Listening to Pierre McGuire talk about Mike Richards this season, you might think he was some twisted combination of Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and the incredible hulk all rolled into one 5-foot-11, 200-pound frame. Maybe he's not quite that good, but he is one of the best players in the NHL and the type of cornerstone the Flyers will be building around for years.
After jumping out to a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final, Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock held a press conference on Monday and fielded a variety of questions from the media. For the most part, it was your typical, run-of-the-mill press conference.
About half way through, a reporter started asking Babcock about how he once joked that he was ready for the salary cap to break up the young talent the Chicago Blackhawks have assembled over the years. In Babcock's mind, he wasn't joking.
Thanks to the events of Tuesday night, as the Capitals and Hurricanes advanced in their game 7 victories, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals will be taking part in a playoff series that could very well consume us all. We've seen playoff series' get hyped before, but nothing will come close to the tidal wave of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin coverage that is about take the NHL by storm. Consider yourselves warned.
Before we look ahead to the madness, let's take a few minutes and remember the glory days of one of the best playoff rivalries the 1990's ever produced.
Regarded as one of the top defensive players in the game, Datsyuk finished second with 89 takeaways, trailing only Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, who finished with 94. It's the first time in two years that Datsyuk has not led the league in that category, while he was also credited with 33 blocked shots and won over 56 percent of his faceoffs.
The fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins arrived at Mellon Arena on Thursday night in hopes that their team, owners of a three-games-to-one series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers, could end their first round series with a win and become the second team in the conference to advance to the next round.
The crowd came dressed right for sure, as the locals, in a nod to the disenfranchised fans of Manitoba, came dressed for a "Winnipeg White Out" -- Pittsburgh style.
Unfortunately for the Penguins, the Flyers were having none of it. After surviving a first period where they were outshot by the Penguins, 15-5, the Flyers shifted into a workmanlike style of playoff hockey that stifled Pittsburgh offensively and erased their power play once again. Toss in a solid, if unspectacular performance from Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron (28 saves), and it all added up to a neat 3-0 victory for the Flyers that extended the series, forcing the Penguins to travel back to Philadelphia for a Game 6.
When the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a big save on Friday night, Marc-Andre Fleury was there to make it. When they needed a big save in Sunday's 6-3 loss in Philadelphia -- or any save, for that matter -- they didn't get it. Actually, they didn't get much of anything from any player, with the lone exception of Evgeni Malkin, as the Philadelphia Flyers thoroughly dominated game 3, setting the stage for what could be an epic game 4 on Tuesday night.
Exactly 1,230 regular season games have been played. We're down to the best eight teams in each conference. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin Wednesday night with four series lid-lifters.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Bruins rallied from a bit of a swoon around the All-Star Break to easily win the top seed. Even if you subscribe to the idea of Boston being favored because of their strong overall record, there are no sure things in these here playoffs. Who will threaten to knock the Bruins off their pedestal?
So much for the preliminaries. The 2008-09 NHL regular season is now history -- and, as I've written before, not a moment too soon. Beginning Wednesday night at 7:00 PM ET in Washington and Pittsburgh, the only hockey that really matters will finally take center stage: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To get an idea of what life is really like for a hockey fan this time of year, think of it this way: imagine the Sweet 16 of March Madness were all best-of-seven. It's the very simple reason why folks like us are completely giddy from now until sometime in June.
If your significant other is a fan of the NHL, Monday and Tuesday might very well represent the only real chance you'll have to say hello -- or, given the state of the relationship, goodbye -- for the balance of the next two months. It's a chance you shouldn't miss.
With that, I'd like to share a few thoughts on each of the eight playoff series that make up the first round. Safe to say, at first glance, it looks like the most compelling tournament in many years.
Sean Avery seems to be enjoying his return to New York, as the pesky forward chipped in two goals and drew a pair of penalties in the Rangers' 4-2 win over Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. He has now scored in three straight games, and has picked up five points since being claimed on re-entry waivers back on March 3.
February 25th, the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA.
6:43 PM, during pre-game warmups. Martin Biron gazes longingly at the ice, contemplating his place in the universe.Antero Niittymaki is in net, taking shots from teammates. Biron is hunched over in front of the Flyers' bench.
MB (thinking to himself): Oh boy. Things have really gone south lately, eh Marty? What happened? Things were so good in Buffalo. They loved me. I loved them. It was one big lovey love fest. Was it fate that sent me here? Or is it some, higher force?
FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 23 is Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards.
After jumping out to a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Final, Red Wings head coach 
If Detroit Red Wings center 
The fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins arrived at Mellon Arena on Thursday night in hopes that their team, owners of a three-games-to-one series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers, could end their first round series with a win and become the second team in the conference to advance to the next round. 
So much for the preliminaries. The 2008-09 NHL regular season is now history -- and, as 
February 25th, the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA.
