sport-scan daily brief - Philadelphia Flyers

Transcription

SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 5/13/2012
Chicago Blackhawks 630789
Fate hasn't smiled on Chicago sports teams Columbus Blue Jackets 630790
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Michael Arace commentary: Nash’s appeal should grow as
contenders fall short 630825
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Dallas Stars 630828
CHL gig could help Modano, other ex-Stars hone front office
skills For Star-studded contingent at IIHF World Championships,
the lessons are just beginning Detroit Red Wings 630793
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Red Wings' equipment manager Paul Boyer shares hockey
knowledge Report: Ex-Red Wing Sergei Fedorov to become GM of
team he defected from in 1990 Hockey worlds roundup: Red Wings' Zetterberg with two
assists in Sweden's win Two-minute drill: Midday update on Tigers, Lions, Wings,
Pistons, U-M and MSU At age 40, ex-Red Wings Ray Whitney still playing with
passion for Coyotes Report: Former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov to retire and
become GM of Russian club Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg leads Sweden past Italy;
Tomas Tatar contributes to Slovakia's victory Red Wings' Johan Franzen (broken nose) expects to return
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Kings and Coyotes have overcome a checkered past Coyotes and Kings rely on the same strengths Eighth seed Kings see roles reversed heading into
conference final against Phoenix Who will continue Game 1 success? Doan, Smith, Yandle talk series Kings happy to see game time near Both teams looking to depth scoring New Jersey Devils 630808
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Career in the Minors Is Interrupted by the Devils’ Push for
the Stanley Cup Devils' run through the playoffs lacking one common
ingredient: the playoff beard Devils coach Pete DeBoer: Work starts when RangersCapitals game ends Devils' Marek Zidlicky baffled at being booed by Philadelphia
fans Devils: Marek Zidlicky and Anton Volchenkov return from
injuries Devils vs. Rangers regular-season series Devils vs. Rangers regular-season results Rangers notes: Looking ahead NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils in Eastern Conference finals will
not look like series against Washington Capitals NY Rangers' Carl Hagelin has huge impact on Blueshirts
reaching Eastern Conference finals vs. NJ Devils Rest a blessing for Marek Zidlicky and NJ Devils heading
into clash with NY Rangers NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils will be battle of goaltenders
Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur Devils relish Rivalry Parise: Future bright for Jersey Serby's Sunday Q & A with... Martin Brodeur Injured Devils' defensemen practice with team A Daring Move Sets the Tone as Lundqvist Seizes the
Moment Rangers Win Game 7, Setting Up Series With the Devils Rangers Beat Caps to Reach Conference Final NY Rangers' Carl Hagelin has huge impact on Blueshirts
reaching Eastern Conference finals vs. NJ Devils NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils in Eastern Conference finals will
not look like series against Washington Capitals NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils will be battle of goaltenders
Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur NY Rangers defeat Washington Capitals in Game 7 of
Eastern Conference semifinals, will face NJ Devils for shot Rangers’ defense stymies Capitals Penalty kill gets job done Rangers eliminate Caps in Game 7, move on to Devils The King holds court in crucial 2nd period ‘Blue’ collar Del Zotto gets it done on both ends of ice Rookie Hagelin leads Rangers like seasoned vet Rangers beat Capitals 2-1, win series Devils vs. Rangers regular-season series Rangers notes: Looking ahead Henrik Lundqvist proved to be the difference in Game 7 Brad Richards earns his big paycheck Brilliant Lundqvist saves Rangers again Holtby holds his own against Lundqvist Ovechkin gets an earful from MSG crowd Hagelin has a leg up on Caps Devils are tough foe for Rangers in conference finals Rangers win Game 7, 2-1 NHL 630848
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Around the Atlantic: Isles' home among worst in U.S. Doan Keeps Faith in Coyotes Coyotes Keep Enduring and Winning Playoff Run Aside, Coyotes’ Ownership Is Still a Prickly
Issue Western Conference Finals Prediction The fight that changed hockey NHL Playoffs: Rangers beat Capitals to advance to
Conference Final NHL Playoffs: Western Conference final preview Rangers win war of the trenches in Game 7 NHL playoffs: Three burning questions on the West final Dougie Hamilton is a reminder to Leafs of what could have
been Game 7 can be tough on some NHL fans Ottawa Senators 630860
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Alfie's big decision Sundin offers Alfie advice Philadelphia Flyers 630862
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Post-mortem player-by-player look at Flyers' roster Inside the Flyers: Expect Bryzgalov to adjust and settle in
and raise his play Flyers headed for surgery; Bryz's ranking, 'Giroux's Tears' Flyers still like Carter, Richards trades Giroux, Hartnell finalists for NHL '13 cover Flyers using playoff run as learning experience Flyers look back on 'decent year' Phoenix Coyotes 630869
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2012 NHL Playoffs: New York Rangers goalie Henrik
Lundqvist thwarts Washington Capitals’ scoring opportunities Washington Capitals fall to N.Y. Rangers in Game 7, ending
their run in 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Capitals react to season-ending loss to Rangers in Game 7 After Game 7 loss to Rangers in second round, is Capitals’
season a failure? Game 7: Rangers win Game 7, 2-1, to eliminate Caps from
playoffs Washington Capitals relaxed, confident heading into Game 7
against Rangers Rangers’ Mike Rupp: Game 7 ‘just a special day on the
calendar’ Jay Beagle will likely miss Game 7 Capitals’ season ends with 2-1 Game 7 loss to Rangers Capitals come up short again in Game 7 Websites ESPN / Third-round preview: Rangers-Devils ESPN / Five storylines for the third round ESPN / Just who are these guys, anyway? NBCSports.com / Coyotes are “finally” a front-page story in
Arizona 630889 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Adrian Dater INSIDE THE NHL
Home-ice advantage pays off as Rangers advance to Eastern 630890 USA TODAY / Coyotes, Kings feed off captains' emotional
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SPORT-SCAN, INC. (941) 484-5941 phone (619) 839-3811 fax
630789
Chicago Blackhawks
Fate hasn't smiled on Chicago sports teams
By Chris Boghossian, Chicago Tribune reporter
Beware, Cubs and White Sox. If a disturbing trend continues, you're
headed for trouble.
Heads up, Paul Konerko and Jake Peavy. You too Starlin Castro.
Devastating injuries to a trio of star athletes over the last six months have
wreaked havoc on their teams, stopping the Bears' playoff hopes dead in
their tracks and leading to early postseason exits for the Blackhawks and
Bulls.
You have been warned.
Thumbs down
Nov. 20 | Bears vs. Chargers at Soldier Field
The injury: After a 2-3 start, the Bears had won four consecutive games,
and quarterback Jay Cutler had them headed for a fifth when the season
inconspicuously turned for the worse. On second-and-8 from the Chargers
30, Cutler's pass intended for Johnny Knox — who had slipped and fallen
on his route — was intercepted by Antoine Cason. Cutler chased him nearly
60 yards downfield before taking a block from linebacker Donald Butler and
falling to the ground. Cutler finished the game — a 31-20 Bears victory —
but later learned he had fractured his thumb on the return.
The aftermath: At 7-3, the Bears thought backup Caleb Hanie could fill the
void while Cutler healed in time for the playoffs, but they were wrong. They
lost five straight before winning a meaningless season finale and finished at
8-8, missing the postseason for the fourth time in five years. General
manager Jerry Angelo soon was fired and offensive coordinator Mike Martz
was not retained.
The quote: "Nothing has changed around here. This is a tough blow, but we
know how to handle these situations." — Bears coach Lovie Smith
The future: Cutler is fully healed (we think) and with some new toys to play
with — receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery — the sky's the limit.
Dare we dream big?
Coyote ugly
April 17 | Blackhawks vs. Coyotes at the United Center
The injury: With the playoff series tied 1-1, the Hawks' fate turned in an
instant early in Game 3. Marian Hossa, arguably their best all-around
player, took a vicious hit from the Coyotes' Raffi Torres with 8 minutes, 9
seconds left in the first period. Torres left his feet and drove his shoulder
into the head of Hossa, who was leveled and lay on the ice for several
minutes before leaving on a stretcher. He didn't play again in the series, the
Coyotes won in six games and the Hawks were eliminated in the first round
for the second consecutive year.
The aftermath: The NHL suspended Torres 25 games, which he has
appealed, but the Coyotes haven't missed a beat. They knocked off the
Predators in five games and play host the Kings in Game 1 of the Western
Conference finals Sunday. Hossa, meanwhile, still is recovering from a
severe concussion and told the Tribune on May 3 he's "still not feeling like
myself." On Tuesday, coach Joel Quenneville fired assistant Mike Haviland.
The quote: "First off, I hope he is all right. But as far as the hit goes, I felt
like it was a hockey play, just trying to finish my hit out there." — Torres
The future: Hossa, who said he will take a month off "then slowly do little
things," faces a long road back to the ice, but the Hawks are optimistic he
will be ready for training camp.
Won and done
April 28 | Bulls vs. 76ers at the United Center
The injury: The Bulls were 82 seconds from a Game 1 victory, leading by 12
points in their first-round playoff series. Then as quickly as Derrick Rose
drove to his right, jump-stopped and dished the ball off, his season — and,
as it turned out, the Bulls' — was finished. Rose, who had missed 27 games
with injuries one season after becoming the youngest MVP in league
history, fell to the floor and writhed in pain. A few hours after the victory, at
5:24 p.m., the Bulls broke the news: An MRI revealed Rose had torn the
anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The aftermath: The team that had gone 18-9 without Rose in the regular
season looked lost without its heart and soul. The Bulls, who also lost
center Joakim Noah to a severely sprained left ankle in Game 3, would win
only once more in the series, the promise of having the NBA's best record
ending short of their goal. Again.
The quote: "The score was going the other way. He's got to play. … He's
got to work on closing. That's what I was thinking." — Coach Tom
Thibodeau
The future: Rose had surgery Saturday and a lengthy rehabilitation process
will keep him out well into next season.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 05.13.2012
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Columbus Blue Jackets
Michael Arace commentary: Nash’s appeal should grow as contenders fall
short
Eleven weeks ago, Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson and his
counterpart from the New York Rangers, Glen Sather, attempted to work
out a deal involving Rick Nash. The trade deadline came and went, and
ne’er the twain did meet.
Eleven weeks later, Howson is preparing to put Nash back up for bid and
Sather’s Rangers are facing a Game 7, and with some trepidation.
Tonight, the Rangers and Washington Capitals close out their closely
contested second-round series in Madison Square Garden. If the Rangers
lose, a thought which has been forming throughout their playoff run will gain
voice:
Should Sather have traded for Nash?
The question has been posed in other NHL cities, such as San Jose and
Boston, other possible landing areas for Nash, but it looms largest in New
York. Steve Simmons, veteran columnist for the Toronto Sun, made that
very point earlier this week.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins were the favorites to come out
of the East, and they were ejected in the first round. The Philadelphia Flyers
assumed the mantle as favorites, and they were bounced in the second
round. That left the Rangers — an estimable No. 1 seed, yes, but not
without flaw.
There was a time, not so long ago, that the Rangers’ roster was stacked
with high-profile veterans who underachieved. They have gone the other
way, now, and are stocked with younger players who are willing to skate
through a wall for coach John Tortorella. What has become apparent,
against both Ottawa and Washington, is they miss the skill and they lack a
difference-maker. It could have been Nash.
Nash could have provided the Rangers an entirely different dynamic. He is
an elite power forward who can create his own space, wreak havoc in front
of the net and finish. Nash is in his prime and has been waiting for such a
stage, but the trade did not happen. Why?
From print reports to inside sources who have spoken directly with The
Dispatch, there are conflicting accounts of what was or was not offered for
Nash.
Howson was asking a steep price and said the Rangers did not offer
enough. … Sather said he did not want to “dismantle” his team and
suggested the Jackets were asking for the moon. … The Rangers were not
willing to part with young winger Chris Kreider. … Kreider’s name was
never on the table. … The Jackets were asking for center Brandon
Dubinski, defenseman Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, forward
Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin, Kreider and a first-round draft pick. … The
Jackets’ asking price was not even close to that. … Dubinsky was a starting
point and the deal could have been done with another forward (Stepan, for
instance), a prospect (not even Kreider) and a first-round draft pick (or
maybe two). … Even that was too much for the Rangers. … The Jackets
had a better offer from another team. … No, the Rangers made the best
pitch. …
Whatever the case, Sather decided not to mess with his Rangers, who were
in first place on Feb.  27. Tortorella did not want to mess with them, either. It
may or may not cost them a shot at the Cup — we shall see — but they can
revisit the situation this summer.
Howson is counting on it.
The summer will provide a more fertile field for a Nash deal. Teams will
have the flexibility, with their rosters and their salary cap, to address their
needs. Nash remains the biggest piece of trade bait out there.
If Nash is not moved at the draft (June 22 and 23), he will be moved when
the free-agent season commences (July 1) and after the marquee
unrestricted free-agent forward available, Zach Parise, signs a contract.
Vancouver, after its first-round ouster, has made Cory Schneider its No.  1
goaltender and effectively taken him off the market. So, the Canucks are
probably out as trade partners. Otherwise, things have broken well for the
Jackets.
San Jose and Boston, both first-round victims, probably will be in there
pitching harder than they were in February.
If the Rangers fall tonight, the bidding war will escalate.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 05.13.2012
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Dallas Stars
CHL gig could help Modano, other ex-Stars hone front office skills
MIKE HEIKA
As odd as it is to think that four former Stars are going to be working with
the Allen Americans in the CHL, it also might be the perfect fit for a group
that also could be called odd.
When it was announced last week that Mike Modano, Ed Belfour, Craig
Ludwig and Richard Matvichuk would be joining the Americans (the first
three in ownership/management and Matvichuk likely in a coaching role),
the first reaction was “really — the CHL?”
But the Americans are not your typical CHL team, and Doug Miller is not
your typical CHL owner. That helps explain why this is so intriguing.
Miller is a local businessman who has done well in the oil and gas industry
and has big ideas. He’s a huge hockey fan and has been involved in youth
hockey since the Stars moved to Texas in 1993.
He was one of the finalists to buy the Stars, and he probably will be
pursuing opportunities that could range all the way up to the NHL level.
And he’s a great guy from whom to learn when it comes to business and
hockey.
Ludwig is a close friend (their sons played together) and has long been a
hockey sounding board for Miller, so the fact that they are working together
isn’t surprising.
But the fact that Ludwig was able to persuade Modano and Belfour to join is
a jolt. Belfour is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Modano soon will be. Both
have name value and experience that should interest NHL teams.
Modano is a bit of a victim of circumstance. Had the Stars had solid
ownership, he probably would have stayed with them his entire career and
moved right into a desk job. But that didn’t happen. And now with the Stars
still in transition to new ownership, a position has yet to be created.
So, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer is rolling up his sleeves and trying
to learn about the hockey business.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Modano said. “Doug Miller is obviously a guy who
will do things the right way, and we get to go in and help build a team
immediately. There are some big decisions that have to be made, and we
get to be a part of the process right now.”
The Americans need a new coaching staff, so that’s the first job. The CHL
also has a lot of transition year to year, so getting players will be the next
job.
The quartet will have to learn the ropes, and that’s exactly what Modano
needs. The concern with hiring Modano in an NHL front office is that he
might not want to put in the work — well, here’s a chance to show that he
will.
Belfour too has some perceptions to overcome. Many still see him as
“Crazy Eddie,” the loaner goalie with a sharp temper, but friends say he’s
determined to find a future in hockey.
“I’ve never seen him so plugged in and ready to go,” Ludwig said. “He
wants to make this work.”
Ludwig has been an assistant coach in the AHL and NHL but sees himself
more as a consultant who can help shape defensemen at every level.
Matvichuk is ready to jump in as an assistant coach running a defense —
just as Darryl Sydor (now with the Minnesota Wild) has done. But they have
to prove they can do the job.
And that’s what’s great about this venture. These four former players have
strong ideas, strong history and strong motivation. And that could make
them a surprising force.
“Sometimes, you have to prove to people that you can do the job, and this
is a chance to do that,” Modano said. “It’s a chance to do it our way and
have a little fun, too.”
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.13.2012
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Dallas Stars
Jamie Benn has been great for Team Canada, and many Canadian fans
would like to see him used more. He has three goals and one assist on just
four shots on goal. He is plus-4.
For Star-studded contingent at IIHF World Championships, the lessons are
just beginning
Lehtonen is 2-1 with a 2.01 GAA and .919 save percentage. Bachman is 10 with a 1.86 GAA and .895 save percentage.
MIKE HEIKA
Philip Larsen is playing a big role for underdog Denmark. He has an assist
and is minus-6. Tomas Vincour has been left off the max roster for the
Czech Republic as other players became available.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 05.13.2012
The great thing about learning in sports is that it can happen whether you
win or lose.
The Stars and their young players were tearing up the IIHF World
Championships in Sweden and Finland the last two weeks...until Friday,
that is.
Kari Lehtonen entered a game against Canada as the hottest goalie in the
tournament and was staked to a 2-0 lead. However, he had a few
breakdowns and lost a 5-3 game, allowing four goals and an empty-netter
on 25 shots. At the other end of the ice, Cam Ward (Carolina) made 35
saves for Canada.
While you can say Ward has the better team, it still was a huge game in
Helsinki in front of a sellout crowd, and Lehtonen was not able to raise his
game.
Team USA's Richard Bachman won a 3-2 overtime game against
Kazakhstan, but also was tested. Kazakhstan was winless entering the
game, and Bachman (Team USA's backup) received his first start in the
tournament because it was an easier game. And while his teammates
weren't perfect, and they likely should have scored more, Bachman was
supported by a 50-19 edge in shots on goal and still had to go to overtime.
Great experience, good to get the win in a pressure situation, but still a
feeling of he can do more.
And that's what's great about these tournaments. There are challenges
every game. Loui Eriksson had a great game with Sweden, registering two
assists and 10 shots on goal, but his team still lost to Russia, 6-3.
Jamie Benn has three goals for Canada, but still is learning his role. Alex
Goligoski has been hot and cold, but he clearly was one of the leaders for
Team USA in the win against Kazakhstan, as he was on ice for all three
USA goals (plus-3) and contributed an assist. he's skating well on the big
ice, and he seems to be grasping the mantle of leadership that he will need
to show when he returns to the Stars.
`Ì think what I like most is they have so many young players in the
tournament, and there is a real energy from that,'' said Stars GM Joe
Nieuwendyk, who was there last week. ``There was a time in this
tournament when they leaned on the veterans so heavily and you almost
dreaded the call after a long season or a loss in the playoffs. But these kids
are motivated and excited, and you can see that.''
And as for his own players?
`Ìt's great,'' Nieuwendyk said. `À player like Loui Eriksson, he really is
becoming one of the leaders for his country. Goose is doing the same for
the U.S. Kari, he's playing in a pressure-cooker over there, because every
game is big for Finland. That's great experience.''
The Stanley Cup playoffs are all about how you react to winning and losing.
Watch a few rounds, and you'll see the teams that survive are the ones who
learn from the losses.
Pool play goes through Tuesday at the World Championships, and then
tournament games start with the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Stars are
hoping their players will be pushed to the emotional brink, because that's
one of the reasons they're participating.
Through Friday's games:
Loui Eriksson clearly is the Stars' best performer with three goals and six
assists for nine points in five games. He is plus-3 for Sweden with 18 shots
on goal.
I'll give Goligoski the nod as the next best performer, simply because Team
USA seems to be leaning on him at times. He has three assists and is plus5 in five games.
630793
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' equipment manager Paul Boyer shares hockey knowledge
By George Sipple
Red Wings equipment manager Paul Boyer spent 2 hours answering
questions about hockey gear Saturday as the Wings held their annual
equipment and memorabilia sale at Hockeytown Authentics in Troy.
Among the items for sale were game-worn jerseys from this past season.
Those jerseys featured a special patch honoring the memory of Brad
McCrimmon, Ruslan Salei and Stefan Liv -- former Wings who died in
September when the plane carrying the KHL Lokomotiv hockey club
crashed upon takeoff from Yaroslavl, Russia.
"This year, I had a lot more questions about new skates and new sticks.
People wanted to know why a company like Easton went to a white stick,"
Boyer said, referring to Easton's Mako line.
"On the used skates, people wanted to know if they fit properly and why
Bauer would do the things that they do, the difference between an APX
skate or the T1. Just general questions about fit and performance on some
of the new and the used skates," he said.
Boyer said he'll get to work soon on preparing for the development camp in
July in Traverse City, as well as writing purchase orders in preparation for
training camp.
Boyer added that the development camp ends up being a big help for him,
as well as the young prospects.
"It's a chance for us to meet them and them to meet us," Boyer said. "We
get everyone outfitted there. It saves us a lot of chaos the first day of
training camp.
"We send them home with gloves and helmets and pants. It's a good prep
time for us. It puts us ahead of the game."
OVERSEAS UPDATE: According to the IIHF website, Russia defenseman
Dmitri Kalinin has been suspended three games in the World Championship
for his cross-check on Wings forward Johan Franzen in Sweden's 7-3 loss
on Friday in the World Championship. Franzen suffered a broken nose.
Russian teammate Alexei Yemelin was suspended one game for spearing
Franzen in the same game. ... Sweden won, 4-0, over Italy on Saturday.
Henrik Zetterberg had two assists as the Swedes clinched the quarterfinals.
Franzen did not play.
Wings prospect Tomas Tatar had two assists, and former Wing Tomas
Kopecky scored in Slovakia's 5-1 win over Belarus. ... Canada, which has
Wing Kyle Quincey on its roster, routed Kazakhstan, 8-0, clinching a spot in
the quarterfinals.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 05.13.2012
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Detroit Red Wings
Report: Ex-Red Wing Sergei Fedorov to become GM of team he defected
from in 1990
By Kirkland Crawford
In another example of life coming full circle, it seems like a former Red
Wings is going back to where it all began.
Back in 1990, after the Wings drafted Sergei Fedorov, the young Russian
had to defect from his Soviet Union team while it was in the United States
for an exhibition tour. Fedorov disappeared from the team after a game in
Seattle. A month or so later, he was in Wings camp.
Well, Fedorov went on to have a Hall of Fame career, which included a Hart
Trophy and three Stanley Cups. Now, at 42, Fedorov is reportedly going
back to Russia to become the general manager of the CSKA Red Army
team, the same squad he ditched 22 years ago.
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Detroit Red Wings
Hockey worlds roundup: Red Wings' Zetterberg with two assists in
Sweden's win
Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg has a pair of assists as Sweden beat
Italy, 4-0, in the hockey world championship today in Stockholm.
Zetterberg's assists on Sweden's third and fourth goals in the second and
third periods, respectively. He played 15:55.
Nicklas Kronwall had just two shots on goal in 17:39 and was a plus-one.
Johan Franzen, who suffered a broken nose in the loss to Russia on Friday,
did not play.
Red Wings prospect Tomas Tatar had two assists, both coming in a fourgoal second period, as Slovakia topped Belarus, 5-1, today in Helsinki.
Tatar played 12:07 in the win.
Former Wing Tomas Kopecky scored a goal for Slovakia.
In another game played in Helsinki, Canada topped Kazakhstan, 8-0. Wings
defenseman Kyle Quincey didn't have a point in over 13 minutes of ice
time.
NOTE: According to the IIHF website, Russia’s Dmitri Kalinin has been
suspended three games in the tournament for his cross-check on Wings
forward Johan Franzen in Sweden’s 7-3 loss on Friday. Franzen suffered a
broken nose on the play.
Russian teammate Alexei Yemelin was suspended one game for spearing
Franzen in the same game.
630796
Detroit Red Wings
Two-minute drill: Midday update on Tigers, Lions, Wings, Pistons, U-M and
MSU
Welcome to the our two-minute drill, which will give you a snapshot of
what's going on with the Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, Spartans and
Wolverines each day.
• Tigers: Yes, we're going to start with Brandon Inge. The former Tigers
third baseman/catcher/second baseman/fan favorite/favorite scapegoat
continued to tear the cover off the ball against Detroit. He had two hits,
including his fourth home run as an Athletic, in Oakland's 11-4 win Friday
night. The bigger story, at least for the Tigers, was the performance by Rick
Porcello, who went five innings and gave up four earned runs on nine hits
and three walks.
Today, the Tigers send Doug Fister to the mound to face Brandon
McCarthy. First pitch is at 8:05.
We expect to see outfielder Andy Dirks, bad hamstring and all, in the No. 2
hole tonight, where he's been thriving lately.
• Lions: Rookie minicamp continues today in Allen Park. The Lions' No. 1
pick, offensive lineman Riley Reiff, apparently looked as good as
advertised. Well, about as good as you could look with no pads and facing
other rookies.
Columnist Drew Sharp focused on rookie free agent Kellen Moore, who
quarterbacked Boise State to 50 wins in four seasons. Sharp contends that
Moore has what it takes to roll with the big boys.
• Red Wings: The big news out of the hockey world championship is that
Red Wings forward Johan Franzen suffered a broken nose while playing for
Sweden on Friday. Several Wings are in action today, so check back with
freep.com for an update from overseas.
• Pistons: As the NBA playoffs continue, Pistons coach Lawrence Frank
was a guest Friday on the "Mike and Mike" show on ESPN Radio. There
wasn't one question about Detroit.
• Wolverines: The most resounding voice over in Ann Arbor today comes
from Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman, who has been quoted as
saying that U-M should have never hired Rich Rodriguez back in Dec.
2007. (Now she says so.) Also, the new football coach, Brady Hoke, shared
his thoughts on legendary coach Bo Schembechler at the Reggie McKenzie
Foundation dinner Thursday.
In basketball, U-M got another commitment for the upcoming class of 2012
in Pickerington (Ohio) Center swingman Caris LeVert.
• Spartans: We've got an update from the football team, where senior
running back Larry Caper says he's ready for that leadership role.
630797
Detroit Red Wings
Franzen was not happy with the officiating in the victory over Russia Friday,
in which defenseman Dmitri Kalinin crosschecked Franzen in the face.
At age 40, ex-Red Wings Ray Whitney still playing with passion for Coyotes
"They (referees) lost the game completely," Franzen told Expressen
newspaper. "It feels like the (referees) dropped the match completely. They
(officiated) almost opposite of what is written in the rule book."
By Ted Kulfan
Franzen was also speared by Russian forward Alexei Yemelin earlier in the
game.
Detroit— When Ray Whitney played with the Red Wings, way back during
the 2003-04 season, he looked like a player on the start of a slide out of the
league.
Whitney was a signed to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million, an
unrestricted free agent expected to fill the void left by Sergei Fedorov at the
time.
Simply put, Whitney didn't make Wings fans forget Fedorov.
Whitney played 67 games that season, the season before the lockout, with
14 goals and 29 assists. He had one goal and three assists in 12 playoff
games.
Whitney never looked entirely comfortable.
After the lockout, the Wings waived Whitney and bought out the final
season of his contract.
Nobody raised an eyebrow. Many fans felt it was addition by subtraction, a
free agent signing that didn't work out.
But here's the amazing thing. And it has to baffle some Wings fans.
Every season since then, Whitney has scored more than the 14 goals he
scored with the Wings. He was a vital part of helping the Carolina
Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup the season after the lockout, scoring 17
goals during the regular season, and nine in the playoffs during that magical
run for the Hurricanes.
Phoenix general manager Don Maloney had no reservations about giving
Whitney a two-year contract before last season, believing the 38 year old
would be an important factor for the Coyotes.
"When we looked at Ray, we had two players at that period that we thought
could play in a top-six role," Maloney said. "Ray was one of them. Just
studying Ray, looking at his game, we watched a lot of video, how he
played, who he played with, the ability to protect pucks, make plays at a
competitive level, I didn't see the risk.
"Even the level of contract, it was something we felt we could swing. He's
been terrific. He's had a terrific year. He's invaluable from a skill base."
This season, at age 40, Whitney played all 82 games for Phoenix and had
24 goals and 53 assists, a team-leading 77 points.
People who follow the Coyotes feel Whitney has been the team's best
player.
"He's been an unbelievable player for us," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said
on the eve of the Western Conference Finals opener against Los Angeles.
"The thing that you've seen from him throughout his whole career, his skill,
his knowledge of the game, the ways he affects the game, but the one thing
that doesn't come across enough and you have to have the ability at his
age to do, is his passion to play the game."
Whitney has six points in 11 playoff games, including an important winner in
overtime of Game 1 against Nashville in the conference semifinals.
"He loves coming to the rink. He loves the competition," Tippett said. "I've
seen a lot of players as they got older, they kind of lose some of that
passion, and it's still alive and strong in Ray. He brings that attitude to the
rink every day. It's a great example for our younger players."
Almost 10 years later, Ray Whitney is playing the type of hockey the Red
Wings would have loved to have seen.
Franzen recovering
Johan Franzen (broken nose) should be ready to play Tuesday when
Sweden resumes playing in the world championships against Latvia.
Franzen didn't play in the team's victory Saturday over Italy.
Kalinin was suspended for three games and Yemelin for one game by the
International Ice Hockey Federation.
Detroit News LOADED: 05.13.2012
630798
Detroit Red Wings
Report: Former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov to retire and become GM of
Russian club
Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]
Former Detroit Red Wings star center Sergei Fedorov will retire as a player
and move into management, according to a report in Sovetsky Sport.
Fedorov, 42, reportedly will play one more game for CSKA Moscow next
season before officially retiring and focusing on his duties as the general
manager of the Kontinental Hockey League club.
The highly skilled Fedorov defected from the Soviet Union in 1990 and
helped the Red Wings win three Stanley Cup championships in 13 seasons
in Detroit. He ranks fourth on the club's career list for goals (400) and fifth in
points (954).
He is the last Red Wing to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable
player in 1993-94 and is a two-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the
league top defensive forward.
Fedorov, however, had an acrimonious split with the Red Wings in 2003.
He turned down a five-year, $50 million contract offer delivered personally
by owner Mike Ilitch and signed a four-year, $32 million deal with Anaheim.
His career went south after he left Detroit. He ended up playing only 85
games in parts of two seasons with the Ducks before being dealt to
Columbus and finishing his NHL career with Washington in 2008-09.
Fedorov often was booed when he returned to Joe Louis Arena.
He played in 1,248 NHL games, racking up 483 goals and 1,179 points.
Fedorov spent the past three seasons with KHL club Magnitogorsk
Metallurg, picking up six goals and 22 points in 43 games in 2011-12.
He played four seasons for CSKA Moscow before joining the Red Wings.
Michigan Live LOADED: 05.13.2012
630799
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg leads Sweden past Italy; Tomas Tatar
contributes to Slovakia's victory
Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg picked up a pair of assists
Saturday to help Sweden defeat Italy 4-0 at the World Championships in
Stockholm.
The Swedes, playing without injured Red Wings forward Johan Franzen
(broken nose), clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, as they improved to 5-1.
They wrap up the preliminary round Tuesday against Latvia.
Zetterberg is tied with Loui Eriksson (Dallas) for the team scoring lead with
10 points (one goal, nine assists).
Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall had points and a plus-1 rating in 17:39
of ice time. Red Wings prospect Calle Jarnkrok had no points but won 7-of9 faceoffs. Viktor Farth made 19 saves.
Tatar's two assists pace Slovakia
Red Wings prospect Tomas Tatar had two assists and a plus-2 rating in
12:07 of ice time in Slovakia's 5-1 win over Belarus in Helsinki, Finland. He
has three points (goal, two assists) in five games.
Slovakia (3-2) has won three in a row after dropping its first two games. It
plays France on Tuesday.
Canada crushes Kazakhstan 8-0
Dion Phaneuf scored two goals, while Duncan Keith and Ryan Getzlaf
contributed three assists apiece to lead Canada to an 8-0 victory over
Kazakhstan at Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland.
Devan Dubnyk turned aside 24 shots for the win as Canada, which
registered 58 shots, clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. Canada plays
Belarus on Tuesday.
Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey posted a plus-1 rating in 13:38 of ice
time.
In Sunday's games involving Red Wings players:
The United States (Jimmy Howard, Justin Abdelkader) faces Finland
(Valtteri Filppula) at 9:15 a.m. (NBC Sports Network) in Helsinki.
Russia (Pavel Datsyuk) faces the Czech Republic at 9:15 a.m. In
Stockholm.
Slovakia (Tatar) faces Switzerland at 1:15 p.m. In Helsinki.
630800
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Johan Franzen (broken nose) expects to return to World
Championship play on Tuesday
Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen is expected to miss only one
game at the World Championships due to the broken nose he suffered
Friday night in Sweden's 7-3 loss to Russia.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, who is attending the tournament
in Sweden and Finland, told M-Live Saturday morning that Franzen's injury
“doesn't appear to be anything more (than a broken nose), there's no
concussion.''
Franzen will sit out tonight's game against Italy, but reports out of Sweden
indicate he will play the following game, Tuesday vs. Latvia.
FranzenMug.pngJohan Franzen
Franzen, injured from a cross-check by Dmitri Kalinin, told Swedish media
that he “feels surprisingly good'' and would have played tonight if it were a
quarterfinal game.
The team doctor described to Expressen how Franzen's nose was treated,
by saying, “You drive into two inverted forks in the nose and straighten it up
with a decent flick.''
Franzen also blasted the officiating, telling Expressen: “They (referees) lost
the game completely.''
“It feels like the (referees) dropped the match completely,'' Franzen said.
“They (officiated) almost opposite of what is written in the rulebook.''
Kalinin received a match penalty for the cross-check, but Franzen was
upset that Alexei Yemelin was not ejected for spearing him earlier in the
game.
The Russian pair, however, were suspended today by the IIHF, which
banned Kalinin for three games and Yemelin for one.
The IIHL wrote on its Web site: “Kalinin’s third period cross-check on
Franzen resulted in a match penalty for the Russian, which carries an
automatic one-game suspension. Upon further review, the Disciplinary
Panel decided to add two additional games to the suspension. This means
that Kalinin will sit out Russia’s final two preliminary round games and one
game in the playoff round.''
It added, “In the other incident involving Franzen, the IIHF Disciplinary
Panel has ruled that Yemelin’s slash on Franzen in the first period, for
which he received a two-minute penalty, was in fact a spear and in violation
of the IIHF rules. Yemelin will miss Russia's next game on Sunday against
the Czech Republic.''
Here is a link to the Kalinin-Franzen video.
Ericsson still sidelined
Holland said he's not sure if defenseman Jonathan Ericsson will return to
the tournament. He was injured in Sweden's opener against Norway on
May 4, when he was cross-checked in the back.
“He continues to be hopeful and optimistic that he can get healthy enough
to play,'' Holland said. “It's some type of lower back injury. He tried skating
the other day. He didn't feel good, wanted to give it another couple of days.''
Holland called it a day-to-day injury, nothing that will require further
attention after the tournament ends.
630801
Los Angeles Kings
Kings and Coyotes have overcome a checkered past
Helene Elliott
— In 2009, the Kings finished 14th in the Western Conference, one season
removed from the sharp-tongued impatience of former coach Marc
Crawford and slowly assembling the defensive foundation that would launch
them back toward respectability.
In 2009, the Phoenix Coyotes finished 13th in the West but made headlines
off the ice. Owner Jerry Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May,
plunging the team into a haze of uncertainty. Players weren't sure where
their next paychecks might come from or what currency those checks might
be in. Things only got worse when Wayne Gretzky, a part owner, stepped
down as coach days before the 2009-10 season was to start.
"We feel we've been in survival mode for three years," Coyotes General
Manager Don Maloney said.
Survivors of two different but equally difficult journeys, the Kings and
Coyotes will meet for the Western Conference championship here starting
Sunday.
Theirs is an unlikely convergence, a dramatic shift away from the usual
playoff powers to teams whose dreary postseason pedigrees have often
gone unnoticed except to be mocked.
Welcome to the Duel in the Desert. The temperature hit 97 degrees as the
Kings practiced here Saturday afternoon, but the climate for both teams has
never been more hospitable.
"It's an interesting time," said Maloney, whose team has never reached the
conference finals in its current home or its previous incarnation as the
Winnipeg Jets.
"You can feel it in our marketplace, anyway, beating Nashville, getting to
this stage. Just the city, the Valley, the attention that we're getting, the
media, newspapers, certainly radio and television, it's second to none. It's
what we need to survive here."
The Kings' battle has been less about survival than establishing a tradition
of success. Their history has been a mishmash of philosophies and
rebuilding, of trading draft picks for veterans and then reversing course and
building through the draft and then getting impatient when that didn't
immediately work, either.
They have finally found an effective formula, developing their draft picks
into accomplished two-way players and supplementing those key players
with playoff-tested veterans. Darryl Sutter, who replaced Terry Murray as
their coach in mid-December, has had a perfectly calibrated touch in
pushing them and patting them on the back, allowing their creativity to
flourish while refusing to relent defensively.
"The job that management has done to keep the core group together and
add pieces here and there goes a long way," team captain Dustin Brown
said. "I think that's probably the most important thing. Everyone talks about
Detroit and they always have a core group of players that are together for
an extended period of time and it goes a long way.
"The way you create a culture is when you have a group of guys that can
stick together for an extended period of time."
The rewards of a winning culture confront the Kings every time they enter
Staples Center and see the Lakers' championship banners. The Kings have
made it to the third round of the playoffs only once, in 1993, on their way to
losing to the Montreal Canadiens in their only Stanley Cup finals
appearance.
Replays of their last two conference finals victories over the Toronto Maple
Leafs aired on Fox Sports West on Thursday and felt like glimpses of
ancient history. Luc Robitaille was baby-faced. Gretzky was able to control
the game at will. Rob Blake was developing into a Norris Trophy-caliber
defenseman. Their celebration was lighthearted and fresh and seemed as if
it would be the first of many for a group of talented veterans, promising kids
and gritty role players.
It all crumbled quickly, a once-in-a-generation moment instead of a
template for success. Owner Bruce McNall's finances fell apart. Egos
clashed. Grinders got bigger roles than skill players.
The Kings had good teams here and there, most notably in 2001, when
they upset the injury-riddled Detroit Red Wings but lost a seven-game
second-round series to Colorado. They lost in the first round to Colorado in
2002, their last experience of postseason play until 2010.
In the interim, General Manager Dave Taylor was fired, but not before
overseeing the drafts that would produce Brown (2003), Anze Kopitar
(2005) and Jonathan Quick (2005). Andy Murray gave way to John
Torchetti for 12 games at the end of the 2005-06 season, then new GM
Dean Lombardi made the mistake of hiring Crawford to guide a young,
impressionable team. Crawford gave way to Murray, who took this team as
far as he could go but not as far as it should have gone.
That wasn't Lombardi's only mistake — the mention of goaltender Dan
Cloutier still makes fervent Kings fans break out in hives — but after an
underachieving regular season his team has awakened at the right time.
"It took a lot of hard work to get to where we are," Quick said. "It doesn't
matter how good you are, where you were three years ago. It goes on a
yearly basis and month-to-month, day-to-day basis where you've got to
bring the effort.
"You've got to know that if you work hard good things are going to happen,
and that's something we've done over the past couple of years here."
Finally, the Kings' vision is becoming a reality, not just a mirage in the
desert.
LA Times: LOADED: 05.13.2012
630802
Los Angeles Kings
Coyotes and Kings rely on the same strengths
Phoenix won all three home games against Nashville in the previous fivegame series, and four of six in the playoffs. Still, the road has not been an
issue for the Kings — far from it — as they have won all five games away
from Staples Center.
"Hey, it's conference finals," Mitchell said. "I don't care if it's here, New
York. Stockholm. Sign me up."
By Lisa Dillman
GLENDALE, Ariz. —
Jonathan Quick? We'll raise you one Mike Smith.
For Drew Doughty, there is Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
One old-school defensive-minded coach from small-town Alberta, Darryl
Sutter, countered by an old-school, defense-first coach from small-town
Saskatchewan, Dave Tippett, a former Kings assistant.
Strengths countered by strengths tell the picture of an intriguing Western
Conference final between the Kings and Coyotes. Game 1 of the series is
Sunday at 5 p.m. at Jobing.com Arena.
The teams, separated by two points in the regular-season standings, might
be spiritual cousins from the Pacific Division but not twins. Phoenix finished
two points ahead of the Kings in the Western Conference, but the Kings
had the edge in their season series, by one point.
Surely there are more differences between the Kings and the Coyotes than
the dazzling playoff save percentages of the goalies: the Kings' Quick
(.949) and the Coyotes' Smith (.948).
Kings' captain Dustin Brown, the team's leading scorer with six goals and
11 points in the playoffs, offered his analysis after Saturday's practice.
"I think we're probably more of an aggressive team than they are," Brown
said. "You look at systems and Xs and O's — we're similar in our personnel.
"Good goaltending. Good defense. I think we're probably a little more
aggressive. On their PK [penalty kill], they tend to back in. They'll sit back a
little bit."
The value of Quick and Smith to their respective teams has been widely
chronicled. Quick was named a Vezina Trophy finalist, and some thought
Smith's exclusion was an oversight.
If anything, the teams were closer in style and form before Sutter signed on
as the Kings' coach in December, replacing Terry Murray, Brown thought.
"I guess the best way to explain it from my standpoint: We played more like
them when we had Terry," Brown said. "If we were playing like we were
with Terry, there wouldn't be a lot of differences. Now we're a little more
aggressive on our forechecks."
The Kings, who reached the third round of the playoffs for the second time
in franchise history, got to this stage by sweeping St. Louis, and that series
had been expected to produce a trickle of offense and the prospect of
multiple overtimes.
Instead there were no overtimes, and the Kings scored 15 goals in four
games, including one five-goal game, and exposed Blues goalie Brian
Elliott's weaknesses.
"Every team that's left, what do they have? Great goaltender," Kings
defenseman Willie Mitchell said. "No one's left without a great goaltender.
You have to try to get pucks to the net or to traffic around the net.
"From there that's usually when you get the broken coverage, create some
second-chance opportunities. That's how you're going to have to score with
the great goalies that are left so far."
Then there's the defense. Doughty leads the Kings in minutes played in the
playoffs, averaging 25 minutes and 45 seconds per game. He was called
the best player in the Blues-Kings series by St. Louis Coach Ken Hitchcock.
But the Coyotes can counter with Ekman-Larsson, who at 20 is two years
younger than Doughty. He had a breakout season, and his star qualities
emerged in the playoffs. He is leading the Coyotes in ice time, averaging
just over 26 minutes per game
The Kings have the decided edge up the middle with the one-two punch of
centers Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards, compared with the Coyotes'
Antoine Vermette and Martin Hanzal.
LA Times: LOADED: 05.13.2012
630803
Los Angeles Kings
Both goaltenders have excelled in the playoffs. Smith has posted an 8-3
record, a 1.77 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and two
shutouts.
Eighth seed Kings see roles reversed heading into conference final against
Phoenix
Meanwhile, Quick has gone 8-1 with a 1.55 goals-against average, a .949
save percentage and a shutout.
By Andrew Knoll, Special to the Daily News
"When you think of the Coyotes you think of their goaltending and they get
really timely scoring from their big guys," Brown said, referring to players
such as 40-year-old forward Ray Whitney and linemate Radim Vrbata.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Once a roster of 20 Davids armed with a solitary shot in
their slings, the Kings enter the Western Conference finals in the role of
Goliath as odds-on favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
After blowing through top-seeded Vancouver in five games and sweeping
second-seeded St. Louis, the Kings now seek to become the first eighth
seed in NHL history to beat the top three conference teams en route to the
Stanley Cup Finals.
Starting with Game 1 tonight, they will meet the Phoenix Coyotes, a club
which ascended from 12th to third in the Western Conference with a red-hot
11-0-1 February. They slumped anew in March before finishing the season
with five straight wins in which goalie Mike Smith allowed a meager two
goals on 192 shots.
This is the Kings' second trip to the Conference Finals and Phoenix's first.
Neither entered the postseason with the fanfare of clubs they ousted, like
defending conference champion Vancouver and the 2010 Stanley Cup
champion Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix's first-round opponent.
"It's bringing excitement to different markets and it shows the parity in the
league when you have two teams that probably weren't expected to be in
this situation fighting for a chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals," Kings
captain Dustin Brown said.
The sort of rigmarole and emotional roller coaster the Coyotes faced
sounded familiar to the Kings, who held the Pacific Division lead before
dropping a
home-and-home set to San Jose to conclude the season.
"They're very opportunistic on the offensive side of things and they don't
give up much defensively."
Brown scrapped with Phoenix captain Shane Doan during the Coyotes' 1-0
victory Feb. 16 - a rare bout for both.
Doan, a career Coyote who moved with the franchise from Winnipeg, said
he had tremendous respect for Brown.
"He's physical and he's been playing unbelievable. He's their captain and
obviously he brings a lot to the table because of his offense as well as his
physical play," said Doan of Brown, who leads the Kings in goals, points,
plus-minus rating, hits, shots on goal and shorthanded points.
"He's probably been the best forward, the best player. You look at Quick,
and you look at (Smith), the goaltenders, they always rule the playoffs. But
outside, as a player, he's probably been the best player in the playoffs. It's
been fun to watch, it's going to be really fun to compete against him, for
sure. I mean, you look forward to that."
While the Kings' big deadline addition of Carter has helped more in terms of
a ripple effect than a direct impact, the Coyotes made the sort of astute,
low-profile pickup that has made them successful.
Veteran forward Antoine Vermette was acquired from Columbus just after
the two teams last met. He has led the Coyotes in goals and points in the
postseason and heated up a tepid power play. Of their five man-advantage
markers in the playoffs, Vermette has scored three.
Though he did not play in any games against the Kings with Phoenix this
year, Vermette had a solid idea of what to expect in the series.
"This hasn't been an easy year for us. We went through a coaching change,
we had some losing streaks, everything was difficult and we were fighting
for a playoff spot for the whole season," Brown said.
"They've been in that playoff mode for a long time, and the same thing for
us. We've played some hard hockey throughout the last couple of months
of the season. So it's going to be fun," said Vermette, who added that the
Pacific Division rivalry added to the intensity of the high-stakes series.
Brown, the longest-tenured King, has been there with linemate Anze
Kopitar through full transformations from laughingstock to rising stock, from
sellers to buyers.
Only one other team has ever taken down the top three seeds in their
conference to reach the Finals. That was the 2003-04 Calgary Flames,
coached by none other than Kings head man Darryl Sutter.
"I guess it's almost amazing how the team changes in a couple years. The
first couple years, at the trade deadline, we were giving out players," said
Kopitar, whose Kings acquired Jeff Carter at the trade deadline and Mike
Richards in the offseason to re-shape their second line.
Sutter shied away from comparisons between the two clubs but those
Flames - seeded sixth in the Western Conference - also had a miracle
worker in net with Miikka Kiprusoff, a ferocious captain in Jarome Iginla and
20 guys turning in total commitment.
"There were a few tough times, but it's definitely fun now."
Although the Flames fell one game short of Stanley Cup glory, the Kings
seemed to have found the focus and confidence to send Sutter away
victorious this time around.
Phoenix has had its own share of turmoil. The Coyotes' playoff history is
even more limited than the Kings, as they won their playoff series in
Phoenix this year and their franchise's first since 1987, when they were the
Winnipeg Jets.
They are also a club without an owner, currently operated by the NHL. Their
shrewd general manager Don Maloney has had to operate with a unique
business model that has enabled the team to persevere through a myriad of
uncertainties.
"They get everything they want from every single guy. It's not like they have
those big, big superstars," Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. "They
have a lot of guys who want to work hard and who want to play for each
other."
The six-game season series was intense, evenly played and a bit of a
distant memory. Unlike most divisional foes, the two sides have not met
since Feb. 21.
That meeting was uncharacteristically high-scoring, as Phoenix overcame a
three-goal deficit to win 5-4. It was one of five games decided by a single
goal.
There were also three shutouts in the series, two by the Kings' Jonathan
Quick and one by Phoenix's Smith.
"We knew, all along, we had this team in here to do it," Doughty said. "Right
now, we're playing with a ton of confidence. Every single guy is feeling a
part of the team, and that's exactly what you need in the playoffs."
LA Daily News: LOADED: 05.13.2012
630804
Los Angeles Kings
Who will continue Game 1 success?
Posted by Rich Hammond on 12 May 2012, 8:30 pm
In 24 hours, either the Kings or the Phoenix Coyotes will be in an unfamiliar
situation: trailing in a playoff series. The Kings jumped out to 3-0 leads over
Vancouver and St. Louis. Phoenix won Game 1 against Chicago, lost Game
2 and then won the next two games. Against Nashville, Phoenix won the
first two games and won the series in five games. So far in this postseason,
the team that has won Game 1 has gone on to win nine of the 12 series.
The Kings and Coyotes are both 2-0 in Game 1 this postseason, so clearly
something has to give. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett certainly will be putting
a big emphasis on Game 1, but said he didn’t think it would be the be-all,
end-all of the series.
TiPPETT: “Well, I’m not going to worry about after Game 1 till that one’s
done, and we’ll see how that one goes. (In) series, you have to make
adjustments, momentum-wise, tactical-wise. You kind of read and react to
what’s happening. If you looked at the last series, after Game 1, we won,
but we weren’t very happy. We went to Game 2 and knew we had to be
better. So every series is different, every game is different. I think with both
teams having a bit of a layoff here, both teams are going to be anxious to
get going. I think Game 1, there’s always a little bit of a feeling-out process.
I think everybody will be glad to get Game 1 going and get through it, then
we’ll read and react from there.”
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 05.13.2012
630805
Los Angeles Kings
Doan, Smith, Yandle talk series
MIKE SMITH: Yeah, no, they’ve been an outstanding team on the road. It’s
obviously going to be huge for us to not think about that too much, worry
about what we have to do.
The first 5, 10 minutes is obviously going to be a huge part of momentum
swings in the series. When you start off on the right note with a good first 10
minutes, good start, go from there.
Q. Everybody is saying how similar these two teams are. They appear to
be. When two teams are alike, what can make the difference in the series?
As the playoffs go deeper, the media sessions get more formal. Today,
each team brought in three players, as well as the head coaches, to face
questions in a podium setting. Coyotes general manager Don Maloney also
answered questions, but Dean Lombardi did not show up, even though it’s
supposed to be a mandatory session. Rather than break up all the quotes,
here’s what the Coyotes players said this afternoon about the start of the
series against the Kings…
MIKE SMITH: They said that about us and Nashville, too. I think in playoffs,
every team is going to have some similarities. Everybody is going to be
working hard, blocking shots. Everybody has a good goaltender.
—–
MIKE SMITH: Barbs (LaBarbera) is such an easy guy to get along with. I
think everybody knows he doesn’t say too many bad things about anyone.
It’s been a very easy transition coming here and working with a guy like
him. He works super hard in practice, very easy to get along with off the ice.
Q. Shane, just a quick question. There you are in the cafeteria after 15
years, you’re in the finals, taking all this in. Your impressions.
SHANE DOAN: It’s been pretty cool. We’ve enjoyed the run. When it hasn’t
worked, you’ve been told that it can’t. It’s nice to be able to say that it can.
I think in that aspect, teams are similar. But we have our own identity. We’re
not trying to worry too much about them, just kind of play our game.
Q. Mike, what has Barb said to you?
We’re pretty excited as a group – very excited.
Obviously that relationship is huge. I’ve been with guys that haven’t had the
same kind of relationship as I have with Barb, so it’s been everything I can
ask for.
Q. Mike, I was looking your name up on Wikipedia.
Q. He came up with that handshake?
MIKE SMITH: How many came up (laughter)?
MIKE SMITH: He did. I can’t take credit for that.
Q. It said you’re the only goalie in history to get a shoutout, get in a fight,
and score a goal in the same game.
Q. Along those lines, timeouts, seems like you’re talking to him.
MIKE SMITH: No, false information. I scored. I got a shutout and a win, but
I never got in a fight. The Gordie Howe hat trick is out.
Q. East Coast?
MIKE SMITH: Yeah, first year as pro. I don’t like to fight (laughter).
Q. Shane, the break between games. Do you want to ride the coattails of
momentum off the last series?
SHANE DOAN: I think a little bit. You’d like to. We definitely enjoyed a little
bit of a break. The last series started fairly quickly. We went six games and
I think we started three days later.
MIKE SMITH: We’re talking about golfing (laughter).
No, like I said, he’s an easy guy to be around. He’s calming to be around.
When I get a chance to get a few words in with him, kind of calm myself
down by being able to talk to someone like that.
When you’re in the heat of the moment of the game, you’re nerves are
working against you. When you get a timeout to go to the bench, get to chat
with a guy like that, it’s a calming influence.
Q. (No microphone.)
MIKE SMITH: Probably not this long of one. I’ve played well in the past, but
never been able to find that consistency I have this year.
At the same time it’s nice having the break. It’s not like anyone’s really
complaining too much. They’re on as big a roll as anyone ever has been on
I think in the playoffs. It would be nice to be playing maybe yesterday, but
having till Sunday, it’s okay.
You know, goalies go in and out of hot streaks. Obviously you have some
games where you don’t play your best. But this year I found a way to play
well when I haven’t felt my best and tried to get out of slumps quicker than I
have in the past.
Q. Keith, could you talk about the goaltending matchup in this series, two
hottest goalies in the league. The fact that you have the ability to get a few
past Pekka Rinne, a pretty good goalie, in the last round?
I think that’s been a big part of my success this season.
KEITH YANDLE: Yeah, we faced two good goalies so far with Crawford and
Rinne. We’ve been able to solve them. We know Quick is a good goalie,
great goalie, playing well. We got more confidence in our net minder than
theirs.
SHANE DOAN: And he’s friends with Quick.
Q. Shane, could you talk about the value of having another guy that’s been
around this league for a long time, Ray Whitney.
SHANE DOAN: He’s a lot older (laughter).
Q. Just the value of him, and also the value that he’s been through already.
SHANE DOAN: You know what, it’s funny. Everybody on our team for the
most part hadn’t been past the second round, I mean, other than Ray and
Raffi in the past, Vermette. Those guys are the only three that have been
passed.
It’s been nice to talk to him. At the same time we got a pretty good veteran
group of guys that are pretty comfortable. But Ray offensively has been our
best player probably throughout the whole year. He’s been unbelievable in
the playoffs, getting huge goals, just keeping it kind of like a businesslike
approach. We all make sure we follow along.
Q. Mike, you have yet to lose on the road. Coming in tomorrow, how do you
keep home ice as an advantage?
Q. Shane, coach joked after Game 2 of Nashville that he’s happy for you to
do your own thing in Phoenix, nobody has to notice. Can’t fly under the
radar anymore. What is it like to get more recognition now nationally?
SHANE DOAN: I’m pretty sure everyone is probably picking against us
anyways again. It’s where we want to stay, pretty low-key.
Here in the valley, it’s been great. We’ve enjoyed the way that it’s kind of
worked out for us the last couple years here. We’ve had success as a team.
It will be fun to experience.
Again, I think that’s where we’ll go back to a guy like Ray, guys that have
experienced it. Coming in here and talking to you guys, I haven’t done that
before, it’s kind of nice.
Q. Mike, your goal in the HCHL, the reason I would want you to go back
into your memory bank, to get your thoughts on it, because Jonathan Quick,
when he got his first win in the HCHL, he also scored a goal.
MIKE SMITH: Really? I didn’t know that.
Q. You both have that in common. Do you remember it?
MIKE SMITH: Oh, yeah. Tough to forget. The bad thing is, once you score
once, you want more, so…
That feeling of obviously scoring when you’re a goaltender is like nothing
else. But also can work against you, too. You’re only thinking about it when
their goalie’s out. The number one job is to keep the puck out of my end. If
it does go in the other end, that’s great, too.
Q. Mike, can you give us a sense of the way you are before games. Are
nerves something you need to battle? Are you pretty easygoing before
games? And, Shane, what is your sense of him?
I think it was the coaching staff getting us together and pinpointing that we
really needed to step up our game. I thought we did a real good job of doing
that.
MIKE SMITH: I want Shane to leave me alone anytime. He’s a pest anytime
I’m around him (laughter).
Q. The All-Star break preceded that. This is your longest break. Is there
something to be said to be able to use that time to rest? Can you see any
connection between what you were able to do, All-Star break, taking that
time, to now kind of refocusing again?
No, I’m pretty easygoing. I get nerves obviously this time of the season. I
think everyone gets nervous before games. I don’t think I show it. I think I
just try and do my thing and enjoy the moment, enjoy playing this game that
we all grew up playing and dreamt of being in the NHL playoffs, just trying
to take advantage of the situation.
It’s been fun so far.
KEITH YANDLE: Leading up to the All-Star break, I think we had one of the
toughest schedules I know I’ve ever been a part of. That break came at a
perfect time in the season. This break can work to our advantage.
SHANE DOAN: Yeah, he’s as competitive off the ice as he is on the ice. We
all play in a two-touch game that is pretty intense at times. Usually we’re
arguing with him whether or not he’s out or not.
We also have to recognize that we’ve had time off. We have to come the
first 5 minutes, 10 minutes, like I said, and get onboard and get back into
the playoff adrenaline and energy out there, because both teams have had
big layoffs now. It’s probably going to be a little bit of feeling out the first 5,
10 minutes. But after that, we’re going to have to really up our tempo.
MIKE SMITH: Because Shane is always right (laughter).
SHANE DOAN: It doesn’t matter, every game, doesn’t matter if he’s on a
roll, it’s the exact same thing. That’s one of the great things. It doesn’t
matter how everything is going, he’s going to make sure everybody around
him, it’s still the same. It’s nice when you have your starting goalie to be like
that. We enjoy it. We have fun with him.
KEITH YANDLE: Yeah, I agree. I think Smitty is a guy, he sees the game
well. He’s a goalie, but he sees the game well, as if he’s a defenseman or a
player back there.
You know, you can talk to him about hockey or anything before, during or
after the game. It’s fun to have a guy like him around.
Q. You guys are obviously keeping it lighthearted here. What role does
humor and being able to jab at each other relieve some of the tenseness of
the game coming up? Second part is, who provides the best humor in the
locker room?
SHANE DOAN: I’d say Jelly (Yandle) does. He’s usually got something
going on. When things are going on, he keeps it pretty lighthearted.
We got a great group of guys that really enjoy each other. No one is afraid
to give it to anybody. I think it makes it fun. We all enjoy it a lot.
MIKE SMITH: Especially this time of season, it can get pretty nervewracking. To have the group we have, to keep it light, especially before big
games. It takes a lot of energy out if you’re serious all the time.
It’s been a fun year. It’s been a very easy transition for me to come into this
group. Obviously we have great leadership. Everyone in the locker room
gets along. That’s a huge part of why we are where we are right away.
Q. Divisional rival for the first time. The style of this series going to be any
different than Chicago or Nashville or closer to one or the other in the way
it’s played?
SHANE DOAN: I think we’re pretty familiar with each other. I mean, we’ve
had some pretty intense, physical games already. I’m assuming that it’s just
going to kind of go up even more than that. We’re pretty comfortable
playing each other. I don’t think there’s going to be too many surprises.
They got Carter late. That’s about the only thing that’s changed since the
last time we played them, three or four times when they didn’t have him.
It will be a fun, intense playoff hockey. I think the third round, as a fan, I
think the intensity goes up so much after the second round, because the
second round, you’re happy to get into the second round, get out of the first
round. Sometimes there’s a little bit of a lull.
Third round, you recognize how close you are to achieving your goal. From
watching it way too many times, that intensity is fun to see and will be fun to
be part of.
Q. Keith, could you address, out of the All-Star break you went on a great
run, That kind of turned the whole season around for you. Can you point to
any particular reason why that time of the season was when everything
started to click and why?
KEITH YANDLE: I don’t know if there’s something you can really just
pinpoint. We came together. I remember having some meeting, Tip telling
us how much the next 15, 20 games mean to our team. It was a rush to get
into the playoffs. It was so tight in the west, we knew we had to play well to
get into the playoffs, get the highest seed we could get.
630806
Los Angeles Kings
Kings happy to see game time near
Mercifully, the time for talk is almost over. After almost a week, the Kings
and Phoenix Coyotes will be back in action tomorrow for Game 1 of the
Western Conference Finals. Both teams practiced today at Jobing.com
Arena, and with the 5 p.m. start tomorrow, neither team figures to have
much activity in the morning, at least on the ice. For the Kings, there’s at
least a little more normalcy. They’re on the road, in a hotel, and it’s starting
to feel like playoff hockey again. Rob Scuderi said the Kings are ready for a
game.
SCUDERI: “Yeah, I think I can’t speak for everyone, but just for myself. It’s
nice to just get back to the routine a little bit. While the season is still going
on, you want to keep it going on, you don’t want too
long a break. It’s nice to have a bit of recuperation time. But after seven
days, I think we’re all pretty much ready to play.’’
In terms of travel, and the schedule, things worked out fairly well for the
Kings. With a flight of only one hour, and an early evening game Sunday,
the Kings were able to stay home until this morning but still squeeze in a
practice at the arena before the start of the series. As Darryl Sutter pointed
out, it’s also a chance for players such as Dwight King and Jordan Nolan,
who have never played a regular-season or playoff game at Jobing.com
Arena, or Jeff Carter, who managed to miss Phoenix during the regular
season with Columbus and the Kings, to get acclimated.
SUTTER: “I think it’s good, first off. But I think the most important part of
that is because we play an early game tomorrow, right? You get guys that
haven’t maybe practiced in this building or been on the ice in this building,
or not very often. That’s the most important part. I don’t think it does
anything for you in terms of preparation coming in early, less than an hour
over here. That was the concern. The most important part is, is because it’s
an early game tomorrow.’’
Of course, the situation is nearly identical for the Coyotes. They wrapped up
their second-round series on Monday, a day after the Kings, and they’ve
been home since, awaiting the start of the conference finals. Coyotes
forward Ray Whitney said he’s ready to get going…
WHITNEY: “Yeah, it’s been a long time off. I think both teams probably feel
the same way, that it’s enough practicing, it’s time to get out there. At this
time of year, you don’t like practicing that much anyways. You’ve had
enough of those throughout the season. So, we’re excited to get back to
playing and I’m sure they are as well. … We’ve both had plenty of time to
prepare and heal and I would assume everybody is healthy on both sides of
it. So, everybody is starting fresh, which should be no excuses in that
department.”
630807
Los Angeles Kings
Both teams looking to depth scoring
Posted by Rich Hammond on 12 May 2012, 10:00 am
Scoring depth has been a critical aspect of this postseason for both teams.
The Kings have had at least one goal from 15 different players (11
forwards, four defensemen), while the Coyotes have had at least one goal
from 13 different players (10 forwards, three defensemen). Contributions
from the third and fourth lines have been important in the first two rounds
for both teams. If the theory goes, as Justin Williams presents, that teams’
top two lines often cancel each other out, then the biggest goals are the
ones that are hardest to predict. Williams, and Phoenix coach Dave Tippett,
talked about the depth on their respective teams…
WILLIAMS: “Certainly. I think you look at lines three and four, and
everybody is outscoring their opposition. Our third line has scored more
than (Vancouver and St. Louis’) third line. Our fourth line has scored more
than their fourth line, that we’ve played so far. We’re going to need solid
contributions from everybody. That’s what the playoffs is. Sometimes the
first couple lines offset each other, and it’s the so-called unsung heroes who
get the stuff done. That’s probably not going to change. There are guys who
are going to step up and score big goals.”
TIPPETT: ““It just shows that we have the most depth we’ve ever had here.
… You have a line that can go on the ice against anybody that you feel
comfortable with. They’re a working line, they’re a responsible line and I
think we’ve seen that they’re capable of generating some chances and
some goals. That clinching game against Chicago, if that line doesn’t come
up with a couple of big goals it could be a different story.”
630808
New Jersey Devils
Career in the Minors Is Interrupted by the Devils’ Push for the Stanley Cup
By DAVE CALDWELL
NEWARK — A compact man with curly black hair and a beard clomped
through the Devils’ dressing room on skates after practice Saturday,
stashing his black helmet in his locker before moving on to the next episode
of his improbable and rollicking springtime adventure.
“How can you not enjoy this? It’s the Stanley Cup playoffs,” the man,
Stephen Gionta, said. “This is every kid’s dream. If you can’t enjoy it, I don’t
know what you can enjoy.”
Five weeks ago, Gionta, a 28-year-old forward, was polishing off his fifth full
season with the Devils’ top farm team. He has been in the minors so long
that he played for the Albany River Rats and then the Lowell Devils, who
became the Albany Devils.
Until the second-year center Jacob Josefson broke his left wrist April 3,
Gionta had played in 12 N.H.L. games, all early in the shipwreck of the
Devils’ 2010-11 season, compiling no goals and no assists.
He replaced Josefson without much fanfare.
“I’m just trying to take the opportunity and run with it,” he said.
Gionta was better known, and probably still is, as the younger brother of
Brian Gionta, who once scored 48 goals in a season for the Devils and is
now a 33-year-old forward for the Montreal Canadiens, as well as their
captain. Stephen Gionta was the brother, the farmhand.
Then he was paired on the unheralded fourth line with the grinding forwards
Steve Bernier and Ryan Carter, and something clicked. All three scored
goals in the first six games of the Devils’ first-round series against Florida,
and Gionta scored another goal in Game 7. They hustle.
“We’re not out there to make quick hits to score goals,” Carter said. “We
want to wear them down.”
Devils Coach Peter DeBoer has become so comfortable with them that their
ice time has increased. Gionta was not on the ice for more than nine
minutes in any game of the first-round series against Florida. He played at
least 11 minutes in two games in the conference semifinal series against
Philadelphia.
He is plus 4 in the playoffs; Carter is plus 2, Bernier plus 1. The success
that the line has had pushing the puck into opponents’ zones — and
keeping it there while playing responsibly on defense — has enabled
DeBoer to play his top lines less, keeping everybody fresh.
“When you roll only three lines for two and a half periods, it gets tiring,” said
Zach Parise, the Devils’ captain. “The coaches are confident doing that, and
we’re confident in them, too, and it’s going a long way.”
The Devils eliminated the Flyers in five games, which means that they will
have had five days off between their last game and the opener of the
Eastern Conference finals on Monday against the Rangers. They will have
had time to prepare against an opponent, the Rangers, that played in a
Game 7 on Saturday night.
DeBoer looks smart for juggling his top three lines before the Philadelphia
series to generate punishing, productive forechecking that kept the Flyers
on their heels. He also looks smart for not tinkering with his fourth line,
centered by Gionta, who is generously listed at 5 feet 7 inches.
“You don’t want to look at his size,” Bernier said. “You want to look at how
hard he works. It’s all about pressure. We want to pressure the other team.”
Gionta’s line did not score against the Flyers, and Bernier said the line’s
scoring chances decreased, even though the three played more. But
DeBoer did not sound Saturday as if he expected to use the fourth line
much less in the next round.
“They’ve contributed in a positive way every night for us, and that’s been
critical,” DeBoer said.
Gionta scored a goal in the Devils’ regular-season finale against Ottawa. He
scored against the Panthers in Game 3, in which the Devils took a 3-0 lead
but lost, 4-3. His goal midway through the second period of Game 7 gave
the Devils a 2-0 lead.
He said he was not necessarily trying any harder because he caught a
break while finishing out another minor league season. The three players
are trying to be responsible as they continue to play a simple style, and the
coaches are rewarding them because they are good at it.
“It depends on situations, too,” said Bernier, 27, a former first-round draft
choice who signed with the Devils at the end of January. “Every game, we
are getting to play more and more, but you never know what to expect. We
just need to do our jobs, or we won’t play.”
At practice Saturday, Gionta stepped in for a while as a point man on the
penalty-killing unit assigned to harass the Devils’ second power-play unit.
Gionta was thrilled just to be with the team — and he also gets to play in
the games now.
Josefson, 21, skated on his own last week, and a practice jersey hung in his
locker after practice Saturday — a sign, perhaps, that he may be close to
returning. But he broke his collarbone earlier in the season, and the Devils
do not want to rush him. They have a fallback.
“It’s been a seamless transition,” Carter said of Gionta. “Gio brings a lot of
speed to this team.”
New York Times LOADED: 05.13.2012
630809
New Jersey Devils
Devils' run through the playoffs lacking one common ingredient: the playoff
beard
Mike Vorkunov/The Star-Ledger By Mike Vorkunov/The Star-Ledger
After the Devils’ Game 3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, Patrik Elias
and Zach Parise crossed paths in the locker room before Parise turned
around, stroked his clean shaven chin and yelled out, “I see you followed
my lead.” Elias, sporting a barely-there five o’clock shadow, smiled and
chuckled.
Is there a more blasphemous exchange in the midst of a postseason run?
The Devils, winners of four straight games and Eastern Conference
finalists, have ferocious forechecking, a legendary goaltender and a $100
million sniper. But their success this spring may be surprising if you
consider that they are missing what has long been thought to be a key
ingredient in May and June: the playoff beard.
It is not a locker room completely devoid of hirsute faces, but it does have
more than its fair share of shorn whiskers and fresh stubble. It’s not exactly
skating without a stick, but the Devils have shown so far that you can win in
the playoffs without facial hair.
“There’s a lack,” Ryan Carter said. “Mine is genetic, I don’t know if
everybody else’s is. That’s just a gimmick in the playoffs but there’s
commitment on this team throughout, whether it shows in their beards or
not.”
The playoff beard has become a beloved part of hockey, a visage paired
together with a gritty and rough game. The New York Islanders of the early
1980s are credited with starting the tradition, a hairy group who sacrificed
razors for four straight Stanley Cups. Since then, it’s grown into an annual
rite of spring.
Tim Thomas wore a bushy lumberjack beard. Sydney Crosby’s came in
patchy. Mike Commodore had the ginger fury. You could document Scott
Niedermayer’s age by the amount of gray in his beard in his final years with
the Anaheim Ducks, a far cry from the all-black beard during his days with
the Devils.
“Every year, the playoff beard, everybody talks about it,” Adam Henrique
said while wearing a thick goatee, harkening back to the days of Scott
Stevens. “It’s something fun besides the game. There’s always interesting
ones every playoffs.”
Ken Daneyko, whose beard and toothless grin might as well be associated
with the 2003 Cup he raised over his head, says it’s reasoning is hard to
pinpoint.
“You try anything,” he said. “Anything for bonding, anything for luck,
superstition, call it whatever you want. That all goes into it, no question.”
But look around the Devils locker room and then wonder where the beards
are. Martin Brodeur, whose contribution historically has been a soul patch
— Daneyko explained that he told them that otherwise it would itch
underneath his mask — is clean shaven. Elias had one but then shaved it
off after he didn’t like the look.
Parise is the face of the team. He started the playoffs with good intentions
but shaved his whispy mustache, all he could muster, after a few games
and severe ribbing from teammates. He hasn’t gone back after the Devils
started winning.
“He had a nasty mustache for a while but I guess he shaved it off because
he was embarrassed to go out in public,” Travis Zajac said.
There are the traditionalists though. Zajac has a full beard. Ilya Kovalchuk’s
would fit in during a Russian winter as well as a Jersey spring. Andy
Greene’s has been commended as the best on the team. Adam Larsson’s
is what you’d expect from a 19-year-old making his first playoff appearance.
“I think it’s all preference,” Daneyko said. “We probably did it a lot more and
it was a little more prevalent during our good runs in the 90s and 2000s. But
there’s still a few guys who are a little old school and like to grow the
beard.”
“I think it’s as simple as sometimes it can be irritation, that would be the
reason some don’t. Obviously some guys can’t [with a laugh]. It’s all
preference. We had more of that old school mentality years ago. I think a lot
more guys did it, but still not everybody. There was guys who would grow a
goatee or a mustache. My last one obviously, I was getting old and it was
getting gray and grizzly. But it was certainly a memorable time because it
was my last one.”
For some there’s a good excuse — they just can’t. Ryan Carter is working
hard to make the mustache work — growing a thick one over his upper lip
that may get its own cult Twitter account if it ever sees a TV camera — but
can’t grow a beard.
“I lack what it takes for a full beard,” he said sheepishly. “I’ve been calling
my Dad once a day giving him heat for that.”
There are also internal influences. In 2003, Adam Oates, now an assistant
coach with the Devils but then playing for the Anaheim Ducks, abstained
from one based on his statistical analysis that despite all 16 teams growing
beards, only one team would win the Stanley Cup in the end. That
iconoclastic realization earned him a reputation around hockey as one of
the game’s utmost “sa-beard-metricians.”
Perhaps with karmic justice, Anaheim lost to the Devils in Game 7 of the
Finals.
“I think some of the guys are enjoying their time away from their razor for
sure,” Carter said. “It’s good and it’s something that is around playoff
hockey. It’s fun for the guys to jump onboard and whatever momentum or
excitement that brings for us, it’s good for us.”
As for the idea that the Devils may be tempting the Hockey Gods? Says
Greene: “Knock on wood.”
Star Ledger LOADED: 05.13.2012
630810
New Jersey Devils
Devils coach Pete DeBoer: Work starts when Rangers-Capitals game ends
Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger
Like a lot of hockey fans, Devils coach Pete DeBoer will be watching Game
7 between the Rangers and Capitals.
But when it's over tonight, he won't just turn off the TV and go to bed. He'll
start working.
“Yes. We won’t get together as a staff but my video coaches and I will be in
communication as soon as the game ends,” DeBoer said.
“It’s a little tough. We know we’re playing one of two teams. We have full
preparation on both those teams. It’s just a matter of that game ending
tonight and fine-tuning whichever team comes out of it.”
Finally he will know which team the Devils will meet Monday night in Game
1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Rangers at Madison Square
Garden or the Capitals at the Prudential Center in Newark.
“Both these teams have a different style of play than the first two teams we
faced. Not any tougher, I don’t think, or easier. I think it’s just a different
style of play we’re dealing with. We’ve made the appropriate adjustments
and preparations for that.
“We know both these teams well. We have a lot of tape on them and we’ve
had a lot of time to prepare. So there’s no excuse.”
“The guys are excited. It was a good practice. We got through a lot of stuff,”
DeBoer said. “Again, it’s managing the six or seven days off and making
sure we’re ready for Monday night.”
If it's Washington, it will be Alex Ovechklin and coach Dale Hunter, a
longtime nemesis of DeBoer in their junior hockey coaching days.
“Dale coaches like he plays and his team’s play is a reflection of him. That’s
been the case wherever he’s been,” DeBoer said.
And Ovechkin?
“He’s a one-of-a-kind player," Zach Parise said. "But I think the Rangers
have (Brad) Richards and (Marian) Gaborik both playing very well. Both
teams have players you are aware of when they’re on the ice. You have to
pay special attention to them.”
Parise now says he will also be watching the game.
“Even if I say I’m not going to watch, I’m sure I will,” Parise said.
Goalie Martin Brodeur and DeBoer spoke today about telling young players
the opportunity they have getting this far in the playoffs.
“That’s something that any guys who have been around the league long
enough, coaches and players, try to impart on guys,” DeBoer said. “It’s hard
to get here. You look at the board in our room and you’re used to seeing 30
teams up there. Tonight there will be four.
“This is a hard level to get to and a hard stage to get to. You’re also close
enough to the end that you can almost see it there. You want to make sure
you take full advantage of the opportunity.”
*
Games 1 (Monday, 8 p.m.) and 2 (Wednesday, 8 p.m.) will be broadcast on
Bloomberg 1130AM radio.
630811
New Jersey Devils
Devils' Marek Zidlicky baffled at being booed by Philadelphia fans
Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky was back on the ice today after suffering
an injury when he was checked head-first into the boards by Flyers winger
Wayne Simmonds with 8:14 remaining in the second period of Game 5 of
that playoff series.
Zidlicky said he did not suffer a head injury and called his problem
"muscular." After remaining down on the ice for a time, he was shocked
when Philadelphia fans booed him as he got up and skated off.
pretty much the same age. If they win it would be his first time in the
conference finals, too. I’m pretty sure it would be special for both of us.”
They are friends.
“We always stay in touch. We have a good relationship. When we play
against him we spend a little time together and we call each other once or
twice a week to see what’s going on,” Kovalchuk said.
He joked that teammates Dainius Zunbrus (Lithuania) and Alexei
Ponikarovsky (Ukraine) are "fake Russians. They really want to be
Russians, but they’re not.”
Kovalchuk didn't want to talk about the controversy surrounding Ovechkin's
diminished ice time. ice time
“That’s there business," he said. "I’m pretty sure they’re winning and he’s
happy. That’s all that matters.”
“That’s unbelievable. I don’t know why (they booed)," Zidlicky said. "I think
it’s a pretty dangerous play. It doesn’t matter if it’s me or anybody else, it’s
still hockey. It’s still a sport. People have to figure out it’s only hockey, it’s
not life. Nobody wants to see a hockey player in a wheelchair if I was hurt.
DeBoer said: "They're playing a four-line game. I think this time of year
almost everyone's minutes are down a little bit. Obviously his are down
more significantly. But they have enough depth of that type of player when
you look at (Nicklas) Backstrom and (Alexander) Semin that they can do
that."
“I think Philly has pretty good fans, but they have to figure out the most
important thing is life. They were probably frustrated from the game, but it’s
still sport. It’s not life."
Kovalchuk on the long layoff for the Devils: “We have a nice week almost
without games. The rest is always good, but now we’re at the point where
we want to play and get back at it.
He did not play the entire third period and missed practice on Thursday.
“We just have to play the way we were playing in the second round. If we
forecheck the same way it doesn’t matter who we play. They’re both great
teams.”
“It was from the hit, yes. It was pretty tight so I didn’t want to come back,"
Zidlicky explained. "It got tight between the second and third periods. I don’t
want to say much about it. Nobody is talking about it when somebody is
hurt. I feel better right now, so it’s going to be fun.”
He did confirm that it was not a head-related injury and that he would be
ready for Game 1 Monday night against either the Rangers or Capitals.
“It’s not a concussion. It’s more my muscles,” he said. “I enjoyed practice
again after a couple of days. I feel good.
“We’re going to the conference finals now. It can’t be better. I feel pretty
well and the team has pretty good confidence."
Anton Volchenkov was also injured in Philly during Game 5 and he heard
boos from the crowd.
“That’s Philly. It’s normal," Volchenkov said.
He would not discuss the nature of his injury, but spoke of the hit from Zac
Rinaldo at 6:30 of the first period. It came two minutes after Volchenkov
drilled Brayden Schenn into the end boards.
“It was a good hit. It was a clean hit, too," Volchenkov said. "I didn’t really
see him, but it wasn’t a dirty hit. He hit me right in the chest and I lost my
breath.
“Maybe I got targeted. I got a pretty hard hit on Schenn, so maybe that’s
why they started playing harder against me. How do you say? Payback.
That’s hockey. I’ll take a hit. It’s a hard game. It feels good now. I’m ready
for the next round.”
Coach Pete DeBoer on Volchenkov and Zidlicky today: "I thought they
looked good. They stayed out the entire practice and they didn't look off at
all."
Zidlicky is a key piece for the Devils.
"(He brings) puck-moving ability, composure, competitiveness in the
defensive zone. He's a legitimate top two defenseman. Not just on our
team. On any team," DeBoer said. "Those guys are hard to find."
*
Will it be the Rangers or Capitals?
“It’s not really different playing against the Rangers or Washington,"
Volchenkov said. "Both teams are playing good. I’ll be ready to play either.”
If the Capitals win Game 7 against the Rangers, it would set up a matchup
between Ilya Kovalchuk and Alex Ovechkin.
“That would be nice," Kovalchuk said. "It will be the conference finals so I’m
pretty sure everybody will be pumped up and ready to go. It doesn’t matter
who we play against, but for sure it would be exciting. We’re both Russians,
*
DeBoer: "We've got three key guys-- Bryce Salvador, Zach Parise and
Travis Zajac-- who have missed, if not a full season then 60-plus games
each over the last year. I think they've all shown their character by where
they are at by battling through that adversity. They all look like they're on
top; of their game now, which is great to see."
630812
New Jersey Devils
Devils: Marek Zidlicky and Anton Volchenkov return from injuries
Devils defensemen Anton Volchenkov and Marek Zidlicky, both sidelined in
recent days with unspecified injuries, returned to the ice for practice today
at the AmeriHealth Pavilion.
Zidlicky was checked into the boards by Wayne Simmonds in Game 5 of
the conference semifinals. Volchenkov took a hit from Zac Rinaldo.
The full healthy team practiced.
Lines:
Alexei Ponikarovsky-Travis Zajac-Ilya Kovalchuk
Zach Parise-Patrik Elias-David Clarkson
Petr Sykora-Adam Henrique-Dainius Zubrus
Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier
Extras: Eric Boulton, Cam Janssen, Tim Sestito
Defense:
Andy Greene-Mark Fayne
Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky
Anton Volchenkov-Adam Larsson
Extras: Peter Harrold, Matt Taormina
Goalies: Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg
The Devils will open the conference finals against either the Rangers or
Capitals Monday night at 8 .p.m.
630813
New Jersey Devils
Devils vs. Rangers regular-season series
Herald News
A review of the 2011-12 season series between the Devils and the
Rangers:
Dec. 20, 2011
at Prudential Center: Rangers 4, Devils 1
After the Devils’ Cam Janssen and the Rangers’ Mike Rupp fight only three
seconds into the game, Travis Zajac gives the Devils a 1-0 lead with 4:09
remaining in the first period. Artem Anisimov finishes a Derek Stepan feed
with 2:32 left in the second to tie it. Marian Gaborik puts the Rangers ahead
for good by converting an Anisimov rebound 4:45 into the third.
Jan. 31, 2012
at Prudential Center: Devils 4, Rangers 3 (SO)
With Henrik Lundqvist getting the night off, the Rangers start backup Martin
Biron and grab a 3-2 lead when defenseman Michael Del Zotto scores with
3:59 left in regulation. David Clarkson ties it with 47.6 seconds remaining
when he converts a strange bounce on Andy Greene’s dump-in. Ilya
Kovalchuk scores the deciding goal in the shootout.
Feb. 7, 2012
at Madison Square Garden: Devils 1, Rangers 0
The game opens with two simultaneous fights: the Devils’ Eric Boulton vs.
Rangers’ Brandon Prust and a Janssen-Rupp rematch. Clarkson’s powerplay goal at 8:14 of the first stands up as the winner as Martin Brodeur
makes 30 saves to post his first shutout of the season. Anisimov’s apparent
tying goal with 3.5 seconds remaining is disallowed due to goaltender
interference.
Feb. 27, 2012
at Madison Square Garden: Rangers 2, Devils 0
Carl Hagelin scores with 3:01 left in the first period and Ryan Callahan adds
an empty-net goal with 1:06 remaining. That is plenty for Lundqvist, who
needs just 13 saves to post his league-leading eighth shutout.
March 6, 2012
at Prudential Center: Devils 4, Rangers 1
Kovalchuk scores on a breakaway just 49 seconds into the game, but
Stepan ties it 6:56 into the second. Clarkson and Ryan Carter beats
Lundqvist 1:54 apart early in the third to give the Devils the lead for good.
March 19, 2012
Rangers coach John Tortorella yells at Devils coach Pete DeBoer for
starting his tough guys as the game begins with three simultaneous fights:
Boulton vs. Rupp, Janssen vs. Prust and Carter vs. Stu Bickel. Afterward,
DeBoer says Tortorella had "either got short-term memory loss or he’s a
hypocrite", referring to when Tortorella started his tough guys Dec. 20 at
The Rock. Tortorella responds the next day by saying DeBoer should "just
shut up. And I need to also."
— Tom Gulitti
Bergen Record LOADED: 05.13.2012
630814
New Jersey Devils
Devils vs. Rangers regular-season results
The Record
Rangers:
Dec. 20, 2011
Jan. 31, 2012
Feb. 7, 2012
interference.
Feb. 27, 2012
March 6, 2012
March 19, 2012
hypocrite," referring to when Tortorella started his tough guys Dec. 20 at
— Tom Gulitti
630815
New Jersey Devils
Rangers notes: Looking ahead
The Record
Looking ahead
The Rangers-Devils Eastern Conference final marks the first time the crossHudson rivals have met in a playoff series since the Rangers’ five-game win
in the first round of the 2008 playoffs.
They played a classic seven-game conference final series in 1994 that
ended with Stephane Matteau’s double-overtime winner in Game 7.
The Devils haven’t played since Tuesday. Game 1 is Monday at Madison
Square Garden.
"You can look at it different ways," Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said.
"We’re going and they’re sitting, but I don’t think it matters."
Strong game
Michael Del Zotto scored the winner by moving up into the slot at 10:05 of
the third period – coach John Tortorella said he’s been the most consistent
Ranger in terms of joining the rush – and added an assist on Brad Richards’
goal.
He played 23:16 and led the Rangers with eight of their 33 hits.
"We made it clear before the game that we wanted to be physical," Del
Zotto said. "That helped us seal this win."
No goal
Rangers center Brian Boyle had a potential short-handed goal that would
have made it 3-1 at 11:32 of the third period waved off on the ice and
confirmed by video review. He and Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman
barreled into Braden Holtby.
"They told me I kicked it in," Boyle said. "I don’t know. I didn’t get a look at
it."
Briefs
Six of the seven games in the series were decided by one goal. … Rangers
left wing Ruslan Fedotenko is now 6-0 in Game 7s.
— Andrew Gross
630816
New Jersey Devils
NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils in Eastern Conference finals will not look like
series against Washington Capitals
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Richards was asked what is the engine for this Ranger team, which just
keeps chugging along under the most trying circumstances.
“Great goalie, great team structure,” he said.
Nothing colorful or provocative about that. Let’s see now if the Rangers
keep their cool with Booker in their face, and Peter DeBoer sending out his
enforcers for the opening faceoff.
Filip Bondy
New York Daily News LOADED: 05.13.2012
Thank goodness that’s over.
Two weeks and seven games of admirable, meticulous, low-scoring, joyless
ice hockey came to a close on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory for the
Rangers over the Caps in Game 7 at the Garden.
A snappy beginning assured the happy ending. The Rangers required just
92 seconds to score the first goal on Saturday night, then never lost the
lead. The way this series went all along, with little offense and much
caution, the only thing that ever really mattered was that first goal. The
Rangers came out faster, made a play, and the game ostensibly ended
right there, with Brad Richards’ slapper from the top of the left circle under
the glove of Braden Holtby.
There was another Ranger goal, then a Cap goal, then some handshakes.
Both teams said nice things about each other. Congratulations to everyone.
And that’s all you really need to know about Saturday before we get started
all over again on Monday with a grudge series that already has the mayor
of Newark promising a one-sided victory in the conference finals.
“Oh, we are bringing it,” Cory Booker tweeted on behalf of his Devils,
immediately after the Ranger victory. “I should get a dust pan, cause their
(sic) might be a sweep coming.”
This should quickly become excellent theater, if only because these two
cross-river rivals have a long history, and a recent history, of hating each
other. Their animosity goes back to the 1990s, and it goes back to this past
March when there was a big fight between enforcers at the opening faceoff
for the second time this season.
This next series will be about all the stuff that John Tortorella refuses to talk
about. The Ranger coach already issued a preemptive censorship order
Saturday on all controversial matters.
“You guys are gonna make your stories about Devils-Rangers,” Tortorella
said. “Don’t include me in it. We’re going to be concerned about the New
York Rangers.”
It takes two teams, however, to tangle. The Devils are rested. The Rangers
have played 14 playoff games already, and the postseason feels like it’s
only now just starting.
Doesn’t matter, Henrik Lundqvist said.
“You can look at it a lot of ways,” he said. “They get rest but they haven’t
played. I look forward to it. They’re a great team. We faced them a lot. We
know what to expect.”
It was Lundqvist who made this all possible. He was outstanding throughout
the entire second-round series, and then in Game 7 he turned back the
Caps in the second period when they swarmed and cycled for nearly two
minutes in the Ranger end.
Before moving on to the next stage, and regardless of what happens next,
the Rangers deserve considerable praise for advancing this far. The win
meant a great deal for the team, which reached the Eastern Conference
finals for the first time since 1997, when Wayne Gretzky wore a blue shirt.
Financially, it assures a bonanza for the Garden, which will now stage
anywhere from two to eight more home playoff dates. Mostly, it means the
Rangers have not frittered away a wonderful opportunity to win the Stanley
Cup, which is very much available for hoisting this spring. The Rangers
begin a series against the No. 6 seed in the East, after beating the No. 8
and No. 7 seeds. The No. 8 seed in the West, the Kings, may await in June.
The Garden crowd will help. That opening goal from Richards changed
everything, put the roar and swagger back in an arena.
“I don’t want to talk about my own goal, but whoever scores that first goal
for us on home ice, it’s a big goal,” Richards said.
630817
New Jersey Devils
NY Rangers' Carl Hagelin has huge impact on Blueshirts reaching Eastern
Conference finals vs. NJ Devils
By Peter Botte / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Carl Hagelin knows the score, which means he knows that the Rangers are
still hopeful he’ll do that eventually.
But the rookie first-line winger has continued to affect games despite netting
zero goals – and missing three games due to suspension – through two
victorious playoff rounds.
The speedy Hagelin notched both assists Saturday night, including a
dynamic play on the Rangers’ opening goal by Brad Richards 92 seconds
into their 2-1 Game 7 victory over Washington.
“Hags, he doesn’t end up with many points – he had a couple tonight – but
he has been very good this series as far as chasing down pucks,” John
Tortorella said. “That was a key play for us. … To get a lead against that
team was very important.”
Despite his lack of offensive production, Hagelin was praised by Tortorella
throughout the series for using his legs, one of the keys to the Rangers’
aggressive forechecking system.
Those wheels came into play immediately in Game 7, when Hagelin
outraced two Capitals defenders to corral Michael Del Zotto’s early dump
into the offensive zone. Hagelin then set up Richards from behind the net
for a one-timer from the left circle and a 1-0 lead, which the Rangers
maintained until Del Zotto doubled it midway through the third.
“Great play. … Hags laid one right on the tee for me,” Richards said of his
goal.
“My job is to get on pucks and cause some turnovers by using my speed,”
said Hagelin, who was banned for three games in the opening series
against Ottawa after elbowing Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson in the
head in Game 2. “Today I got rewarded with some points, but that’s nothing
I care about. It’s all about getting the win.”
Two assists over a pest-like 18:21 of ice time marked the latest
contributions from Hagelin, who entered the game with no goals and just
one assist while playing steady minutes in 10 of the Blueshirts’ first 13
postseason games.
The 23-year-old Swede also was high-sticked in the mouth by Joel Ward to
earn the four-minute power play that resulted in Richards’ game-tying goal
with 7.6 seconds left and Marc Staal’s winner in overtime in Game 5. And it
was Hagelin who screened Caps goalie Braden Holtby on Marian Gaborik’s
goal in the final minute of a 2-1 loss in Game 6.
“I’m still confident. I play with great players, and I know they’ll create stuff
and I know a puck will go in sooner or later,” Hagelin said of Richards and
Gaborik, who have combined for 10 goals and 21 points in the playoffs.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in (the offensive) zone … and the puck hasn’t gone
in, but that’s the way it is. I think I’ve done a good job down low, creating
chances for us.”
Hagelin, the Rangers’ sixth-round draft pick in 2007, totaled 14 goals and
38 points during the regular season.
630818
New Jersey Devils
Rest a blessing for Marek Zidlicky and NJ Devils heading into clash with NY
Rangers
By Kristie Ackert / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Marek Zidlicky just kept smiling Saturday. He was smiling on the ice, his
first time back since being injured in Philadelphia Tuesday, and he even
smiled as he tried to avoid talking about his injury.
Zidlicky is happy and ready to go. The Devils have him and defenseman
Anton Volchenkov back in the mix for the start of the Eastern Conference
finals Monday night against the Rangers.
Zidlicky and Volchenkov were both injured in the Devils’ clinching game
against the Flyers Tuesday night and missed practice Thursday.
Allowing them to rest was one of the benefits of the Devils wrapping up their
semifinal series in five games while the Rangers and Capitals battled on in
a seventh game Saturday night.
“I don’t think there’s such a thing as too much rest this time of year,”
DeBoer said Friday. “We have to stay sharp. That’s our job to manage the
schedule and days off so we’re ready to go Game 1. That’s on the coaching
staff to manage it properly.”
Thursday and Saturday, DeBoer had full physical practices. Friday he gave
the players an optional day of rest.
The players, however, are getting restless.
“We’ve had rest, almost a week without games, it’s been good to rest guys
who need it,” forward Ilya Kovalchuk said. “But now, we are all ready to go.”
That goes for Zidlicky, too.
“It felt good to have time to rest and then to get back out on the ice,”
Zidlicky said. “I feel better.”
Zidlicky missed the third period of the Devils’ clinching game in Philadelphia
after being driven into the boards by Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.
He would not say what the injury was, but said his muscles “tightened up”
after the hit.
Losing Zidlicky would be a big blow to the Devils. Since he was traded to
New Jersey from Nashville in February, he has been a boost to the Devils’
power play and offense.
“He’s a good, creative hockey player,” Martin Brodeur said. “It’s like having
another forward out there.”
Through the 12 playoff games, Zidlicky and Bryce Salvador have led the
Devils defense with six points each. Zidlicky has a goal and five assists.
“He has puck-moving ability, composure, competitiveness in the defensive
zone,” DeBoer said.
For Zidlicky, vying for a Stanley Cup is what he was hoping for when he
asked the Predators to trade him.
“This is what we all play for all season,” Zidlicky said.
“I am ready to go.”
630819
New Jersey Devils
NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils will be battle of goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and
Martin Brodeur
By Pat Leonard AND Peter Botte / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
A reporter asked Brad Richards after Saturday’s Game 7 win if he was
looking forward to watching the Henrik Lundqvist-Martin Brodeur
goaltending battle in the Eastern Conference finals.
“Yeah,” Richards said, after watching Lundqvist make 22 saves. “I look
forward to hopefully Hank winning that battle.”
The Rangers and Devils make no secret of their distaste for each other.
Their last meeting was on March 19, Bloody Monday, when the game
opened with three simultaneous fights and John Tortorella and Devils
counterpart Peter DeBoer both took shots at each other through the media.
“You guys can make your stories about the Devils-Rangers, and I know
you’re gonna do it in the next couple weeks — don’t include me in it,” said
Tortorella, who often makes himself part of the story. “We are going to
worry about the New York Rangers.”
The Rangers are 4-1 all-time in postseason series against the Devils. Their
only conference finals meeting came during the Blueshirts’ storied Stanley
Cup run of 1994, won in double-overtime of Game 7, 2-1, on the famous
wraparound goal by Stephane Matteau.
This will be the sixth edition of the Battle of the Hudson, with packed trains
on New Jersey Transit and PATH as the teams and their fans zip back and
forth from Newark. “You’ve got to be pumped up no matter what, but it’s
going to be a little bit special playing a conference final against the Devils,”
Lundqvist said. “I think there are no secrets really.”
DEL ZOTTO ON THE OFFENSIVE
A daringness to jump into the offensive play is a key part of defenseman
Michael Del Zotto’s game, and it resulted in him netting the eventual gamewinning goal midway through the third period. Del Zotto trailed Marian
Gaborik as the star winger carried the puck into the offensive zone. When
Gaborik’s shot was blocked, the puck bounded to Del Zotto, who ripped
home his second of the series to temporarily make it 2-0.
“I don’t even know how to feel. It was unbelievable and seems so surreal,
getting the game-winner,” Del Zotto said. “At the time it was a big insurance
goal, and then (the Caps) scored on the next shift (a goal by Roman
Hamrlik). So it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, getting one, and then being
on for the next one against. I’m just happy we got the win and are moving
on.”
Tortorella believes Del Zotto, who logged 23:16 of ice time, has improved
dramatically at both ends since the former first-round pick spent much of
last season at AHL Connecticut. “He’s been probably our most consistent
(defenseman) as far as joining the rush. He shoots the puck wide a lot. He
didn’t on this one,” Tortorella said. “He has gone through quite a process
here, the last year or so, but he’s been very consistent both offensively and
defensively.”
630820
New Jersey Devils
Devils relish Rivalry
By MARK EVERSON
Being an ex-Capital wasn’t even a consideration. Devils winger Dainius
Zubrus says Rangers-Devils is what the hockey world wanted, and got.
“There’s no need for buildup. It’s already there,” Devils winger Dainius
Zubrus told The Post last night after the Rangers scored a 2-1 win in Game
7 to eliminate the Capitals to set up a sixth Battle of the Hudson, which
opens tomorrow at the Garden.
“It’s good for hockey, good for the fans, and good for everyone else,”
Zubrus said. “A lot of people around here wanted this.
“Since the day I arrived in New Jersey, I sensed that this is The Rivalry.
And I like that stuff.”
The Devils have beaten the Rangers only once in their five meetings,
sweeping them in 2006. The Rangers won in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2008.
This year, the Rangers finished seven points ahead of the Devils. New
Jersey was 3-3 in the regular season series, while the Rangers were 3-2-1.
“It’s going to be tough. There’s a reason why they finished where they did,”
Zubrus said.
The Devils have been off since ousting the Flyers on Tuesday, and have
played just 12 games, compared with the Rangers’ 14. Dating back to the
regular season, Jersey is 14-4 in its last 18 games.
“I’d like to think we’re at least as good as they are. But that’s to be proven.
We’re a good team, and there’s a reason why only the two of us are left
from our conference,” Zubrus said.
David Clarkson, who has been clutch for the Devils throughout the playoffs,
said before the Rangers’ Game 7 win that he didn’t care who they played.
But he has had success against the Blueshirts.
Clarkson led the Devils with three goals against the Rangers in their 3-3
regular-season series, including two game-winners and an overtime-forcer
(shootout victory).
With the fireworks that erupted during the regular season, the opening
faceoff fights in three games, the words bandied by the coaches, and the
fervor of the fans, this series has the chance to be an all-timer. It is the first
time since that epic of 1994 that these teams have met this close to the
Stanley Cup finals.
Anton Volchenkov and Marek Zidlicky joined team in lengthy practice
yesterday for the first time since both were injured in Game 5 against the
Flyers on Tuesday. Volchenkov said he had his wind knocked out of him by
sandwich hit from Zac Rinaldo and Sean Couturier, while Zidlicky may have
suffered whiplash type muscle strain when decked by Wayne Simmonds
with forearm to back of neck.
New York Post LOADED: 05.13.2012
630821
New Jersey Devils
Parise: Future bright for Jersey
By MARK EVERSON
There still are bigger issues for the Devils, such as the franchise’s financial
health, but making the Eastern Conference finals against the Rangers, 2-1
winners over the Capitals in Game 7 last night, has encouraged Zach
Parise that the organization is set up with a chance to win it all each
season.
The Devils’ captain can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. His only
NHL team’s previous inability to win more than one round since he joined in
2005-06 has raised questions whether the Devils’ reputation as contenders
is still deserved.
Parise has gagged himself on his the subject of free agency, but made a
slight exception for this special case of finally reaching the semifinals.
“I’ m enjoying this, we’re playing well. It’s not even crossing my mind,”
Parise said, at first.
Then he opened up, a bit.
“It means a lot,” Parise told The Post. “It means we have a lot of good,
young players who are going to be here a long time.”
That means the Devils’ chances at keeping him are probably improved, if
only slightly.
630822
New Jersey Devils
Serby's Sunday Q & A with... Martin Brodeur
Q: Your first Cup?
A; The first time I won anything was winning a Stanley Cup. I never won
anything else so (chuckle), it was pretty cool. It’s a surprise element, like
“Wow, we did it!”
Q: When the buzzer goes off, how would you describe that feeling?
By STEVE SERBY
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, who is the NHL’s all-time winningest goalie,
saved some time for a Q&A session with Steve Serby, before his team
begins its conference finals series this week.
Q: If you win another Cup this year, would you ride off into the sunset and
call it a career?
A: I don’t know about that. ... There’s a possibility. There’s a good possibility
that might happen. My conversation forming my decision will be with Lou
[Lamoriello, general manager] and with the organization and see what they
need from me. I owe that to them. And if it means I’m ready to go and they
say, “Well give us another year before we prepare ourself,” or, “Do
whatever you want and be comfortable ...” I want to have that conversation
before I even think about doing something like that.
A; That’s why people yell as loud as they can, because they just want to try
to get everything out of their system. It’s a sense of relief that it’s over, an
accomplishment. ... The proudness of it came when I won my second and
third, just because now I knew there were other guys that never won that
won. And for me to see them enjoying it, raising the Cup, going nuts, crying.
... That made me proud that I was able to be part of their success.
Q: Did you cry after the first one?
A: No, I was too young and naïve (chuckle). ... I might cry after this one if
we pulled it off (smile). For me, I expected myself to have success.
Q: Describe your goaltending style.
A: That’s always the ultimate, to leave on the highest note possible.
A: It’s more of a hybrid style. I kind of steal stuff from everybody to a certain
extent. I look at goalies, I’m a student of the game, I love the game. I’m
going to look at [Henrik] Lundqvist play. I’m going to look at [Roberto]
Luongo play. I look at Patrick Roy or Domenik Hasek or [John]
Vanbiesbrouck or name it. And if I see something that I really like in what
they do and I think it’s really effective, I’ll go out and I’ll try to put it in my
game. ... I’m learning every day. This year, I probably changed more little
things that probably nobody would notice.
Q: Like John Elway left with the Broncos.
Q: What have you picked up from Lundqvist?
A: Like my buddy Ken Daneyko with the Devils did too (chuckle). ... Dave
Andreychuk with Tampa Bay a few years back did it. ... But when you think
you still can play, it’s kind of tough. It’s tough to let go. This year I’m having
a blast. This is probably the best year in the last four, five years as far as
having fun with the guys, relating to certain guys. ... I’m not going to feel
this. I’m not going to be in the locker room. I’m not going to come in and
have a story from last night on the road or ... it’s going to be over, you
know? I don’t know if you want to let that go if you’re still able or some
people want you to be there, you know? So I don’t know. We’ll see.
A: A little bit about the way he puts his gloves up. When a guy comes on
you in different angles, he’s holding his glove a certain way that I never
understood really why, and I looked at him in shootouts, and nobody could
ever beat him on that side for whatever reason. So I went in practice and I
was holding the glove in similar fashion, not for breakaways, for a different
reason, I was getting beat a lot in certain shots.
Q: But you have thought about riding off into the sunset with a fourth
Stanley Cup?
Q: Is it hard to believe you’re 40?
Q: The bigger the game the better?
A: A little bit. I just don’t feel it. I’m playing with kids, and I don’t feel any
older than these guys (chuckle).
A: Yeah. If you’re going to play, might as well play for something.
Q: Some people refer to you as the greatest goalie of all time.
Q: What drives you?
Q: Three snipers you would never want to see on a breakaway?
A: I don’t believe that anybody’s the greatest, because [of] different eras.
I’m happy that I’m able to touch people and people think like that. That
means that I’ve done something right. But again, next day, if I don’t perform,
I’ll have the opposite said to me. And so for me, while I’m still active, it’s
really hard believing or understanding what people really think about me.
It’s kind of a juggling act, and it’s normal, because I perform every day still.
A: Zigmund Palffy; Mario Lemieux; [Jaromir] Jagr.
A: Winning. It’s something in your gut that, it’s a feeling that you have that
there’s nothing else that gives me that feeling.
Q: Favorite milestone?
A: Winning 552, when I beat the record for wins. My teammates, how they
were about me achieving it, about our fans when we played Chicago that
night — it was on St. Patrick’s Day — cutting up the net and skating around.
Q: Sean Avery?
A: I’m happy he’s not around anymore. I’ve said all along if he didn’t talk I
would love to have him on my team. But the things that he would say on the
ice, not just to me to everybody, it’s just something that doesn’t belong in
our game.
Q: Why aren’t you scared of pressure?
A: I enjoy it. In anybody’s job ... everybody wants to make the biggest deal
for their company and they’re comfortable doing that. And for me, I work for
this, and so when we get to these pressure points, you want to be the guy
to be able to make that difference. I know by experience that, like, tomorrow
maybe people will talk about me, maybe in two days they’ll talk about me,
three days there will be something else going on, and four days
everybody’s going to forget about it one way or the other. And so if you put
that in your mind, it takes a lot of pressure off of you. You just [turn off] all
the TVs and don’t talk to anybody for three days and get out of hiding and
you’re fine (smile). It’s not an attitude that I have, but for me, it puts a lot of
things under perspective. Everybody would like to be in my position, to be
able to do what I do. ... Not everybody [can], but I’m fortunate to do what I
do. And so for me to be scared of trying to accomplish something great
would be foolish.
630823
New Jersey Devils
Injured Devils' defensemen practice with team
By MARK EVERSON
Devils defensemen Anton Volchenkov and Marek Zidlicky both returned
from injury to join the team in practice today in Newark, in preparation for
Monday's start of the Stanley Cup semifinals against either the Rangers or
Capitals.
Both Volchenkov and Zidlicky were injured on Flyer hits in Tuesday’s Game
5 second-round clincher in Philadelphia.
Neither had skated in practice since that game, and each would have been
be hard-pressed to jump back into action Monday on one Sunday practice.
Matt Taormina continued practicing with the big squad as an extra
defenseman.
630824
New York Rangers
A Daring Move Sets the Tone as Lundqvist Seizes the Moment
When the Capitals failed to put a quality shot on goal and the horn
sounded, Lundqvist raised his arms and was embraced by one of his key
defensemen, Dan Girardi. In the handshake line, Ovechkin took a few extra
seconds to offer his respect to Lundqvist.
“You can say we felt a lot of pressure,” Lundqvist said. “But we saw it as a
great opportunity. This is a big relief.”
By CHRISTOPHER BOTTA
In the most important win of his Rangers career, Henrik Lundqvist may
have made his biggest play not with a save but with a poke check.
With 12 minutes left in the second period of the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over
Washington in Game 7, Capitals forward Alexander Semin broke in alone
on Lundqvist. Before Semin could unload his potent wrist shot, Lundqvist
reached out with his stick and plucked the puck away. The Rangers led at
that point, 1-0, and Semin’s scoring chance was the Capitals’ finest.
“It’s a 1-0 game, Game 7,” Lundqvist said. “I knew the next goal would be
huge. I had to stay focused and make the stops any way I could.”
But Lundqvist was not done in the second period. His acrobatic goaltending
kept his team in the game when the Capitals had two lengthy sequences
with the puck in the Rangers’ end. With his teammates giving the Capitals
too much time and space at the point, Lundqvist made saves in heavy
traffic. Within three minutes of his poke check on Semin, Lundqvist made a
kick save on a slap shot by defenseman Dennis Wideman after an Alex
Ovechkin drop pass.
The Capitals’ surge continued for most of the second half of the period.
When Lundqvist failed to corral a wrist shot from the point by Roman
Hamrlik, he extended his right leg for a stop on Mike Knuble, who was on
the doorstep. The Capitals’ Matt Hendricks shook his head after Lundqvist
slid across the crease to make two saves from point-blank range.
Lundqvist was asked if he felt as much anxiety as many of the fans during
the Capitals’ barrage.
“A little bit,” he said. “I’m not going to lie. I was nervous.”
The Rangers went into a defensive shell in the third period, allowing only
four shots on goal. On the only shot that tested Lundqvist, Hamrlik scored
at 10 minutes 43 seconds when the goalie was screened. Lundqvist’s
teammates said they owed him one after all the trouble they caused him in
the second period.
“Hank was huge this whole series,” Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh
said. “He’s done it all year for us. The way he prepares mentally and
physically, I knew he was going to be great for us in another Game 7. He
bailed us out a lot in the second.”
Entering the game, Lundqvist had a 1.73 goals against average and .936
save percentage over the first 13 games of the playoffs. Although the
Rangers have won two consecutive games only once this postseason,
Lundqvist has been their most valuable player.
But a loss in Game 7 against Washington would have negated Lundqvist’s
outstanding regular season. He has been named one of three finalists for
the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender and the Hart Trophy as
the league’s most valuable player. Those are regular-season awards, and
Lundqvist, 30, had yet to achieve major success in the playoffs.
“We felt we needed to get this one,” Lundqvist said. “This was such a tough,
tough series. The Capitals played so well in every game. We couldn’t end
our season tonight.”
Lundqvist has led the Rangers to the first Eastern Conference finals of his
career. He will face his longtime friendly rival Martin Brodeur, the 40-yearold goaltender for the Devils. In five games against the Devils this season,
Lundqvist was 3-2 and allowed seven goals. Over his career, Lundqvist is
23-7-5 against Brodeur.
“I haven’t thought about the Devils yet,” Lundqvist said. “But I’m looking
forward to the next round, not just because it’s the Eastern Conference
finals, but because we’re playing the Devils. I have a lot of respect for that
team.”
Although the series against the Devils starts Monday, Lundqvist wanted a
few moments to relish his second Game 7 victory of the playoffs. He will
probably not forget the reaction in the Garden with 39.7 seconds left when
the Capitals called timeout to design a play and the fans roared “Hen-RIK”
the entire time.
630825
New York Rangers
Rangers Win Game 7, Setting Up Series With the Devils
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
The Rangers saved their season Saturday night at a deafening Madison
Square Garden, but once again it was by the slimmest of margins.
It took a lightning-fast early goal from Brad Richards, an opportunistic thirdperiod score from Michael Del Zotto and some high-wire goaltending from
Henrik Lundqvist, but it was just enough to outlast the Washington Capitals,
2-1, in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
The Rangers limited the tired Capitals to four shots over the final 20
minutes.
“We don’t seem to do things the easy way, but it was that type of series,”
said Richards, who scored on the game’s first shot.
For the first time since 1997, the Rangers are in the Eastern Conference
finals, where they will meet their trans-Hudson foes, the Devils. That series
will start Monday night at the Garden, and will surely revive echoes of their
epic 1994 conference final, which went to a seventh game that the Rangers
won in overtime.
The Rangers started the game at a furious pace and scored in the game’s
second minute.
Richards directed the puck from the red line deep into the Washington end,
where Carl Hagelin chased after it. Hagelin beat Capitals defenseman Karl
Alzner to the puck and set up Richards, cranking up in the face-off circle.
Richards blasted away, and the puck went past three players and Holtby,
the impressive Capitals rookie, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead just 1:32 in. In
Game 6, which Washington won, the Capitals took the lead 1:28 into the
game.
The Rangers signed Richards last summer because they believed he could
deliver plays like that. He had four goals in this series, and eight goals in
the 12 elimination games he has played in the N.H.L.
“It’s a big goal,” Richards said. “It gets the nerves out. You don’t exhale, but
you have a 1-0 lead and the crowd is in it. They’re not waiting for something
to happen. They did it to us in Game 6 when they got an early goal. We did
it tonight.”
Referring to the Capitals’ advantage in shot-blocking, Tortorella said: “We
talked about trying to shoot the puck right away, not hesitating. They block
shots so very well, we needed to get more shots through. To get a lead
against that team was very important.”
The second period was largely Washington’s, including a stretch when they
trapped the Rangers in their own end for two full minutes. But Lundqvist
made a brilliant, lunging pad save on Troy Brouwer, one of 22 stops he
made on the night.
A loss here Saturday would have sent a season of surprising promise and
high achievement crashing down in bitter disappointment. The Rangers
squeaked by the eighth-seeded Ottawa Senators in the first round with a 21 Game 7 victory at the Garden, and they had just as much difficulty against
the Capitals, an equally gritty seventh seed.
SLAP SHOTS
The Rangers played 14 games in their first two series. Since the N.H.L.
playoffs expanded beyond two rounds in 1968, no team has won the
Stanley Cup after playing the maximum 14 games in the opening rounds.
But that seemed to be of little importance to the Rangers after they
squeezed past a second spirited underdog this spring.
“We’re still in the middle of a process of the New York Rangers trying to
become one of the elite teams,” Coach John Tortorella said. “This is a
tremendous experience for us, playing two Game 7s in the first couple of
rounds. This is where your legacy is made, in the playoffs.”
The Rangers were clinging to a 1-0 lead midway through the third period
when Del Zotto knocked down Alex Ovechkin, who was shackled all night
and held to two shots by the Rangers’ close checking.
Del Zotto jumped into the play as Marian Gaborik carried the puck into the
Washington end. When Gaborik’s shot was blocked, Del Zotto pounced on
the rebound and fired past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby at 10 minutes 5
seconds.
“I know Del Zotto, he’s got a good shot,” said Washington Coach Dale
Hunter, who coached Del Zotto in juniors with the London Knights.
Just 38 seconds later, one of the Capitals defenseman victimized on the
goal, Roman Hamrlik, shot through a maze of players and beat Lundqvist to
bring the Caps back to 2-1.
But that was all Washington could muster. Del Zotto’s goal held up, all the
way until time expired, when the Rangers piled together in a joyous group
hug and Del Zotto retired to the dressing room.
“It was a weird feeling coming into the room,” he said, still not quite
believing that he had scored the winning goal. “I didn’t know how to feel. It
seemed so surreal.”
In the other dressing room, Ovechkin answered questions from reporters,
then sat in full uniform for five minutes, dejected, silent and alone.
During the series the Rangers maintained that they thought nothing about
revenge with regard to the Capitals, who eliminated them from the playoffs
in 2011 and 2009. But Marc Staal finally admitted to a different mind-set
Saturday.
“There’s not too many feelings like that,” Staal said, describing the joy of
winning a Game 7. “Especially Washington, with all our troubles against
them in the past. It’s nice to beat them, to be totally honest about it. It feels
great to get by those guys, that’s for sure.”
The Rangers boosted their record at home in Game 7s to 5-0. ... John
Tortorella has coached five Game 7s in the N.H.L. He has won four and lost
one, all by the score of 2-1.
630826
New York Rangers
Rangers Beat Caps to Reach Conference Final
By REUTERS
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Rangers, roared on by a boisterous
Madison Square Garden crowd starved of success, beat the Washington
Capitals 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, the
penultimate stage of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
New York is still in a frenzy of sporting excitement after the Giants won the
Super Bowl in February and now the Rangers have given their long
suffering fans real hope they can bring the National Hockey League title to
the Big Apple.
The Rangers caught the visitors napping when center Brad Richards scored
after just 92 seconds but then had to survive a relentless fightback from the
Capitals in the seventh and deciding game of their semi-final.
"The first goal was big for our team, in this game on home ice," said
Richards. "It got the nerves out. You don't exhale but you have a 1-0 lead
and you get the crowd into it, they're not waiting for something to happen."
Led by their Russian captain Alexander Ovechkin, Washington launched a
ferocious wave of attacks on New York's defense but the Rangers' Swedish
goalie Henrik Lundqvist stood firm saving 22 shots.
The Rangers extended their lead to 2-0 midway through the third and final
period when defenseman Michael Del Zotto scored, beating the Caps
netminder Braden Holby, who made 29 saves, two days after becoming a
father.
But the Capitals, who won a seven-game thriller over last season's Stanley
Cup champions the Boston Bruins just to reach the second round, pulled
one back 38 seconds later to set up a nailbiting final 10 minutes.
Czech defensemen Ramon Hamrlik buried the puck into the Rangers net
after Lundqvist's view was screened, but the Caps were unable to score
again, losing the series 4-3.
"We had our chances, they had their chances," said Washington head
coach Dale Hunter. "Both teams battled tooth and nail but we just came up
a goal short."
The Rangers, who were also pushed to seven games by the Ottawa
Senators in the opening round, reached the Conference final for the first
time since 1997. They last won the Stanley Cup in 1994.
Their next opponents are their cross river neighbors, the New Jersey
Devils, who wrapped up their series against the Philadelphia Flyers on
Tuesday, giving them an extra four days rest.
The teams will meet in game one at Madison Square Garden on Monday
with the eventual winner to play either the Los Angeles Kings or the
Phoenix Coyotes for the Stanley Cup.
The odds are seemingly stacked against the Rangers, who have struggled
in the playoffs after they finished the regular season as the number one
team in the conference, as no team has won the Stanley Cup after being
pushed to seven games in the first two rounds of the post-season.
"We're getting closer but there's still a lot of work ahead of us," Lundqvist
said.
"It's a great feeling to see that we stay focused whatever happens. We've
been in this situation so many times this year and I think it helped us a lot
today and moving forward."
630827
New York Rangers
NY Rangers' Carl Hagelin has huge impact on Blueshirts reaching Eastern
Conference finals vs. NJ Devils
By Peter Botte / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Carl Hagelin knows the score, which means he knows that the Rangers are
still hopeful he’ll do that eventually.
But the rookie first-line winger has continued to affect games despite netting
zero goals – and missing three games due to suspension – through two
victorious playoff rounds.
The speedy Hagelin notched both assists Saturday night, including a
dynamic play on the Rangers’ opening goal by Brad Richards 92 seconds
into their 2-1 Game 7 victory over Washington.
“Hags, he doesn’t end up with many points – he had a couple tonight – but
he has been very good this series as far as chasing down pucks,” John
Tortorella said. “That was a key play for us. … To get a lead against that
team was very important.”
Despite his lack of offensive production, Hagelin was praised by Tortorella
throughout the series for using his legs, one of the keys to the Rangers’
aggressive forechecking system.
Those wheels came into play immediately in Game 7, when Hagelin
outraced two Capitals defenders to corral Michael Del Zotto’s early dump
into the offensive zone. Hagelin then set up Richards from behind the net
for a one-timer from the left circle and a 1-0 lead, which the Rangers
maintained until Del Zotto doubled it midway through the third.
“Great play. … Hags laid one right on the tee for me,” Richards said of his
goal.
“My job is to get on pucks and cause some turnovers by using my speed,”
said Hagelin, who was banned for three games in the opening series
against Ottawa after elbowing Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson in the
head in Game 2. “Today I got rewarded with some points, but that’s nothing
I care about. It’s all about getting the win.”
Two assists over a pest-like 18:21 of ice time marked the latest
contributions from Hagelin, who entered the game with no goals and just
one assist while playing steady minutes in 10 of the Blueshirts’ first 13
postseason games.
The 23-year-old Swede also was high-sticked in the mouth by Joel Ward to
earn the four-minute power play that resulted in Richards’ game-tying goal
with 7.6 seconds left and Marc Staal’s winner in overtime in Game 5. And it
was Hagelin who screened Caps goalie Braden Holtby on Marian Gaborik’s
goal in the final minute of a 2-1 loss in Game 6.
“I’m still confident. I play with great players, and I know they’ll create stuff
and I know a puck will go in sooner or later,” Hagelin said of Richards and
Gaborik, who have combined for 10 goals and 21 points in the playoffs.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in (the offensive) zone … and the puck hasn’t gone
in, but that’s the way it is. I think I’ve done a good job down low, creating
chances for us.”
Hagelin, the Rangers’ sixth-round draft pick in 2007, totaled 14 goals and
38 points during the regular season.
630828
New York Rangers
NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils in Eastern Conference finals will not look like
series against Washington Capitals
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Richards was asked what is the engine for this Ranger team, which just
keeps chugging along under the most trying circumstances.
“Great goalie, great team structure,” he said.
Nothing colorful or provocative about that. Let’s see now if the Rangers
keep their cool with Booker in their face, and Peter DeBoer sending out his
enforcers for the opening faceoff.
Filip Bondy
Thank goodness that’s over.
Two weeks and seven games of admirable, meticulous, low-scoring, joyless
ice hockey came to a close on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory for the
Rangers over the Caps in Game 7 at the Garden.
A snappy beginning assured the happy ending. The Rangers required just
92 seconds to score the first goal on Saturday night, then never lost the
lead. The way this series went all along, with little offense and much
caution, the only thing that ever really mattered was that first goal. The
Rangers came out faster, made a play, and the game ostensibly ended
right there, with Brad Richards’ slapper from the top of the left circle under
the glove of Braden Holtby.
There was another Ranger goal, then a Cap goal, then some handshakes.
Both teams said nice things about each other. Congratulations to everyone.
And that’s all you really need to know about Saturday before we get started
all over again on Monday with a grudge series that already has the mayor
of Newark promising a one-sided victory in the conference finals.
“Oh, we are bringing it,” Cory Booker tweeted on behalf of his Devils,
immediately after the Ranger victory. “I should get a dust pan, cause their
(sic) might be a sweep coming.”
This should quickly become excellent theater, if only because these two
cross-river rivals have a long history, and a recent history, of hating each
other. Their animosity goes back to the 1990s, and it goes back to this past
March when there was a big fight between enforcers at the opening faceoff
for the second time this season.
This next series will be about all the stuff that John Tortorella refuses to talk
about. The Ranger coach already issued a preemptive censorship order
Saturday on all controversial matters.
“You guys are gonna make your stories about Devils-Rangers,” Tortorella
said. “Don’t include me in it. We’re going to be concerned about the New
York Rangers.”
It takes two teams, however, to tangle. The Devils are rested. The Rangers
have played 14 playoff games already, and the postseason feels like it’s
only now just starting.
Doesn’t matter, Henrik Lundqvist said.
“You can look at it a lot of ways,” he said. “They get rest but they haven’t
played. I look forward to it. They’re a great team. We faced them a lot. We
know what to expect.”
It was Lundqvist who made this all possible. He was outstanding throughout
the entire second-round series, and then in Game 7 he turned back the
Caps in the second period when they swarmed and cycled for nearly two
minutes in the Ranger end.
Before moving on to the next stage, and regardless of what happens next,
the Rangers deserve considerable praise for advancing this far. The win
meant a great deal for the team, which reached the Eastern Conference
finals for the first time since 1997, when Wayne Gretzky wore a blue shirt.
Financially, it assures a bonanza for the Garden, which will now stage
anywhere from two to eight more home playoff dates. Mostly, it means the
Rangers have not frittered away a wonderful opportunity to win the Stanley
Cup, which is very much available for hoisting this spring. The Rangers
begin a series against the No. 6 seed in the East, after beating the No. 8
and No. 7 seeds. The No. 8 seed in the West, the Kings, may await in June.
The Garden crowd will help. That opening goal from Richards changed
everything, put the roar and swagger back in an arena.
“I don’t want to talk about my own goal, but whoever scores that first goal
for us on home ice, it’s a big goal,” Richards said.
630829
New York Rangers
NY Rangers vs. NJ Devils will be battle of goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and
Martin Brodeur
By Pat Leonard AND Peter Botte / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
A reporter asked Brad Richards after Saturday’s Game 7 win if he was
looking forward to watching the Henrik Lundqvist-Martin Brodeur
goaltending battle in the Eastern Conference finals.
“Yeah,” Richards said, after watching Lundqvist make 22 saves. “I look
forward to hopefully Hank winning that battle.”
The Rangers and Devils make no secret of their distaste for each other.
Their last meeting was on March 19, Bloody Monday, when the game
opened with three simultaneous fights and John Tortorella and Devils
counterpart Peter DeBoer both took shots at each other through the media.
“You guys can make your stories about the Devils-Rangers, and I know
you’re gonna do it in the next couple weeks — don’t include me in it,” said
Tortorella, who often makes himself part of the story. “We are going to
worry about the New York Rangers.”
The Rangers are 4-1 all-time in postseason series against the Devils. Their
only conference finals meeting came during the Blueshirts’ storied Stanley
Cup run of 1994, won in double-overtime of Game 7, 2-1, on the famous
wraparound goal by Stephane Matteau.
This will be the sixth edition of the Battle of the Hudson, with packed trains
on New Jersey Transit and PATH as the teams and their fans zip back and
forth from Newark. “You’ve got to be pumped up no matter what, but it’s
going to be a little bit special playing a conference final against the Devils,”
Lundqvist said. “I think there are no secrets really.”
DEL ZOTTO ON THE OFFENSIVE
A daringness to jump into the offensive play is a key part of defenseman
Michael Del Zotto’s game, and it resulted in him netting the eventual gamewinning goal midway through the third period. Del Zotto trailed Marian
Gaborik as the star winger carried the puck into the offensive zone. When
Gaborik’s shot was blocked, the puck bounded to Del Zotto, who ripped
home his second of the series to temporarily make it 2-0.
“I don’t even know how to feel. It was unbelievable and seems so surreal,
getting the game-winner,” Del Zotto said. “At the time it was a big insurance
goal, and then (the Caps) scored on the next shift (a goal by Roman
Hamrlik). So it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, getting one, and then being
on for the next one against. I’m just happy we got the win and are moving
on.”
Tortorella believes Del Zotto, who logged 23:16 of ice time, has improved
dramatically at both ends since the former first-round pick spent much of
last season at AHL Connecticut. “He’s been probably our most consistent
(defenseman) as far as joining the rush. He shoots the puck wide a lot. He
didn’t on this one,” Tortorella said. “He has gone through quite a process
here, the last year or so, but he’s been very consistent both offensively and
defensively.”
630830
New York Rangers
NY Rangers defeat Washington Capitals in Game 7 of Eastern Conference
semifinals, will face NJ Devils for shot at Stanley Cup Finals
By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Henrik Lundqvist reached for the sky as the clock hit zeroes on Game 7
Saturday night, as if the Rangers goaltender could see his ultimate goal, the
Stanley Cup, coming into clearer view.
The Blueshirts’ 2-1 win at the Garden — where fans chanted “We want the
Cup!” as the Rangers and Capitals shook hands — earned New York its
first Eastern Conference finals berth since 1997; the Rangers will face their
Atlantic Division nemesis, the New Jersey Devils, beginning Monday night.
“We’re getting closer,” Lundqvist said with a smile, after making 22 saves
to advance to the conference finals for the first time in his seven NHL
seasons. “I’m exhausted right now, but it’s just so rewarding to win a game
like this. It means so much to me, to the guys here, to the fans. This is why
you play.”
Brad Richards scored in the first two minutes, and Michael Del Zotto
recorded the third-period game-winner. But most significantly, the Blueshirts
allowed just four shots on goal in the final 20 minutes to win the biggest
game of their season playing the Ranger Way.
“We’re final four,” said Richards, who scored his sixth goal of the playoffs
and is tied with the Kings’ Dustin Brown with 11 postseason points, secondmost among skaters still playing behind the Devils’ Ilya Kovalchuk (12). “We
have as good a chance as anybody to win.”
The Rangers were in the position to protect a 1-0 lead because of Lundqvist
and his 11 saves during a furious second period. “He’s been unreal all
year,” said fellow Swede Carl Hagelin, who assisted on both goals. “He’s
the MVP of the league, I’d say.”
Lundqvist acknowledged that after the Rangers lost Game 6 in Washington,
“we felt a little bit of pressure,” which may explain why there will be no
videos surfacing of a fiery pre-Game 7 motivational speech by coach John
Tortorella.
“There was less talk . . . even with Torts,” Brian Boyle told the Daily News of
how the Rangers’ preparation differed. “We know what to do, and you’ve
got to will it. That’s pretty much it. Not a ton of X’s and O’s.”
Boyle also told The News that he normally takes a nap before games but on
Saturday afternoon he couldn’t sleep. He did his teammates a favor by
carrying that restlessness into the third period, when he nearly scored a
shorthanded goal that was waved off for goaltender interference and
flummoxed the Capitals’ only power play of the game with the Rangers up
2-1.
Eventually, Nicklas Backstrom slashed the Rangers’ Marc Staal and the
momentum swung back in the Blueshirts’ favor as they improved to 5-0 in
Game 7s at home.
“The great part about how we won was the confidence we showed in the
third to keep going after them and keep forechecking them,” said Staal, who
blocked a team-high five shots.
“That’s as aggressive as we’ve been in the third period in quite a while,”
Tortorella said. “When you get the 2-0 lead, you get a fluky goal scored on
you and then you take the penalty, I thought we handled ourselves very
well, kept our composure and just kept attacking.”
The Rangers took the 2-0 lead with 9:55 remaining in the third when Brooks
Laich blocked a Marian Gaborik shot into the slot, and Del Zotto swooped in
and slapped the puck high for his second goal of the playoffs. The Capitals
answered 38 seconds later, when Roman Hamrlik’s fluttering wrister
through traffic broke Lundqvist’s shutout. But that was all Washington would
muster thanks to the 30-year-old goaltender, who has now led the Rangers
to a 3-0 record in elimination games these playoffs, including Games 6 and
7 against Ottawa in the first round.
In Saturday’s second period, Lundqvist made two huge stops while the
Capitals hemmed New York into its defensive zone for 1:40 and attempted
eight shots. He made a combo stick/kick save on Alexander Semin all alone
in front, a pad save and stick save on two measured Troy Brouwer shots,
then with 12:55 to go in the second made the save of the game when he
hopped across the crease lying face-first on the ice to deny Mike Knuble at
the left post with his pad.
Lundqvist now carries a 1.68 goals-against average into the Eastern
Conference finals, where the Rangers have hope even though since the
playoffs went to a best-of-seven format for all four rounds in 1987, no team
has won the Cup after having to play seven games in each of the first two
rounds.
“We’re still in the middle of the process of the New York Rangers trying to
become one of the elite teams,” Tortorella said through an insightful, sevenminute press conference. “This is a tremendous experience for us. . . . And
this is where your legacy’s made, is playoffs."
630831
New York Rangers
Rangers’ defense stymies Capitals
By TIM BONTEMPS
Alex Ovechkin entered these playoffs having never made it to the
conference finals.
And, after last night’s 2-1 loss to the Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern
Conference semifinals at the Garden, the Capitals star still hasn’t.
“It’s a terrible feeling right now,” Ovechkin said, slumped at his locker with
his uniform still on. “All I can say is we did our best, and it’s probably the
best team I’ve played with. It’s a good group of guys, and a good
atmosphere.
“It’s unbelievable to play [with them], and I hope everyone is going to stay
here next year. … It’s hard.”
A large reason why Ovechkin and the Capitals saw their season end in front
of a sellout crowd was the stellar play of the Rangers defensemen.
That group was led by Marc Staal, who finished with a game-high five
blocked shots in 26:55 of ice time.
“Any time you can come out of a Game 7 on top, it’s a great feeling,” Staal
said. “There are not too many other feelings like it as a hockey player.
“We didn’t want to let it go the distance, but I’m glad we came out on top.”
Staal, along with many of his teammates, are all too familiar with facing the
Capitals in the playoffs. But after being sent home for the summer by
Washington in the first round twice in the last three seasons — in seven
games in 2009 and five games last season — Staal couldn’t help but smile
when asked if it felt good to finally get past them.
“They’ve given us trouble in the past, so it’s nice to beat them. … It feels
great to get by those guys, that’s for sure,” Staal said.
“I’m sure if we lost the game, there would have been a ‘Washington curse’
we’d be talking about, or something like that. To come out on top in a Game
7, a big game like that, to beat them, is a good feeling.”
Now, Staal and his teammates will move on to another team they are all too
familiar with in the Devils. It is a series Staal is happy to be taking part in
after sitting out the early part of the season battling the after-effects of a
concussion he sustained last season.
“Every win and every round you go, it’s that much better,” he said. “I think
I’d feel the same way if I played the whole season. … It’s just a great feeling
to keep moving on in the playoffs, and we want to keep it going.”
630832
New York Rangers
Penalty kill gets job done
By BRETT CYRGALIS
It looked like a window through which the Capitals could climb back into the
game, into the series, into the hope of moving on to the next round.
Ruslan Fedotenko happened to hit the puck unimpeded over the glass with
11:19 gone by in the third period of last night’s Game 7 of the Eastern
Conference semifinals at the Garden, and with the Capitals just having cut
the score to 2-1 less than a minute earlier, this power play was their
chance.
“If that team gets set up and stops you from being aggressive, they have
some talented people,” Rangers coach John Tortorella said after his team
won the game, 2-1, and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals against
the Devils. “Our whole philosophy the whole series was trying to get them
before they get set up.”
That’s exactly what they did, not only keeping the dangerous Capitals’
power play from registering a shot, but producing one of their own on a
Brian Boyle breakaway (which got the puck in the net, but after review was
called no-goal) and then eventually Marc Staal drawing a slash from Niklas
Backstrom.
“It’s huge as a team to play disciplined, especially against a team with their
power play,” said Boyle, noting that was the only penalty his team took all
night.
After toying with his lines during Games 5 and 6 of this series, Tortorella
went back to what was working best.
The main focus was on what can be called the second line, which saw
rookie Chris Kreider rejoin centerman Derek Stepan and captain Ryan
Callahan on a unit that can again be called a secondary scoring line.
Before, when the line consisted of Boyle in the middle and Artem Anisimov
on the wing, it was a glorified checking line, while Stepan playing with
Brandon Prust and Fedotenko was much of the same.
From the middle of Game 4 until the end of Game 6, the Rangers had just
one pure 5-on-5 goal over a span of 144:52, the lines clearly not producing
enough offense.
Though last night most of the heavy lifting was done by the top line of Carl
Hagelin-Brad Richards-Marian Gaborik, there was sustained pressure from
the lines that followed, which was recently unseen.
There were even occasions where the new fourth line, with Fedotenko,
John Mitchell and Mike Rupp sustained pressure and had scoring chances.
Brandon Dubinsky walked through the locker room yesterday morning in
sneakers and workout clothes, the first time he has been seen without a
boot on his right foot or on crutches.
The Rangers forward had been out since he injured the leg/foot in Game 7
of the opening round against the Senators. There is no timetable for his
return and it’s unsure if he will be able to return for the series against the
Devils.
When asked how he’s feeling, Dubinksy said jokingly, “I defer all questions
to Torts.”
The Rangers coach is adamant in not answering injury questions.
Mats Zuccarello (fractured left wrist) skated again with the team, as he has
now for almost a week. Still having to wear a soft cast on his wrist, the 24year-old Norwegian is at least 10 days away from being available.
630833
New York Rangers
Rangers eliminate Caps in Game 7, move on to Devils
By LARRY BROOKS
And now the Rangers will get to try to make NHL history, and now, 18 years
later, the Battle of the Hudson will again be for a spot in the Stanley Cup
Final.
In 2012 as in 1994, it will be the Rangers against the Devils and Martin
Brodeur in the Eastern Conference final, a matchup that will commence
tomorrow night on Broadway with echoes not of “Matteau! Matteau!
Matteau!” ringing in everyone’s ears, but instead the rolling and roaring
ovations the Blueshirts and the unconquerable King Henrik Lundqvist
received from an ecstatic Garden crowd throughout the madness of last
night’s 2-1 elimination of the Capitals in Game 7 .
The Rangers seized a 1-0 lead on Broadway Brad Richards’ goal just 1:32
into the match and played thereafter with confidence and a swagger borne
from belief in their fiber and backed up by the exceptional work of
Lundqvist.
Get this: If the Rangers-Devils series goes the distance, Game 6 would be
played in New Jersey on May 25, the 18-year anniversary of Mark
Messier’s “We’ll Win Tonight” Game 6, while Game 7 would be played on
Broadway on May 27, the 18-year anniversary of Stephane Matteau’s
double-overtime winner against then 22-year-old rookie Brodeur.
Do not, however, expect John Tortorella to become carnival barker for this
celebration of hockey, for in the flush of his team’s second Game 7, 2-1
victory in two rounds, this one 16 days after the first-round elimination of the
Senators, the Rangers’ coach made it clear his contribution will be limited to
his work behind the bench.
“I know you’re going to [make your stories about Rangers-Devils] for the
next couple of weeks, but don’t include me in it,” the party-pooper said after
the victory. “We’re going to worry about the New York Rangers.”
Lundqvist, however, in his first conference final in his seven-year career, is
only too happy to be part of the hoopla that will accompany this matchup.
“It’s going to be special to play a conference finals against the Devils,
against a team you play a lot,” said The King, beaten only by Roman
Hamrlik at 10:43 of the third, just 38 seconds after Michael Del Zotto had
given the Rangers a 2-0 edge. “I think everybody’s looking forward to this.”
Well, almost everybody.
But of course Tortorella is looking forward to the challenge as the Rangers
seek to become the first team to win the Stanley Cup after opening the
playoffs with consecutive seven-game series since the NHL (and the
tournament) expanded in 1967-68.
“We’re still in the middle of the process of the New York Rangers trying to
become one of the elite teams, but this is a tremendous experience for us,”
the coach said. “This is where your legacy is made, in the playoffs. It will be
interesting to see where it goes.”
The Rangers joined the Battle of the Hudson by remaining faithful to their
Black-and-Blueshirt identity after misplacing it somewhere around the
Lincoln Memorial on their way to Game 6 in Washington.
They strapped on their hard hats and pressed the issue, using speed
generated by the Richards-Marian Gaborik-Carl Hagelin unit and the
reunited Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Ryan Callahan line to forecheck
energetically and effectively, to keep the Capitals on their heels.
And when Washington was able to break out, the Rangers simply
smothered the ever-dangerous and underused Alex Ovechkin — can you
win this way? — by consistently eliminating his time and space.
And when the Capitals had the Rangers pinned for much of a six-minute
stretch through the guts of the second period that included a shift on which
the Blueshirts simply could not get out — Del Zotto on for 3:07, Stepan for
3:12 — Lundqvist was at his best.
“I’m looking forward to Hank winning the battle,” Richards said when asked
about the Lundqvist-Brodeur matchup. “That’s all I’m looking forward to.”
Eighteen years later, the Rangers against Brodeur. Eighteen years later,
the Battle of the Hudson, winner to the Stanley Cup Final.
630834
New York Rangers
The King holds court in crucial 2nd period
of the series that kept both sides of the Hudson awake for two weeks
straight.
Things are different this time around.
“There’s so much work ahead of us,” Lundqvist said last night, which is only
true because of the work he already has done.
By MIKE VACCARO
As the delirium multiplied around him, as the big old rink prepared for a
massive exhale, Henrik Lunqvist made certain not to celebrate even onetenth of a second early. The Rangers bench was already prepared to bolt
onto the ice, the Capitals already bore the look of almost-but-not-quite.
Lundqvist? He kept his eye lasered on the puck while keeping an ear out for
the final horn. And when it finally blasted, when it groaned and officially
nudged the Rangers up a rung in this NHL Tournament, into the conference
finals for the first time since the first year of the second Clinton
Administration, then Lundqvist was something to see.
He pumped his arms and raised his stick, looking the way Tiger Woods
used to look after draining an impossible Sunday putt, a blue sweater for
Lundqvist instead of a blood-red collared shirt. Lundqvist has been
everything for the Rangers from the moment he showed up out of the
Swedish Elitserien, 97 games over .500 for his regular-season career.
Nobody has had to tell him that the winning percentage is a bit less gaudy
in the postseason. He knows. He was there for all 26 losses. So he was
going to savor this 23rd win, this 2-1 series-clincher over the Capitals, this
night when he was the biggest reason why the Rangers live to host the
Devils tomorrow night in the conference finals.
“I won’t lie to you,” he said, smiling. “I was nervous.”
We will have to trust him on that because to the naked eye he looked like a
master chessman, in charge not only of his own crease, not only of his own
teammates but also of where the puck was going. The second period, for
now at least, was his finest hour, the greatest 20 minutes of his American
hockey life.
For so much of the period, the Capitals played as desperate teams must,
bringing wave after wave at Lundqvist, rush after rush. The Rangers didn’t
take a single penalty during the period yet for long stretches it seemed they
were playing a man down, maybe two, the Caps taking target practice at
Lundqvist, playing keep-away.
“I knew that’s how they would be,” he said. “I knew that’s how they would
attack me. This is the seventh game, there’s no tomorrow and they were a
goal down.”
On the Capitals came. On they rushed. On they pushed.
“I thought he was getting tired,” Caps coach Dale Hunter said. “We kept him
moving from side to side a lot out there.”
Lundqvist agreed.
“I was exhausted,” he said, “but I knew I couldn’t lose focus. I’m not out
there hitting people like the other guys so I have to stay in it a different
way.”
He was brilliant. This isn’t surprising, of course. Lundqvist is nominated for
both the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie and the Hart Trophy as its
most valuable player. He didn’t earn those nods in a lottery.
The only blemish came on a goal by Roman Hamrlik with under 10 minutes
left in the game, cutting a 2-0 lead in half, but even that seemed to elevate
his concentration; the Caps weren’t getting another one past him. Not
without sorcery or trickery. Lundqvist would not relent until that final groan
of the horn. And then the joy was palpable and uncontainable.
“What a great, great feeling,” he said. “What a terrific game to be a part of.”
Tomorrow night, he will face the Devils, the team against whom he made
his NHL debut in 2005 (a 3-2 overtime loss), against whom he earned his
first victory five days later, a team backstopped, forever, by Martin Brodeur,
who just may be the best to ever play the position.
Eighteen years ago, Brodeur introduced himself as a gifted cornerstone by
nearly foiling the Rangers’ march to the Cup, an epic conference final that
will shadow every second of this series. Eighteen years ago, as Brodeur
was torturing the Rangers, Lundqvist was a 12-year-old boy in Are,
Sweden, who wasn’t exactly staying up at night for transcontinental updates
630835
New York Rangers
‘Blue’ collar Del Zotto gets it done on both ends of ice
By TIM BONTEMPS
Before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Capitals
at the Garden last night, Rangers coach John Tortorella told his players
they would not get many chances to play in a seventh game.
Thanks to Michael Del Zotto’s third-period goal, the Rangers have claimed
a pair of Game 7 victories in these playoffs.
After a shot by Marian Gaborik was blocked just inside the Capitals’ zone,
Del Zotto scooped up the loose puck and fired it past goaltender Braden
Holtby to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead, securing what eventually would be a
2-1 victory.
“He’s probably been our most consistent [defenseman] joining the rush,”
Tortorella said. “He shoots the puck wide a lot, didn’t on this one and he
scored.
“He has gone through quite a process here, from last year into what he’s
doing for us this year. He’s been very consistent for us both offensively and
defensively.”
Del Zotto, who also picked up an assist on Brad Richards’ opening goal 92
seconds into the game, has been known as a skilled offensive asset on the
blue line since he debuted with the Rangers in 2009.
But he made his presence felt on both ends last night, finishing with a
game-high eight hits — twice as many as any other player — in 23:16 of ice
time.
“We talked about [needing] to be aggressive against this team,” Del Zotto
said. “They have a lot of skill. We had to play in their face. ... Anytime you
give them time and space, they are going to make plays.
“We made it clear before the game that we wanted to be physical,
especially against their top guys in their back end, and I think we did a great
job of that tonight, and that helped us seal this win.”
Now, with a pair of Game 7 victories behind them, Del Zotto, who leads all
league defensemen in the playoffs in scoring with eight points off two goals
and six assists, and his teammates don’t have any time to rest.
After an optional practice today, the Rangers will be back at the Garden
tomorrow for Game 1 of the conference finals against the Devils.
“We’ve been pretty fortunate to have two of them already, winning them
both, and it’s such a great feeling,” Del Zotto said. “We want to take that
momentum into [tomorrow’s] game.”
630836
New York Rangers
Rookie Hagelin leads Rangers like seasoned vet
By BRETT CYRGALIS
There’s a reason the Rangers coaching staff pointed to Carl Hagelin, in his
first year in the NHL, but with an unceasing tenacity, to be the template to
follow.
Hagelin was electric last night as the Rangers beat the Capitals, 2-1, in
Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal at the Garden, earning them
their first conference finals matchup since 1997, this one against the crossriver rival Devils.
“Hags doesn’t end up with many points. I think he had a couple tonight
though. He has been very good this series as far as chasing down pucks,”
coach John Tortorella said of Hagelin’s two assists. “I thought that was key
tonight.”
It started in the first period, when Hagelin forechecked with reckless
abandon and beat numerous Capitals down the ice on every occasion. After
a quick first shift, Tortorella sent Hagelin’s line, with Brad Ricahrds and
Marian Gaborik, right back out, and it was well worth it.
The instant Hagelin got on the ice, he chased down a puck behind the
Capitals net and fed it in front to Richards, who buried a one-timer just
inside the far post to make it 1-0 on the Rangers’ first shot, 1:32 into the
game.
“It was a set breakout there,” Hagelin said. “I kind of skated into the puck
and I saw Richie open for the one-timer and just gave him the puck and it
was a perfect shot.”
The tone was set, the fans were out of their seats cheering and waving their
white towels, and the Rangers took hold of the momentum that they rarely
would relinquish.
“We’ve talked about trying to shoot the puck right away, not hesitating,”
Tortorella said. “[The Capitals] block shots so very well, we needed to get
more shots through and first goal of the game is a very important goal.”
Hagelin, 23, originally is from Sweden but played four years of college
hockey at Michigan. When he made his NHL debut with the Rangers on
Nov. 25 in Washington, he immediately impressed with his speed — which
was even more evident last night on the soft Garden ice.
“Yea, legs were good,” Hagelin said. “I think the whole team was doing a
good job skating and getting on pucks. Richie and Gabby are playing really
well right now so it makes it easy for me.”
That was the place on the top line that Chris Kreider took in Game 3 of the
opening round against the Senators when Hagelin was suspended for three
games after concussing Daniel Alfredsson with an elbow to the head.
Tortorella and his staff told Kreider to focus on how Hagelin “hounded
pucks,” and it was the relentless attitude that now has Hagelin and the
Rangers one step closer to the Stanley Cup.
“It’s unreal,” Hagelin said. “It’s what you dream about: Playing Game 7,
MSG, and winning Game 7. It’s hard to describe, and it’s obviously an
amazing feeling.”
630837
New York Rangers
Rangers beat Capitals 2-1, win series
Neil Miller THRILLED: Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto reacts
moments after scoring the winning goal in the third period, as the Blueshirts
put away the Capitals in Game 7 to win the series.
Brad Richards and Michael Del Zotto scored, Henrik Lundqvist made 22
saves, and the New York Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference
finals with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 over the Washington Capitals on
Saturday night.
Richards scored less than two minutes in, and Del Zotto doubled the lead in
the third period to help the top-seeded Rangers improve to 5-0 in Game 7s
at Madison Square Garden. That set up a matchup with the New Jersey
Devils, the team the Rangers beat in the 1994 conference finals en route to
their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years.
That series will open Monday in New York.
New York and Washington alternated wins and losses from Game 1 on,
and this one didn't come easy for the Rangers, who missed a chance to
eliminate the Capitals in Game 6 on the road.
Just 38 seconds after Del Zotto made it 2-0 at 10:05 of the third, Roman
Hamrlik sent a shot off of New York forward Derek Stepan that fluttered
past Lundqvist for his only blemish of the night.
Braden Holtby played well in his second career Game 7, making 29 saves.
It was yet another heartbreaker for the Capitals, who were looking to reach
the conference finals for the third time. Six of Washington's seven playoff
losses were by one goal, and only one of its 14 games overall were decided
by more than one.
Both the Rangers and the Capitals reached the second round of this year's
playoffs with Game 7 wins. New York knocked out Ottawa, and Washington
eliminated the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.
But history isn't all on the Rangers' side. Since playoff expansion, no club
has played 14 games in the first two rounds and went on to capture the
Cup.
New York played a very disciplined game, taking only one penalty for delay
of game against Ruslan Fedotenko in the third period. The Rangers' power
play did nothing on its two chances, but keeping Washington's manadvantage unit off the ice helped secure this win.
The Capitals tried to pull Holtby for an extra skater with 1:22 left in the
game, but he had to scramble back to cover the vacated net before he ever
got to the bench.
He finally got off the ice, and the Capitals pressured in the Rangers' end.
The puck was stuck in the corner when the final seconds ran out, and
Lundqvist thrust both arms in the air as streamers poured down from the
ceiling.
Matching the Capitals' quick start in Game 6, the Rangers jumped out
quickly and took a 1-0 lead just 1:32 in when Richards scored on New
York's first shot.
Carl Hagelin used his speed to chase down a dump-in in the lower right
corner of the Capitals' zone and curled behind the net with the puck on his
backhand. As he came out the other side, Hagelin feathered a pass up to
Richards, who one-timed a shot that beat Holtby inside the right post while
Marian Gaborik was in front of the net.
It was Richards' team-leading fourth goal of the series and sixth of the
playoffs.
Although Washington controlled the puck for large chunks of the game, the
Capitals yet again couldn't overcome the dreaded 1-0 deficit. The team that
scored first won all seven games in the series. The numbers were even
more stark for the Capitals, who went 0-6 in the playoffs after allowing the
first goal and 7-1 when they grabbed the first lead.
Del Zotto started and finished the Rangers' second scoring play. He leveled
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin in the New York and moved the puck up
ice. He eventually took a pass from Gaborik and snapped a shot past
Holtby.
However, before the cheers subsided, the Capitals got back within a goal
on Hamrlik's first of the playoffs.
This one was tight throughout.
Washington was outshot 12-11 in the second period, that featured a blank
score sheet with no goals and no penalties. Midway through the frame, the
Capitals kept the pressure on the Rangers with Ovechkin's line on the ice
and camped out in the New York end for about two minutes.
As the tired Rangers chased Washington all around their zone and unable
to change any players, the Capitals moved the puck side to side and up and
down, seemingly keeping Lundqvist on a swivel. Many of their shots were
offline, but the Capitals produced several prime chances that Lundqvist
turned away — each one drawing nervous, but appreciative cheers from the
towel-waving crowd.
Mike Knuble had a good whack at the puck at the left post, but Lundqvist
was there with his pad to keep it out.
Holtby, who became a father on Thursday, shook off Richards' early strike
and seemed to gain confidence as the game wore on and the pressure built
at the other end of the ice.
Notes: Richards, who improved to 4-0 in Game 7s, has recorded a goal and
three assists in those games. He has seven goals and eight assists in the
last 11 games in which his team has faced elimination. ... Hagelin, who had
two assists, had his first points in 10 games, dating to an assist in New
York's playoff opener against Ottawa. ... Injured Capitals forward Jay
Beagle missed his second straight game, and Jeff Halpern took his place
again. ... Fedotenko improved to 6-0 in Game 7.
630838
New York Rangers
Devils vs. Rangers regular-season series
Herald News
Rangers:
Dec. 20, 2011
Jan. 31, 2012
Feb. 7, 2012
interference.
Feb. 27, 2012
March 6, 2012
March 19, 2012
hypocrite", referring to when Tortorella started his tough guys Dec. 20 at
— Tom Gulitti
630839
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Looking ahead
The Record
Looking ahead
The Rangers-Devils Eastern Conference final marks the first time the crossHudson rivals have met in a playoff series since the Rangers’ five-game win
in the first round of the 2008 playoffs.
They played a classic seven-game conference final series in 1994 that
ended with Stephane Matteau’s double-overtime winner in Game 7.
The Devils haven’t played since Tuesday. Game 1 is Monday at Madison
Square Garden.
"You can look at it different ways," Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said.
"We’re going and they’re sitting, but I don’t think it matters."
Strong game
Michael Del Zotto scored the winner by moving up into the slot at 10:05 of
the third period – coach John Tortorella said he’s been the most consistent
Ranger in terms of joining the rush – and added an assist on Brad Richards’
goal.
He played 23:16 and led the Rangers with eight of their 33 hits.
"We made it clear before the game that we wanted to be physical," Del
Zotto said. "That helped us seal this win."
No goal
Rangers center Brian Boyle had a potential short-handed goal that would
have made it 3-1 at 11:32 of the third period waved off on the ice and
confirmed by video review. He and Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman
barreled into Braden Holtby.
"They told me I kicked it in," Boyle said. "I don’t know. I didn’t get a look at
it."
Briefs
Six of the seven games in the series were decided by one goal. … Rangers
left wing Ruslan Fedotenko is now 6-0 in Game 7s.
— Andrew Gross
630840
New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist proved to be the difference in Game 7
By TARA SULLIVAN
NEW YORK – Jubilant Rangers skated across the ice with sticks raised,
their poses matching those of the thousands of fans who’d just thrown their
own arms skyward. Michael Del Zotto’s third-period goal was the catalyst
for the Saturday night delirium overtaking Madison Square Garden, but it
took only moments for the Garden faithful to reward the true hero of what
would become a thrilling 2-1, Game 7 playoff victory over the Capitals.
The rest of the Rangers surrounding goalie Henrik Lundqvist is his crease
after winning Game 7 against the Capitals at the Garden on Saturday night.
The rest of the Rangers surrounding goalie Henrik Lundqvist is his crease
after winning Game 7 against the Capitals at the Garden on Saturday night.
“Henrik, Henrik,” they sang in unison, a hoarse but happy “thank you” to the
man who kept their Ranger dream alive across a manic, pressurized
second period when a relentless Capitals’ attack threatened to turn a souldefining victory into a soul-draining defeat.
They call him the King, and on Saturday night, Henrik Lundqvist earned his
crown, sprawling, stretching, splaying and sticking his way to 11 saves in a
wild second period when it felt like the Rangers’ early 1-0 lead was going to
vanish in wave after wave of Capitals’ offense. Del Zotto and Brad Richards
would finish with the New York goals, but Lundqvist and his 22 saves would
finish with the glory, hearing his name echoing down through the Garden
rafters through the game’s final seconds.
When the final horn sounded, Lundqvist threw his own arms to the
heavens, his body stretched into a human “X,” a poster of individual triumph
wrapped inside a thrilling team win.
“I’m exhausted right now, but it’s so rewarding to win a game like this,” a
sweat-soaked Lundqvist said in the victorious locker room, after his second
straight Game 7 playoff series clincher, after his team’s 14th playoff game
this postseason. “It means so much to me, to the guys here, to the fans.
This is why you play. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to playing more
hockey next week.”
And what a week [or two] we are in for now, with the top-seeded Rangers
advancing to face the sixth-seeded Devils in an Eastern Conference redux
of their epic 1994 clash. Devils’ goaltender Martin Brodeur is the only player
still on the ice from that most memorable seven-game, double-overtime
finale 18 years ago, and with three Stanley Cups already to his name, is the
living embodiment of everything Lundqvist craves.
Saturday night’s victory represents Lundqvist’s first trip beyond the
postseason’s second round, earning him but a chance, an opportunity to
continue the quest for his first Stanley Cup, putting him one salivating step
closer to changing his legacy from great player to great champion.
“I look forward to it. I really do,” he said.
“Not only to be in the conference final but also to play the Devils. They’re a
great team. We face them a lot so we know what to expect. It’s going to be
a really good series I think.”
On Saturday, Lundqvist turned in one of the best stretches a goaltender can
have in that second period, holding an unrelenting Washington surge at bay
while his teammates clung to the 1-0 advantage Brad Richards gave them
only 1:32 into the game. Richards’ scathing slap shot high over Braden
Holtby’s glove temporarily turned the loaded Garden stands into a human
mosh pit, but when the clock worked its way deep into the second period
and the score still hadn’t changed, that early confidence was under
enormous strain.
“That was the weakest part of our game, that five- to six-minute stretch,”
Rangers coach John Tortorella said. “Hank made a couple of great saves.
He gave us an opportunity to stay in it.”
He threw them the lifeline that keeps this season alive.
“In a 1-0 game, Game 7, I knew the next goal was going to be so important
to this game,” Lundqvist said. “I just tried to stay focused. They had a few
chances in the second but I felt sharp. The guys worked really hard to clear
pucks but they had a stretch where they came hard and had some big
opportunities. It felt good to go in after two periods and have the lead.”
Taut, tense, nerve-shredding hockey has been the Rangers’ hallmark this
postseason.
As they prepared for a second straight Game 7 to decide a series, they did
so with the memory of 10 of their 13 previous playoff games also decided
by a single goal, the other three by two goals. This is a team that knows
how to survive the frayed nerves of postseason play, but also one that
understands the danger of living on the edge of extinction, and exhaustion,
too often.
They face that risk against a rested Devils team that beat the Flyers in five
games, but they do so backed by the home-ice advantage that has saved
them twice already. It wasn’t easy – nothing with this team is – but it worked
Saturday.
“I’m not going to lie, I was nervous,” Lundqvist said. “But at the same time,
it’s exciting. You feel the pressure and the excitement in the building. The
crowd was going nuts and then you can just tell they got nervous, too. But
we did a great job of keeping our composure in the last seven minutes.”
Now we all get to reap the reward, to watch our area turn into hockey
central, to deny Tortorella’s wish that we “don’t include” his Rangers in the
expected hype of the 1994 rematch, ready instead to hop aboard the ride.
630841
New York Rangers
Brad Richards earns his big paycheck
By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]
For the first season at least, the nine-year, $60-million contract that Brad
Richards signed in July is paying some dividends.
"It seems like he thrives in these moments, and you saw it tonight," Ryan
Callahan said. "Right through the year, he's been big for us, and he's going
to continue to have to be big."
In the biggest do-or-die game for the Rangers in 15 years, Richards, 32,
scored at 1:32 of the first period, a goal that ignited the team and the
Madison Square Garden sellout crowd.
"Whoever scored that goal . . . It's a big goal," said Richards, who is tied for
fourth in the NHL in playoff scoring with 11 points. "They did it to us in
Game 6 when they got an early goal; we did it tonight."
Richards played 22:03, had four shots, won 14 faceoffs and anchored the
No. 1 line with Marian Gaborik (game-high six shots) and Carl Hagelin
(career-high two assists). Afterward, he wore the black fedora known as the
Broadway Hat that he brought back from the opening series in Sweden in
October and is given to a player after each win.
Coach John Tortorella double-shifted the line early. "With Richie, we've
talked about shooting the puck right away and not hesitating," he said.
"They block shots very well and we needed to get shots through."
Rangers hold the fort
The six-minute stretch in the second period in which the Capitals, trailing 10, controlled play, forced icings and penned the weary Rangers behind the
blue line could have changed the game.
"They caught us a couple times with long shifts and we just ended up
collapsing and hoping for a save or we get the puck out and try not to get
hurt," said Marc Staal, who played 26:55 and blocked five shots. "Any time
you come out of Game 7 on top, it's a great feeling. There's not too many
other feelings like it as a hockey player."
Blue notesThe Rangers outshot the Caps 212-179 in the series . . .
Tortorella is 4-1 in Game 7s.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 05.13.2012
630842
New York Rangers
"You work so hard . . . '' he said. "It's such a great feeling."
Now Lundqvist has his big moment. With maybe more to come.
Brilliant Lundqvist saves Rangers again
Arthur Staple
John Tortorella has said it often, and he said it again after another Game 7
win for his Rangers.
"This is where your legacy is made, in the playoffs."
Henrik Lundqvist's legacy as the best goaltender in this franchise's history
is still in question. But he made a big part of that legacy Saturday night,
getting himself and his team to his first conference finals and the Rangers'
first in 15 years.
Lundqvist has had many big moments in his career -- Olympic gold, a likely
Vezina Trophy this season, an NHL-record 30-plus wins in each of his first
seven seasons -- but playoff stardom has eluded him.
With the entire league watching, with a date looming against Marty Brodeur,
the best goaltender who's ever played the game, Lundqvist made his mark
and the Rangers made theirs with a second period that had the Garden
faithful chanting his name, as they so often do.
"It is a relief," Lundqvist said after making 22 saves in the 2-1 win, his and
his team's sixth one-goal victory of this postseason. "I'm looking forward to
playing some more hockey."
He wasn't able to handle Roman Hamrlik's knuckleball with 9:17 left, but
that only cut the lead in half. His teammates, as they have done this season
like no other in front of him, clamped down the rest of the way, allowing only
two more Caps shots to get through.
The second period was Lundqvist's, though, the one that will be
remembered. His team faced the inevitable surge from the Caps, who
hadn't been bad in the first, just not as desperate as they needed to be.
Starting with Nicklas Backstrom's neat flick to Alexander Semin, sending
the Caps winger in alone five minutes into the second, Lundqvist seized the
game. The usually reactive, stay-at-home goaltender came out to the top of
his crease to keep Semin from getting to his backhand, squelching the puck
back over the top of the net.
Lundqvist wasn't done, not even close, as the Caps found their legs for a
dominant stretch. Forty seconds later, Alex Ovechkin dropped a feed for
Dennis Wideman's one-timed slap shot; Lundqvist calmly batted the rocket
aside.
Then, 80 seconds after that, Lundqvist showed off his unparalleled lateral
movement skills to deny Mike Knuble, standing alone to Lundqvist's right
after Hamrlik's wrist shot had been stopped.
Three monster saves in less than three minutes, and the 1-0 lead still stood.
Lundqvist's legacy grew by the save, a little bit of everything that makes him
The King. "I bet he was tired going side to side like that," Caps coach Dale
Hunter said. "He made some big saves."
Lundqvist was equally sharp during a 90-second stretch a short while later
in the second, when the Caps kept the Rangers penned into their own zone
for what seemed an eternity. Lundqvist had five tired teammates collapsed
into his field of vision as the Caps wheeled the puck around, looking for a
seam, but nothing got through to a dangerous spot.
He played like a man who is still striving for more, for a way to make more
history than just vying with Mike Richter for the title of best goaltender in
franchise history. He made that debate a lot more compelling Saturday
night, when the Garden crowd was chanting his name before the puck even
dropped.
Brad Richards got the big early goal. The 18 Rangers skaters flung
themselves here and there, crashing and banging and blocking shots,
tightening their grip on this game in the final nine minutes.
They were chanting his name again at the end, even though he didn't face
a dangerous shot as the seconds wound down.
But Henrik Lundqvist won this one for the Rangers. He won a big one, even
if he and his teammates will tell you they've won nothing yet.
630843
New York Rangers
Holtby holds his own against Lundqvist
By NEIL BEST [email protected]
The game was billed as a defining moment in the career of Rangers
goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who at last reached the conference finals after
all these years.
But for his counterpart, Saturday night was another chapter in a
serendipitous ride that put him on the brink of his own career milestone -one that came more quickly than anyone could have predicted.
In the end, Braden Holtby fell short in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference
semifinals, losing, 2-1. But he played well enough to validate all that had
come before for a guy who played fewer games for the Washington
Capitals this season than he did for the Hershey Bears of the AHL.
"Holtby, that guy played his heart out from Game 1 until this game,'' said
defenseman John Carlson, a fellow 22-year-old.
That came as little consolation to Holtby, who said he took little from playing
well but losing in another close, low-scoring game. "A loss is a loss,'' he
said. "It's just as bad when we get blown out. It hurts the same.''
Holtby's night got off to a rocky start a mere 1:32 in when Brad Richards
ripped a slap shot past him from the faceoff circle. Holtby said a screen in
front of the goal prevented him from seeing the puck, which beat him low to
his glove side.
Holtby mostly was sharp, though, especially in the second period, during
which he made several impressive saves, notably on a tip-in attempt by
Ryan Callahan. Finally, the Rangers beat him a second time when Michael
Del Zotto scored on a quick shot from the slot midway through the third to
give the Rangers a brief 2-0 lead.
"There were some mistakes I made but I got lucky on them,'' he said. "But
they scored two very good goals.''
Surely the past few weeks have been mostly a blur for Holtby, who added
another layer to his story Thursday when his fiancee, Brandi Bodnar, gave
birth to their baby boy, Benjamin Hunter Holtby.
After allowing a shocking last-minute goal by Richards that tied Game 5,
which the Rangers then won in overtime, Holtby bounced back by leading
the Caps to a 2-1 victory in Game 6, during which fans in Washington
chanted his name.
The scene would have been difficult to imagine when Holtby took over late
in the regular season after injuries to Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth.
The morning of Game 7, he insisted to reporters that he would treat the
series finale as just another game, just like the deciding game he won on
the road over the defending champion Bruins in the first round.
He said he would not be distracted by the arrival of the baby. He stopped
29 of the Rangers' shots, but that wasn't quite enough. "They block shots,
they sacrifice and Lundqvist was absolutely amazing all series," Holtby said.
"We got beat by a very good team, and that happens.''
The Rangers knew they had beaten a very good goalie. What did Lundqvist
tell Holtby on the handshake line? Said Lundqvist: "I told him I bet I'll see
him a lot next year.''
630844
New York Rangers
Ovechkin gets an earful from MSG crowd
By NEIL BEST [email protected]
The off-color chants directed at Alex Ovechkin started eight minutes before
the Rangers and Capitals lined up for the national anthem Saturday night.
And they continued when Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal
began, complete with booing every time the Capitals star got his stick on
the puck -- or did pretty much anything -- during the Rangers' seriesclinching 2-1 victory.
But the fans' reaction to him didn't much matter in the end. All that did
matter was the bottom line, which left Ovechkin dejected and emotional in
the losing locker room at Madison Square Garden.
He called it a "terrible'' feeling, made worse by how close he felt to this
year's Capitals.
Ovechkin certainly had an active evening, finishing with 20:54 of ice time,
two shots on goal, four hits and several good scoring chances.
But he never did score, and Michael Del Zotto took the puck from him on
the play that ended in Del Zotto scoring the Rangers' second goal.
The Rangers did their best to make his life as miserable as their fans did,
banging him around at every opportunity.
"Most of the time, if we had an opportunity to shoot the puck, we didn't have
one guy in front of the net, because if sees it, he's going to save it,"
Ovechkin said.
The postseason has been a strange ride for Ovechkin, who in the first
round had his time slashed by coach Dale Hunter.
His minutes remained limited for most of the series against the Rangers,
but he managed to make a difference, scoring in each of the Caps' three
wins through six games.
The transition to Hunter's emphasis on grinding and shot-blocking has not
been easy for Ovechkin, but he's adapting.
It all was part of an unanticipated postseason run that brought the Capitals
to the brink of consecutive playoff upsets of the East's top two seeds.
"It's terrible for me right now,'' Ovechkin said. "All I can say is we do have
the best team. It's part of the best team I've been on -- the group of guys,
the atmosphere. It's unbelievable to play."
630845
New York Rangers
Hagelin has a leg up on Caps
By ARTHUR STAPLE [email protected]
Carl Hagelin doesn't have the scoring chops of his linemates, Brad
Richards and Marian Gaborik, on the Rangers' top line. But those two
wouldn't be able to make the plays they've made without Hagelin, the 23year-old rookie, blazing after pucks.
Hagelin was on the hunt from the moment Game 7 started, and his reward
was his first two-point playoff game and a trip to the Eastern Conference
finals.
"He doesn't end up with a lot of points, but he's been very good this series
chasing down pucks," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "That was key
tonight."
It was the key to the very important opening goal by Richards just 1:32 into
the game.
Hagelin raced past Karl Alzner to retrieve Michael Del Zotto's dump-in, and
his speed created all kinds of assignment problems for the Caps as they
drifted back into their own zone. Hagelin wheeled around, set up a short
pass for Richards and watched his center blast the puck into the net.
"It's Game 7, and I think we've been wearing them down a bit," Hagelin
said. "They were tired, I think."
And Hagelin was incredibly fresh. He barely had time to get his feet wet in
the opening round against the Senators before he was hit with a threegame suspension for an elbow to Daniel Alfredsson's head. Hagelin
returned for Game 6 but wasn't much of a factor as the Rangers worked to
get past Ottawa.
Against a Capitals team with a decidedly slower defense, Hagelin's work
below the opposing goal line became more important -- never more so than
Saturday night.
Until then, his biggest impact in the series was taking Joel Ward's stick to
the mouth and suffering a cut lip with 21 seconds left in Game 5. That set
up Richards' tying goal with 7.6 seconds left and Marc Staal's overtime
winner, both on the resulting power play.
"My legs felt good tonight," Hagelin said. "The whole team did a good job
skating and getting on pucks."
Gaborik had an energetic game, helped by a little more room to maneuver
as the Caps tried to open up and tie the score in the second and third
periods. Tortorella had his top line on the ice whenever possible as Hagelin
helped pen in the Caps, especially in the third, and Hagelin delivered the
puck to Gaborik to start the rush that ended with Del Zotto's goal, which
proved to be the game-winner.
"We were controlling the puck a lot this series, and they had to chase a lot,"
Hagelin said. "It's tough to play 20 minutes in your own zone, blocking
shots. I do think they were tired."
630846
New York Rangers
Devils are tough foe for Rangers in conference finals
By ARTHUR STAPLE [email protected]
The Devils are a testament to sameness, to the establishment of a style
and sticking with it, year after year. That's how Lou Lamoriello built a post1995 lockout dynasty, with three Stanley Cups and four Finals trips in nine
seasons.
But the post-2005 lockout version of the Devils hadn't adapted well, winning
just one playoff series (over the Rangers in 2006) in five seasons before
missing the playoffs last season, the first time out of the tournament for the
Devils since 1996.
So the tried-and-true Devils made some adjustments, and here they are,
back in the Eastern Conference finals and facing their old friends from
across the Hudson after the Rangers' 2-1 win over the Capitals in Game 7
of their conference semifinal series Saturday night.
The biggest change came in Lamoriello's hiring of Peter DeBoer last
summer. Lamoriello, who has hired and fired coaches at will during his 25
years in charge of the Devils, tried to persuade Jacques Lemaire to stay on
after taking over the team in the middle of 2010-11, but he returned to
retirement.
DeBoer, a successful junior coach who had an unsuccessful three-year run
with the Panthers, tried to change the Devils' counterattacking style into a
more aggressive system, taking advantage of the high-end skill of some of
the forwards. It was that relentless style that wore down the Flyers in a fivegame series win last round.
"Our big weapon is the coaching staff," goalie Martin Brodeur said Tuesday
after the Devils eliminated the Flyers, 3-1. "I think they prepare us; they
make changes to our system better than a lot of the coaches that I had in
the past. And I think we were well-prepared to do the things we need to do
to be successful."
Brodeur is the main link through all of the Devils' success. Despite turning
40 a week ago, he's been enjoying a revival this postseason. Zach Parise,
the captain and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent who appears to have a
very slim chance of returning to the financially hamstrung Devils, has been
his usual solid self, as have longtime Devils Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and
David Clarkson.
Ilya Kovalchuk was a wild card coming into the postseason, with the team
having won one playoff game in his two previous seasons. But Kovalchuk
leads the Devils with 12 points despite missing a game against the Flyers
with a back injury.
"For the first time in nine years, I'm not going to the World Championships,
so it's fun," said Kovalchuk, who made two playoff appearances in his
previous nine seasons with the Devils and Thrashers. "It all starts with
winning. You can't be happy with yourself even if you score as many goals
as you want. You try your best every night, but when the team is winning
and everybody is doing well, it helps a lot."
The Devils have gotten key contributions from journeymen such as Dainius
Zubrus, Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky, as well as feel-good story
Stephen Gionta, the 28-year-old wing who spent six seasons with the
Devils' farm team before getting a crack this postseason.
Last season was an aberration in Lamoriello's grand plan, but the changes
the Devils made have paid off. Despite that, the Devils' return to within one
round of the Stanley Cup Finals -- their first conference finals trip since the
last time they won it all in 2003 -- still is a bit of a surprise.
"I don't think there are too many people out there that expected us to be
where we are right now," Parise said. "This is fun for everybody and we're
having a good time, especially after the way things went last year. We're
happy to be in the situation we're in. It's a good feeling, but again, we're
only halfway there. We know it's only going to get harder from this point."
630847
New York Rangers
Rangers win Game 7, 2-1
The Rangers played their 11th one-goal game in 14 postseason contests in
Game 7 (the other three were decided by two goals). The final six games of
this series were decided by one goal. Neither team scored more than three
goals in any game.
"This is what we signed up for," the Rangers' Brian Boyle said. "I don't think
being ready [Monday ] is going to be a problem. We keep at it, keep going."
By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]
Newsday columnist Steve Zipay Steve Zipay's Blue Notes
Of all the momentum swings in the tightly contested Eastern Conference
semifinal series between the Rangers and Washington Capitals, Michael
Del Zotto was smack in the middle of the ones in Saturday night's dramatic
Game 7 at the Garden, a 2-1 win that sent the Rangers into the conference
finals against the Devils.
After assisting on Brad Richards' goal just 1:32 into the game, and with the
Rangers clinging to that 1-0 lead in the third period, the third-year
defenseman joined a rush, grabbed Marian Gaborik's shot that bounced off
a defenseman and fired the puck past Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby's
stick side at 10:05, giving the Rangers a rare two-goal advantage.
But the Capitals stayed alive, striking only 38 seconds later with Del Zotto
on the ice. Roman Hamrlik's high shot sailed over a screened Henrik
Lundqvist's right shoulder, and the boisterous Madison Square Garden
crowd was silenced.
"It was unbelievable at the time, as far as getting an insurance goal," Del
Zotto said in a happy and relieved locker room after the Rangers held on to
advance to the conference finals for the first time in 15 years. "Then they
score next shift. It was a tough turnaround there. I came in here and I didn't
know how to feel."
After a few minutes, Del Zotto, who led the team with eight hits, could relax
and soak in the ousting of the Capitals, who had eliminated the Rangers in
two of the previous three years.
"We've done it all year," he said. "Every time we had a tough loss, we'd
come back. It shows tenacity and character, and we're proud of ourselves
right now."
The team that scored first wound up winning each game in the series.
Richards, with his sixth goal of the playoffs and fourth against the Capitals,
one-timed a low 30-foot shot past a screened Holtby, off a backhand pass
from behind the net by Carl Hagelin.
"His legs were going tonight," Richards said of Hagelin. "He laid one right
on the tee for me . . . It gets the nerves out. You don't exhale, but you got
the crowd into it, they're not waiting for something to happen. Then you can
play."
Richards, who missed the playoffs in the previous three seasons with the
Dallas Stars after winning the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004 under
John Tortorella, has made a career of producing when it counts: He has
eight goals and seven assists in 12 elimination games.
In the second period, Lundqvist (22 saves) flashed his Vezina Trophy
finalist form, battling fiercely to preserve the 1-0 lead during a 1:50 stretch
of intense pressure in which the Capitals controlled the puck in the Rangers'
zone, shooting, recovering pucks and passing back to the points to set up.
He stopped shots by Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble (with a pad save on a
rebound at the left post) and Troy Brouwer before Artem Anisimov dived to
poke the puck across the blue line.
Rangers forwards used their speed to swarm and break up passes and
prevent odd-man rushes. Alex Ovechkin, who scored three goals in the
previous five games, had only two shots as the Rangers closed in on him.
"We talked about how we needed to be aggressive with this team, had to
play in their face," Del Zotto said. "Any time you give them space, they're
going to make plays."
The top-seeded Rangers are 5-0 in Game 7s at home. Before facing the
sixth-seeded Devils in the conference finals and the seventh-seeded
Capitals in the semifinals, they beat eighth-seeded Ottawa in Game 7 at the
Garden in the quarterfinals.
The contest ended a dramatic, hard-fought series that included an epic
Game 3 that Gaborik won in the third overtime and an incredible comeback
in Game 5. With the Rangers trailing 2-1, Richards scored with 7.6 seconds
left and Marc Staal's slap shot zipped past Holtby at 1:35 of overtime.
630848
NHL
Around the Atlantic: Isles' home among worst in U.S.
NICK MENTA
No wonder the New York Islanders keep pushing for a new arena.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the home of the Isles since their
inception in 1972, has been ranked No. 2 in TIME magazine's list of the
"Top 10 Worst Stadiums in the United States."
As expected from any list ranking the worst of a given category, the
building's writeup (via ProHockeyTalk) is certainly amusing, even if the
realities stressed aren't exactly good news for the future of the Flyers'
Atlantic Division rival in Uniondale.
"It’s not called the Nassau Mausoleum for nothing," starts TIME's review.
"The home of the New York Islanders, first opened in 1972, hasn’t seen
much on-ice success since the Isles won four straight Stanley Cups from
1980 through 1983. The Islanders just finished their fifth straight losing
season, and the team has made the playoffs four times in the last 17
years."
"The building hasn’t seen much improvement either. 'There is probably no
worse major-league facility right now in North America than the Nassau
Coliseum,' NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in 2009. The Coliseum is
a tiny, outdated eyesore in a charmless suburban spot: to make things
worse, the government launched an asbestos investigation at the arena this
spring."
Of note, related to Bettman's comments about the building being the worst
of its kind in North America, the other nine stadiums named in the poll were
all either NFL or MLB facilities, making the Coliseum the only hockey arena
on the list.
As voters rejected a $400 million tax-funded proposal to "overhaul" the
arena complex in August of last year, and as there stands no current plan in
the works to make way for a new building, talk has begun to pick up about a
potential move for the Islanders.
Team owner Charles E. Wang has stated that he will honor the team's
lease in its current home through 2015, but other options will obviously be
available at that time -- some already are.
The Islanders are scheduled to play a preseason game at the Barclays
Center, the new home of the NBA's Nets, in Brooklyn next year. There also
exists a modern arena in Kansas City -- the Sprint Center, built in 2007 -that has expressed interest in landing an NHL franchise. And, finally,
Quebec City, who lost the Nordiques to Denver in 1995, is constructing a
new arena set to open in 2015, the same year the Islanders' current lease
expires.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 05.13.2012
630849
NHL
Doan Keeps Faith in Coyotes
By MIKE SAUCIER
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shane Doan, the Coyotes’ captain and longestsuffering member, does not often mention his religion publicly. He does
not have a Tim Tebow-style celebration upon scoring a goal. But he does
writes Bible verse on his hockey stick.
Asked if there’s a Bible passage that best describes the plight of the
Coyotes, he said: “I like Romans 8:28. It says, ‘In all things, God works for
good for those who love him and seek his purpose.’ Everything that’s gone
on with this organization has worked for good. All things do, and that’s one
of the things I’ve kind of tried to hold onto for 17 years.”
Standing in front of his locker after a recent skate at the team’s Glendale
facility, he was clearly the go-to guy for the news media, looking right at
home in the center of the scrum, graciously answering reporters’ questions
with a smile and aw-shucks demeanor that runs counter to his rugged ice
play. It’s no accident that in a players poll, Doan (along with teammate Ray
Whitney) was named one of the league’s nicest players.
Doan, 35, has stayed loyal to the Coyotes for all 15 years of their rollercoaster existence and two in Winnipeg before that. He is from Halkirk,
Alberta (population 121), where he grew up on a Christian ranch camp for
children that his parents owned and operated — a place that offered
everything from horseback riding to archery. When Shane was 12, Johnny
Cash and his band performed for his family at the ranch, called Circle
Square, because they had time off between concerts in Edmonton and
Calgary, according to a Sports Illustrated article.
His father, Bernie, excelled in hockey, too — he was drafted 80th by St.
Louis in 1972 — but did not play in the N.H.L. Bernie told the Canadian
Christianity Web site in 2005 how their “ranch hands love the Lord and
know how to have fun, and Shane saw that. Shane took a stand at an early
age, deciding not to get into drinking or harmful activities. He had great role
models at the ranch and never saw Christianity as boring.”
The seventh overall pick in the 1995 draft, Doan is the last remaining
Winnipeg Jet on the roster and has spent his entire 17-year career with the
franchise. He played his 50th career playoff game, against the Predators,
on Monday and is now closer than ever to the Stanley Cup. Around the
league, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Doan is known for his relentlessly physical
play as well as his easy-going manner. He played in his first All-Star Game
in 2004 and another in 2009. Doan agreed to a five-year, $22.75 million
contract extension with the team in 2007. The next year he led the Coyotes
in scoring with 28 goals and a career-high 50 assists and 78 points.
Doan has also stayed true to Phoenix, where he lives in the off-season,
though he goes back to Canada to see family and friends, especially during
the punishing summers of 100-plus-degree weather.
“The Valley is an unbelievable place to play sports,” Doan said.
He added that he gets all the benefits of being a professional athlete —
going to the Diamondbacks’ batting practice, going to Suns games, playing
golf wherever he wants — as well as enough personal space to allow him to
attend his children’s games and competitions and retain some anonymity.
“And the weather,” he said. “You can’t beat the weather. You really truly
can’t beat the weather. There’s no hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes —
none of that — it’s just really, really nice from the middle of October to the
end of May.”
630850
NHL
Coyotes Keep Enduring and Winning
By MIKE SAUCIER
Published: May 12, 2012
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Phoenix Coyotes rank last in attendance in the
league. They have been operating in bankruptcy for three years. They are
so hamstrung financially that they have trouble signing free agents.
But this is their moment. And the Coyotes are embracing it like the
underdogs they have always been — a team that plays in a less prestigious
southern market, lacks in star power, holds an uncertain future and has
never been to the conference finals, until now.
The Coyotes are the third seed in the Western Conference and their
opponents, the Los Angeles Kings, are the eighth seed. Yet it is the Kings
whom oddsmakers favor to win the series, whose first two games will be
played here Sunday and Tuesday.
“A lot of people view us as a small-market team and not as a contender,”
Coyotes Coach Dave Tippett said.
But the Coyotes have not come out of nowhere; they are in the playoffs for
the third consecutive season. In 2009-10, his first year with the Coyotes,
Tippett led the team to 50 wins and 107 points to break team records. Last
season, he led the Coyotes to a 43-26-13 record and 99 points, recording
consecutive seasons with 40 or more wins and 95 or more points for the
first time in franchise history.
“We realize we’ll probably be always looked at as the underdog, and we’re
comfortable with that,” Tippett said.
Despite the Coyotes’ league-low average attendance of 12,420, Phoenix is
buzzing. Every playoff game has been sold out. There is even hope for the
future, with the announcement last week of the potential sale of the team to
Greg Jamison, the former chief executive of the San Jose Sharks, who
would keep the Coyotes in Glendale. (The N.H.L. bought the club out of
bankruptcy in 2009 for about $140 million.)
While watching his team practice on Thursday, General Manager Don
Maloney said he first noticed that things had begun to change when the
Coyotes returned from winning Game 4 in Nashville against the Predators,
and there were 200 people with signs at the airport at midnight.
Shane Doan, the team’s 35-year-old captain and the last remaining player
from the franchise’s time as the Winnipeg Jets, told reporters last week that
it was only recently that employees at the bank where he has gone for 10
years came out to wish him well.
Doan lives in Phoenix during the off-season, and he said that the level of
enthusiasm for the team has increased drastically during the playoff run.
“The recognition around the valley because of the media’s coverage and
everything that goes along with it has kind of pushed everything to a new
level, and it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m enjoying it.”
Doan has spent his 17-year career with the franchise, playing his 50th
career playoff game against the Predators last Monday. But he had not won
a playoff series until the Coyotes’ first-round triumph over the Chicago
Blackhawks. He is closer than ever to the Stanley Cup. Jeffrey Rich, a
season-ticket holder from nearby Avondale, said it was more fun going to
the game now than before, when the arena felt like “a barn that’s half
empty.”
“Now it’s known that they can do it,” said Rich, adding that the team’s
success will probably bring more fans into the fold.
Taylor Pyatt, who plays left wing, said the Coyotes could be benefiting from
a change in allegiance by Canadian and East Coast snowbirds, who might
be more inclined to start cheering for a winning team. Center Alexandre
Bolduc said it was just nice to give the fans “something back for sticking
with us all these years.”
So far in the playoffs, the Coyotes have done their part to keep things
exciting, going to overtime in 6 of their 11 postseason games. Ray Whitney,
who turned 40 last week, led the Coyotes during the regular season with 53
assists and 77 points. He has 6 points in 13 playoff games, including an
overtime goal against Nashville in the series opener.
The Coyotes’ defense has been a strong point, led by goalie Mike Smith,
who has a 1.77 goals against average and .948 save percentage in the
postseason.
Phoenix has also been at the center of controversy after forward Raffi
Torres, its enforcer, was suspended for 25 games for a vicious hit on
Marian Hossa of the Blackhawks in the first round.
Coyotes defenseman David Schlemko said the team “has been a little more
physical in the playoffs than the regular season and we’ve got to keep that
going.”
Referring to the Kings, he added, “They’re a big, strong team, and we’re
going to have to take the body on them.”
Maloney said the Coyotes organization had a simple game plan: “It’s
survival.”
He added, “We believed over the last few years, the longer we played, the
more success we had, the better chance we have of living and working in
really one of the most beautiful areas of the country for eight or nine months
a year.”
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“We check the agenda fairly constantly,” Bolick said.
Sale of Blues Completed
Playoff Run Aside, Coyotes’ Ownership Is Still a Prickly Issue
By JEFF Z. KLEIN and STU HACKEL
After three seasons of fits and starts and various suitors, the Phoenix
Coyotes could be sold in coming weeks to a group headed by Greg
Jamison, the former chief executive of the San Jose Sharks.
But the prospective $170 million sale, which would keep the Coyotes in the
desert and stop a possible move to Quebec, could be scuttled by the same
threat of legal challenges that sank earlier deals.
“It completely depends,” said Clint Bolick, the vice president for litigation at
the Goldwater Institute, a taxpayer watchdog group in Arizona whose
pressure brought about the collapse of a previous sale. “No one’s seen any
actual documents yet.”
The N.H.L. bought the Coyotes out of bankruptcy in 2009 for about $140
million.
The Coyotes, who make their first appearance in the Western Conference
finals on Sunday against Los Angeles, have been a money-losing operation
since 2003, when the team moved to a new arena in Glendale, Ariz. They
have been at or near the bottom in N.H.L. home attendance for the last five
seasons, and estimates of their annual losses have ranged from $15 million
to $30 million.
Fearful of losing the club as an anchor tenant in an arena the city
government borrowed $180 million to finance, Glendale has underwritten
$25 million of the Coyotes’ losses for each of the last two seasons.
When the Chicago options trader Matthew Hulsizer was working to buy the
club in 2010-11, Glendale also arranged to finance the operation of the
arena’s parking garage. That deal would have been subject to a bond issue
vote by Glendale citizens.
But the Goldwater Institute objected on the grounds that it was a violation of
the state’s “gift clause,” which prohibits governments from providing gifts by
subsidy or otherwise to private individuals or corporations. With the threat of
a lawsuit hanging over the vote, the bond issue was removed from the
ballot and Hulsizer’s bid eventually vanished.
Under the proposed deal with Jamison’s group, announced amid great
fanfare by Commissioner Gary Bettman at the Coyotes’ series-clinching win
over Nashville, the city will pay the team an average of $14.5 million
annually during the 20-year lease to manage the arena.
Asked about the threat of a challenge by the Goldwater Institute, Bettman
and Jamison expressed confidence that it would not be a factor in blocking
the sale this time. They maintained the deal would be structured in a way
that would make a challenge unlikely, but they offered no specifics.
Bolick said that until documents on the deal are released, the institute could
not determine any violation of the gift clause.
“Basically what the gift clause requires is that the expenditure not be
grossly disproportionate to the benefits received,” Bolick said.
“That last deal was a pretty clear case: the city was borrowing $100 million
and literally giving it to the proposed owner, who was then going to use that
money to purchase the team. Our actions saved a city that was teetering on
the brink of bankruptcy.”
“Here, the scrutiny would be on whether the city is vastly overpaying for the
arena management,” he continued. “That can only be determined when we
see the actual figures.”
Bolick said the Goldwater Institute was in the midst of a two-year public
information lawsuit, trying to obtain records from Glendale on the actual
costs of arena management.
The next step in Glendale’s proposed deal with Jamison is a vote by the
seven-member City Council, but no date has been set.
The city is obligated to provide details of the proposed sale 24 hours before
the vote, and the Goldwater Institute is standing by to pore over the
paperwork.
One team sale did close last week. The N.H.L. approved the purchase of
the St. Louis Blues by a group of 16 local partners led by Tom Stillman, who
owns a beer distribution company and was a minority owner in the previous
ownership group.
That previous group was headed by Dave Checketts, the former president
of Madison Square Garden, and included Mike McCarthy, who had run
MSG Network. They took the former Rangers television analyst John
Davidson with them to become president of hockey operations.
Checketts’s group tried for two years to sell the Blues. The team, its A.H.L.
affiliate in Peoria, Ill., the Blues’ arena and a share of the renovated opera
house next door all sold for $130 million — less than the $150 million
Checketts’s group paid in 2006.
“We are 100 percent local, and we are 100 percent committed to the Blues
and to the city of St. Louis,” Stillman said.
The group includes his father-in-law, former United States Senator John C.
Danforth.
Saying members of his group were passionate fans — a few of them still
play — Stillman acknowledged that they knew little about how to run a team
and would rely on Davidson’s department to continue the team’s recent
success.
He also acknowledged speaking with the former Blues star Brett Hull about
assuming a “substantive management role” with the club.
Hull became co-general manager with Dallas in 2007, replacing the current
Blues manager Doug Armstrong, and was the prime mover in signing Sean
Avery to a big free-agent contract, a deal that ended soon and not well.
He left that job in 2009. A statue of Hull is in front of the Blues’ arena.
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Western Conference Finals Prediction
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
The Kings barely made the playoffs, but now they have become the team
many thought they would be at the start of the season: an all-around
juggernaut. Led by Jonathan Quick, the scuttling, crablike goalie with a .949
save percentage, they needed only nine games to become the first No. 8
seed to knock out the two top seeds. Dustin Brown has six goals and is plus
9 in those games, and also is neck and neck with the Rangers’ Ryan
Callahan in hits per game. The rest of the forwards include Anze Kopitar
(10 points, plus 8), Mike Richards (8, plus 4) and Dustin Penner (7, plus 7).
The defense is anchored by the Canadian Olympian Drew Doughty and
Willie Mitchell, whose 3.4 blocked shots per game is the top average in the
playoffs.
The Coyotes are led by goalie Mike Smith, who has a.948 save percentage.
Their ensemble of forwards does not seem as impressive as the Kings’, but
for veteran savvy, it is hard to top Shane Doan, the 35-year-old original
Coyote, or the 40-year-old Ray Whitney. On defense, the Coyotes have
Keith Yandle, a two-time All-Star who is still underrated in the obscurity of
the desert, and the former Rangers Michal Rozsival and Derek Morris.
The teams split the regular-season series, 3-3. This series should be close
too, but Brown seems the difference maker. Kings in 6.
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The fight that changed hockey
raced back onto the ice when they saw Lemieux and Corson. Hospodar
said of Resch: “Chico was an innocent bystander; a nice reborn Christian
guy and I took him to the dark side.”
ALLAN MAKI
Soon players from both teams poured out of the dressing rooms.
Overlooked at the time was how Flyers’ coach Mike Keenan had dressed
24 skaters for the warm-ups. Montreal had 18 and two goalies. Again, those
were the days.
It’s the music that makes the mayhem.
“We dressed a lot of guys,” Brown acknowledged. “[Lemieux’s pregame
ritual] was a silly thing. But if he was going to do it, we weren’t going to put
up with it.”
From high in the rafters of the Montreal Forum, an organist plays a lovely
little number once made popular by polkameister Frankie Yankovic. The
song’s unsung lyrics are, “Somewhere my love, there will be songs to sing
...”
Nilan recalled fighting Brown for eight to 10 minutes then having to play the
game. “I was basically spent before it even began. And there was Dave
sitting on the bench the whole game,” he said. “Looking back at it, it was
kind of stupid.”
Down on the ice, before the start of Game 6 of the Prince of Wales
Conference final, there is no love, only clots of anger and ugly welts of
violence. Players are fighting. Players are streaming out of their dressing
rooms to join in. Chris Nilan of the Montreal Canadiens is battling Dave
Brown of the Philadelphia Flyers. Brown isn’t wearing a jersey, shoulder
pads or undershirt. Nilan has precious little to hold on to as the two
exchange bare-knuckle greeting cards.
Others have their lasting memories.
Nowhere to be seen as the organist plays on is a referee or linesman. It is a
melee that would have made the Flyers’ forefathers – the original Broad
Street Bullies – flush with pride. They were the ones who took the game
into a dark corner and beat the living daylights out of it, winning two Stanley
Cups in the process. But coming only months after a nasty scene between
the Boston Bruins and Quebec Nordiques, the pregame brawl in Montreal
signals a need for sanity.
It is May 14, 1987; the end of the bench-clearing madness.
What happened in Montreal 25 years ago was the folie à deux the NHL
could no longer ignore. After seeing so many blights on so many nights, the
league introduced tougher legislation, increased suspensions, added hefty
fines – and the new standards worked. Within two years, the game was
virtually void of bench-clearing brawls. It proved the NHL could set the right
tone, if it was truly interested.
“The league didn’t do anything to stop the brawling [before Montreal],” said
former Flyer Ed (Boxcar) Hospodar, now a Philadelphia realtor. “I was a
knucklehead. I was getting a big fat cheque. You want to fix something; hit
the players in their wallet. That gets their attention every time.”
The night that finally got the NHL’s attention began with a warning. More
than one Flyer had told the Canadiens’ Claude Lemieux not to end the
pregame warm-up by shooting a puck into the Flyers’ empty net. Lemieux’s
ritual, much like his personality, had crawled under the Flyers’ skin like a
200-pound tick. “Don’t do it, Claude,” Hospodar had said and, for a
moment, it appeared as though Lemieux would listen.
But after the Flyers left the ice, Lemieux and teammate Shayne Corson
sneaked back out with a puck to shoot into the Philadelphia net. On such
silliness, the game of hockey was destined to change.
“One of the things I gauge is when people say, ‘I don’t watch hockey. There
are too many big brawls,’” said Terry Gregson, the NHL’s officiating
supervisor. “I know right away those people haven’t watched a game in
years because it’s been a long time since we had a bench-clearing brawl.”
Gregson was the referee when the Bruins and Nordiques emptied their
benches during regulation play and chased one another around the rink.
Gregson surveyed the action and wrote down numbers and details like a
cop at a three-car pile-up. In the 1970s and 1980s, a referee’s work often
meant making order from disorder. Players with marginal skill could draw an
NHL salary for spending as much time in the penalty box as on the ice. It
was how the game was played at every pro level.
“When I came through the AHL, the Central League, we used to have some
pretty chaotic games. You were ready for the NHL,” said Gregson, who
compared refereeing a full-scale brawl to trying to stomp out a brushfire.
“You wait for the hose to come out. Ron Finn and Ray Scapinello worked
that [Boston-Quebec game as linesmen]. We went to the box and said,
‘Where should we end up?’ We worked backwards so that if one team
deserved more penalties we wanted to be sure there were enough players
left in the game. It’s trial by fire.”
It took only seconds for the Montreal-Philadelphia pregame spark to
become a three-alarm blaze. Hospodar and backup goalie Chico Resch
“Someone sucker punched Larry Robinson,” said Montreal defenceman
Chris Chelios. “What I remember was nothing happened because there was
no referee to make any calls. It was out of control.”
“I remember hanging on to Mike Stothers and seeing [Philadelphia’s] Don
Nachbaur punch Larry Robinson,” said Canadiens’ forward Brian
Skrudland. “I went, ‘Oh my goodness.’ That night was crazy.”
The fallout was swift. All the fire-starters were interviewed by Brian O’Neill,
the NHL’s executive vice-president in charge of discipline. Montreal general
manager Serge Savard was incensed; Philadelphia counterpart Bob Clarke
thought it was all rather entertaining, especially since his team won the
series. Questioned by O’Neill, Hospodar declined to comment and took the
biggest hit by being banned for the rest of the playoffs.
“I played two more years after that game,” Hospodar said. “It just wasn’t
done any more.”
In the summer of ’87, the NHL instituted Rule 70.1 to penalize players who
left the bench to engage in a fight (10-game suspensions and a maximum
$10,000 U.S. fine) plus fines for coaches who accidently, intentionally lost
control of their players. The league also restricted the number of players
who could skate in the pregame warm-up. Those measures helped rid the
game of its ugliest welt.
“It was probably 10 years too late to get that cleaned up,” said former
NHLer Charlie Simmer, who was with the Bruins when they staged their
battle royale with the Nordiques. “In the 1980s, they just happened. In the
1970s, with Philadelphia and Boston, you kind of anticipated them. I
remember [Los Angeles King] Randy Holt skating over to the Philadelphia
bench and saying, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ And six Flyers
jumped over the boards.
“I can tell you it was no pleasure being in [a bench clearer]. It’s a wonder no
one got seriously hurt in one.”
Brown amassed 1,789 penalty minutes in 729 career games and is now the
Flyers’ director of player personnel. His closeness to the NHL makes him
an apt commentator on how things have changed. On the plus side, there
are no more bench-clearing calamities. On the minus, there are cheap
shots and concussions.
“I think the league is scared of more fighting in the game. But look at all
those guys getting hurt,” Brown said. “Take out the instigator rule [which
gives an extra penalty to the player who drops his gloves first]. The threat of
being held accountable is enough to calm a lot of the game down. I don’t
know what else is going to do it.”
Nilan, who lives and works in Montreal, thinks hockey players are
conditioned by a game that, at its core, operates on the brink of chaos and
control.
“It’s still there. You don’t see it in quite that way any more [with benchclearings], but I actually think a lot of what you see now, the head shots and
whatnot, it might be a bunch of pent-up stuff, guys doing things they
otherwise wouldn’t do,” Nilan said.
So here’s the question: looking back 25 years, would Nilan have done
anything differently that frenetic night in Montreal? Oh yes he would, with a
respectful nod to his rival Dave Brown.
“Actually, I wish I’d thought of taking off my shirt first.”
With files from Sean Gordon in Montreal
Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 05.13.2012
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NHL Playoffs: Rangers beat Capitals to advance to Conference Final
Kevin McGran
NEW YORK—Brad Richards was quick to admit an extended run through
the playoffs is why he came to the New York Rangers.
“It’s a big reason (to come to New York) to get to play these games where
we’re playing in a great building like this, a lot of history,” said Richards. “I
was brought here to help in a lot of different areas and I want to keep doing
what I’ve been doing my whole career.
“I’m fortunate to get a good team that believed in me that got me here.”
Richards was talking at his stall in Madison Square Garden after the
Rangers booked an appointment in the East Conference final with a 2-1
Saturday night over Washington in a gritty, seven-game series that was
more about shot-blocking and defence.
“We played these kind of games, tight games all year,” said Richards. “We
haven’t blown out teams. It’s been tight and it was tight again tonight. Great
goaltender, great team structure. We believe in it.”
Richards scored the first goal of the game — just 1:32 into the first — and is
leading the Rangers in scoring in the playoffs. That’s the reason the
Rangers signed him to a nine-year, $60 million contract in the off season,
outbidding teams like the Maple Leafs.
Over in the Washington Capitals dressing room, Alex Ovechkin tried to
swallow another year of playoff disappointment.
“It’s a terrible feeling now,” said Ovechkin. “All I can say, we do our best
and it’s probably best team I played. You know, group of guys and
atmosphere, everybody was — it’s unbelievable to play and I hope
everybody gonna stay here ‘til next year. It’s hard.”
Keeping everybody together on the Capitals would be tough, especially with
a coach in Dale Hunter who may not want to return and a star centre —
Alexander Semin — who probably won’t be asked back after putting in a
one-point performance over seven games against the Rangers.
“It’s a great group of guys, and everybody fights and everybody work hard,”
said Ovechkin. “I think we tried to do our best . . . We kept playing, and lost
the game, but we never give up. Everybody support each other.”
The Rangers — in search of their fifth Stanley Cup — turned their thoughts
to the New Jersey Devils.
“We have as good a chance as anybody to win,” said Richards. “But we’re
playing a team that is playing as good as anyone.
“The seedings, the regular season, people like to talk about it, but it really
means nothing now. It’s just going to be a war from here on out of four
teams.”
Henrik Lundqvist — whose name was chanted by the crowd — found a
worthy opponent in Washington’s net in rookie Braden Holtby. But
Lundqvist proved veteran savvy may matter while performing at his stingy
best. He stopping 22 of 23 shots Saturday and posted a 1.68 goals-against
average through two rounds. He stymied desperate Washington shooters in
the second with the Rangers clinging to a 1-0 lead built on Richards’ goal
and seemed to will the Rangers to victory.
“It was a 1-0 game, Game 7, I knew the next goal was so important to this
game,” said Lundqvist. “They had a few chances. I tried to stay focused.”
Michael Del Zotto put the Rangers up 2-0 at 11:19 of the third, but the Caps
got it back on Roman Hamrlik shot less than two minutes later.
“It felt tough to give up that one right after we scored the second goal with
so much time left,” said Lundqvist. “Then they got on the power play. I’m not
going to lie, I was nervous. But at the same time, it’s exciting. You feel the
pressure, the excitement is building, the crowd was going nuts.”
Del Zotto emerged the hero, scoring his first Game-7 game-winning goal.
“It was a weird feeling coming in the room,” said Del Zotto. “I didn’t know
how to feel. It seemed so surreal. It was unbelievable. It’s always nice to
contribute. I have had some chances this series. I haven’t been able to
score. To be able to get the game winner is definitely a good feeling.”
The Capitals are now 2-4 in the past five years in Game 7s, and the switch
to shot-blocking, stifling defence was only faintly more successful than the
high-powered offence they used to employ under Bruce Boudreau.
Speculation persists Hunter may not return — he co-owns the London
Knights of the OHL and may prefer to return to the team he coached for 11
years. Ovechkin’s ice time, at least when Washington had the lead, was
limited. He played 19:16 on Saturday with the Caps searching for offence.
But one wonders whether the offensively gifted Ovechkin and the staunch
defensive specialist Hunter can coexist.
NOTES: Rangers forwards Brandon Dubinsky (lower body) and Mats
Zuccarello (wrist) missed the game. Dubinsky made a brief appearance in
the locker room this morning without the aid of a boot or crutches. ...
Capitals forward Jay Beagle was a scratch for the second game in a row.
Beagle missed Game 6 of the series with a lower-body injury and did not
participate in the game-day skate at Madison Square Garden. He was
replaced in the lineup by Jeff Halpern, who had been a healthy scratch
since March 23. ... Of the players who have suited up for Washington this
post-season, only three had played in the conference finals ? Mike Knuble,
Troy Brouwer and Roman Hamrlik. New York was in a similar situation, with
only four players ? Brad Richards, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Rupp and
backup goaltender Martin Biron ? who had advanced to the third round.
Toronto Star LOADED: 05.13.2012
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NHL Playoffs: Western Conference final preview
Kevin McGran
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL
Matchup: No. 3 Phoenix Coyotes vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Kings
Game 1: Sunday, 8 p.m., CBC
Season Series: Kings, 3-1-2
Coyotes win if: They start scoring. They’ve managed 29 goals in 11 games,
an average of 2.63 per game — the same as their regular-season average.
They’ve been getting scoring from deep down in their lineup, led by Antoine
Vermette with five goals and four assists. But captain Shane Doan has just
three goals and three assists. Martin Hanzal (three goals, two assists) and
Radim Vrbata (two goals, two assists) need to do more. . . . Coyotes
defencemen, led by Rostislav Klesla and Keith Yandle, have been
producing at a solid pace, combining for four goals and 19 assists. . . . G
Mike Smith might face his toughest opponent yet, even thought the Kings
are the eighth seed, they seem to have hit their stride offensively.
Kings win if: Their top players keep it up. The Kings may be the only team
remaining in the playoffs without serious question marks surrounding their
core stars. Part of that has to do with winning, part with health. Captain
Dustin Brown has 11 points in nine games. Anze Kopitar has 10 points in
nine games. Mike Richards has eight points in nine games. Drew Doughty
has been dominant on the blue line, leading the team with 25.45 minutes of
ice time a game. But the defence as a whole hasn’t produced much offence
(four goals, 11 assists). . . . G Jonathan Quick has been as good as
advertised. . . . The Kings have a secondary leadership group — Justin
Williams, Dustin Penner, Rob Scuderi and Colin Fraser — that has been a
guiding force in the playoffs. All four have won the Cup, albeit with other
teams. . . . The Kings have 27 goals in nine games, an average of three a
game, best among the surviving teams.
Essential stats: Coyotes are in the conference final for the first time in
franchise history. . . . Kings are making their second trip, the last being in
1993 when they beat the Leafs to advance to the Stanley Cup final. . . . The
teams each won three games in the season series, but the Kings outscored
the Coyotes 13-11. That’s a combined average of four goals a game. . . .
The goaltending is frighteningly similar, with both goalies candidates for the
Conn Smythe Trophy. Phoenix’s Smith is 8-3, with a 1.77 goals-against
average and a .948 save percentage; L.A.’s Quick is 8-1, 1.55, 949. . . .
Kings scored an average of 2.29 goals in the regular season, the second
lowest in the league. Phoenix’s average was 2.63, 17th best. . . . Kopitar led
the Kings with two goals and four assists vs. St. Louis. . . . Kings’ penalty
kill was a perfect 17-for-17 vs. the Blues. . . . Kings have only one minus
player, Kyle Clifford. He’s a minus-1 but has only played one playoff game. .
. . Coyotes forward Hanzal had four points in the five-game series vs.
Nashville. . . . Phoenix centres Boyd Gordon (58.7 per cent) and Vermette
(58.4 per cent) dominate the faceoff circle. Richards is L.A.’s best (53.6 per
cent).
Edge: Kings in six
Toronto Star LOADED: 05.13.2012
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Rangers win war of the trenches in Game 7
Bruce Arthur May 12, 2012 – 10:14 PM ET | Last Updated: May 13, 2012
12:12 AM ET
NEW YORK — Alexander Ovechkin answered some questions and then
sat in his locker in full uniform, silent, a life-sized statue. His team had been
silenced too, muffled, buried in the snow. The 2-1 victory by the New York
Rangers over Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals in Game 7 of their secondround series was negation over creation, beginning to end.
“You guys make a big deal of how we don’t score goals, but going into
Game 7 we have 13 goals, they have 12,” said Rangers coach John
Tortorella, who led the Rangers to their first conference final since 1997. “I
think we have defended our ass off against a really good, a talented team, a
really opportunistic team.”
New York scored on its first shot on goal off a swooping rush from Carl
Hagelin that set up a Brad Richards one-timer from the top of the faceoff
circle just 92 seconds in — a rare clean, if screened, goal — and the game
turned on it. These teams took turns winning games in this series, and the
team that scored first won every time.
The best chance anybody had to break the pattern was Game 5, but
Richards, the US$60-million man who wrote the biggest moments of the
series, scored the tying goal with 7.6 seconds left, and New York won in
overtime. Those eight seconds, at the end of a series this close, were a
blinking neon sign.
“They were one percent better than us tonight,” said Capitals veteran Mike
Knuble, who was stopped on the doorstep in the first period. “A couple key
moments in the series — you go back to Game 5, the last 30 seconds of
that. That Game 5 was just a huge moment, and a huge swing of things. [In
Game 7] they got the shot they needed, first shot of the game, it goes in.
We got the first shot of Game 6, our first shot went in, too. A couple
moments like that really can put your finger on how the series played out.”
New York won in triple-overtime in Game 3, and produced that Game 5
miracle, and in Game 7 they harnessed the bloodthirsty howl of Madison
Square Garden and defended like demons, and relied on goaltender Henrik
Lundqvist, whose best save came when he poke-checked Alex Semin on a
breakaway chance in the first that flipped up through the air and over the
net.
The Capitals had a long stretch of 5-on-5 dominance in the second, but
never quite connected on the right chance; Ovechkin had his best chance
of the night midway through the third, from the slot and clean, but
hammered it low and wide. A few seconds later Rangers defenceman
Michael Del Zotto collected a pinball puck on a rush and shot it — “He
shoots the puck wide a lot,” said Tortorella, “didn’t on this one” — to make it
2-0, and though Roman Hamrlik’s knuckleball floated past Lundqvist 38
seconds later, the Capitals botched a power play with 8:41 left, and the train
left the station.
“Yeah, it’s terrible feeling now,” said Ovechkin. “All I can say, we do our
best, and it’s probably best team I played [on]. You know, group of guys
and atmosphere, everybody was — it’s unbelievable to play.”
“We didn’t play like we should have won, I don’t think,” said Capitals
defenceman Karl Alzner. “Didn’t play our best game, didn’t have enough
fight, enough grit. Didn’t battle for pucks enough, had a power play that was
awful. It’s really too bad that in a game of this magnitude we stunk the bed
pretty much. It’s just not good enough for us.”
This Capitals team had converted to defence under coach Dale Hunter —
who would not comment on whether he would return to the OHL’s London
Knights, his previous employer — but the offence was not good enough at
the end. Washington reached this precipice once before, a hockey lifetime
ago, back when everything about them was new and fresh and thrilling.
This time, they just lost. It was too much. The Rangers were too much.
Now the New Jersey Devils are waiting across the river, with their fearsome
forecheck and their rested legs and their 40-year-old goalie, and their deep
hatred of the Rangers. As Richards said, “The seedings, the regular
season, people like to talk about it, but it really means nothing now. It’s just
going to be a war from here on out of four teams.” The next war of attrition
begins Monday night.
National Post LOADED: 05.13.2012
630857
NHL
NHL playoffs: Three burning questions on the West final
Rory Barrs
The Phoenix Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings are both from the Pacific
Division and among the last to qualify for the playoffs, but their paths to the
Western Conference final are disparate.
The league-owned Coyotes emerged as the best team in the Pacific and
earned the No. 3 seed in the West with a roster compiled from mainly
unsung parts. The Kings stole the summer spotlight with the additions of
Mike Richards and Simon Gagné, but managed just 2.29 goals per game,
the second fewest in the NHL. Out of desperation, Jeff Carter was acquired
at the trade deadline in February from Columbus, and L.A. managed to
sneak into the eighth and final playoff spot.
Phoenix, who would likely prove a TV ratings nightmare in the Stanley Cup
final (the possibility of Coyotes-Devils is frightening), first ousted a starstudded Chicago outfit, followed by Nashville, a team many believed was
deep enough to go the distance. L.A. finally lived up to expectations by
dethroning last year’s West winner Vancouver, and managed a clean
sweep of St. Louis in the second round. On Sunday night their paths will
cross.
Who will prevail in Smith vs. Quick?
If you believe goaltending wins championships, then both L.A. and Phoenix
have netminders currently playing at that elite level. Jonathan Quick was
the Kings’ most valuable players all season, ranking second in goalsagainst average (1.95), fifth in save percentage (.929) and first in shutouts
(10). He improved again in the playoffs, winning eight of nine starts, while
allowing only 1.55 goals per game — better than all but Vancouver’s Cory
Schneider, who played three games in the opening round. Meanwhile, Mike
Smith has been a revelation in Phoenix after signing what now looks like a
bargain contract in the off-season. Smith — who posted a leaky .899 save
percentage last season with Tampa Bay — has reinvented himself in the
desert, boosting that figure to .930 in the regular season and .948 in the
playoffs. Though Smith has allowed more goals than Quick, 21 to 14, he
has faced 126 more shots. Both goalies will be relied on heavily, but Smith
will surely being seeing more rubber than his counterpart.
Can the Kings be stopped?
It turns out Los Angeles had the pieces all along; everyone just needed a
little patience. The Kings are firing on all cylinders, led by forward Dustin
Brown’s team-leading 11 playoff points. After suffering from offensive
ineptitude throughout the season, L.A. has scored three or more goals in
eight of its nine post-season games. The Kings have thrived when playing
at even strength, where they sport the second best goal differential in the
playoffs (1.45, second to New Jersey’s 1.85). Unless Quick has an
unforeseen meltdown, the Kings could cruise to the Cup final. If there is an
area of weakness, the Coyotes can look to L.A.’s power-play unit. The
Kings are capitalizing on just 8.5% of power-play opportunities. However,
the Kings make up for it on the penalty kill, where they have been
successful 92.1% of the time.
Is this the end of the road for Phoenix?
It has not been all smoke and mirrors, but the Coyotes certainly fit the
description of overachievers. Can they possibly win another series with their
current style of play? They have allowed more shots per game than any
team in the playoffs (36.4) and taken the fewest (26.8). Phoenix has been
outshot in seven of its eight playoff victories. In Game 1 versus Nashville,
the Coyotes managed to escape with a 4-3 overtime win, despite being on
the wrong end of a 42-24 shot total. They have gone to six overtimes and
won four. Antoine Vermette leads the team with nine points, but is hardly an
elite scorer and was a trade-deadline pickup from Columbus. Goals are
coming from odd places at just the right time — including back-to-back
overtime winners from Mikkel Boedker in the opening round. If this
dreamlike run is to continue, then Smith may have to carry an inordinate
share of the load the rest of the way against the active Kings. And of
course, stay on luck’s good side.
630858
NHL
Dougie Hamilton is a reminder to Leafs of what could have been
Michael Traikos
ST. CATHARINES — The Gatorade Garden City Complex, where the
Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs call home, was originally built in
1938 and still has wooden bench seats and an old barn-style roof from
those bygone days. Like any old hockey rink, they keep it nice and cold
inside, just like the players like it. So cold, in fact, that you can see the
players’ breath when they are on the ice.
Nevertheless, Dougie Hamilton walks out of his team’s dressing room after
practice practically naked, except for a pair of tight-fitting, black athletic
briefs and a bushy beard that he has been growing since the playoffs began
almost two months ago.
If he is cold, he is not showing it. Standing perfectly straight with his hands
on his hips, he exudes the kind of confidence that most 18-year-olds lack.
Hamilton, who is 6-foot-5 and a muscular 195 pounds, looks like he just
stepped out of the octagon or — with his reddish facial hair — off a Viking
ship.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, he must look like something else: yet another
reminder of what could have been.
Three years ago, the Leafs traded their first- and second-round picks in the
2010 draft and last year’s first-round pick to the Boston Bruins in exchange
for Phil Kessel. The Bruins used those picks to select Tyler Seguin (second
overall in 2010), Jared Knight (32nd, 2010), and Hamilton (ninth, 2011).
Seguin, who helped Boston win a Stanley Cup last year and scored 29
goals and 67 points this past season, has already turned out to be a home
run. But if scouts are correct about Hamilton’s potential — The Hockey
News ranked him as the fourth-best prospect not playing in the NHL — the
strapping defenceman could one day stand alongside Seguin as twin
monuments to the deal.
“Dougie’s the best junior defenceman I’ve ever coached,” said IceDogs
head coach Marty Williamson, who also coached St. Louis Blues stalwart
Alex Pietrangelo. “I think you could be looking at a Norris Trophy-type guy,
a guy that has a 15-, 20-year career ahead of him. He’s going to be a
wonderful pro.”
You do not often find defenceman who look and play like Hamilton.
Because of his size, skating ability and offensive instincts, scouts have
compared him to Calgary’s Jay Bouwmeester or San Jose’s Brent Burns.
With the season he had in the Ontario Hockey League, Chris Pronger might
be a better comparison because of how dominant he was.
Hamilton, who was unanimously named the OHL’s top defenceman — “The
voting was pretty one-sided,” Williamson said — almost seemed bored
playing another year of junior. He led all rearguards with 72 points in 50
games and had a plus-34 rating.
In the playoffs, he continued to dominate. Although the London Knights
beat the IceDogs 2-1 in Game 5 of the league championship to win the
series on Friday night, Hamilton had 23 points in 20 post-season games.
“He’s not even challenged at this level,” said former Leafs defenceman
Mike Van Ryn, who coached Hamilton last year. “He’s the best athlete I’ve
seen at his age.”
For that, Hamilton and older brother Freddie, a forward with the IceDogs
and a San Jose Sharks prospect, have their parents’ DNA to thank.
Hamilton’s father Doug was a championship rower and his mother Lynn
was a member of Canada’s basketball team. They met while competing at
the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Growing up, Dougie and Freddie played every sport you can imagine and
were always tagging along with their father at rowing events. “They were
two active boys, so you try to keep them busy so they’re tired at night,”
Lynn said.
Hockey soon became a favourite, partly because the boys’ grandfather
father had Maple Leafs’ season tickets and would take Dougie and Freddie
to four games a year when they were young.
“They always dreamt of being Olympians more so than hockey players,”
Lynn said. “But they developed a passion for hockey. It grew.”
So did Dougie. IceDogs teammate Ryan Strome, who is 6-foot-1,
remembers playing on the same Toronto minor-hockey team back when he
still towered over Dougie. “He wasn’t real big but he was still hard to get
around,” Strome said. “And then he grew almost overnight and now it’s
practically impossible.”
The scary thing for opposing forwards is that Dougie might not be done
growing. A couple of weeks ago, Lynn got out the measuring tape and
found that Dougie, who is officially listed at 6-foot-4, had grown an inch.
When asked which side of the family his height comes from — Freddie is 6foot-1 — Lynn said she has no clue. She is 5-foot-7, while her husband is
an 6-feet. “I guess it’s the water in St. Catharines,” she joked.
Boston fans, meanwhile, can only imagine what their blue line might look
like in the near future with 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara on one point and the stillgrowing Hamilton on the other. While Bruins assistant general manager Jim
Benning said the plan is to bring Hamilton along slowly — “It’s going to take
him a bit of time to get used to the speed of the league,” he said — few
expect that he will be back for a fourth year in Niagara.
“He’s a man amongst boys in our league,” Knights assistant coach Misha
Donskov said. “In my opinion, he’s a player who is as close to being NHLready as anyone in the OHL. He’s an all-star.”
And, in what is sure to be repeated many times during his future NHL
career, he could have been a Leaf.
“I have a lot of friends who say that,” Hamilton said. “At the end of the day,
Toronto traded the pick to the Boston, so hopefully I can be a Bruin in the
future and beat the Leafs.”
630859
NHL
Do not Be surprised when this attempt results in you being pulled over five
separate times on the way home by the NYPD.
Game 7 can be tough on some NHL fans
Do Take a moment to acknowledge that hockey is only a game, and while
seeing your team win is nice, it will never be more important than the time
you spend with your loved ones.
Sean McIndoe May 12, 2012 – 7:30 AM ET | Last Updated: May 12, 2012
1:31 AM ET
Do not Forget to make sure they’ve all left the room before apologizing
profusely to the hockey gods and promising to never say something so
ridiculous ever again.
The Rangers-Capitals series has been hard fought, with the teams being
tied or within one goal 90% of the time.
Tonight, hockey fans will get to hear two of the most ominous words in
sports: “game seven”. The Washington Capitals will visit the New York
Rangers for the conclusion of their series with a trip to the conference finals
hanging in the balance.
For most fans, that makes the game something to look forward to. But if
you’re a diehard Capital or Ranger fan, maybe not. After all, seeing an
entire season come down to a single winner-take-all contest can be
excruciating. And let’s face it, some fans handle this sort of situation better
than others.
So whether you’re a nervous fan or will have the misfortune of spending
time around one, I’m here to help. Here are some tips on how to handle the
day of a crucial NHL playoff game.
Do If you’d prefer to watch alone, plan to take in the game someplace
where you know you’ll never have to worry about running into any hockey
fans at this time of year.
Do not Be rude if the Rexall Place security guard doesn’t agree to let you in
right away.
Do Try your best to ignore that one guy in your group who doesn’t seem to
be a hockey fan, know what’s going on, or have even the slightest
understanding about the NHL and how it works.
Do not Be surprised when he casually mentions that he’s in the process of
buying the Phoenix Coyotes.
Do Apologize immediately if the stress of the situation causes you to lose
your temper with your children by snapping at them with one-word answers
every time they try to talk to you.
Do not Make the situation worse by explaining that you were simply trying
to talk to them “Tortorella-style”.
Do Adhere to your time-honoured superstitions by making sure to watch
from the exact same spot you were sitting in the last time your team won a
game this big.
Do not Take any attitude from people saying things such as, “You’re sitting
in my seat,” and “You’re blocking my view,” and “You moved out of this
apartment years ago, we’re calling the police.”
Do Remember to be considerate of others who don’t seem interested in the
game, such as when turning to the obnoxious guys next to you at the bar
and politely asking, “Could you please keep it down, I’m feeling nervous
about the big game that starts in a few hours.”
Do not Push it too far by adding, “And come to think of it, aren’t you
supposed to be playing in it, Andrei?”
Do Invite your friend, the New York Rangers fan, out for a night of heavy
drinking to get his mind off of the game.
Do not Become too annoyed when he rushes around blocking everyone’s
attempt to take a shot out of force of habit.
Do Reassure your friend, the Washington Capitals fan, that he’ll have your
support win or lose, because he’s always been there in good times and bad
and is incredibly important to you.
Do not Add that, based on what you’ve learned in the past few weeks from
watching Dale Hunter, that means you’re now going to have to start
hanging out with six or seven other guys way more often than him for no
apparent reason.
Do Try to articulate the enormous respect you have for NHL players by
coming up with some sort of comparison you could make to people in other
professions.
Do Remain philosophical in the face of defeat by saying things such as, “A
tough playoff loss can be devastating, but I guess it’s just an experience
that we all have to go through at some point during our lives.”
Do not Point and laugh when the eight-year-old Maple Leafs fan next to you
immediately begins to cry.
630860
Ottawa Senators
Alfie's big decision
Figuring out when to retire not always easy
Due to make $1 million in the last season of a four-year extension he
signed in 2008, Alfredsson could always be dealt at the deadline to a
contender if the Senators fall back and don’t compete for a playoff spot.
“I know for me it was very important to finish my career all with one team,”
said Potvin, who retired in 1988. “I’m not sure how (Alfredsson) feels, but
for me it was a big consideration. I didn’t want to go play for anyone else.
“I didn’t want to put on any other jersey.”
By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun
As the clock ticked down on his NHL career, Patrick Lalime wept.
His eyes started to get watery with eight minutes left in the Buffalo Sabres’
5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 7 of a playoff series at the Wells
Fargo Center on April 26, 2011. Not dressed that night, he was overcome
by emotion in the press box.
Later, after consoling his teammates in the room, the former goalie headed
to the bench in the empty arena and cried some more — alone with his
thoughts in what was his final act as an active player.
Lalime, 37, didn’t have to wipe the tears away because he was sad. The
emotion of reaching the end of the long journey got the best of him. The
time was right and, most importantly, he left on his own terms.
“I saw it coming. I wasn’t playing,” said Lalime, now an analyst for RDS. “I
had started looking into (retirement) and you get excited about what lays
ahead. You think about your family, everything that you’ve gone through.
“I had prepared myself for it. As soon as the season was over, I knew it.
When I sat on that bench in Philly crying, I was just thankful for everything. I
left healthy. I had made the call. I had already made calls to try to prepare
for what was going to be next for me after playing.”
There are three ways an NHL player can retire:
No. 1: On their own terms, perhaps, even at the top of their game.
No. 2: They get told by management and the coaching staff they haven’t got
what it takes anymore.
No. 3: A career-ending injury such as concussion or a situation that requires
surgery.
It’s up to Daniel Alfredsson to choose what path he wants to take into his
golden years. The 39-year-old Ottawa captain has put off his dilemma on
what’s next by going home to play for Sweden at the world championship.
Deciding to walk away is not easy. Leaving after the kind of season
Alfredsson just had — 59 points, his 400th career goal, an appearance in
the all-star game at Scotiabank
Place and two concussions — could make it even tougher.
“I sympathize with (Alfredsson) because if you have the choice, I don’t think
you should make that decision quickly,” said Sportsnet analyst Denis
Potvin, an Ottawa native who won four Stanley Cups with the New York
Islanders.
“I’m sure if he does retire, it will be something he has thought about over
time, as I did when I left. I probably thought about it for two years. The quick
answer is: When I started to enjoy practice more than I did playing the
games, I knew it was time for me to retire.”
The weeks ahead won’t be easy for Alfredsson. If he does return to play
next season, he must commit to another summer of training to make sure
he’s in shape for camp in September.
If he walks away this summer and steps into the front office, he’ll leave
knowing he had a brilliant career with one franchise, but won’t get the
chance to ever lift the Stanley Cup.
“He knows in the back of his mind he can still play. That’s not the question,”
said former Ottawa blueliner Curtis Leschyshyn, now an assistant coach
with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. “If he was to decide to retire, there’s that
question: What could the future have held for me?
“Was there a Stanley Cup? Was there another tremendous season? (The
Cup) would probably be the No. 1 decision as to why he’d want to come
back ... to try to give it one last shot to win a Cup. I see no reason why
wouldn’t do it unless he felt, that’s pretty much it.”
This is a life decision. Alfredsson has to decide what he wants next. He said
at the end of the season he wants time, but many believe he should decide
before mid-June to allow GM Bryan Murray time to do some planning
before the draft and free agency.
“I know I need to have that desire to get ready for another year,” Alfredsson
said last month. “If you don’t, it will be a very frustrating year for me
personally just going through the motions. You have to bring everything you
have to the table to be honest with the team and with yourself. This league
is way too good to go out and go through the motions.”
Alfredsson may not weep himself, but fans certainly will if he does not
return to the ice.
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.13.2012
630861
Ottawa Senators
Sundin offers Alfie advice
By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun
Daniel Alfredsson won’t make the big decision on his future without getting
advice.
The Senators captain told the Sun earlier this season he has spoken with
former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin and Detroit Red Wings
captain Nicklas Lidstrom about the path to take to retirement.
While Lidstrom, 42, is still waiting to decide on whether he’ll return to the
Wings next season, the two legendary Swedes told Alfredsson he has to be
prepared to go through another summer of training.
Though Alfredsson and Sundin may have been rivals in the Battle of
Ontario, they are longtime friends. They aren’t best buddies (and didn’t
speak during the season when they were battling), but respect each other
tremendously.
Sundin made it clear: Nobody can make this decision for Alfredsson. This
one has to come from the heart.
“We talked about (retirement) a while back,” said Sundin. “I told
(Alfredsson) he would know himself. No one else can tell you.
“To play at the NHL level, there is so much training you must do in the offseason. And there comes a time you just don’t have the desire anymore.
Nobody else can tell you when that time comes. You just know yourself.
That’s what I told him.”
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 05.13.2012
630862
Philadelphia Flyers
Status: 2 years left on 3-year, $9.33 million deal
Salary (2011-12): $1.69 million
Post-mortem player-by-player look at Flyers' roster
Grade: C+
Skinny: Injury-riddled season; shows promise.
By Frank Seravalli
JAKE VORACEK
Age: 22
With another season now surprisingly in the books, the Flyers look to
regroup during what will be a long summer.
Stats: 78 GP, 18 G, 31 A, 49 P
Status: Restricted free agent
Here's a player-by-player look at the season in review, with a glimpse at
what lies ahead.
Flyers pack up lockers
Grade: B+
Devils 3, Flyers 1
Skinny: After career year out of Columbus, due a decent raise.
Devils 4, Flyers 2
MAXIME TALBOT
Players are listed in compensation order:
Age: 28
Forwards
Stats: 81 GP, 19 G, 15 A, 34 P
DANNY BRIERE
Age: 34
Stats: 70 GP, 16 G, 33 A, 49 P
Grade: A
Status: 3 years left on 8-year,
Skinny: Provided grit, unexpected offensive punch.
$52 million deal
WAYNE SIMMONDS
Salary (2011-12): $7 million
Age: 23
Grade: B
Stats: 82 GP, 28 G, 21 A, 49 P
Skinny: Quiet season, consistently earns his bucks in the playoffs.
Status: 1 year left on 2-year, $3.5 million deal
SCOTT HARTNELL
Age: 30
Grade: B+
Stats: 82 GP, 37 G, 30 A, 67 P
Skinny: Also a career-year, but too quiet in the playoffs.
Status: 1 year left on 6-year,
JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK
$25.2 million deal
Age: 23
Stats: 43 GP, 11 G, 13 A, 24 P
Grade: A
Status: Begins 6-year, $25.5 million deal
Skinny: Career year on the Flyers' top line
CLAUDE GIROUX
Grade: F
Age: 24
Skinny: Complete disaster of a injury-riddled season; plenty of room to
surprise.
Stats: 78 GP, 28 G, 65 A, 93 P
Grade: A+
Skinny: Solidified himself as Flyers' leader and a top player in NHL.
JAROMIR JAGR
Age: 40
Stats: 73 GP, 19 G, 35 A, 54 P
Status: Unrestricted free agent
Grade: B+
Skinny: Still has the hands, but lost a step in playoffs.
BRAYDEN SCHENN
Age: 20
Stats: 54 GP, 12 G, 6 A, 18 P
SEAN COUTURIER
Age: 19
Stats: 77 GP, 13 G, 14 A, 27 P
Grade: A
Skinny: Huge jump from junior, lots of upside offensively.
JODY SHELLEY
Age: 36
Stats: 30 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 P
Grade: B
Skinny: Handled role well; positive team guy despite career-low games.
MATT READ
Age: 25
Stats: 79 GP, 24 G, 23 A, 47 P
Grade: I
Skinny: Healthy scratch in the playoffs after deadline acquisition; unlikely to
return.
Salary (2011-12): $900,000
Grade: A
Skinny: Silenced in playoffs; streaky player in regular season.
ERIC WELLWOOD
Age: 22
Stats: 24 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 14 P
MATT CARLE
Age: 27
Stats: 82 GP, 4 G, 34 A, 38 P
Grade: B+
Salary (2011-12): $580,000
Skinny: Steady on defense, despite penchant for turnovers; will earn big
payday.
Grade: B+
BRAYDON COBURN
Skinny: Surprised in postseason, played role exceptionally well with speed.
Age: 27
ZAC RINALDO
Stats: 81 GP, 4 G, 20 A, 24 P
Age: 21
Status: Begins 4-year, $18 million extension
Stats: 66 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 P
Grade: A
Salary (2011-12): $544,444
Grade: B+
Skinny: Made huge strides in every category, though still lacks complete
confidence.
Skinny: Carved out full-time role as scrapper.
NICK GROSSMANN
Defense
Age: 27
KIMMO TIMONEN
Stats: 22 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 P
Age: 37
Status: Begins 4-year, $14 million extension
Stats: 76 GP, 4 G, 39 A, 43 P
Status: 1 year left on 6-year, $38 million deal
Grade: B
Skinny: Spent much of his tenure in Philadelphia hurt; still developing and
young.
Grade: C+
Skinny: Slowed considerably, clearly injured. How much is left in the tank?
CHRIS PRONGER
Age: 37
Stats: 13 GP, 1 G, 11 A, 12 P
Grade: INC
ANDREAS LILJA
Age: 36
Stats: 46 GP, 0 G, 6 A, 6 P
Salary (2011-12): $775,000
Grade: C+
Skinny: Shaky at times; decent veteran influence.
MARC-ANDRE BOURDON
Skinny: Great player, tough to say whether he will ever play again with
concussion-like symptoms.
Age: 22
ANDREJ MESZAROS
Stats: 45 GP, 4 G, 3 A, 7 P
Age: 26
Status: Restricted free agent
Stats: 62 GP, 7 G, 18 A, 25 P
Salary (2011-12): $875,000
Status: 2 years left on 6-year, $24 million deal
Grade: B
Skinny: Unexpected call-up; could very well earn a spot in camp.
Grade: C+
ERIK GUSTAFSSON
Skinny: Tough, injury-filled year, but can come back stronger.
Age: 23
PAVEL KUBINA
Stats: 30 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 P
Age: 35
Stats: 17 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 P
Salary (2011-12): $900,000
Grade: B
Skinny: Clearly has speed; working on puck control skills in pressure
situations.
Goaltenders
ILYA BRYZGALOV
Age: 31
Stats: 59 GP, 2.48 GAA, .909 save percentage
Status: 8 years left on 9-year, $51 million deal
Grade: C+
Skinny: Great at times, brutal at other; perhaps he needed a year to adjust.
SERGEI BOBROVSKY
Age: 23
Stats: 29 GP, 3.02 GAA, .899 save percentage
Grade: C+
Skinny: Tough year with limited playing time; didn't do much to inspire
confidence.
Other expiring contracts:
Ian Laperriere, Blair Betts and Michael Leighton.
Salary source: Capgeek.com
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 05.13.2012
630863
Philadelphia Flyers
Inside the Flyers: Expect Bryzgalov to adjust and settle in and raise his play
thinker, but also is wickedly funny in a dry way. When coach Peter
Laviolette benched him for the Winter Classic, Bryzgalov responded by
telling the media he would enjoy the game with some "nice tea" on the
bench. He then went home and tweeted a photo of the thermos.
It was his way of making fun of what, for him, was a deeply embarrassing
benching. To his credit, he diffused it with humor.
Sam Carchidi
Follow Sam Carchidi on The Flyers want goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to perform
like Martin Brodeur, not Martin Lawrence. Like Jimmy Howard, not Jimmy
Fallon. Like Jonathan Quick, not Jonathan Winters.
That was the gist of a comment made by general manager Paul Holmgren
the other day.
Ilya Bryzgalov had an erratic first season in Philadelphia. He told a Russian
paper that he felt the media and fans picked on him.
"His job is to stop pucks and help us win games," Holmgren said. "It's not
Comedy Central."
Holmgren's tone was good-natured, and he was not being critical of
Bryzgalov. Fact is, he enjoys the goalie's different outlook on things.
Would he like to see Bryzgalov spend less time on his comedy routine?
"There is probably a middle-of-the-road scenario somewhere there,"
Holmgren said. "He's a funny guy to talk to, there's no question about that.
He has some interesting concepts of life and how to walk down the road of
life."
Somewhere down the road, Bryzgalov lost his sense of humor. He was
furious when Comcast SportsNet ran a hysterical photo recently with
Bryzgalov's face superimposed in a space suit (with a Flyers patch on a
sleeve) as he floated through the air. This was after Bryzgalov had said he
would have been an astronaut if he wasn't a goalie.
I'm guessing that's what triggered his rant to the Russian newspaper. That,
and perhaps the way his gift goal in Game 5 was portrayed in the media.
The Flyers need Bryzgalov to get his head together over the summer, to
come to camp in September with a new outlook.
Bryzgalov deserves the benefit of the doubt. Some of his comments can be
misinterpreted because of the language barrier. In addition, he was used to
playing in a Phoenix market that didn't even send reporters to road games,
and he was not prepared for the media or fan scrutiny that comes with
playing in hockey-crazed Philadelphia.
He also felt the weight of his $51 million, nine-year contract and put extra
pressure on himself to show the deal was justified.
"It's totally normal," said center Danny Briere, who can relate.
Briere struggled in parts of his first Flyers season after signing an eightyear, $52 million deal in the summer of 2007.
Bryzgalov's first season in Philly was Bryzarro. The 31-year-old goalie
finished with decent numbers - a 33-16-7 record, six shutouts, a 2.48 goalsagainst average, and a .909 save percentage. But it was a strange journey
that included lots of inconsistency. In the playoffs, where the goalie was
affected by injuries that slowed down or sidelined defensemen Nick
Grossmann and Kimmo Timonen, he had a 3.46 goals-against average and
.887 save percentage.
"There's no doubt in my mind it's going to be easier for him now that he's
settled in, now that he knows the system and knows his teammates," Briere
said. "He knows how it works, and the Philly fans. . . . I went through it
myself my first year. It was a tough, trying year. You learn from that. Bryz is
a smart guy and it's going to make him a better player moving forward. He'll
be better prepared for what's coming at him."
"Did he play as good as expected this year? I would say no," Holmgren
said. "I said this before about players coming from different organizations
and signing big-money deals with new teams: There is an adjustment
period."
Inside the Flyers: Was Bryzgalov an Upgrade?
Bryzgalov went from being "lost in the woods" in late October to putting
together the NHL's second-longest scoreless streak (249 minutes, 43
seconds) since expansion in 1967-68, to allowing a blooper of a goal
Tuesday that will live in Flyers playoff infamy.
The 6-foot-3 Russian, however, was one of the few Flyers who played well
in the five-game loss to New Jersey in the conference semifinals.
In an ironic twist, Bryzgalov, the man who spent most of the season filling
notebooks with his colorful views of the universe, threw a shutout at
reporters Thursday, declining to talk during what the Flyers called their
postseason media day at their Voorhees practice facility.
Turns out he had already spilled his guts to a Russian newspaper.
The CliffsNotes version of his comments: The media and fans are picking
on me, but I will survive!
If not, he can always find work at a Center City comedy club because the
guy's deadpan delivery is off the charts.
How did Ilya Bryzgalov compare with Flyers goalies over the last 10
seasons? He tied for the most wins in a season over the last decade, was
fourth in goals-against average, and seventh in save percentage. Here are
the numbers on Flyers goalies who played the most games in each of the
last 10 seasons:
Year Goalie GP Record GAA Save%
2001-02Roman Cechmanek4624-13-62.05.921
2002-03Roman Cechmanek5833-15-101.83.925
2003-04Robert Esche4021-11-72.04.915
2004-05 Lockout
2005-06Antero Niittymaki4623-15-6 2.97 .895
2006-07Antero Niittymaki529-29-93.38.894
Maybe, but it seems he is making things too hard for himself. You shouldn't
have to "find peace in my soul to play in this city," as he said at one point
this season.
2007-08Marty Biron6230-20-92.59.918
My unsolicited advice: Enjoy the fans' passion and use it as a motivator, not
as an albatross. Enjoy being a famous athlete whom the fans want to
adore. (Witness the "Bryz-Bryz-Bryz" chants in Game 2 of the Devils
series.)
2009-10Brian Boucher339-18-32.76.899
Become less sensitive to the criticism - little of it has come from this space,
which suggested during his struggles that he would return to his Phoenix
form - and more focused on his task at hand.
- Sam Carchidi
I find Bryzgalov to be one of the most interesting personalities I have
covered in my nearly four decades in the newspaper business. (I started
very young!) He is engaging and witty, and he can talk about subjects that
range from the Russian space program to early American history.
OK, he can be off the wall, but that just makes him more intriguing, more
fun to be around. You never know what he's going to say. He is a deep
2008-09Marty Biron5529-19-52.76.915
2010-11Sergei Bobrovsky5428-13-82.59 .915
2011-12Ilya Bryzgalov 5933-16-7 2.48.909
630864
Philadelphia Flyers
"And one more advice: don't read papers and talk less to the media."
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Flyers headed for surgery; Bryz's ranking, 'Giroux's Tears'
Posted by Sam Carchidi
Several Flyers will undergo offseason surgery, the team will announce
during the upcoming week.
Paul Holmgren, the Flyers’ GM, said he would have a report a few days
ago, but the list is apparently so lengthy that it had to be delayed while
more players get examined to see if surgery is required.
One of the Flyers’ biggest problems in the stunning five-game loss to New
Jersey was that they had problems getting out of their defensive zone.
Injuries to defenseman Kimmo Timonen and Nick Grossmann contributed;
both had knee injuries, among other ailments, and both are expected to be
on the lengthy surgery list.
Bryz ranking. How did Ilya Bryzgalov compare with Flyers goalies over the
last 10 seasons?
He tied for the most wins in a season over the last decade, was fourth in
goals-against average and seventh in save percentage.
The numbers on Flyers goalies who played the most games in each of the
last 10 seasons:
GP Record GAA SP
2001-02 Roman Cechmanek 46 24-13-6 2.05 .921
2002-03 Roman Cechmanek 58 33-15-10 1.83 .925
2003-04 Robert Esche40 21-11-7 2.04 .915
2004-05 lockout
2005-06 Antero Niittymaki 46 23-15-6 2.97 .895
2006-07 Antero Niittymaki 52 9-29-9 3.38 .894
2007-08 Marty Biron 62 30-20-9 2.59 .918
2008-09 Marty Biron 55 29-19-5 2.76 .915
2009-10 Brian Boucher 33 9-18-3 2.76 .899
2010-11 Sergei Bobrovsky 54 28-13-8 2.59 .915
2011-12 Ilya Bryzgalov59 33-16-7 2.48 .909
In a Russian interview for SovSport that was translated for Puck Daddy at
Yahoo!, the Penguins Evgeni Malkin was asked about there being a "sort of
beer" in Philadelphia called Crosby's Tears.
Malkin laughed.
"What can I say? I don't think I can say anything. This is Philadelphia and
they all know how they feel toward Pittsburgh and Crosby. I hope next year
we will beat them and come up with our own beer and call it maybe Giroux's
Tears."
Malkin was also asked how Bryzgalov can handle the pressure of playing
in Philly.
"I know it is tough and it affects your psyche, first of all. But he should
have realized that Philadelphia is just that kind of a city, and it has always
been like that," Malkin said. "Maybe he could have stayed in Phoenix and it
would have been different? I don't know. You can never know what lies
ahead.
"In a career of a hockey player it's important to 'guess a fit' sort of speak
and get on the right team, the right coach, the right fans. It's not always
what it seems. But you have to get over it. I know (Ilya) Kovalchuk had
some tough times in New Jersey when he first joined the team. It was tough
to think that Bryzgalov would go to Philadelphia and they would win the Cup
that first year. But they have a great team and will have a real chance to win
it next year."
Since Bryz has eight more years on his contract, it "means he will compete
for the Cup every year he is in Philadelphia with the squad they have over
there," Malkin said. "Just get some patience. You can't get anywhere in
sports without patience.
630865
Philadelphia Flyers
On Thursday afternoon, Holmgren indicated Nick Grossmann (leg), Kimmo
Timonen (knee) and James van Riemsdyk (stomach muscle) might need
offseason surgery, along with some other players.
Flyers still like Carter, Richards trades
At that time, Holmgren said he would disclose a complete list of possible
surgery candidates later in the day, which did not happen.
By Wayne Fish Staff writer |
Now the Flyers are saying they will release the list sometime this coming
week.
Let the talking begin
In yet another case of Twitter Nation serving as the court of public opinion,
the online channels have been atwitter with comments about how the Flyers
must wish they had Mike Richards and Jeff Carter back now that the two
former Philly stars have reached the Western Conference finals with the
Kings.
The Flyers’ response to that would be: Not really.
If they had the opportunity, chances are general manager Paul Holmgren
and his trusty personnel crew would do it all over again.
First, Holmgren fleeced the Columbus Blue Jackets by obtaining their 2011
No. 1 draft pick, which became Sean Couturier, plus promising winger Jake
Voracek for Carter.
Couturier has turned out to be one of the most promising two-way
prospects to come down the pike since, well, Richards in 2003. The
difference is, it took Richards a couple years to have an impact on the
Flyers. Couturier? You saw what he did this year.
In a playoff game against the Penguins, he not only shut down NHL scoring
champ Evgeni Malkin but scored a hat trick of his own, the first Flyer rookie
to achieve that feat in 12 years.
The Blue Jackets thought so much of Carter, they shipped him off to LA for
defenseman Jack Johnson, a nice player, but certainly not a franchise
fortune-changer.
Meanwhile, the Flyers picked up the multi-talented Brayden Schenn and
Wayne Simmonds in exchange for Richards. While Richards has had a
major impact in playoff wins over No. 1 seed Vancouver and No. 2 St.
Louis, the Flyers liked what they got from Schenn and Simmonds this
season.
At 20 and 23, respectively, Schenn and Simmonds should be around longer
than Richards and right now they make considerably less money on the
salary cap.
Many of the Twitter people are under the impression the Flyers shouldn’t
have traded Richards and Carter, that somehow these two would have
been enough to get past the Devils and begin to plan a parade down Broad
Street.
Others suggest the Flyers resent the duo’s good fortune with the Kings.
From the public comments that they’ve made, the Flyers seem to have
nothing but best wishes for the pair.
Of the players interviewed on getaway day on Thursday, only Scott Hartnell
sounded a little wistful.
“Hopefully they do win,’’ Hartnell said, as the Kings prepared to meet
Phoenix for the chance to go to the Stanley Cup finals. “It would be pretty
cool to see those guys win a Stanley Cup. Of the teams that are left, they’re
the ones I’m cheering for.
“We miss Richie and Carts, obviously a lot of points that weren’t in our
lineup. You look at the contributions of Simmer and Schenn ... you look at
the six guys who came in (if) weren’t here and those two guys were here ...
who knows what would have happened?’’
As then-GM Bob Clarke’s assistant in 2003, Holmgren had a big role in
drafting Carter and Richards. He says he’s pulling for them to succeed.
He also added he’s satisfied with the way things worked out.
“I hope the best for Mike and Jeff,’’ Holmgren said. “I hope they do win the
Stanley Cup at some point. They’re both good kids and that’s what they’re
playing the game of hockey for is to win, so that’s good for them. I’m happy
the way it’s worked out for us. I wouldn’t change anything.”
Surgery announcements on hold
As soon as this season is over, talks toward a new collective bargaining
agreement can begin.
Some are worried that a new collective bargaining agreement won’t be in
place by the time the current one runs out on Sept. 15. They remember
2004, when storm clouds gathered, players and owners got into a dogfight
and eventually the season was canceled.
Now, with new hard-line union chief Donald Fehr at the players’ helm,
things could get a little contentious.
Flyers union rep Braydon Coburn is cautiously optimistic.
“I hope so,’’ he said when asked about his opinion for an on-time start to
next season. “We’ll have a better idea when these negotiating talks begin
after the finals. It would not be ideal (to lose another season).’’
Burlington County Times LOADED: 05.13.2012
630866
Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux, Hartnell finalists for NHL '13 cover
The Flyers may have been sent home early from the playoffs by the New
Jersey Devils, but the club still has two players in the running to grace the
cover of EA Sports' NHL 13.
Linemates Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell were among the eight
quarterfinalists announced Friday by EA Sports and NHL.com. The Flyers'
forwards were joined by Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, Detriot's Pavel
Datsyuk, Nashville's Pekka Rinne, Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers, John
Tavares of the Islanders and Anze Kopitar of Los Angeles.
The eight superstars have been paired off into head-to-head matchups in
two separate brackets.
Giroux will face Kopitar in one Bracket A clash, while Hartnell will take on
Malkin, continuing the Battle of Pennsylvania theme leftover from the first
round of the playoffs.
Bracket A voting began Friday and runs to May 17.
In Bracket B, it's Datsyuk vs. Tavares and a battle between netminders
Lundqvist and Rinne.
Bracket B voting begins May 18 and closes May 23.
The semifinalists will be announced May 24, when the next round of voting
begins. The EA Sports Cover Vote Finals will take place from May 29 to
June 4 and the winner will be announced during the 2012 NHL Awards on
June 20.
630867
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers using playoff run as learning experience
VOORHEES, N.J. – The Flyers were eliminated from the playoffs this year
in the same round they were knocked out of contention last season, the
Eastern Conference semifinals.
And yet, at its conclusion, this year feels different. The Flyers seem poised
and prepared for the future in a much better way than they were at the end
of 2011. Much of that is simply because of the experience gained from their
11-game playoff run.
“Talking from experience, I can definitely look at this year as a great step for
this organization,” Max Talbot said. “Meaning that, when you look at all the
rookies on this team that played in their first playoff game.
“I can go back six years ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and you look at
the core we had that year and we got totally beat against the Ottawa
Senators who went on to the Stanley Cup Finals. … What we can take from
that is big for this team.”
The Flyers had six rookies in their Game 5 lineup. Ten of the players who
stepped out onto the ice for the team’s final game against the New Jersey
Devils weren’t on the roster this time last year.
Building on ups and downs of their 2012 playoff journey, the Flyers believe
they’ll be able to take what they learned and use it a year from now.
“I think it was a great season,” Scott Hartnell said. “There was obviously a
lot of change, coming in here with new faces, the young guys and you
never know how that’s going to turn out kind of like my first year here in
Philadelphia. It was Danny B., Kimmo, Jason Smith, Lupul, all those guys
were new guys and the chemistry that we had right away was great and the
same thing happened this year.
“So, looking forward I like our chances of our guys getting some experience
on them and having bigger and better years.”
The Flyers’ management never called this season a “rebuilding year,” but
really, that’s what it was. It’s easy to forget, though, just how many new
additions there were to the organization last off-season.
So many players who had huge impacts on the team this season were
playing elsewhere a year ago. Consider only a few: Sean Couturier, who
neutralized dangerous Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin in the quarterfinals,
wasn’t even in the NHL. Max Talbot, who scored a career-high 19 goals,
was a gritty center in Pittsburgh. Big, physical defenseman Nicklas
Grossmann was blocking shots for the Dallas Stars.
All of those players, and plenty of others, will return for 2012-13.
"We made a lot of changes,” Claude Giroux said. “At the start of the season
I think yes. Like I said, we have a lot of young players and guys care for
each other. We have a good group of guys here; guys want to play for each
other.
“We come to the rink every day and we are happy to be here. That is
obviously a pretty good step.”
630868
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers look back on 'decent year'
The new smell in the dressing room of the Flyers’ practice rink the other day
was from a long overdue rug scrubbing. Another new look was the row of
tables set up near the entrance way. Jerseys and other items were on them
to be signed, and most players obliged by scribbling hard-to-make-out
autographs.
The 2011-12 Flyers gathered one final time last Thursday for a short team
meeting that led into some light packing for a summer vacation that began
about a month before they’d hoped.
They even had new clean looks: Their three-week-old playoff beards were
gone.
Ousted last week in the second round by the New Jersey Devils, the Flyers
undoubtedly will have roster changes when next officially gathering come
fall for the start of training camp.
There always are.
Last offseason, GM Paul Holmgren blew us away blowing up the team.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, star players and supposed bad boys in the
dressing room and out on the town – if you believe the gossip – were
moved to bring in young talent that figured to lead to some growing pains.
A 103-point regular season and first-round upset of Pittsburgh later, Homer
deserves a lot of kudos, even with Richie and Carts together again making
playoff magic for the LA Kings.
and an MVP with Pittsburgh, but his official stance for now is returning to
Philly will be an option if he approves of his role for next season.
“I want to play in the NHL,” Jagr said. “I want to play somewhere when I
know teams will want me to. I still love the game and I think I am going to
be better than I was this year. ... I learned a lot this year and I know what
kind of direction I want to go to get better.”
Flyers management needs to take the same approach, and it starts with
coach Peter Laviolette, whose offense-first system flourished until the
second round of the playoffs.
Lavy deserves an A on his report card for regular-season work, and his club
took out the Penguins, a Stanley Cup favorite, in the first round of the
playoffs before looking bad losing the Eastern Conference semis to New
Jersey in five games.
A lot of people watching the Devils forecheck the Flyers to death think Lavy
needs to make changes to his system, and they have an argument in that
this team never looked better than it did in March when playing great
defense, scoring fewer goals and Ilya Bryzgalov was shutting almost
everyone out.
On the other hand, Laviolette won a Cup in Carolina and took the 2010
Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final doing things this way, so maybe just a little
tinkering will do the trick.
“Do you think that attack systems have ever won Stanley Cups before?”
Laviolette said. “Pittsburgh and Detroit did it a few years back. Certainly
there are things that we can do better. I can agree with that. Defensively,
we could have been tighter. Offensively, we could have been a lot better in
this series than we were.”
Changing some of the personnel will help.
Because the return in those deals and the rest of the younger pieces made
such strides, there’s no need to upset the applecart again.
One significant move would better position the Flyers for a chance at
winning the Cup in the next two or three seasons.
Holmgren danced around a question the other day when asked if he
thought the Flyers overachieved or underachieved this season. He called it
a “decent year.”
What the Flyers need more than anything is a difference maker on the
blueline.
The Flyers overachieved.
They used 12 rookies for a combined 445 games, which adds up to 30.1
percent of the total games by the forwards and defenseman ... or an
average of 5.4 of their 18 skaters per game. And they contributed, too,
popping in a league-high 66 goals and 129 points, most coming from Matt
Read, Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn.
There are a lot of other things to be excited about – Simmonds and Schenn
making the Richards trade look good, Jakub Voracek and Couturier making
the Carter trade look good, Claude Giroux transforming from young star to
24-year-old superstar, Scott Hartnell ballooning to 37 goals playing with
Giroux and Jaromir Jagr for much of the season.
Still, important decisions need to be made by management.
One piece of housekeeping it seems certain happen by next season is
switching the “C” on injured defenseman Chris Pronger’s jersey to Giroux’s,
an elevation to captain that, based on a mini poll of Flyers players the other
day, would be highly endorsed.
The bigger decisions start with the franchise’s two important unrestricted
free – defenseman Matt Carle and Jagr, a legendary but aging right wing.
Carle isn’t a star, but a solid second-pair blueliner. The Flyers would like
him back even though he’ll be pricey, and Holmgren strongly hinted it’s
going to happen.
Dealing with Jagr is trickier. He’s now 40, had some groin issues and
played his way off the top power-play unit and top line late in the season.
But he still contributed 19 goals and 54 points, and just as important, meant
so much off the ice to Giroux and others with hard-to-believe work habits.
“What he meant to the young guys and especially myself, he was a big
mentor,” Hartnell said of Jagr, whose first year with the Flyers came after he
had left the NHL to play three seasons in Russia. “I thought he would be
arrogant and cocky, but he definitely surprised me. He’s one of the best
guys I’ve played with. He’s humble.”
Adding intrigue to this situation was Jagr suggesting after the season that
he would have been better had he received more ice time, so you have to
wonder if he wants to come back. Jagr says he had more fun this season
than any, and this is a guy who won two Stanley Cups, four scoring titles
They need a younger, healthy Pronger, who sadly appears done due to an
early-season concussion that a half-year later still has the future Hall of
Famer striving first and foremost to lead a normal off-the-ice life.
Finding this kind of defenseman is like getting an ace pitcher in baseball:
There’s just not enough to go around.
But when big puzzle pieces are out there, and at least one and maybe two
will be this summer, the Flyers usually are players.
The two biggest unrestricted free-agent prizes in the class of 2012 will be
New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise and Nashville Predators
defenseman Ryan Suter.
Word is the Flyers are infatuated with Suter. Management supposedly loves
his all-around game, his heavy shot, his passing, the way he runs a
powerplay. Depending on who you talk to, they’re going to do what it takes
to go hard for Suter ... Or take a shot at trading for Suter’s arguably evenbetter, soon-to-be restricted free agent teammate, Norris Trophy candidate
Shea Weber.
It won’t be easy getting either.
The Flyers would have to free up cap money to fit in Suter, who will at least
double his 2011-12 $3 million salary for the next six-plus seasons.
James van Riemsdyk, a young power forward with a ton of talent and big
contract, could be trade bait. You’d hate to give up on JVR and watch him
turn into a star elsewhere, but the Flyers do have a surplus of scoring
forwards.
If Suter stays in Nashville, maybe the Preds opt to trade Weber, who figures
to be a tougher sign once he gets UFA status. He’d cost the Flyers even
more talent from their current roster ... and probably more money, if he’d
agree to a new contract.
Deal or no deal, the Flyers are in good hands.
“Talking from experience, I can definitely look at this year as a great step for
this organization,” said forward Max Talbot, who joined the Flyers season
after playing in Pittsburgh thinking there would be more of a team learning
curve. “You sign with a team and you’re not sure how the chemistry is going
to go. “Right now reflecting on it, the start of the season you think, ‘Okay,
when are we going to kind of stop playing well?’ Everybody was talking
about the chemistry and how it was going to gel together. I think we never
really slowed down. We were always really consistent and we kept on
improving.
“All the rookies just stepped up all throughout the season. We had injuries –
Chris Pronger, our captain – and you look at what we battled, it’s huge. You
look at it again, yes, (the way the season ended is) disappointing, but for
years to come it’s great news that this room has a lot of character and we
were able to battle through this.”
Courier-Post LOADED: 05.13.2012
630869
Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings seek early momentum
By Sarah McLellan - May. 12, 2012 07:23 PM
No matter the result of Sunday night's opening game between the Coyotes
and Los Angeles Kings, the loser will be thrust into an unfamiliar corner.
In advancing to the Western Conference finals, neither team has trailed in a
series and competed alongside the pressure that comes with reasserting its
place in a best-of-seven series.
While nabbing a 1-0 lead would settle the early momentum battle, the
ultimate deciding factor could be which team responds to the adversity of
falling behind.
After eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks in six games and delivering a
five-game dispatch of the Nashville Predators as the encore, can the
Coyotes perform if they're not in control?
"I'm not interested in seeing (that)," center Antoine Vermette said with a
smile.
To prevent that scenario from unraveling out of Game 1, the Coyotes will
have to solve a Kings team that is 5-0 on the road in the playoffs.
The Kings' lone loss came on home ice during Game 4 in their first-round
series against the Vancouver Canucks.
"If you look at the games they won in both those buildings, Vancouver and
St. Louis, they came in and played a very hard, determined road style,"
coach Dave Tippett said. "The games are going to be close. We have to
find ways to make sure we use our home ice and home fans to our
advantage and if they come in and steal a game, it shouldn't deter us.
"What we're trying to do is win four but ultimately having home-ice
advantage, if we can keep that advantage, that's a big plus for us."
Just like the Coyotes, the Kings' style doesn't vary from home to the road.
While that's a sign of a sound system, it also hints that the Kings aren't
going to be overwhelmed by the atmosphere at Jobing.com Arena. Their
focus is trained to be the same regardless of where they're playing.
"It's who you are, your identity, how you play," Tippett said. "It goes back to
how are you going to win. If you change how you play at home or on the
road, one of them is not going to work."
In each road win, the Kings were able to keep the score close when they
didn't amass a lead by the second intermission. With both teams likely
using the first period of Game 1 as a chance to rediscover a rhythm after a
lengthy layoff, that could be an opportune time for the Coyotes to use their
home advantage to dictate the pace of the action.
"Hopefully we're going to get a strong start," Vermette said. "A lot of energy,
try to use the emotion of our crowd, get a strong start, play hard, try to keep
it simple. Both teams are probably going to see that from the get-go. Both
teams are going to try to make simple plays, smart plays and get
themselves in the game and working hard. That's what I'm expecting."
But the Coyotes have progressed this far by staying true to their game plan,
which revolves around their play and not that of the opponent. Sticking to
their patient and disciplined style might just be the remedy to slow down the
league's hottest team.
"They've been an outstanding team on the road," goalie Mike Smith said.
"It's obviously going to be huge for us to not think about that too much,
worry about what we have to do."
Arizona Republic LOADED: 05.13.2012
630870
Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes' Jason LaBarbera awed by Mike Smith's big journey
On top of his net, Coyotes goalie Mike Smith keeps a water bottle. But
when he heads to the bench during timeouts, he drinks Pedialyte -- an
electrolyte solution for children used to replenish fluids and minerals lost
during illness.
"My kids drink it when they're sick," backup Jason LaBarbera said.
By Sarah McLellan - May. 12, 2012 06:49 PM
From his nook at the end of the bench, Coyotes backup goalie Jason
LaBarbera has had a front-row view of the Coyotes' quest to the Western
Conference finals.
Although he hasn't been called to duty in the playoffs, his emotional
investment into the team is at its peak -- especially when witnessing the
journey colleague Mike Smith has been assembling as one of the top
performers in the postseason.
"You always knew he had the athletic ability, that ability to be an awesome
goalie," LaBarbera said. "He had a tough time in Tampa, I think, and he's
come here and man, it's been awesome to watch. He's just taken the ball
and ran with it."
LaBarbera underplays his role in Smith's game, explaining that during TV
timeouts, "I don't say much. I just make sure he's got his Pedialyte ready,
his water ready and make sure it's ready to go and make sure (head
equipment manager Stan Wilson's) on the ball with a towel."
But Smith has appreciated the relationship that's developed between the
pair as teachers and confidantes.
"I've been with guys that haven't had the same kind of relationship as I have
with Barbs, so it's been everything I can ask for," Smith said.
LaBarbera regularly leans over the bench, absorbing the action, and when
his red cap is bobbing back and forth, he's feeling the anxiety that comes
with being a spectator.
"It's easier to play than sit and watch," he said. "It's tough to sit there and
watch, but it's also exciting."
He also hasn't been anonymous during the Coyotes' eight playoff wins. At
the conclusion of each victory, he joins Smith for a celebratory handshake.
"Baseball guys have it, football guys," LaBarbera said. "So I came up with it,
and I think it's pretty cool and it's obviously got a ton of air time in the
playoffs. You're always getting text messages from people. They think it's a
dance. But it's like a high five and then a belt."
It's just another way for LaBarbera to show his support.
"I'm so happy for him that he's been able to overcome some things that he
was able to overcome," LaBarbera said. "It's been pretty impressive."
Ready to go
Saturday's practice capped off five full days of rest and practice in
preparation for a meeting with the Kings.
While the lull in the schedule was helpful, the players are ready to see new
faces on the ice.
"This time of year you don't like practicing much anyway," winger Ray
Whitney said. "You've had enough of those throughout the season. So
we're excited to get back playing. I'm sure they are as well."
With an early start time, the Coyotes treated Saturday's practice as a
pregame skate.
"We had a couple good days off," coach Dave Tippett said. "We had a hard
practice day where you could tell the guys after that were, 'OK, let's play
now. Enough of that hard practice stuff.' "
Injury update
Defenseman Adrian Aucoin, who still is nursing an injury suffered midway
through Game 5 against the Nashville Predators, will not play Sunday night.
David Schlemko will take his spot in the lineup.
"He skated a little bit (Saturday)," Tippett said. "I think we'll monitor his
situation, but he won't be a player in Game 1."
What's in the bottle?
While Gatorade and water still are common on the bench, a handful of
players drink Pedialyte, especially during intermissions.
"It's a little easier to drink," LaBarbera said. "It just has more stuff in it than
Gatorade."
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Staal sweepstakes could heat up
Carolina likely will make a strong run for Staal this summer and dangle
center Brandon Sutter as part of a deal. He’s a strong, young center who
would look good behind Crosby and Malkin. The Hurricanes also boast the
No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft and a number of strong prospects.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
By Josh Yohe
It has become known that Toronto general manager Brian Burke is a big
Jordan Staal fan. In fact, every GM in hockey is a big Staal fan, but Burke is
said to particularly covet him.
Myriad reasons exist for Jordan Staal’s name continuing to surface in trade
speculation, and postseason comments by himself and the organization did
nothing to squash such rumors.
Burke and Shero are friends and have conducted business together. Think
they would like Staal, a Thunder Bay native, in Ontario?
When asked about the Penguins’ “three-center model” following a firstround playoff exit against Philadelphia, general manager Ray Shero said, “It
has worked in the past. Whether it works in the future remains to be seen.”
Staal, whose contract expires next summer, recently was asked whether
he, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin could enjoy long-term happiness in
Pittsburgh.
“Good question,” he said.
Shero told the Tribune-Review in December that signing Crosby, who has
one more year on his current deal, to a new contract was the organization’s
“top priority” this summer.
Malkin’s deal has two years remaining, and the Penguins intend to give him
a new deal. History says Malkin, 25, will remain with the Penguins. Only
three multiple-time NHL scoring champions — Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir
Jagr and Phil Esposito — have been traded, and all were older than Malkin
when they were dealt. Malkin won his second Art Ross Trophy this season.
Then there’s the economic reality: The Penguins have $40 million locked up
in 10 players for the 2013-14 season. That figure doesn’t include Crosby,
who probably will make about $10 million that season.
As the current salary cap stands — and should a new CBA be passed this
summer, the cap number of $64 million could decrease — the Penguins
would have more than a dozen players, including Staal, to sign but only
about $14 million to spend.
On the open market, Staal could command at least $7 million per season,
those in his camp say.
Other teams, notably Philadelphia, have abandoned one-time plans in favor
of constructing teams built around younger, cheaper players. The Flyers’
plan worked, at least for one series, as Shero and the Penguins saw up
close last month.
Letting Staal walk when his contract expires — Nashville, where Shero
once was assistant general manager, is facing that situation with star
defenseman Ryan Suter — is not something the Penguins want. Receiving
a heavy bounty in return for Staal is more to their liking.
Staal, 23, has one year remaining on a contract that pays him $4 million
annually. He produced a career-high 50 points in 62 games last season and
led the Penguins with six goals and nine points in the playoffs.
Reports have surfaced from Raleigh, N.C., and Edmonton, Alberta, that the
Hurricanes and Oilers, respectively, are interested in Staal. Trade rumors
likely will only intensify as summer nears.
Here are the most logical trade partners for the Penguins:
1. Carolina Hurricanes
Staal’s brother, Eric, plays in Raleigh. Also, consider the following: The
Hurricanes could use a dominant No. 2 center, they’re $20 million under the
salary cap for next season and have plenty to offer the Penguins.
Don’t discount the fact that Jordan Staal doesn’t particularly enjoy media
circuses. He’s a quiet kid who likes to play hockey. He is getting married
this summer, and raising a family in the same neighborhood as his brother’s
family is appealing. His youngest brother, Jared, is also in Carolina’s
system.
Raleigh makes sense on many levels. The Hurricanes know it, and so does
Staal.
What the Hurricanes have to offer
What the Maple Leafs have to offer
Center Nazem Kadri is the most talented player in Toronto’s system, and he
thrived late in the season with the Maple Leafs. He’s a pure goal scorer.
Also, defenseman Luke Schenn is the kind of physical, stay-at-home
defenseman the Penguins badly need. The Maple Leafs are willing to deal
Schenn.
3. Edmonton Oilers
No team, not even the Penguins, has hit the lottery jackpot like Edmonton.
The Oilers are about to pick first in the NHL Draft for the third consecutive
year. They will take winger Nail Yakupov, yet another highly skilled winger.
The Oilers are young and talented. They need a player accomplished
enough to teach them how to win but young enough to be a leader for a
long time.
What the Oilers have to offer
It’s pretty simple: The Oilers don’t want to deal any of their young guns, but
multiple reports out of Edmonton suggest that the Oilers would consider
dealing the top overall pick for Staal. In January, former Penguins coach
Scott Bowman said Yakupov — whom he scouted in December —
reminded him of former NHL star Pavel Bure.
4. Minnesota Wild
Minnesota is a no-name squad looking for an identity and players who bring
credibility.
Enter Staal.
He would be the perfect leader for this team, and there are Penguins
connections everywhere here. Remember Mike Yeo, the former Penguins
assistant who now is the Wild head coach? Chuck Fletcher, Shero’s
assistant and now current Wild GM?
Bonus for Staal: St. Paul, Minn., is a six-hour drive from Thunder Bay,
making it the closest NHL city to Staal’s hometown.
What the Wild have to offer
Right wing Cal Clutterbuck is the kind of player Shero and Penguins coach
Dan Bylsma would love. He would be an upgrade over Tyler Kennedy on
the third line. Minnesota also likely would be willing to include right wing
Devin Setoguchi, who could score 30 goals on Crosby’s line, in such a deal.
Minnesota also owns the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Plus: Automatic penalty for delay of game, even in triple-OT.
Minus: No automatic penalty for a head shot. Sounds about right.
Kovacevic: On penalty-killing, pouty coaches and ‘Peggy’
Plus: Giroux’s one-game suspension for his flagrant assault on the Devils’
Dainius Zubrus was a welcome departure for a league usually loath to
punish its stars.
By Dejan Kovacevic
Minus: There have been 10 suspensions in these playoffs. Half have been
for just one game — including the one to the Penguins’ James Neal — even
though all involved a player’s head. Either the NHL wants to get rid of this
garbage or not.
Updated 18 hours ago
As sure as a dozen power-play goals sent the Penguins packing, as sure as
a dozen days marked the reign of Claude Giroux as king of the NHL, as
sure as the next dozen seconds could comfortably contain a John Tortorella
news conference, I offer these 12 pluses and minuses of the Stanley Cup
playoffs:
Plus: Mike Emrick is our planet’s most artful play-by-play man.
Plus: The Devils followed the Penguins’ historically pathetic penalty-killing
performance by choking the Flyers into just three goals on 19 chances, and
they did so by pressuring aggressively. In fact, they pressed so hard that,
on Philadelphia’s lone power play of the decisive Game 5, you couldn’t find
a single Flyer on the ice facing the New Jersey net.
Plus: Johan Hedberg could cap one of Pittsburgh’s great rags-to-riches
stories with his first ring, even if it’s earned from the end of the New Jersey
bench. Another old friend, Rob Scuderi, could be a Piece of history with the
Kings.
Minus: Duh.
Plus: Capitals over Rangers in Game 7 on Saturday night. Alex Ovechkin
will be a
superstar reborn.
Minus: Tortorella finally will have an actual reason to look like someone just
cut in front of him at Sam’s Club.
Plus: The eighth-seeded Kings’ stirring sweep of the Blues has sparked a
Los Angeles love affair unseen since the Wayne Gretzky trade had Janet
Jones as a throw-in. Nothing could mean more to the NHL’s growth than to
captivate the continent’s second-largest market.
Minus: It’s nice to see class act Shane Doan smile this deep into a playoff,
but do we really want to save the Coyotes? Again? I’ll take more Quebec
Nordiques, s’il vous plait.
Plus: The league’s two best goaltenders, Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith,
go head to head in the West. And if you don’t think they’re the best, you
don’t watch enough late-night TV.
Minus: Ilya Bryzgalov, leaker of 36 playoff goals and perpetrator of one
other he scored on himself, is due $5.6 million annually through 2020. Not
coincidentally, that’s the year the Flyers will celebrate the 45th anniversary
of their last Cup.
Plus: Anze Kopitar, Slovenia’s finest export since the polka, is a joy to
watch.
Minus: It’s fun to appreciate other cities’ players once your team is
eliminated. But I get the feeling more locals should appreciate what they
already have, judging from some comical trade suggestions involving
Evgeni Malkin and/or Jordan Staal. Based on what I’ve heard, I will be
stunned if either isn’t with the Penguins next season.
Plus: The “Peggy” ads. Priceless.
Minus: A pox on the Blues’ Ken Hitchcock and any coach who dumbs down
his defense to the point of having everyone systematically collapse to block
100-mph slap shots. It’s dull, it diminishes skill and it’s demoralizing. Ask
those players who were eating pucks for Kevin Constantine here a decade
ago how they felt about being coated in bruises.
Plus: Ilya Kovalchuk in New Jersey. If you thought this marriage would
succeed, you’re lying. But he’s actually making passes, and the Devils are
actually forechecking.
Minus: The world championships are the only tournament anywhere less
relevant than college basketball’s CBI. Good for Sidney Crosby and all of
the Penguins who blew it off.
Plus: Jaromir Jagr told reporters after the Flyers’ ouster, “This was the most
enjoyable year I’ve ever had. It’s a sad day for me. I want to cry right now.”
Doesn’t surprise me. Jagr was as happy as I’ve ever seen him while in
Philadelphia. I’ll say it again: He made the right choice.
Minus: No. 68 also said he’ll take the summer to ponder his future. Uh-oh.
Minus: The rest of NBC’s broadcast guys either delve into arcane, selfabsorbed talk of Xs and Os sure to shut out novice viewers, or they’re Mike
Milbury.
Minus: No real pucks around here until the NHL Draft comes to town in 42
days. Guess this is how the other half — of the commonwealth — lives.
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St Louis Blues
Stillman's resume
Staff Report
Tom Stillman
Age • 60
Born • Minneapolis
Education • Middlebury College in Vermont, 1974; University of Minnesota
Law School, 1978
Family • Married since 1988 to Mary Danforth Stillman; three children: John,
student at Yale University; Isabelle, incoming freshman at Middlebury
College; and Anna, student at John Burroughs.
Career • Lawyer in New York and Washington from 1978 to 1988; lawyer
with the U.S. Department of Commerce, 1988 to 1992. CEO of Summit
Distributing since 1994.
Boards • Serves on boards of the St. Louis Blues 14 Fund; Commerce
Bank, St. Louis Region; St. Louis Sports Commission; and the Nature
Conservancy in Missouri.
Priorities for the Blues • "One, continuing to put an elite team on the ice.
And second, to get our financial house in order."
Favorite Blues players • Bernie Federko, Al MacInnis, Brett Hull.
On the team • "This is hockey in the best league in the world, and this is
now one of the best teams in the best league in the world."
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St Louis Blues
Within six months, Stillman took over Riverfront Distributing, a local Miller
distributor that had folded, and put it under his company's umbrella.
New owner is fanatic on Blues, coy about beer
It was a rocky takeover. Early on, the company wrote an apology letter to
3,000 customers after some distribution and communication glitches. Bigger
problems with organized labor soon followed.
By NICHOLAS J.C. PISTOR [email protected] > 314-340-8265 |
Posted: Sunday, May 13, 2012 12:00 am
St. Louis Beer Sales didn't use unionized drivers, but the old Miller
distributor did. Stillman declined to hire Riverfront's 43 drivers, setting off an
intense backlash.
ST. LOUIS • Tom Stillman remembers the days when he asked other
people to start his car.
Local bars, many already loyal to A-B, banned Miller beers. They replaced
Miller advertising paraphernalia, as activists dumped Miller six-packs into a
sewer. Billboards soon went up declaring Miller's managers as "Too Cold,"
"Stone Cold" and "Cold-Hearted" — a play on Miller's "Two Cold"
advertising campaign.
No, he wasn't on the wrong side of a drug cartel or a Mafia racket. But he
was the man selling Miller beer in a Budweiser town, and ticking off some
union drivers in the process — a rebel beer distributor in St. Louis, the
backyard of Anheuser-Busch.
"It was a joke, of course," Stillman said, remembering when the big beer
giants battled for market share with ruthless tactics. "You know how St.
Louis is loyal to that company."
Stillman maintained that it would have been unfair to fire his existing
employees and replace them with the union drivers.
The National Labor Relations Board eventually ruled against him, and
Stillman had to pay a settlement and hire 18 of the Teamsters drivers.
Last week, Stillman, who once caused activists to pour Miller beer into the
city sewer, wore a big smile and became a welcome figure as he took
control of another local institution: the St. Louis Blues.
Last week, as he assumed ownership of the Blues, Stillman said he stood
by his actions during that time. Though he doesn't include the clash with the
Teamsters as an error, he acknowledged that his early days included "many
mistakes."
"It's not a dream come true, because I never would have dreamed this,"
said Stillman, a lifelong hockey fan who played the sport in college.
"I learned by trial and error," he said. "But it gave me a lot of experience in
trying to turn around a business."
Stillman, an active 60-year-old who still plays hockey, developed a unique
business sense during rough labor battles for shelf space. Friends and
associates say his history in the St. Louis beer market showcases his
persistence and patience.
Stillman eventually found his footing and helped stabilize the local Miller
franchise. The combined distributors are now known as Summit
Distributing, based in Earth City. Stillman is the chairman and CEO.
Summit's website says it is Missouri's second-largest beer distributor, with
territories in the city and St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Franklin, Warren,
and Jefferson counties.
"He survived the challenges of being a Miller distributor in St. Louis, and he
succeeded," said Steve Maritz, a longtime friend and partner in Stillman's
Blues purchase. "Tom knows what he's doing, works hard and gets the job
done."
Stillman was previously minority owner of the team but was not often in the
limelight. He is now, after cobbling together an ownership group marked
with some of the area's biggest players — including his father-in-law, former
U.S. Sen. John Danforth.
The group held a press conference Thursday to introduce themselves after
assuming ownership. Stillman, along with his wife and three children,
snapped pictures in front of a St. Louis Blues backdrop and mixed with
employees and media outlets. He talked about building a winning team and
putting the team on sound financial footing — and scored points when he
stressed the need to safeguard the Blues' history and legacy.
"I can't even describe my passion for this team," he said in a later interview.
"It's electric. I love seeing them on the ice."
Mary Danforth Stillman, his wife, said Tom's competitive fire is part of his
genetic code. She said her husband has spent his business life being "the
underdog."
"But not anymore," she declared. "The Blues will be consistent winners."
looking for a challenge
Stillman was born and raised in Minneapolis, where his hockey roots were
planted. He would go on to play soccer and hockey at Middlebury College
in Vermont before earning a law degree at the University of Minnesota.
He worked for a New York law firm for several years before heading to
Washington in 1988 to work for the U.S. Department of Commerce, where
he helped oversee legal regulations on exports. While in Washington, he
met his future wife, Mary Taylor Danforth, who was also working as a
lawyer.
Stillman said he eventually grew restless with legal work and wanted a
more competitive challenge.
Stillman said that, over the years, he had to fight for shelf space and bar
taps as he carved out a niche in St. Louis.
"You have to be a competitive person," he said. "It's a tough market."
Tom Schlafly, another partner in the Blues purchase and the founder of
Schlafly beer, said Stillman took over an "unstable company and expanded
it."
"No one is going to pretend A-B products aren't still huge in St. Louis,"
Schlafly said. "But Tom found success, too."
'100 percent local'
Stillman now is taking over a hockey franchise dominated by A-B Images.
The beer giant is a major Blues sponsor, and the organ blasts "Here Comes
the King," the iconic Budweiser theme song, at every home game.
Stillman said he will treat the Blues as a separate business.
"A-B has been a great sponsor, and I'm respectful of that," he said.
He added that there won't be changes in the franchise's relationship with AB. But when asked which beer he will tip back during games, he responded
with a terse "next question."
Stillman has been a Blues fan since moving to St. Louis and said he fell in
love with their long history.
The franchise has passed through the hands of various owners since it
started as an expansion team in 1967. Ralston-Purina, the company
founded by his wife's great-grandfather, bought the team in 1977 to prevent
it from leaving St. Louis and sold it six years later.
Stillman himself became an owner in 2007, buying 10 percent of the team.
This year, he put together a group of investors, which he proudly boasts is
"100 percent local," to buy the rest of the team.
"I really wanted to build something, to grow something," he said.
The purchase deal was for $130 million to $135 million and also included
the Scottrade Center lease, the team's top minor-league affiliate in Peoria,
Ill., and a significant interest in the Peabody Opera House.
He saw an opportunity in struggling distributors who handled "other beers"
in St. Louis. So he moved here and, in 1994, bought St. Louis Beer Sales,
which he described as a 'small, rundown distributor that had Coors, but not
Miller."
The ownership group features luminaries such as Danforth, Maritz, Donn
Lux, CEO of Luxco, and the Taylor family, owners of St. Louis-based
Enterprise Holdings. Stillman plays hockey twice a week with two of his
partners, Maritz and Lux, at the Kirkwood Ice Rink.
"There's no checking," Lux said.
Danforth pointed to one of his son-in-law's hobbies when talking about his
attributes.
"He has an enormous amount of patience in all things," Danforth said. "He's
a turkey hunter. He's used to spending a lot of time preparing to go turkey
hunting and to sit in the turkey blinds day after day until he gets a turkey."
Danforth says that patience will translate into success for Stillman and the
Blues.
"This is something he is made to do," Danforth said. "He loves hockey."
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Washington Capitals
2012 NHL Playoffs: New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist thwarts
Washington Capitals’ scoring opportunities
“They were coming hard” in the second period, Lundqvist said. “We talked
about it going into this game, that there will be moments when we have
success and we need to capitalize when we have that stretch. The same
with them; they are going to have minutes where they are just going to
come hard and we need to make sure we don’t get hurt.”
In the end, Lundqvist made sure his team didn’t get hurt.
By Tarik El-Bashir,
During a span of eight frantic minutes in the second period, the Washington
Capitals tilted the Madison Square Garden ice in their favor.
Unfortunately for them, that was also the same time New York Rangers
goalie Henrik Lundqvist decided to show why he’s a finalist for the Hart and
Vezina trophies.
With the Rangers clinging to a 1-0 lead in Game 7 of the Eastern
Conference semifinals, Lundqvist turned away dangerous scoring chances,
in order, off the sticks of Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Troy Brouwer and
John Carlson. And while the game wasn’t won during that stretch, coming
up empty there certainly loomed large as the final seconds ticked off a
season-ending 2-1 defeat.
“We were really pushing there in the second,” Knuble said. “On a couple of
shifts, we really logged a lot of time in their end. We just couldn’t jam
anything in.”
Lundqvist’s first highlight-reel stop came on Semin, who raced to the net
unchallenged after Nicklas Backstrom threaded a pass to him through the
Rangers’ defense. Before Semin could get off a quality shot on his
backhand, though, Lundqvist sprung from his crease and thwarted the
Capitals’ sniper with a toe save.
“Henrik made the saves at the right time,” Backstrom said of his
countryman when asked about the play. “He’s been good all series.”
About two minutes after Lundqvist denied Semin, the 30-year-old Swede
turned away Knuble on a rebound chance. Lundqvist had just stopped a
point shot by Capitals defenseman Roman Hamrlik when Knuble, parked on
the Rangers’ doorstep, got a strong whack at the rebound. Lundqvist,
however, kicked out his right pad and got just enough of the puck to keep it
out of the net.
The game-turning save elicited a booming chant of “Hen-rik!” from the
capacity crowd. Lundqvist finished with 22 saves and advanced to the
conference final for the first time in his seven NHL seasons.
“He held his own there,” Knuble said. “We felt like, as a group, we were
going to get one.”
A few minutes later, Brouwer had a point-blank opportunity, too. But he
wasn’t able to control a rolling puck and Lundqvist kicked it away.
“I tried to wait him out, but I kind of ran out of net,” Brouwer said. “He was a
big reason why they won tonight.”
Brouwer also said there was some discussion on the Capitals’ bench about
the need to generate more traffic.
“He made good saves, but we made it a little too easy on him,” Brouwer
said. “We were talking after that flurry — we didn’t have enough guys to the
net. You could see the goalie, which means our guys weren’t in front. We
needed more traffic to the net, which is how we scored our only goal
tonight.”
A prime example of the lack of traffic in front of Lundqvist came with about
seven minutes remaining in the second period and the Rangers still
protecting their one-goal lead. Carlson unloaded a slap shot from the point,
but the three players closest to Lundqvist were in blue jerseys. Lundqvist
left a rare rebound in the slot. But by the time Backstrom pounced, Rangers
forward Marian Gaborik had control of the puck and skated it out of harm’s
way.
“In a couple instances,” Brouwer added, “we had too many guys who
wanted to be shooters and not enough guys who wanted to go to the net.”
Captain Alex Ovechkin agreed, adding: “Most of the time, if we had an
opportunity to shoot the puck, we didn’t have one guy in front of the net. If
[Lundqvist] sees it, he’s going to save it.”
Lundqvist, meantime, finally vanquished the Capitals. He had been 0-4 with
a chance to close them out since 2009.
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Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals fall to N.Y. Rangers in Game 7, ending their run in
2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs
By Katie Carrera,
NEW YORK — For several moments after his postgame comments, Alex
Ovechkin sat in his stall at Madison Square Garden, still in full uniform,
staring blankly across the visitors’ dressing room. His usually energetic
persona was robbed of anything but the hollowness left by the Washington
Capitals’ playoff run ending here with a Game 7 loss in the second round to
the Rangers.
The Capitals fell, 2-1, to New York Saturday night in a contest that saw
them fall behind in the first two minutes and never truly recover to prevent
the season from coming to an abrupt halt.
After a tumultuous year that included a coaching change, a radical shift in
strategy and publicly voiced dissent among players, Washington’s strong
play in the postseason sparked thoughts of what could rise out of the din.
Not even the strides the Capitals made in recent weeks could help push this
group farther than various the disappointments of years past, though.
It is the fifth consecutive spring that the Capitals have failed to advance
past the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, continuing a string of
heartbreak during the Ovechkin era.
“It’s terrible feeling now. All I can say, we do our best and it’s probably best
team I played,” Ovechkin said. “You know, group of guys and atmosphere,
everybody was — it’s unbelievable to play and I hope everybody gonna
stay here ’til next year. It’s hard.”
This is the first time in three playoff meetings over the past four years
between these teams that New York managed to triumph, and it came with
strong performances by some of its top players. Rangers prized free agent
acquisition Brad Richards scored an early goal, on New York’s first shot of
the game, to give them a lead they carried into the third period. In net,
Vezina and Hart trophy candidate Henrik Lundqvist was stellar, making 22
saves to outduel rookie Braden Holtby who finished with 29 stops.
Several Capitals described the loss as a game they could have won,
including Karl Alzner, but that didn’t prevent the defenseman from critiquing
their play in this critical game.
“We didn’t play like we should have won, I don’t think,” said Alzner, whose
reputation for honest and blunt evaluation is largely unparalleled on the
Capitals’ roster. “We didn’t play our best game, didn’t have enough fight,
enough grit. Didn’t battle for pucks enough, had a power play that was
awful. It’s really too bad that in a game of this magnitude we stunk the bed,
pretty much. It’s just not good enough for us.”
It was another close game, the 13th of 14 playoff contests for Washington
that would be determined by only one goal, but it was the first time all
postseason that the team entered the third period trailing. The Capitals
spent a bulk of the contest fighting to create offense and opportunities to
challenge Lundqvist, but they never received the offensive burst they
needed to rally for a comeback.
“You know, we had our chances to win it, and so did they,” said Coach Dale
Hunter, who didn’t comment when asked if he planned to return to guide the
Capitals next season. “It’s like two good teams battling each other. What
can you say? It’s just that we came up short tonight. We had our chances
that we didn’t bury, and they buried two, and we only got one.”
Washington appeared caught unaware when the Rangers’ top line dumped
the puck into the corner early in the first period. Rangers rookie speedster
Carl Hagelin pounced on the loose puck, swooped behind the net and then
sent a pass to Richards in the left circle. Richards sent a one-timer cleanly
past Holtby for a 1-0 lead just 1 minute 32 seconds into the first.
Following the Game 7 loss, the Capitals dropped to 0-6 in the playoffs when
allowing the first goal.
Washington pressed for the tying goal in the second period but despite
numerous chances, including close looks by Alexander Semin and Mike
Knuble on the doorstep and a lengthy two-minute shift that saw the visitors
take up residence in the offensive zone, they couldn’t find a way to foil
Lundqvist. The Rangers, meanwhile, were content to play their collapsing,
patient defensive game — a style not all that dissimilar to the Capitals’ but
one that has been identified with the franchise for several years now.
“They got a lead in the beginning and then they just controlled the game,”
Nicklas Backstrom said. “We were trying to score and we had a lot of
possession, especially in the second period, but we couldn’t get any real
opportunities.”
The Rangers made it 2-0 with just less than 10 minutes left by taking
advantage of a sloppy line change by John Carlson. On the Rangers’ oddman rush, Brooks Laich blocked a shot by Marian Gaborik but the puck
bounced out to an unguarded Michael Del Zotto, who buried a snap shot.
The two-goal edge didn’t provide much security, though; the Capitals
answered 38 seconds later to make it 2-1.
Veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik’s shot from the slot was deflected in
front and past Lundqvist to make it a one-goal game at 10:43, but that spark
wouldn’t be enough to extend the Capitals’ season as they fell short of tying
the contest to force extra time.
“They were 1 percent better than us tonight,” Knuble said. “You think you
could’ve won. You think you were right there and I think you really go home
and look in the mirror. At certain times you get beat in a playoff series and
you look in the mirror and you can’t fool yourself, you didn’t have a chance
to win that series, ultimately. I think our players should be very proud of our
effort.”
630877
Washington Capitals
Capitals react to season-ending loss to Rangers in Game 7
By Katie Carrera
Washington’s playoff hopes and season saw their demise Saturday night in
a 2-1 loss in Game 7 to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. For a fifth
straight season, the Capitals have failed to advance beyond the second
round.
Read more about the loss in the game story from New York, Tom Boswell’s
column and Tarik El-Bashir’s look at how the Capitals couldn’t foil Henrik
Lundqvist, and take the poll on how you’d frame the season.
In addition to all that, here is some of the postgame reaction from numerous
players.
Karl Alzner on how he will view the season: “I’m gonna view it as an
underachieved season, in my opinion. I know a lot of people don’t feel the
same way. The group was extremely good, we were a very good team. A
lot of skill but a good team.
“We didn’t show it during the regular season but it only mattered come this
time, playoffs and we started playing really well and had probably our worst
game in our Game 7, which is very, very unfortunate. We’re probably going
to view it as a failure, just because we didn’t do what we thought we should
do.”
Alex Ovechkin on the loss: “It’s terrible feeling now. All I can say, we do our
best and it’s probably best team I played. You know, group of guys and
atmosphere, everybody was – it’s unbelievable to play and I hope
everybody gonna stay here ‘til next year. It’s hard.”
Troy Brouwer on his emotions: “Proud of the guys, that’s for sure. A lot of
people counted us out even early in the first round. And here we are in
Game 7 of the second round. I thought we battled, I thought we handled
ourselves real well. Just very proud of the guys’ effort and the character in
this room.”
Nicklas Backstrom on whether he had any regrets: “No, not really. I think
everyone wants to play in the playoffs. I think we played the right way. I
think we were playing way better this year than ever in the playoffs.
Everybody was committed and doing their job. We came up short and that’s
the way it is.”
Brooks Laich on expectations: “I don’t think we exceeded anybody’s
expectations. We certainly had more aspirations than what the season
turned out. There’s no solace in any of that.
“I thought we did some really good things. I thought the way it ended last
year and the way it ended this year, I thought we took more positive steps –
I thought we were a lot closer this year than last year. I think we play the
right way. We played a very good hockey team. They were just able to get
one more goal. It’s tough.”
By Katie Carrera
630878
Washington Capitals
After Game 7 loss to Rangers in second round, is Capitals’ season a
failure?
By Lindsay Applebaum
Washington’s 2-1 loss to the Rangers in Game 7 Saturday night put an end
to its Stanley Cup playoff run, marking the fifth straight year the Alex
Ovechkin-led Capitals have failed to advance beyond the second round.
After entering the 2011-12 campaign as Stanley Cup favorites, the Capitals
have certainly fallen short of expectations. But this season was different
from 2009-10, when eighth-seeded Montreal pulled a seven-game upset. It
was certainly different from last postseason, when the Capitals’ top scorers
stood and watched as they got swept by Tampa Bay in the Eastern
Conference semifinals.
So how do you frame a trying year for Washington, one in which a playoff
berth was in doubt until the second-to-last game of the regular season? The
head coach was fired, the system changed, the stars underachieved and
the injuries piled up.
All things considered, can 14 playoff games against the No. 1 and No. 2
seeds with a tighter defensive system be considered progress? Or
acceptable? Or is it still black and white: Cup (or at least conference finals)
or nothing?
We’ll have more to come tonight and over the next few days, but in the
meantime share your thoughts in the comments section below.
630879
Washington Capitals
Game 7: Rangers win Game 7, 2-1, to eliminate Caps from playoffs
Rangers 1, Caps 0.
7:42 p.m.: Aaand we’re off. Puck has been dropped. This is quite a
dramatic update.
Caps starters: Ward, Hendricks, Johansson, Carlzner, Holtby.
End regulation: And that’s the end for the 2011-12 Caps. The Rangers,
backstopped all the way by Lundqvist, win Game 7, 2-1, and this Eastern
Conference semifinal series.
Much, much more to come tonight and in the next few days, so stay tuned.
18:58 3rd: Holtby skates to the bench and the Caps get an extra skater for
a final push to save their postseason.
15:26: Caps survive the penalty but are still down a goal — and down 10-3
in shots this period — with not much time left.
12:57 3rd: Backstrom slashes Staal to end the Caps’ power play 23
seconds early.
7:10 p.m.: Jay Beagle will miss a second straight game with an apparent
right leg injury, which means Jeff Halpern is back in for the Caps. Here's the
lineup, according to warmups:
Forwards
Ovechkin-Laich-Brouwer
Chimera-Backstrom-Semin
Johansson-Hendricks-Ward
Aucoin-Halpern-Knuble
Defense
Alzner-Carlson
Hamrlik-Green
11:50 3rd: Boyle hits Holtby and knocks Wideman into him, the puck goes
in, and the Caps get a huge break as the goal is waved off.
Schultz-Wideman
11:19 3rd: And now Fedotenko sends the puck over the glass for a delay of
game. Big power play coming up for the Caps.
Holtby
10:43 3rd: But wait! Roman Hamrlik‘s shot is deflected past Lundqvist as
fans at MSG are still celebrating Del Zotto’s goal. Just another one-goal
game. Nothing to see here, folks.
10:05 3rd: Del Zotto makes it 2-0 Rangers, burying it from the slot. Twogoal hole with less than 10 minutes to go? Not ideal for the Caps.
3:08 3rd: Ovechkin and Backstrom reunited on the top line, along with
Brouwer, as Caps desperately look for some offense.
End 2nd: Rangers still up 1-0 after two periods, despite Washington
dominating the better part of the second. As @JapersRink notes, this is the
first time in 14 playoff games the Caps have been trailing entering the third
period.
18:30 2nd: Laich is taking a beating from Girardi out there. First a shot to
the ankle/leg and now one on the side of the head. Take a seat, guy.
17:47 2nd: Shots are 19-19. Caps have been dominating and applying
plenty of pressure with nothing to show for it.
14:46 2nd: The Caps just spent a ton of time in the Rangers’ end but
couldn’t seem to make anything happen. But it sure feels like they’re in
control right now.
7:21 2nd: Lundqvist robs Semin off a nice feed from Backstrom, then the
Caps’ fourth line peppers him but King Henrrik holds steady. Caps are
getting more chances this period, but Lundqvist has looked good after a
somewhat shaky first.
4:10 2nd: Laich is limping off to the bench after blocking a Girardi shot that
gets him on the left foot/ankle.
End 1st: Ovechkin takes a shot from the left circle with 15.2 seconds left
and Lundqvist looks relieved after making a shaky glove save to preserve
the Rangers’ 1-0 lead.
Shots are 8-8, but New York had much better chances. Rangers with six
blocked shots to Caps’ five.
14:09 1st: Caps kill of the penalty — and a scare, as a Callahan shot takes
a weird bounce but Holtby gloves it.
11:59 1st: Down a goal, Caps now turn to their PK unit as Matt Hendricks is
called for hooking Del Zotto in the offensive zone.
That kill likely begins with Rangers fans chanting their favorite antiOvechkin rally cry — 8:01 to go.
1:32 1st: Well that was probably not how the Caps wanted this thing to
start. Richards slapshot beats Holtby clean below the glove.
The team to score first has won every game this series. But, you know, it’s
early.
Goal
Neuvirth
Don’t tell this guy it’s a big game. He knows. (John McDonnell/The
Washington Post) 5:15 p.m.: Big game tonight, as all Game 7s are, but the
Ovechkin Era Capitals have been here before — five times, to be exact,
since 2008. Heading into the sixth such contest, the players say they know
the stakes are high, but they’re staying calm about it. Not sure all the fans
feel that same sense of cool-and-collectedness.
Check back here for a Caps lineup after warmup, plus live updates and
commentary as usual once the puck drops. And maybe breathe a couple
times between now and then, if you can.
630880
Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals relaxed, confident heading into Game 7 against
Rangers
By Katie Carrera
For the majority of the Capitals, a win tonight in New York would catapult
them into new territory with a berth in the Eastern Conference finals.
With the exception of Mike Knuble, Troy Brouwer and Roman Hamrlik, the
Capitals who have suited up in the postseason have never advanced
beyond the second round of the playoffs. They’re all aware of how close
they are to cracking that glass ceiling.
“You know we never been there before, it’s huge,” Alex Ovechkin said.
“Sometimes you just dream about it — to be there, you know you’re only
one step from the [Stanley Cup] final.”
Said Brooks Laich: “We’re desperate to get there. You can’t keep saying
every year, ‘Well we’ve got a good team and it will come.’ Eventually you
have to push through and do it.”
This marks the sixth Game 7 of the Ovechkin era (since 2008), but they’re
2-3 in those decisive contests heading into this showdown with the
Rangers.
No one needs to be reminded of the stakes, and on Saturday morning the
Capitals’ dressing room at Madison Square Garden had a businesslike feel.
The players appeared relaxed, but composed.
Washington won a Game 7 on the road a little over two weeks ago in
Boston and there’s no lack of confidence among the players that they can’t
play the same simple style that got them this far to one more victory tonight
in the world’s most famous arena.
Goaltender Braden Holtby expressed some unhappiness with his
performance in the morning skate, but stressed how comfortable he and his
teammates feel heading into another elimination game.
“I don’t think we feel any pressure in here, that’s the main thing,” Holtby
said. “Everyone’s pretty relaxed, everyone’s very confident and if we give it
our best, prepare the way we know we have to, everything will work out for
us. There’s no fear of losing in here.”
630881
Washington Capitals
Rangers’ Mike Rupp: Game 7 ‘just a special day on the calendar’
By Tarik El-Bashir
Rangers winger Mike Rupp leaned back in his locker stall this morning,
answering every question fired in his direction.
He hardly changed his tone of voice.
If anyone in New York’s dressing room knows how to handle his emotions
before a Game 7, it’s Rupp. The 32-year-old will suit up for his sixth such
contest tonight when the Rangers host the Capitals. Only teammate Ruslan
Fedotenko has played in as many Game 7s as Rupp.
“I heard one the guys talking yesterday about it being one of those special
days,” Rupp said. “I don’t know, it just feels different. Like it’s a birthday or
something, just a special day on the calendar. That’s what it is. It’s not just
an ordinary game. You approach it the same way, but we all know what a
special night and opportunity it is for players to play in a Game 7.”
The demeanor of the Rangers, from the Madison Square Garden stands, at
least, sounded and looked more businesslike than light. But Rupp said he
liked his team’s mood.
“I think it’s important to be loose and joking around,” Rupp said. “Our team
has a lot of that going on. I found when I was younger to kind of gauge off
the older guys and how relaxed they were. I think you could go out and be
too fired up. So you have to channel that in a certain way.”
Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Henrik
Lundqvist did not take part in the optional skate. Brandon Dubinsky (right
ankle/foot) and Mats Zuccarello (left wrist) will not play.
Based on Friday’s practice, the tweaked New York forward lines could look
something like this:
Forwards
Hagelin-Richards-Gaborik
Kreider-Stepan-Callahan
Anisimov-Boyle-Prust
Rupp-Mitchell-Fedotenko
Rookie Chris Kreider, after being demoted to the fourth line, returned to the
second unit as New York continues to seek offense. Of the Rangers’ 13
goals this series, only nine have come at even strength.
Some other notes from the Rangers’ perspective:
*Lundqvist has been mostly brilliant in these playoffs. Since 2009, though,
he’s had four chances to eliminate the Caps and is 0-4 in those
opportunities.
*Fedotenko, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, is 5-0 all time in Game 7s and
has scored three goals in those contests.
*The Rangers are 4-5 in all-time Game 7s in franchise history, including a
4-0 mark at the Garden.
*Asked how he intends to strike a balance between preparing for the game
and not getting overly excited, John Mitchell said: “I don’t know. Obviously
you want to think about the game. But in a sense that maybe you don’t want
to think about it that, ‘Oh this is Game 7, oh, this is do-or-die.’ You already
know that. At the same time, you don’t want to make yourself a nervous
wreck. Just come prepared to the game just like it’s any other day and just
another game. Hopefully your nerves aren’t too high-strung.”
See, fans aren’t the only people freaking out.
630882
Washington Capitals
Jay Beagle will likely miss Game 7
By Katie Carrera
Alexander Semin and Jay Beagle were the only players missing from the
Capitals’ morning skate at Madison Square Garden Saturday morning as
the team prepares for Game 7 against the Rangers.
Semin is expected to play tonight, Coach Dale Hunter said, adding that it
was an optional morning session.
Conversely, it doesn’t appear that Beagle, who suffered an apparent injury
to his right leg in Game 5 by blocking a shot, will be ready to suit up for the
contest. Hunter wouldn’t rule Beagle out, but the center hasn’t skated in five
days and it’s unclear whether he even made the trip to New York with the
team.
The Capitals didn’t work through line rushes at the morning skate but the
lineup will likely resemble what they used in Game 6 during Beagle’s
absence.
630883
Washington Capitals
Capitals’ season ends with 2-1 Game 7 loss to Rangers
By Stephen Whyno
NEW YORK — Alex Ovechkin sat at his stall in full uniform, interviews long
over. It wasn’t hard to judge the look on his face; he was a defeated man
after the Washington Capitals‘ season ended Saturday night with a 2-1
Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the New York
Rangers.
“Yeah. It’s a terrible feeling now,” the captain said. “All I can say, we did our
best and it’s probably the best team I played [with].”
Perhaps the best team and best run for this core group, but another onegoal loss to wrap up an emotional series and season was hard to take.
During a playoff run that included 13 one-goal games and so many times
when one mistake could change everything, Game 7 at Madison Square
Garden was yet another lesson about the fine line between success and
failure.
“I thought we should have won; we didn’t play like we should have won, I
don’t think,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We didn’t play our best game,
didn’t have enough fight, enough grit. Didn’t battle for pucks enough, had a
power play that was awful it’s really too bad that in a game of this
magnitude we stunk the bed pretty much. It’s just not good enough for us.”
Not good enough to move on to the Eastern Conference final, as the
Rangers will now face the New Jersey Devils. And the Caps will face an
offseason that could include a coaching change and plenty of roster
alterations.
On Saturday night, coach Dale Hunter said “that’s not the time right now” to
talk about returning to the Caps next season.
“You know, coaching’s the next best thing to playing, and to be involved in
the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s a privilege to try to take a run at it again,”
Hunter said.
Losing, like winning, wasn’t easy.
In another coin-flip game that could have gone either way, the Caps were
left ruing missed opportunities like a full two-minute shift spent in the
offensive zone during the second period that included two shots on net and
nothing to show for it.
“I felt like as a group were going to get one there. We didn’t, but we felt like
that was a great offensive push,” alternate captain Mike Knuble said. “We
just couldn’t convert there. I don’t think it weighed on us. I don’t think it was
the be-all, end-all and it was like a give-up moment or anything like that.”
Playing with a lead thanks to Brad Richards’ goal just 1:32 in when he beat
Braden Holtby on New York’s first shot, Henrik Lundqvist made a couple of
impressive saves, 22 in all, to stifle the Caps during a heavy second-period
push in which they tallied half of their shots.
New York went ahead 2-0 on a Michael Del Zotto goal 10:05 into the third
period, but the Caps answered back 38 seconds later with one of their own
from Roman Hamrlik. They could never muster enough high-quality
chances in the final frame to knot the game, however, collecting only four
shots in the period.
“When you get beat out, it’s tough. It should be tough. Everybody wants to
keep playing, but it’s one of those things that we came up a goal short,”
Hunter said. “That’s all. Both teams battled. They battled; we battled. We
were just a goal short.”
The battling never stopped and desperation was evident in the final
moments when the Caps had to pull Holtby for the extra attacker for the first
time all playoffs.
For this team that needed until the penultimate game of the regular season
to reach the playoffs and overtime in Game 7 to beat the defending
champion Boston Bruins, it looked like this run wouldn’t end this way.
“It’s really tough,” forward Matt Hendricks said. “We’ve been playing some
really good hockey the last couple months. For it to end this way is hard.”
Washington Times LOADED: 05.13.2012
630884
Washington Capitals
Capitals come up short again in Game 7
Brian
McNally
New York -- For an entire month, the Capitals skated the razor's edge in the
Stanley Cup playoffs. There was no breathing room, no margin for error.
Every game was close, every mistake magnified, every late goal a reason
to erupt in pure joy.
There was no reason to think Saturday's decisive Game 7 against the New
York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals would be any different.
After all, 12 of Washington's 13 playoffs so far had been decided by a
single goal. But in the roaring, roiling cauldron of noise known as Madison
Square Garden, they were on the wrong end of a 2-1 loss that brought an
abrupt conclusion to the 2011-12 season.
Rangers forward Brad Richards scored just 92 seconds into the contest,
and teammate Michael Del Zotto added the eventual game-winning tally in
the third period as New York held on for a thrilling victory.
"I don't think we exceeded anybody's expectations. We certainly had more
aspirations than what the season turned out. There's no solace in any of
that," forward Brooks Laich said. "I thought we did some really good things.
The way it ended last year [a four-game sweep by Tampa Bay] and the way
it ended this year, I thought we took more positive steps - I thought we were
a lot closer this year than last year. I think we play the right way. We played
a very good hockey team. They were just able to get one more goal."
Washington had scored early in Game 6 when Ovechkin tallied on the
power play 88 seconds into it. The Rangers needed just 1:32 for Richards
to smash a one-timer past rookie goalie Braden Holtby from the left faceoff
circle. It's possible Nicklas Backstrom provided an inadvertent screen on
the play. The pass came from behind the net from Carl Hagelin.
Henrik Lundqvist, meanwhile, shined in the second period in the opposing
goal. At the last instant he poked a puck away from Alexander Semin, who
had deked his way past multiple defenders and in alone on goal. The
Russian was upended and soared through the air. Just three minutes later,
Mike Knuble, alone to Lundqvist's right with the puck at his feet, was robbed
by pad save with 12:55 left in the period. Later in the second, Washington
kept the puck in the offensive zone for a little more than two minutes as the
exhausted Rangers tried desperately to fend them off, but nothing came of
that possession. Lundqvist finished with 22 saves on 23 shots.
"I think [Lundqvist] made a save at the right time. He was good all series,"
Backstrom said of his fellow Swede. "He's a hard-working goalie with a
good attitude. Then they got the second goal there in the third and that was
kind of tough for us. I don't know. It's easy to be smart afterwards.
The finishing blow came off the stick of Del Zotto, who beat Holtby (29
saves, 31 shots) from the top of the slot on a broken play midway through
the third period as the teams entered the zone and the puck bounced off
Laich's right leg. Caps defenseman Roman Hamrlik scored just 38 seconds
later to give his team hope again, but an ugly failed power play hurt
Washington's chances. In the final frantic seconds, Lundqvist held strong as
the Rangers advanced to play the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern
Conference finals.
The Caps, meanwhile, limped off to their dressing room wondering again
how they fell short. They last reached the conference finals in 1998.
"Should've [won]? You think you could've won. You think you were right
there," Knuble said. "And I think you really go home and look in the mirror.
At certain times you get beat in a playoff series and you look in the mirror
and you can't fool yourself, you didn't have a chance to win that series,
Ultimately. I think our players should be very proud of our effort. We were
able to get over the hump against Boston [in the first round], Just couldn't
do it tonight."
Washington Examiner LOADED: 05.13.2012
630885
Websites
ESPN / Third-round preview: Rangers-Devils
By Scott Burnside
ESPN.com
And so it comes down to a clash between two longtime neighbors to see
which Eastern Conference team will punch its ticket to the Stanley Cup
finals.
The New York Rangers, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, have
taken the hard way to the conference finals, going the seven-game
maximum against both Ottawa and Washington. They won't get much of a
rest after defeating the Caps 2-1 on Saturday night with Game 1 of the
conference finals set for Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The
well-rested New Jersey Devils haven't played since Tuesday, after handling
the favored Philadelphia Flyers with relative ease in five games. The Devils,
flying well under the radar this spring, won four in a row after dropping the
series-opener against Philadelphia and were dominant in shutting down the
Flyers' high-octane offense. This will mark the third time since the lockout
the two teams have met in the playoffs, with the Devils sweeping an
opening-round series in 2006 and the Rangers evening the score two years
later in the first round. The last time they met in a conference final was the
legendary set-to in 1994 that featured Mark Messier's guarantee of victory.
1. Role Reversal: After scoring four times in their opening game against
Ottawa, the Rangers have gone 13 straight games without scoring more
than three goals. They are averaging just a hair more than two goals a
game. That isn't likely to change in this series, given the strength of the
Devils' team defense, so the Rangers, who went 6-5 in one-goal games this
spring, will have to continue to rely on top netminding from Henrik Lundqvist
and their own solid defense. Against Washington, the Rangers allowed just
13 goals in seven games. The Devils, however, will present a different
challenge than the Caps, as they are averaging three goals a game and
have four lines that have the potential to score. New Jersey coach Pete
DeBoer has separated captain Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, and that
worked like a charm against Philadelphia. David Clarkson, Adam Henrique
and the ageless Patrik Elias provide an impressive supporting cast up front
and the Devils have been getting unexpected offensive pop from
defensemen Bryce Salvador and Marek Zidlicky, who have three goals and
nine assists between them. Keeping pace with the Devils' offensively will
present a major challenge to the Rangers. And, in fact, will likely be central
to the Rangers' chances of advancing to their first Stanley Cup finals since
1994.
2. Fatigue: Take a look at the top three players in this year's playoffs in
terms of time logged on the ice and you'll see a trend: They're all New York
Rangers. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal rank 1-2-3 in total
ice time played. The Rangers also rank second in the NHL in blocked shots,
and it's no surprise that Girardi and McDonagh rank first and second,
respectively, in that category among all playoff performers. At some point,
then, does fatigue become a factor for those core members of the Rangers
blue line? The Devils will be rolling four lines and trying to disrupt the
Rangers defense as they did against Philadelphia. So far, so good for the
Rangers' workhorses, but if this, as expected, becomes a long series, watch
for possible wear and tear on the big three on the Rangers blue line.
"We play Monday and it's a quick turnaround, so we have to make sure
we're ready for that. It's an incredible feeling to get another one [series] and
to be there and have the opportunity, for sure," Staal said.
3. Power Outage: The Rangers power play went 0-for-5 in Game 6 and
then was denied on its lone opportunity in Game 7 against Washington. The
Rangers came up with just four man-advantage goals in the series, two of
those in the dramatic overtime win in Game 5. Reversing that trend will be a
challenge against a Devils team that negated a powerful Philadelphia power
play in the second round. The Rangers have allowed at least one powerplay goal in eight of 14 postseason games. The Devils, meanwhile, scored
a power-play goal in four of their five games with the Flyers. Perhaps more
important for them is that after struggling with their penalty-killing unit during
the first round against Florida -- allowing nine power-play goals in seven
games -- they tightened up significantly during the Flyer series. The Devils,
who set a modern-day record for penalty-killing efficiency during the regular
season, killed 16 of 19 penalties against the Flyers.
The one guy the Rangers are hoping will get hot with the man advantage is
Marian Gaborik. It's hard to be ultra-critical of a guy who scored a tripleovertime game winner and set up the winning goal in Game 7 against
Washington, but it's also fair to suggest the Rangers will not prevail over the
Devils if Gaborik doesn't do more. Gaborik has yet to score on the power
play, and after scoring 41 goals during the regular season, the Rangers
have a right to expect more from him. Gaborik has played mostly with Brad
Richards and Carl Hagelin, and it's been Richards who has proved to be the
team's go-to guy this spring. Last summer's biggest free-agent signee
scored on the first shot of Game 7 against Washington and now has 15
points in the past 11 games in which his team has faced elimination.
4. Kovy's World: One of the best lines to come out of the Devils' locker
room following their series finale against Philadelphia was by Ilya
Kovalchuk, who noted that for the first time since breaking into the NHL he
wasn't going to be playing at the world championships, always a
disappointing end to the NHL playoff season. Funny how a year ago, when
the Devils missed the playoffs, there was much talk about whether the $100
million contract signed by Kovalchuk, and the attendant mess a firstcontract effort brought, was worth it. Not so much talk about that now, as
Kovalchuk lit up the Flyers for a pair of goals and five assists in spite of
missing one game with a nagging back injury. He has 12 points in 11
games and is a threat to score or create a scoring chance on pretty much
every shift. He leads all NHL forwards in average ice time per game and
John Tortorella will have to find a way to try to neutralize him. Throughout
the regular season there was a seismic change in the way Kovalchuk was
viewed as a player and a teammate. This spring has only added to the
perception of Kovalchuk as a winner and a team-first guy.
5. The Greatest vs. The King: Goalies can say they don't play against other
goalies all they want, but anyone who has followed the intersecting paths of
the two New York-area netminders of record knows it's always something
special when Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur play against each other.
Throw in a berth in the Stanley Cup finals as a reward and the goaltending
matchup here will be something special. While Brodeur is the man with the
three Cup rings and the four Vezina Trophies, Lundqvist seems to take it as
a personal challenge every time the two meet. And, at least in the regular
season, it has been no contest, as Lundqvist has dominated play between
the two, compiling a 23-7-5 record with a 1.61 GAA and .941 save
percentage. Brodeur, who turned 40 during the Philadelphia series, has
been very good this spring, although occasionally there are some chaotic
moments around the Devils' net. He boasts a 2.05 GAA and .920 save
percentage. Lundqvist? He's been out of this world with a 1.68 GAA and
.937 save percentage, giving the Rangers a clear edge.
• Dan Girardi-Ryan McDonagh vs. Ilya Kovalchuk: Which way will coach
John Tortorella go with his shutdown pairing of Dan Girardi and Ryan
McDonagh? Our guess is he will start them against the Ilya Kovalchuk line.
It should be a great battle.
• New York Rangers' Ryan Callahan: Callahan has just one goal in his past
10 playoff games. If the Rangers are going to keep pace with the Devils,
they are going to need more depth scoring, and the captain will have to be
part of that.
• New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus: After going seven games without a point,
Zubrus got hot, chipping in two goals and three assists in the final four
games against Philadelphia, including a game winner in Game 4. His
continued strong play enhances the Devils' chances of advancing to their
first Stanley Cup finals since 2003.
• The Rangers have expended an awful lot of energy to get to the Eastern
Conference finals, and the Devils are simply getting better as the playoffs
go along. And they have too much offense for the Rangers to keep pace.
Devils in 6.
ESPN LOADED: 05.13.2012
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ESPN / Five storylines for the third round
By Pierre LeBrun
ESPN.com
1. Stud goalie vs. stud goalie in the West
Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick, the two hottest goalies in the playoffs,
meet up in the Western Conference finals. Smith, with a .948 save
percentage, and Quick, with a .949 save percentage, have shut down
opposing shooters in the opening two rounds -- and not just anyone, either.
You're talking about Quick shutting down the Canucks and Blues; Smith
doing it to the Blackhawks and Predators. All four teams were serious Cup
contenders and now they're all home watching, thanks to these two
incredible netminders. But one of these two Conn Smythe favorites will go
home as well after this round.
Smith just outdueled a heck of a goalie in Nashville's Pekka Rinne, so he's
up for another big matchup.
"He's a tremendous goalie," Smith said of Quick. "He's had a great year and
obviously he's a Vezina nominee, and he's well-deserving of that. We're
going to have to get prepared and have another battle."
2. Captains who lead by example in the West
Captains Dustin Brown of the Kings and Shane Doan of the Coyotes let
their play do the talking. Both are physical players with a knack for the big
goal, and their teammates feed off the energy and leadership each captain
provides. Brown has had a sensational playoffs, leading the Kings in
scoring. He went toe-to-toe with Blues captain David Backes in the last
round with a real physical battle, just as he went after Canucks captain
Henrik Sedin in the opening round. So look for Brown and Doan to tangle in
this round. Keep your heads up, boys.
3. Score first, young man, score first!
The opening goal might have quite the impact in the Western Conference
finals. The defensively oriented Kings and Coyotes are a combined 11-2 in
these playoffs when scoring first, with Los Angeles going 5-1 in those
games and Phoenix 6-1. The Coyotes' lone loss in the second round was 20 in Nashville in Game 3, and they will tell you that when they fall behind,
it's an uphill battle for them to generate offense. Both teams are incredibly
difficult to come back on, playing suffocating defense and having
netminders who shut the door. Score first? A great idea in the Western
Conference finals.
4. No walking stick needed
Martin Brodeur, remember him? You know, the NHL's all-time winningest
goalie? He's been somewhat pushed aside in recent years when national
media and hockey fans talk about the game's elite netminders, and not
unjustly, as his numbers suggest a sliding game. However, the 40-year-old
is finding a little juice in his game this spring in backstopping the surprising
Devils to an Eastern Conference finals berth. Could there be a better
storyline than Brodeur playing in yet another Stanley Cup finals in what
might or might not be his last NHL season of an incredible career? Don't
think so.
5. Brad Richards is worth the money
You always wonder how it's going to shake down when a team signs the it
free agent to one of those whopper deals. You have to assume there's at
least a little buyer's remorse in Philadelphia after the playoffs netminder Ilya
Bryzgalov turned in after signing a monster nine-year deal last summer. But
in New York, there's no buyer's remorse when it comes to Brad Richards.
Although it took him a while to get acclimatized to life in the Big Apple after
toiling in Tampa and in Dallas, Richards has been everything the Rangers
had hoped for and more this spring. Richards, who inked a nine-year, $60
million deal with the Rangers last July, leads the Rangers in goals (6) and
points (11) and, more importantly, leads the team in clutch moments. He
scored a big power-play goal in the first round against Ottawa when the
Rangers' season was on the brink. He set up Marian Gaborik for the tripleovertime winner in Game 3 against Washington, and in Game 7 against the
Caps scored on the first shot of the game for the Rangers. The former
playoff MVP has moved himself once again into the Conn Smythe Trophy
discussion, just like the Rangers hoped would be the case. --Scott Burnside
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ESPN / Just who are these guys, anyway?
By Scott Burnside
RW Dainius Zubrus: Zubrus was one of the players coach Pete DeBoer
identified as being able to elevate his game in the postseason, and he's
been right. Zubrus, who has seven points, scored the winner in Game 4 and
then added an empty-netter after being rammed on a dangerous hit by
Claude Giroux that earned Giroux a one-game suspension.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
RW Stephen Gionta: The younger brother of Montreal captain Brian has
been a sparkplug this spring, bringing energy and skill from the fourth line
playing mostly with Steve Bernier and Ryan Carter.
G Martin Brodeur: The game's greatest netminder is 40 and while he might
show the odd wobble -- check out his near disastrous puck-clearing effort in
Game 5 against Philadelphia -- also check out his numbers through the first
two rounds: 2.05 GAA and .920 save percentage. Ageless? Sounds about
right.
LW Alexei Ponikarovsky: Another pre-trade deadline pickup, Ponikarovsky
has only one goal this spring but it was a big one, an overtime winner in
Game 3 that set the Devils on their way against Philadelphia.
D Marek Zidlicky: This key trade-deadline acquisition has spruced up the
power play and chipped in six points in 12 games while leading all Devils in
average ice time at 24:39 per game. He was injured in Game 5 when taken
hard into the boards by Wayne Simmonds and his availability for the
conference finals remains uncertain.
RW Petr Sykora: Another throwback to a bygone Devils era, Sykora has
chipped in four points, including one power-play goal as he's gone back to
his roots after bouncing around the NHL and Europe the past couple of
seasons.
NEW YORK RANGERS
D Bryce Salvador: Another of the defense-by-committee crew that has
served the Devils well; this veteran defenseman has been a veritable
fountain of offense, with two goals and six points.
D Andy Greene: Only Zidlicky logs more time on the Devils than the
capable Greene, who has been mostly paired with solid sophomore big
body Mark Fayne. Greene is averaging 23:43 in ice time per game.
D Adam Larsson: The Devils' top draft pick last June was a healthy scratch
until early in the second round but scored in his first postseason contest.
LW Ilya Kovalchuk: The Russian sniper is enjoying his longest playoff run.
He missed one game against Philadelphia with a nagging back injury but
was dominant when in the lineup, with two goals and five assists in the
series. He leads all Devils with 12 points in 11 games.
LW Zach Parise: Head coach Pete DeBoer split the two dynamic wingers
up for most of the Philadelphia series and Parise has been the team's best
all-around forward. Only Kovalchuk averages more than Parise's 21:45 ice
time. Leads the Devils in shots, with 46.
G Henrik Lundqvist: This is where it begins and ends for the Rangers. The
Vezina Trophy nominee has been outstanding in the playoffs, turning in a
.937 save percentage and 1.68 GAA. He is the engine that drives the
Ranger machine and came up huge in both Game 7 wins.
D Dan Girardi: The All-Star has continued his breakthrough season with a
strong postseason. He leads all players in ice time, averaging 27:39 a night.
Has actually chipped in offense with a goal and six assists and leads all
players in blocked shots.
D Marc Staal: Another of the Rangers' big three defenders who has played
well this spring, Staal was targeted for big hits by the Capitals in the last
round. He averages 25:27 a night in ice time and scored the OT winner in
Game 5.
D Ryan McDonagh: It's still hard to believe the Montreal Canadiens traded
this terrific young defenseman. He has just one assist but his value is in
keeping opposing players away from the Ranger net. He is averaging 27:27
a night in ice time and with Girardi form one of the top shutdown tandems in
the game.
C Travis Zajac: Zajac missed all but 15 regular season games with injury
but has proved how important he is as the team's top center with five goals
and five assists in the postseason.
D Michael Del Zotto: He had a huge night in the deciding game against
Washington, scoring the winning goal and adding an assist. He has seven
points in his last nine playoff games. He leads all defensemen in playoff
hits.
C Adam Henrique: Filled in during the regular season as the team's top
center and has also played the wing. This Calder Trophy nominee enjoyed
a strong series against Philadelphia, creating a ton of offense with his hard
work.
D Anton Stralman: He has two power-play goals this spring, the most of any
defenseman, and leads all NHL defenders with three postseason goals.
C Patrik Elias: The wily veteran is one of the few throwbacks to the Devils'
Cup years but isn't showing his age. His two power-play goals rank second
on the team behind Ilya Kovalchuk, who has three.
RW David Clarkson: Clarkson was a 30-goal man during the season and
has continued his strong play into the postseason with two goals and six
assists. He scored the game-winner in Game 5 versus Philadelphia when
errant clearing pass by Ilya Bryzgalov bounced off Clarkson's stick and into
the net.
C Brad Richards: Richards has done exactly what the Rangers hoped he
would do when they signed him to a nine-year, $60 million deal last
summer. He leads the Rangers in both goals (6) and points (11), but more
importantly has produced at key times for the Rangers, including scoring
the first goal of Game 7 against Washington, setting up Marian Gaborik's
triple-overtime winner in Game 3 against the Capitals and scoring a pivotal
power-play goal against Ottawa in Game 6.
RW Marian Gaborik: Playing mostly with Brad Richards, Gaborik has shown
flashes, scoring four times this spring. He still plays too much on the
perimeter and has failed to register a power-play goal this spring. He did
assist on the game-winning goal in Game 7 against Washington.
LW Carl Hagelin: Providing energy on the Rangers' top line, the promising
rookie had a big night in Game 7 against Washington with two assists. He
had just one assist before that and was suspended for three games in the
first round of the playoffs for a hit on Daniel Alfredsson.
C Ryan Callahan: The Ranger captain was terrific against Ottawa but saw
his production drop significantly against Washington, when he had just a
goal and an assist.
LW Chris Kreider: This top collegiate player entered the playoffs with a
bang against Ottawa but saw his ice time cut due to defensive deficiencies
through the Washington series. Both his goals this spring were gamewinners.
C Derek Stepan: He has just one goal this spring but chipped in seven
assists, third among all NHLers. His eight points have all come in his last
nine games.
C Brian Boyle: He missed three games after sustaining an injury against
Ottawa and failed to score in any of the six games in which he played after
returning to the lineup.
F Artem Anisimov: The man made famous on HBO's 24/7 for firing a mock
gun after scoring against Tampa has shown flashes this spring, scoring a
goal and adding an assist against the Caps in Game 4.
C Ruslan Fedotenko: Former Cup winner in both Tampa and Pittsburgh has
just two assists and zero goals this spring.
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NBCSports.com / Coyotes are “finally” a front-page story in Arizona
Jason Brough
Normally we wouldn’t think much of a newspaper giving hockey the frontpage treatment. In most NHL markets, it happens all the time. However, we
thought this was kind of neat.
source:
The Arizona Republic is the state’s largest newspaper and, according to its
website, reaches 1.5 million readers per week. Which is to say, a lot of
people saw this.
The accompanying story by columnist John D’Anna is worth the read as
well.
A brief excerpt:
Several months ago, one of my bosses told me that the only way the
Phoenix Coyotes would ever appear on the front page was if they won the
Stanley Cup or if they left town for good.
But if there’s one thing I know after 30 years of newspapering, it’s that
readers love a good story. And the Phoenix Coyotes are a good story.
So, here I am, writing a story for the front page on what makes our team
and this sport so special and its fans so passionate.
There’s also a GOP slugfest on the horizon.
NBCSports.com / LOADED: 05.13.2012
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CNN/Sports Illustrated / Adrian Dater INSIDE THE NHL Home-ice
advantage pays off as Rangers advance to Eastern final
The Rangers now get to enjoy one -- count 'em, one -- day off before facing
the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals. The last time that
happened was 1994, when Stephane Matteau scored the wraparound goal
against Martin Brodeur that propelled the Rangers into the Cup Finals and
their first championship in 54 years. Only Brodeur remains as an active
player from that series.
The Rangers remain the only top-two seed remaining in these playoffs.
John Tortorella was given the chance to counteract what Dale Hunter acted
upon in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday night.
And there is your difference as to why the New York Rangers are pushing
on with their season, and the Capitals are all done.
They also have home-ice advantage against New Jersey. Tortotella,
therefore, would have last-change in a Game 7.
Tort's Law for Game 7 was get his top skill guys playing against
Washington's top skill guys, and roll those dice.
CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 05.13.2012
The "last change" advantage is one that gets short shrift from the casual
hockey fan, and it's not all really their fault. So often, hockey's cognescenti
tell fans it'll all come down to which team wants it most, but what it really
often comes down to in a Game 7 is the line of a coach's choosing against
a coach who had no choice in what line to put out there. In other words, the
home team coach -- in this case the Rangers' Tortorella -- got to have the
final say on the players who would skate against the Caps' top skill guys.
New York's top guys were better. In their 2-1 victory at Madison Square
Garden, that much was established early, when the Rangers' first line of
Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin skated against
Washington's trio of Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Jason
Chimera.
If this were Game 6, Gabrorik-Richards-Hagelin probably would have been
skating against Matt Henricks-Joel Ward and Troy Brouwer. But, unable to
have the final say on his guys on the ice, Caps coach Hunter watched the
Backstrom-Semin-Chimera line get burned on a gorgeous set-piece goal by
Richards at the 1:32 mark, a lead which held up until the third period when
Michael Del Zotto added an insurance goal that wondrous Rangers goalie
Henrik Lundqvist would need.
The Rangers won their second straight Game 7 of these playoffs at home.
"This was a big matchup series. We got some matchups that we liked,"
Richards told NBC. "We've played this way all year. We don't make things
easy. We'd like to do it a little different, but it's still a great experience for
everybody."
Richards was the best player in this game. He got New York off to the 1-0
lead with his one-timer blast from the top of the left circle, after a set-piece
chip lead pass from Del Zotto to Hagelin skating down the right side,
followed by Hagelin circling the net and feeding Richards.
Mocked at times as an overpaid player who hasn't given the return on his
enormous salaries since a Cinderella Cup run by Tampa Bay in 2004,
Richards made Rangers management look brilliant with a great Game 7.
Not only did he score the early goal, he won 14-of-24 faceoffs and put four
shots on net. "We believe just as much as the other three teams left,"
Richards said, of his team's Cup chances.
It was Del Zotto's rebound follow-up goal at 10:05 of the third that sealed it - overcoming Roman Hamrlik's first goal of the series 38 seconds later. The
goal came after something that happened too often for the Capitals in this
series -- one of Washington's skill guys (in this case Alexander Ovechkin)
losing a puck in the offensive zone, leading to a Rangers attack the other
way.
Ovechkin had a bad Game 7, but not as bad as two of his top-skilled
teammates -- Backstrom and Semin. They were a combined minus-3 in the
game, too sloppy with the puck much of the time and a combined 33
percent on faceoffs.
Much like the Rangers were in Game 6, the Capitals were simply outworked
in this one. New York had a 54-46 edge in faceoffs, outhit (33-27) and
outblocked (19-15) Washington.
"Coach kept saying it's a game of attrition each night. Still not sure what
that means really," Rangers forward Brian Boyle told NBC. "We had some
early momentum tonight. Richie's goal was huge for us."
Now the Capitals get to experience just what Philadelphia felt a couple days
ago; they overcame the odds with an emotional, underdog win in the first
round and seemed to have a gusty gale at their backs going forward. A
couple weeks later, and it's now all over.
That, as they say, is playoff hockey.
It might just come down to that -- again -- for New York.
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USA TODAY / Coyotes, Kings feed off captains' emotional investment
By Kevin Allen
But there's could also be a captains series because Phoenix's Shane Doan
and Los Angeles' Dustin Brown both have the ability to rally their teams with
passion and physical play.
"Playoffs are as much about emotional investment as anything," said former
Calgary Flames general manager Craig Button. "Both Shane Doan and
Dustin Brown embody this characteristic."
MORE: Western Conference final preview
hockey side of it as well as who he is as a person and how he lives his life.
He's just a stand-up guy. Every teammate will tell you is a wonderful
person."
When the Coyotes downed the Chicago Blackhawks to win a playoff series
for the first time since the franchise moved to Phoenix, some teammates
seemed more happy for Doan than for themselves. After the Coyotes
defeated Chicago in the first round, Doan almost didn't know how to act in
the handshake line.
"It was nice to be on the other end of people wishing you luck and to
encourage you to keep going," Doan said. "It was nice to be on that end
instead of the other way around."
Doan will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Coyotes
certainly will want him back. The question will be at what price and for how
many years? Will a team make an offer that Phoenix can't/wont match? He
is obviously not thinking about his contract now. But Phoenix fans have to
consider whether Doan's first true run for a Stanley Cup in a Coyotes'
uniform could also be his last.
Heading into Sunday's series opener (8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network)
Doan is fourth in the NHL in postseason hits with 48 in 11 games, and
Dustin Brown is tied for eighth with 38 in nine games. That means Doan
delivers 4.36 hits a game and Brown is at 4.22.
There are no guarantees in the NHL. Brown is much younger than Doan,
and he understands that because his name was mentioned often in trade
rumors at last February's deadline.
"Following the lead of players such as these becomes the norm in the
playoffs," Button said. "If you don't get deeply invested in the playoffs from
an emotional perspective, you are destined to be on the sidelines."
"Around that time of year, it happens," Brown said. "It was probably a little
more serious, it seemed like because of the media coverage on it this year.
But it was no different me coming to the rink. I prepared to be my best —
just like I would any other time."
Brown and Doan wear on the opposition with their tenacity and
relentlessness.
It's the kind of attitude you would expect from Brown. Or Doan.
"Both are amazingly strong on the forecheck," said NBC analyst Pierre
McGuire. "They also have the ability to finish plays off so they are multidimensional offensive weapons."
Doan is 35 and inching closer to the end of his career, and Brown is 27 and
in his prime. But they are very similar in style and character. They are both
50- to 60-point players. They both registered 22 goals this season. Doan
had 28 assists, while Brown earned 32. Doan has reached the 30-goal
plateau twice in his career, and the younger Brown has done it once.
"The beauty of Shane and Dustin is that they can impact the game in so
many ways," Button said. "From a physical standpoint obviously but also
from an offensive and defensive standpoint as well as special teams. That
expands the emotional investment to every critical area of the game."
Brown has stepped up his offensive performance level in the postseason,
currently sitting fourth among NHL playoff scorers with six goals and 11
points. Doan has three goals and six points, and the Coyotes are hoping he
might pick up his scoring pace.
"(Those guys) are defined by their willingness to do whatever is necessary
to help their team win," Button said. "Think of Bob Gainey, Bob Clarke on a
high level as well as the greatest, Mark Messier. It all began with their
emotional investment and then their level of skill dictated the rest."
Although Brown can't match Jarome Iginla's offensive might, Kings coach
Darryl Sutter said "in terms of personality and character," Brown is similar to
Iginla.
Brown says he studied Iginla when he first came to the NHL.
"He was one of those guys that I looked and watched how he played the
game because he led by example on the ice," Brown said. "I think that's
probably the best way to do it."
Over the years, Brown's game has matured.
"When I first came into the league, I did what it took to make an impression
— a lot of that was being physical," Brown said. "That's part of my game
now. I think it's just a little more even-keeled. I don't think you'll see me
running too far out of position and make a big hit. I'll let it come to me. The
flip side of that is I'm in a better position to maybe get a chance offensively."
Doan is the face of the Coyotes, having been with the team since its days in
Winnipeg. He has been a steadying influence on his teammates,
particularly when they had to weather the turmoil of bankruptcy and the
threat of seeing the franchise moved elsewhere.
"Shane is one of those guys that leads by example," Phoenix coach Dave
Tippett said. "He's one of the hardest-working players you're going to find in
practice. He goes into every game with preparation and detail into every
game is at the forefront of what you want any captain to be. You take the
Said McGuire: "Both players are tremendous leaders who sacrifice personal
stats for team success."
USA TODAY LOADED: 05.13.2012

sport-scan daily brief - Philadelphia Flyers

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