The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets played an overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon, with the Jackets picking up the 5-4 win thanks to R.J. Umberger's game-winner (and second goal of the game) at the 1:45 mark of the extra frame.
Perhaps the biggest concern for Capitals fans isn't the outcome on the scoreboard, but the status of the league's leading scorer and back-to-back MVP winner, Alex Ovechkin, who left the game after playing just 7:43.
It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Central Division.
The Chicago Blackhawks are trying to build off a magical season. Columbus got its first taste of playoff hockey, while St. Louis returned to the playoffs after a far-too-long absence. Meanwhile, Nashville is trying to rebound after just missing the cut for the Western Conference playoffs.
Welcome to another exciting edition of the NHL Wheel of Discipline! Our effort to chronicle the stupidity of the NHL's supplementary discipline system continues. Just remember, Sean Avery got six games for a sex joke. Instead of serving as a baseline, it seems to be a forgotten fact at NHL headquarters.
There's no denying the positive effect a hard, clean check can have on a hockey team. Energizes the bench, and if you're at home, it also energizes the fans. It can be a huge momentum swing.
Holy cow. The Penguins and the Flyers are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. If you live or have lived in Pennsylvania, you understand what a big deal this is. The players from these teams don't like each other. The fans of these two teams despise each other. There's a ton of civic pride on the line here. This is everything fans look for in a playoff series.
But to make this series all about the rivalry doesn't give these two teams the respect they deserve. The Penguins have played great hockey since January. The Flyers have been on fire since around the trade deadline, when everyone had left them for dead. They both disposed of their very talented second round opponents with surprising ease. There's really no doubt left that these two teams are the best teams in the Eastern Conference right now. The rivalry only heightens the intensity.
The NHL's best and brightest stars get lots of press, adoration, and their share of the league's awards.
How about the worst of the lot? How about a little bit of attention for these poor folks? I'm sure, after having such poor seasons, that these d00d's need a little love, too.
The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets played an overtime thriller on Sunday afternoon, with the Jackets picking up the 5-4 win thanks to R.J. Umberger's game-winner (and second goal of the game) at the 1:45 mark of the extra frame. 
It's officially the offseason, meaning the time is right to look into the future. We continue our division-by-division preview of the potential wheeling and dealing with the Central Division. 
Welcome to another exciting edition of the NHL Wheel of Discipline! Our effort to chronicle the stupidity of the NHL's supplementary discipline system continues. Just remember, Sean Avery got six games for a sex joke. Instead of serving as a baseline, it seems to be a forgotten fact at NHL headquarters.
The NHL's best and brightest stars get lots of press, adoration, and their share of the league's awards.
