Re-living the Devils' Cup run in 1995, Part 2

This is the second of six installments of DGA's "Re-living the Cup" blog series leading up to the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.  This installment features recaps of the third round of the Devils' path to the Cup in 1995, which was a defeat of Philadelphia in the conference final.

PART TWO: Conference Finals of 1995

Following defeats of Boston and Pittsburgh, each in five games, the Devils travelled down the Turnpike to Philadelphia for a showdown with the rival Flyers.  The Flyers had yet to lose a playoff game at home in 1995, but Martin Brodeur and the Devils were determined to change that.  As they did against the Bruins in round one, the Devils struck early and often in Game 1 and Brodeur allowed nothing to the Flyers.  Bill Guerin scored a pair of goals, and the Devils were up 3-0 after two periods.  Martin Brodeur was less than two minutes away from his fourth shutout of the playoffs when Craig MacTavish broke the goose egg, but the Devils held on easily to win 4-1.

DGA's Devils Team Awards

"Hey, Boulton, we shoot at THAT net this period..."

This afternoon, the Devils held their annual team awards, which as always, was rigged.  Zach Parise won team MVP (umm...), Adam Henrique and Bryce Salvador tied for unsung hero and Johan Hedberg won the Player's Player award for the 179th straight year.  So I'm here to fix all this rigging nonsense.  Here's the uncensored version of the Devils' 2011-12 team awards.


Team MVP Candidates:


Peter Harrold - Without him, the Devils would have to let Adam Larsson play, and according to Pete DeBoer, that's a bad thing.  Plus, Peter (Harrold) has so much experience winning in Los Angeles.

Mattias Tedenby - While he only lasted 43 games this season, he managed to pick up a -15...plus/minus rating (not golf score).  The Devils' shortest player's lack of offensive production made sure that the Devils didn't have a third line that could score until the All-Star break.

Kurtis Foster - Although he was terrible in his own end, the Devils' power play's best stretch of the season came with Foster at the point, which according to someone, somewhere, makes him better than Marek Zidlicky.

Winner: Harrold.  Why?  Well, for starters, he's the only one of the three left on the Devils' NHL roster...

Re-living the Devils' Cup run in 1995, Part 1

The playoffs are just around the corner, which means that the playoffs are about to start, most Canadian teams are eliminated and there's no more shootouts!  Before the 2012 playoffs get under way, I wanted to take a look at each of the three Devils Stanley Cup runs.  Hopefully, this will get Devils fans in a playoff state of mind.  All videos in these posts are courtesy of YouTube user McKay4429061 .

PART ONE: 1995 New Jersey Devils Season in Review (plus first two rounds of the playoffs)

Coming off a 47-25-12 season in 1993-94, the Devils made a statement to the rest of the league that they were no longer the "Mickey Mouse organization" that Wayne Gretzky infamously named them in the early 1980s.  The Devils entering 1993-94 having made the playoffs in six of the past seven seasons, but after the famous Game 7 loss to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was time for the Devils to take the next step.  They finished second in goals for (306) and second in goals against (220) in 1993-94, so they had become a complete team, with youngster Martin Brodeur in net.

Biggest stories heading into the playoffs



"Alexander, how does it feel to replace Carrie Underwood as the face of the Predators?"

 Well, it's been another entertaining season of NHL hockey (except in New Jersey, since by definition, hockey in New Jersey has to be boring.  Even if that means Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise are classified as boring players.), which means the playoffs are just around the corner for the top eight teams from each conference.  We've seen a lot of interesting things this season, so here's a look at the top stories going into the playoffs.


Ottawa doesn't suck - Despite every single 'hockey expert,' plus Damien Cox, predicting the Senators to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference this season, they're a playoff team and might even finish as high as 2nd in the conference.  Yet management claims that their success this season has nothing to do with the fact that they threatened to trade the team's worst player to Edmonton at the end of the season.  Weird.


Radulov's back - After completing his fourth straight season in Russia's KHL, Alexander Radulov decided it was time to return to the NHL and the Nashville Predators.  This fulfills Caps' general manager George McPhee's bold prediction that 'Alexander will definitely be ready for the playoffs by the end of March.'


Florida Panthers are back in the playoffs - They haven't officially clinched a playoff berth yet, but barring a historic collapse, the Panthers will be a part of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in...umm, a very long time.  It's been so long, in fact, that Sean Avery hadn't pissed off anyone in the NHL yet.


Sharks on the playoff bubble - Since the lockout, hockey fans can be assured of two things: the Toronto Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs and the San Jose Sharks will collapse in the playoffs.  This season, the latter won't happen if the Sharks actually miss the playoffs.  This year's Sharks are so bad, in fact, that Martin Havlat is averaging fewer points per game than during his Minnesota days.  Think about that.

Players who could impact the NHL playoff race

"I start to play good when we fire our coach, hahahaha!!! ... we fired Bruce Who-dreau???"

As the NHL regular season winds down into its final quarter, the playoff race is tight in both conferences, despite Eastern Conference teams seemingly trying everything they can to miss the playoffs.  As you might expect, teams are banking on certain players to have a significant impact on the playoff race, so I figured I'd mention a few of them.


Sidney Crosby - Most times, teams are thrilled when players can have a positive impact on their own team, yet every time Sidney Crosby's name is mentioned in NHL locker rooms recently, goalies seem to freeze and pass out.  Except for Maple Leafs goaltenders, since they've already headed for the showers by the second period.


Ilya Bryzgalov - Ilya Bryzgalov seems to have saved his season, and there's a good reason why.  He's spent all season trying to find the exact spot in the universe where his former team, the Phoenix Coyotes will be playing next season, after finding no results for "2012-13 Coyotes season tickets."


Alexander Radulov - Due to a bizarre set of circumstances, Radulov might actually come to the NHL this season and play with the Preds in the playoffs.  If he gets the Preds past the first round, he'd be the first russian hockey player named "Alexander" to succeed in the NHL playoffs.

Which bubble teams will make the playoffs?

"IF YA DON'T HAVE ANY ONTARIO PLAYERS, YA CAN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!
HOW CAN YA MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF YA DON'T HAVE ANY ONTARIO PLAYERS?"

The playoffs begin in just over a month, and there's still plenty of teams that have a chance, or think they have a chance, to be a part of it this season.  As a hockey blogger, I feel that it is my duty to provide you with a carefully written and intelligent analysis of who I think will miss the playoffs and won't will miss them.  Naturally, I decided not to do that.  Instead, here's a hopefully more entertaining look at the "bubble" teams.


Winnipeg Jets

Why they can make the playoffs: Their fans would give up breathing if it meant seeing their team in the playoffs.
Why they can't make the playoffs: According to Pierre McGuire, they have many of the most underrated players in the league.  If Pierre McGuire says you're underrated, you must suck.  A lot.
Verdict: They could, and if they do, I hope the architects who built MTS Centre don't let the roof blow off.


Florida Panthers

Why they can make the playoffs: Lots of people like to take in games at BankAtlantic Center, such as Rangers, Bruins, Caps, Habs and Leafs fans.
Why they can't make the playoffs: If their top line can't carry them offensively, Jose Theodore becomes their biggest offensive threat.
Verdict: Then again, Jose Theodore has scored a goal before...


Washington Capitals

Why they can make the playoffs: Despite the injury to Nicklas Backstrom, they still have talent in Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and Mike Green.
Why they can't make the playoffs: Well, this isn't 2008, so Alex, Alex and Green are pretty useless.
Verdict: Perhaps this is all a plan, since finishing first in the Conference so many times didn't work out for Washington.


Tampa Bay Lightning

Why they can make the playoffs: Steven Stamkos can outscore your favorite team combined.
Why they can't make the playoffs: Mike Smith left Tampa Bay for a more up-and-coming hockey market.
Verdict: They have four active players on their roster from Ontario.  How could they not make the playoffs?

Comparing the NHL stretch run and MLB Spring Training



Alex Rodriguez isn't the only Alex who's been distracted from his sport recently.



It's about this time of year that professional baseball players and major league-hopefuls are reporting to Arizona or Florida for MLB's annual Spring Training.  It's also this time of year that the NHL is preparing for the final stretch before the playoffs.  I figured there have to be some similarities and differences, and it turns out that I was right...well, sort of.


Similarity: The games are completely meaningless for teams from Washington D.C.
Difference: The Nationals could surprise everyone and compete for a playoff spot.


Similarity: Superstar players are meeting their new teams, either after free agency or trades.
Difference: Rick Nash expects to meet his very first full-time NHL team next week.


Similarity: Many teams are preparing for this season, while others are already looking towards next season.
Difference: For hockey fans in Phoenix, they are very, very afraid of next season.


Similarity: The New York teams are trying to build on the Giants' Superbowl victory by bringing the Big Apple more championships this year.
Difference: The Mets and Islanders sit off to the side awkwardly.


Similarity: Teams in both leagues are making trades to improve their team.
Difference: The Colorado Avalanche are getting manipulated miserably by Steve Yzerman.

How are NHL teams preparing for the playoffs?

Pictured: Patrick Kane and sunglasses.  Not pictured: Patrick Kane's playoff beard.  Also not pictured: Peggy.

Now that the NHL All-Star break is behind us, many teams begin their push towards the playoffs.  For many teams, they'll look to add a player or two at the deadline that they hope will push them towards a long playoff run.  For some other teams, they'll look to make a big splash to move up the standings.  For others, they'll try to convince their fan base that they're still in the playoff picture, even though they're not.  Here's a guide I put together regarding how teams are preparing for the playoffs.


Boston Bruins - Claude Julien spends most of practice these days reminding his team that all goaltenders are awful and that they can beat anyone.  Of course, he only does this on days Tim Thomas is boycotting the team's events.

Detroit Red Wings - Ken Holland is spending the next few months trying to convince Gary Bettman that making the Joe Louis Arena the exclusive home for all playoff games this year is a good idea.

New York Rangers - MSG officials have begun playoff preparations by reluctantly cancelling "Stage 2" renovation plans for the arena during the middle of May.

Chicago Blackhawks - The Blackhawks have informed Patrick Kane that every game for the rest of the season will now be referred to as the "All-Star Game," in the hopes of increasing his goal totals.

Vancouver Canucks - Alain Vigneault has told his players that swimming pools are off limits until after the season, because his team has already mastered diving.

Philadelphia Flyers - Ilya Bryzgalov has already begun his pre-playoff ritual, which mainly consists of saying "please don't let us play Detroit in the first round."

Guide to major hockey events in 2012

The NHL Skills Competition has just one rule: Alex Ovechkin has to win.

The calendar just turned to 2012, but the new year has already seen its fair share of major hockey events.  I might be a little late with it, but I've designed a guide to help the casual hockey fan understand what is going on with hockey's major events this year.


NHL WINTER CLASSIC
What is it - The NHL's only outdoor game of the year.  It's the biggest regular season hockey event in the universe.  ...yes, Ilya Bryzgalov, I'm pretty sure: in the universe.
When is it - New Year's Day January 2nd, 2012
Where is it - Outside in the Philadelphia desert
How it's significant - It makes ESPN SportsCenter...and it's hockey, which is like watching Daniel Carcillo and saying "wow, there's a really clean player:" you don't see that very often.


IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
What is it - An international hockey event for rising stars between the top hockey countries in the world, plus Latvia and Demark.
When is it - Late December - early January, except for Team USA, who decided not to show up at all this year.
Where is it - Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, making for the first meaningful hockey played in Alberta in several years.
How it's significant - Usually Canada wins gold, unless they're playing Russia and a dramatic comeback is involved...or John Carlson scores in overtime.


NHL ALL-STAR SKILLS COMPETITION
What is it - A chance for the NHL's top hockey players to show off their skills, except for the New Jersey Devils, who do just that at the end of every regular season game...in a shootout.
When is it - January 28th, 2012, two days after Phil Kessel attempts to embarass Alex Ovechkin at the Fantasy Draft.
Where is it - The capital of Canada.  ...no, the capital of Canada is not Toronto...
How it's significant - It's a way for fans of the host team to watch the best players in hockey on the same ice as some of their team's own players, and for Ottawa fans to watch real NHL goaltenders for the very first time.

2011 NHL Free Agency: To sign or not to sign

Shortly after the Stanley Cup Finals conclude, general managers will begin to think about free agency, if they haven't already.  Free agency is a test of loyalty, finances and commitment, and it can make or break an NHL franchise.  Let's take a look at some of the big ticket free agents that hit the market this summer and whether their current team should re-sign the player or let him go.


Player: Brad Richards
Team: Dallas Stars
To sign or not to sign: Dallas has publically stated that due to ownership issues, they won't be re-signing Brad Richards, but that's okay because Glen Sather already has a 16-year/$139 million deal ready to go.  I can't imagine where he got those numbers from...


Player: Ed Jovanovski
Team: Phoenix Coyotes
To sign or not to sign: Phoenix also has ownership problems, and they've already traded their goalie's rights to Philadelphia.  Obviously Coyotes management sees a lot of potential in recently acquired star blue-liner Michal Roszival, so who needs Jovanovski?


Player: Tomas Kaberle
Team: Boston Bruins
To sign or not to sign: He's been a strong offensive player for against the Bruins, so he'd be a good fit in Montreal.


Player: Ilya Bryzgalov
Team: Phoenix/Philadelphia
To sign or not to sign: Paul Holmgren acquired the rights to Dan Hamhuis and failed to sign him last season, so why not do the same with Bryzgalov, especially given the position Ilya plays?!


Player: Nicklas Lidstrom
Team: Detroit Red Wings
To sign or not to sign: While it isn't clear whether Lidstrom wants to retire or keep playing, it is hard to imagine Detroit without #5 in their lineup.  Oh well, Lidstrom had his first career minus season (-2 rating), so he's clearly not what he used to be.


Player: Tomas Vokoun
Team: Florida Panthers
To sign or not to sign: Vokoun may be ready to move on.  Unfortunately for the Panthers, it appears that Ilya Bryzgalov is the Flyers' main target, which means that Florida may not get much, if anything in return for Vokoun.  But that's okay since they're used to getting nothing in return.


Player: Bryan McCabe
Team: New York Rangers
To sign or not to sign: Glen Sather has blocked everyone's number except for Brad Richards and his agent.  In fact, Sather forgot who McCabe is.


Player: Shea Weber
Team: Nashville Predators
To sign or not to sign: Shea Weber is the face of the Preds' franchise.  In fact, the Preds actually went out and brought in a supermodel to sell the city to him.  I hear she's taken, though...


Player: Kevin Bieksa
Team: Vancouver Canucks
To sign or not to sign: This postseason has proved that Vancouver has a surplus of defensemen, so quality players such as Keith Ballard or Aaron Rome can always take Bieksa's role.


Player: Steven Stamkos
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
To sign or not to sign: Tampa Bay will obviously do everything they can to re-sign Stamkos, but why do I keep hearing about Glen Sather getting him?!


Player: Drew Doughty
Team: Los Angeles Kings
To sign or not to sign: Well Bleacher Report says that Brian Burke should sign Doughty, so that clearly must be what will happen.


Player: Zach Parise
Team: New Jersey Devils
To sign or not to sign: Some say arbitration is the way to go with Parise, but I pray that Richard Bloch is not invited into the room.


Player: Dwayne Roloson
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
To sign or not to sign: Young goalies, such as Roloson, should be locked up to long deals, I'm talking 15 years.  Just ask Garth Snow how that works out...


Player: Teemu Selanne
Team: Anaheim Ducks
To sign or not to sign: I can guarantee you that Selanne will retire or leave the NHL by force someday.  I can also guarantee that Alex Ovechkin, Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will retire someday as well.


Player: Mark Recchi
Team: Boston Bruins
To sign or not to sign: I'm no doctor, but players like Recchi really add a lot of heart to teams.


Player: Maxime Talbot
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
To sign or not to sign: The Pens should keep this guy just in case they ever play in a Stanley Cup Finals Game 7.


Player: Brian Boucher
Team: Philadelphia Flyers
To sign or not to sign: For now, Ilya Bryzgalov is the savior to the Flyers goaltending problems, but on November 1st when they realize he's not and Sergei Bobrovsky has mysteriously disappeared, keeping Boucher may come in handy.


Player: Doug Weight
Team: New York Islanders
To sign or not to sign: He's already signed his contract for next season...with the NHL Network.

Comparing the NBA Finals to the Stanley Cup Finals

This past February, I compared the Superbowl to the Stanley Cup Finals.  But now seems like a good time to compare the NBA Finals to the Stanley Cup Finals, since both are occuring right now.  Take a look:


Stanley Cup Finals: Players wear protective gear to gaurd against injuries, since hockey is such a physically demanding sport.
NBA Finals: Players wear sleeveless jerseys to show off their tattoos and two drops of sweat they actually worked up between fouls every six seconds.


Stanley Cup Finals: Zdeno Chara is the tallest player in the NHL, at 6'9".
NBA Finals: Zdeno Chara would be listed as a "small forward" in the NBA at 6'9".


Stanley Cup Finals: Two games of the Stanley Cup Finals are broadcasted on the Versus network in the U.S., a network most people north of Virginia have never heard of.
NBA Finals: All seven games of the NBA Finals are broadcasted on ABC in the U.S., a network every American is familiar with, except those south of Virginia.


Stanley Cup Finals: Boston is in the Finals for the first time since 1990.  They haven't won a Cup in nearly 40 years.
NBA Finals: Boston is actually not in the Finals, but Boston and L.A. are the only teams that ever win the NBA title.


Stanley Cup Finals: Tim Thomas, the Bruins goaltender, laid a clean check on Henrik Sedin in Game 3.
NBA Finals: Well, basketball has no goaltenders, but if an NBA player threw a check as Thomas did, he'd be banned from the league for a year.


Stanley Cup Finals: The NHL has crazy hockey bloggers who compare the NHL to the NBA and try to list all of the things that are wrong with the NBA, such as the NBA.
NBA Finals: The NBA has crazy idiots who try to promote the NBA as a good sport.  Apparently, they work for ESPN...


NBA Finals: The championship trophy will be presented to the winning team by a commissioner who spent most of his early career working for the NBA.
Stanley Cup Finals: (see "NBA Finals")


Stanley Cup Finals: Water cooler conversation has vastly focused on immature behavior, such as Burrows biting Bergeron and Rome nailing Horton.
NBA Finals: Water cooler conversation has vastly focused on immature behavior, such as players touching each other.


Stanley Cup Finals: Several players have been accused of diving and/or embellishing penalty calls.
NBA Finals: NBA players have been nominated for Academy Awards for their acting.


Stanley Cup Finals: The 2011 NHL playoffs have been exciting to watch.
NBA Finals: The 2011 NBA playoffs have been exciting to watch, then the games begin.

What if there was an NHL expansion draft?

The Stanley Cup Finals have consumed most of a hockey fan's attention span lately, and rightfully so, however, as you know, the Atlanta Thrashers are set to relocate to Winnipeg, Manitoba effective next season.  It got me thinking: if there was an expansion draft this year, who would one player be that each team secured?  Take a look at each team and the player that they can't afford to lose.


Vancouver Canucks (Alex Burrows) - Some point to the Sedins, Kesler or Luongo as the heart and soul of the Canucks, but losing Alex Burrows would really be taking a bite out of their team.


Boston Bruins (Zdeno Chara) - Chara is the captain of the Bruins, he's got the hardest slapshot in hockey and he eats huge minutes for Boston, but if he went to another team, not even Gregory Campbell could protect his teammates from being run into stanchions.  Then again, there's not much Campbell can do anymore...


Anaheim Ducks (Bobby Ryan) - Bobby Ryan brings a dynamic offensive element to the Ducks.  His specialty includes undressing Nashville forwards after they lose their hockey stick.


Atlanta Thrashers (Dustin Byfuglien) - Losing star players has plagued the Atlanta Thrashers organization for years.  They have a star player in Byfuglien, and they can't afford to lose him, especially when facing the Flyers.


Buffalo Sabres (Ryan Miller) - There aren't many teams build around a franchise goaltender anymore, but Buffalo is one of those teams.  Since they don't have anyone named Ovechkin or Stamkos, losing Miller would be a bad idea.


Carolina Hurricanes (Jeff Skinner) - Hey, without Skinner on the Hurricanes, teenage girls would have little reason to go to games anymore...


Columbus Blue Jackets (Rick Nash) - Rick Nash was the co-winner of the 2004 Rocket Richard trophy.  How's the other small market team that had one of the other co-winners of that Rocket Richard doing?


Calgary Flames (Jarome Iginla) - Since the Calgary Flames have clearly never tried to trade their captain away since he's the face of the franchise, trading him away would be a horrible idea.  It's not like they're facing a rebuild or anything like that...


Chicago Blackhawks (Patrick Sharp) - Well after all, who doesn't love a fashion model anyway?


Colorado Avalanche (Adam Foote) - Adam Foote is a leader, he's the heart and soul of the Avs, and...say what?  He retired?  Hmm...


Dallas Stars (Brad Richards) - If there's one thing that ruins franchises, it's having ownership problems and facing the loss of a superstar.  Good thing Dallas has both taken care of.


Detroit Red Wings (Pavel Datsyuk) - Brian Rafalski retired, Nicklas Lidstrom might retire, hell, if Datsyuk were to leave, Pierre McGuire would have nobody to drool over in Detroit anymore, and if Pierre won't go to Detroit, what's the point of watching hockey on NBC?


Edmonton Oilers (Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle) - Can't pick 2 players?  You try convincing Oilers fans that they are losing Hall or Eberle...


Florida Panthers (Tomas Vokoun) - Can you name anyone else on the Panthers right now?  Exactly...


Los Angeles Kings (Anze Kopitar) - This one is pretty self-explanatory.  LA can't score, Kopitar can.  I know this is a difficult concept to interpret, but it's really hard to win when you don't score.


Minnesota Wild (Niklas Backstrom) - Nicklas err, Niklas Backstrom is the backbone of the Wild franchise, who thrive on being outshot by a 3:1 ratio each game.  Imagine if a Flyers goaltender played in Minnesota...


Montreal Canadiens (Hal Gill) - The Habs were wise to re-sign Hal Gill.  Without Gill, the Habs are a Zdeno Chara backyard stanchion party...party.


New Jersey Devils (Ilya Kovalchuk) - When a player costs your team a pair of first round draft picks, $3 million plus three players, and you have a general manager with a history of shattering glass jars in the team locker room, you probably don't want to lose that player.


Nashville Predators (Mike Fisher) - Not only can Mike Fisher score (in multiple ways), but he makes the Preds a more...attractive team...also in many ways.  Who says they aren't fun to watch?!


New York Islanders (Rick DiPietro) - Who needs Luongo, eh Mike Milbury?  The Isles have a real franchise goalie, and they have him locked up for a long time.


New York Rangers (Wade Redden) - Glen Sather's Rangers just aren't the same without an absurd contract for a washed up player.  Is Mike Modano still available?


Ottawa Senators (Daniel Alfredsson) - Daniel Alfredsson and Lanny McDonald share more than their facial hair styles, they both have 1,000 career points and are/were the heart and soul of their teams.  Unfortunately for Ottawa, the only way he wins a Stanley Cup is elsewhere, judging by past history.


Philadelphia Flyers (Chris Pronger) - Oskars Bartulis just isn't the same as a guy who's twice his size and has elbows made of steel.  Besides, I wasn't going to choose a Flyers goaltender...


Phoenix Coyotes (Keith Yandle) - Although you may not have heard of him, Yandle is one of the top defenseman in the league.  Somehow, I sense that he may be playing in another city relatively soon.  Strangely, I sense that all Coyotes players will be, too.


Pittsburgh Penguins (Alex Kovalev) - Hey, there have been rumors that Jaromir Jagr briefly considered a return to the Penguins.  Why not?  Hell, re-sign Kovalev and bring back Luc Robitaille, Larry Murphy and Mario Lemieux while they're at it!

San Jose Sharks (Dany Heatley) - Having played previously in Atlanta and Ottawa, and nearly playing in Edmonton, Heatley must know a golf course or two, and that comes in handy every spring for the Sharks.


St. Louis Blues (Jaroslav Halak) - Getting to the playoffs is hard enough for St. Louis these days, partially because they seem to forget that the season begins in October, contrary to their belief that the season starts in February.  If they get to the playoffs, Halak isn't a bad goalie to have.


Tampa Bay Lightning (Victor Hedman) - Lost but not forgotten is the Hedman hit on Crosby in early January.  Had that not occured, their run to the Conference Finals may not have happened.  That's what I call a productive draft pick.


Toronto Maple Leafs (Phil Kessel) - Considering Brian Burke surrendered two first round picks for Kessel, I'm not sure surrendering two more to get Kessel back would be such a good idea...


Washington Capitals (John Carlson) - Since losing Sheldon Souray Jr. Mike Green would actually benefit the Caps, yet they need defensemen, John Carlson would be a huge loss for Washington.  Well, they do know all about huge losses when it matters...


Winnipeg ???s (Dustin Byfuglien) - When moving to a new city, having an established star player is key to getting people to actually care about the team.  That may or may not be a problem in Winnipeg, since people seem to care more about running around in the streets screaming in celebration that they once again have a team than the actual team at all.

Frequently Asked Questions about the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals

The stage is set for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.  The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins will meet and one of them will snap a long championship drought.  It has come to my attention that some people may want some insight into the series, so here’s a little FAQ for you, with the likely answers you’d get from a pro.

Who is going to win the Finals?

I have the Heat winning, but the Mavs are gonna make it a series……oh, wait, those Finals...say, who’s playing?

Can Luongo be the difference for Vancouver?

Many people would argue that if Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup, it would be in spite of Luongo.  Vancouver is facing a difficult goaltender in Tim Thomas.  Luongo must be on his A-game, barring that Keith Ballard doesn’t cut off his hear…

Is Ryan Kesler the best American hockey player in the world?

He’s the best *sober* American hockey player in the world.

Isn’t it ironic that Vancouver has been carried to the Stanley Cup Finals by an American and two Swedes?

Shhhhhh!  Don Cherry is listening…

Can Sami Salo stay healthy for 7 straight games?

I don’t know, can you juggle four tennis balls constantly for 7 days?

Will Manny Malhotra be able to play?

If he does, I sure hope his vision is 100%.  You need to be aware when Zdeno Chara is on the ice…not that he’s that difficult to see…

Who is David Krejci?

He’s Phil Kessel in disguise.

What’s something most people don’t realize about the series?

A former Islander is guaranteed to win the Cup (Luongo, Chara) and a former Canadiens coach is guaranteed to win the Cup.

Who has the better goal song, Vancouver or Boston?Is Zombie Nation even a song?

Can the home crowd be a factor?

Of course not, unless two clever men dressed in green spandex suits show up…

Who has the edge in the series?

Vancouver, simply because they can afford to take double the minor penalties as Boston just to balance power play goals.

Which team would Gary Bettman rather see win the Cup?

Pittsburgh Penguins.

But…

Exactly.

True or false: Brian Burke is campaigning to get the Olympics held in Toronto since Vancouver made the Stanley Cup Finals the year after they hosted the Olympics?

False, he’s sly, but not that sly.

Finally, who is less annoying: Pierre McGuire or Mike Milbury?

Spongebob Squarepants.

Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 Preview - Lightning at Bruins

Tonight is the winner-take-all Eastern Conference Finals Game 7.  The winner will lose to face the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, but before that happens, let's take a look at some story lines for tonight's game.

• Dwayne Roloson wants to appear intimidating, if not scary to the Bruins tonight, so he won't be wearing a mask.
• A reporter asked Mark Recchi to dissect tonight's game, so Recchi pulled out his scissors and asked where he could find a surgeon's mask.
• Vancouver is sending a scout to the game tonight.  Rumor has it he's got a twin brother.
• Gary Bettman apparently had no idea that the Tampa Bay Lightning exist.
• Tim Thomas has been practicing the butterfly, hybrid, stand-up, basically a style of goaltending, contrary to his normal practice routine which involves staring into space and sleeping.
• Zdeno Chara hit his head on the roof of the team arena this morning, but he shook it off after ten minutes in the quiet room.
• Martin St. Louis jumped, but couldn't reach the roof that Chara hit his head on.
• Claude Julien said in his press conference that his hopes for his team tonight include having his power play not go off-season 36 times.
• If Tampa Bay wins, Hart Trophy finalists St. Louis and Sedin (one of the two) match up.  If Boston wins, Vezina finalists Thomas and Luongo match up.
• Translation of the above, if Tampa Bay wins, all 7 games move to Versus.  They might even start at 2 a.m.
• Joe Thornton may steal Shawn's jersey and suit up tonight in the hopes that he can discover what a "Stanley Cup Final" is.
• Bill Daly intends to bring Sidney Crosby to the trophy presentation after the game, since he's the only player willing to touch that trophy (and the Penguins won the Cup that year).
• Martin St. Louis was kicked off the team bus from the airport after playing "Shipping Up to Boston" for the 26th time.  He tried to wave a taxi, but nobody saw him.
• Sean Bergenheim doesn't realize that "doubtful" means "probably not playing," contrary to his Google translation from Finnish, which he meant to say "yes."
• Pierre McGuire is expected to be in attendance.  Bring your sunglasses, the arena lightning may shine off of his head.

When is it time to give up on a team in the playoffs?

Before the 2010 NHL Playoffs, there were few who believed that their team could overcome a 3-0 series deficit and win the series.  The Philadelphia Flyers did just that, coming back and beating the Bruins last season.  This playoff season, Chicago and Detroit have both overcome 3-0 series deficits, only to each lose their respective Game 7s against Vancouver and San Jose.  Now, the Sharks are down 3-1 to Vancouver, while the Bruins and Lightning are tied in their series, 2-2.  Here's a guide on when to give up on your team.


YOU KNOW YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE WHEN:

• Joe Thornton cancels his annual Caribbean getaway for the last week in April.
• Two men dressed in green bodysuits are seen in your arena...assuming it's not Nashville.
• Gary Bettman owns your team and insists that he won't let it relocate despite a devistating financial crisis.
• Your goalie is getting AARP papers in the mail.
• Pavel Datsyuk is on the ice.
• Barry Trotz still has a hair on his head.
• Chelsea Dagger isn't constantly playing in the background.
• Your GM tells the team to keep trying to win and not tank (unless the GM is Brian Burke, in which case, it's because he traded his first round pick...).
• Your team trades AWAY Jamie Langenbrunner.

YOU KNOW YOUR TEAM IS DONE WHEN:

• Chris Pronger's elbow is bothering him, making him completely ineffective.
• They hire John MacLean as the team's head coach.
• Alexander Ovechkin is constantly on the phone with Team Russia's head coach at the World Championships.
• Alex Kovalev is your best defensive forward.
• They go up 3 games to none against the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Mark Recchi decides that your player embellishes hits into stanchions.
• Marian Gaborik starts to play defense...and gives pucks to Jason Chimera in the process.
• Carrie Underwood is seen crying.
• Your players are packing for a very cold Canadian city after spending time in Atlanta.
• Your team's goalie puts on a Flyers jersey.
• They are planning their annual 1st Overall Draft Pick Party in December...again.
• Teammates are watching the NBA.
• Your team trades FOR Jamie Langenbrunner.

Is it time to panic for the San Jose Sharks?

The San Jose Sharks were slaughtered by the President's Trophy winners, the Vancouver Canucks, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals last night, and they now find themselves down 2-0 in the best-of-7 series.  As NHLNet's David Amber points out, no team has overcome a 2-0 series deficit since the 2005 lockout.  So, is it time for the Sharks to panic?  Today, I offer San Jose some advice.

• They might want to take some advice from Philly, Chicago and Detroit by losing Game 3 and then winning out.  More teams have overcome 3-0 series deficits than 2-0 since the lockout.
• When Patrick Marleau is gutless, the Sharks win, so Marleau has to stop checking, scoring and certainly stop fighting for San Jose to have success.
• Somehow, the Sharks have awakened Vancouver's twin-giant, the Sedins.  Therefore, at least Ben Eager tried to shut a Sedin down by drilling him from behind last night.
• Antti Niemi needs to remind the Canucks who he played for last season and which team beat them for the past two playoff seasons.
• The Sharks need to stop playing Green Day on the team bus en route to Rogers Arena.
• The Sharks have scored first in both games, which is good.  Their defensemen now need to stop imitating Jason Demers and actually clear pucks from the crease.
• Todd McLellan also needs to remind his team that Kevin Bieksa is, in fact, not a forward.
• The Green Men may not have been at the game last night, but that doesn't make it acceptable to take dumb penalties.
• Even though Joe Thornton sent his down payment for his annual May resort house, his team is still playing hockey.
• Any San Jose Shark watching reruns of the game on TV might be confused that this is actually the playoffs, since Pierre McGuire's expertise has been blatantly missing on Versus.
• Any San Jose Shark that the last comment applies to should scan the arena and locate Don Cherry's colorful suit, which would reverse the previous comment.
• Finally, the Sharks might be confused that the Conference Finals didn't begin in San Jose, but that's simply because Vancouver is a higher seed.  Maybe they think the series starts in Game 3?
• Hey, look at the bright side, at least the Sharks know that they won't have to relocate this summer...

Signs of a good and bad playoff game

The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs have been very entertaining, for the most part.  Some people felt that the 2^nd round was slightly disappointing, but the 1^st round was a tough act to follow.  Let’s take a look at what makes a playoff good and what makes a playoff game bad.

Good: Tomas Kaberle finally getting involved offensively for the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Which reminds me, I don’t recall Steve Yzerman ever acquiring Kaberle.

Bad: Any playoff game involving the Philadelphia Flyers…for an official scorer, that is. I’m not sure they leave room for that many goalies in one game on their score sheets.

Good: Any game that Doc Emrick announces.  He’s slightly more enthusiastic than say, Joe Buck.

Bad: A Lightning press conference.  One way or another, the phrase “1-3-1” will be brought up more times than Sean Bergenheim scored during that particular game.

Good: Any game that features goals from Patrick Marleau AND a Sedin.  It’s as if players listen to Jeremy Roenick once in a while…

Bad: Any time Don Cherry has to admit than an American and two Swedes are the core of a Stanley Cup contender.

Good: Overtime games!  Bonus hockey!  Unfortunately, every American hockey fan must be constantly concerned that Versus might interrupt the overtime in favor of some intense hunting program.

Bad: Blowouts.  The good news is that the Flyers are out of the playoffs, thus their goaltenders can’t allow any more ridiculously lousy goals until next season.

Good: Games where new stars are born.  P.S. I nominate Joel Ward to be on the cover of NHL 12.  You know what, scratch that.  It should be Mike Fish…er, Carrie Underwood.

Bad: Games where goalies try to pass the puck.  Yes, Jim Hughson, they are “booing,” not “Lou-ing.”

Good: Playoff games held in state-of-the-art, brand new arenas in strong hockey markets.

Bad: Unfortunately, none of that applies to the Islanders.

Good: Watching star players scoring goals, such as Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, James van Riemsdyk, Jordan Eberle and even Jaromir Jagr this time of year.

Bad: Well, that tournament was played in Slovakia.

Good: Knowing that the playoffs can cause strange things to happen, such as realizing that Tim Thomas has allowed the most goals of any goalie in the Conference Finals so far.

Bad: Games that are not tied in the third period.  Dammit, what team in their right mind would invent a defensive system that makes games boring in the third period…?

Good: The playoffs can also create a “Cinderella” type of team, a team that the entire country seems to rally around.

Bad: Canada usually has a team to rally around every year, just usually not the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Good: Good playoff games usually coincide with loud arenas and great playoff atmospheres.

Bad: This still doesn’t apply to the Islanders.

Good: Games that feature high-end offensive skill, such as dangling around a forward who’s playing defense and without a hockey stick.

Bad: Games where the team’s most popular player is popular just because of his wife.

Good: Having large hockey markets succeed in the playoffs.

Bad: Of course, I meant American hockey markets…

DGA Special - VIDEO Chronicle of every overtime goal from the 2011 1st Round - NHL Playoffs

Even David Stern, the NBA commissioner, has tuned into watch the NHL playoffs this year.  Well, maybe not, but anyone you ask will tell you that this has been one of the greatest first rounds of any NHL playoff season ever.  Except for Stan Fischler, who will point to the 1947 playoffs.  Anyway, let's take a look at every one of the 14 goals that were scored in extra time, it's an overtime special on Down Goes Avery! *Videos from NHLVideo, NHLVids11 and bestdanghockeygoals on YouTube. If you wish to view all of the goals in a playlist, along with the CSN San Jose feed of Thornton's goal, view the last video, the playlist, on this post.


APRIL 14TH - Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers Game 1: Alexander Semin







APRIL 15TH - San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings Game 1: Joe Pavelski






APRIL 19TH - Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks Game 3: Devin Setoguchi






APRIL 20TH - New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals Game 4: Jason Chimera






APRIL 20TH - Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Game 4: James Neal






APRIL 21ST - Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins Game 4: Michael Ryder






APRIL 22ND - Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres Game 5: Tyler Ennis






APRIL 22ND - Anaheim Ducks vs. Nashville Predators Game 5: Jerred Smithson






APRIL 23RD - Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 5: Nathan Horton






APRIL 24TH - Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 6: Ville Leino






APRIL 24TH - Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks Game 6: Ben Smith






APRIL 25TH - San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings Game 6: Joe Thornton






APRIL 26TH - Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks Game 7: Alex Burrows






APRIL 27TH - Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 7: Nathan Horton






COMPLETE PLAYLIST:




I hope you enjoyed the first round as much as I did.  Thanks for viewing!

How to overcome and blow a 3-0 series deficit in the NHL playoffs

Just twice in NHL history had a team lost the first three games of a playoff series and managed to win the next four.  Then, last year, the Boston Bruins went up 3-0 on the Philadelphia Flyers, but dropped the next four and Philly became the third team to pull off the unlikely feat.  Now, one year later, the Vancouver Canucks have gone up 3-0 on the Chicago Blackhawks, but three straight wins by Chicago have that series heading back to Vancouver for a Game 7.  So how does a team come back from such a massive deficit?  Well, take a look:



How to overcome a 3-0 deficit: Get a player back in your lineup that scored 15 goals in the regular season and rally around him as he turns himself into a hero.
How to blow a 3-0 lead: Have a player who has scored 14 goals during the regular season become a goon and randomly start to distribute dirty hits after being suspended to have the opposing team rally around him and turning him into a hero.

Overcome: Remind your goalie that Chelsea Dagger only plays when the home team scores...effective Game 4.
Blow: Remind your goalie that even though Chelsea Dagger is about to play for the 8th time that night as the home team wins Game 4, 7-2, it's only one game.

Overcome: Kindly remind the opposing team that even though you are the 8th seed, their season has ended two straight years at your hands.
Blow: Confuse two of your star forwards as each other, and watch as they become invisible offensively.

Overcome: Place a picture of a taxi driver in the back of the net and hope Patrick Kane can take off its head.
Blow: Place a picture of a taxi driver in the back of your own net.

Overcome: Request that Stephane Auger be a referee for Game 7.
Blow: Double-shift Alexandre Burrows for Game 7 with Auger as the referee.

Overcome: Don't take any stupid penalties that could result in momentum changes and/or suspensions.
Blow: Double-shift Raffi Torres.

Blow: Trip Michael Frolik on a breakaway in order to make Cory Schneider do his Rick DiPietro impression, forcing Roberto Luongo into a game...a close game.
Overcome: Shoot the puck.  One (or five) are bound to go in.

Overcome: Tell Marian Hossa that it's not actually the playoffs.
Blow: Tell Roberto Luongo that it is the playoffs.

Overcome: Have role players chip in offensively (translated: Ben Smith is Luongo's worst nightmare).
Blow: Have a 41-goal scorer replace Manny Malhotra's role.

Overcome: Remind Duncan Keith that he's still better than Brett Lebda and that he is allowed to score.
Blow: Allow Sami Salo to be hit.  Anywhere.

Overcome: Swap Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford and watch as Niemi secretly helps the Blackhawks get back in the series and Crawford allow 3 goals on 4 shots to Los Angeles.
Blow: Pretend that you start each game automatically losing by 5 goals, or in some cases, you won't have to pretend for long.

Overcome: Win Game 7.
Blow: Lose Game 7.

Why you should love the Stanley Cup Playoffs

It's safe to say that if you're reading this, you've watched at least one minute of one period of one game of one series of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and if you haven't, we're probably not more than a few hours away from the start of the next one.  It's also safe to say that many of you have probably watched at least a portion of an NBA Playoff game this year, too.  I am proud to say that I have not given into that.  But why should you love the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially this year?  I've come up with a list of reasons.

***WARNING: This most may be considered offensive to some as it does not contain content involving the Oilers, Maple Leafs or Panthers.

• For the first time ever, the Nashville Predators are on national TV and not completely ignored due to an exciting young team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup.
• The above has absolutely nothing to do with the arrival of Carrie Underwood's husband to Nashville, thus giving Carrie air-time.  I think...
• Teams may be less likely to sit back and trap after watching the LA Kings and NY Rangers fail miserably at doing so and blowing large leads.
• You can't avoid him, it's only a matter of time.  You're going to see Pierre McGuire and his mouth full of words that don't make sense to the common person.
• The refs don't cut overtime short after 5 minutes and randomly award both teams three penalty shots that don't count towards anyone's stats.
• No matter who your favorite team is playing, you don't have to look at the hideous moustache of Trevor Gillies, since his team won't be a part of these annual festivities.
• If your team has been unfortunate enough to miss the playoffs, or was swept out in the first round, you can keep telling yourself, "They'll be here next year."
• If that last one applies to you and you're a Phoenix Coyotes fan, well...I'm sorry.
• If you happen to be watching the Philadelphia Flyers, you can make some quick money by betting a friend that goaltender currently playing for the Flyers won't be in the NHL next season.
• You can also make some money by betting that the Chicago goaltender will have the same number of points as Joe Thornton in the first round (which is currently true).
• If your team has a russian goalie, chances are he won't be returning to the NHL next season.  Although in some cases, he may be claimed by the Islanders...which is worse.
• Assuming his team is losing, asking a player what they need to do better in order to win will result in the same answer, "We need to get pucks deep."  This doesn't apply to the Canadiens.
• If you're wondering why Roberto Luongo had the best goals against average throughout the playoffs after two games, remember, the law of averages will play out to normalcy...very quickly.
• If you're wondering why the New Jersey Devils aren't in the playoffs this year, you might recall that this is their year to miss the playoffs, as they traditionally do every 14 years.
• If you love Octupi, go to Detroit.  They'll be on sale since nobody in Detroit can throw them onto the ice anymore.
• Why should you love the playoffs?  Because players who don't normally play defense may actually try and end up failing and giving the other team an empty net in double-overtime.