Newsmakers in the NHL is a weekday morning attempt to clear yesterday's rebounds and look to the day ahead.
Bruins 5, Canadiens 4: The Montreal Canadiens may have lost on Thursday night, but because they did so in overtime, earning a "Bettman point," they managed to secure a playoff spot, avoiding what would have been a spectacular disappointment in a season of celebrations and championship expectations. Montreal overcame a 3-1 deficit in the second period with a four-goal outburst, including a tally from defenseman Mathieu Schneider who suited up despite earlier reports that his season was over.
Aside from Montreal, the New York Rangers also punched their playoff tickets with a 2-1 win over the Flyers, which means the Florida Panthers, despite their 3-2 win in Atlanta, are mathematically eliminated from contention.
Late in the first period of last night's Predators-Canucks game, with the score tied at one, Vancouver's Rob Davison leveled Nashville's Scott Nichol following a dump-in to the zone, leading to a rather physical night of hockey in the music city. It was a classic, "Hey, keep your head up" moment.
In the wake of the crushing hit, Jason Jaffrey and Rich Peverley squared off at center ice. Not the best scrum we've seen, but Peverley losses points for fighting with his visor on. Doesn't this violate the code?
Over the past 48 hours or so, as the hockey world stopped dead to consider the behavior of one Sean Avery, I couldn't help but think back to the early part of October when, during a trip to the penalty box in Nashville, Avery decided to tangle with a Predators fan sitting next to the glass.
At the time, it was impossible not to laugh a little. After all, who couldn't get a chuckle out of what looked to be a rather proper lady giving the NHL's No. 1 bad boy a piece of her mind. It was hard to get her out of my mind too. After all, she probably had a story to tell, one that plenty of other folks would like to hear.
And boy, does she have a story to tell.
(Editor's note: Some of the language that follows is extremely graphic and is not suitable for younger readers.)
The Minnesota Wild are probably the last team you would expect to be involved in a 6-5 game, but, hark, here we are. Paul Stastny scored a pair of goals and picked up an assist for the Avalanche, as they snapped the Wild's modest two-game winning streak on Monday night.
Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom had what was, perhaps, his worst night of the season, giving up six goals on 26 shots through the first two periods. He didn't come back out for the third, as Josh Harding took over and stopped all five shots he faced in the defeat.
Bouchard scored his second goal of the game just 22 seconds into the second period, giving Minnesota a brief 3-2 lead. Just three minutes later, Stastny picked up his first, as the Avalanche would fill the net three more times in the period, ultimately chasing Backstrom from the game.
Minnesota head coach Jacques Lemaire called the first 40 minutes the worst two periods he had seen, as Colorado was not only leading 6-4, but also holding a commanding 26-12 edge in shots on goal.
Well, it looks like Paul Holmgren is following in the footsteps of his mentor and former boss, Bobby Clarke, in doing things just a little outside of the norm of the NHL GM's good ol' Canadian Boys Club. He negoiotiated a deal where the 1st round pick he sent Philly in the Peter Forsberg deal goes back to the Predleys in exachange for exclusive negotiating rights for RW Scott Hartnell and Defenseman Kimmo Timonen, according to Bob McKensie and James Mirtle.
With all of the drama surrounding the sale of the Preds to RIM CEO Jim Balsillie and the latest decision by current owner Craig Leopold to activate the clause in his lease with the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, as Mirtle suggests, "The sell off begins - and a lot earlier than many expected."
One almost has to wonder if this deal was in the works at the time that Peter the Not-So-Great was sent to NashVegas in the first place. Balsillie's bid for the Penguins was obviously being sabotaged at around the time that the trade took place. Correlation does not imply causality, certainly, but weirder things than this have happened in the NHL. This turn of events is definitely putting the NHL on notice that Leopold is not screwing around with them anymore, and wants out. Moreover, he's doing so while making it as easy as possible for Balsillie to move the Preds to Hamilton.
For those of us who are looking to improve our squads in the off-season, now might be the time to really get creative and have our GM's make David Poile an offer, you never know what kind of deals are to be had if this team is truly dismantled, one would begin to think the Preds were the 2nd team in Detroit with the depth of the discounts being offered!
Shea Weber? J.P. Dumont? Jason Armott? Who's on your wish list?
Holmgren, for his part, made use of his opportunity signing both players to ridiculous contracts. I can already hear the groaning in Buffalo over Vanek, Drury and Briere. Don't get me wrong, I like both players, especially Timonen, but there's no way I can conceive of any reason why he's worth north of $6 million per season for the next 6 years.
...It's between something, but certainly not the pipes.
So, I have to ask myself, with all that's gone wrong with the Sabres during these Conference Finals is Chris Drury trying to add to his already impressive resume on the eve of unrestricted free agency?
That, of course, is not true at all. Apparently Lindy Ruff took the cork out of his sphincter and tried to lighten things up at practice this morning by having different people tend goal while they worked on that thing that they call a power play. My mates over at HFBoards Sabres Forum found these pics from from the AP wire this morning and thoughtfully shared them and I'm just passing them on. I would ask you to ignore the imbecile who castigated them for being millionaires and that therefore they should not enjoy their jobs or each others company.
It's an interesting tactic for them to take at this point. It certainly can't hurt. Taking the whole "Cup or Bust" thing too seriously hasn't worked. So, if anything it's sincerely worked against them to the point where the scales are firmly tilted towards Bust and not Cup.
All of the talk around the Sabres has centered on whether this Cup was lost because of the decisions made last summer by allowing certain guys to walk, namely Jay McKee and J.P. Dumont. Mike Grier chose San Jose for the same money, so that decision, truly, was out of Darth Regier's hands. For my part, I remember he and Ruff both stating that for them to win the Cup all of the younglings would have to fill in the leadership void left by those no longer in Buffalo. By their performance this post-season, that has obviously not taken place to the point of being able to get by a team as seasoned and talented as the Ottawa Senators. Beyond Drury, Briere and Miller, who is there? From that perspective it may be that they need to keep both captains, otherwise this whole team and its story may come to a rather abrupt ending, even moreso than the impending sweep by Ottawa.
Last night saw only 3 games on the schedule as there was no way the Sens and Pens would not be held back for Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada. All three tilts were Western Conference Game 2's and all three were snooze-fests. San Jose and Nashville began the parade to the sin bin just 38 seconds into the game and ended with a brawl late in the 3rd. The Dallas Stars came out flying and scored the game winner 24 seconds after the puck dropped to start the game and never looked back, while the Ducks used special teams to build a 2 goal lead heading into the 3rd and held off the Wild after Mikko Koivu made it close with 5 minutes left.
Alexander Radulov was a one-man wrecking crew up until he got a big case of the stupids and tried to mash Steve Bernier's brains into oatmeal. That kid is really dangerous and is reminding me of Afinogenov, but with much better hands.
Ex-Sabre J.P. Dumont is showing up for the playoffs like he always does. Predleys fans should thank David Poile for him more than for Floppa.
I'm still not sure if Marty Turco has proven anything, because the Canucks didn't actually put any pressure on him last night.
This is the last time I predict a big playoffs from Joe Thornton. During the 5 minute PP last night, he was getting rid of the puck faster than Miro Satan playing against the Broad Street Bullies with $100 bills hanging off his uniform.
It's too bad the Sharks played like an unorganized group of puck-bunnies last night because Tomas Vokoun was yielding rebounds of Eshce-like proportions.
Dallas is a lot better than I thought they were. I loved their fore-checking scheme.
Why doesn't Sergei Zubov ever get consideration for the Norris Trophy? Everything Dallas does well starts with him.
... and let loose the Follicles of War. The NHL playoffs are here and it's time for all good men (and hockey players) to engage in the time-honored tradition of "getting woolly with it." Our old friend and member of the founding fathers of hockey bloggers, Ben Wright, has a great post at his digs, Blueland Blog, about how the Atlanta Thrashers are handling their first chance to be a part of this annual hockey ritual.
One of the questions that plagues the hockey world come playoff time is the timing of that fateful 'last shave.' Ben got a variety of replies from the Thrash, with some starting as early as the day the playoff spot was clinched (in which case the Sabres should all look like like P.O.W.'s by now) to the terse response of Keith Tkachuk who said, "It's a playoff beard. you grow it in the playoffs."
In recent years the legend of the Playoff Beard has been given extra emphasis with the arrival of Mike Commodore to the scene with both Calgary in 2004 and last year with Carolina. He went so far as to not cut his hair (during the regular season) or his beard (in the playoffs) until the Canes were eliminated and then held a charity shaving which raised money for the V Foundation. My personal favorite playoff beard of current players is J.P. Dumont of the Nashville Predators, pure Canadian lumberjack.
For more on the etiqutte, history and protocol for growing a playoff beard check out www.playoffbeard.com.
I've been bearded since 1991, and I've been tasked by my mates at HFBoards not to trim it until they are eliminated... by the way, I live in Florida. *sigh*
Newsmakers in the NHL is a weekday morning attempt to clear yesterday's rebounds and look to the day ahead.
The Minnesota Wild are probably the last team you would expect to be involved in a 6-5 game, but, hark, here we are. 
Well, it looks like Paul Holmgren is following in the footsteps of his mentor and former boss, Bobby Clarke, in doing things just a little outside of the norm of the NHL GM's good ol' Canadian Boys Club. He negoiotiated a deal where the 1st round pick he sent Philly in the Peter Forsberg deal goes back to the Predleys in exachange for exclusive negotiating rights for RW Scott Hartnell and Defenseman Kimmo Timonen, according 
...It's between something, but certainly not the pipes.
Last night saw only 3 games on the schedule as there was no way the Sens and Pens would not be held back for Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada. All three tilts were Western Conference Game 2's and all three were snooze-fests. San Jose and Nashville began the parade to the sin bin just 38 seconds into the game and ended with a brawl late in the 3rd. The Dallas Stars came out flying and scored the game winner 24 seconds after the puck dropped to start the game and never looked back, while the Ducks used special teams to build a 2 goal lead heading into the 3rd and held off the Wild after Mikko Koivu made it close with 5 minutes left.
... and let loose the Follicles of War. The NHL playoffs are here and it's time for all good men (and hockey players) to engage in the time-honored tradition of "getting woolly with it." Our old friend and member of the founding fathers of hockey bloggers, Ben Wright, has 
