Division previews, take 2

It's time to head down I-95 and take a look at the Atlantic Division. Yesterday I mentioned that the Northeast Division is one of the toughest in hockey. I stand by that in terms of how evenly matched the teams are. To the Atlantic Division I say it's arguably the deepest and/or best division in hockey. Three of the past four Stanley Cup Finals have featured a team from the Atlantic Division, and this division routinely sends multiple teams to the playoffs year in and year out.

ATLANTIC DIVISION:
Last year's standings

Philadelphia 47-23-12
Pittsburgh 49-25-8
New York Rangers 44-33-5

New Jersey 38-39-5
New York Islanders 30-39-13


Philadelphia Flyers: What a long, strange trip it's been for Flyers fans. In the matter of hours, the faces of the franchise are shipped cross country in some of the most shocking trades in Flyers history. After a lifeless performance by the Orange and Black against Boston, owner Ed Snider put the world on notice, the Flyers were going to get a goaltender. GM Paul Holmgren wasted no time in trading for the rights to pending UFA, Ilya Bryzgalov. With cap issues before the 4million increase, the Flyers would have to make room to fit Bryz's hefty new contract, so out went Jeff Carter to Columbus for the 8th overall pick in the 2011 entry draft (Sean Couturier) and Jakub Voracek. Not even an hour later word was given that Mike Richards went to Flyers West, I mean the LA Kings, for prospect Brayden Schenn and feisty Wayne Simmonds. In the span of an afternon the Flyers announced their new goalie and the departure of their leading goal scorer the past few seasons, and their captain once likened to be the next Bobby Clarke. Oh yeah, they also signed Max Talbot to a long term deal and brought in Jaromir Jagr. Yes, you read the correctly. After July 1, I think it's safe to say that Pittsburgh was more like Pissedburgh. Worse joke ever, right?
This future is now in Claude Giroux and James vanRiemsdyk's hands. In the immediate future however, the veterans are going to handle the leadership. With Pronger expected to be completely healthy in October, and the rest of the D intact, look for the offense to be the question marks. How will Giroux handle being the #1 center, and will he and JvR mesh with either Voracek or Jagr? Also look to see how Bryzgalov handles the increased pressure of a hockey mad town compared to playing the desert, where it's plaus 32 all year. If he can weather the storm and play like he has been, apart from his poor playoff performance this year, Flyers faithful will be loving every bit of his large contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Pens towards the end of the season were those people you see running marathons, finishing long after the competition, but still finishing it despite not winning accolades. Except for the fact that they still almost won the division, despite losing Crosby and Malkin to season ending injuries earlier in the year. Somehow playing the trap can win you the Jack Adams trophy by the way, so aspiring coaches take note. They did manage to blow a 3-1 lead against Tampa Bay in the opening round of the playoffs, but given the injuries the team sustained, just making it is a feat in itself. Now the good news for the Pens is that Malkin is fully healed and ready to go, but the bad news is Crosby's concussion issues have resurfaced with more intense workouts, so when (and just to say it, if) he returns is still in question. Still to be "stuck" with Malkin and Staal as your 1-2 centers isn't a bad place to be. The James Neal trade at the deadline last season and the free agent signing of Steve Sullivan should help the Pens lack of depth on the wing. If and when Crosby returns, the Pens will be a very serious threat to take the division.

New York Rangers: Well the Rangers finally got their center to play with Gaborik. In a move a blind man could see coming, the Rangers somehow "managed" to land free agent gem Brad Richards. Let's face it, Gaborik can shoot, and Richards is more of a playmaker than a sniper, this is a match made in hockey heaven...providing Gaborik can stay healthy, which is always a concern. Couple their all star center/wing combo with a young, but sturdy defense and one of the best goalies in the league in recent years, and you have a team that can make some serious waves. Maybe now the Rangers won't need to wait till the last day of the season to make or miss the playoffs. Maybe.

New Jersey Devils: The Devils were they hottest teams in hockey down the stretch, unfortunately that was about the only time they got hot all year, and ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Floundering under then head coach John McLean, and decimated by injuries, the Devils soon found themselves at the bottom of the league and well out of the playoff picture. Enter Jesus with a comb over, I mean Jacques Lemaire, and the team played with a new found vigor. Kovalchuk found his killer instinct and backup goalie Johan Hedberg was simply phenomenal when called upon. Now the Devils got the pick of the draft with Adam Larsson, the big right shooting Swedish defenseman to help add youth and talent to the blue line and the now healthy Parise to be in the lineup at the start of the season things are looking up for the Devils. Biggest questions for the Devils are how much the injury to Travis Zajac will affect them, and whether or not Martin Brodeur can continue to spit in Father Time's eye and play above his years suggest he should be. If the Devils can do that, they will once again be in the playoff hunt.

New York Islanders: If hockey teams were cartoon characters then the New York Islanders would be Eeyore. It's always raining on the Islanders parade. The potential on this team is immense, but when one thing happens to them, it seems like a million more are right around the corner. Injuries to key players Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit ended their seasons before they began, and of course Rick DLiPietro was injured. We all remember when Ty Conklin literally broke DiPietro's face! It wasn't all doom and gloom for the Islanders though, as they had five 20+ goal scorers, Matt Moulson and rookie Michael Grabner potting 34 goals, six of them short handed. the Islanders also managed to deal with the mess with Evgeni Nabokov, and he will play this season, so once DiPietro gets hurt (and you know it'll happen eventually) Al Montoya and Nabokov should be more than able to handle the goaltending duties for the Isles.
Will last year's first round pick Nino Niedereitter make this year's big club after another season in the WHL? And what about this year's pick in Ryan Strome? The Islanders give their youth every chance to succeed at the NHL level, so it will be an interesting preseason to watch out on Long Island. Even without all the drama of a new arena or possibly relocation, a healthy Islanders club should be a fun club to watch, but I cannot stress the healthy aspect enough. Injuries flat out destroy this team's chance at being competitive in an already cut throat division.


Predictions: With the injury to Crosby looming over Steel City like a storm cloud, I expect them to stumble a bit this season. They will certainly be competitive, but right now I think it's a two horse race for the division crown between the Rangers and the Flyers. On paper the Rangers are the most improved team in the Atlantic, while the Flyers certainly have some possible chemistry issues to contend with before they can be truly considered a contender at this point.

New York Rangers-Philadelphia Flyers-New Jersey Devils-Pittsburgh-New York Islanders. I'll say the top four in the division all have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.

Goalie Faceoff

The dust seems to be settling after the opening weekend of free agency, and it's fair to say most of the high level talent has been signed. Brad Richards made his "shocking" decision to go to the New York Rangers (I really hope you can feel the sarcasm there), and just about everyone who was expected to go, ended up going somewhere. Unlike the goalie bonanza of last year, this year's crop was a bit thinner, but had the likes of Dwayne Roloson (who re-signed in Tampa), Mike Smith (Phoenix) and of course Tomas Vokoun. Vokoun was thought to be the prize of prizes amongst the goaltenders this year, but he only went today after teams like Colorado and Phoenix, who desperately needed starting goaltenders, signed other free agents. The size of Vokoun's contract with the Washington Capitals (1.5 million) has Flyers fans irate at the long term contract they signed Ilya Bryzgalov to and the difference in money. In an attempt to explain both, we're going to compare both goalies as best we can.


Regular Season
(Career stats)
Tomas Vokoun: (632 NHL appearances) 262-267-41 2.56 GAA .917 save% 44 shutouts

Ilya Bryzgalov: (326 NHL appearances) 156-116-35 2.53 GAA .916 save% 23 shutouts


So what does this tell us? While both goalies have played on less than stellar teams for the majority of their careers, statically, Bryzgalov wins more games. The offense of Florida was worse than Phoenix's last season (195-231), the defenses were almost identical (226-229). Both teams ranked 9th in their respective Conferences for goals for, so it's not like we're comparing apples to oranges here. To start splitting hairs, Vokoun just turned 35, while Bryzgalov just turned 31. While goalies certainly seem to perform at higher levels longer than other positions on the ice, you have to wonder how many more "good" seasons Vokoun has in him. The greatest goalie in the game, Martin Brodeur (39) has been on decline the past two seasons, and started showing his age (injuries, late season fatigue) even before that. Yes everyone is different, I'm not suggesting the the exact same thing will happen to every goalie, but it can cause for some concern for a team looking for a durable goalie. Over the past 3 seasons, Bryzgalov has started an average of 67 games, while Vokoun has started just under 60. Again, this is purely speculation, but perhaps the rigors of a starting job are starting to wear on Vokoun. Bryzgalov has also earned a Vezina nomination for his play with the Phoenix Coyotes, while Vokoun has never been nominated for the award.


Playoffs:
(Career stats)
Tomas Vokoun: (11 appearances) 3-8 2.47 GAA .922 save% 1 shutout

Ilya Bryzgalov: (27 appearances) 12-13 2.55 GAA .917 save% 3 shutouts (and a stanley cup ring)

For all the worrying that Flyers faithful have done, here comes some news, Vokoun never won a playoff series either! Shocking I know, but it looks like that greener grass over there is the same color. Again the numbers are similar, with Vokoun saving a little more that comes his way, but not enough to win games apparently. Yes, this year's playoff series for Bryzgalov was not very good, but neither was the team in front of him. Aside from Bryzgalov's stint in Anaheim, Bryzgalov hasn't had a team in front of him that can play a complete game. Nor has Vokoun to be fair, but he made those appearances in Nashville who have always played a defensive minded system. In Phoenix Bryzgalov won three playoff games in 09-10 series, while Vokoun has only three wins to his career.

When you break it down, there isn't much of a difference between the two goalies. "But what about the money," I hear you screaming at your computer screen. Alright, let's talk about the money. Is Ilya Bryzgalov getting too much money? You can certainly argue that he is, but after looking at the stats and resumes, Bryzgalov would've been the best free agent goalie on July 1. With the mandate handed down from up on high of Mt. Comcast, the Flyers were almost destined to overpay to make a goaltending controversy a thing of the past. Doubt that will actually solve anything for awhile, since it's Philadelphia, and you can't have hockey in Philadelphia without hearing about goaltending problems. However you want to look at it, Bryzgalov is the first, and best, clear cut number one goaltender they've had since Hextall in the late 80's. It's been something they've been searching for since 96-97 when the playoffs consisted of whoever played better the night before. The great and powerful Snider said it needs to stop, and for better or worse it has, and so the Flyers needed to pay. They would've "overpaid" whoever they ended up signing because they weren't going to be outbid. Similar to when Curtis Joseph and Felix Potvin were both UFAs, and the Flyers sign John Vanbiesbrouck instead. Yes Vokoun signed a 1.5 million dollar deal with Washington, but that was AFTER Colorado traded for the rights to Semyon Varlamov and signed Jean-Sebastian Giguere. It seems like Vokoun took the route of another former Flyers goaltender, Martin Biron, and priced himself out of the game. Looking at some of the "big name" goalie signings this July, it's not like last year. Dwayne Roloson signed for 3.5 million, and Mike Smith signed for 2 million. Vokoun had his eyes on a prize and it looks like he lost.

The Steven Stamkos Saga

Nice alliteration huh?

We can really replace his name with a few of the high profile pending RFA's to be lately, but it seems to be that his name is at the top of the list, and on the tips of tongues and fingers everywhere. For good reason I suppose. As currently as this afternoon Tampa Bay has been signing other players (D-men Bruno Gervais and Marc-Andre Bergerson), arguably deemed lesser players, to their roster but have yet to sign Stamkos to a deal. I can hear you asking yourselves already, what pucking gives?! Quite honestly no one really knows, but I'll try to figure it out as best as I can.

According to Capgeek.com, the Lightning have 21 million dollars in cap space right now. Let us just assume for a moment, that Stamkos is looking for Vinny LeCavalier type money (a 7.7 mil cap hit until next millennium). With the current state of of long term deals it seems simple enough to ink him to a long term front loaded contract with a cap hit around 6 million dollars. There is some speculation out there that Steve Yzerman trying to follow the Detroit business model where the top end guys take a little less money for the good of the organization, and it looks like Stamkos isn't biting. Why should he? Back to back 90+ point seasons, with 45 or more goals. The kid is turning into everything that he was expected to be, and possibly more. He has every right to ask for more money. Now on June 22nd TSN reported that Stamkos Says He's "close" to a Deal with Lightning. What could've happened within the span of a week to change all that? With mum being the word from all sides, it's hard to gauge. Without trying to dissect this even further, I'm going to skip right to the speculation flying around. Yeah yeah, enough pucking around, I know.

Let the rumors begin. July 1 is literally right around the corner. Tampa Bay has cap room, but it is being reported that they have lost from anywhere from 20-30 million dollars this past season, despite coming within one game of the Stanley Cup finals. That certainly doesn't bode well for a long term lucrative deal for Stamkos. There are also reports that Stevie Y. has said that he's ready for anything, you have to wonder if there will be money enough to match any/every offer sheet that comes through the door. With the cap floor being so high, a lot of teams are struggling to make it there, so an offer sheet could come from teams with cap room to spare, or from a big market club with space and money to burn. Barring an offer that is completely out of reach you have to wonder if Tampa Bay will match year after year until Stamkos becomes a free agent, or they will manage to iron out a deal before someone else comes along with an offer sheet to good to refuse.

Undoubtedly the compensation will be four consecutive 1st round draft picks, as there is no way the Lightning will be unable to match a smaller offer, nor will one be issued in all likelihood. Teams rumored to be in on the possibility of an offer sheet are Toronto and Philadelphia although any number of teams can make a move, as long as they have their picks to offer as compensation. However, it doesn't make any sense for those to clubs. For starters, Philadelphia has only 8.2 million in cap space currently, and still has to reach deals with recently acquired RFA's Voracek and Simmonds, while also attempting to re-sign pending UFA Ville Leino, whom the Flyers have expressed great interest in locking back up. Not to mention the Flyers are in need of some depth players and possibly a younger defenseman to come in and learn the system while playing a limited minutes role until some key veterans retire, which may be sooner than later. Despite what amounts to rumor mongering by Frank Seravelli of the Philadelphia Daily News, it just seems illogical for the Flyers to make that kind of run at a player. Although to be fair to Frank, this is Philadelphia we're talking about so anything is possible. Toronto seems more likely with over 18million in cap space and an overwhelming need for a number one center. However, with the state of their team, and the bitterness over losing two first round picks for Phil Kessel (which resulted in the second overall pick in the draft, Tyler Seguin and a Stanley Cup for Boston) I cannot see Brian Burke willing to give up four years worth of draft picks. However, if anyone is "crazy" enough to do it, it would be Burke.

Another option could be the New York Rangers. While they are front runners for Brad Richards once free agency opens up, if that goes awry, they do have the space and the craziest of all GM's in Glen Sather to possibly pull this off. I see this as a dark horse at best, simply because they're freeing up their cap space for Brad Richards, and given that player's close relationship to current coach John Tortorella, it's hard to imagine Richards going anywhere else. Other teams with cap space to burn and some offensive woes are the Ottawa Senators (who have holes up and down their line up), Nashville Predators (who play a defensive system), St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche (who are currently deepest at center position).

So as free agency prepares to open its flood gates, we sit and watch as these rumors continue to fly. If you take the time to pause for a moment though, it only seems to make sense that he stays in Tampa Bay. Yzerman will be forever defined by what happens in the coming days, possibly weeks. He's smart and competitive, and there's no way he's simply going to be out bid for a player. If a team puts together a deal, he can simply match it for a year and spend all that time negotiating a long term contract. While fans are enjoying the thoughts of Stamkos in their favorite team's sweater, at the end of the day it's just a pipe dream. Anything is possible, sure, but this one is probably the furthest from it, without being officially impossible.

A What the Puck Kinda Day

The truth about Ryan Smyth requesting a trade comes out, the Canadiens sign the best d-man on the IR to a 3 year deal and oh yeah, the Flyers take over the hockey world in a span of about 20 minutes. What the pucking puck just happened today?! We're going to try to make sense of it all.

In terms of trade rumors, Jeff Carter's name comes up just below Tomas Kaberle's. Just in the past few weeks he has been traded to every team in the NHL...twice. Probably rumored to play in the KHL or form a new league, the JCHL, where he would be every team. The long term extension he signed earlier this year put a kink in the speculation chain, but since the Flyers early exit and their acquisition of the rights to Ilya Bryzgalov, Carter had once again become the center of trade rumors. The most popular, and ultimately the actual deal made, was Carter to Columbus for their first round draft pick, 8th overall, winger Jakub Voracek and a 3rd round pick. While Voracek doesn't have the stats resume, but he was amassing 40-50 points in Columbus and could certainly do more on a deeper Philadelphia squad. The big piece here is the 8th overall draft pick. The Flyers now have a chance to get another young top prospect. Even more rumors abound with this draft pick possibly being packaged with Kris Versteeg to Florida for the 3rd overall pick. Either way, the Flyers have a top 10 pick, something they haven't had in recent years. Oppositely, the Blue Jackets get what they have sorely needed since their inception, a number one center. While Carter is a shoot first center, he will be able to free up space for, and help distribute to Rick Nash.

Then shortly after the Carter trade was announced, the Mike Richards trade broke. This trade was certainly a shock. For all the news the rumor mill "leaks" this was held incredibly close to the vest. This is probably THE trade that shook up the hockey world, and particularly flyer fandom, the most. A player once regarded as the next Bobby Clarke became the next Eric Lindros over the course of a season. Mike Richards was their captain, and a player who gave his all on the ice. It's being reported that the trade call between GM Paul Holmgren and Richards was an emotional one, and I don't doubt it. Thought to be the Flyers captain for life, Richards managed to help the team even as he's leaving. The Los Angeles Kings got what they also needed in a legitimate top 6 foward. He will most likely play behind Anze Kopitar on the 2nd line for the Kings. In return for their coveted 2nd line center the Kings sent the Flyers a 2nd round draft pick, winger Wade Simmons and prospect Brayden Schenn. Schenn is widely regarded currently as the best player not in the NHL. A young gifted center who has been a point-per-game player (or better) at both the WHL and AHL levels. While it is unknown whether or not Schenn will immediately jump in the line up (presumably at the 3rd line spot) or play for the Flyers AHL affiliate, Wayne Simmons is a player who can jump in the line up now. Possibly a 2nd or 3rd line winger who is close to reaching the 20 goal mark, Simmonds will help to replace some of that offense the Flyers have traded away today.

The probable catalyst for at least one of these trades today was the signing of Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9 year deal worth 51 million dollars. The Flyers have now put their goaltending fate in the hands of the 31 year old Russian netminder. While this now puts a question mark around fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky, the Flyers got their "elite" netminder and are set to move forward. It's uncertain whether or not these trades will pay off or not, but regardless of the outcome, it's fair to say June 23rd will be a day Flyer fans everywhere won't soon forget.

A few quick words on the Markov signing by Montreal. Markov is a good player, but a player who has missed significant time the past two seasons with lower body injuries. A ten year veteran in the league, it is possible that his best years are behind him in terms of durability. A 3 year deal with a cap hit of 5.75 million seems like a gamble to me, but I suppose that's why I don't work as a GM in the league.

As far as the Ryan Smyth rumors are concerned, it has been handled ridiculously. Here is a player requesting a trade for family reasons that for whatever reason has been turned into a he said-she said debacle. While I understand trade possibilities leak all the time, this situation could certainly have been handled better from all sides. Reporters report what they are given. I don't blame Bob McKenzie for "breaking" the story, nor do I blame the Edmonton Journal for asking Smyth about it. However, I do think that it might not have turned into the circus it has become if handled in a slightly different matter. This isn't like Danny Heatley who simply wanted out of Ottawa (or Atlanta), and became a drama queen about where he was possibly traded. This is a player who has carried himself with nothing but class his entire career, and has asked to go "home" for whatever reasons (it's none of my business to know). Let's not try to crucifying him. Oddly enough everyone, there are things more important than hockey. Well sometimes anyway.

Final Thoughts on 2010-2011

No, this isn't going to be a Jerry Springer rip off, although that would be hilarious. Anyway, with the puck having been dropped for the final time, and the Cup awarded I think now is a good time to comment on the Cup Final series as well as look back at the season in general.

The Stanley Cup Finals certainly lived up to their own already impressive reputation. Not since 2007-2008 has a President's Trophy winner competed in the Stanley Cup Finals. It also saw two Vezina finalists; Tim Thomas, the eventual Conn Smythe winner; and Roberto Luongo, the scapegoat of the millenium, go head-to-head. Also center stage were the Sedin twins, perhaps the first brothers to win Hart Trophies, and possibly doing it consecutively. With the previous rounds providing seemingly endless amounts of water cooler moments, the finals proved to be no different.

This series saw two teams with radically different approaches to the game. The Canucks are a much more effective puck moving team, and early results showed that as crisp passing would pull Thomas out of position on more than one occasion, giving Vancouver easy goals. Unfortunately for the Canucks, they ran into a much more physical team in the Boston Bruins. Boston presented something the Canucks didn't really face in the playoffs until the Cup finals. Boston used their bodies effectively and won the war of attrition against the Canucks and as series wore on it paid dividends, ultimately leading them to their first Cup win since 1972. Injuries to key defensemen as well as undisclosed injuries to members of their foward core rendered Vancouver's offense all but useless.
The unofficial battle for the Vezina was a sight to behold in games 1 and 2. It took until the final 19 seconds of game 1 to see a winner and OT in game 2 to see Vancouver come away with a 2-0 series lead. Unfortunately, Boston's TD Garden was anything but kind to Luongo. Losing 8-0 and 4-0 in games 3 and 4 to bring Boston even. Whether or not the hit to the head of Nathan Horton was the official catalyst or not for Boston's surge remains to be seen, but it certainly looked like it turned something on for the Bruins and they ran with it. Games 5 and 6 once again saw the home teams winning, with Luongo picking up his 2nd shutout of the series in game 5, forcing the decisive game 7 on Wednesday night.
It seems that Nathan Horton's delivery of water from the TD Garden ice surface proved to be the good luck charm the Bruins needed as they scored in the first period and never looked back. Despite Luongo giving up four goals, you cannot place all the blame on his shoulders. At the end of the day your best players need to be your best players, and for Vancouver they were anything but the best. In a series that should've shown the best of the best that hockey can offer, it showed us that diving and whining about officiating was more important than bearing down and trying to outwork the competition for the Canucks. From where I was watching, there seemed to be a sense of entitlement surrounding the Vancouver team that I simply cannot explain. The better team on paper, got outworked by a group of guys who simply wanted it more. Desire will always win when talent doesn't want to perform.
Regardless of the awful display by certain people set on willful destruction and mayhem following the end of game 7, the Stanley Cup playoffs were excellent all around. Boston's greatest moment will be the lifting of the cup, but they cannot forgot the remarkable comeback season of Tim Thomas, setting the modern day record in save percentage and basically having the best season anyone can remember for a goalie in quite some time. Let us not forget the Nashville Predators advancing to the second round in their history, mark with exclamation points on Pekka Rinne's regular season and playoffs, as well as Joel Ward being a beast in the playoffs. Although I'm fairly certain most people in Nashville will want to forget Bobby Ryan's incredible goal in their first round series. We can also look at Tampa Bay's climb back towards the top of their division and Conference Finals appearance (their first playoff appearance since 06-07) with their impressive erasing of the 3-1 Pittsburgh series lead to eliminate them, then moving on to sweep the Washington Capitals. Despite what the front office, players and fans would regard as a disapointment, the Flyers James vanReimsdyk burst on the scene with one of the most single handedly dominating performances in recent memory in game 2 against Boston in the 2nd round.

Even the 2010-2011 regular season had some great moments. The second half pushes from the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils were truly remarkable. Both teams played some of the best hockey of the year when it mattered most. While early season stumbles proved too much to overcome, it was certainly entertaining to watch them make everyone take notice. I would be remiss to not mention the Maple Leafs who also put together a late season surge, led in no small part by the play of James Reimer, aka Optimus Reime. The Leafs already did the smart thing and locked him down to an extension and for the first time in a long time the future seems legitimately bright in Toronto.
Corey Perry in Anaheim was this year's only 50 goal scorer and was part of one of, if not the most, dangerous line in hockey with Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan. Martin St. Louis put together his best season since 06-07 playing with Steven Stamkos, proving to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league today. While talking about Philadelphia goaltending is both repetitive and usually depressing, the performance of Sergei Bobrovsky certainly deserves mention. Undrafted out of Russia, he won the starting job in training camp, when most predicted he would be in the AHL. With the usual rookie ups and downs he turned in a solid rookie season and only looks to get better.

And now it is time to say goodbye to the 2010-2011 NHL season. We all had our good times and bad. Playoff beards have been shaven by all but the grizzliest of men, and we turn our eyes to the draft next week and July 1 for the start of Free Agency. I would also like to thank those of you who have actually taken the time to read this over the season. For being not even a year old, and far from a "professional" blog, it's nice to know that there are some of you out there who read this and (hopefully) enjoy it. The season is over, but the mediocre coverage you've come to know and...tolerate will continue this off season. I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about, so keep reading.

and now the east

(hey NHL, the picture is yours i know. i'm not saying it's mine. don't sue me jerks)

The Eastern Conference wrapped up its quarterfinal rounds tonight in dramatic fashion. Montreal and Boston went into OT, where Boston actually won a game 7, and Tampa Bay came back from being down 3-1 in the series to ride out a last minute penalty to defeat the Penguins at the Consol Energy Center. We now officially have our match ups, so it's time to break them down.


#1 Washington Capitals vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular season results, Washington wins 4-2 (3-1-1 tampa bay)

The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers, erasing some dubious history of losing a series after being up 2-0. Michael Neuvirth has been excellent, even in loses for the Caps. Look for him to continue starting for the Caps to start this series. Meanwhile Southeast Division rivals, the Tampa Bay Lighting, have fought back from the brink of elimination to advance to the next round. Dwayne Roloson has been huge for the Lightning since being acquired from the New York Islanders earlier in the season.

Washington Capitals: The Capitals are past the first round, and they beat an excellent goaltender to do it. The commitment to team defense has really paid off. All of their regular season adversity has really seemed to make this a better club this spring. While, one player does not make a team, the deadline acquisition of Jason Arnott certainly hasn't hurt. The goaltending carousel has stopped on Michael Neuvirth and he has yet to disappoint. Washington will need to get more scoring out of Backstrom who has a points in the first series. Yes, not even a number, but a letter of points. The trio of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin will need to step up for Washington as Tampa Bay is more offensively gifted than the Rangers.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tampa Bay has really come into their own under first year head coach Guy Boucher. Given the talent this team has up front, it's not so much as surprise as it is a relief. The Lighting have a goaltending merry-go-round of their own, as four goaltenders have played for them this season. When the ride finally stopped Rollie the ageless goalie, Dwayne Roloson, has emerged as their starter and he is on a mission. Twice in his career, before the series against Pittsburgh, he has lead a team back from being down 3-1 and almost singlehandedly won a cup in Edmonton. It's hard to recall an injury to one player being so significant to a team, than Roloson going down in '06. With the team he has in front of him, it's very possible that Roloson can will this team back to their first Cup final appearance since their win in 2004.

Breakdown: Look for goals, and lots of opportunities. Neither of these teams are defensive juggernauts, but they are capable of keeping games close. At the end of the day though, these are two teams who are more comfortable scoring goals than preventing them. With that said, goalies will still be called upon to make crucial saves to give their teams a chance to win.

Bottom line: Bolts in 7. Look for this series to be a back and forth battle. As good as Neuvirth has been good, Roloson knows what it takes to win and will be a deciding factor in this series.


#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs #3 Boston Bruins
Regular season results, Boston won 2-1-1

The Flyers have once again staged a comeback in the playoffs, battling back from 3-2 to defeat Buffalo in an exciting series. Boston was engaged in one of the oldest rivalries in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. In a series where the home teams were both 1-2 before game seven. Boston was the aggressor getting leads and holding them for periods of time, but the Habs continually battled back and forced overtime where they ultimately lost thanks to Nathan Horton. The win has set up a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference semi final, where the Flyers became only the third team in the NHL to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to win a series. In that monumental game seven the Bruins managed to blow a 3-0 lead. This series is going to be epic

Philadelphia Flyers: Well we can't talk about how determined this team is, or the talent from the the fowards to the defense. No, the only thing that matters in Philadelphia is goaltending. Will it be Boucher? Bob? Leighton? It doesn't matter that Danny Briere leads the league this postseason with goals, or that Claude Giroux leads the postseason with assists and is second in points and Timmo Kimmonen leads the league at +9. None of that matters since they don't have a superstar goaltender capable of stopping shots from five different angles at once. While goaltending is certainly a concern, Brian Boucher has been more than up to the task of backstopping the Flyers. With the exception of a terrible stretch during game 5, Boucher has been excellent between the pipes for Philadelphia. He's 3rd among all goalies in the playoffs in goals-against average (not including Lindback or Niittymaki who came in relief for their respective clubs). Their abysmal power play has shown signs of improvement since Chris Pronger has returned to the lineup, scoring critical goals in both games 6 and 7.

Boston Bruins: The Big Bad Bruins are more than capable of playing physically, yet they seemed content to let the faster Canadiens move as they pleased. They will need to up their physical play against the Flyers, a team who can bang and move. The Bruins have an undeniable edge in net with Tim Thomas who had one of the best regular seasons in recent memory. They're going up against a team who can put a lot of rubber on net. Timmy Thomas will need to be at his best to keep the Bruins in the game. The Bruins will need to improve their special teams, especially their power play which was absolutely dreadful against Montreal. The Flyers kill penalties aggressively and the Bruins will need to be smart with the puck, or they will give up shorties. Chris Kelly has been an excellent pick up for them in the post season. He leads the team in goals and is second on the team in points. Look for him to continue his steady play against the Flyers.

Breakdown: This should be a very physical series, as both teams are able to bang bodies and dish out some punishment. The key will be special teams. The Flyers are looking to be clicking on the power play, while the Bruins power play is powerless. This is one of the more evenly matched series we will see this post season and should be an exciting one. The Flyers entered the playoffs on a terrible run, but picked it up in the series against Buffalo. The Bruins were in a tight division race all year and rode the back of Tim Thomas to the third seed. The speed of the Habs showed their weaknesses, but given the history between these teams, expect this to be hard hitting and nasty. Boston will want revenge for last year, and the Flyers will look to get a lead and stay on top.

Bottom Line: Flyers in 6. Given the officiating this post season, and both teams ability to sit in the sin bin, special teams will be crucial to this series. Boston will need to find a way to score on the power play, otherwise they will have to completely dominate five-on-five play to get to the conference finals. The Flyers will also need to continue to find success on the power play. Tim Thomas is more than capable of stealing games, so scoring when you have the man advantage will be huge.

What about Bob

AKA: Ring around the Rosie, Are You Pucking Kidding Me, Broad Street Bullshit. Or for the neo-cons out there, Bobrovsky Shrugs

It's April, that means two things; the playoffs are here and the Flyers goaltending is being questioned. Although to be fair, it's questioned year round. The season started with questions of whether or not the inability to land a number one net minder would spell doom for the flyers. Then the reports of Michael Leighton being hurt gave way for the the emergence of Russian prospect, Sergei Bobrovsky. Bob, as he's now known, came out in pre-season, if for nothing else than to get a look at him playing the North American game. He came over from the KHL's equivalent of the Edmonton Oilers and had decent numbers there. Undrafted, the Flyers signed him to a deal. It is my belief that Bob was to start in Adirondack with Johan Backlund, but the injury to Michael Leighton along with Bob's excellent pre-season appearances changed all that.

So the season goes on, and Bob plays well. There were even rumblings of Bob being a Calder Trophy candidate, and with good merit in the first half of the season. One thing that people have often overlooked, and it's now coming to the forefront, is that Bob has never played any more than 35 games in a professional season in Russia. Couple that to the fact that the European game is more deliberate than the faster more physical North American game, and it makes for one tired rookie. Even if Bob has been reluctant to admit it this season, it looks like he might be hitting the wall. Bob has always said the right things after games and put the effort in out on the ice, but after Game 1 he refused to talk to the media. It's entirely understandable as he turned in a solid performance, but couldn't hold on for the win. It's understandable to be upset after a loss, and he is still just a 22 year old rookie, which seems to be forgotten sometimes, and these ups and downs of a season are part of the growing process. It's just unfortunate for Bob that he's starting to struggle at the most crucial time: playoff time.

Given his play down the stretch and into this opening round, the team has to go with better goaltender. Coming off the bench early in game 2, Brian Boucher played well, allowing only 1 goal in 40+ minutes of relief. Brian Boucher has been the consummate professional this year. After being signed as a backup last season to Ray Emery only to lose his job, twice to waiver pick up Michael Leighton, he has never once complained or done anything other than his job. This season is no different. He comes into camp with a chance to win the starting job, only to lose it to a kid. An unknown kid at that. Once again he has embraced his position, and has served a role that he has once been familiar with, albeit on the other side. In his rookie campaign, also with the Flyers, he played ahead of John Vanbiesbrouck, Beezer acted like a mentor to the young Boucher and he is now returning the favor as best he can to Bobrovsky. Quietly, as seems to be his M.O., Boucher has turned in one of his best seasons and leads the team in most goaltending statistical categories , (.916 SV% 2.42 GAA to Bob's .915 2.59 GAA).

So Boucher enters the playoffs and relief, and is now the starter for the Flyers. Stands to reason that Bobrovsky would be the backup, however this is the Philadelphia Flyers. Dressing tonight for the backup is none other than Michael Leighton. Leighton, who started the year on IR, made one appearance (a win 1-0-0 4.00 gaa .889 with the big club this season) before being assigned to Adirondack to get playing time and heal. He was re-called with a few days to go in the regular season, admist speculation as to whether or not he would clear re-entry waivers. Well he did, and he was a healthy scratch, until this evening. Whether or not Leighton will get any action this season remains to be seen, but right now this is Brian Boucher's job to lose.

Have the Flyers soured on Sergei Bobrovsky so quickly? I honestly don't think so, but Boucher has almost a zen-like calming influence on the Flyers right now, and he has been solid all year, so you go with the "hot" goalie, if 2+ periods of hockey makes a goalie hot. To come full circle, what about Bob? In the long run, one has to expect that Bob will be fine. He is still a young kid who can barely speak the language, and still has a lot to learn about the the nuances of the game, as well as its physicality. This could actually be good for him in terms of his development. No one can deny the contributions that Bob has made to this team. He helped this team jump out to a dominating division and conference lead earlier in the year. The play of the entire team was the reason for the Flyers slipping to the 2nd seed in the East, and cannot be placed on one player. If there are to be any criticisms to be made about Bob's performance at all this season, it is his tendency to go down early. "Shoot high" is the mantra when playing against the Flyers, and with good reason. What I have noticed is that Bob actually makes himself smaller at times when making the save. The one thing you hear from every coach, analysts and other so called "experts" (aka know it all motherpuckers with blogs) is that goalies need to make themselves larger, take away the open space. Bob's athleticism is second to none, and he is still young and goalies are slower to develop than skaters. Sam Carchidi has commented that Bob needs to bulk up a bit to be tougher covering the puck, and I would have to agree. Look to Bob to come into camp this summer hungrier and with a possible chip on his shoulder. Despite the talented goaltenders in the organization (Joacim Eriksson and Nic Riopel especially), the future of the Flyers will be in the hands of Sergei Bobrovsky. In a town that has notoriously looked for the next one in net, something they haven't had since Hextall's first go round in Philadelphia, Bob has given Philly phaithful plenty to be hopeful about. He's young, athletic and hungry. Look for #35 between the pipes for a long time. In the meantime we all have to remember, he's still a kid.

It's preview time.

No pontificating (I just wanted to say that) about the end of the regular season. You know it's over, and you know it was awesome. The playoffs are here and it's time to get down to business. So without further adieu (bi-lingual up in the mo-pucker) here is the Eastern Conference matches and my "expert" analysis and predictions.

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 New York Rangers
Regular Season results, Rangers win series 3-1 (Caps 2-1-1)

The Rangers once again needed the last day of the season to clinch a playoff spot, and they needed help from the Tampa Bay Lightning to do it. The Caps on the other hand, have once again finished on the top of the heap, and while they failed to capture the President's Trophy for two years in a row, but till have the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers will be out to prove that they deserve to be in, and the Caps are looking to finally get passed the first round and show they're for real.

Caps: The Caps have improved defensively and that was their biggest downfall the last few years in the playoffs. Their run-and-gun offense was fine in the regular season, but when the playoffs start and teams buckle down, it's not always enough to play fast and loose. What remains to be seen is whether or not Mike Greene will be back in the line up after dealing with his head injury. He will certainly help the Caps power play which finished the season at 17.5%. The biggest question will be whether or not the Caps young goaltenders will be able to rise to the occasion and get them over the hump. All three goaltenders who have played for the Caps this season have been rather solid between the pipes, but only Varlamov has any kind of playoff track record. Neuvirth seems to be the Caps choice heading into the first round, so it will be interesting to see if he's the key to the Caps success or not.

Rangers: Rangers might have just made the playoffs on the last day, but the last few games have been some really inspired hockey with gutsy wins over division leaders Boson and Philadelphia. The Alanta shutout was a cause for alarm, but they bounced back and won when their backs were against the wall. They have lost one of their emotional leaders in Ryan Callahan to a broken leg, courtesy of Zdeno Chara. The return of captain Chris Drury seemed to be a morale boost. The play of Henrik Lundqvist has once again been stellar, as he is the NHL shutout leader this season, with 11. King Henrik, has been known to let in a softy in his day, so it should be interesting to see which version of him shows up come playoff time.

Breakdown: This series should be rather intense. The Rangers have a chip on their shoulder, but the Caps have something to prove of their own. Rangers and Caps have met in the playoffs before so there could be some bad blood brewing, if it hasn't started already. With the new commitment to better team defense, expect the Caps to put on a better display than they did last year against the Habs. Goaltending will be the key to this series. The Rangers actually put up more goals this season than the Capitals (233 to 224), so they aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe in an offensive battle. Their biggest problem is that they tend to score in bunches, so if the well runs dry against a team like the caps they could be in trouble. Will either goaltender be able to steal a game, possibly the series, for their respective clubs? Whoever can win the battle between the pipes will win the series. I think the regular season struggles of the Caps have made them a stronger team for the playoffs.

Bottom Line: Caps in 6. that's if they can get playoff caliber goaltending from Neuvirth...or whoever starts for them. If goaltending fails them again, Rangers in 7


#2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. #7 Buffalo Sabres
Regular Season results, 2-2 (Philly 2-1-1, Buffalo 2-2)

Stop me if you heard this before, but Philadelphia needed a solid last game effort to clinch a spot, and they have goaltending issues. Only difference now is that last year they were fighting for the final playoff spot, and this year they were fighting for the Atlantic Division title and #2 seed. Goaltenders for Philadelphia have been healthy this season as opposed to the trauma unit they had in goal last year, but their anointed starter has been pulled twice in his last few starts once again raising the question of who will be in the pipes come Game 1. Buffalo, has been...well Buffalo. Seemingly flying under the radar, but playing well enough to make it in.

Philadelphia Flyers: As stated above, the Flyers are once against in the midst of some goaltending issues, but that's par for couse at this point. Honestly, if this happened to any other team, it wouldn't be a big deal, but Philly's been having goaltending issues since Hextall's 2nd go round in the orange and black. It's up there with death and taxes as things you can count on in life. The recalling of Michael Leighton from the Phantoms only adds to the goaltending situation. Are the Flyers showing no faith in rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, or are the Flyers simply looking to add some insurance in case something should happen to either him or Boucher?
Offensively the Flyers are arguably one of the deepest teams in the playoffs. 7 players with 20 goals or more, two of which are over 30 goals on the season. They also have two players who just missed the 20 goal plateau, which means they could've had 9 players with 20 or more goals. Defensively, the Flyers have a terrific crop of 6 D-men, although the absence of Chris Pronger, courtesy of a broken hand, has been detrimental to the team. All aspects of their game has been suffering without his veteran leadership on the ice. Waiver pickup Nick Boynton is day-to-day with neck issues, so look for the 6th man to be Danny Syvret, until Pronger or Boynton is healthy enough to come back in the line up. Obviously the Flyers are hoping for Pronger's return first and foremost to help with their mediocre power play and PK.

Buffalo Sabres: Buffalo enters the playoffs on a decent streak of 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, securing the 7th seed. Thomas Vanek has been one of the hottest players down the stretch, and their leading scorer for the season. The acquisition of Brad Boyes has also sent a message that the Sabres are out to win, and they want to win quickly. Previous ownership of the team was notoriously frugal, and the new owner has come in with a message to the team that he wants to win, and he's willing to spend to do it.
Defensively one has to look at Tyler Meyers, rookie phenom who had one of the worst sophomore slumps in the first half of the season. He has since been on a tear and managed to finish even in plus-minus, after being a minus for the majority of the time leading up to the midway point of the season. Jhonas Enroth has also been a pleasant surprise for Buffalo this season. It used to be the Sabres only had a chance to win with Miller between the pipes, as Patrick Lalime has been terrible during his tenure in Buffalo. To give you an idea of his "success" in Sabres blue, in the past 3 seasons with the sabres, he has been a combined 9-26-5, including 0-5-o this season. Those are numbers that instill confidence in your back up. Enroth on the other hand is 9-2-2 this year, already equalling Lalime's wins over 3 seasons. If something should happen to Miller, Enroth appears to have the skills to step in and get some wins for the Sabres. At the end of the day though, this is still Ryan Miller's team, and he will need to be brillant to stifle the Philadelphia attack.

Breakdown: Philly limped into the playoffs this year, but they did that last year too. Will they capture lightning in a bottle twice, or will the lackluster 20 game stretch be too much for them? The long layoff should help, and hopefully they will use that time to rest up and nurse any nagging injuries before the series with Buffalo. Their regular season match ups have been exciting games, and the playoff atmosphere should only add to that. Will the man they call Bob say "nyet" to the Sabres and bring the Flyers one step closer to the Cup, or will they need to call on their expirienced backups? The Flyers have the physical edge, but Buffalo can punish you for being careless with the puck. If the Flyers can control the flow of the game their forecheck will wear down Buffalo. They will need to play smart and limit the term overs, something that has been a bit of an issue as of late. If they can do that, they can win.

Bottom Line: Flyers in 7. Ryan Miller will steal some games, but the Flyers should be able to prevail

#3 Boston Bruins vs #6 Montreal Canadiens
Regular Season results Montreal wins 4-2 (boston 2-3-1)

Boston Bruins: The "big bad" Bruins have certainly lived up to their name this year. Towards the top of the lead in fighting majors, and if there is a stat for this, they have to be up there in breaking opponents bones. Well at least Chara is anyway. Their abilities to be excellent loan sharks notwithstanding, the play of Timmy Thomas has to be noted. While most people out there were willing to write him off after last season (myself included) he has stormed back and not only silenced even the harshest of critics, he did so while setting a new record in save percentage of .938%. As long as Tim Thomas is between the pipes, the Bruins will have a chance to win every game they play.

Montreal Canadiens: In one of the most bizarre moves of last year's off season, the Habs traded the rights of Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for a 6-pack and half a pizza. After their run to the Eastern Conference finals, defeating both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in playoff series for the ages, they essentially say "thanks for that, now don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya," although it probably sounded way more pompous in French. The Habs decided to stick with Carey Price and he has rewarded them with his best season as a professional, with each stat being a career high for him. The Canadiens will need more of this kind of play out of him if they have any kind of hope to beat the Bruins

Breakdown: This is like a prize fight where it's speed versus power. There is no way the Habs can compete with the Bruins in a physical series, but the Bruins cannot compete with the speed of the Habs. Whoever can control their aspect of the game will be victorious. There is already a long standing history between these two Original Six teams, and this regular season has only added to it. The Pachioretty incident will certainly be talked about again, and the Habs should use that to their advantage, but looking at their first meeting with the B's after that, they simply came out flat. The Canadiens will need to skate and move the puck quickly to keep Boston reeling. Conversely, the Bruins will need to bang on the Habs every chance they get. You often hear players say from the bench "no easy plays, boys" and the mantra should hold true for Boston. Finish every check and make the Habs pay a price every time they touch the puck, and they will success. Both goalies will need to bring their best efforts to give their teams a chance to win. You have two Vezina caliber goaltenders going head to head in one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL, and this should be an exciting series to watch.

Bottom Line: Boston in 5/6. The Habs will need to find a way to respond to the physical game of the Bruins if they have a chance. Plus, Tim Thomas has been a beast all season, and I don't that changing any time soon.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #5 Tampa Bay Lightning
Regular Season results, series split 2-2

This is the series the league will be pushing the most in the first round. Will Crosby be back in time to play in this series? What will Steven Stamkos be like in the post season? These are two teams with players who know what it takes to win the cup, and who want to win. Who will want it more?

Pittsburgh Penguins: When Crosby was on nearly a two point-per-game pace, the play of Marc-Andre Fleury was suspect at best. Then when both Malkin and Crosby were lost for the season, the man they call Flower came up huge for them. Jordan Staal finally returned to the line up after his broken hand injury and has been this team's number one center in the absence of the team's top two guys. Credit to Dan Bylsma for turning this team into a more defensive minded team amidst the loss of their two most offensively dynamic players. It is working well for them, as everyone was expecting them to fall off the face of the earth without Crosby and Malkin.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher have turned Tampa Bay into what they should've been for years, a playoff team. Steven Stamkos was on pace for 50 in 50, and while he fell off his torrid offensive pace, he still managed to finish the season with 45 goals and 91 points. Line mate Martin St. Louis turned in his second best season in terms of points, and set a new personal record for assists. In terms of Center-Winger combinations they are 2nd only to the Sedins in terms of points, but not by much. Vincent Lecavalier looks like he's finding his game again scoring more goals this season than last season, despite playing in 17 fewer games. He's a long way from his career years, but he knows what it takes to win, so look for him to step his game up in the playoffs. The big question in Tampa is goaltending. Expect Dwayne Roloson to start. At 41, you have to wonder if he has it in him to sustain a long playoff run, but he seems to be ageless between the pipes.

Breakdown: The Penguins are perennial favorites for the division title and conference lead. This year was no different, and they challenged right up until the end for the division. Tampa Bay was leading their division for awhile, but lost it to the Caps. With both teams having a mix of veterans who know what you need to do to hold the cup over your head, as well as young hungry players, it will simply come down to who wants it more. Dwayne Roloson carried the Oilers to the Cup finals in '06, and if not for his injury, it's quite possible they would've won. Can Rollie the ageless goalie do the same for Tampa Bay? The Lightning are a team that can score, but they can also give up as many as they put in. Roloson will have to be his old self and be prepared to steal this series.

Bottom Line: Pens in 7. This should be a back and forth series, but it just seems like the Pens will find a way to pull this one out. Roloson will have to steal a few games in order for the Lightning to be victorious. Tampa has given up the most goals this season, and I don't see that changing in the playoffs.




So there you have it, the east in a nutshell. Yeah i picked all the top seeds, but honestly these series can all go either way. The only series I really see being "easy" to predict is Boston/Montreal. I will be back tomorrow, or Tuesday, with the Western Conference previews. Those should be fun matchups.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers "live" blog

I kept an active blog on the game today. Read along.


1st Period: Ugh, Pierre McGuire to start the broadcast. It could only be worse if Mike Milbury is between the glass. Doc Emerick, and Eddie O with the call. Boosh vs. King Henrik. Oh hey, Gaborik is healthy. Give it 20 minutes.

20:00 Here we go.

19:09. Flyers remain the only team in the NHL without a shutout. The first bit of sustained pressure by the Rangers results in goal. Dubinsky puts the work in and Callahan gets the goal.

17:48 Flyers set up. decent puck movement, but Lundqvist is gonna stop everything he can get square to.

17:15 Doc let's us know that Jeff Carter is out sick with the flu. Oh no, who will throw it high and wide for the Flyers?

16:05 Prust stopped on the wraparound. A quick flash of the pads by Boucher to close the door. Flyers getting out played so far. Most of the first 4-5 minutes played in the Philly end.

14:48 Flyers can't get set up. They look tired so far, playing yesterday.

14:21 Penalty to the Flyers. Trip (?) on Shelley. Really, Shelley to the box? In other news ice is cold.

14:08 McCabe with a slapper from the point, gloved up by Boosh. Rangers are tied for 24th in the league in Power Play, Flyers are 7th on the PK

13:11 Zuccarello wide open back side, but Boucher gets square and smothers the high snapper. No rebound. Decent kill so far. Any shots getting through are being stopped.

12:20 Penalty over and now Hartnell draws the penalty. This should almost be a wash since the Philadelphia penalty is terrible right now. and we go to commercial. I can't wait to hear more of Pierre McGuire's "expert" analysis. This dude is the James Lipton of hockey broadcasters. Please. Shut up.

12:02 We're back. Fedetenko in the box, thanks to Hartnell's fine acting.

11:25 nice hard pass by meszaros, snatched up by Lundqvist. He seems on his game so far today. Flyers will need to get bodies in front and hope for some deflections or screens.

10:50. Flyers getting excellent puck movement...but that's it. Ok NOW they're shooting. If the flyers keep this up, a very tired rangers kill is going to yield something.

10:02. Rangers escape that one.

9:25 Shelley and Boyle in a quick scrap after Shelley drops Gilroy with a heavy hit along the half boards. Shelley wins! I'm pretty sure hell has frozen over. Boyle gets an instigator penalty. ....wow. Didn't expect that at all. Not a good call. Torts is PIIIIIIIIIIIISSED! Flyers back on the power play.

9:04 Flyers once again getting great puck movement, but refuse to shoot. Interesting seeing Carle playing so low. Pronger is the guy up top

8:28 ....and that's it. Richards to the bin for Slashing.

7:51 Rangers get away with a delay of game. Ruled a tip, but wasn't.

7:20 abbreviated power play beings for Rangers.

7:02 Callahan with his 2nd on the power play. bad angle shot, roofed it. Boosh thought pass, so Callahan took the real estate given. Flyers in a hole now

6:25 "It's all Rangers right now" says Doc Emerick. Just in case you didn't see the scoreboard, or just turned your TV on right now.

5:30 Flyers are in trouble. Rangers are pressing. Out hitting, and out hustling. Flyers have no sustained pressure. It can easily be 3 or 4 by the end of the period if they don't do something.

4:17 Why does Brian Boucher play the puck? It's like he's in cahoots with Cholesterol and high blood pressure to help give people heart attacks.

3:13 Rags come in with a 3 on 1 and Boosh makes the save. He's easily been their best player, which doesn't say too much considering the score. In all fairness, he's getting no support and it could be worse. The first period cannot end soon enough for the Flyers. They need to regroup.

2:42 Flyers with a chance, but once again can't convert.

2:05 Carle backhander stopped by Lundqvist. This one and done will not work against a goalie like Lundqvist. No traffic = no goals.

1:02 PING! The post is the goalie's best friend.

0:46 Andres Nodl with a great pass to Grioux, who's robbed by Lundqvist. too little too late in the first. Hands down their best chance of the period.

0:00 Period over. The Rangers need to keep up the pace. They're absolutely dominating every aspect of the game. Torts should just stroke the ego a little bit and let them know they're killing it right now. The other locker room should be fire and brimstone. Flyers came out flat and are now 2 goals down. Only positives to take away is puck movement on the power play. They kept it in the zone and out worked the PK. However they have nothing to show for it, since the don't pucking shoot. Rangers are out shooting the Flyers 14-7. U

And now it's time to Milbury-McGuire. NBC....PLEASE fire these assholes.

20:00 2nd period underway. Time to see what kind of adjustments the coaches made, and if the players are actually paying attention.

19:05 Rangers continue to dominate. Dubinsky and Richards scrapping in response to a big hit by Richards. Capt. Mike is clearly trying to spark the team, but Dubinsky is getting the better of him. Hopefully this will wake the Flyers up. Edzo points out flyers with 6 hits in the oppening 55 seconds.

18:14 Avery laying in the crease picks up the goal. 3-0 Rangers. Any interference is negated since Meszaros hooked him. oooohhh replay shows him kicking it. They're going upstairs. Commentators are calling a "distinct kicking motion," but he was hooked and going down. Will be interesting. Wow, 20 years of video review. War room says kicking motion. Thems the breaks when you're Sean Avery. Flyers get away with one. Let's see if they can build on it.

17:30 The Flyers cross the redline. Yeah that's it.

16:48 Gaborik just threw a punch at Versteeg. Coming back from a concussion and already getting your bell run by a Flyer before, you'd think he'd learn. Matching minors.

15:40 Flyers shooting from the half boards, failing to get any sustained pressure. It's going to be an easy afternoon for Lundqvist if this keeps up

14:54 Rags get the 3rd goal back. Zuccarello converts the 2 on 1. Matt Carle playing the pass, and Boucher just gets beat far post. Something's gotta give for the Flyers

Commercial break. via Tim Panaccio's twitter "not sure if UGLY fully does justice in describing this game right now"

13:32 And that's the trick for Callahan. Versteeg served up the biscuit on a platter. Boucher beaten from just inside the right faceoff dot. Based on play thus far, there's no way this game is going to improve for the Flyers. Bobrovsky coming in. This game is decided, barring a miracle. Final stats for Boucher, 4 goals on 18 shots.

12:52 Flyers going on the powerless play. 12 shots on goal so far. 0-2 on the power play this afternoon.

11:02 Flyers ice the puck. Really indicative of their play today.

10:26 Imagine that, Lundqvist making the easy save. He looks very comfortable, challenging up high.

9:58 Rangers again going to the box. Looks like Prospal. It's strictly academic at this point. The Flyers want to get on the bus, and the refs want to go home. It's times like this you almost wish there was a mercy rule, like in little league. Almost waiting for the short handed goal to put an exclamation point on this fiasco for the Flyers. Yeah I did that on purpose.

6:46 "All you need is one goal," says Eddie O. yes and no, simply because the Flyers right now haven't put forth a consistent effort to warrant a comeback. A goal a this point just goes towards a "respectable" loss.

5:59 Was about to compliment JvR one being one of the few Flyers putting for a decent effort....and he goes to the sin bin. Apparently the Flyers are treating this like a golf game. Everyone wants to be a minus today.

5:06 Bobrovsky with a stretch across the crease to deny Gaborik. Easily the best Flyer today....and he's been in for 8 minutes.

3:05 Briere to the box for slashing. I don't know if there's a stat for this, but in terms of just stick infractions Briere has to be among the league leaders. He's a like a combination of Zorro and Phil "Dr. Hook" McCracken.

2:02 Bobrovsky makes a nice save on Callahan to keep him at 3 goals.

1:00 last minute to play, and the horn can't come fast enough.

0:00 Rags leave the ice to hometown cheers. Rangers continue to dominate the play through 40 minutes. At this point it's all over, barring one of the craziest 3rd period comebacks ever. Rangers just need to continue to play they have been all day and they'll get out of here with a much needed two points. The only adjustments I see the Flyers making is their bus driver fixing his seat. Start warming it up now. The best part about the 2nd period was hearing Rusted Root in that Enterprise commercial...and I don't even like Rusted Root.

20:00 The Broadway domination continues. Pierre is commenting that the Flyers are not happy with the way they've played today. Ya think?! Thanks for that insight. I can't wait for more in depth reports like the Flyers are wearing orange

18:45 Nodl gets a stick up high after a good hit on Anisimov. 2 minutes only. Powerless play on for the Flyers.

18:12 Zherdev with a nice cross ice feed to Giroux, who with plenty of room....passed it back to the point. Poor decision making on the man advantage.

17:23 Briere to the box for Interference. He has to know most of the sin bin people by name at this point.

15:40 Callahan with his 4th of the night on the power play into the open net. Bobrovsky over committed and left the cage wide open.

13:42 Rangers clear the puck out of danger with Lundqvist on his back. Everything going the Rangers way today.

12:00 Flyers can't even beat the traffic today. Only thing going right for them today will be the bus as it drives out of NYC.

11:12 Bobrovsky freezes the puck. stop dragging this out.

9:50 The Flyers have their 4th line out there banging. At this point any energy they create will be a waste. Might as well play them anyway, give the other guys a rest

9:12 vanRiemsdyk with a nice wrister, but Lundqvist is square and swallows it up. While he hasn't had too many scary moments, Lundqvist has been strong whenever he's tested. This is a team shutout, as the Flyers hasn't had too many quality chances, but Henrik will not be denied.

8:41 Meszaros played the 2 on 1 nicely denying the pass and Bobrovsky comes up with a save on Anisimov.

7:37 Every little miscue, errant pass or broken play has been a microcosm of the Flyers recent stretch of poor play. They're trying, but it's just not going their way. The frustration has to be reaching a boiling point. This is not a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations right now.

5:19 Anisimov for the 6 pack. He won't be denied by Bobrovsky again. The end can't come fast enough.

4:22 That sums it up. Nice puck movement, and it looks like they'll finally get on the board, and the puck won't go in. Not the flyers night.

1:13 Giants 7, Eagles 0. Oh wait, this is a hockey game. Rags put up 7. Zuccarello with his 2nd of the night.

0:00 Rangers with the shutout. they go to 1-4 on the year against the Flyers. Lundqvist gets his 9th shutout of the season. With the win, the Rangers hold on their 7th place position in the standings and the Flyers stay in first. This game was over almost as soon as it started. The loss drags out the Flyers winless streak, and one has to wonder where they go from here. I will be looking forward to the post game with Laviolette. He cannot be happy with his team, and with Flyers playing Edmonton on Tuesday and Toronto on Thursday, it could be a chance to right the ship. The Rangers meanwhile have to be happy with their performance today. While I don't think they will move up to 6th, it was a solid 2 point effort and helps to increase their grip on the 7th seed.

Trade deadline

Yep, it's that time again. With the trade deadline just 15 days away, I figured why not do a quick rundown of what I think every team needs to do in terms of acquiring players (buyers) or draft picks/prospects (sellers). Rather than break up the teams by division, as i have done in the past, it's gonna be just a list. With the amount of teams on the verge of making or breaking in the next few weeks it seems like there may not be so many traditional sellers as there are buyers, but either way the trade deadline could be interesting, so hold on to your hockey hats.

Anaheim Ducks: 31-21-4 66 points, 6th in West. (buyers)

Anaheim are one of five teams in the west of have given up more goals than they have scored so far this year, and they are the only one of those teams in a playoff position. They have already addressed a portion of their defensive struggles by trading Joffrey Lupul, Jake Gardiner and a conditional 4th round pick for Francios Beauchemin. I expect the Ducks to make a move for a foward to help balance the lines and take some pressure off Perry-Ryan-Getzlaf

Atlanta Thrashers: 25-23-10 60 points, 9th in the East (buyers)

If the flames want to make their first Kovalchuk-less playoff appearance they will need to remedy their current-21 goal differential. They will need a stay at home defensemen and another solid forward to help boost the goals, but defense is far more important to this team. They have a solid goaltender, and some decent young players up front, but with a penalty kill currently at 76.4%, ahead of only Edmonton's 75%, they need to shore up their defense if they hope to make a push into the playoffs.

Boston Bruins: 31-18-7 69 points, 3rd in the East (buyers)

The Bruins are most certainly in the buying market. They are the best defensive team in the east with just 2.32 goals-against per game, which also ties them for nashville for 2nd overall in the league. There have been rumors of Boston persuing another defenseman, which is a possibility, but given the cap space from Marc Savard's injuries they can definitely afford another forward. They are also 5th in the league averaging 3.05 goals per game. While GM Peter Chiarelli has the cap space to make a bigger move, I expect him to make depth moves, and shore up his team for the long run. Honestly I could see them go for a seasoned backup, given Tuukka Rask's subpar season. Tim Thomas will obviously be the #1 down the stretch and into the playoffs, but if something should happen to him, will Rask be enough to get them to the promised land? Right now I sincerely doubt it.

Buffalo Sabres: 26-22-6 58 points, 10th in the East (buying and selling)

The Sabres are in an interesting position. having played the fewest games of anyone in the east, they have the best chance of gaining ground, given their current position in the standings. The next few games will be critical for them. While they can certainly sneak in in the 7/8 spot, I think this season will more than likely end up a wash for Buffalo. I'd look for them to start testing the waters to see what they can get for some rental guys on their list. Tyler Ennis and Tyler Myers are the young building blocks on this team, and it would be nice to see the Sabres gear up for the long haul rather than just make it in again only to be knocked out early and have a mid round 1st pick.

Calgary Flames: 28-22-8 66 points, 10th in the West (buying and selling)

A few weeks ago it looked like the Flames were in the running for a lottery pick, but after an impressive run including going 7-1-2 in their last 10, Calgary is currently one point out of 8th and 4 points out of 3rd. Look for interim GM jay Feaster to see who is buying and who is selling. Would Iginla agree to leave if it would help this team in the long term, or would they trade reliable, but coveted Robyn Regehr? They're currently -4 in goal differential, but part of that was based on their awful play earlier in the season. The Flames are another team like Buffalo who can be both. Will they attempt a run with what they have, or start breaking this team down for a true rebuild, which has been something this team has needed for awhile.

Carolina Hurricanes: 27-22-8 62 points, 8th in the East (buying and selling)

A team much like Calgary and Buffalo where the next week or so will decide their fate. The Hurricanes have some coveted players like Eric Cole or Joni Pitkanen who would be worth a decent price on the market if they choose to sell. With a relatively young Eric Staal, Cam Ward along with excellent rookie Jeff Skinner, the young core has the understanding of what it takes to win as well as talent for years to come. Their -7 goal differential is something to consider when either choosing to buy or sell as it will be hard to win when you consistently give up more than you can score.

Chicago Blackhawks: 28-22-6 62 points, 11th in the West (selling more than buying, but willing to spend if the price is right)

The Blackhawks are still in cap trouble, so they are limited by what they can do. Good news is, that they are still in it, albeit on the bubble, and the core of this team is still intact. I expect the Hawks to make little noise, but may make a trade in the depth department. Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Seabrook and Keith are still here and that's a damn fine group to build around. I expect them to make a bigger splash in the offseason after any type of cap increase is made and their own cap woes get cleared up. I expect Stan Bowmen to listen to any deals, but I don't expect him to dismantle and start from scratch. There's too many good places already in place.

Colorado Avalanche: 25-25-6, 14th in the West (sellers)

The Avalanche finally did what everyone expected them to last year and that is fall off the pace. Only Matt Duschene and John-Michael Liles have played in all 56 games for Colorado so far and a fair amount of their roster has missed chunks of 10 games or more. While I listed them as sellers mainly due to their position in the standings, it can be expected that the Avs will play it safe and not decimate this team at the deadline. This is still a decent team, but they were hammered by injuries this season. The signing of Forsberg was an interesting move as it brings in a veteran presence to the team who knows what it takes to win, but on another level this season is really nothing more than a tryout for Foppa. If he stays healthy look for him to re-sign in the offseason and a healthy, conditioned Peter Forsberg will add something to this team, even at 37-38 years old.

Columbus Blue Jackets: 28-23-5 61 points, 12th in the West (sellers)

I still maintain that the Blue Jackets will miss the playoffs. They play in one of the toughest divisions in the league, and in a conference where every point matters. However, they are on a 7-3-0 run in their last 10 games, so I suppose anything in possible. There are still too many questions for me regarding this team. Is Steve Mason the real deal or just a flash in the pan? will there ever be a dynamic #1 center to play alongside Rick Nash? The -16 goal differential shows that they still need help defensively as well. Something's gotta give for this team eventually.

Dallas Stars: 31-19-6 68 points, 3rd in the West (buyers...maybe)

Why did I say maybe? Because the ownership of this team is in question, so money is tight. They have approximately 6.7 million in cap space, but I can't realistically see it being spent while there are ownership issues. Until that get resolved I see them sticking to what they have mostly, unless they can do a few trades that don't require a huge chunk of change for them. Brad Richards's impending UFA status will also make this an interesting 15 days. There are a number of teams who would like to acquire the center, but will Dallas make the deal, or will they manage to sign him before July 1? It's the front office issues that will make or break this team come the deadline. GM Joe Nieuwendyk has a difficult job ahead of him in the meantime. Damn, I didn't mean to make that rhyme. oh well.

Detroit Redwings: 34-16-6 74 points, 2nd in the West (buyers...but cap strapped)

The Redwings are typically buyers looking to fine tune their team for the playoffs, and this year is no different, however cap issues prevent them from taking on anything significant in terms of salary without giving something up. The biggest "issue" facing them right now is goaltending. Jimmy Howard hasn't been living up to expectations and Osgood has been injured. Joey MacDonald will not get it done for this team, and he currently has the best numbers. The Redwings are an entirely different animal come playoff time so the wings fans out there shouldn't be too concerned. There is an excellent group of winning veterans who know what it takes to win. They should be fine.

Edmonton Oilers: 16-31-8 40 points, 15th in the West (sellers)

Edmonton is a lock for another top draft pick again this year, and are in the position to move any number of players if the price is right. Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner have been rumored, but I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibilty to see Khabibulin moved. at 3.75 million and a cup winner, he could become attractive to a team looking to shore up it's goaltending, while not wanting to give up the farm on a Voukun or Giguere, who both come with a higher cap hit. There is an impressive crop of young talent on this team so the Oilers might to look to acquire some younger veterans (late 20's-early 30's) who still have some productivity left in them, but not washed up guys just looking to keep the checks coming in to help mentor the young talent. Still look for them to sell of marketable players, without mortgaging the future, and compiling draft picks.

Florida Panthers: 24-24-7 55 points, 11th in the East (sellers, but buyers too)

Look for Dale Tallon to sell what he can to continue to stockpile draft picks and young players, just like he did in Chicago. the Voukun rumor is too good not to write about, but there is the intent to re-sign him (or so they say). Tomas could get them an excellent return, providing they're willing to take back some salary. While the Pathers have so far played better than their record, proving to be a tough win for opponents most nights, they still need help at almost every position so I'm sure if the right deal comes along, Tallon will make it. They have the cap space to take a bit of a dump if they do decide to move Voukun before he becomes a UFA. They also have seven other pending UFA's to be on this team, so they could look to rebuild come the offseason. Should be fun to watch what they decide to do.

Los Angeles Kings: 31-22-3 65 points, 9th in the West (buyers!)

If there is any team that NEEDS to buy in the coming weeks it is the Los Angeles Kings. After an impressive performance by Jonathan Quick this afternoon against the Flyers, posting a 40 save shutout, it shows how dangerous this team can be, but also shows that they need help up front. While this has certainly been no surprise to anyone who has followed them at all this season, it's even more imperative now. They need to string wins together and they need to do it ASAP in the tight Western Conference. They have some cap space to play with, and have some assets they can move in a player for player deal if need be. Dean Lombardi has been playing it safe so far this season, but now is the chance to be bold. Make the move to get this team into the playoffs and past the first round. Quick is one of the best goalies in the league, and arguably a Vezina finalist. Give him the help in front he needs.

Minnesota Wild: 30-20-5 65 points, 8th in the West (buyers)

Minnesota are tied with LA with 65 points, but have a game in hand so are technically ahead of them. They are up against the cap with a little over a million in cap space to play with, but could do a player for player deal if it helps them. Their special teams are both putting up respectable numbers, 19.9% on the power play which is 8th in the league and a PK of 83.4% which is 11th. The Wild's biggest problem is their scoring .96 goals a game at even strength. While your special teams have to be effective in the post season, you also need to score at even strength. That is their biggest weakness. With the solid goaltending they've been getting from both Backstrom and Theodore, I would expect the wild to go after someone who can help them produce offensively...at least if they want to make the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens: 31-20-6 68 points, 6th in the East (buyers, but also cap strapped)

The Canadiens need help on their injury ridden blue line, but will need to shed salary to do so. Being a point back of rivals and division leading Boston makes any moves they make a must win for them. Carey Price must continue to perform, and they will need to shore up their defense down the stretch. They can't afford to give up 8 goals against anymore. They also need to beat teams they should be. Getting shut out by the Islanders should be a wake up call that something needs to happen to this team.

Nashville Predators: 30-19-7 67 points, 4th in the West (buyers)

The Predators are quietly one of the most consistent teams in the west. They don't dominate teams the way Detroit or Vancouver does, but they manage to win as a group without any real superstars, with the exception of Shea Weber. They have one of the better goalies in the league in Pekka Rinne and Anders Lindback has proven to be a capable backup. They have one of the best coaches in the league, who in my opinion needs to win a Jack Adams already, who manages to get results from teams most coaches wouldn't want. What Nashville needs to get over the hump is more consistent scoring. Their leading scorer is defenseman Shea Weber with 35 points. They need offensive talent to come to Smashville to make the more competitive and give their defense/goalies some room to breathe. While they never spend to the cap, they do have over 8 million in cap space and can afford to take on a larger contract than their used to to help them go further in the playoffs.

New Jersey Devils: 22-30-4 48 points, 13th in the East (sellers, if they can be taken and buyers)

The Devils under John MacLean were the worst team in the league, and their record now shows it. MacLean showed he wasn't ready for coaching in the NHL, and the team suffered for it. Enter coach Lemaire for his 3rd tour of duty and the team has turned itself around and climbed out of the basement. This is both good and bad. It's good because the roster was way too good to be in last, but they've ruined their chances to get a lottery pick and another young prospect to play in the organization. Cap trouble had crippled this team early on, and the move Jamie Langenbrunner did something to relieve it. Look for other veterans like Arnott to get moved if they agree to waive their NTC's. if they don't, their salaries come off the books at the end of the season and the devils can focus on re-signing Parise to a long term deal.

New York Islanders: 20-29-7 47 points, 14th in the east (sellers, but what's left)

Once again the Islanders are in the basement, and that's to be expected when you sell everything that isn't bolted down. Really the islanders/bridgeport sound tigers have little left in terms of trade value that they don't want to use to rebuild. I still like Garth Snow as a GM, but I understand that he is restricted by ownership. The Islanders were also crippled by injuries again this year. Mark Streit has yet to play a game, Doug Weight has only played in 18 game before being injured and Kyle Okposo only recently returned from injury sustained in preseason...and that's just the "marquee" players on this team. I'd expect Niederreiter to make the squad next year, and maybe their lottery pick from this upcoming entry draft as well. Once again DiPietro looks to be the x-factor as to whether or not he can actually stay healthy, but at this point it's almost a given that the Islanders should carry three goaltenders, just in case.

New York Rangers: 30-24-4 64 points, 7th in the East (buyers)

The Rangers got a much needed win this afternoon over division rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers also got what they were looking for in a strong PK and a resilient come from being victory. The Rangers will need to produce consistently and get strong goaltending from Henrik Lundqvist. There is a little cap space for them to play with, and Glen Sather knows how to spend...just not always wisely. A smart move can keep the Rangers in the playoffs, although given their position I don't see them making it out of the first round, but it's the playoffs so who knows how the blueshirts will respond.

Ottawa Senators: 18-30-8 44 points, 15th in the East (sellers)

The Senators need to have a fire sale. While not to deliberately belittle other teams in the East, when you are behind the Islanders and Maple Leafs you have some issues. Their goaltending is questionable at best, as Pascale Leclaire is injured just slightly less than DiPietro. Their defense has been horrid, and they're getting no sustainable scoring, with a -60 goal differential and the fewest goals for in the league at 126. The Sens really just need to start from scratch. Get market value for Spezza, and let Alfredsson go to a winner. Bryan Murray will, presumably, be fired at the season's end as will Cory Clouston. It really is a chance for Ottawa to start fresh, which is something they need to do.

Philadelphia Flyers: 36-14-5 77 points, 1st in the East (buyers)

The Flyers have been atop the East for the vast majority of the season. With one of the deepest teams in the league both offensively and defensively, the playoffs are a given, and after last season, on the Stanley Cup will be considered a success for this group. While the team are technically buyers, I can't see this team making any drastic moves. They have 8 players with 12 or more goals (the most in the league) and best 6 d-men playing right now. The biggest question is, surprise suprise, goaltending. Will the tandem of Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky be enough to get them the 2 wins they were shy of last year? There have been speculations of the Flyers going after Giguere or possibly Voukun, which would certainly up their odds come playoff time (assuming if they giggy, he stays healthy), but what will they have to give up? they can take a max of 3 million in cap space thanks to LaPerriere being on LTIR, but will still need to move someone to take on Giguere or Voukun. Versteeg has also been rumored, but again will the Flyers be willing to part with what the leafs will ask for? I would expect Paul Holmgren to play it safe and make a solid depth move. Might that mean saying goodbye to fan favorite Dan "Carbomb" Carcillo? Possibly, but we'll see in the next 15 days.

Phoenix Coyotes: 29-19-9 67 points, 5th in the West (buyers....if they can get ownership sorted out)

The Coyotes are looking like they'll make back to back playoff appearances for the first time since...ever? Keith Yandle is having a phenominal season leading the team, and all NHL defenseman, in scoring with 46 points. with 9 milion dollars in immediate cap space the 'Yotes can afford to take on some hefty salaries if it will help them, but with their ownership situation in flux, they are operating on a budget so it will be tough to bring in more players. Once again it will be up to Bryzgalov to carry this team into the playoffs and possibly out of the first round. The idea of Bryzgalov vs Rinne in the first round (if the playoffs started tomorrow) is an exciting match up. Phoenix can use some help both up front and on defense, but given their position right now, if it ain't broke, don't fix it right?

Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-19-4 74 points, 4th in the East (buyers)

While the Pens are 4th in the East, they are fading fast, as their lack of depth at forward has become evident these past few weeks and more specifically the past few games. Losing 9-3 in the hockey game that broke out at the UFC match on Long Island, and then blowing a 2 goal lead to lose 5-3 against the Rangers this afternoon, this is a team the desperately misses both Crosby and Malkin. Crosby hasn't played in roughly 15 games and still has a commanding points lead over their second leading scorer, Kris Letang. With Malkin lost for the season, they can use his LTIR cap space to make a move for a rental player or two to help up front until Crosby comes back...if he returns this season as his recovery has been slow. It was no secret that the Pens were weak on the wings, but with Crosby and Malkin as your one and two centers it didn't really matter. As long as they had someone who could skate with them and chip in when possible it was enough. Now it clearly isn't. The pressing issue for the Pens is do they persue a winger to play alongside Staal and then Crosby should he return, or do they go after another center to replace Malkin (if that is really possible) and continue as they have. I do not envy GM Ray Shero right now at all. Marc-Andre Fleury has recovered from an early season slump, but can he can he carry this team while their two biggest stars are on the shelf for who knows how long? A lot of questions coming out of "city of champions."

San Jose Sharks: 30-21-6 66 points, 7th in the West (swappers, since they're so strapped)

The Sharks have quietly climbed out of the basement from earlier this season and are now in the playoffs. Antii Niemi has started to play like they've hoped recently posting back to back shutouts. While Danny Heatly is on pace for his worst season in terms of points he still leads the team with points, but rookie Logan Couture leads the team with 24 points. Once again Joe Thorton is dishing assists like nobody's business, but will this line up be enough to get them over the hump? While the sharks have been the model for regular season success and post season failure, can their stuggles this season make them a better playoff team? They will need to make some moves to secure their blue line, and possibly move out Devin Setoguchi to do so. While the Sharks should be active, it might be more little deals like the Ben Eager trade, rather than a huge move one might expect. With their cap situation that's the reality for the sharks. Go with what you've got and tinker where you can.

St. Louis Blues: 24-21-9 57 points, 13th in the West (buyers)

Yes I did say that the St. Louis Blues are buyers. This is a team better than their record, but were simply crippled by injuries. Adding insult to injury, when trying to address their injuries and line up problems, they had two players claimed off waivers, leaving them high and dry. The Blues have a decent crop of young talent and one of the best goaltenders in the league with Jaroslav Halak. It's difficult to actually gauge how good or bad the Blues really are since the team they assembled to start the season isn't really the same team they have now. They have a lot of cap space and should teams be looking to move, the Blues can take them. But I don't expect the Blues to become a salary dumping ground. Look for them to be smart with their moves coming up and then make a move in the offseason.

Tampa Bay Lightning: 34-17-5 72 points, 2nd in the East (buyers)

Offense is not the problem for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have the 3rd highest goals for in the East behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but they give up just as many as they score (172 if you were wondering). While Steve Yzerman has been operating this team with a budget, they do have the cap space needed to acquire a solid defenseman who may have a higher cap hit than they'd like to spend. The addition of Dwayne Roloson has been great for them as he has posted 2 shutouts since coming over from the Islanders. The combination of Stamkos and St. Louis has been phenominal, as the two have combined for 140 points. The Lightning need defense in front of Roloson (and more specifically Ellis) to get this team back to the cup. While they're certainly capable of out scoring a team, like the Capitals of last year, my concern is that if they run into a team who ends up playing tight defense and making the most of their opportunites, will they have the defense to shut them down? Right now I'd have to say no.

Toronto Maple Leafs: 23-27-6 52 points, 12th in the East (sellers, but looking to buy as well)

In typical Brian Burke fashion, he wants to buck the trend of being a full on seller, and look to make player-for-player deals. However given the talent pool that the Maple Leafs have, I can't see many people looking to make those kind of deals. While the Beauchemin trade was good for the club as they needed scoring and Lupul comes to the team as capable top 6 guy (although in my opinion he's definitely a 2nd line winger at best), the team still has no number one center to play with Kessel and needs to address their overpaid and underperforming defense. Kaberle remains the big piece to move if possible. Burke has stated repeatedly that he won't ask Tomas to waive his NTC, and Kaberle doesn't seem interested in waiving. However at this point I would ask him where he would go and see what can be done. All signs are pointing to Kaberle running out the door July 1 and leaving the leafs high and dry, so why not attempt to get something for him in the meantime. Although on a personal note, I'd just like to see it done one way or another, because we've all been hearing about Kaberle all season and the record is old. The Leafs also have a bit of a goalie controversy. Will they move Giguere before the deadline and go with Reimer and Gustavsson? Is "the monster" even in Toronto's plans moving forward? He has had a few health scares with his heart, and so far as played far below expectations. That's a question for the off season I think. Gustavsson has shown flashes of what people have expected since he's come over to the NHL, but will he ever be able to play like that at a consistent level? That's the million dollar question...well that and who would take any leaf offered up in trade.

Vancouver Canucks: 36-11-9 81 points, 1st in the West (want to buy, but we don't take plastic)

The Canucks have so far steamrolled the competition so far. The Sedins are out to prove that last year wasn't a fluke for Henrik and that Daniel is just as good. Daniel is currently on pace for 106 points and 46 goals, both of which would be new career highs. Both Luongo and Corey Schneider (when called upon) have both posted respectable numbers of save percentages over .920 and goals-against averages under 2.40. The Canucks main concern at this point has to be their defense, as there has been a rash of injuries on their blue line, the latest being the concussion to Dan Hamhuis. The Canucks are built to win now, and will they be able to turn it up come playoff time and finally make it past the 2nd round? Time will tell. Vancouver will definitely have to shed salary first in order to make any kind of deal of note, but anything is possible as the deadline nears.

Washington Capitals: 29-17-10 68 points, 5th in the East (buyers...but probably won't)

The Capitals of 10-11 are a far different animal than that of even last year. The Capitals were an offensive juggernaut, daring teams to even try to keep up as they posted over 300 goals for. This year has seen the team struggle offensively and go on a losing streak the likes they haven't seen in washington in years. Everyone has said that their defense has needed work, and it has actually improved, but at a cost to the offense. Ovechkin, usually a lock for a Richard trophy finalist, is on pace for only 30 goals this season, by far his worst in the national hockey league. However he's still at almost a point per game pace, it's just not what everyone has come to expect from the "Great 8." While I believe the adversity they faced earlier this season has been somewhat of a blessing as they have never really handled anything like that before. They've been so used to winning they didn't know how to respond to losing. Now they do. The question still remains whether or not these young goaltenders will be enough to get them to the cup. Both Varlamov and Neuvirth have played well, but both have been injured at times, notably Varlamov. If he can stay healthy, his play will be critical if the caps go into another scoring drought.


Ok....I'm done.