Big TV News, Part 3: FOX

It turns out we also have news on what shows FOX is picking up, thanks once again to The Hollywood Reporter. Still, the net hasn't said anything officially, so just know that this is all speculative. Of course.

So let's get to it. FOX has evidently given series orders to a few pilots. They'll announce it definitively on Thursday. The winners are... Canterbury's Law, the "Terminator"-themed The Sarah Connor Chronicles (but didn't we all see that coming), K-Ville, Back To You, The Return Of Jezebel James, and New Amsterdam.

"Back To You" is the comedy pilot that got a 13-episode order way back when. It stars Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton — a winner right there — as news anchors at a quirky little TV station. I'm really looking forward to this one and I don't look forward to many comedies. "Jezebel James" is the Amy Sherman-Palladino-penned pilot about a couple of estranged sisters. "Gilmore Girls" wraps this season and despite Sherman-Palladino not being involved this year, it's still worth noting.

"Connor" I expected to get picked up and "New Amsterdam" I was incredibly surprised by. That just doesn't sound like a ratings-monger of a TV concept. But it's FOX, so it's okay. I like it when they screw around with what TV is. Remember when "24" premiered and everybody said, "shut up, that will never work"?

Speaking of "24," I'm rather disappointed to see that "Company Man" didn't make this list. I was really looking forward to that one. That and "The Cure" with Oded Fehr. But like I said, this isn't written in stone. It's hearsay and rumor. But I'm cool with that.

If you want to know the real story, check in Wednesday afternoon for the official news from FOX on the fall schedule.

R2's Parasitic Infestation

I was going to stay out of it, but then I thought, as a lifetime Lightning fan, I have to comment on this. It's pretty far out.

Evgeni Artyukhin is awesome. Mark Gandler is — and let this point be made in no uncertain terms and so clear as to verge on invisibility — a parasite.

I don't know why I'm constantly amazed at an agent's ability to make a player appear to be an incompetent asshole. And yet.

For those needing background information, Artyukhin is a Lightning enforcer. He brings an excellent presence to the ice. Not irreplaceable, but important enough to want to keep. After the lockout, Arty ended up signing with a team in Russia instead of the Lightning. He wanted that experience.

Meanwhile his agent — the illustrious Gandler — is working Lightning GM Jay Feaster like a street corner at 2 in the morning. Now I may be talking of turn here, what with not being an NHL power broker, but after a single season's worth of NHL experience, there's no possible way Artyukhin is worth a $1 million contract — yet. The amount asked for by the parasite agent.

Whatever. I'm not going to go on record saying that Artyukhin is a nitwit, but let's face it, he's new to this country. If some well-dressed, smarmy, fast-talking asshole (I'll ease up on the adjectives) tells him he can get more money, the guy is going to listen. Who wouldn't? But Jesus Christ. Let the guy put together a little more experience with the team already.

This spring, Arty gets the year in Russia out of his system and is ready to return to the Bolts. Feaster is happy with this and offers a one-way contract valued at $475,000 for a single season. In a heartbeat, I'd take it. But then, I'm a broke television production "specialist."

Everything seems fine until suddenly, no, he won't accept that deal. I know that sports agents serve a purpose. But this one isn't serving his! He's supposed to be looking out for his client! Feaster's not going to trade him and he's not going to get anywhere near $475,000 in Russia, so what is Gandler expecting to do for the next two years?

I really feel bad for Artyukhin. That is, assuming this really is all the agent. I don't know Arty but he doesn't seem like the type. Yes, lots of people like money and we generally tend to prefer players who love the game over the coin, but let's face it, we don't spend millions of dollars on players because we like to.

Okay, I feel like I've said my peace. If you want someone else's take, I like how John over at Boltsmag reminds Mark Gandler in his post that he is in fact not Ari Gold. (Good show, by the way.)

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 28

The Western Conference Finals started tonight. I was really hoping the Ducks would take the first lead of this series. But hey, this was the first time in a while that I got to actually sit through an entire televised game. (I go back to work tomorrow night.)

Red Wings 2, Ducks 1
Red Wings lead series 1-0
Henrik Zetterberg put Detroit on the board first just four minutes in while on the power play. So that was nice for them. After a scoreless second, Chris Kunitz tied it for the Ducks just 94 second into the third period. Unfortunately for Anaheim, the Wings power play was really on tonight. With 4:54 left in the third, Tomas Holmstrom gave his team the go-ahead goal with the man-advantage once again. And that was that. Anaheim didn't look bad, by any means however, but I think all their extra time off might've left them a bit rusty. Anyway, they don't need to change much to tie this series on Sunday. Versus had HD coverage on Mojo (if you have a hi-def cable package).

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com

Big TV News, Part 2: The Alphabet

There's some rather cool news floating around in the days before the upfronts begin.

Just did NBC, now we'll look at ABC. The Hollywood Reporter seems to know everything about what's coming up for ABC this fall. They have yet to announce anything officially, so just know that this is all speculative.

Added to the list of shows ABC has already renewed will be October Road and Notes From The Underbelly for second seasons. I watched the first couple episodes of "Road" but it didn't really hold my attention. "Underbelly" didn't seem interesting enough to even bother with. Guess ABC disagrees.

Also, ABC has apparently given series orders to the pilots they plan to announce pick-ups for on Tuesday. And the drama winners are... Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Pushing Daisies, Cashmere Mafia, Women's Murder Club, the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff Private Practice, and Big Shots. Your first question is probably, what is "Big Shots?" You might know it as "Perfect Gentlemen" or "Bedrooms & Boardrooms." It's gone through a few title changes.

As for comedies, word is that they're going with Cavemen, Carpoolers and Sam I Am. I'm a little bummed that "The Thick Of It" and "The News" aren't on this list. "Thick" is Mitchell Hurwitz's follow-up to the much-good "Arrested Development."

Surprisingly, "Football Wives," "Marlowe," "Life On Mars," and Guy Ritchie's "Suspect" didn't make the cut. (Although, if you consult Michael Ausiello, "Marlowe" and "Football Wives" will be on the schedule.) I'm not that bothered by the absence of "Life On Mars" since I've heard ABC liked the script, just not the lead actor. My understanding is that they plan to re-cast and shoot around midseason when more actors are available in the talent pool. But like I said, none of this is final.

If you want to know the real story, stay tuned Tuesday afternoon for the official word from ABC itself.

Big TV News, Part 1: The Peacock

There's some rather cool news floating around in the days before the upfronts begin.

We'll start with NBC. Michael Ausiello at TV Guide seems to know everything about what's coming up for NBC and ABC this week. Both networks have yet to announce anything officially, so just know that this is still speculation.

According to Ausiello, NBC is renewing Friday Night Lights for a second season! — which I couldn't be more thrilled about. I thought, like most people, it would be an insufferable series about a bunch of football players and their annoying friends and overbearing parents. But it's so not. I can't even begin to describe the quality of writing and acting. I highly recommend a viewing of the DVD when it's released this summer.

The other good news is that Scrubs will be back for a seventh (and regrettably final) season next year. It'll only be 18 episodes (instead of the usual 22 or 24). I've watched and loved this show since season one. I'll be sad to see it go. I hope — no, I know the writers will do a bang-up job closing out the show.

Anyway, NBC has also apparently given series orders to the pilots they plan to announce pick-ups of this fall. And the winners are... Chuck, Journeyman, Life, and rather unbelievably, The Bionic Woman. Those are just the dramas. No word on comedies yet, it would seem.

I'm a little annoyed in that I don't think "The Bionic Woman" will be any good from everything I've read. I also expected them to pick up "Winters" — the pilot written by David Shore ("House") and starring Famke Janssen ("X-Men"). I'm also pretty sure NBC told the producers of "Lipstick Jungle" to start staffing up, so I don't know.

Regardless, we find out how everything goes down for sure on Monday afternoon. Now, stay tuned for an ABC update tonight.

My 100th Post: Blades & Bombers

I recently moved from Tampa, where I've been a lifelong fan of the Lightning to Fort Myers. I was annoyed that Lightning games weren't shown down here and despite getting to watch nationally televised Stanley Cup playoff games, I needed to be able to see a game in person. As luck would have it, this happens to be an ECHL market.

ECHL is the East Coast Hockey League. It's the "premier 'AA' hockey league" — whatever that means. Anyway, I figured minor league hockey is better than no hockey. Well, turns out it is — but not by much.

Last night, as part of a celebration of my first weekend since starting my new job, my girlfriend and I went to see the Florida Everblades face the Dayton Bombers in Game 2 of the American Conference Finals. The Bombers won Game 1 by a score of 4-3 after a record three overtime periods. All right, so basically this is the last round of playoffs before the Kelly Cup Finals. The equivalent of the Stanley Cup. The ECHL championship, essentially.

The Everblades play at Germain Arena in Estero — not 30 minutes from our apartment in Fort Myers. We bought our tickets online and picked them up at the rink. The game started well enough. Florida got the first lead but quickly blew it, allowing two Dayton goals in the span of 51 seconds. They went into period two down 2-1.

Fans at the game were rather diverse. You had your hard core hockey fans just looking for pucks and ice (me). You had your drunks just looking for any form of entertainment. You had your kids seeking out the cool place to be — I guess. And, surprisingly to me, a very large number of people actually wearing Everblades jerseys. But you gotta figure — every team has to have its fans.

I wanted a jersey of my own but they were a little more than I wanted to spend. My brother may try out for them next season. If he makes the team, I'll buy a jersey then. Instead, I settled for a green t-shirt. It was a nice one, actually.

Anyway, the second period turned out to be a lot kinder to the Everblades. They scored three times and held the Bombers to nothing. At this point, it started to become clear which players were the fan favorites and the stars. Vince Bellissimo (who wears #26), seems to be the star. In the second, he scored his ninth goal of the playoffs. The goalie is Craig Kowalski (#33) and everyone seemed to cheer pretty loudly when they announced his name for the starting lineups.

Brad Parsons (#7) also seems to be a pretty decent force on the ice. Parsons scored the fifth goal for the Blades and he and Bellissimo each earned three points (a goal and two assists). So going into period three, Florida had a rather comfortable 4-2 lead over Dayton. But all night, the Bombers showed they weren't to be taken lightly.

Three minutes into the final period, things started to get tense again when the Bombers scored to get within one goal. But as the clock ticked down, the Everblades tallied an insurance goal that all but spelled victory. That's how the game would end.

So it was a decent night out, but I think I'm spoiled as far as on-ice talent goes. I'm used to the extremely fast-paced, hard-hitting action of the NHL. So I have to say I was a little surprised to see how slowly the puck moved in this game. I know I shouldn't expect it as it is "AA" hockey, but I've been watching night-after-night of Stanley Cup hockey for the last month, so my bearings are a little off. Still, it was a fun game to watch and we'll definitely go back.

One more interesting note: Dayton goalie Adam Berkhoel played a few games in the NHL last season for the Atlanta Thrashers — including two against the Lightning. FYI: The Bolts won the games 6-0 and 5-2. Berkhoel was called up by the Thrashers for nine games while playing for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League in 2005-06.

Oh yeah, this was officially the 100th post of my blog. I'm prolific. Thanks for reading.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 27

The Eastern Conference Finals officially began tonight. I couldn't watch the game since I actually went to another hockey game closer to home. The ECHL's Florida Everblades played the Dayton Bombers in Game 2 the American Conference Finals tonight. It was fun. Nothing like Stanley Cup playoff hockey, though — obviously. I'll write about it tomorrow.

Senators 5, Sabres 2
Senators lead series 1-0
The Senators may have blown a 2-0 lead, but that wasn't going to stop them from taking the first game of the East Finals. Going into the third period 2-2, Ottawa simply dominated. Oleg Saprykin and Jason Spezza regained the two-goal margin for the Sens. Dean McAmmond took advantage of Buffalo pulling Ryan Miller in the final minute with a fifth goal. Seems like every round has seen more than a few teams notch five goals in Game 1 this year. It's weird, right? It's worth noting that Ottawa took the lead on a Mike Fisher goal four minutes into the game — during a penalty kill. I didn't get to watch the game, but I can only imagine how bad Buffalo looked. The best I could do was catch some of the Versus coverage in between periods at the Everblades game.

Photo: ESPN.com

The Television Front

Unfortunate news for anyone looking for bits about comedy pilots in development at the moment. The upfronts are in five days and I just can't muster the energy to do it. Plus as much as I like funny things, I'm by and large not a fan of comedy television on account of most of it isn't — what's the word — funny.

Anyway, I won't make you walk away empty-handed, so here are a few links that will take you directly to the futon critic's own pilot development guides.

NBC | ABC | CBS | FOX

And as if that weren't enough for you, how about another look at the dates and times and locales for next week's super-cool upfront presentations.

• NBC on Monday, May 14 @ 3 PM (Radio City Music Hall)


• ABC on Tuesday, May 15 @ 4 PM (Lincoln Center)


• CBS on Wednesday, May 16 @ 2 PM (Carnegie Hall)


• FOX on Thursday, May 17 @ 4 PM (New York City Center)

And because I like you, I'll even throw in the always irritating CW. They go Thursday morning at 10:30 inside Madison Square Garden. I can't imagine being interested in any of their shows, but I suppose almost anything is possible.

Anyway, come back next week to see which shows made the cut and which didn't.

My 2007 Stanley Cup Predictions, Round 3

Things went much better for my prediction-wise in the last round and I have to credit that invisible crystal ball of mine. I think I'll use it again today. There are only two series to preview now. We're really coming down to it now. The final four. (I think that's what they're down to on American Idol this week.) Anyway, read on for more of my nonsense.

Conference Finals

Sabres vs Senators
Sizing It Up: For the first time in these playoffs, the Sabres have to leave the state. Worse yet, the country. And they have to cross a giant lake! What are we to do? Okay, does anyone else think think this is going to be the year for the Senators? They have played awfully well in the first two rounds. Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson appear to be unstoppable and Emery has proved he nothing if not a playoff goalie. Still the Sabres are just so deep. While I would very much like to see Ottawa go all the way this year, I'm afraid Buffalo is a little too powerful (for anyone). It should be a long series.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Sabres in 7

Red Wings vs Ducks
Sizing It Up: Remember the year Anaheim went to the finals against Jersey? And remember how they clocked Detroit? Yeah, I'll have some more of that, please. I'm sorry, I know the Red Wings have all but proved they're going all the way this year, but they've taken some pretty bad beatings in the prior rounds. And with Schneider gone, the blue line hurts and Dominik Hasek is good, but just how good? The Ducks have been walking all over everybody this season and I think they'll do the same to the Wings.
The Invisible Crystal Ball Says: Ducks in 6

Here's something interesting, though. If both Buffalo and Anaheim win their series, the two teams in the Finals will both be donning uniforms and logos that were just unveiled this year. I'm from Tampa. Buccaneers anyone? Interesting.

Anyway, I'm not changing my Finals prediction. I'm still in favor of the Ducks for the Cup.

Stanley Cup Finals
Sabres vs Ducks : Ducks in 7

Any thoughts? What do you think will happen in this round? Feel free to comment.

Semifinal Roundup

So that's that for the Conference Semifinals. They ended yesterday with a big win for Detroit. They became the final team to lock in a spot in the Conference Finals for these playoffs. But before we take a look ahead to the next round, let's take a quick look at the last one. And we can tally up how many bad predictions I made (actually, I did surprisingly well).

Sabres vs Rangers
Sabres win series 4-2
Sabres 5, Rangers 2
Sabres 3, Rangers 2
Rangers 2, Sabres 1, 2OT
Rangers 2, Sabres 1
Sabres 2, Rangers 1, 1OT
Sabres 5, Rangers 4
My Take   This was a good year for Rangers fans. They got to see one hell of a team. Unfortunately, the Sabres are just that ridiculously good. Scary good, as some fans put it. I'm annoyed, yes, that they're so invincible. But I saw it coming a mile away.
Those Lousy Predictions   Sabres in 6; Oh yes, I called this one. Right on the money. RIGHT!

Devils vs Senators
Senators win series 4-1
Senators 5, Devils 4
Devils 3, Senators 2, 2OT
Senators 2, Devils 0
Senators 3, Devils 2
Senators 3, Devils 2
My Take   It's nice to see Marty Brodeur implode — when he's playing for someone else's team. No, he's a good goalie and I respect him for that. But come on, a little rivalry contempt isn't out of line here. His play was here and there and that's why the Devils couldn't go on. That and no one on that team can consistently score goals.
Those Lousy Predictions   Senators in 7; The big surprise here was that the Devils were done in five games. I thought that had at least a couple more wins in them. That damn crystal ball! 50/50

Red Wings vs Sharks
Red Wings win series 4-2
Sharks 2, Red Wings 0
Red Wings 3, Sharks 2
Sharks 2, Red Wings 1
Red Wings 3, Sharks 2, 1OT
Red Wings 4, Sharks 1
Red Wings 2, Sharks 0
My Take   This was a flat-out strange series. It began and ended with the same score (2-0) but with a different team winning. But the biggest news is that for the first time in these playoffs, the team that won Game 1 actually lost the series. I really have no idea what happened to San Jose in this series. They had more going against them in the last round against Nashville. But what's bad for the Sharks is awesome for the Wings. They're moving on up.
Those Lousy Predictions   Sharks in 6; Well, I did predict six games. Stupid crystal ball just saw the wrong team winning it. I really am rather surprised Detroit pulled it out the way they did. I know San Jose started sucking, but I at least expected a Game 7. 50/50

Ducks vs Canucks
Ducks win series 4-1
Ducks 5, Canucks 1
Canucks 2, Ducks 1, 2OT
Ducks 3, Canucks 2
Ducks 3, Canucks 2, 1OT
Ducks 2, Canucks 1, 2OT
My Take   After that first round against Dallas, I thought Vancouver would be unstoppable in overtime. So if you'd said there would be three OT games in this series, I'd have said Anaheim never had a chance. Boy, they showed me. But Anaheim is a talented team. I figured they'd win. I just didn't think they'd beat the Canucks at their own game.
Those Lousy Predictions   Ducks in 6; Ever so close I was on this one. Off by just one game. But can you blame me with the way Vancouver plays in OT? 50/50

All right then. So as for my predictions. I'm at about 63%. Yeah, that's a D. My invisible crystal ball didn't do me all that well. Still, it was much better prognosticating than in the last round. Improvement is good. And so are the Conference Finals. A preview comes your way tomorrow.

My Big Announcement!

Okay, so I know I promised the announcement on Tuesday, but as far as I'm concerned, this sort of is still Tuesday. Plus I wanted to make you sweat it a little since I know you're dying to know the secret. Prepare for a letdown.

Basically, what I'm announcing is a new blog. But it's not just any kind of blog. It's a blog that will determine definitively which NHL team has the best logo. The best! It will be a marathon tournament that will pit logo against logo with the lone goal of deciding who is champion.

It's called the NHL Tournament of Logos!

Come on, you know you're thrilled. This tournament is really nothing more than a way of getting us hockey fans throught the lean time of the offseason. I guess you could say this isn't really hockey as there are no players or pucks involved, but you can still root for your team.

To learn more of what this tournament is all about, head on over to nhllogos.blogspot.com.

Hope it wasn't too much of a disappointment for you. I know I put a lot of hype into it. Let me know what you think. But don't be too harsh.

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 26

For the third day in a row, another team got eliminated and the Sharks were the last of the second round of playoffs. So now, everything is set for the Conference Finals. We're just one round away from finding out who will be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals!

Red Wings 2, Sharks 0
Red Wings win series 4-2
What a strange game. First, I was half-expecting to come home at midnight and find the game in double- or triple-overtime. I was surprised to find that not only had the Red Wings won in regulation, but that all the goals were scored in the first period. In the final minutes, Mikael Samuelsson scored twice to give Detroit a nice lead — a lead they would never relinquish. Not only that, but mad props to Dominik Hasek on the shutout. Too bad for the Sharks, though. I really thought they'd pull it out. I can't tell you how much I wanted to see a Sharks-Ducks matchup in the West Finals. But regardless, it isn't happening. Next week, it's Ducks and Wings in the west and Senators and Sabres in the east. Exciting times.

By the way, just as promised, you can expect a rather giant announcement at some point tomorrow with regard to the blogging world and something we can all enjoy during the hockey offseason. Hope you like it.

Photo: CBS Sportsline.com

Pilot Production Stills!

Development season officially ends a week from today with the networks announcing their picks for the fall schedule. It's kind of like draft day for sports fans. You've read up on the prospects. You know what they can do. You have your favorites and you're just hoping your team picks them. Except in this case, you don't care what team picks them, so long as they get picked at all. Anyway, the futon critic had some production still posted from some of the pilots hoping to get picked up. Thought I'd share.


ELI STONE (ABC) We see Victor Garber along with an old guy and who appears to be Sam Jaeger. No sign of Jonny Lee Miller (the supposed lead). Looks like a courtroom setting. And that would make sense as the main character is supposed to be a lawyer. Garber plays Jordan Wethersby and Jaeger is someone named Matt.


JOURNEYMAN (NBC) Here we have Moon Bloodgood alongside Kevin McKidd. McKidd plays Dan Vasser and Bloodgood is Vasser's dead fiancée or something like that. I don't really understand. I'd have to see the show. And I want to.


LIPSTICK JUNGLE (NBC) Lindsay Price, Brooke Shields and Kim Raver are pictured in a pilot that I'm not the least bit interested in yet is generating a lot of "buzz." (I hate that word.) Price plays Victory Ford, Shields is Wendy Healy and Kim Raver is Nico O'Neilly. (I guess things don't turn out well for Audrey at the end of this season of "24.")


PUSHING DAISIES (ABC) Lee Pace stars alongside Kristin Chenoweth (I think that's her pictured) in the pilot I'm looking forward to the most out of these four. Bryan Fuller wrote and Barry Sonnenfeld directed so you know it has to be good. Pace stars as Ned and Chenoweth plays Olive.

For what it's worth, the futon critic also happens to have a page up tracking "pilot buzz" (I still had that word) if you're at all interested. As of now, ABC pilots "Private Practice," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Pushing Daisies" are blowing everyone away. Hope to hear more soon.

Oh yeah, and I know you probably weren't looking for it, but I'm probably not going to have time to write up posts on the comedy pilots the way I did the dramas last week. What with the job now and everything... Excuses, excuses, I know. Anyway, certainly be here next Monday when the nets start announcing their fall schedules. I will definitely be on top of that.

End In Sight for “Lost”

May 7, 2007
Zap2it.com

ABC says show will conclude in three seasons

The producers of "Lost" — and maybe some of the show's fans too — will get their wish of a definite end date for the series.

ABC has worked out a deal with showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse by which the pair will remain with "Lost" for three 16-episode seasons, after which the show will end. All three seasons, the last of which will come in 2009-10, will air in unbroken blocks.

Cuse and Lindelof have for some time advocated the setting of an end date for the show, and they're both happy to have the deal in place.

"We always envisioned 'Lost' as a show with a beginning, middle and end," the two say in a statement. "By officially announcing exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we've intended."

Speaking to reporters in January, Lindelof said the original vision for the show involved "in the neighborhood of 90 to 100 episodes," and that he and Cuse had started discussions with ABC on that front. At the time, network executives said the talks were little more than informal discussions. Now, though, it's clear those talks came to pass.

"In considering the powerful storytelling of 'Lost,' we felt this was the only way to give it a proper creative conclusion," ABC Entertainment chief Stephen McPherson says. "Due to the unique nature of 'Lost,' we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout and to give the audience the payoff they deserve."

The 48 episodes of "Lost" that will be produced over the next three seasons are roughly equivalent to two standard-length seasons for a network series. The show will end this season with 71 hours under its belt — 24 in each of its first two years and 23 this season.

As part of the end-date deal, Lindelof and Cuse also signed new contracts with "Lost" producer ABC TV Studio to remain as showrunners, with development deals to follow their time on the series.

direct link

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 25

Another day and another team bites the dust. The Rangers fought to stay alive for at least just one more game. But in the end, the Sabres moved on. They will face the Senators in third round play. For now, read about this afternoon's action.

Sabres 5, Rangers 4
Sabres win series 4-2
The Rangers wanted it. But the Sabres wanted it just a little bit more. In the final minutes of the first period, Michael Nylander beat Ryan Miller to give the Rangers the first lead. But in the span of just 94 seconds at the beginning of the second period, the Sabres took utter control on goals by Dmitri Kalinin and Jason Pominville. But less than two minutes later, Paul Mara evened things up. But that was only the beginning of the scoring in the middle period. Before it was over, Jochen Hecht and Chris Drury each tallied a goal to put Buffalo up 4-2 after two. Jaromir Jagr scored early in the third on the power play but Hecht put back the two-goal pad for the Sabres. The Rangers would score only once more in the final minutes of the game (Nylander's second of the afternoon), but it wouldn't be enough. The Sabres take the series in six. NBC had hi-def coverage for those able to watch. I had to work and so missed the third period.

Photo: ESPN.com

Brodeur's Eye Twitch Situation

Dude, what is the deal with Martin Brodeur winking at everybody after elimination games?

Last night the Devils were eliminated from the playoffs. That's all well and good but what's he doing winking at Ray Emery? He did the same thing to Vinny Lecavalier after the Lightning got ousted by New Jersey.

He should really see someone to get that eye twitch checked out. Is anyone an eye specialist? I'm a little concerned.

Anyway, I'm just goofing around. I thought it was funny that there were two different photos of him basically doing the same thing. I wouldn't have thought he'd have anything to wink about after getting eliminated.

Photos: CBS Sportslin.com, ESPN.com

TV Stars Turn Out For Ducks

It was another fusing of my two favorite things on Thursday night in Anaheim. The Ducks won their semifinal series against the Vancouver Canucks before a crowd that featured more than a few celebrities — television stars, to be more specific.

David Boreanaz ("Bones"), William Fichtner ("Prison Break") and Kelly Carlson ("Nip/Tuck") were some of the actors on hand at the Honda Center (can we still call it The Pond?) to witness the Ducks move on to the Western Conference Finals.

If you recall, Masi Oka ("Heroes") was at the Rangers game in New York last weekend. The Rangers won in double-overtime to keep the Sabres from a sweep. So far, the home team has won every game in that series.

God only knows if one day hockey becomes a popular mainstream sport here in the U.S. — I'm not sure what I'll do if that happens. I'll have to put up with know-it-alls pretending they've been a fan forever. Still, it's better for all hockey fans if more people go to games. Now if we could only get people to go to see the Penguins.

Photos: CBS Sportsline.com

Stanley Cup Playoffs, Night 24

It was another night featuring an elimination. This time the Devils are out and I can't even begin to describe the joy I feel. I knew the Sens could do it. As for the Sharks, I'm beginning to have my doubts. They better start playing smarter or their season is over and Anaheim will have to beat Detroit again. Read on about the night's action.

Red Wings 4, Sharks 1
Red Wings lead series 3-2
I got to see the first half of this game before having to head out to the station but it was been pretty exciting. Both teams were desperate for a win because it meant they could take the series in Game 6. Marcel Goc scored for the Sharks early in the first period, but Henrik Zetterberg tallied the equalizer for the Red Wings early in the second. Pavel Datsyuk then scored what was basically an empty-netter late in the period when Evgeni Nabokov misplayed the puck. Bet he wishes he could have that one back. The Wings notched two more goals in the first six minutes of the third period and that was it for San Jose. Despite winning the game, though, Detroit suffered a huge loss. Mathieu Schneider broke his wrist and is done for the playoffs. He was a part of the Red Wings defensive corps. Without him, Nicklas Lidstrom has a big burden. The Wings can take the series on Monday. The national NBC telecast was in HD.

Senators 3, Devils 2
Senators win series 4-1
Martin Brodeur who? That was probably one of the biggest wins in Senators history. I wish I could have watched it. They'll be in the conference finals this year. Probably facing Buffalo, but we'll see. Believe it or not, New Jersey actually had the first lead. Scott Gomez scored early in the first. The Devils held that lead until five minutes into the second period when Antoine Vermette tied the game. Later on the power play, Jason Spezza gave Ottawa the lead on a fancy goal. As time was winding down in the period, Daniel Alfredsson made it 3-1, making Brodeur look easy. During a final rush in the third period, with the goalie pulled, the Devils scored once more at the hands of Scott Gomez once again to try and keep their playoff hopes alive. But Ottawa held them off and took the series in just five games. Versus had non-HD coverage. (Which I missed.)

Photos: ESPN.com, CBS Sportsline.com