The Pittsburgh Penguins put forth a valiant effort in their bid to make the Stanley Cup Finals an interesting series, but in the end they fell victim to the Detroit Red Wing’s machine-like efficiency and stellar team play. While the ‘Wings may have made it look easy at times, the players and coaches will tell you that this is simply not the case. “It’s never easy,” commented goalie Chris Osgood, despite the fact that he started the series with 2 straight shutouts in which he was only forced to stop 41 combined shots from a Penguins offense that was clearly suffering from the lackluster play of superstar forward Evgeni Malkin. Many of Osgood’s teammates echoed his sentiments in post game interviews.

Osgood got the job done in net for Detroit, but it was the phenomenal two-way play of Henrik Zetterberg that earned him the Conne Smythe Trophy, as most valuable player to his team during the playoffs. The award is decided upon collectively by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He finished the playoffs tied for first in goals (13), points (27) and +/- (16). While he was solid throughout the playoffs, his most impressive performance came in game 4 when he single handedly killed off an entire 5 on 3 penalty kill, almost scoring in the process. He scored the Cup-winning goal in the third period of game 6, capping off what has been one of the most complete playoff performances by any player in recent memory. He is only the second Swede to win the prestigious award, the first being his Detroit teammate and captain, Nicklas Lidstrom.

While Zetterberg was thrust onto centerstage for his notable performances, he was most certainly not the only Red Wing’s player worthy of recognition for their strong play. Johan Franzen continued his strong second half play in the first 2 rounds before being injured in game 1 of the Western Conference Final. Despite missing over 4 games, he still managed to tie Zetterberg for the lead in Playoff goal scoring with 13 goals in just 16 games. Nicklas Kronwall delivered his finest performance yet in his brief NHL career, dishing out timely hits and helping to shut down Pittsburgh’s dynamic offense. Pavel Datsyuk was his usual self, scoring timely goals and setting up Swedish linemates Zetterberg and Holmstrom. While he wasn’t providing offense he was contributing defensively as well, back checking with fervor and shutting down Pittsburgh’s potent powerplay unit. Role players like Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby provided the same gritty, defensive play that they have perfected in Detroit over the past decade. Draper also provided clutch faceoff wins, including an astounding 15 for 18 performance in game 6. Chris Osgood was brilliant when he needed to be and patient during the long stretches where he saw little action. Jiri Hudler was another unheralded player who quietly stuck to the system and played a sound defensive game while also chipping in offensively at times.

A special congratulations is reversed for Nicklas Lidstrom. Sweden’s silky smooth perennial All-Star defenseman was once again nearly flawless as he made history, becoming the first European player to captain an NHL team to the Stanley Cup. He showed why he has won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman for 5 of the last 6 seasons, and why he will almost assuredly win in a landslide this year. Not the most vocal of captains, he led by example, staying calm and keeping his poise even during the most pressure filled situations.

While the Cup presentation ceremony was not as emotional as in years past, it had it’s moments nonetheless. After taking the first skate, Lidstrom passed the Cup off to Dallas Drake, who got his first meeting with Lord Stanley’s famous mug after 16 years of plying his trade in the National Hockey League. He then handed it off to Daniel Cleary, another first time winner not only personally, but also for the entire province of Newfoundland. A number of players could be seen crying, many with their families on the ice with them.

For Pittsburgh the loss is hard to swallow, but it also serves as a reminder of their youth and inexperience. Their captain, Sidney Crosby, is only 20 years old and wasn’t even born when Detroit defenseman Chris Chelios entered the league. The same is true for a number of Pittsburgh’s core players, including Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin. His play during the final series was a testament to his lack of experience. He was a completely different player than the Malkin of the first three rounds. At times you didn’t notice him, and when you did it was for brutal giveaways, bad passes, and making bad decisions at even worse times. When he finally showed signs of returning to form in game 6, it was far too late for the Penguins.

Penguins coach Michael Therrien recognized that a lack of experience was what hurt his team the most and although he says, “We were that close.” he also admits, “…they [Detroit] deserved to win the Stanley Cup.” While Pittsburgh fell just short this time around, their team is young and they will be back next year hungry for more. As Therrien commented after the game, “that’s going to make us stronger in the future.”

This is the 11th Stanley Cup for the Detroit Red Wings, and their 4th in the last 11 years. They are the closest thing to a dynasty that the NHL has seen since the 80’s Oilers and they have the hardware to prove it. In the past 13 NHL seasons, the Red Wings have captured the President’s Trophy 6 times, have made it to the Conference Quarterfinals 13 times, the Conference Semifinals 10 times, the Conference Finals 7 times, the Stanley Cup Finals 5 times and have won the Cup 4 times. They have established themselves as perennial contenders, the team to beat in the regular season and the standard by which other teams measure themselves. They have not done this by making big trades and signing big name free agents, but rather by drafting smart and developing prospects within their system. With their wealth of young players and stars, the Pittsburgh Penguins will try to imitate this success in the coming years. Players such as Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Letang and Staal will certainly make this team competitive at the very least.

Dallas Drake: In June of 2007, just days before the NHL free agency period began, Dallas Drake was waived and bought out by the St. Louis Blues, a team he had captained and been an integral part of for many years. One year later, he admits he was pondering retirement if no seemingly playoff-bound team had interest in him. Fortunately for him, the team that drafted him did have interest, as well as a storied history, a great recent playoff performance, and one of the most talented organizations from the front office down to the ice. He was signed by the Red Wings, much to the chagrin of many Red Wings fans, who mostly only tolerated him because of his minimum-wage salary. Of course, that was before he stepped into the lineup and immediately gave them a chippy, pseudo-enforcer who was willing to drop the gloves for his teammates. Since then, he’s become a fan favorite, and was key in helping the Wings to close out a surging Dallas Stars team in the Western Conference Finals. He enjoyed his first Stanley Cup Finals appearance, in the twilight of his career, and after Nicklas Lidstrom’s initial skate with the Stanley Cup, got his turn to hoist the 35-pound trophy high above his balding head.

Darren McCarty: Bought out by the Red Wings in 2005 and performing an injury-riddled stint with the Calgary Flames, it appeared Darren McCarty’s NHL career had come to an end. Ex-wife woes, substance abuse, gambling problems, and bankruptcy finally appeared to snuff out any hope of a return to hockey for the former Detroit Red Wing celebrity. But after spending some time rectifying his off-ice problems, Darren McCarty was able to get his career back on track (and no, I’m not talking about his band, ‘Grinder’). He took his lumps first in the IHL and then later in the AHL before earning a roster spot with the Detroit Red Wings, a few short weeks before the Red Wings were to make their 2008 playoff debut. He’ll now see his name etched onto the Stanley Cup as a Red Wing for the 4^th time in just 11 years.

Chris Osgood: Despite having the better regular season, Chris Osgood was playing backup to sure-fire Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek when the playoffs started. But two games against a fiery Nashville team changed all that and Osgood quickly found himself thrust into the starting position midway through the first round. He filled in admirably and earned himself a healthy amount of Conn Smythe consideration with his league-leading goals against average and back-to-back shutouts to start out the Finals against one of the most dominant offensive teams in the NHL. He hoisted his third Stanley Cup tonight, and his 2^nd as starting goaltender – sort of – with his 1^st coming a decade ago.

Chris Chelios: Will piss and vinegar be in the Stanley Cup when this old goat gets his chance with the trophy? I personally hope not. That’s gross. But you can be sure to associate piss and vinegar with Cheli at every other turn. Despite being injured and later scratched in the Stanley Cup Finals, Father Time still became the oldest player to get his name on the Stanley Cup, at 46.

Henrik Zetterberg: Is there a more complete forward in the NHL right now than Hank Zetterberg? Proving critics of his Selke nomination wrong, Zetterberg dominated at both ends of the ice, all playoffs long, where he shutdown the likes of Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa, Mike Ribeiro, Paul Stastny, and Evgeni Malkin. Okay, so maybe Malkin didn’t really need to be shutdown, but Zetterberg still proved he could cut it against the league’s best offensive stars. His performance on two extended 5-on-3 disadvantages in the Finals proved to be crucial in the Red Wings last two victories, and he got the game-winning goal to boot in the Red Wings’ 16^th playoff victory, albeit an ugly one. He finished the playoffs T-1^st in points, goals, and +/-, solidifying his place in history as a Conn Smythe winner, and as the first European forward (only the 2^nd European ever) to do so.

Daniel Cleary: This former 1^st round pick was considered a bust for most of his career. Until he put on that Red Wings jersey. In his 2^nd season as a Wing, just last year, he became a 20-goal scorer and posted career highs in all offensive categories, only to best his career high in points this season, despite missing some 20 games with a broken jaw. But what’s even more interesting about Cleary’s story is that he became the first Newfoundlander ever to win the Stanley Cup. At least Don Cherry had something to cheer about as the Stanley Cup was being skated around.

Niklas Kronwall: His story is impressive enough when you consider that he was able to stay healthy for the entire playoffs. Add that to the fact that he managed more points than both Brian Rafalski and Niklas Lidstrom as a defenseman, and finished T-1^st in +/- with Zetterberg at +16 and some buzz surrounding his name for the Conn Smythe makes sense. But it’s a good thing it went to Zetterberg, since the NHL likely would’ve engraved the Smythe with Kronvall, as they still haven’t managed to figure out he spells his name with a ‘w’ and not a ‘v’.  Even still, it’s fairly safe to say his presence in last years Western Finals against Anaheim may have changed the outcome. For those who don’t remember, Kronwall missed all of last year’s playoffs, with a broken sacrum. Yes, he was out with a broken bum.

Johan Franzen: Had ‘the Mule’ not been suffering from a little case of post-concussion syndrome, he may have been the Conn Smythe winner himself. Despite missing the entire third round against Dallas, Franzen still finished tied for 1^st in goals with 13 playoff goals in just 16 games. Those numbers are phenomenal regular season numbers, let alone playoff numbers, where scoring goals becomes a bit tougher for everyone. If his torrid scoring pace at the end of the regular season didn’t garner him notice, he surely earned a name for himself in the 2008 playoffs, where he became the target of top-defensive pairings.

Pavel Datsyuk: An internet genius once commented that the Detroit Red Wings would never win the Stanley Cup with Pavel Datsyuk on their roster. It was a stupid comment at the time, considering Pavel Datsyuk had already won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings as a rookie in 2002, but I understood the point, despite the incoherence. Pavel Datsyuk was a playoff ghost, a bona-fide choker. First folks said he couldn’t put up any points in the playoffs, then when he did that, people said he couldn’t score playoff goals. Even after his strong performance in the 2007 playoffs, people said he couldn’t produce on the road. Well it’s safe to say that Pavel Datsyuk put all those kiddies to bed with his performance this season. He finished with 23 points in 22 games, managed a +13 rating, and had 10 goals. However, what’s most astounding is that 17 of his points came on the road. Not only is that a testament to his ability to fight through tighter road checking, but it’s also a credit to his complete game. Mike Babcock chose to use him in a varying defensive role with the last change at home, and Datsyuk responded with great defense, and a team high 55 hits. He, too, earned Conn Smythe consideration. If I knew how to say “F you, naysayers” in Russian, it would be appropriate here.

Dominik Hasek: Not much to say about the not-so-dominant dominator, other than perhaps a nod towards his class. Although its not the sort of thing you usually associate with Dominik Hasek, from the outside, it seemed Dom took his position as backup goaltender well, and didn’t create distraction nor drama in the dressing room. Props to him. But promise us this, Dom: if you plan to retire this time, make it for good.

Valterri Filppula: With the Red Wings heavy European flavor, you may be surprised that they featured a Finn on their roster for the first time just a few years ago. Valterri Filppula became the first Finnish player ever to don the Winged Wheel in 2006. Even though most people still can’t pronounce his name, he’s been a young highlight on the Wings roster for two playoff seasons running now. He scored a key goal in the Cup-winning game, and a few highlight reel goals to boot through this years playoffs, all the while playing stellar defense despite his young age.

Jiri Hudler: He was mentored by Robert Lang in his first season with the Red Wings last year, so it’s no surprise Mike Babcock wasn’t a huge fan of Hudler’s work ethic initially. But a lot has changed since then. Despite taking two ill-timed penalties in the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, Hudler did his best to shine on a team full of All-Stars, which is tough when you’re the size of a penguin - the ones from the South Pole, not Pittsburgh. Although Hudler only saw 2^nd unit powerplay time and pulled regular duty as a 4^th liner, he still managed 14 points, including the game winner of the Red Wings 15^th playoff victory.

Darren Helm: Luckily for Helm, his birthday comes early in the year. Otherwise he may have had to shy away from drinking out of Lord Stanley’s Cup on national television. The youngster who turned 21 in January wasn’t even a regular on the Red Wings roster pre-playoffs, but his performance in the playoffs was veteran-like. He was the fastest player on the ice most nights and scored a couple crucial goals in the playoffs to make his presence felt. He never shied away from physical contact and likely earned himself a regular spot on next year’s roster. There’s at least one guy hoping Dallas Drake retires.

Brad Stuart: Brad Stuart’s story might’ve been all about luck, if it wasn’t for his amazing chemistry with Niklas Kronwall. At first it seemed the addition of Brad Stuart to the Red Wings was going to be a story all about Stuart’s trade from a bottom-feeding NHL team to the league’s best, and riding their coattails to ultimate victory. But instead Stuart became a huge presence on the Red Wings blueline, and the other half of a feared hitting defensive unit for the Red Wings. He managed 6 points in the last 8 games of the playoffs, and was 2^nd in the league with +15.  I heard May wasn’t a great month for golfing in California anyways.

Brian Rafalski: Brought in almost immediately after Mathieu Schneider signed with the Anaheim Axis of Evil, Brian Rafalski helped resurrect a woeful Red Wings powerplay that was rather powerless for much of the 2006-2007 season. He signed with his hometown team in the ‘07 off-season and became a perfect fit for Nick Lidstrom on the top line. He finished off his hockey season by scoring the opener in tonight’s Cup-winning game. Welcome home, Raffi.

Mike Samuelsson: Poor Mikael was a throwaway on this Red Wings roster when the playoffs started. Constantly ridiculed by Red Wings fans for ill-placed shots into the logos of goaltenders league-wide, he managed to redeem himself in the playoffs by opening Stanley Cup Finals scoring and pushing the Wings to their first Finals victory in 6 years. He scored 3 goals in the first 3 games of the finals – besting Malkin, Zetterberg and Crosby in that category for the Finals. True story.

Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda: Perhaps the story here is what Lilja and Lebda – Detroit’s bottom pairing for the Finals – didn’t do, rather than what they did do. Lebda didn’t throw an iffy hip-check that would sprain his ankle and render him useless for most of the playoffs, and Lilja didn’t single handedly destroy the Red Wings playoff hopes with a direct giveaway to the Pens best scorer in the offensive zone that would cost the Red Wings a game. Instead, both defenseman kept their game simple and contributed when they could, even if it was as a healthy scratch. But inevitably both players earned their keep over Chris Chelios, and did their part in holding off the surging Penguins in the Finals.

Chuck Norris, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby: Business as usual for these three. Checking, defense, and butts in faces are what these guys do best. They’re the type of guys you can’t win Stanley Cups without, as the Red Wings know. These three performed crucial roles in all four of the Red Wings most recent Stanley Cups. In Holmstrom’s words, “that’s ridiculous.”

Ken Holland: The man with the skilled plan. After all, isn’t everything about the Red Wings skilled? Ken Holland proves over and over why he’s the best General Manager in the NHL. Especially now that all his critics no longer have any excuses to dole out. No, he didn’t inherit a stacked team. No, he didn’t go out and lure in all the future Hall of Famers in the free agent pool. Instead, he built a Cup-winning team with leftovers like Sammuelsson, Cleary, Drake, Downey, Osgood, McCarty, and Lilja. Instead, he had the final say in the drafting of late round gems and picked-over goods like Datsyuk, Franzen, rookie Darren Helm, and Zetterberg, and he certainly didn’t empty his pockets – or the farm – to add Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart. Nope. This years compilation of the 2008 version of the Detroit Red Wings is definitely Holland’s doing….Or was it Yzerman’s?

Mike Babcock: Can enough be said about this guy’s coaching abilities? The Wings did well to nab him back in 2005, but he wasn’t been able to put his stamp on this team until some of the louder veteran voices had left his locker-room for good at the end of the 2006 season, however emotional their departures were. Since then, Mike Babcock has coached his team to six playoff series victories in 2 years. And in just his second time coaching a team in the Finals he was able to taste victory - which I hear tastes a lot like champagne and beer with a hint of iron. And he was able to do all of this without a soapbox to stand on. But between Trotz and Therien, I heard there weren’t any left anyways.

Steve Yzerman: No Stanley Cup role call would be complete without Yzerman. Although guys like Downey and Hartigan may be worthy of closing the list, it’s important to acknowledge the seamless transition Steve Yzerman has made from ice to office. He played his part in piquing the entire front staff’s interest in Drake and Stuart and in just his second year as Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman will get his name on the cup, albeit by taking a slightly different route. Fortunately, he didn’t have to do it on one leg this time.

Jeff Carter had two goals, and Danny Briere notched his 5th goal of the series, and tied the game with 9:59 to play.  It was pretty clear that the game would be headed to overtime. The Caps also put their best foot forward, somewhat, perhaps playing their best game of the series. Even as Alexander Ovechkin was shutdown once again, he had the game-winning goal on his stick with a wide open net and missed.

However, to be at such a game, is an experience that every hockey fan must take in. There’s nothing better in sports than hockey playoff overtime. As each play develops, there is a potential for not just the game to end, but for there to be such a huge swing in momentum. Had the Flyers finished the job in Game 1, they would have been going for the sweep. Instead, by the end of the game, the series could be tied and becomes a best-of-three series.

Each team traded 11 shots a piece in the first overtime without the game being decided, so another 15-minute intermission of near-anxiety attacks went by. Quaking in your seat. Checking your hand to see how furiously it is shaking due to the nerves. Stomach in knots.  A nervous/raucous Flyer crowd chanted “Let’s Go Flyers” as the second overtime began.

The Flyers dominated the second overtime, out-shooting Washington 7-1, the last being Knuble’s goal at 6:40 of the period, and around 11:00pm local time. Anxiety turned into euphoria, and then into exhaustion as we filed out of the building. Thank goodness the Flyers won or else not only would we be tired, but pissed off as well.

- The biggest rumbling and evidence about the NHL Winter Classic this week came out of New York involving the Rangers. The Daily News of NY went as far to say that the Rangers have all but locked up to be the host, but with only the task of finding the right opponent. The game would be at Yankee Stadium, and it would be the last event in its history. And here is more evidence of this:

That photo was taken by a man who was touring the stadium and happen to stumble upon this evidence. Its an interesting placement for the rink. The picutre is courtesy of the website NHL Tournament of Logo’s, and you can read the whole story here. I am all for NYR getting an outdoor game as I have said before, but I have a few problems with this idea and situation.

Baseball stadiums are unique venues. As you can see from the photo, the first rows near the dugouts will be closer than a football stadium but will they be high enough to see all of the action? I like how it will be a closer feeling to the rink, but I would wrather have the NHL stick to keeping the Winer Classic in football stadiums. Another thing with this photo is that they would almost certainly build makeshift stands in the outfield, bringing the fans even closer. Wikipedia says that the stadium holds just under 58,000 for a baseball game. So an accurate guess with the layout above would be around 60-65,000 due to the fact that most of the outfield seats woudln’t be used because of the makeshift stands that would have to be created in the outfield. I do not think that is enough people, which is why the Winter classic should stay in Football stadiums, where more people can get through the gate ($$$) and where putting the rink up wouldn’t be a logistical problem. If the Rangers have truly locked up the ‘09 classic, they should atttempt to play it in Giants Stadium, which fits 80,000 no problem. I see a couple of advantages and disadvantages.

For one, filling Giants stadium wouldn’t be a problem. 40,000 tickets sold out in Buffalo in 37 minutes, which is a testament to the loyalty to the fans and what a fantastic event this is. Another advantage and disadvantage at the same time is that Giants Stadium is located in New Jersey. Its an advantage because the event wouldn’t be in the Bronx, but its a disadvantage because it might turn away the average fan FROM the Bronx who doesn’t want to travel. Regardless, I’m glad to see that the Rangers are heavily in the talks for the ‘09 classic. Rumored teams to play the Rangers are the Islanders, Bruins, and Red Wings. I believe the best choice would be the Bruins. The media would play off the Boston-NY rivlary heavily. If you chose the Islanders the Buzz might not grow as big because of the game being so local. If you chose the Red Wings it might become to bland. The Bruins play hard and have given NYR great games this season, and all I want is to see a hockey fight outdoors in the Bronx on National TV.

- Moving on to Franchise relocation. Being an old-tyme (get it, with a y!) Hockey-ist, I’ve never liked the rapid expansion into the Southern part of the US by the NHL. And to begin, if the NHL decides to expand past 30 teams they will surely regret it. The NHL has planted the seeds of the “New” NHL, now they need to water it from time to time and let it grow. I feel like the NHL is trying to “grow” hockey upon markets instead of trying to find Hockey markets and place teams there. There are many rumbles of possible cities for relocation above the Mason-Dixon line involing Kansas City, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, and moving into Canada with Hamilton, Quebec City, Winnipeg and Saskatchawan. Teams that are involved in moving rumors are Florida, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Nashville, Atlanta, and Phoenix. First I will Rank each team in my opinion on who should move ASAP from 1 through 6.

1. Nashville. As much as Business is reportely coming back, the franchise is in trouble. Bettman did now allow Basile to buy the franchise because of his intentions to move it to Hamilton in Ontario. I have a feeling this franchise will be on the move in the next five years though. The following isn’t enough to support a franchise with greater market oppurtunities out there.
2. Florida. Florida for this season so far is ranked last in % filled in total attendance. (ESPN) Although you don’t hear about many problems from Florida, you don’t hear much of anything either. When your home city is named Sunrise, your just not a hockey town. Its bad enough Florida has two teams, and at least one has to go. Sorry Panthers, but you don’t have a cup unlike your in-state foes on the west coast.
3. Next up would be Columbus, who edges out Florida in total attendance by 1.2%. The same goes here. As much as there aren’t many problems, there also aren’t many positives coming out of Ohio.
4. Phoenix. A move back to Winnipeg could be in the cards for the former-Jets. Winnipeg is pressing hard for a franchise and Phoenix hasn’t enjoyed much success in the desert since its move. There are two problems though. First, Jobing.com arena is almsot brand new and in sparkling condition. Second, Winnipeg needs a new arena. Don’t look for this to happen anytime soon.
5. Atlanta. The All-Star game might not have been a big hit on TV, but fans packed Phillips Arena all weekend. Phillips arena is another obstacle as it too like Jobing.com is in fantastic shape. Atlanta will still be around past 2015 but if its still below the 90% mark after that, they could be moving.
6. Last is Tampa Bay. Again, hockey and Florida don’t really mix, but the league will be reluctant to move Tampa as it in its short history the already have a ring on their fingers. Plus as I watched the Islanders visit them, there was a good show in the stands, especially in the 100 seats.

So basically I want to obliterate the South-eastern division, but its just a clear fact that Hockey isn’t America’s sport, so why should the NHL try to force it in area’s where Ice doesn’t even form once a year? Hopefully in the next ten years we see a northern migration. My top US cities would be Salt Lake and Las Vegas. My top Canadian cities would be Winnipeg and Quebec/Hamilton. I just worry about the affect of putting a team in Quebec city due to the strong Montreal following.

There’s a little rant for you. I’ll be doing more of this over the summer. Rangers @ Panthers @ 7:30 tommorow night, lets go Rangers. - Rob

But in the end, the Sabres played like a hungry, and somehwat desperate playoff team, as a loss would put them at 5 points behind the Flyers and limit their chances greatly of making the playoffs.

So they made life easier on themselves, and won 5-2 over Martin Biron and the Flyguys.

Derek Roy and Jason Pominville, who had two tallies on the night, potted 2 goals 18 seconds apart in the 3rd period to take a sizeable lead over the Flyers.

Maxim Afinogenov had a big night, contributing to his team’s offence with 2 goals and 1 assist.

Roy scored just over a minute into the 3rd in what was supposed to be a 4-on-4 , but, Roy was the 5th skater on that 4 on 4 when he potted the goal, making Philly coach John Stevens a very unhappy man after the loss.

I saw it after. It’s a totally blown call. There’s no excuse after that, but that third goal is a killer and it’s a totally blown call.

I guess he’s right, and in my opinion, it seems not only the Western games have had terrible reffing for the past week or so.

The Flyers lost for only the 1st time in the past 5 in regulation, remember, they went on the massive slump not too long ago and dropped considerably in the standings.

Steve Downie and Scottie Upshall scored Philadelphia’s two goals on Ryan Miller, who made 19 saves for the win whereas his counterpart, Martin Biron, did not do so well against his former teammates, letting 5 go past him on just 18 shots.

And with the W, the Sabres effectively have avoided falling into that 5 point deficit for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East, still owned by the Flyers.

The impact of last night’s game being important, as the Flyers remain in the eight spot in the East, however, they now hold a mere 1 point lead over the Sabres, who sit in the 9th spot.

Around the NHL; the Islanders beat their rival Rangers 4-3 in a shootout, as the Rags blow a big chance to take over the 6th seed from the struggling Boston Bruins, who couldn’t beat the all of a sudden superhuman Craig Anderson, who if you recall, also had a 50-save shutout against the Isles, who now sit 3 points back and in the 10th seed, a few days ago.

With a 2-0 shutout win in Sidney Crosby’s return to the ice, Marc Andre Fleury playing a very solid game for the blanking while Maxime Talbot potted the game winner with just under 3 minutes remaining, the Penguins remain #1 in the Eastern Conference by a single point over the Montreal Canadiens, who had an off day, and their divisional New Jersey Devils, who put the Maple Leafs away 4-1.

Peter Forsberg was held pointless in his Avalanche debut last night against the Canucks, managing 3 shots on net and looking somewhat good, as he was reunited with longtime Av Joe Sakic on a line again.
As for the game, Colorado won 2-1, their 4th win in a row, and become tied for the 8th spot with the Predators, who ousted Edmonton 5-1 (Martin Erat with the hat-trick), at 76 points.
With the loss, the Canucks now fall out of a playoff spot, for now, and things aren’t looking good for Alain Vigneault’s squad right now, as while the Avs have won 4 in a row, the ‘Nucks have lost that much in a row.

Calgary wins over the Jackets, 1 to none, and with that, you may officially consider Ken Hitchcock’s Columbus team out of the playoff picture, as 6 points seperates them from a chance to make the postseason for the first time.
The Flames are 6th and hold a 3 point lead over Colorado and Nashville.
Craig Conroy scored the lone goal of the game, while Miikka Kiprusoff made a whopping 39 stops for the shutout, him who was benched in favour of backup Curtis Joseph the past two games.

And in lesser news, that doesn’t really affect the playoff push in the West, the Blues beat the last place Kings 3-2 while the Blackhawks topped the #3 seeded Wild, 4-2.

Can you spell T-I-G-H-T?
This is going to go down to the WIRE, once again, no surprise there.

-BBeR