Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 17

What an exciting night! It started this afternoon with a team coming back from two goals down to win for this first time in this playoff year. And the night ended in double overtime!

Red Wings 3, Sharks 2
Series tied 1-1
This game was 84 seconds away from overtime until Pavel Datsyuk saved the day for Detroit. From the begining, it didn't look like the Red Wings had a prayer in this game. Jonathan Cheechoo gave San Jose the extremely early lead just 36 seconds into the game. Joe Thorton made it 2-0 a few minutes later and, as should be painfully obvious, the Wings were playing like shit. It reminded me of how Calgary played in Game 2 of that series. But Henrik Zetterberg got Detroit on the board with about two minutes left in the period and his team started to play actual hockey again. Daniel Clearly scored the Wings' second of the afternoon and it stayed tied until 1:24 to go in the third. We almost had some OT. NBC had HD coverage.

Devils 3, Senators 2, 2OT
Series tied 1-1
Ottawa has never won a Game 2 after winning a Game 1. And nothing changed tonight. Brian Gionta scored the first goal of the game less than two minutes in. (There have been a lot of quick goals in these playoffs.) Then, while his team was on a 5-on-3, Sergei Brylin scored with two tenths of a second left in the period. Yes, it was that close. And we only know that because of video replay. Ottawa spoiled Brodeur's record-setting shutout bid 4:23 into the second period. Dany Heatley forced overtime with 27 seconds to go in regulation and Ray Emery pulled for the extra attacker. It wasn't meant to be for the Sens though, as Jamie Langenbrunner would put the game away on a breakaway just two minutes into the second OT. Love that OT. The game was in hi-def on Versus.

Note: I went ahead and updated the draft order post with the rest of the teams who were eliminated from the playoffs in the quarterfinals. If you're interested. I'll update it again at the end of this round.

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com

Keep Your Eye On The Puck

Thought this was a pretty cool photo. It was taken during this afternoon's Detroit/San Jose game by Jerry Mendoza of the Associated Press.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 16

In the last round, the teams that won Game 1 generally lost Game 2. It's not true across the board, but we'll see how things go this time around. So far, though, my predictions are on target. I've already talked about how all the teams that won Game 1 won the series in that round. If that holds true in this one then all my predicted teams will be correct. Moving on to tonight's action.

Sabres 3, Rangers 2
Sabres lead series 2-0
Ryan Miller saved the day for Buffalo, especially toward the end of the game. Marty Straka gave New York hope by scoring first with the man-advantage in period one. Fifty seconds later, Brian Campbell scored on a Sabres power play to tie it up. In the final two minutes of the second period, Paul Mara (a former Bolt) scored his first-ever playoff goal (also on the power play) to give the Rangers the lead. But it would not last much longer than the intermission as Chris Drury tied it only 24 seconds into the third. Thomas Vanek netted the winner as the Sabres go up 2-0. Everyone thought New York would kick ass after the first-round sweep but Atlanta just sucked that much. Versus has the game tonight, but not in HD.

Canucks 2, Ducks 1, 2OT
Series tied 1-1
The Canucks just love the OT. It took nearly 88 minutes of hockey to produce a winner tonight and since it was Vancouver, this series is now even. Markus Naslund scored first to give the Canucks the lead in the second period. Travis Moen scored just a few minutes later to tie the game. And it remained that way until the second overtime period. Versus has coverage with Dave Strader and company.

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com

“Studio 60” Returning Thursday, May 24th!

This is a screen grab from the official NBC site for "Studio 60" and it lists a return date of Thursday, May 24 at 10 PM! I'm so excited! Spread the word to everyone you know! God knows I will. (Hey, I'm doing it right now!)



Here's the thing, though. By the time the show comes back, we'll already know its fate as far as the fall schedule goes, since NBC makes its upfront presentation 10 days before that. It's interesting that they're placing it on Thursdays, as that was the show's initially-announced timeslot when the '06 fall schedule was unveiled just a year ago. Albeit, they placed it at 9 PM during "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI." Of course that wasn't going to work.

Anyway, I'm thrilled! I'm also going to use this opportunity to say that I've been working on the pilot write-ups I promised a while back. I can say definitively that I will begin posting them on Monday. I'll be doing drama pilots next week and comedies the week after.

Hope you enjoy it! And I hope you enjoy the return of "Studio 60" as well!

More Pucks Behind Brodeur

This puck may not have come off a Lightning stick, but it doesn't make it any less sweet to look at. Let's see if the Sens can finally get past the semifinals this year.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 15

It was another night of Game 1s in the '07 semis. And it was all about the road teams. At this point I'm going to go ahead and take this opportunity to remind everyone that the teams that won Game 1 in the first round are now in the second round. Anyway, go on, read about them here.

Senators 5, Devils 4
Senators lead series 1-0
It's a lot like what happened with Vancouver and Dallas. Nine goals, give me a break. But Game 1 is your chance to feel the other team out. The weird thing is nobody scored twice. The Sens had a 4-0 lead after 16:39 of play in the first period. You think the game's over? No. The Devils score three straight to get within one by the end of the second and then you're thinking it's anybody's game in the third. Then 43 seconds in, Wade Redden gets Ottawa the two-goal lead back. But when Zach Parise scored with 30 seconds left and six men on, you almost fall off the edge of your seat. This game was not televised nationally — regrettably.

Sharks 2, Red Wings 0
Sharks lead series 1-0
Every other series saw at least one team with five goals yet San Jose only scored two goals, both of which came during a 24-second span in the middle of the first period. Matt Carle and Mike Grier were responsible. My favorite thing about this game was Nabokov shutting out the Wings. Keep it up, Sharks! Detroit needs to play this series like they aren't facing Calgary. It's a very different team. I'm sure we'll see a very different Game 2. Unless Holmstrom is still out and then I'm going to have to seriously wonder about his affect on the Red Wings. Versus had this game tonight on its regular telecast. They don't do HD on Thursdays and Fridays for some reason.

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com

Retro Returning, Now For Canucks

I know this news is a couple months old, but since I just posted about the Caps, I figured it was relevant.

The Vancouver Canucks will apparently be donning new threads come the fall as well. And just like Washington, the Canucks are planning a return to their original '70s colors of blue, green and white. No word on whether they'll be keeping the orca logo, going back to the original logo, or designing a completely new one all together.

Either way, we find out on August 1.

I found the original post at Canucks Hockey Blog.

You can catch a glimpse of Johnny Canuck painted on the side of Roberto Luongo's mask on nights when the local team wears its vintage blue, green and white uniforms. And the question begs: "Is the artwork on Luongo's mask a hint of things to come?"

The modern day Canucks' marketing machine has instructed its large army of merchandising retailers to stand by for an announcement on Aug. 1.

"Right now we're ordering next year's inventory blindly," says the owner of a sporting goods outlet in North Vancouver. "All we've been told is that the colours of the uniforms will be blue, green and white, but we don't know what the crest is going to look like. The current killer whale [or orca] jersey, as we understand it, will be kept in reserve and occasionally be used as a 'classic' uniform."

So far, I've learned of six teams that have definite plans to change their logos. I have a source in retail that would probably rather not be named. (Look at me trying to be all cryptic.) Aside from Vancouver and Washington, the other four teams that I know of which will see major- or minor-scale uniform and logo changes are the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and thankfully, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

We'll follow along this summer and see what happens.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 14

What happened here? It was the start of the conference semifinals tonight! I was suffering through some pretty nasty withdrawal last night, what with there being no hockey for the first time in two weeks. And this is what I get? A 5-2 game and a 5-1 game. Not even a close one. This wouldn't have happened if the Stars had won Game 7. Anyway, here's what happened tonight.

Sabres 5, Rangers 2
Sabres lead series 1-0
After a quiet first period, Buffalo took complete control in the second. The Sabres scored three goals in the span of about four minutes. The goals came from Ales Kotalik and Thomas Vanek, who scored two, including one on the power play. The last half of the third period saw the other four goals of the game. Marcel Hossa got on top of things to spoil Ryan Miller's shutout bid. But Jason Pominville scored three minutes later to renew the Sabres' three-goal lead. With 48 seconds left, Brendan Shanahan put the Rangers within two again but it was too little too late. The final Buffalo goal came in the form of a Drew Stafford empty-netter. Buffalo will definitely win this series. Versus had the game in HD.

Ducks 5, Canucks 1
Ducks lead series 1-0
Good grief. You know, I'm tempted to say that after a rigorous seven-game series, Roberto Luongo quite simply imploded. But no, the Ducks were just that good. I think that's the difference between one night off and five nights off. Now I need to congratulate Andy McDonald on his impressive hat trick performance tonight. Way to go! Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf had the other Anaheim goals. Which reminds me... Vancouver scored first in this game. What the hell happened man? I'll tell you. The Ducks happened. It was a pretty stunning game. It's why I wished Dallas had gone on. I wanted to see Anaheim and San Jose. There's always the Western Finals. I very much enjoyed the glorious hi-def coverage on Versus.

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com

Thrashers Captain Mellanby Hangs Up Skates

April 24, 2007
Associated Press

Thrashers captain Mellanby retires

ATLANTA — Over a career that lasted more than two decades, Scott Mellanby twice made it to the Stanley Cup finals, played in the NHL All-Star game and became one of hockey's most respected leaders.

That said, he'll always be remembered for his coup de grace on a rodent.

The 40-year-old Mellanby retired Tuesday, less than a week after the Thrashers were swept in the first round of the playoffs.

"It's been a great ride," said Mellanby, who spent the final two seasons of a 21-year career as Atlanta's captain, "but it's time to go on to something else."

His greatest ride of all came during the 1995-96 season, when the right wing scored a career-best 32 goals, was picked for the All-Star game and helped the Florida Panthers make it to the Stanley Cup final in their third season of existence.

He also contributed to hockey lore early in the season. When a rat scurried across the locker room before a game, Mellanby killed it with a whack of the stick. He then went out and scored two goals that night — dubbed a "rat trick" by teammate John Vanbiesbrouck.

As news of the episode spread, Florida fans began celebrating goals by tossing plastic rats onto the ice. By the playoffs, thousands of fake rodents littered the rink every time the Panthers scored.

"It became the motto of our team that season," Mellanby said. "When I played in the All-Star game, a kid came up to me and said, 'You're the rat guy.' He didn't even know my name; he just knew I killed the rat."

Even getting swept by a superior Colorado team in the Stanley Cup final did little to lessen the appeal of that magical season.

"We had chemistry," Mellanby said. "If you could put that in a bottle, you could make a lot of money selling it. For whatever reason, things clicked."

His other finals appearance came in 1987, his first full season in the league. Philadelphia lost to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers in a seven-game series, and Mellanby never came so close again to winning the Cup.

"At the time, you don't really appreciate how hard it is to get there," he said. "You just figure you'll be back the next year. But it doesn't go that way."

Mellanby seriously considered retirement the last few years but kept coming back in hopes of carrying the Cup. His last chance came this season, when he helped the Thrashers make the playoffs for the first time.

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a void in my career," Mellanby said. "But, at the end of the day, all you can do as a player is look in the mirror and know you've given everything you had on and off the ice."

Mellanby entered the league with Philadelphia in 1986 after playing college hockey at Wisconsin. He moved on to Edmonton, Florida and St. Louis before closing his career in Atlanta.

He played in 69 games this season, with 12 goals and 24 assists.

In 1,431 regular-season games — tied for 17th on the NHL's career list — Mellanby had 364 goals, 476 assists and 2,479 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 136 playoff games, scoring 24 goals and adding 29 assists.

"Not only have we watched him on the ice, but we've seen what he's done for our organization in the locker room and off the ice," Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said. "It's something really remarkable, the effect he's had on our younger players."

Mellanby's retirement leaves another hole for the Thrashers to fill. They have a dozen unrestricted free agents, including key players such as Keith Tkachuk and Slava Kozlov.

Although Mellanby felt he could still play at a competitive level, the toll of traveling, practicing and taking on such a prominent leadership role persuaded him to hang up the skates.

"I wish I could have begun working with him earlier in his career," Thrashers coach Bob Hartley said. "His experience and respect in the locker room was invaluable to the success of our club."

Mellanby hasn't decided what he wants to do with the rest of his life, but he would like to return to hockey in another role after some much-needed R&R with his family. Television might be an option — he's the son of a former Hockey Night in Canada producer — though Mellanby said his former teammates kept telling him that he's "got a face for radio."

And how does he want to be remembered?

"Someone who cared about his teammates and about his organization and about the game. Someone who came to play every night," Mellanby replied. "Every night wasn't great. But I feel like I always gave it everything I had."

Caps Announce Plans For New Logo

April 23, 2007
WashingtonCaps.com

Washington Capitals to Unveil New Uniforms at June 22 Draft Day Party

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Washington Capitals will unveil their new uniforms at a special Draft Day Party on Friday, June 22, held at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in conjunction with the live broadcast on Versus of the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, which takes place that evening in Columbus, Ohio.

The new uniforms will mark a return to a red, white and blue color scheme — the colors the Capitals wore from their first season in 1974-75 through 1994-95. The Capitals are the first team in the NHL to announce their plans to unveil their new uniforms, which are produced by Reebok and feature the Rbk EDGE Uniform System technology that was introduced at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas. The Capitals are the first team planning to have their new uniforms on hand at the NHL Entry Draft.

Further details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks.

———

I'm really interested to see what they've come up with. If it's anything like what almost happened in 2001, then I won't be impressed. And I may not be a Capitals fan, but I'm not wild about the idea of them going back to the red, white and blue. I say this as a hockey fan in general.

Too many teams in this league have that color scheme. The Rangers, Canadiens, Panthers, Blue Jackets, Canucks and Avalanche, to name a few. I give the Canucks and Avalanche credit for going with unique shades of red and blue, but you get the picture.

The bronze and blue were great colors and unique to the Caps. I thought it made them stand out. Here's hoping they don't redesign themselves into oblivion. By the way, without giving away too much, this has a lot to do with that big news I hinted at the other day.

My 2007 Stanley Cup Predictions, Round 2

Generally speaking, it was a swing and a miss for my Round 1 predictions. So I aim to be better this time. But only time will be the judge of that. However, I think I have a better understanding of each team now, having seen them each win a playoff series this year. I'm going into it with a little more knowledge. But that can be dangerous.

Also, I'm doing away with the season series line as it obviously has no basis come playoff time.

Without further ado, let's get to it!

Conference Semifinals

Sabres vs Rangers
Sizing It Up: Once again, the Sabres get to save huge on travel costs facing another cross-state opponent. It makes me wonder. Do they bother with a plane or just hop a bus for road games? As I said, the regular season does not matter since the Sabres won this one 4-0. The last game these two teams played in together took place in December. Both teams are almost entirely different. That being said, I think Buffalo still has the edge. The Rangers may have impressed everyone, being the only team to sweep a quarterfinal, but Atlanta didn't really put up a fight when compared with the likes of Minnesota, Pittsburgh and especially Dallas. New York better be prepared to play real hockey or this could be another short series — this time not in their favor.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Sabres in 6

Devils vs Senators
Sizing It Up: I think this will be one of the most evenly matched series of the playoffs, second only to Vancouver/Dallas. I'll be surprised if it doesn't go to seven games. Ray Emery has been phenomenal in goal against the likes of Sidney Crosby and co. while Martin Brodeur seemed shaky at times in the Tampa Bay series. On the other hand, Zach Parise and Brian Gionta lit it up time and time again. We can't discount the Senators' scorers, however, which is why I'm giving them the edge in the series, but only by a smidge.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Senators in 7

Red Wings vs Sharks
Sizing It Up: Dominik Hasek has been almost unbeatable as the Detroit backstop. But I have to wonder how long he can go for. I'm not so much worried about the Sharks' netminding as I think their scorers may be able to find their way past Hasek. On the other hand, as in most playoff series, I'm afraid this one might come down to goaltending as well, despite the offensive abilities on both sides. It might be a tight series but I'm going with San Jose.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Sharks in 6

Ducks vs Canucks
Sizing It Up: It's the Ducks and 'Nucks. (Remember Sens and Pens?) I really wish the Stars had won Game 7. I was looking forward to a Dallas/Detroit series. But this one looks pretty good too. These two teams have never met in the postseason before, so it'll be interesting. Luongo vs. Giguere/Bryzgalov. Who's better? I just don't know. Even if Vancouver were to jump out to an early series lead, they'd almost certainly blow it, as is habit for them. Still, I don't think it'll get that far. And I'm seeing Anaheim in the finals.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Ducks in 6

Here are my predictions for the remainder of the playoffs, as it stands now.

Conference Finals
Sabres vs Senators : Sabres in 7
Ducks vs Sharks : Ducks in 6

Stanley Cup Finals
Sabres vs Ducks : Ducks in 7

You'll notice I used an invisible crystal ball to come up with my predictions. This way, when I'm wrong I can say it's not my fault as I couldn't see it anyway. I'm okay with that.

Any thoughts? Want to call me an idiot? Feel free to comment.

Western Quarterfinal Roundup

As of now, one round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs is on the books. But before we take a look ahead to the next round, let's take a quick look at where we've been. Below you'll find the results of each series along with a comparison on how my predictions fared. We'll start with the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The West will follow.

Red Wings vs Flames
Red Wings win series 4-2
Red Wings 4, Flames 1
Red Wings 3, Flames 1
Flames 3, Red Wings 2
Flames 3, Red Wings 2
Red Wings 5, Flames 1
Red Wings 2, Flames 1, 2OT
My Take   At the outset, I thought the Flames were completely unprepared for the playoffs. Then the series shifted to Calgary and it was like they were a different team. Even if they had played Game 6 like Games 3 and 4, I still don't thinkt they would have won. Plus, they didn't deserve to after Game 5's fiasco. But Detroit is a machine. I could envision them making another real run at the Cup this year. But they've won enough in the past decade. I'm ready for someone new.
Those Lousy Predictions   Red Wings in 4; Yes, I believe I was called an idiot for making this one. So this is me eating my words. But hey, after Games 1 and 2 it looked like a lock. Who knew the Flames would transform at the Saddledome? Still, I did pick the right team. 50/50

Ducks vs Wild
Ducks win series 4-1
Ducks 2, Wild 1
Ducks 3, Wild 2
Ducks 2, Wild 1
Wild 4, Ducks 1
Ducks 4, Wild 1
My Take   The first three games of this series were all decided by one goal. I think the Wild had a real shot, but Ducks goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was the thorn in their side, managing to keep them at bay just enough. Their 4-1 win was impressive in Game 4 to prevent the sweep, but ultimately the Ducks were the stronger team all around.
Those Lousy Predictions   Wild in 7; I honestly don't know what I was thinking here. Maybe I thought the Ducks would collapse in the postseason after having a most spectacular regular sesaon. Let's leave it at that. I was wrong. Way wrong. WRONG!

Canucks vs Stars
Canucks win series 4-3
Canucks 5, Stars 4, 4OT
Stars 2, Canucks 0
Canucks 2, Stars 1, 1OT
Canucks 2, Stars 1
Stars 1, Canucks 0, 1OT
Stars 2, Canucks 0
Canucks 4, Stars 1
My Take   Game 1 happened and stunned everyone. The marathon, sixth-longest game in playoff history and nine goals between a pair of teams that couldn't combine for more than three in any one game during the regular season. Then things settled down and Marty Turco was a rock. He became the 13th goalie in history to post three shutouts in one series. Every game the Stars won was a shutout. That also means every game where he got scored on, he lost. But let's not discount Roberto Luongo. He kept Vancouver in a number of games where the offense couldn't put anything together.
Those Lousy Predictions   Canucks in 6; I figured the Canucks had the edge in this series mostly because of Luongo and as it turned out, the series really did come down goaltending as the teams tied a league record with just 11 goals combined in five straight games. I have to hand it to Turco though, he held out a little longer than I expected. 50/50

Predators vs Sharks
Sharks win series 4-1
Sharks 5, Predators 4, 2OT
Predators 5, Sharks 2
Sharks 3, Predators 1
Sharks 3, Predators 2
Sharks 3, Predators 2
My Take   Everyone's saying it, so I will too. Looks like those trade deadline deals didn't really pan out for Nashville. To me, they looked very strong throughout this series. San Jose just looked a little stronger. And were. I was impressed with the Sharks and could maybe see them going all the way this year. Thorton, Marleau and Cheechoo. It's like Lecavalier, St. Louis and Richards. Only better, apparently.
Those Lousy Predictions   Predators in 6; Okay shut up, I picked the Preds to take the Cup and now they're out in Round 1. Move on. WRONG!

And that's that with that. I was 25% on this conference. That's what happens when you follow an Eastern team and see Eastern teams 72 out of 82 games a year. Overall, I finished with a 38%. I obviously suck at making predictions. But that's never stopped me before.

Later today, my look ahead at Round 2 and other predictions. Maybe I can get some more wrong. Fingers crossed!

Eastern Quarterfinal Roundup

As of now, one round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs is on the books. But before we take a look ahead to the next round, let's take a quick look at where we've been. Below you'll find the results of each series along with a comparison on how my predictions fared. We'll start with the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The West will follow.

Sabres vs Islanders
Sabres win series 4-1
Sabres 4, Islanders 1
Islanders 3, Sabres 2
Sabres 3, Islanders 2
Sabres 4, Islanders 2
Sabres 4, Islanders 3
My Take   You know, once Rick DiPietro came back, I thought all the Isles' problems were solved and they actually had a shot in this series. Impressively, they won Game 2. But that was as much as they could do. The Sabres are an incredibly strong team and I see them in the finals this year. The only reason I'm okay with the Lightning being eliminated in the first round is that had we gone to the second, we would've had to face Buffalo. No, thank you.
Those Lousy Predictions   Sabres in 5; Hey, I got one right! It was an easy one to call though. I think everybody and their mother said Sabres in 5. RIGHT!

Devils vs Lightning
Devils win series 4-2
Devils 5, Lightning 3
Lightning 3, Devils 2
Lightning 3, Devils 2
Devils 4, Lightning 3
Devils 3, Lightning 0
Devils 3, Lightning 2
My Take   Aw, now that was depressing. I moved to a new town this spring and it kept me from being able to watch the Lightning play on TV. Finally, there's a nationally-televised game. And we lose. And Jersey clinches the series. It hurt a little. But I love hockey too much to give up on these playoffs. After all, I have the experience of having been to a Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 where my boys totally pulled it out. The 2004 Stanley Cup Champs! How's that for analysis?
Those Lousy Predictions   Lightning in 6; Hey, I at least got the number of games right even if I didn't pick the winner. It was a crapshoot though. Tampa Bay didn't play as well as it could have, in my opinion. 50/50

Thrashers vs Rangers
Rangers win series 4-0
Rangers 4, Thrashers 3
Rangers 2, Thrashers 1
Rangers 7, Thrashers 0
Rangers 4, Thrashers 2
My Take   I don't think anyone saw a sweep coming in this series. But it was the first one over. Atlanta's playoff run this year made Columbus the sole team to have never qualified for the playoffs. I'm not sure getting swept in the first round is that much better. Still, the Rangers are hot. I wish they didn't have the play the Sabres just yet. This would've made a great confernce final matchup.
Those Lousy Predictions   Thrashers in 7; Don't even start. Atlanta looked good during the regular season. How was I supposed to know they were going to implode as soon as the playoffs began? Not only did I pick the wrong team, I said the series would go all the way. I couldn't possibly be more wrong unless I'd suggested a Thrashers series sweep. WRONG!

Senators vs Penguins
Senators win series 4-1
Senators 6, Penguins 3
Penguins 4, Senators 3
Senators 4, Penguins 2
Senators 2, Penguins 1
Senators 3, Penguins 0
My Take   After Game 1, it looked like this series was going to be the sweep. But the Pens put up a bit of a fight in Game 2. Not enought to extend the series past five games, but you know.
Those Lousy Predictions   Penguins in 5; Here I'm half-right again. I just thought Pittsburgh had more of a chance in this series. Ottawa is known for falling apart at playoff time. Yet I say that knowing full well they knocked out my Lightning in 5 last year in the first round. Anyway, this wasn't the year for the Penguins. Maybe when everyone's a little older. You need to pay a little dues. Work at it for a while. It'll mean more. 50/50

All right then. So as for my predictions. I'm at about 50%. I got one right, one wrong, and half-right on a couple. Not too shabby for someone without a crystal ball. Stay tuned for the West Quarterfinals recap. It's on the way.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 13

Two weeks ago, eight playoff series began. One series remained tonight. It's what playoff hockey is all about. Game 7! Do or die! All or nothing! And any other cliché you can come up with. It's the reason I love this time of year so much. Now let's get on with it!

Canucks 4, Stars 1
Canucks win series 4-3
That score does not tell the story of this game. One thing after another went against Dallas tonight. Despite the Stars getting the lead in the first period on a Joel Lundqvist goal, the Canucks put up a fight, determined not to blow another Game 7. With five minutes to go in period two, Henrik Sedin took a pass from his brother to tie the score. Then to the joy of everyone inside GM Place, Trevor Linden scored seven minutes into the third period to swing the game Vancouver's way. And that's how it went until the final minute of the game when the Stars threw all they could at the Canucks. But the Canucks, they were determined. They scored two empty-netters from Taylor Pyatt and Bryan Smolinski to weigh down the scoresheet in a way this series hasn't since Game 1. It was an exciting game, yet once again the team I was rooting for fell short. On the other hand, I did predict the winner right in this series. Dave Strader and John Vanbiesbrouck had the call on Versus in hi-def. By the way, the Canucks wore their throwback third jerseys tonight. They were 10-5 during the regular season with them. Guess it paid off.

First thing tomorrow — predictions for Round 2! Let's see how many more wrong guesses I can make!

Photos: CBS Sportsline.com

Heavy Hearts

They look the way I feel. Lightning hockey has ended this season, but there is still so much more other hockey left. I guess I can hold on to that.

Coming Soon...

Cool things are happening around here at Cathode Rays & Power Plays. For one, as soon as the Vancouver/Dallas game ends tomorrow night, I will be all over matchups and predictions for the second round as well as a recap of the first one for anyone who missed it. I'll also do a series-by-series comparison of my predictions and we'll all get to see just how much I am not psychic.

Expect the Quarterfinal Roundup early Tuesday and Round 2 of my predictions some time in the afternoon. So even though there are no hockey games on Tuesday, the blog should be rather busy.

But wait, there's more...

I'm also going to take this opportunity to announce that I will be making an announcement here in the near future. Promoting a promo. In fact, you can expect it at the close of the second round of playoffs. That's about a week-and-a-half or so. I won't say what it is yet, just that it's a big new project I'm working on that will hopefully be something of interest to my few readers and all hockey fans alike. It will be a three-month event to take place during the offseason when all of us are in desperate need of something hockey-related.

Stay tuned for more. And I apologize for the tease.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 12

The 2004 Stanley Cup finalists were both eliminated from the playoffs today. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames each met their ends in Game 6, at the hands of the teams that won the Cup both years prior (New Jersey in 2003 and Detroit in 2002). I, however, am extremely depressed having gotten to watch my team play on national TV, only to have them not only lose the game, but the series as well. Elimination is a bitch this time of year. Get the sad details below.

Devils 3, Lightning 2
Devils win series 4-2
And the Lightning are out. That sucks. Brian Gionta opened the scoring for New Jersey on the power play in the first period. Then again on the power play to open period two, Brian Rafalski makes it 2-0. Brad Richards would score a few minutes later, also with the man-advantage only to have the Devils go up by two again just 39 seconds later. Gionta was responsible for that one too. The power play was very good to both teams today as Richards got the Bolts within one again midway through the period. But that would be the final goal of the season for the Bolts. The third period was relatively quiet. Mike Emrick, Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire called the game for NBC in beautiful HD. It was the first time I got to watch a full Lightning game since I moved to Fort Myers. And it was the last. (For this season.) It was a pretty good year, all in all.

Red Wings 2, Flames 1, 2OT
Red Wings win series 4-2
They were the final 84 minutes of the season for the Calgary Flames. Jamie McLennan got suspended five games for a slash to the gut of Johan Franzen yesterday. Tonight, he made them pay. Franzen tallied the series-clinching goal at 4:24 of the second overtime period. This, despite Jarome Iginla scoring the first goal of the game three minutes into the second period. The team that scored first won the first five games of the series. Regardless, the Flames are finished. Detroit moves ahead. Versus carried the CBC feed in standard def.

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com

NHL Rules On Calgary

After yesterday's fiasco during Game 5 of the Red Wings/Flames series, the league handed down its final ruling, according to Mike Emrick on NBC's telecast of today's Lightning/Devils game.

Goaltender Jamie McLennan has been suspended five games. I have no idea who Calgary's third-string goalie is but I'll guess we'll find out tonight. Flames coach Jim Playfair was fined $25,000. Rather hefty but necessary. And the organization as a whole was fined $100,000.

The NHL sent a clear message about players and teams taking cheap shots. It'll be interesting to see how the Flames take it tonight and if they can manage to stay alive in the series. Detroit is up 3-2 and can close the series tonight in Calgary.

UPDATE (2:41): Just did some quick research. Looks like the Flames have a goalie in the AHL who's been pretty hot. His name is Curtis McElhinney and he plays for the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. If it is McElhinney, he's got a long flight ahead of him today (unless Calgary was smart and called him up last night). If it's not, I have no idea who it will be.

UPDATE (9:58): I was wrong. Turns out they called up Omaha's backup goalie, Brent Krahn to replace McLennan. During the regular AHL season, Krahn played 28 games and posted a 2.42 goals-against average and .905 save percentage. The Knights are in the Calder Cup Playoffs but McElhinney is the starter.

An Early Look At The Semis

We're really getting down to it here. Three series remain here in the quarterfinals and all three series can be won with the next game. The Devils are up on the Bolts 3-2. The Wings have the Flames by the short hairs, also 3-2. And the Stars forced a Game 7 on Vancouver after being down 3-1 in the series. Isn't playoff hockey just so exciting?!

But my point is, the first round is nearly over. It's time to start taking a peek at how the next round might shape up.

Eastern Conference

(1) Sabres vs (6) Rangers
(2) Devils vs (4) Senators
I already discussed the possibility of this scenario. And if you ask most people, they'd say this is the way it's going to be. I say the Lightning can pull out the win and put New Jersey in its place. In that case, it shapes up more like this:

(1) Sabres vs (7) Lightning
(4) Senators vs (6) Rangers
I have a feeling the Sens can give the Rangers a run for their money. Atlanta was kid stuff. This is real hockey here. But the same thing goes for Ottawa. The Rangers are not the Penguins and it won't be so easy. Careful, though, I'm not giving predictions on the series until it's written in stone. And as I've said before, I worry about the Lightning going against the Sabres. I'm sure that would prove to be a pretty rough series for us.

Western Conference

(1) Red Wings vs (6) Stars
(2) Ducks vs (4) Sharks
This scenario assumes Dallas takes Game 7 tomorrow and Detroit beats Calgary tonight. Two things that aren't entirely out of the realm of possibility and are, in fact, rather likely. I would enjoy a Red Wings/Stars series, but I wonder if Dallas would be too worn out after a seven-game series. However it's also possible that Detroit goes to seven games and theirs would be a day after the Stars'. And Dominik Hasek isn't exactly a young fella anymore.

(2) Ducks vs (8) Flames
(3) Canucks vs (4) Sharks
This setup may seem pretty outlandish, but just think about it for a second. The Canucks/Stars series hinges on a single game, and based on prior knowledge, it could very easily go either way. As for the Flames, they can put up a hell of a fight. If they win at home, they go back to Detroit revved for a series victory. When it gets this late in a playoff round, nearly anything is possibly. However, if this was the case, I'd be fairly confident in predicting the Ducks and Sharks in the conference finals.

Okay, that's enough from me. I'll be back at it with predictions and such for the semifinals just as soon as we know who's going to be in it. It's going to be an exciting ride. I can feel it!

2007 NHL Draft Lottery Held

So this is old news now, but I figured it was still information worth posting.

Back on April 10, the draft lottery was held for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. I think it's usually held later in the summer so I'm not sure why they did it so early this year. And since that's the case, only the 14 teams that didn't qualify for the playoffs are eligible for the lottery. The rest will be added in the order they were eliminated from the postseason (if memory serves right).

Chicago lucked out and will get the first overall pick this year. Last year, they had No. 3. The full order is as follows.

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Phoenix Coyotes
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Washington Capitals
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Boston Bruins
9. St. Louis Blues
10. Florida Panthers
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Montreal Canadiens
13. Toronto Maple Leafs
14. Colorado Avalanche

And if I'm right about the whole order-of-elimination thing, then the next five teams will be as follows.

15. Atlanta Thrashers
16. Pittsburgh Penguins
17. Minnesota Wild
18. New York Islanders
19. Nashville Predators

The draft takes place June 22 in Columbus, Ohio. I'm sure I'll have coverage of that when it happens. We'll all be pretty starved for hockey by then. Of course it will be a long three months between the draft and the training camps. But that's why I also write about television here (not that there will be any news on that during the summer either).

UPDATE (Sat 4/28 @ 4:04 PM): I know I'm a few days late on this, but we have what should be the next three teams in the draft order for June. I'll update this post again at the end of the second round.

20. Tampa Bay Lightning
21. Calgary Flames
22. Dallas Stars