on it."

Cooke sent a cross-ice pass to defenseman Mark Eaton, who was streaming over the blue line and into the opposite circle. Eaton threw the puck toward the net, where Brenden Morrow was waiting.

Morrow -- who returned to the lineup after missing Game 4 because of an unspecified injury -- swiped at the puck, which glanced in off of his skate. An official review determined that he had not used a distinct kicking motion, and the Penguins had a 1-0 lead at 6:25.

"[Morrow] drove the net and Mark was the late guy coming in, the late option," Cooke said. "That was the easiest pass for me. He made a great pass to [Morrow] and it went in the net. It all started with [Jussi Jokinen] chipping it out and putting it behind their defense."

The assist gave Cooke a three-game points streak -- an assist in each of the three games -- which might seem modest, but it matches the longest in the postseason of his career.

"I didn't get any [points] in the first series [against the Islanders]," Cooke said. "Not easy to come by and definitely not the main focus, especially mine, throughout the playoffs. But hopefully I can keep chipping in and helping the offense."

He had a chance to add a goal in the third period. Alone in front of the Ottawa net, the puck came bouncing toward him, but it seemed to be

moving in slow motion, and a Senators player got to him before the puck did to thwart the scoring chance.

"The puck seemed to be bouncing on me a lot [this game], especially in [prime] areas, but that's fine," Cooke said. "You want to help chip in, but that isn't the most important thing."

In addition to the assist, Cooke finished the game with two shots, a team-high five hits and two takeaways.

A strong game, but not a thug's night.

Cooke was asked if he is playing his best hockey now -- a pretty good time if so, with the Eastern Conference final upcoming.

"I don't even know how to judge that," Cooke said. "Playoffs are based on team success, and that's what's most important right now. I want to be out there doing everything I can to help our team win, whether that means blocking a shot or [playing on the penalty-kill] or taking a hit to make a play or getting on the scoresheet. I want to be there and support my team."



Penguins Notebook: Long stretch of starts no problem for Vokoun

May 25, 2013 12:31 am

Dave Molinari, Ray Fittipaldo and Shelly Anderson

Tomas Vokoun made his seventh consecutive start Friday night, when the Penguins faced Ottawa in Game 5 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series at Consol Energy Center.

He appeared in more than two games in a row just once in the regular season -- a four-game stretch that included three starts and two shutouts -- but said the workload is a nonissue for him, even at age 36.

"I don't think I need to do anything special [to stay physically fresh]," he said. "Even when I didn't play as much during the [regular] season, you still train and work out and prepare in case you have to play.

"You just don't know. Injuries, or whatever else, could happen, and you could be playing for a while. You have to be ready. ... As a backup goalie, your job is to be ready when the team needs you."

Vokoun certainly was when called upon to replace Marc-Andre Fleury for Game 5 of the opening-round series against the New York Islanders.

He entered the game Friday night with a 5-1 record, 1.82 goals-against average and .942 save percentage.

Nonetheless, Vokoun recognizes that he could be replaced as the Penguins' go-to goalie at any time.

"There's nothing set in stone here," he said. "I play every game like it could be my last.

"It wouldn't any different if they told me that, 'No matter what's going to happen, you're going to play for the rest of the playoffs.' In this business, promises can only last as long as you're performing."

Morrow back in lineup

Penguins winger Brenden Morrow returned to the lineup after leaving practice early Tuesday and missing one game because of an unspecified problem.

After joining the Penguins for their game-day skate Friday -- but not participating on a particular forward line -- Morrow said the fact that the Penguins went into Game 5 with a chance to clinch the series didn't factor into whether he played.

"They're all tough to sit out at this time of the year," Morrow said.

"It doesn't matter if it's the first game of the series or a game to clinch it. They're all tough to sit and watch. It's a tough time of the year to be banged up."

He watched his teammates run up a 7-3 win in Game 4 in Ottawa and enjoyed seeing all the goals.

"It's a lot easier to watch a game like that than a nail-biter," Morrow said.

Talk about offense

The Penguins scored 41 goals in their 10 playoff games before last night. The 4.10 goals-per-game pace was the second-highest in the NHL playoffs in the past 20 years.

The highest-scoring playoff team over the past two decades was the 1992-93 Penguins, who scored 50 goals in 12 games (4.17).

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said his team's power-play statistics play a big part in the gaudy scoring average, but he said the team is not looking to play high-scoring games.

"We don't look to take chances to score goals," Bylsma said. "We don't look to try to manufacture those situations. It's more of a situation of how we play and how we want to play to get those opportunities.

"That's a big part of that number. It's not something we're striving to get. It's been the result of us being able to do certain things on the ice."

None of the top five highest-scoring teams in the playoffs in the past 20 years have won a Stanley Cup. The 1992-93 Penguins lost in the second round to the Islanders. The 1992-93 Los Angeles Kings (3.88 goals per game) lost in the final to Montreal. The 1992-93 Vancouver Canucks (3.83 goals per game) lost in the second round to the Kings. And the 2011-12 Philadelphia Flyers lost in the second round last season after beating the Penguins in the first round.

Penguins forward Craig Adams was asked if there anything to that.

"I haven't thought about it, but I would say those teams were obviously giving up too many goals if they're getting beat," he said.

"I'm not going to complain when we're scoring seven goals. It's a question of how many we're giving up."

Through 10 games, the Penguins were allowing 2.6 goals per game, which was second most among the eight teams still alive in the playoffs.

Only Ottawa (2.77) was giving up more goals per game.

New vehicle for NHL awards

The NHL will announce the winners of the Calder, Hart, Norris, Ted Lindsay and Vezina trophies on NBC Sports Network at 7 p.m. the day of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final.

Penguins center Sidney Crosby is a finalist for the Hart (MVP) and Lindsay (most outstanding player), and Penguins defensemen Kris Letang is a finalist for the Norris (top defenseman).

The Masterton, Selke, Jack Adams, King Clancy and Lady Byng, Mark Messier Leadership and General Manager of the Year awards will be announced at 5 p.m. the previous night on the NHL Network.

Crosby is a finalist for the Masterton (perseverance, dedication and sportsmanship), and the Penguins' Ray Shero is a finalist for the general managers' award.

Dates for the final round have not been determined.



James Neal's hat trick leads Penguins to 6-2 victory

May 25, 2013 12:19 am

Shelly Anderson

Swell place, Ottawa.

An historic and, in places, picturesque city. A lot of nice people and plenty of powerful ones, too. Great place to spend a little time in the spring.

But the last place the Penguins wanted to go this weekend.

Their play in a 6-2 victory against Ottawa in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Friday night at Consol Energy Center -- which secured a spot in the Eastern Conference final and removed any need to return to Ontario for a Game 6 -- made that pretty obvious.

"We came out with the desperation to win," said winger James Neal, whose personal contribution came in the form of three goals and an assist.

The Penguins had a pronounced edge in play most of the game, especially when the outcome was still in doubt, to claim a spot in the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2009, when they earned the franchise's third Stanley Cup.

They also won a series on home ice for the first time since ending Philadelphia's season at Mellon Arena in the 2008 conference final.

The outcome of the series had been widely predicted, and Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson suggested it was entirely appropriate, as well.

"They were better than us in each and every game," he said.

The Penguins will face the winner of the Boston-New York Rangers series for the conference title. The Bruins hold a 3-1 lead, and can win the series with a victory at home today.

"At this point, whoever you play, it's going to be a pretty tough series," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. "Anyone who gets this far, it's for good reason."

Whichever team they meet in the next round likely will devote a lot of time to scheming ways to contain Neal. After a slow start in this postseason, he got three goals and an assist in Game 5 after putting up two goals and an assist in Game 4.

"The way he shoots the puck and the way he can hold onto it, he can definitely scores in bunches," Crosby said. "He's proven that. He's done it before. That's pretty difficult to do in the playoffs."

The Penguins' next opponent might want to do some detailed video work on goalie Tomas Vokoun, too. He stopped 29 of 31 shots Friday and is 6-1 since replacing Marc-Andre Fleury for Game 5 of the opening round against the New York Islanders.

He wasn't obliged to be spectacular for most of Game 5, but again came up with the saves the Penguins needed, when they needed them most.

Vokoun deflected credit for his success -- "There was a lot of goal support. For a goalie, that makes it that much easier to play" -- but his teammates again acknowledged the role he played.

"Obviously, [Vokoun] was very solid for us," Crosby said.

Neal noted that the Penguins "got a great start again." Left winger Brenden Morrow, who sat out Game 4 with an apparent arm/shoulder injury, returned to the lineup and put them in front to stay at 6:25 of the opening period steering a Mark Eaton feed past Senators goalie Craig Anderson.

Neal made it 2-0 at 7:38 of the second, jamming in a loose puck on a power play, and Kris Letang threw a high shot past Anderson's glove at 12:48 for what proved to be the series-winner.

Ottawa didn't wilt -- Senators winger Milan Michalek threw a backhander past Vokoun from the front lip of the crease at 16:18, one second after a delay-of-game penalty to Douglas Murray of the Penguins expired -- but

Evgeni Malkin sealed the outcome with a breakaway goal 29.2 seconds to go before the intermission.

The Senators weren't officially done at that point, but Malkin's goal seem to snuff any hope they had of coming back. Alfredsson took a hooking minor 40 seconds into the third period, and Chris Neil went off for slashing just over three minutes later.

Neal picked off a pass by Senators defenseman Sergei Gonchar at the right side of the net, carried it to the front and flipped the puck past Anderson at 11:07, but Kyle Turris exploited an ill-conceived poke-check by Letang to get Ottawa back within three at 13:32.

Neal put an exclamation point on the series -- and completed his hat trick -- at 17:21.

He also made it clear that, regardless of who the Penguins face in Round 3, they don't plan to alter the attacking style that served them so well against Ottawa.

"We're going to keep going and do the same thing," Neal said. "We're confident that if we keep playing the same way, we'll get results."


678643 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks elimination games

Mark Purdy

05/24/2013 05:29:50 PM PDT

Despite their reputation for going quietly in elimination games, the Sharks often have been a tough out in those contests. Here are some of their best performances in elimination games, both in victory and defeat.

In victory:

May 12, 2011 -- Sharks beat Detroit 3-2 in Game 7 of Western Conference semifinals at HP Pavilion. Patrick Marleau scored game-winning goal.

April 25, 2009 -- Sharks beat Anaheim 3-2 in Game 5 of quarterfinals at the Tank. Marleau scored game-winner at 6:02 of overtime. Sharks eliminated in Game 6.

April 22, 2008 -- Sharks beat Calgary 5-3 in Game 7 of quarterfinals at HP. Jeremy Roenick had two goals and two assists.

April 25, 2000 -- Sharks beat St. Louis 3-1 in Game 7 of quarterfinals in St. Louis. Owen Nolan scored from beyond blue line against Roman Turek. Winning goalie for Sharks was Steve Shields.

May 19, 1995 -- Sharks over Calgary 5-4 in Game 7 of quarterfinals in Calgary. Ray Whitney scored winner in the second overtime.

April 30, 1994 -- Sharks stun top-seeded Detroit 3-2 in Game 7 of quarterfinals at Joe Louis Arena. Jamie Baker's goal was the difference.

In defeat:

May 24, 2011 -- Sharks lose to Vancouver 3-2 in Game 5 of Western Conference finals in Vancouver. Kevin Bieska scores freak goal at 10:18 of second overtime. Sharks ousted from playoffs.

May 4, 2008 -- Sharks eliminated by host

Dallas 2-1 in Game 6 of semifinals. Brenden Morrow scored at 9:03 of fourth overtime. San Jose fell behind 3-0 in series and won two elimination games to reach Game 6.

May 15, 2002 -- Sharks lose to host Colorado 1-0 in Game 7 of semifinals when Teemu Selanne misses an open-net wraparound attempt that would have tied the game late. Peter Forsberg scored game's only goal.

May 3, 1999 -- Sharks eliminated by Avalanche 3-2 in Game 6 of quarterfinals at the Tank. Milan Hejduk scored for Colorado at 13:12 of overtime. Series was delayed by the Columbine High School tragedy.

May 2, 1998 -- Sharks go down in overtime, losing to visiting Dallas 3-2 in Game 6 of the quarterfinals on a goal by Mike Keane

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 05.25.2013


San Jose Sharks must bounce back from 'weakest game of playoffs'

Curtis Pashelka

05/24/2013 05:59:18 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- The Sharks gathered at their practice facility Friday and were blunt about their performance the night before in a game in which they were outhit, outshot, out-hustled and outplayed by the Los Angeles Kings.

"That was our weakest game in the playoffs," coach Todd McLellan said.

"Our whole game was pretty bad," center Logan Couture said.

There were no easy explanations as to why the Sharks, coming off consecutive wins at home, did not match the Los Angeles Kings' energy level throughout Thursday's 3-0 loss. All they know is they need to reassert themselves in time for Sunday's Game 6 at home as they face elimination for the first time in this postseason.

"Of all of the games in this series," forward TJ Galiardi said, "that was the one we didn't deserve to win."

The Sharks had different set of emotions Friday than they did after the first two losses in Los Angeles, games they felt they could have easily won. But Thursday's loss had little redeeming value. They were outshot 29-24, went 0 for 3 on the power play where they managed just four shots and had just 24 hits to the Kings' 51.

The lack of sustained offensive pressure led to Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick collecting his second shutout of the playoffs.

Asked if he can use his frustration in a constructive manner for Sunday, Couture, who does not have an even strength goal in the playoffs, said, "I know I will. I hope everyone else does as well. I wasn't happy with the way I played personally. It's going to motivate me for Sunday's game. I hope it motivates the rest of the guys as well."

The Sharks' history in the sixth game of a series in which they are facing elimination does not play in their favor, going 1-8 all-time with the only victory coming in 1995 against the Calgary Flames. The Sharks won that game and the series with a Game 7 double-overtime victory in Alberta thanks to goalie Wade Flaherty's 56 saves.

Since then, it's been nothing but heartache for San Jose.

It happened to former coach Ron Wilson in four straight non-lockout seasons — 2004 to Calgary, 2006 to Edmonton, 2007 to Detroit and 2008 to Dallas in a four-overtime thriller.

After that series with the Stars ended, Wilson was fired and replaced by McLellan, who lost a Game 6 with his team facing elimination to Anaheim in the first round. That was the season the Sharks won the President's Trophy for having the most regular season points in the NHL.

When the Sharks are trailing three games to two and playing at home, they're still an anemic 1-4.

Not that McLellan put much stock Friday in what happened in prior years.

"This is this year's group and this is game 6 for us here at home," McLellan said. " ... It's a completely different year. It's an opportunity to refer to the past and use stats, but this is a different group, a different year and a different time.

"If this was game 6 last year, we'd be almost in the finals by now. Everything about it is different."

Galiardi said that it was a quiet flight home for the Sharks, as the players replayed the game in their minds and assessed what they might have done differently.

McLellan said he likes how the players on his team hold themselves, and others, accountable.

"Individually, if your pride's been tapped or altered or questioned, either by yourself or a teammate or sometimes the media, you have a tendency to

get your back up and respond," McLellan said "Not that that's happening in this situation, but that was our weakest game in the playoffs. So if there's ever a time to get our back up against the wall and respond, it's now."



San Jose Sharks' Game 6 heartaches

Staff Writer

05/24/2013 07:39:14 PM PDT

GAME 6 HEARTACHE

The Sharks have not fared well when they have trailed a Stanley Cup playoff series three games to two entering Game 6. They are 1-8 in those contests, with their only win coming in 1995 against Calgary. Here is a look back at San Jose's Game 6 history:

2009 vs. Anaheim -- Visiting Sharks lose 4-1 in Western Conference quarterfinals.

2008 vs. Dallas -- Visiting Sharks lose 2-1 in four overtimes in conference semifinals.

2007 vs. Detroit -- Host Sharks lose 2-0 in conference semifinals.

2006 vs. Edmonton -- Visiting Sharks lose 2-0 in conference semifinals.

2004 vs. Calgary -- Visiting Sharks lose 3-1 in conference finals.

2001 vs. St. Louis -- Visiting Sharks lose 2-1 in conference quarterfinals.

1999 vs. Colorado -- Host Sharks lose 3-2 in overtime in conference quarterfinals.

1998 vs. Dallas -- Host Sharks lose 3-2 in overtime in conference quarterfinals.

1995 vs. Calgary -- Host Sharks win 5-3 in conference quarterfinals.



San Jose Sharks notebook: Adam Burish might be ready to return

Curtis Pashelka

05/24/2013 09:59:06 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- Sharks coach Todd McLellan said winger Adam Burish, who initially was ruled out for their Western Conference semifinal series against the Los Angeles Kings with an injured right hand, "is very close and he may be an option on Sunday."

Burish, who has been skating with the team in practice in recent days, injured his hand in the final game of the opening-round sweep of Vancouver. If he plays in Game 6, he could help in penalty-kill situations and would bring experience to the fourth line.

"Same thing he's brought all year," McLellan said. "An experienced player that's played in some big games. A right-handed faceoff guy, a bit of a disturber on the ice. Those are some assets we can use."

On the fourth line, the Sharks have dressed Bracken Kearns and James Sheppard for all five games. In Game 5, Jason Demers played on the fourth line, and Tim Kennedy was scratched.

The Sharks have not lost any faith in their power play, which ranks fourth in the NHL at 23.3 percent for the playoffs, but realize the unit will need to execute better than it did Thursday if they hope to extend the series.

With the man-advantage in Game 5, the Sharks went 0 for 3 and mustered just four shots on goalie Jonathan Quick as the Kings skated to a 3-0 victory to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Sharks are 0 for 10 on the power play in their three losses to the Kings, and 3 for 9 in their two victories.

"It wasn't our best. But we've always responded, and it's not the time to harp or dwell on it," Sharks center Scott Gomez said. "If anything, the sense of urgency has to be more. It's one thing we all can do. It's almost like you have to act like you're short-handed."

Because they do have 10 power-play goals in the playoffs -- second most in the league behind Pittsburgh -- the Sharks believe their issues in Game 5 are easily correctable.

"It was our passing, it was our timing, our breakouts," center Logan Couture said. "We've had a good power play all year, and in these playoffs the power play's really carried us to where we are right now. Especially our first power-play unit, it was so bad last night."

In Quick's five career playoff victories against the Sharks, which includes two wins in the 2011 postseason, he's allowed just four goals and has a .977 save percentage. In the six losses to San Jose, he's allowed 23 goals with a .888 save percentage.

"He's probably just more confident now. When goalies get in grooves like that, they're confident. They make big saves," Couture said when asked if he sees any differences between Quick now and two years ago. "When the other team doesn't capitalize on their chances, it just adds to his confidence. We got to start scoring some goals on him."

Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Award winner, also plays for a different coach in Darryl Sutter, who is slightly more defensive-minded than former Kings boss Terry Murray.

Sutter told reporters center Jarret Stoll skated for about 15 minutes Friday, the first time he's been on the ice since he was hit by Raffi Torres in Game 1 on May 14. Stoll had been riding a stationary bike. Sutter said Stoll will be evaluated again Saturday but cautioned "there's still a significant long ways to go."

The NHL announced that Sunday's Sharks-Kings game will start at 5 p.m. NBC Sports Network will televise.



Sharks on brink after 3-0 loss in L.A.

Ross McKeon

11:55 pm, Thursday, May 23, 2013

Los Angeles --

The Kings played their best game of the series Thursday, and the Sharks now have no margin for error.

Anze Kopitar, Slava Voynov and Jeff Carter provided the scoring in Los Angeles' 3-0 victory in Game 5 to put San Jose on the brink of elimination in the Western Conference semifinals. The Sharks must win Sunday at home to force a Game 7 back in L.A. on Tuesday.

"I don't think we were good at any point of the game tonight," Sharks forward Logan Couture said. "We didn't deserve to win."

Voynov's fourth goal of the postseason 53 seconds into the final period put the Sharks in desperation mode, but Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick stopped all 24 shots en route to his second shutout of the series, third of the postseason and seventh career in the playoffs.

Carter scored into an empty net with 31.2 seconds left.

"Our best players, myself included, were bad tonight. That's the reason we lost," Couture said. "We're not going to win if our best players are not our best players. It's reality. We need to step up."

The Sharks couldn't generate enough chances and went 0-for-3 on the power play (four shots in six minutes). San Jose has scored only one power-play goal in 19 attempts on the road in the playoffs.

"The power play was brutal," Couture said. "Passes weren't on, guys weren't shooting pucks, breakout was off, timing was off. There's 25 things that were wrong."

Joe Thornton added: "It looked like we were kind of nervous. We just have to have some poise. If our power play is going good you can see guys get some confidence. When it doesn't you can see guys kind of get down."

The Kings scored the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes, and the Sharks were probably lucky to even be that close considering Los Angeles completely dictated play for most of the first two periods.

Los Angeles forward Justin Williams stole the puck from Sharks rookie defenseman Matt Irwin deep in the San Jose end to start the goal-scoring sequence. Sharks goalie Antti Niemi lost his stick and grabbed Irwin's, but the Sharks were outnumbered in front when Kyle Clifford's right-point shot bounced to Kopitar for an easy putback at 18:08.

"It started from their defense being active," Sharks forward T.J. Galiardi said of the Kings' territorial dominance. "We didn't really handle it very well. We'll get back to the drawing board and have better wall work and we'll be fine."

San Jose had a drought of 17:59 between its sixth and seventh shots of the game. Quick smothered a pair of in-close chances by Patrick Marleau 11 minutes into the middle period and San Jose didn't manage any shots during a power play just past mid-period.

Los Angeles cranked off the final seven shots of the period for a 9-6 edge.

"The season's on the line, we're playing for our lives," Couture said. "I expect us to be a desperate team. I'm confident we're going to go home and win Game 6 and come back to L.A."

Briefly: The Sharks dressed seven defensemen as Jason Demers skated at left wing on the fourth line. Tim Kennedy was scratched in Demers' place. ... Sunday's Game 6 will start at 5 p.m. if Pittsburgh eliminates Ottawa on Friday. Otherwise the puck will drop in San Jose at 7 p.m..

Sharks vs. Kings

Kings lead series 3-2

Television to be determined. On radio, 98.5 and 102.1.

Game 1: Kings 2, Sharks 0

Game 2: Kings 4, Sharks 3

Game 3: Sharks 2, Kings 1, OT

Game 4: Sharks 2, Kings 1

Thursday: Kings 3, Sharks 0

Sunday: at HP Pavilion, TBD

Tuesday: at Los Angeles, TBD*

* if necessary

Ross McKeon is a freelance writer

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 05.25.2013


Sharks notes: Home dominance continues

May 24, 2013, 11:00 am

Kevin Kurz

LOS ANGELES – Sharks head coach Todd McLellan didn’t have a good explanation for why home teams have been so successful this playoff season.

Home teams won all three playoff games on Thursday night, and have a 44-20 record in the postseason (.688). In the second round, the home team is 14-3, including 5-0 in the Sharks-Kings series.

“I don’t know what it is, if it has to do with the lockout, being comfortable,” McLellan said. “I don’t have an answer for that. But, I do know we’re going back to our building. We have a couple days to regroup and rest. When we’ve played well this down the stretch, we’ve played quick, we’ve played efficient, we’ve made tape-to-tape passes, and that didn’t happen tonight. We weren’t the team we wanted to be.”

[RATTO: Sharks hope history eclipses this year's home ice dominance]

Kings head coach Darryl Sutter also gave his take.

“I don’t really think there is anything in particular. Everybody is going to look at it when it is over and done and look at their whole year; evaluate schedules and things, and then they are going to rate how they played at home and how they played away,” he said.

The Kings won their 13th straight game at Staples Center, including the regular season, a franchise record. San Jose is 4-0 at home in the playoffs.

* * *

The Sharks and Kings will have their second two-day break between playoff games. According to Logan Couture, San Jose has some things to work on before it tries to keep its season alive on Sunday.

“I think we’ve got a lot to look at from tonight’s game,” Couture said. "We did a lot of things wrong, so I’m sure it’ll help us to look at some video and get better.”

Couture mentioned after Game 5 that the Sharks’ best players were not their best players, and that’s true. But, no one was particularly good, according to the head coach.

[KURZ: Sharks lay an egg in critical Game 5]

McLellan said: “Our go-to guys weren’t particularly sharp tonight. When that happens, your depth has to come through, as well. They have to provide a little spark and energy, and maybe get you one. Logan is very accurate in those comments, but this was a team loss, it wasn’t just a few guys.”

* * *

That the Sharks and Kings have been so evenly matched through the five games is no surprise to either head coach.

McLellan said: “Sometimes you get into a series where strange things happen. This has kind of followed script – home teams winning, low scoring, five-on-five is at a premium, both teams are keeping shot totals down. It’s stuck to the script so far, it’s our job to change it a little bit.”

“The teams are close enough that the scores so far have been 2-0, 4-3, 2-1, 2-1, and 3-0, so I don’t there is much of a gap between the teams,” Sutter said. “I think there are gaps from game to game in terms of individual performances.”

* * *

Jonathan Quick moved past Kelly Hrudey for all time wins in the playoffs by a Kings goaltender with his 27th victory.

“I remember watching him when I was growing up, he was very competitive and hated to lose, obviously,” Quick said. “Being able to pass him on that

list it’s an accomplishment, but wins are team accomplishments, so you got to give credit to the guys you play with.”

Quick recorded his second shutout of the series, including a 2-0 win in Game 1.

“We played more of our game than I think we’ve seen. … We limited their opportunities on their power play, which we obviously know is always dangerous for them.”

* * *

Seven times in their postseason history, the Sharks have lost Game 5 after the series was tied at 2-2. They have gone on to lose six of seven of those series, and in each of those series, they lost Game 6, as well.

On the bright side, the one time they did win Game 6, they beat the Calgary Flames in the first round in seven games in 1995.



Sharks hope history eclipses this year's home ice dominance

Ray Ratto

May 24, 2013, 8:45 am

So the straw of game-to-game momentum has been snapped, and now the San Jose Sharks are left to cling to home ice as the last floating thing in the ocean.

After enduring the most comprehensive beating of this Western Conference semifinal series, a 3-0 loss in Los Angeles to a dramatically better Kings team that looked like it could have been double that, the Sharks return home staring at elimination while trying to find comfort in the fact that these have been the most lopsided home-road splits since the NHL went to its current four-rounds-of-best-of-seven format.

And the Sharks are returning home. The dark jerseys are the new momentum. That’s their, and your, new stalking horse.

The last time there was even remotely close to this level of home ice dominance was 1991, when home teams went 57-35 en route to determining that the Pittsburgh Penguins were the best team. This year, through 64 games, the home team in an NBA-esque 44-20, including 15-6 in overtime and 14-3 in the conference semis.

Compare this to last year, when home teams were a substandard 39-47, and the Kings won the Cup in large part by going 10-1 on the road. The law has been set over the past decade – you win the Cup on the other team’s ice.

So why is it so lopsided now? The lockout? The lack of great teams, or as some like to call it, the level of parity? Are home crowds now dramatically more intimidating? Or is it just one of those stuff-happens years?

The likeliest answer is probably “D,” on the theory that when Occam’s razor (the obvious answer is usually the right one) isn’t sharp enough, it is best to throw one’s hands in the air and say, “Beats me, it just is.”

And anyway, that may be too macro a way to look at any individual series anyway. The truth of Game 5 was that the Kings, younger, faster and at their best, proved all three. Los Angeles outhit San Jose, even after allowing for home team scoresheet bias. Los Angeles dominated the faceoff circle except when Joe Thornton was in it, and even he was beaten cleanly on the Kings’ second goal. Los Angeles won the CORSI numbers (zone time, shots attempted – the formula is a slight bit arcane for the numbers-averse but trust me, it matters).

To tot it up, Los Angeles won every bit of the game, and after having been slightly the less inspiring side in the earlier games, grabbed the series by the neck and gave it a good shake Thursday night.

So the Kings have the myth of game-to-game momentum, and the Sharks have home ice. And to drag more meaningless concepts into the argument, only three times since the format change in 1987 has the home team won every game, in 1992 (Montreal over Hartford), 2002 (Toronto over the New York Islanders), and the 2003 Final (New Jersey over Anaheim).

By that logic, if the Sharks were to win Game 6 Sunday, they would be nearly home free, historically speaking. But history is taking a beating this year, starting with the Sharks’ best friend now, home cooking. The playoffs aren’t supposed to work this way, and yet they are because of one thing that is more important than all the others.

Deeds done at the right moment. There isn’t a foolproof metric for that, and there shouldn’t be. Series are won with moments like Trevor Lewis beating Thornton on the draw, getting the puck to Slava Voynov and watching him beat Antti Niemi through a thicket of limbs from 50 feet.

So San Jose’s potential salvation isn’t in numbers, or the benefits of being at home, or history, but in changing the dynamic of the series yet again with more moments of brilliance amidst the steady grind of two relatively equal teams in repeated collision.

But if home ice comforts you, you go ahead and seize it. It’s a long time before puck drop, and who needs the extra agitation?



Penguins eliminate Senators, secure Sharks' second-round pick

May 24, 2013, 6:45 pm

Staff Writer

The start time for the Sharks-Kings Game 6 is officially at 5 p.m. on Sunday at HP Pavilion, after the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Ottawa Senators on Friday night.

The Sharks, trailing in the second-round series three games to two, will attempt to force a decisive Game 7 in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The home team has won each of the first five games.

The Penguins’ victory also assures the Sharks of a second-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. San Jose traded Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick in 2013 and a conditional second-round pick in 2014, that was contingent upon the Penguins either re-signing Murray or advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.



Burish could return for Sharks in Game 6

May 24, 2013, 6:00 pm

Staff Writer

Adam Burish has missed the Sharks' entire series against the Kings with a broken hand, but he is "very close" to returning, head coach Todd McLellan announced Friday. It's possible that he suits up for San Jose in its elimination Game 6.

Burish, 30, had three points for the Sharks in 46 games this year, but his veteran presence would help bulk up McLellan's options at forward, which have been limited. Raffi Torres was suspended for the entire series after his hit on Jarret Stoll in Game 1 and Martin Havlat attempted return from injury sent him back to the trainers.


678652 St Louis Blues

Blues re-sign forward Adam Cracknell

Jeremy Rutherford

The Blues re-signed forward Adam Cracknell to a one-year contract extension Friday.

Cracknell, 27, and the club agreed to one-way deal worth $600,000 for the 2013-14 season. He would have become an unrestricted free agent June 30th.

Cracknell had two goals and six points in 20 games the Blues in 2012-13.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 05.25.2013

678653 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lecroix will not return as Lightning assistant coach

Staff Writer

TAMPA - Dan Lecroix will not return next season as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team confirmed Friday.

The door is open for Lecroix to remain with the organization in another capacity, but he is free to look for a job elsewhere.

Lecroix was hired in 2010 to be part of former head coach Guy Boucher’s staff.

Contracts for several staff members – including assistant coach Martin Raymond, goaltending consultant Frantz Jean, video coach Nigel Kerwin and Lecroix – were set to expire at the end of June.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 05.25.2013


Tampa Bay’s pro coaches showcase their philosophies

Joey Johnston

TAMPA - There they were on Thursday night, three guys sitting on stage at a makeshift bar, telling stories, musing about their humble beginnings with the theme from “Cheers’’ playing in the background.

It was the perfect setting for Tampa Bay’s three professional team leaders – Bucs coach Greg Schiano, Rays manager Joe Maddon and Lightning coach Jon Cooper – to display their personalities and showcase their philosophies.

They gathered at the third annual Sneaker Soiree, a celebration of excellence in sports business, orchestrated by the Tampa Bay Sports Commission at the Pepin Hospitality Centre.

Schiano spoke of his grand plan, playing professional football in Canada, then returning for a 10-year NFL career. One problem: He was cut after six weeks. He came home to New Jersey.

Backup plan: “I spent about four weeks on the Jersey Shore … (got) drunk for about two of them,’’ he said with a laugh.

Somewhere on the way to law school, he discovered coaching while volunteering for his old high school. He set up a bed sheet and a 16-millimeter projector at home, watching film and dissecting the game.

“I found my passion,’’ Schiano said.

So did Cooper. He did become a practicing lawyer. There was potential for a lucrative career. But hockey’s rhythm spoke to him louder.

“I’m so fired up to be here with the Lightning,’’ Cooper said. “I am so lucky.’’

Maddon, too, said he’s the product of good fortune. In 1980, he was working with a semi-pro team in Boulder, Colo., working at a liquor store on the side. He got a call from the then-California Angels franchise and the course of his career changed forever.

After working as a scout, minor-league coach and bench coach in the big leagues, he got his big break with the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006.

“It was the one job – had I not gotten it – I would’ve been really disappointed,’’ Maddon said. “I wanted to be here. I considered it a new franchise and there was a chance to build it (from the ground up).’’

Maddon spoke about his philosophy of keeping things loose in the clubhouse – “It’s a game, not life and death’’ – and how empowering his players will make them loyal to the cause. Cooper agreed.

But just when the conversation seemed headed for a new level – as is the case at most bars – it was closing time. That’s when former Bucs defensive back Ronde Barber, who recently retired after a 16-year career, appeared as the clean-up man and said it was time for everyone to go.

There was actually a surprise in store for Barber. Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn appeared on stage and presented Barber with the key to the city. “We’ve laughed with you, we’ve cried with you, we’ve shared all these special moments,’’ Buckhorn said. “We will never forget you.’’

It was the capper on a special evening for Barber, whose 200th consecutive start was honored as Moment of the Year for the Bucs. His mother, Geraldine, surprised him by flying in from Virginia for the occasion.

Other top moments: Lightning, Marty St. Louis winning the NHL scoring title; Rays, David Price winning the American League Cy Young Award; USF, softball reaching the Women’s College World Series. The overall top sporting moment was the Rowdies capturing the NASL title.

Outback Steakhouse founders Bob Basham and Chris Sullivan received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Fred Karl posthumously received the Tom McEwen Community Advocate Award. The Freddie Solomon Moral Courage Award went to Strawberry Crest High basketball player Kevin Garcia, who played despite scoliosis.

“This was all very cool,’’ said Maddon, who asked Garcia to be his guest tonight at Tropicana Field and present Price’s award to the pitcher. “A lot of

great people were honored. It just shows you what an outstanding sports community we have here in Tampa Bay.’’



Fennelly: Tortorella, Richards forever linked by Cup

Martin Fennelly

TAMPA - They'll walk together forever, though you wouldn't know it right now.

We still tag along with them, too.

John Tortorella and Brad Richards, Torts and Richy, who helped make the Lightning Stanley Cup champions nine years ago, are again making playoff hockey news.

It's not exactly good: Tortorella benched Richards, a healthy scratch, with the New York Rangers facing elimination in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Bruins. The Rangers, down 3-0 in the series, rallied to win in overtime to stay alive, at least until today.

After, Johnny Torts, as only he can, defended Richards, as well as his decision to sit him.

Move over Shut Your Yap — make room for Kiss My Butt.

Oh, and Torts didn't use “butt.”

“This is a Conn Smythe winner, a guy I've grown up with, a guy that I love as a person and as a player,” Tortorella said. “But I have to make that decision ... so kiss my … if you wanna write something different.”

For those who followed the Lightning on their way to the Cup in 2004, even for those who covered them in the media, we still follow these men. Richards left Tampa Bay, a place he loved, five years ago, traded to Dallas. Tortorella left not long after that. No matter.

It was Torts and Richy, Marty and Vinny, Andy and Khabby and all the rest, who made history here. They'll walk together forever. And that's what communities do with their championship teams. They hang on, hold on. It's not hard to remember Tortorella driving the Bolts to their championship — or Richards scoring a record seven game-winning goals on the way to the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

We followed them later, Richards in Dallas, Tortorella's exhilarating and sometimes embarrassing displays, great TV as long as the children are in bed.

Now it's Torts with his job on the line. It's Richy and Vinny, together again in amnesty buyout speculation.

Richards arrived in New York last season, reunited with Tortorella after signing for nine years and $60 million. The Rangers, with 50 wins, seemed poised to win the Cup, but fell in the Eastern Conference final.

They struggled through most of this shortened season, but they beat Washington in the opening round of the playoffs. Richards, 33, had only 12 goals this season and has one in 10 playoff games. Thursday was the low point.

New York's season could end today with Game 5 in Boston. If that happens, and maybe even if it doesn't, Tortorella might not be back. The same goes for Richards.

The Stanley Cup playoffs roll on.

The Penguins' all-star fast break is overpowering Ottawa. The Blackhawks, the best team in the regular season, are seeing octopi and Red Wings in their soup. Defending Cup champion Los Angeles, tied with San Jose, regained form in Game 5, a shutout, Jonathan Quick and the Dead.

And there are the Bruins, beneficiaries of the Maple Leafs' classic first-round gag, now poised to advance with one more win over the Rangers, even if some of their crew blew a 3-0 series lead to Philadelphia in 2010.

Our connection to these playoffs is still that coach and star from 2004 — Torts and Richy. John Tortorella might love the guy, but I'm not sure if there's any love left on Richards' end. I'm sure he's crushed. Funny, but I bet Torts would love nothing more than Richards storming into his office

and demanding that he play, that kind of fire, the kind that once made a team from Tampa a Cup champion.

That's why Torts and Richy really do walk together forever — even if they aren't at the moment. They were part of a team that won it all. It's why we remember them. But it does seem like nine years ago. In fact, it seems longer.



Lightning assistant Lacroix will not return next season

Damian Cristodero

Friday, May 24, 2013 12:20pm

The Lightning on Friday began what might be an extensive reworking of its coaching staff by not retaining assistant Dan Lacroix.

Hired in the summer of 2010 with former head coach Guy Boucher, Lacroix, 44, handled the defense and penalty kill. The door is not closed on him remaining with the organization but he is free to look for other opportunities. His contract is up at the end of June.

"With a new (head) coach," general manager Steve Yzerman said of Jon Cooper, "we're trying to find the right fit as far as skills and experience."

There have been no final decisions, Yzerman said, on the status of assistant Steve Thomas and goaltenders coach Frantz Jean. Both have contracts that expire at the end of June. Yzerman has said his intention was to bring Jean back.

"One step at a time," Yzerman said.

Lacroix's replacement will help determine how the coaching staff is configured.

If the new assistant has an abundance of NHL experience, perhaps Tampa Bay sticks with two assistants. If he has less experience, Yzerman said he is not opposed to staffing a third position.

Rumors during the season had former NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson talking to the Lightning. Samuelsson spent 2006-11 as a Coyotes assistant. His contract as coach of Sweden's Modo is expiring, according to reports out of Europe.

"We're contemplating a lot of things," Yzerman said, "and what is the best fit."

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 05.25.2013

678657 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks and the art of the (coaching) hire

Personal chemistry, comfort is imperative for a general manager getting the correct bench boss

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun May 24, 2013

VANCOUVER — Doug MacLean is a witty and clever pundit on TV these days. Radio, too. But in his former professional life, he was a National Hockey League president and general manager in Columbus and he hired coaches.

So he knows a few things about the process and what Vancouver Canuck GM Mike Gillis will be going through in the coming weeks.

Hiring a coach, MacLean notes, is a long and laborious process but also an exciting one. You don’t want a ‘yes man’ – at least he didn’t – but you also don’t want someone who says one thing and then does another. That’s never a good thing. So there is much research to be done.

“The Vancouver situation will be fun to follow,” MacLean said. “The challenge there is that the team has to have results right away. This is a high-profile job. This is a team that has to have some success relatively quickly so I don’t think you gamble on this hiring. I think it has to be a guy that Mike is really, really comfortable with and a guy with reasonably good experience.

“Mike has five years experience in the league now as a GM and, with his previous experience as an agent, he’s got a pretty good feel for guys who are out there. I suspect he’ll take a few weeks to let the pool of candidates expand and then narrow it down.”

Typically, MacLean says, when starting the job search a GM will consult with his hockey ops department to ensure they haven’t overlooked anyone who might be a fit with their team. There will be incoming calls as well, from agents representing coaches, or even friends of coaches, letting it be known their man wants to be considered.

“The coach-GM relationship is so critical today,” MacLean emphasized. “You spend a ton of time together. You spend as much time with that person as you do with anybody so the No. 1 thing is you have to feel comfortable that you could have a relationship with that guy.

“Lots of times you think you can have a relationship and once the guy gets the job, he becomes a little bit different of a person. In the interview process, you say: ‘Man, this guy is easy to talk to. This guy is wonderful. This guy is great.’ Then when you hire him, it’s, uh, this is not the same guy I thought I was getting.”

Among MacLean’s hires in Columbus were Dave King and Ken Hitchcock, two men with vast experience in the game.

“You want someone who knows the game inside-out,” said MacLean. “You want someone that you can debate hockey with. You want someone who knows your team reasonably well. You want someone with strong opinions and not someone who agrees with you all the time. I was lucky. I had Dave King and I had Ken Hitchcock. They’re pure coaches. They really, really just want to be coaches. And that’s what you like.”

Once his list was whittled down to the top two or three candidates, MacLean would proceed to the interview phase, a process that might take upwards of two days per candidate.

“So the candidate comes in at noon and you spend the entire afternoon discussing the team and then maybe you go to dinner with him and invite the owners to come, too, or your top hockey guy,” MacLean explained. “Or maybe it’s just the two of you. Then you go through the second day where you revisit things, or talks about things that may have come up overnight, or things you wanted the candidate to sleep on.”

Then, of course, you can always select one person but your owner wants someone else. That happened to MacLean, too.

“The last time I hired a coach, it was mid-season (2006-07) and there were two big names at the time, Hitchcock and Andy Murray,” he recalled.

“I went to my owner’s house with my assistant GM and my director of player personnel and I said I really think Hitchcock is the way we should go. He told me he thought I should hire Andy Murray. I told him I thought we had to go with Hitchcock because he was a Stanley Cup winner, even though both Hitch and Andy were both equal, competent and good coaches. So we debated and I got him to change his mind. Then I read for the next two years that I never wanted Hitchcock and that I wanted anybody but Hitchcock.”

That was MacLean’s final hire as a GM. He was dismissed at the conclusion of the 2006-07 campaign, leading to his current career as a media star.

Pat Quinn hired three coaches – Bob McCammon, Rick Ley and Tom Renney – during his 10-year stint managing the Canucks and said he always placed “integrity and character” at the top of his search list. (His best coach in Vancouver happened to be himself, but that’s another story.)

“The coach’s job is to convince the players to play in a certain fashion and become a team so leadership skills are important,” Quinn noted. “You have to look for someone who is organized and has a vision and a plan, someone who is disciplined and can set an example, someone who is able to articulate the plan and have the players buy into it.

“At the end of the day, that’s what you need more than anything else.”

Quinn said he always went well beyond the interview process in making his selections, figuring some candidates might just tell him what he wanted to hear.

“Like players who become experts at being interviewed, coaches do, too,” Quinn pointed out. “So you do a lot of research on the person. You talk to people they know. You look at their records but then you look past the numbers to see what kind of team they had, how they pulled it together, what adversity they faced. I mean, there is some real research here because you’re hiring possibly the most important person in your organization. As a manager, you’re turning the players over to the coach to mold them and to teach them.”

Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay has been on the other end of the interview process, twice emerging as the winning candidate for an NHL job – Phoenix in 1996 and Calgary in 2000. Although neither stint led to any longevity for him, he said a lot of preparation was involved. There is even more now, he said, in a salary-cap system.

“You’d want to get to know the lineup and the players’ contracts,” Hay explained. “You’d like to know more about the general manager and what he likes and dislikes as far as how the team plays. Where is the team in its evolution? Is there a player ready to break out? Has he been given enough of an opportunity? Who are the prospects on the farm? Are there any draft prospects still in junior who could possibly step up?

“With the salary cap nowadays, I think the coach would want to know which players you’re planning to build your core around and which players might not be around,” Hay added. “A lot of teams have players on long-term contracts, so those things sometime dictate how you’re going to build your team.”

There are other factors as well that a coaching candidate might consider. Is ownership stable financially? Is ownership impatient? Does the organization traditionally run through a lot of coaches? How many years are left on the GM’s contract? What’s the media situation? And, specifically in the case of the Canucks, does the sleep doctor really work?

Mike Gillis and his successful candidate will undoubtedly deal with many of these issues. Then, come October, we’ll begin to see if Gillis made the right call.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 05.25.2013

678658 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Hat Trick: Here’s the Deal with Utica, John Stevens and Booth

May 24, 2013. 12:57 pm • Section: The White Towel

Posted by:

Jason Botchford

Stevens Canucks Hat Trick: Heres the Deal with Utica, John Stevens and Booth

1. The real concern when the Canucks sign on with Utica for their AHL affiliate should be in Abbotsford.

When it comes to the Heat, it could get worse before it gets better for ratepayers.

Unfortunately, there was a chance for it to be different. It’s not rocket engineering. If the Canucks had their farm club in Abby, they’d finally have a shot at sustained financial success.

But that didn’t happen, and that’s because the Calgary Flames have six more years on a sweetheart deal in which the city guarantees that the team will receive $5.7 million a year in revenue.

If it’s short, they dig into the taxpayers’ wallets. Some bargain.

The Canucks are looking for some similar guarantees in the shorter deal they’re negotiating with Utica.

Ya, who wouldn’t be?

Utica wants a team and is willing to talk guaranteed revenue because they don’t have much else to sell. They have an old, beaten up facility, which seats 4,000 and needs major refurbishing to get up to AHL standards.

If the Canucks go in there for a couple of years, it’s a sure money pit if they don’t have the city willing to offer up the public trough.

The deal is expected to be announced next week. If it falls apart, the Canucks have until June 13 to work something out. If they don’t, their AHL team goes dormant, and their prospects will be spread around the AHL and ECHL. It’s a disastrous situation and one the 2009-10 Anaheim Ducks dealt with.

Some seem to believe the Flames were willing to step aside in Abbotsford and the Canucks blew it by playing hardball with Abbotsford group.

That’s not how it went down. Abbotsford desperately wants the Canucks and it wasn’t an Abbotsford-Vancouver negotiation where this all fell apart.

It’s partially true the Flames were willing to move on, and leave their deal behind. They were not, however, eager to do it. There are a couple places they’re willing to go, but they’re not ready right now for an AHL team. So, to part ways with BC and this glorious deal, Calgary wanted money. A lot of money.

The Canucks weren’t willing to buy them out at the high price they wanted, and here we are.

2. Not surprised to see John Stevens on the Canucks list of possible coaching candidates.

One candidate who may get a look from VAN for head coaching vacancy there is current LA assistant coach John Stevens.—

Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 24, 2013

He’s experienced, successful and has been a head coach in the NHL and AHL.

As I was saying yesterday, the Canucks are leaning toward an experienced guy. They are open to some of the younger candidates, but would like to reduce as many variables as possible.

There are a lot of variables for first-time head coaches.

Stevens reputation has only improved as the assistant in LA in charge of the defence.

He was able to get through to Drew Doughty in a way no one else could. Does the name Alex Edler come to mind?

Doughty and Stevens clashed early, and don’t you think the Canucks could use some clashing?

Over time they developed a great working relationship and Doughty took off as a player when he understood Stevens was offering constructive criticism, not picking on him.

He’s creditted with brining along Jake Muzzin, 24, a defenceman who has flourished out of out of nowhere. Muzzin was a Penguins draft pick who didn’t sign with Pittsburgh. The Kings signed him as a free agent.

Stevens has done excellent work protecting Muzzin against tough tough matchups in this his rookie year.

Stevens also showed a deft hand with Slava Voynov, who has become one of the NHL’s most underrated defencemen.

When he was the Kings interim coach, Stevens gave Voynov some tough love making the rookie a healthy scratch after he was an established starter for month playing 17 or 18 minutes a game. Watch Voynov play, and remember this is only his second year.

Then think about Edler.

Lest anyone think he’s all defence, Stevens took over as head coach of the Flyers in 2006-07. They were 23rd in NHL in goals scored. In his third year, his last full season, they were fifth.

Stevens could fit that crazy Gillis requirement, where he envisions a team that can score goals and is sound defensively. What a concept.

To review, he’s proven good with young players. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s won a Cup. He has a successful head coaching career in the AHL. His teams have scored. He presides a defence that gets the most out of its talent. He knows the West.

But here’s the rub. Stevens is an assistant with the Kings. The Kings could easily be in the Stanley Cup final again.

Buckle up, and crack a cold one, this story is just starting.

3. I’ve got some mixed messages when it comes to David Booth and what’s going to happen next.

When the season was over, I was sure he wouldn’t be bought out. I got word that may not be correct, accompanied with some reasons.

But I’m back to being sure he’s not being bought out. Part of it is the sense around the league players like David Clarkson are going to get huge money. Stupid money. Like $6 million a year money.

Part of it, is the Cancuks need to get bigger and quicker. Booth brings that.

It’s a gamble for the Canucks. But right now they are thinking more about the player we saw before Kevin Porter kneed him. And they are thinking about the player who scored 16 goals in 56 games two years ago.

Not the guy who scored one goal in 12 games this year, and was a non-factor in last year’s playoff disappointment when they needed him most.

They are also thinking they can put his buyout to better use. They better be right, because the Booth deal threatens to hang over the team, especially because we’ve seen Keith Ballard do nothing but waste away for three years.

How much money can one team waste on overpaid players out of Florida?

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 05.25.2013

678659 Washington Capitals

Capitals season review: Defensemen

Katie Carrera

From the earliest days of training camp, Coach Adam Oates made it clear that his system was designed for the protection and involvement of the defensemen.

Ideally, blueliners will have the extra time to make the proper play to get the puck out of their own end and avoid the hits that come with a punishing forecheck. It was also critical for each defenseman to join the play in the offensive end, pinching to help maintain possession and adding more shots from the point. The defensemen accounted for 27 goals and 91 points in the regular season and gave the Capitals’ offense an extra element that makes it all the more difficult for an opponent to try and shut the team down.

Of the defensemen who finished the season with the Capitals, six are under contract for 2013-14 and Washington is expected to re-sign restricted free agent and top-four mainstay Karl Alzner. While Washington doesn’t need to overhaul its defensive corps this summer, the possibility for changes on the depth chart remain as the team could bolster its lineup with addition of youth or perhaps seek out some more experienced depth.

Prospects Dmitry Orlov and Tomas Kundratek spent a large portion of the season in Hershey, but both appear ready to step into more prominent roles. And then there’s the question of what to do with Jeff Schultz, who saw his game appearances drop for a second consecutive season, but has one year remaining on his current contract. Even assuming Alzner returns, the Capitals could benefit from the addition of an experienced all-around top-four defenseman. But then again, what team couldn’t?

If you’ve missed any of the previous breakdowns, check them out here: Forwards Part I, Forwards Part II, Goaltending, Unrestricted free agents and Restricted free agents.

Mike Green

2013-14 salary cap hit: $6,083,333 | Age: 27

What a difference a healthy Green makes for the Capitals. After being severely limited in each of the previous two seasons by a host of injuries and sitting out 13 games this year with a groin strain, Green returned to the lineup in mid-March finally confident that his body would hold up to the strain of the NHL.

Green recorded 10 of his 12 goals – good for best in the league among defensemen – in the final 19 games of the regular season and scored twice in the seven-game series against the Rangers. He was once again the commanding presence patrolling the blue line both at even strength and on the power play, setting up teammates for one-timers and unleashing his own powerful shot from the point.

While the statistics are one thing, Green brings a dimension to the Capitals’ game that simply cannot be replaced. From the respect opposing defenses must give him as a scoring threat at the point to his ability to serve as a one-man breakout and ensure Washington doesn’t spend unnecessary time trapped in its own zone, Green’s skillset helps the Capitals tick.

Staying healthy is arguably the biggest obstacle for Green moving forward. He fits well within Oates’s system and seemed reinvigorated by learning from the Hall of Fame center, along with assistant coaches Calle Johansson and Tim Hunter. As long as he’s able to avoid serious injury there’s no reason to believe Green can’t continue trending upward, logging the significant ice time and critical role that he has always been counted on to provide.

Karl Alzner

2013-14 salary cap hit: RFA | Age: 24 (Turns 25 on Sept. 24)

Alzner, like most of the Capitals, didn’t get off to a strong start in the shortened season – he was on the ice for 17 of 36 goals against in the first 10 games. It was an unexpected turn for Alzner, who is perhaps the most reliable and steady player in Washington’s lineup, but one that subsided as he developed a familiarity with the new system.

For the first time in his NHL career he worked primarily with someone other than Carlson this season, instead serving as the defensive counterbalance on a pairing with Green.

Assuming Alzner re-signs with Washington as expected, he’ll continue to take on tough matchups 20 minutes a night and, more often than not, do a quiet job of limiting opposing offensive talent. As solid as Alzner is, the question remains: How can he improve his game? He’s never going to light up the scoresheet or become a bruising presence along the boards, but Alzner has expressed his intent to improve his stick work and play with the puck.

“I started to feel better with the puck. I started to carry it a little bit more, lugging it out of the zone occasionally and trying to jump up in the play, and that’s something that I never ever did,” Alzner said. “You wouldn’t catch me crossing the offensive blue line. I still panic when I get across that line. It’s something that I’m trying to do more, trying to have a little more confidence with that.”

John Carlson

2013-14 salary cap hit: $3,966,667 | Age: 23

Carlson continued to anchor Washington’s shutdown pairing, even if he was separated from long-time defensive partner Alzner. He was on the ice for 61 goals against and struggled early on in the season, but Carlson’s overall play leveled out over the course of the year.

While he recorded six goals and 16 assists, Carlson will never carry the offensive mantle or expectations that Green does and he isn’t a stay-at-home defenseman like Alzner, either. But the balance in Carlson’s game and his ability to play in all situations – he’s the only Capitals blueliner to average over two minutes on both the penalty kill and the power play — makes him a critical pillar of the defensive framework.

As much as Washington relies on Carlson, what it needs most from the 23-year-old it trusts to face tough matchups night in and night out is consistency. Splitting him from Alzner allowed the coaching staff to better balance the defense and provide more options, but it’s hard not to wonder if Carlson could benefit from the addition of another true top-four defenseman.

John Erskine

2013-14 salary cap hit: $1,962,500 | Age: 32 (Turns 33 on June 26)

Erskine took advantage of the fresh start offered by the new coaching staff and had one of his best seasons in seven years with the Capitals. He took on a consistent role as a top-four defenseman, often skating with Carlson, and saw his average ice time rise to a career-high 18:28.

It was responsibility that many assumed Erskine was no longer capable of and allowed him to bring his brand of rugged play to the forefront, whether he was battling for pucks in the corners or shoving opponents out of the crease. Erskine posted three goals and three assists in 30 regular season games as well.

Erskine showed he is capable of handling a heavy workload, but the 32-year-old faltered in the postseason and was on the ice for eight Rangers goals. Is it realistic to expect Erskine to fulfill a top-four role in a full 82-game season next year? Or would he be better used in a less prominent role?

Jack Hillen

2013-14 salary cap hit: $700,000 | Age: 27

After missing 25 games with an apparent shoulder injury he suffered in the season opener, Hillen returned to the lineup in mid-March to play anywhere from 14 to 25 minutes per game on either the second or third pairing. He brought some unexpected offense as well, adding three goals and six assists – all in the final 14 games of the regular season.

Hillen’s strong skating ability helped him fit well into Oates’s system, a fact that played a part in his receiving a two-year, $1.4 million extension from the Capitals that will keep him in the fold through 2014-15 at a salary-cap friendly rate.

Steve Oleksy

2013-14 salary cap hit: $541,667 | Age: 27

Oleksy’s arrival in the NHL after years of toiling in various minor leagues was the feel-good story of the season for the Capitals. That he was able to

not only appear in the lineup but play in 28 regular season games and each contest in the first round of the playoffs, dishing big checks, adding grit, occasional offense and minimizing his mistakes was an unexpected boon for the blueline.

Where Oleksy, who recorded one goal and eight assists in the regular season, truly excelled was at keeping himself out of trouble. Mistakes are par for the course for anyone finding their way in the NHL for the first time, Oleksy managed to limit his own errors by making smart, simple decisions that played to his strengths.

Now that he got his foot in the NHL door, Oleksy will have to prove he can stay there. For Oleksy it will be key to improve his skating ability and remain the “sponge” that picked up every piece of information from the coaching staff to better himself.

Tomas Kundratek

2013-14 salary cap hit: RFA | Age: 23

Kundratek showed he could hold his own in the NHL during a 25-game stint with the Capitals this season. A strong skater who is confident with the puck, Kundratek held his own as he went through the growing pains of a steady role in the NHL for the first time in his career. While there were times where he was overexposed against highly-skilled opponents, Kundratek asserted himself within the organizational depth chart as he helped Washington weather numerous injuries on the blue line.

Where he fits into the equation next season may depend on the health and performance of the other right-handed shots on the depth chart, but it certainly wouldn’t be out of the question to see Kundratek spend more time with the Capitals next season.

Dmitry Orlov

2013-14 salary cap hit: $900,000 | Age: 21 (Turns 22 on July 23)

Sidelined by two concussions while playing in Hershey during the NHL lockout, Orlov made only a brief appearance (5 games) with the Capitals this season. Under Oates, who insists defenseman play their strong side, expect to see Orlov lining up on the left rather than the right where he has often appeared throughout his career.

If Orlov can stay healthy the hard-hitting defenseman with the booming shot from the point should be able to bolster the Capitals’ lineup, but the upcoming year looms large. The 2013-14 season is the final year of his entry-level contract and Orlov will be looking to stick in the NHL for the majority of the season.

Jeff Schultz

2013-14 salary cap hit: $2.75 million | Age: 27

Schultz saw his game appearances (26) and ice time (14:15) drop dramatically for a second straight season and his role diminished even further than it was during Dale Hunter’s tenure. Once a regular part of the Capitals’ top four, Schultz has been pushed down the depth chart in favor of more agile and better puck-movers.

With one year remaining on his four-year, $11 million contract and a sizable salary cap hit, could Schultz be a potential option for a compliance buyout or perhaps part of a trade? It would give Washington, which already has more than $58 million committed to 19 players for next season, a little more wiggle room under the $64.3 million salary cap and perhaps give Schultz a chance to earn playing time elsewhere.

Washington Post LOADED: 05.25.2013

678660 Websites

ESPN / Penguins' tidal wave washes away the Sens

Scott Burnside

PITTSBURGH -- When it was done and the Pittsburgh Penguins had brushed aside the valiant but ultimately overmatched Ottawa Senators, one word came to mind to describe both Game 5 and the series: devastating.

In a game that built slowly to yet another impressive offensive crescendo, the Penguins once again flashed all of their considerable credentials in crushing the Senators 6-2 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals against either the Boston Bruins or New York Rangers.

"We're playing probably the best team in the league, and we're trying and trying, but we have to pay for every little mistake, and that's why they are where they are, and we're standing here," said Senators defenseman and defending Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.

He said he can’t recall facing a team as dangerous.

"Probably not since back in the days when I played the video game," he said.

Ottawa coach Paul MacLean added that his team had learned from the Penguins about what it takes to get to the next level.

"They really had us on our heels for almost every game," MacLean said. "I think we really got a little bit of a lesson of what it really takes to continue to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs from a very good team."

"I hope they don’t bill us for the clinic," MacLean quipped. "They didn’t step off the pedal one time, and that’s what it takes."

After losing a lead late in regulation and then losing in double-overtime in Game 3, the Penguins simply washed over the defenseless Senators like a great wave. Just when one wondered if Ottawa could unnerve the favored Penguins with their Game 3 heroics, the Penguins outscored them 20-5 in the next (and final) two games.

"We got to our game a lot. I think that the depth we had showed. Different guys chipping in," said captain Sidney Crosby, who had one assist in Game 5.

"I think all the way through we didn’t have too many lulls where we lost a lot of momentum at any point. Giving up that late one in Game 3 was really something that could have changed things, [but] we bounced back in Game 4 and had a great effort and here tonight to finish it off. So, yeah, I think we gave ourselves a chance with our consistency."

If the Rangers and/or Bruins were watching Game 5, one couldn’t blame them for shuddering at the surgical precision the Penguins displayed, especially when presented an opportunity to move on to their first conference finals since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009.

The Penguins got an early goal from fourth-line winger Brenden Morrow after a terrific job of forechecking by Matt Cooke and a heads-up pass from defenseman Mark Eaton -- hardly the three names that come to mind when you think "explosive."

Morrow returned to the Game 5 lineup after missing Game 4 and Eaton was a healthy scratch at the start of this series. Yet that is the hallmark of this team. Eight different players scored goals in Games 4 and 5.

As was the case in the first two games of the series, the Penguins scored early to force the Senators to play catch-up, once again lapping Ottawa with a relentless offensive attack combined with a diligent defense that did not allow the Senators any sustained pressure.

Throughout the five-game set, the Penguins outscored Ottawa 22-11, lest anyone suggest this was fire-wagon, trading-chances hockey. It wasn’t, which represents a marked difference between this series and the six-game series the Penguins played against the New York Islanders to start the playoffs.

"I think our desperation’s there [defensively]," Crosby said. "I think we find out pretty quickly that it’s not that enjoyable to play in your own end a lot. We had times, especially in the first round, where it took away from our

offense because we were having to play in our own end. I think the more diligent we are, the more opportunities we’re going to get offensively, and that’s a lot more of the game we want to play."

Defensive specialist Cooke, who enjoyed a strong series against the Senators, said they must continue to think defense first.

"I think that the biggest thing for us is to make sure that we harness the way that we play defense, so that’s first, and we believe and feel that we’re going to get our opportunities offensively but we just need to take care of the other end first," Cooke said.

Although he is almost an afterthought, netminder Tomas Vokoun once again did exactly what was asked of him, stopping 29 of 31 shots to run his record to an impressive 6-1 since taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 5 of the opening round. Vokoun has an unbelievable .941 save percentage in seven games.

"I don’t look at it any different than before the first game," Vokoun said. "It always feels like it’s a tryout and, once you stumble, you never know what’s going to happen. Like I said, it doesn’t matter. I’m part of the team and we’re here to win, whoever’s in the net, as long as we [are] winning, that’s the most important thing."

The idea, then, is that the Penguins have the tools and the mindset to play any way an opponent wants. But the reality is that as this series went along, whether it’s borne out of defensive responsibility or not, the Penguins are operating at an offensive level unknown in recent playoff years. Friday’s game marked the ninth time in 11 games this spring they have scored at least four goals.

James Neal, who struggled through the first round and early into the second with just one goal, has now erupted for five goals and two assists in the past two games thanks to a Game 5 hat trick. The final goal, which closed out the scoring, was a thing of beauty as he turned Karlsson inside out with a toe-drag and then ripped a shot past Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson.

"So much is made [of] when guys don’t get points, but we depend on 20 guys in this room and there’s going to be times when they might not get on the score sheet and we win games, and it’s the playoffs, and that’s what’s most important," Cooke said.

"We know that James Neal’s going to score goals. No one in this room worried about it. I think the fact that he’s done what he did the last two games speaks to that."

This is uncharted territory for Neal. Since Dallas traded him to Pittsburgh in a 2011 deadline deal, the Penguins have been knocked out in the first round by Tampa and then Philadelphia.

"Just through the last couple of years of going out in the first round, you gain experience from that," Neal said. "You know what happens, you know how fast things can change. I think you saw a desperate team but a confident team as well. It was fun to play tonight; we knew we had a job to do and we did it and that’s the satisfying part.

"Any time you win, it’s fun and it’s exciting. We got a great group of guys in this locker room that come to the rink every day with a smile on their face and enjoyed it. It’s a great atmosphere to be around and we have a lot of fun with it and it shows on the ice how close everybody is and how exciting it is to play with the Penguins. It’s just an awesome experience."

ESPN LOADED: 05.25.2013

678661 Websites

ESPN / Crosby, Pens taking nothing for granted

Scott Burnside

PITTSBURGH -- In the wake of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ lopsided win in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Ottawa Senators, there is the expectation that this team is not yet done winning this spring.

And if the Penguins are going to keep winning -- a victory in Game 5 on Friday night would send them to their first conference finals since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009 -- there will be the inevitable comparisons to those teams that advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009, winning the Cup on the second try.

While it might be fun for the media to ruminate, you don’t have to go far in the Penguins’ locker room to realize that the players do not view themselves through the prism of the past.

Sidney Crosby said that change is inevitable regardless of whether a team has been successful.

“I think obviously there’s a few guys still around, but we’ve definitely changed a lot. I don’t think any team year to year, whether you’ve won or whatever’s happened, I don’t think any team’s ever the same. I think there’s always differences,” said Crosby, who has been dynamic since coming back from a broken jaw, with 14 points in nine games. “There’s changing of players and identity and things like that. But, no, we’re a different team for a lot of different reasons.”

Still, it’s inevitable that people will want to connect the dots between the Penguins of 2008 and 2009 and this deep, talented team, as if to discern whether their paths were similar.

“I think that’s pretty common, but it’s not as easy as that,” Crosby said. “Because you’ve won in the past, because certain guys have been together, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything.

“That experience, though, is something that can’t really be taught; you have to go through it. It is definitely an added bonus, but it’s kind of up to you what you do with it.”

Forward Matt Cooke was with the Penguins team that won the 2009 Cup, but he’s not expecting that experience to have any bearing on how the team performs in the coming days.

“I think each team is completely different. Makeup is different. Lines are different. Everything’s different. You can look back on those experiences to guide you moving forward, but I don’t think it has any comparison as to what this team did ... because it’s a different makeup,” said Cooke, who is coming off a strong performance in Wednesday's 7-3 win that saw him set up a short-handed goal and draw a penalty that led to the go-ahead goal.

If there is an obvious difference between the two versions of the Penguins, it’s the startling depth the current roster boasts.

Whereas Pittsburgh used a variety of players en route to the finals in 2008 and 2009, this team is rich in NHL talent from top to bottom.

Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson referred to that depth and the team’s dangerous power play, saying after Game 4 that it wasn’t likely the Senators could win three straight games and upset the Penguins.

All of the Penguins skated Friday morning, and if coach Dan Bylsma has a full roster at his disposal, he will be forced to sit a handful of bona fide NHL players. He made a couple of roster moves before Game 4, inserting youngster Beau Bennett and veteran forward Jussi Jokinen in place of Tanner Glass and Brenden Morrow, and Pittsburgh outscored the Senators 6-1 in the final two periods -- including four goals in the first half of the third.

“I think in the playoffs, though, you don’t usually expect that,” Crosby said. “I think when you look at your team or you look at offense or anything like that, I think you’re more looking at the depth of our team. To be able to do that is, obviously, it’s great, but it doesn’t happen too often in the playoffs. It was nice we were able to, but I don’t think we expect that every period. But we have guys in here that are capable of scoring, that’s for sure.”

As if to highlight the belief that one game does not necessarily relate to or suggest the outcome of the next game, Crosby talked about watching the other playoff games Thursday night.

There are lessons to be learned, he said -- mostly that you don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I think you’re always trying to learn, but I think you realize year after year the playoffs are tough and there’s no guarantees, there’s no gimmes,” Crosby said. “You have to make sure that you’re at your best, and even when you’re at your best, that doesn’t guarantee anything.

“I think the other series are a good example of that. You see last night the Rangers hang in, find a way to win in overtime, so they’re not rolling over and quitting. So I think you can always kind of take things away from other series, but I think the thing that seems to be common every year is that there’s no real kind of guideline to how it goes. Anything can happen.”

MacLean wants more O

The Senators are tinkering with their lineup a little as coach Paul MacLean tries to coax more offense out of his squad while also trying to instill some calm to the proceedings, especially in the early going Friday.

It appears that top center Jason Spezza will rejoin former linemates Alfredsson and Milan Michalek on the team’s top line in Game 5.

“Obviously Mac’s probably looking for us to give us a jump,” said Spezza, who is playing his third game of the playoffs after missing most of the regular season and the first round recovering from back surgery. “Haven’t played with Alfie very consistently over the last couple of years, so it’ll be nice to play with him. We’d like to have a good game. Hopefully we can find some old chemistry and have a good night.”

Spezza played 18:40 in his first game back, which the Senators won in double overtime, and 17:48 in Game 4. He has yet to register a point.

“I think guys are excited for the challenge ahead of us,” he said. “We know that they’re going to want to try and close us out tonight, and we know we’re going to try and give our best game of the series. It’s a good opportunity for us to play a big game.”

MacLean said the coaching staff has always viewed the three veteran forwards as fall-back options because of their experience, and the expectation is for them to see lots of ice time early in the game.

Alfredsson, at the center of a controversy with his comments after Game 4, said he’s excited to play with his old linemates, but that the team needs to start better than it did in Games 1 and 2 in Pittsburgh, when the Penguins scored early in both.

Alfredsson also noted that Ottawa cannot give the Penguins, owners of the most explosive power play in the postseason, as many chances as they’ve been getting.

“We’ve got to be disciplined both with and without the puck,” he said.

Mark Stone, who played with Spezza and Michalek in Game 4 and had a number of good scoring chances, was injured in that game and did not travel to Pittsburgh. It’s expected Cory Conacher will be back in the lineup.


678662 Websites

ESPN / Greene's monster presence calms Kings

Pierre LeBrun

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Matt Greene wouldn’t be the hockey card 9-year-old kids in Southern California would ever fight over.

Kopitar, Brown, Richards, Quick, Doughty, Carter ... those are the faces of this Los Angeles Kings team, they’re the big boys who sell tickets.

But if you ask the players on the Kings about a player who matters an awful lot to the fabric of the team, Greene’s name comes up all the time.

He’s a glue guy. On and off the ice, he’s just that part on a team that, if he’s not there, the machine isn’t functioning at the same rate.

Greene missed most of this season recovering from back surgery and then missed the opening nine games of the postseason with another injury he incurred upon his regular-season return, and while he was out, there was just something off with the equilibrium of this club.

"The things that you guys don’t see," began Kings star Mike Richards on Friday, when asked about why Greene mattered so much to this team.

"The leadership, the dressing room, that powerful voice, all year we missed him," said Richards. "On the ice, too, just how physical he plays and how hard he is to play against. If you go back to before we got [Robyn] Regehr too, that’s what we were lacking on the back end. We have some skilled guys who move the puck well, but I don’t think you can replace someone who plays that physical and how hard both of those guys are to play against. Matt coming back is a big boost for us. You can just see how different a team we are with him in the lineup. He sets the tone physically."

Boy, did Greene ever do that Thursday night in Game 5, his thundering first-period hits on James Sheppard and T.J. Galiardi sending rocket fuel through the veins of his teammates.

"It's awesome," said Kings forward Trevor Lewis. "It provides a lot of energy to see him out there, being a physical presence and coming down and making strong plays. It’s great to see. We missed him a lot this year. He was really good early [Thursday] night."

Greene wasn’t available to the media Friday, no doubt needing to rest his body after a physical 13:17 in Game 5. After the game on Thursday, he told me he wouldn’t be worth a darn to anyone on his team if he didn’t step up and play that way physically.

You can see why his teammates love this guy.

"He’s a big voice in the locker room," said fellow veteran Rob Scuderi. "When he was missing this year, you could really feel it in the atmosphere of the dressing room. It’s not necessarily something that’s needed to play well, but it lightens the atmosphere and it keeps things loose, which is a big part of the season and the playoffs. You can’t be serious all the time. We certainly missed him in that way. And certainly what he brings to us on the ice, we missed his experience and leadership."

You could sense Scuderi wasn’t quite totally putting his finger on it. As the conversation continued Friday with reporters on the subject of Greene’s value to the team, Scuderi put it another way.

"Sometimes I know he may not get a lot of press, doesn’t get a lot of points or statistics -- that’s not going to be his thing, or my thing, really -- but it’s just a presence, is the best way I can describe it," said Scuderi, himself a valuable element in that room.

It’s what makes this sport what it is, that a third-pairing defenseman and penalty killer matters so much.

"In the locker room, it starts in there with him," said Lewis. "He’s a very vocal guy. He’s a leader. A real leader. He makes sure everyone is going. He’s talking to everyone. And like you saw last night, a couple of big hits that really picked up our bench and got our energy going. We’re really happy to have him back."

Greene is a thorn to play against. He’s been in the face of every Sharks player since coming back in Game 4.

"I always say this about Greener, I loved when we traded for him because I hated playing against him," said captain Dustin Brown. "He's one of those guys that is a big part of our team, both physically or mentally."

With Willie Mitchell out all season, and Greene gone for most of it before now, the Kings were a bit of a juggling act on the back end, head coach Darryl Sutter having to try a few different things to patch it up.

"What Greene does for them is that he brings a balance to their three pairs," said a rival NHL scout on Friday. "Without Mitchell and Greene this year, they just weren’t the same at all. They added Regehr at the trade deadline and now Greene is back, it gives them similar balance to a year ago. It allows that team to settle down."

Sutter on Friday pointed to how important it is having an experienced, poised blueliner on each pairing in Regehr, Scuderi and Greene, which he said was similar to what San Jose has in Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Scott Hannan, Brad Stuart and Dan Boyle.

"It gives you some settle-down experience," said Sutter. "Even though they’re all different, it clearly gives you some composure."

Welcome back, Matt Greene.


678663 Websites

FOXSports.com / Kings find offensive production in Game 5 win

Scott Rovak

LOS ANGELES -- Who said 13 is an unlucky number?

The Kings won for the 13th consecutive time at Staples Center, blanking the San Jose Sharks 3-0 behind 24 saves by goalie Jonathan Quick on Thursday night.

Los Angeles took a 3-2 series lead with the win and are now on the brink of advancing to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year.

Los Angeles got on the board first when Anze Kopitar had an easy tap-in goal off a blast from Kyle Clifford. The goal was a big lift for Kopitar, who has struggled through the first two rounds of the playoffs.

The Kings hope a goal will jump-start Kopitar, who didn't score a goal in the Kings' final 16 regular-season games. The Slovenian center was the postseason's co-scoring leader last summer with 20 points in 20 games.

“It felt good to get us on the board. It’s fair to say that this was probably our best effort in the playoffs,” Kopitar said. “We carried that emotion, that desperation that we had in the last period of Game 4 of the series."

“I think Kopitar does a lot of things that go unnoticed," said Matt Greene. “For him to get a goal, get a reward on the score sheet is great, but we all know his value in here."

With the win, Quick earned a franchise-best 27th playoff victory, passing Kelly Hrudey. It was also his second shutout of the series and third of this year's playoffs.

“It’s really getting old (smiles), there is nothing new to say. He gives us a chance every single night and that is what you want," Kopitar said.

“What Kelly meant to this organization 20 years ago was pretty impressive. Everything he accomplished here and over the past few years. I’ve gotten a chance to know him and he’s a great guy, loves hockey," Quick said. "I remember watching him when I was growing up, he was very competitive and hated to lose obviously. Being able to pass him on that list it’s an accomplishment but wins are team accomplishments, so you got to give credit to the guys you play with. Very fortunate to be on a team with guys that care about winning so much. At the end of the day, it happened in the middle of a playoff run, so your focus is more on the next game than what we were able to accomplish today.”

Though Quick kept the Sharks off the scoreboard, Sharks coach Todd McLellan felt his team made it too easy on the Kings goalie.

“I didn’t think we tested him a lot tonight,” McLellan said. “There are a number of goalies in this league who could have performed that way tonight. His best save may have been his last one on Pavelski when we pulled the goalie.”

When asked about how he would characterize his team’s performance, McLellan didn’t mince words.

“This was a team loss. Our go-to guys weren’t particularly good tonight and that is when your depth guys need to come through as well and provide that spark and a bit of energy. Tonight, they didn’t. We will be better in Game 6.”

The series now shifts back to San Jose where the Kings have lost seven straight games.

One statistic that is working in the Kings' favor: Seventy nine percent of the teams that won Game 5 when a series is even at two, have gone on to win the series.

FOXSports.com LOADED: 05.25.2013

678664 Websites

NBCSports.com / Report: NHL to present Glendale with Coyotes ownership plan next week

Mike Halford

May 24, 2013, 10:31 PM EDT

It appears a significant step in the Phoenix Coyotes ownership situation will soon be taken.

According to Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has scheduled meetings with he and city council members on Tuesday morning, where it’s expected Bettman will lay out an ownership plan for the Coyotes.

It’s believed the Renaissance Sports and Entertainment group — led by Canadian businessman George Gosbee — has secured the league’s approval, according to Fox Sports Arizona’s Craig Morgan.

Weiers said the fact Bettman approached him and city council means there’s some sort of development on the ownership front.

“If he’s doing what I asked him to do, which is to not bring us anything unless he had it 100 percent ready to go, if he thinks they’re ready to go, we’ll see what they’ve got to propose,” Weiers told The Arizona Republic.

Bettman, Daly and RSE will reportedly meet with Weiers, then hold two separate meetings, each to be attended by three Glendale councilmembers.

The Coyotes had already scheduled a Tuesday presser to announce an extension for GM Don Maloney (see below) but, when reached by the Republic on Friday, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said “other than Don Maloney’s new contract, we have nothing new to report on the Coyotes.”

In late April, Daly confirmed the league was currently in discussions with the Gosbee group — a group that, according to Paul Gilbin of the Arizona Republic, includes three other business executives (Anthony LeBlanc, Avik Dey and Daryl Jones) working under the name Renaissance Sports and Entertainment.

“There’s no doubt we’re dealing with Mr. Gosbee and Mr. LeBlanc and trying to work through and get to a deal with them,” Daly told Sportsnet’s Hockey Central (by way of AZ Central). “But there are other interested people that we’re working with at the same time, as well.”

Word of Tuesday’s announcement has spread quickly throughout the league.

On Friday evening, Andi Petrillo of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada tweeted rumors that the league was going to announce new Coyotes ownership on Tuesday, and that the Gosbee group was the front-runner.

There have been other signs as well.

On Friday, the Coyotes locked up Maloney to a “long-term contract,” which was announced with this statement from Daly:

“Since joining the team in 2007, Don has done an outstanding job managing his team and building a competitive roster that has produced on the ice, even given less than ideal circumstances off the ice.

“The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes’ future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don’s long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed.”

It must be noted that just because the NHL may have selected a purchaser, doesn’t mean a deal is done.

As Morgan notes, “the plan was for the NHL to choose one buyer before meeting with Glendale. That is exactly what has happened.”

Hurdles would still remain, including reaching an arena management deal with the city of Glendale.

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 05.25.2013

678665 Websites

NBCSports.com / NHL awards to be announced during Cup finals

Jason Brough

May 24, 2013, 11:48 AM EDT

The 2013 NHL Awards winners will be announced in a pair of televised specials during the Stanley Cup finals.

Per the league, the day before Game 2 of the finals, the recipients of the Masterton, Selke, King Clancy and Lady Byng trophies, the Jack Adams Award, the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, the NHL Foundation Player Award and the NHL General Manager of the Year Award will be revealed at 5 p.m. on NHL Network in the United States and Canada.

At 7 p.m. the day of of Game 2, the Hart, Calder, Norris, Vezina trophies, along with the Ted Lindsay Award, will be announced on NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.

The full-scale awards show — a casualty of the lockout — will be back in Las Vegas next year.

BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY (Perseverance and dedication to hockey)


Josh Harding, Minnesota Wild

Adam McQuaid, Boston Bruins

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top rookie)

Brendan Gallagher, Montreal Canadiens

Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers

Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (Top defensive forward)

Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings


HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (Most valuable player to his team)



John Tavares, New York Islanders

JACK ADAMS AWARD (Top head coach)

Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks

Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators

Joel Quenneville, Chicago Blackhawks

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (Top defenseman)

Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

P.K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens

Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (Best sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability)

Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Matt Moulson, New York Islanders


MARK MESSIER NHL LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED BY BRIDGESTONE

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators

Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings


NHL GENERAL MANAGER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens

Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks

Ray Shero, Pittsburgh Penguins

TED LINDSAY AWARD (Most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHLPA)




VEZINA TROPHY (Top goaltender)

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 05.25.2013

678666 Websites

USA TODAY / Blackhawks' offense goes cold

Kevin Allen

4:47 p.m. EDT May 24, 2013

Blackhawks have managed two goals over the past three games

Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard has stopped of 86 of the last 88 shots

Howard believes that team effort has strangled the Blackhawks' offense

The Chicago Blackhawks' offensive troubles are akin to a group of master chefs suddenly not knowing their way around the kitchen.

The team that led the Western Conference in goals by a significant margin is now struggling to find the net. They have managed only two goals over the past three games against Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard.

"When you're just not getting the bounces and you're playing well, doing a lot of things right, you just can't explain it," said Chicago goalie Corey Crawford. "It's another thing if you're not playing hard and you're not battling. But that's not the case with our team right now."

If the Blackhawks can't re-ignite offense Saturday in Game 5 in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network), they could become the latest Presidents' Trophy to fail to win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal.

Undoubtedly, Howard's sharpness is playing a role in Chicago's struggles. Over these three games, Howard has stopped 86 of 88 shots. That's a .977 save percentage.

Howard believes it is Detroit's overall effort that has strangled the Blackhawks' offense.

"We're doing a great job of getting above them, cutting them off, not letting them come with speed," Howard said. "Another huge thing is we're taking care of the puck."

In Game 4, the Red Wings did a good of moving the puck out of their zone and getting the puck deep into Chicago's zone. "It's slowing them down a little bit," Howard said.

The Blackhawks are 3-for-25 (12%) on the power play in these playoffs. They were at 16.7% during the regular season.

USA TODAY LOADED: 05.25.2013

678667 Websites

USA TODAY / Why Patrick Roy will be a good coach

Kevin Allen

2:38 p.m. EDT May 24, 2013

When Patrick Roy was an NHL goalie, what separated him from his peers was his unwavering belief that he could control his team's destiny. Once he climbed into the cockpit, he didn't accept the possibility of pilot error.

In 1993, before the Montreal Canadiens took the ice in the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final, Roy told teammates if they scored two goals they would be champions because he would, under no circumstances, give up more than one. The Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings that day 4-1.

Bravado, cockiness and self-confidence were as important to his goaltending success as his butterfly style.

It didn't always work out for Roy, but it did more often than not. Counting regular season and playoffs, he won more than 700 games and he had four Stanley Cup championship rings to use as ear plugs if Jeremy Roenick was chirping at him too much.

And if a game didn't go well for Roy, he remained a dominant goalie in his own mind. He never had a crisis of faith in his own abilities.

All of those traits will serve Roy well when he takes on his new role as the Colorado Avalanche coach and vice president of hockey operations. He will be officially introduced on Tuesday.

The second layer of Roy's job description will be as important as his first. Roy would not have accepted the position without a say in how the roster will be put together.

Reuniting Joe Sakic and Roy to reinvigorating the franchise makes sense, just as it made sense for John Elway to take over command of the Denver Broncos. Who better to restore the pride of franchise than former players who created the pride.

The idea of fiery Roy behind the Avalanche bench has to ignite the Colorado fan base.

Although Roy has only coached in the junior ranks, there is not doubt he will be ready for this new challenge. He was always an A-plus student of the game when he played. He knew everything about his sport, including its strategy, statistics and history. When he was chasing Terry Sawchuk's goaltending records, he read the Sawchuk biography just to learn more about the man. This is a player who took the Stanley Cup apart in his garage because he wanted to see what was inside. He has always possessed an intellectual curiosity about his sport.

Nothing escaped his powers of observation. If a defenseman was late to change, Roy knew it. If a forward picked up the wrong man, Roy knew it. If the popcorn vendor spilled a box in the fourth row, Roy knew it. Nothing flew under his radar.

Roy will work at this like he has worked at everything else in his life. He will bring passion in his lunch box every day, and he will expect to win today and tomorrow. Roy is not a three-year-rebuilding-plan kind of guy.

The only question about Roy is whether he will be able to keep his emotions under control. He's not going to be very tolerant of losses. He constantly will be fighting the urge to be impulsive.

That's why the Sakic-Roy team might be the perfect fit. After years of playing with Roy, he probably understands how to cap the volcano. He can help Roy turn it into a controlled burn. Having won championships together, Roy and Sakic should be able to work well together.

The best move for Roy would probably be to hire an experienced assistant coach to help him make a smoother transition from coaching junior hockey to running an NHL show.

What we know for sure is that having Roy back in the NHL should generate plenty of buzz. Imagine when Roy comes back to Detroit or Chicago as a coach? Or how about when he goes back to Montreal?

Just imagine what it will be like the first night Roy steps behind the bench in Denver.

This is going to be fun for everyone, except for maybe the Colorado goalies and the still-to-be-hired Colorado goalie coach. Can't believe it will be fun for them to explain what went wrong in the net to a man who wrote the book at how to succeed at that position.


678668 Websites

USA TODAY / What makes a Stanley Cup champion?

Kevin Allen

11:05 a.m. EDT May 24, 2013

When forward Patrick Sharp heard the Chicago Blackhawks had hired Joel Quenneville, his first reactions were nervousness and fear.

"You see him on TV screaming at the refs and yelling at the players sometimes," Sharp said. "He's always fired up, but once you get a chance to meet him and talk to him about hockey, about things that are going on in your life, he softens up quite a bit."

Sharp says Quenneville is more focused and dedicated than any coach he has met, but he also has a lighter side, which shows at the proper times, such as when Sharp dressed up like Quenneville for Halloween.

"I don't know how he saw that, but unfortunately he did, and I was a little nervous about his reaction," Sharp said. "But he laughed and smiled, and he thought that I had a little too much hair on the top of my head for Joel Quenneville. But that's the type of guy he is."

But how much does coaching play in getting a team to the Stanley Cup championship? If you look at the playoff landscape today, all eight remaining teams have a head coach who has won a Stanley Cup as a coach or an assistant.

Is coaching the biggest factor in determining a champion? If it isn't, then what are the most important factors in winning a Stanley Cup?

Since the salary cap was introduced in 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes (2006), Anaheim Ducks (2007), Detroit Red Wings (2008), Pittsburgh Penguins (2009), Blackhawks (2010), Boston Bruins (2011) and Los Angeles Kings (2012) have won Stanley Cup championships.

Some similarities those teams had:

Premium defenseman: With the exception of the Hurricanes, all recent winners have boasted a defenseman who could be identified as one of the best in the league.

In 2007, the Ducks had two former Norris Trophy winners in Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom (2008) and the Blackhawks' Duncan Keith (2010) won the Norris in the season their teams won the Cup.

Sergei Gonchar was not a Norris Trophy winner, but when the Penguins won in 2008-09, he had a memorable season. Although he missed all but 25 games of the regular season because of a shoulder injury, he ended up with 33 points in a combined 47 regular-season and playoff games.

Former Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara was the Bruins' centerpiece in 2011, and Drew Doughty received Conn Smythe consideration last June when the Kings won.

The Hurricanes won with a collection of solid defensemen. Bret Hedican led the team in minutes in the postseason, but he was not considered among the league's top defensemen.

Save percentage matters: You can't win the Stanley Cup without a quality goaltender, and quality seems to be defined by save percentage.

The average save percentage for a Stanley Cup champion goalie in the postseason is .921.

Since 2006, no championship goalie has been lower than Marc-Andre Fleury's .908 in 2009, and five of the seven goalies have had save percentages at .920 or higher.

Four of the past seven championship goalies boasted a goals-against average below 2.00. The highest GAA during that period was Antti Niemi's 2.63 for the Blackhawks in 2010. It was more than a full goal higher than Kings goalie Jonathan Quick's 1.41 last season.

It's about 5-on-5 hockey: A team cannot live solely on its power play in the postseason. No champion in the past seven years has scored fewer 5-on-5 playoff goals than it has given up.

The last two Stanley Cup champions — the Kings and Bruins — were ranked No.1 in the postseason in 5-on-5 play. The Red Wings ranked No.1 when they won in 2008, and the Ducks were second when they won in 2007.

The only team to be out of the top five in 5-on-5 play and win a Cup in recent years was the 2006 Hurricanes, who ranked seventh.

It's not about the power play: The last two champions, Los Angeles and Boston, won the Stanley Cup with power play efficiencies in the 11%-12% range.

The regular season sort of matters: The 2007-08 Red Wings are the only Presidents' Trophy winner to win the Stanley Cup since the salary cap was introduced. But champions usually have been among the top regular-season teams.

Four of the seven have finished among the top four teams in the regular season, and two others have been seventh and eighth.

The only exception was last season's Kings, who finished 13th overall. But that was misleading because they were among the league's best teams in the second half of the season, going 25-13-11 after Darryl Sutter was hired as coach.

Be exceptional in one area of the game: Carolina was the league's best shot-blocking team in 2006. Anaheim was one of the league's most intimidating physical teams in 2006. Detroit led the NHL with 34 shots a game in 2008 and gave up an average of 23.

Pittsburgh had the best one-two center combination of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when the Penguins won, combining for 67 points in 24 playoff games. Last season, the Kings were among the NHL's biggest teams and Quick posted record goaltending numbers.

Subplots are important: Each championship team had a story line that provided an extra layer of motivation. The Blackhawks hadn't won since 1961, the Bruins hadn't won since 1972 and the Kings never had won in June.

Anaheim was trying to win for Teemu Selanne, and Ducks captain Niedermayer wanted to be able to pass the Cup to his brother, Rob. Detroit was trying to win for veteran Dallas Drake. Carolina was trying to win for aging veterans Glen Wesley and Doug Weight, among others

The Blackhawks also were trying to help Marian Hossa win after he had reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and 2009 and lost.

In summary, when it comes to trying to win the Stanley Cup, the little things matter as much as the big things.


bluejackets.nhl.combluejackets.nhl.com/v2/ext/05.25.2013 nhlc.doc · Web viewSPORT-SCAN DAILY...

Documents

Transcript of bluejackets.nhl.combluejackets.nhl.com/v2/ext/05.25.2013 nhlc.doc · Web viewSPORT-SCAN DAILY...