Below is the link to take you to the page with the final fantasy hockey rankings after this year's season.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=558461
Thursday, May 26, 2011
2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final Schedule
The following is the schedule for the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final. The first category is the date, the second is the location and time, and the third is the network(s) the game will be broadcasted on. The * indicates if necessary.
| Wednesday, June 1 | at Vancouver, 8 p.m. | NBC, CBC, RDS |
| Saturday, June 4 | at Vancouver, 8 p.m. | NBC, CBC, RDS |
| Monday, June 6 | at Boston or Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. | VERSUS, CBC, RDS |
| Wednesday, June 8 | at Boston or Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. | VERSUS, CBC, RDS |
| *Friday, June 10 | at Vancouver, 8 p.m. | NBC, CBC, RDS |
| *Monday, June 13 | at Boston or Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. | NBC, CBC, RDS |
| *Wednesday, June 15 | at Vancouver, 8 p.m. | NBC, CBC, RDS |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Dough Weight Set to Retire
The New York Islanders have called a press conference for Thursday morning at which Doug Weight will make a decision regarding his playing career. Media reports indicate it is expected that the 19 season NHL veteran will announce his retirement.
Weight, a second-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 1990 Entry Draft, played the majority of his career with the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues before signing three years ago with the Islanders. Shoulder and back injuries limited him to 107 games, just 54 over the past two seasons.
"I'm trying not to drag it out too long," he told NHL.com during an interview last month. "I always told myself the last four or five years that I'm going to take some time after each season and re-evaluate. One thing's for sure, I love training, I love playing, and when I am healthy I still feel like a good player... In the next 2-3 weeks I'll probably figure that all out, when everything dies down, figure out what I want to do in talking to Garth Snow and talking to my family, make a decision."
Weight has career totals of 278 goals and 1,033 points in 1,238 regular-season games for the Rangers, Oilers, Blues, Hurricanes, Ducks and Islanders. He added 23 goals and 72 points in 97 postseason games and won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006.
Weight, a second-round pick of the New York Rangers in the 1990 Entry Draft, played the majority of his career with the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues before signing three years ago with the Islanders. Shoulder and back injuries limited him to 107 games, just 54 over the past two seasons.
"I'm trying not to drag it out too long," he told NHL.com during an interview last month. "I always told myself the last four or five years that I'm going to take some time after each season and re-evaluate. One thing's for sure, I love training, I love playing, and when I am healthy I still feel like a good player... In the next 2-3 weeks I'll probably figure that all out, when everything dies down, figure out what I want to do in talking to Garth Snow and talking to my family, make a decision."
Weight has career totals of 278 goals and 1,033 points in 1,238 regular-season games for the Rangers, Oilers, Blues, Hurricanes, Ducks and Islanders. He added 23 goals and 72 points in 97 postseason games and won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006.
Brian Rafalski Set to Retire
The Detroit Red Wings have announced they will hold a press conference Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena, where it's expected defenseman Brian Rafalski will announce his retirement.
The team announced GM Ken Holland and Rafalski will be in attendance, and Rafalski "will discuss his plans for his playing career."
The 37-year-old defenseman recently completed his 11th NHL season and fourth with the Red Wings.
Rafalski, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin, played several years over in Sweden and Finland before signing with the New Jersey Devils and making his debut with 5 goals and 32 points during the 1999-2000 season.
The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup in his rookie season, the first of three championships won by Rafalski- he was also a member of Cup winning teams in 2003 with New Jersey and 2008 with Detroit.
Rafalski finished this past season with 4 goals and 48 points in 63 regular-season games and added 2 goals and 1 assist in 11 postseason games.
For his career, Rafalski has totaled 79 goals and 515 points in 833 regular-season games while adding 29 goals and 100 points in 165 playoff games.
The team announced GM Ken Holland and Rafalski will be in attendance, and Rafalski "will discuss his plans for his playing career."
The 37-year-old defenseman recently completed his 11th NHL season and fourth with the Red Wings.
Rafalski, an undrafted free agent out of the University of Wisconsin, played several years over in Sweden and Finland before signing with the New Jersey Devils and making his debut with 5 goals and 32 points during the 1999-2000 season.
The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup in his rookie season, the first of three championships won by Rafalski- he was also a member of Cup winning teams in 2003 with New Jersey and 2008 with Detroit.
Rafalski finished this past season with 4 goals and 48 points in 63 regular-season games and added 2 goals and 1 assist in 11 postseason games.
For his career, Rafalski has totaled 79 goals and 515 points in 833 regular-season games while adding 29 goals and 100 points in 165 playoff games.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Corey Crawford Interview
The following is an interview with Chicago Blackhawks starting goaltender Corey Crawford:
Were you always a goalie growing up?
I started playing organized, city hockey when I was four or five. I learned how to skate first and played like that for a couple years. When I was nine or ten I switched to goalie. I just decided I wanted to be a goalie, and my parents didn’t have much of a choice from what they tell me. Patrick Roy was the man back in the day in Montreal, and I wanted to be like him. He was my influence.
Were your parents very hands-on with you in terms of coaching or directing your development as a youth hockey player?
Actually, no. They were good in that they didn’t force me to do too much; I was able to just do my own thing. They didn’t get on my case if I didn’t feel like playing or if I wasn’t playing as well as I could. They just supported me the whole time and let me have fun. They sacrificed quite a bit for me, getting up really early and on the weekends to bring me and my brother to hockey.
At what point did you first realize that you had the potential to be a professional hockey player?
Probably a little bit into my midget hockey season, midget triple-A.
How old were you then?
15. That’s when I first started to grasp that this could be something. I knew I still had a long way to go, but agents were approaching me, and NHL teams were sending scouts to see games in midgets, which was definitely kind of weird. So it started to sink in then, but I didn’t really think seriously about how close the NHL was until junior hockey (Moncton, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). Actually making it to the NHL wasn’t even really in my head; I was just focused on getting drafted. It feels like it’s gone by so fast.
What do you remember about your draft day in Nashville?
It was long. I went 52nd overall, but it felt like I waited forever. There were a few teams who had hinted they were looking at me near the end of the first round. Once you hear that from your agent and then you don’t go at the end of the first round, you start worrying a bit. It’s definitely a shock once you hear your name called.
Blackhawks goaltending coach Stephane Waite said he used to call you ‘Robocop’ because you were always so square and precise with your movements in net. Is that style something you were taught, or were you just naturally more of a technician than an improviser?
I was taught. Going into my first year of junior I joined with my agent, and Francois Allaire (former mentor to Patrick Roy and now the goalie coach in Toronto) was the goalie coach working with him in the summertime. He was a very technical goalie coach. He always taught me to be square and set. I found it made my game a lot easier. I could play better when I had that approach, especially at a young age when there were all sorts of technical ways to think about the game coming at me. Before that you’d just go out and play; junior hockey really made you focus more on technique and ‘tricks’ in order to play certain situations a certain way. I learned that all from Allaire, and from that point on I just used that style and grew as a goalie.
Do you enjoy watching goalies who play almost the complete opposite style, like your teammate Marty Turco?
Yeah, I do. That’s a pretty tough way to play. You need really good hand-eye [coordination] to play like that and have a really good career like he and [Martin] Brodeur have had. There aren’t too many guys who can play that way because it’s so hard, and you have to be so athletic. I’ve just gotten so accustomed to my style over the past ten years, and whenever I work on it I use that as my base — to be set, square and big, and try to keep my body in front of every shot, and then react.
Are you one of those guys who is always watching hockey, especially on off-nights?
I don’t watch too many full-length hockey games anymore. I watch highlights all the time. It’s good to see what other guys around the league are doing, the way they shoot, the kind of plays they’re making.
What about other goalies? Anybody who particularly impresses you?
I really like watching Marty. He makes some awesome saves and is great at playing the puck too. He transitions the puck so quick that if the other team isn’t careful we can get some quick offense out of it. [Henrik] Lundqvist in New York is another one. There are so many. Brodeur was definitely a hero growing up too.
Tell me about the design of your mask.
Stephane Bergeron in Three Rivers, Quebec, is my painter. He does Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh and other guys too. We just discussed it, and he threw some ideas at me, and I gave some back. We liked some tomahawks and feathers sort of faded in the background, having the logo nice and bold. He did a great job. Even if you have a great idea, you need a good artist to bring it out.
Goalies often have the reputation of being a little, well, weird. Would you say you’re a typical or atypical goalie in that respect?
I hope I’m not weird. I’ll use that word, “hope.” I’m pretty calm and don’t say too much. Especially my first year in here, I don’t want to tick too many guys off. I like to joke around too though a little bit.
Off the ice, I’ve heard you like to take it easy, especially the night before a game.
Most of the time I try not to be out too late. I just like to sit around and relax and watch TV.
On the ice, is your calm demeanor in net also something you’ve had to work on over the years, or is that just your personality?
I think it’s part of who you are and what kind of personality you have. Obviously if you get shaken pretty easily then you’ll have to adjust to it a little more than someone who is calm most of the time and can brush negative things off a little easier.
Back in December you became the first Blackhawks rookie goalie to win eight consecutive games since Denis DeJordy in 1964. Were you thinking about the streak at all during that run, or were you able to block it out completely?
In the middle of it, not really; towards the end, yeah, when you have a chance to beat it. Guys who say they don’t think about records and those things are probably lying because obviously you do think about it a little bit. But you try to not let it surround your whole thought process and distract you from what got you there, which is being prepared and focused on shots.
You played five seasons for Norfolk and Rockford in the American Hockey League. Did you ever have doubts about whether you would make it to the NHL?
I was confident, but there are always negative thoughts that creep in. You get angry sometimes when you think about why you haven’t made it. Am I not quick enough? Am I just not good enough? You have to look past that and keep working hard in the minors. I just said to myself, ‘Keep going, don’t give up, you’re not far from your goal. Your chance will come soon enough.’
Which teammate do you have the toughest time with in practice? Anybody who just has your number?
In a shootout or straight-up shot?
Either one.
It’s hard because in practice the guys have so much time that everybody’s a good shooter. Hossa lately, I can’t stop that guy. His shot is so quick. I think it goes in stages. One day there will be a guy I can’t stop, and the next day he can’t beat me. Obviously our top skill guys are always hard to stop.
What about somebody who has an underrated shot?
Kopecky. I don’t know if his shot is underrated, but I’d like to see him shoot more in games because he’s got a bomb. He’s definitely hard to stop in practice.
Has it fully sunk in that you’re a starting goalie in the National Hockey League?
Yeah, it has. I remember at the beginning of the year being in New York to play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden and saying to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve finally made it, I’m finally here — not just for a couple games but here to stay.’ That’s why I’ve worked hard ever since junior hockey, to get to this point, and it’s definitely satisfying, though there is still a long ways to go.
Were you always a goalie growing up?
I started playing organized, city hockey when I was four or five. I learned how to skate first and played like that for a couple years. When I was nine or ten I switched to goalie. I just decided I wanted to be a goalie, and my parents didn’t have much of a choice from what they tell me. Patrick Roy was the man back in the day in Montreal, and I wanted to be like him. He was my influence.
Were your parents very hands-on with you in terms of coaching or directing your development as a youth hockey player?
Actually, no. They were good in that they didn’t force me to do too much; I was able to just do my own thing. They didn’t get on my case if I didn’t feel like playing or if I wasn’t playing as well as I could. They just supported me the whole time and let me have fun. They sacrificed quite a bit for me, getting up really early and on the weekends to bring me and my brother to hockey.
At what point did you first realize that you had the potential to be a professional hockey player?
Probably a little bit into my midget hockey season, midget triple-A.
How old were you then?
15. That’s when I first started to grasp that this could be something. I knew I still had a long way to go, but agents were approaching me, and NHL teams were sending scouts to see games in midgets, which was definitely kind of weird. So it started to sink in then, but I didn’t really think seriously about how close the NHL was until junior hockey (Moncton, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). Actually making it to the NHL wasn’t even really in my head; I was just focused on getting drafted. It feels like it’s gone by so fast.
What do you remember about your draft day in Nashville?
It was long. I went 52nd overall, but it felt like I waited forever. There were a few teams who had hinted they were looking at me near the end of the first round. Once you hear that from your agent and then you don’t go at the end of the first round, you start worrying a bit. It’s definitely a shock once you hear your name called.
Blackhawks goaltending coach Stephane Waite said he used to call you ‘Robocop’ because you were always so square and precise with your movements in net. Is that style something you were taught, or were you just naturally more of a technician than an improviser?
I was taught. Going into my first year of junior I joined with my agent, and Francois Allaire (former mentor to Patrick Roy and now the goalie coach in Toronto) was the goalie coach working with him in the summertime. He was a very technical goalie coach. He always taught me to be square and set. I found it made my game a lot easier. I could play better when I had that approach, especially at a young age when there were all sorts of technical ways to think about the game coming at me. Before that you’d just go out and play; junior hockey really made you focus more on technique and ‘tricks’ in order to play certain situations a certain way. I learned that all from Allaire, and from that point on I just used that style and grew as a goalie.
Do you enjoy watching goalies who play almost the complete opposite style, like your teammate Marty Turco?
Yeah, I do. That’s a pretty tough way to play. You need really good hand-eye [coordination] to play like that and have a really good career like he and [Martin] Brodeur have had. There aren’t too many guys who can play that way because it’s so hard, and you have to be so athletic. I’ve just gotten so accustomed to my style over the past ten years, and whenever I work on it I use that as my base — to be set, square and big, and try to keep my body in front of every shot, and then react.
Are you one of those guys who is always watching hockey, especially on off-nights?
I don’t watch too many full-length hockey games anymore. I watch highlights all the time. It’s good to see what other guys around the league are doing, the way they shoot, the kind of plays they’re making.
What about other goalies? Anybody who particularly impresses you?
I really like watching Marty. He makes some awesome saves and is great at playing the puck too. He transitions the puck so quick that if the other team isn’t careful we can get some quick offense out of it. [Henrik] Lundqvist in New York is another one. There are so many. Brodeur was definitely a hero growing up too.
Stephane Bergeron in Three Rivers, Quebec, is my painter. He does Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh and other guys too. We just discussed it, and he threw some ideas at me, and I gave some back. We liked some tomahawks and feathers sort of faded in the background, having the logo nice and bold. He did a great job. Even if you have a great idea, you need a good artist to bring it out.
Goalies often have the reputation of being a little, well, weird. Would you say you’re a typical or atypical goalie in that respect?
I hope I’m not weird. I’ll use that word, “hope.” I’m pretty calm and don’t say too much. Especially my first year in here, I don’t want to tick too many guys off. I like to joke around too though a little bit.
Off the ice, I’ve heard you like to take it easy, especially the night before a game.
Most of the time I try not to be out too late. I just like to sit around and relax and watch TV.
On the ice, is your calm demeanor in net also something you’ve had to work on over the years, or is that just your personality?
I think it’s part of who you are and what kind of personality you have. Obviously if you get shaken pretty easily then you’ll have to adjust to it a little more than someone who is calm most of the time and can brush negative things off a little easier.
Back in December you became the first Blackhawks rookie goalie to win eight consecutive games since Denis DeJordy in 1964. Were you thinking about the streak at all during that run, or were you able to block it out completely?
In the middle of it, not really; towards the end, yeah, when you have a chance to beat it. Guys who say they don’t think about records and those things are probably lying because obviously you do think about it a little bit. But you try to not let it surround your whole thought process and distract you from what got you there, which is being prepared and focused on shots.
You played five seasons for Norfolk and Rockford in the American Hockey League. Did you ever have doubts about whether you would make it to the NHL?
I was confident, but there are always negative thoughts that creep in. You get angry sometimes when you think about why you haven’t made it. Am I not quick enough? Am I just not good enough? You have to look past that and keep working hard in the minors. I just said to myself, ‘Keep going, don’t give up, you’re not far from your goal. Your chance will come soon enough.’
Which teammate do you have the toughest time with in practice? Anybody who just has your number?
In a shootout or straight-up shot?
Either one.
It’s hard because in practice the guys have so much time that everybody’s a good shooter. Hossa lately, I can’t stop that guy. His shot is so quick. I think it goes in stages. One day there will be a guy I can’t stop, and the next day he can’t beat me. Obviously our top skill guys are always hard to stop.
What about somebody who has an underrated shot?
Kopecky. I don’t know if his shot is underrated, but I’d like to see him shoot more in games because he’s got a bomb. He’s definitely hard to stop in practice.
Has it fully sunk in that you’re a starting goalie in the National Hockey League?
Yeah, it has. I remember at the beginning of the year being in New York to play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden and saying to myself, ‘Wow, I’ve finally made it, I’m finally here — not just for a couple games but here to stay.’ That’s why I’ve worked hard ever since junior hockey, to get to this point, and it’s definitely satisfying, though there is still a long ways to go.
Bruce Boudreau
Could Bruce Boudreau be coming to an end as the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Ever since the Caps hired Boudreau a few years ago, the Washington based team has had fantastic regular season success, followed up by post season underachievement. In fact, it seams the only team they beat in the playoffs is the New York Rangers, twice in three years; loosing to Montreal the other year. Currently, the Caps find themselves in a three games to none hole against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are in the playoffs for only the first time in years, and they already find themselves up 3-0 over the Eastern Conference top-seeded Washington Capitals. The Lightning are on a run that may take them to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time ever since they won it all in 2004. With many post season disappointments that led many to believe the Caps regular season supremacy was pointless, many fans want Boudreau to be replaced with a coach that will take the Caps at least far (if not all the way) in the playoffs. Although Ovechkin guarantees that his team will comeback and win this series over the team from Tampa, don't be surprised if this ends up as the last game as head coach for his current team.
Anttii Niemi
When Antti Niemi was dominating the San Jose Sharks last season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks during the Western Conference Finals, there was a prevailing sentiment among Sharks players that it wasn't so much Niemi standing on his head as much as it was them simply hitting him with pucks.
Niemi stopped 119 of 126 shots during the Blackhawks' four-game sweep, but most Sharks weren't all that impressed at times during the series.
Sharks captain Joe Thornton wasn't one of those players.
"I thought he was spectacular last year and was just hoping we'd get a piece of that," Thornton said Wednesday as the Sharks prepared for Wednesday night's Game 3 against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. "I think playing with a guy, you appreciate him a little bit more. We didn't see him last year until the four straight wins they had. You learn a lot about a guy's work ethic, and it's just spectacular. He's just a tremendous goalie."
"He was the best player in that series," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "He made some huge saves against us. It's certainly nice to have him on our side this year."
It took a little while for Niemi to get acclimated to his new surroundings. He opened the season in a goaltending battle with Antero Niittymaki and was coming up on the short end of the stick.
In four appearances in October, Niemi was 1-3-0 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .854 save percentage. In five appearances in November, he was 2-2-1 with a 3.58 GAA and .891 save percentage.
Niemi said he didn't get completely comfortable in San Jose until, coincidentally, he faced the Blackhawks in late November. He stopped 30 shots in a 5-2 victory and hasn't looked back.
Niemi didn't post a GAA higher than 2.38 during a month the rest of the way and went 22-5-3 after the All-Star break with a 2.10 GAA and .917 save percentage. He had a few hiccups during the Sharks' opening-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, but he's been rock-solid in two games against the Red Wings.
"I felt pretty good both games," Niemi said. "The start is going to be big because it gives you an idea of how you're going to feel the rest of the night. If you can make a few good saves early, it helps. It gives me more confidence and makes my playing easier."
After he was perhaps the most-hated man in San Jose last season, he's the biggest reason for the Sharks' late-season success.
"He's certainly showed in the second half what kind of goalie he is," Boyle said. "He's been the backbone of our team. He's such a calm guy back there."
Niemi's demeanor is just one of the many traits Sharks players didn't get to see first-hand during their brief encounter last season. Devin Setoguchi offered another characteristic of the 27-year-old native of Vantaa, Finland, that he didn't know about until he started playing with him instead of against him.
"Anyone who watches Nemo play, anything in tight, around the crease, he's going to get everything on the ice," Setoguchi said. "But the one thing people don't know about him is he battles and tries for everything. In practice, if there's a loose rebound, he tries to get it. It's just the way he is. He's that competitive. In a game, it translates over. It means a lot for us."Niemi has stopped 57 of 59 shots against the Red Wings and hasn't had to fight through much traffic to make his saves. His defensemen are clearing lanes when he can't see and rebounds when he can't control them. The Red Wings spoke at length Wednesday morning about getting more bodies in front of Niemi, something he's fully expecting his teammates can handle.
"It's one of the biggest things we can do there," Niemi said of clearing out traffic so he can see shots. "Sometimes it works, but sometimes the situations come so quick that it doesn't work because maybe our guy is in the lane. But I think they've been really good shots and when they're not blocking shots, they're not in the way, either."
As a goal-scorer, Setoguchi is well aware of the importance of taking away a goaltender's vision but believes Niemi handles it better than most.
"Goalies these days, if they see it, they're going to stop it," Setogouchi said. "That's just the way it is. They never really let goals in when they see it. They're too good. Nemo battles for pucks so even if there's guys in front of him, he's looking around and always trying to make the save. He's a big reason why we're here right now."
Niemi stopped 119 of 126 shots during the Blackhawks' four-game sweep, but most Sharks weren't all that impressed at times during the series.
Sharks captain Joe Thornton wasn't one of those players.
"I thought he was spectacular last year and was just hoping we'd get a piece of that," Thornton said Wednesday as the Sharks prepared for Wednesday night's Game 3 against the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. "I think playing with a guy, you appreciate him a little bit more. We didn't see him last year until the four straight wins they had. You learn a lot about a guy's work ethic, and it's just spectacular. He's just a tremendous goalie."
"He was the best player in that series," Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle said. "He made some huge saves against us. It's certainly nice to have him on our side this year."
It took a little while for Niemi to get acclimated to his new surroundings. He opened the season in a goaltending battle with Antero Niittymaki and was coming up on the short end of the stick.
In four appearances in October, Niemi was 1-3-0 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .854 save percentage. In five appearances in November, he was 2-2-1 with a 3.58 GAA and .891 save percentage.
Niemi said he didn't get completely comfortable in San Jose until, coincidentally, he faced the Blackhawks in late November. He stopped 30 shots in a 5-2 victory and hasn't looked back.
Niemi didn't post a GAA higher than 2.38 during a month the rest of the way and went 22-5-3 after the All-Star break with a 2.10 GAA and .917 save percentage. He had a few hiccups during the Sharks' opening-round series with the Los Angeles Kings, but he's been rock-solid in two games against the Red Wings.
"I felt pretty good both games," Niemi said. "The start is going to be big because it gives you an idea of how you're going to feel the rest of the night. If you can make a few good saves early, it helps. It gives me more confidence and makes my playing easier."
After he was perhaps the most-hated man in San Jose last season, he's the biggest reason for the Sharks' late-season success.
"He's certainly showed in the second half what kind of goalie he is," Boyle said. "He's been the backbone of our team. He's such a calm guy back there."
Niemi's demeanor is just one of the many traits Sharks players didn't get to see first-hand during their brief encounter last season. Devin Setoguchi offered another characteristic of the 27-year-old native of Vantaa, Finland, that he didn't know about until he started playing with him instead of against him.
"Anyone who watches Nemo play, anything in tight, around the crease, he's going to get everything on the ice," Setoguchi said. "But the one thing people don't know about him is he battles and tries for everything. In practice, if there's a loose rebound, he tries to get it. It's just the way he is. He's that competitive. In a game, it translates over. It means a lot for us."Niemi has stopped 57 of 59 shots against the Red Wings and hasn't had to fight through much traffic to make his saves. His defensemen are clearing lanes when he can't see and rebounds when he can't control them. The Red Wings spoke at length Wednesday morning about getting more bodies in front of Niemi, something he's fully expecting his teammates can handle.
"It's one of the biggest things we can do there," Niemi said of clearing out traffic so he can see shots. "Sometimes it works, but sometimes the situations come so quick that it doesn't work because maybe our guy is in the lane. But I think they've been really good shots and when they're not blocking shots, they're not in the way, either."
As a goal-scorer, Setoguchi is well aware of the importance of taking away a goaltender's vision but believes Niemi handles it better than most.
"Goalies these days, if they see it, they're going to stop it," Setogouchi said. "That's just the way it is. They never really let goals in when they see it. They're too good. Nemo battles for pucks so even if there's guys in front of him, he's looking around and always trying to make the save. He's a big reason why we're here right now."
Ovi Interview
Alex Ovechkin had one of his best periods of the season to help the Washington Capitals claim a rare lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning going into the second intermission. However, he and his teammates couldn't duplicate their effort in the final 20 minutes.
Ovechkin finished Game 3 with a goal, an assist and five shots on net in more than 24 minutes of ice time. He was on the ice for 5:45 of the final 11:01 as the Capitals tried to rally after yielding two quick goals, but the Lightning prevailed 4-3 and now lead this Eastern Conference Semifinal series 3-0.
Ovechkin's goal came on the power play, but it was during a two-man advantage as the Capitals again struggled to generate offense in 5-on-4 situations. Mike Green got a shot to the net from near the right point, and Ovechkin was able to find the puck in the ensuing scrum to beat Dwayne Roloson, who had lost his stick during the play.
It was Ovechkin's team-leading fifth goal of this postseason. He also set up Mike Knuble's goal 59 seconds into the period with a great individual effort to steal a pass by Martin St. Louis, skate to the other end and after Roloson poked the puck away from him he retrieved it in the corner and threw it back in front of the net where Knuble was waiting.
Here's what Ovechkin had to say after the game:
Q: Every time you had a lead, it was gone. How frustrating was that for you?
A: Yeah, it is a situation where they have two chances and they score on two chances. Again, I think we dominate them all game -- simple as that. They just score on their chances. They play solid game in defense and Roloson play again great, but it is not over. It is what it is. We're going to fight and we're going to win.
Q: Did you guys play too safe in the third period?
A: I think we knew they were going to come hard when we were up 3-2 and we have a lead. Again, we make mistakes. They used two mistakes and they score.
Q: How would you describe what you're up against now. Is this still winnable?
A: It is not over. We won't give up. We're going to win.
Q: You've gotten so comfortable in one-goal games, with one-goal leads. Why couldn't you do it tonight?
A: We try but again, they have to score and they score. We have to defend our lead and play our game, but we didn't. I think when we get the puck deep only one guy was chasing. We tried to play too safe. We didn't play our way at all.
Q: Did you think after the second period that you guys had things under control?
A: I think we've had all three games in our hands, but we lost all three. It is hockey and it is hockey. Again, it is not over. They win three. We can win three. It is going to be a battle.
Ovechkin finished Game 3 with a goal, an assist and five shots on net in more than 24 minutes of ice time. He was on the ice for 5:45 of the final 11:01 as the Capitals tried to rally after yielding two quick goals, but the Lightning prevailed 4-3 and now lead this Eastern Conference Semifinal series 3-0.
Ovechkin's goal came on the power play, but it was during a two-man advantage as the Capitals again struggled to generate offense in 5-on-4 situations. Mike Green got a shot to the net from near the right point, and Ovechkin was able to find the puck in the ensuing scrum to beat Dwayne Roloson, who had lost his stick during the play.
It was Ovechkin's team-leading fifth goal of this postseason. He also set up Mike Knuble's goal 59 seconds into the period with a great individual effort to steal a pass by Martin St. Louis, skate to the other end and after Roloson poked the puck away from him he retrieved it in the corner and threw it back in front of the net where Knuble was waiting.
Here's what Ovechkin had to say after the game:
Q: Every time you had a lead, it was gone. How frustrating was that for you?
A: Yeah, it is a situation where they have two chances and they score on two chances. Again, I think we dominate them all game -- simple as that. They just score on their chances. They play solid game in defense and Roloson play again great, but it is not over. It is what it is. We're going to fight and we're going to win.
Q: Did you guys play too safe in the third period?
A: I think we knew they were going to come hard when we were up 3-2 and we have a lead. Again, we make mistakes. They used two mistakes and they score.
Q: How would you describe what you're up against now. Is this still winnable?
A: It is not over. We won't give up. We're going to win.
Q: You've gotten so comfortable in one-goal games, with one-goal leads. Why couldn't you do it tonight?
A: We try but again, they have to score and they score. We have to defend our lead and play our game, but we didn't. I think when we get the puck deep only one guy was chasing. We tried to play too safe. We didn't play our way at all.
Q: Did you think after the second period that you guys had things under control?
A: I think we've had all three games in our hands, but we lost all three. It is hockey and it is hockey. Again, it is not over. They win three. We can win three. It is going to be a battle.
Canucks/Predators 5/3/11
The Vancouver Canucks, the NHL's highest-scoring team during the regular season, finally found a way to get out of the defensive straitjacket that is the Nashville Predators.
Ryan Kesler, who had yet to score in the playoffs after getting 41 goals in the regular season, broke out in Game 3 with two power-play goals, including the game-winner 10:45 into overtime, to give the Canucks a 3-2 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Canucks seemed dangerously close to repeating their showing in Game 2, in which they blew a late one-goal lead and then lost in overtime. The did allow the tying goal late in the third period -- but this time, they found a way to win.
"We've played different types of games throughout the season," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, whose save on Steve Sullivan's breakaway late in the first period prevented Nashville from gaining a 2-0 lead. "We've played some high-scoring games, some low-scoring games, but I think the great thing about this team is that we're comfortable in every situation.
"There was no panic tonight, even after they tied it up. We just kept at her and we worked for our break and we got it."
Kesler's game-winner came on a power play after he drew a hooking call on Nashville defenseman Shea Weber, a Norris Trophy finalist, at 10:05 of overtime. With forward Mikael Samuelsson manning the point -- Canucks coach Alain Vigneault took Alex Edler off the power play after a bad play by Edler led to a shorthanded goal in the first period -- Kesler tipped Samuelsson's point shot past Pekka Rinne 40 seconds after the penalty call.
Said Vigneault of replacing Edler on the unit, "Eddie lost the puck and it ended up in the back of our net. Easy call."
Nashville coach Barry Trotz said Kesler used a "chicken wing" – clamping Weber's stick between his torso and right arm -- as the two battled for a puck along the boards in Nashville's zone to win the call.
"They'll say it's a good penalty," Trotz said, "I'll say it's a bad penalty."
Nashville's David Legwand admitted that Weber should not have had his stick where it was "in the first place" but said it was a "pretty touchy call for overtime."
Said Weber: "It's unfortunate that a call like that cost us the game."
Not surprisingly, Kesler saw it differently.
"He was hooking me," he said. "I thought it was a good call."
The goal spoiled a brilliant performance by Rinne, who stopped 44 shots. Luongo made 28 saves.
Game 4 is Thursday night in Nashville (8:30 p.m., Versus, CBC, RDS).
Up 2-1 late in the third period, Vancouver allowed Nashville to tie the game. Joel Ward scored with 6:42 left in regulation after the Predators won an offensive zone faceoff. Ward took the puck behind the net undefended, came out on the other side and slid a shot that hit a skate and under Roberto Luongo's left leg before sliding inside the far post.
Vancouver took a 2-1 lead at 3:03 of the third period. Chris Higgins started the play by skating down the left wing hard towards the Predators goal. Shane O'Brien took him down and was going to be called for a delayed penalty, but the hit pushed Higgins into Rinne. With the goaltender out of position, Kesler got the puck to Higgins, who whirled and fired from the outer edge of the right circle for the go-ahead goal.
Through the first two periods, Vancouver outshot Nashville 24-12, which reflected in scoring chances as well.
Jerred Smithson took his second minor of the first period when he was trying to harass a Vancouver defenseman who was behind the net trying to make an outlet pass.
Instead, Smithson hit Luongo in the head with his stick. Exactly one minute into the second period, the Canucks made Nashville pay for that penalty.
Off a bit of a broken play, Vancouver defenseman Christian Ehrhoff skated all the way through Nashville's zone, drawing out Rinne. Ehrhoff then slid a pass through the goalmouth that Kesler fired into an open net for his first goal.
After getting outshot 10-1 to start the game, Nashville took a 1-0 lead by scoring a shorthanded goal at 10:18 of the opening period. With Smithson off for roughing Alex Burrows, Legwand stripped Edler of the puck behind Vancouver's net. Edler was going to be called for a delayed penalty while Legwand sent the puck to Nick Spaling in the corner. Ryan Suter skated deep into the zone to take a pass from Spaling and then found Legwand wide open in front of the net for the goal.
With 7:31 left in the period, Vancouver's Maxim Lapierre received an interference call for a hit that sent the head of Nashville's Matt Halischuk into the crossbar, dislodging the net. On the play, the puck crossed the goal line and officials reviewed to see if it were a goal. However, replay officials ruled no goal.
In the end, Nashville's Trotz said it "wasn't our best effort." Thus far, Nashville's efforts have been uneven in this series – poor in Game 1, excellent in Game 2, sloppy in Game 3.
They'll have to straighten it out to extend the series.
"They were beating to us more pucks," Trotz said. "We weren't getting it deep and we didn't have any support, not being real strong in the neutral zone. Our decisions at the blue line were suspect…
"We were trying to get too cute."
And that is not what Trotz would call "Predators hockey."
Ryan Kesler, who had yet to score in the playoffs after getting 41 goals in the regular season, broke out in Game 3 with two power-play goals, including the game-winner 10:45 into overtime, to give the Canucks a 3-2 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The Canucks seemed dangerously close to repeating their showing in Game 2, in which they blew a late one-goal lead and then lost in overtime. The did allow the tying goal late in the third period -- but this time, they found a way to win.
"We've played different types of games throughout the season," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, whose save on Steve Sullivan's breakaway late in the first period prevented Nashville from gaining a 2-0 lead. "We've played some high-scoring games, some low-scoring games, but I think the great thing about this team is that we're comfortable in every situation.
"There was no panic tonight, even after they tied it up. We just kept at her and we worked for our break and we got it."
Kesler's game-winner came on a power play after he drew a hooking call on Nashville defenseman Shea Weber, a Norris Trophy finalist, at 10:05 of overtime. With forward Mikael Samuelsson manning the point -- Canucks coach Alain Vigneault took Alex Edler off the power play after a bad play by Edler led to a shorthanded goal in the first period -- Kesler tipped Samuelsson's point shot past Pekka Rinne 40 seconds after the penalty call.
Said Vigneault of replacing Edler on the unit, "Eddie lost the puck and it ended up in the back of our net. Easy call."
Nashville coach Barry Trotz said Kesler used a "chicken wing" – clamping Weber's stick between his torso and right arm -- as the two battled for a puck along the boards in Nashville's zone to win the call.
"They'll say it's a good penalty," Trotz said, "I'll say it's a bad penalty."
Nashville's David Legwand admitted that Weber should not have had his stick where it was "in the first place" but said it was a "pretty touchy call for overtime."
Said Weber: "It's unfortunate that a call like that cost us the game."
Not surprisingly, Kesler saw it differently.
"He was hooking me," he said. "I thought it was a good call."
The goal spoiled a brilliant performance by Rinne, who stopped 44 shots. Luongo made 28 saves.
Game 4 is Thursday night in Nashville (8:30 p.m., Versus, CBC, RDS).
Up 2-1 late in the third period, Vancouver allowed Nashville to tie the game. Joel Ward scored with 6:42 left in regulation after the Predators won an offensive zone faceoff. Ward took the puck behind the net undefended, came out on the other side and slid a shot that hit a skate and under Roberto Luongo's left leg before sliding inside the far post.
Vancouver took a 2-1 lead at 3:03 of the third period. Chris Higgins started the play by skating down the left wing hard towards the Predators goal. Shane O'Brien took him down and was going to be called for a delayed penalty, but the hit pushed Higgins into Rinne. With the goaltender out of position, Kesler got the puck to Higgins, who whirled and fired from the outer edge of the right circle for the go-ahead goal.
Through the first two periods, Vancouver outshot Nashville 24-12, which reflected in scoring chances as well.
Jerred Smithson took his second minor of the first period when he was trying to harass a Vancouver defenseman who was behind the net trying to make an outlet pass.
Instead, Smithson hit Luongo in the head with his stick. Exactly one minute into the second period, the Canucks made Nashville pay for that penalty.
Off a bit of a broken play, Vancouver defenseman Christian Ehrhoff skated all the way through Nashville's zone, drawing out Rinne. Ehrhoff then slid a pass through the goalmouth that Kesler fired into an open net for his first goal.
After getting outshot 10-1 to start the game, Nashville took a 1-0 lead by scoring a shorthanded goal at 10:18 of the opening period. With Smithson off for roughing Alex Burrows, Legwand stripped Edler of the puck behind Vancouver's net. Edler was going to be called for a delayed penalty while Legwand sent the puck to Nick Spaling in the corner. Ryan Suter skated deep into the zone to take a pass from Spaling and then found Legwand wide open in front of the net for the goal.
With 7:31 left in the period, Vancouver's Maxim Lapierre received an interference call for a hit that sent the head of Nashville's Matt Halischuk into the crossbar, dislodging the net. On the play, the puck crossed the goal line and officials reviewed to see if it were a goal. However, replay officials ruled no goal.
In the end, Nashville's Trotz said it "wasn't our best effort." Thus far, Nashville's efforts have been uneven in this series – poor in Game 1, excellent in Game 2, sloppy in Game 3.
They'll have to straighten it out to extend the series.
"They were beating to us more pucks," Trotz said. "We weren't getting it deep and we didn't have any support, not being real strong in the neutral zone. Our decisions at the blue line were suspect…
"We were trying to get too cute."
And that is not what Trotz would call "Predators hockey."
Bolts/Caps
Maybe Guy Boucher was right. Maybe this Eastern Conference Semifinal is a case of David against Goliath.
One problem, though, he had the roles incorrect. Three games into this best-of-seven series, it's his Tampa Bay Lightning that resemble Goliath.
Trailing 3-2 after two periods, Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone scored 24 seconds apart early in third period and hung on for a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 3 on Tuesday night in front of 20,613 at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Remarkably, the No. 5 Lightning, winners of six straight, can sweep this series with another victory in Game 4 on Wednesday.
Not that they’re ready to look ahead.
"We can't let up," Stamkos said. "You see in the Vancouver series (against Chicago) what happens when you do. Games 4 and 5 were blowouts for Chicago and they got the momentum right back in the series and they went to 7. We can't make that mistake."
The top-seeded Capitals must now do what only three other clubs in NHL history have been able to accomplish, win four straight after losing the first three games of a best-of-seven series.
"They are uncanny when they want to get a goal," Caps forward Mike Knuble said. "It's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'We know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is … it just leaves you flabbergasted."
After a second period that saw Washington score three times, Stamkos tied the game 5:23 into the third period on an even-strength tally. Stamkos, the No. 1 selection at the 2008 Entry Draft, took a pass from Hedman and fired an absolute laser from the slot past Neuvirth to make it 3-3.
Malone then quickly put the Bolts in front just 24 seconds later. With the Caps still reeling from the game-tying tally, Malone drove to the net and managed to redirect Nate Thompson's backhand feed past Neuvirth as Tampa Bay suddenly had a 4-3 lead.
"That's our team right there. We keep coming at you," Stamkos said. "Obviously, you can never predict scoring that quickly after a goal, but when that one went in, the momentum just shifted. We didn't sit back. We kept pressuring them and we didn't give them much. The last three or four minutes, the guys did a great job of managing the puck and getting it out and winning big draws and blocking shots. It was a great team win."
"That was a rocket," Malone said of Stamkos' sizzler. "I thought he had a couple of good chances and you can see he's really starting to take his game now to that next level. He's getting confident."
Dwayne Roloson finished with 29 saves for Tampa Bay, though the Lightning outshot Washington 15-5 in the decisive third period.
"I think we were waiting for things to happen in the second period and our focus wasn't right," Boucher said. "We just got back and reloaded and came out the way we're supposed to play. We had a lot of enthusiasm and not being scared to lose, but being hungry to win."
It appeared as if Washington had broken the scoreless tie about eight minutes into the game, when Knuble backhanded a shot that trickled past Roloson. But the goal was quickly waved off because the Caps were penalized for having too many men on the ice.
Tampa Bay then grabbed the lead at 11:03 of the first on Sean Bergenheim's fifth goal of the playoffs. After the Caps turned the puck over in the neutral zone, Bergenheim completed a give-and-go with Dominic Moore, as he tapped the latter's feed past Michal Neuvirth to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead. It was Bergenheim's fourth goal in the last five games.
"I thought a couple of those goals he should have had," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said of his goaltender. "At the same time, when they had the lead, he kept us in the game. I think we as a group lost our composure and had giveaways. He was there to keep us involved in the game."
Roloson came up big again for the Lightning in the opening period, as he stopped all 13 shots he faced. His best came with about a minute to go, when he somehow managed to get his left pad on Alexander Semin's snap shot from between the circles. Tampa Bay was outshot 13-8 in the first.
"Again, Rollie kept us in it," Bolts forward Martin St. Louis said of Roloson. "We're happy with the result, but I know there is still room for improvement."
The Capitals evened things when Knuble scored again- this time, it counted- 59 seconds into the second period. After Alex Ovechkin blazed past Victor Hedman up the right wing, Knuble collected a loose puck on the doorstep and poked it past Roloson to make it 1-1. It was Knuble's second goal of the playoffs.
Washington grabbed its first lead of the night at 7:58 of the second on John Carlson's first goal of the playoffs. With the teams at even strength, Jason Chimera tried to poke the puck out in front of the net, but it redirected all the way back to the blue line for Carlson, where he ripped a slap shot through a crowd past Roloson to make it 2-1.
"We played the game we wanted to play," Knuble said.
The lead didn't last long, however, as Vincent Lecavalier scored his third goal in two games with 8:09 remaining in the second. St. Louis outworked Scott Hannan for a puck behind the net and then backhanded it towards the goal. Lecavalier was on the doorstep to redirected the feed past Neuvirth for his fifth goal and 11th point in 10 games.
"We need to learn to play a full 60 minutes and not give up odd-man rushes," Caps center Jason Arnott said.
The Caps regained the lead before the end of the second period, as Ovechkin notched his fifth goal of the playoffs during a two-man advantage at 17:27. With both Brett Clark and Adam Hall in the penalty box, Mike Green fired a shot that couldn't get past Roloson. But it slid back into the slot, where Ovechkin roofed a shot over the Bolts' goaltender to give the Caps a 3-2 edge after 40 minutes. It was Ovechkin's fifth goal of the playoffs and Washington's first power-play goal in 15 opportunities in this series.
But it wasn’t enough to get the Caps the win they so desperately needed.
"It is a situation where they have two chances and they score on two chances," Ovechkin said. "Again, I think we dominate them all game -- simple as that. They just score on their chances. They play solid game in defense and Roloson play again great, but it is not over. It is what it is. We're going to fight and we’re going to win."
Caps defenseman Mike Green suffered a lower-body injury at some point during the night and was forced to miss nearly the entire third period. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.
One problem, though, he had the roles incorrect. Three games into this best-of-seven series, it's his Tampa Bay Lightning that resemble Goliath.
Trailing 3-2 after two periods, Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone scored 24 seconds apart early in third period and hung on for a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 3 on Tuesday night in front of 20,613 at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Remarkably, the No. 5 Lightning, winners of six straight, can sweep this series with another victory in Game 4 on Wednesday.
Not that they’re ready to look ahead.
"We can't let up," Stamkos said. "You see in the Vancouver series (against Chicago) what happens when you do. Games 4 and 5 were blowouts for Chicago and they got the momentum right back in the series and they went to 7. We can't make that mistake."
The top-seeded Capitals must now do what only three other clubs in NHL history have been able to accomplish, win four straight after losing the first three games of a best-of-seven series.
"They are uncanny when they want to get a goal," Caps forward Mike Knuble said. "It's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'We know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is … it just leaves you flabbergasted."
After a second period that saw Washington score three times, Stamkos tied the game 5:23 into the third period on an even-strength tally. Stamkos, the No. 1 selection at the 2008 Entry Draft, took a pass from Hedman and fired an absolute laser from the slot past Neuvirth to make it 3-3.
Malone then quickly put the Bolts in front just 24 seconds later. With the Caps still reeling from the game-tying tally, Malone drove to the net and managed to redirect Nate Thompson's backhand feed past Neuvirth as Tampa Bay suddenly had a 4-3 lead.
"That's our team right there. We keep coming at you," Stamkos said. "Obviously, you can never predict scoring that quickly after a goal, but when that one went in, the momentum just shifted. We didn't sit back. We kept pressuring them and we didn't give them much. The last three or four minutes, the guys did a great job of managing the puck and getting it out and winning big draws and blocking shots. It was a great team win."
"That was a rocket," Malone said of Stamkos' sizzler. "I thought he had a couple of good chances and you can see he's really starting to take his game now to that next level. He's getting confident."
Dwayne Roloson finished with 29 saves for Tampa Bay, though the Lightning outshot Washington 15-5 in the decisive third period.
"I think we were waiting for things to happen in the second period and our focus wasn't right," Boucher said. "We just got back and reloaded and came out the way we're supposed to play. We had a lot of enthusiasm and not being scared to lose, but being hungry to win."
It appeared as if Washington had broken the scoreless tie about eight minutes into the game, when Knuble backhanded a shot that trickled past Roloson. But the goal was quickly waved off because the Caps were penalized for having too many men on the ice.
Tampa Bay then grabbed the lead at 11:03 of the first on Sean Bergenheim's fifth goal of the playoffs. After the Caps turned the puck over in the neutral zone, Bergenheim completed a give-and-go with Dominic Moore, as he tapped the latter's feed past Michal Neuvirth to give the Bolts a 1-0 lead. It was Bergenheim's fourth goal in the last five games.
"I thought a couple of those goals he should have had," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said of his goaltender. "At the same time, when they had the lead, he kept us in the game. I think we as a group lost our composure and had giveaways. He was there to keep us involved in the game."
Roloson came up big again for the Lightning in the opening period, as he stopped all 13 shots he faced. His best came with about a minute to go, when he somehow managed to get his left pad on Alexander Semin's snap shot from between the circles. Tampa Bay was outshot 13-8 in the first.
"Again, Rollie kept us in it," Bolts forward Martin St. Louis said of Roloson. "We're happy with the result, but I know there is still room for improvement."
The Capitals evened things when Knuble scored again- this time, it counted- 59 seconds into the second period. After Alex Ovechkin blazed past Victor Hedman up the right wing, Knuble collected a loose puck on the doorstep and poked it past Roloson to make it 1-1. It was Knuble's second goal of the playoffs.
Washington grabbed its first lead of the night at 7:58 of the second on John Carlson's first goal of the playoffs. With the teams at even strength, Jason Chimera tried to poke the puck out in front of the net, but it redirected all the way back to the blue line for Carlson, where he ripped a slap shot through a crowd past Roloson to make it 2-1.
"We played the game we wanted to play," Knuble said.
The lead didn't last long, however, as Vincent Lecavalier scored his third goal in two games with 8:09 remaining in the second. St. Louis outworked Scott Hannan for a puck behind the net and then backhanded it towards the goal. Lecavalier was on the doorstep to redirected the feed past Neuvirth for his fifth goal and 11th point in 10 games.
"We need to learn to play a full 60 minutes and not give up odd-man rushes," Caps center Jason Arnott said.
The Caps regained the lead before the end of the second period, as Ovechkin notched his fifth goal of the playoffs during a two-man advantage at 17:27. With both Brett Clark and Adam Hall in the penalty box, Mike Green fired a shot that couldn't get past Roloson. But it slid back into the slot, where Ovechkin roofed a shot over the Bolts' goaltender to give the Caps a 3-2 edge after 40 minutes. It was Ovechkin's fifth goal of the playoffs and Washington's first power-play goal in 15 opportunities in this series.
But it wasn’t enough to get the Caps the win they so desperately needed.
"It is a situation where they have two chances and they score on two chances," Ovechkin said. "Again, I think we dominate them all game -- simple as that. They just score on their chances. They play solid game in defense and Roloson play again great, but it is not over. It is what it is. We're going to fight and we’re going to win."
Caps defenseman Mike Green suffered a lower-body injury at some point during the night and was forced to miss nearly the entire third period. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Fans Cheer for 'God Bless America' in Philly
An incredible display of patriotism and American pride all but blew the roof off Wells Fargo Center on Monday night prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins.
A crowd of well over 19,500 stood and applauded for over 10 minutes before, during and well after singer Lauren Hart sang yet another stirring rendition of Philadelphia's unofficial anthem "God Bless America" with Kate Smith assisting her on the center-ice scoreboard.
Less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Sunday, hockey fans united in Philadelphia to salute those men and women of the armed forces for their bravery, courage and sacrifice.
Members of the Philadelphia police and fire departments, along with the Color Guard of the United States Marines joined Hart on the red carpet that led out of the Zamboni entrance to the ice area in an inspiring scene.
On Sunday night, fans broke out into spontaneous cheers of "USA, USA" as the news of bin Laden's death spread throughout Citizens Bank Park during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
A crowd of well over 19,500 stood and applauded for over 10 minutes before, during and well after singer Lauren Hart sang yet another stirring rendition of Philadelphia's unofficial anthem "God Bless America" with Kate Smith assisting her on the center-ice scoreboard.
Less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces in Pakistan on Sunday, hockey fans united in Philadelphia to salute those men and women of the armed forces for their bravery, courage and sacrifice.
Members of the Philadelphia police and fire departments, along with the Color Guard of the United States Marines joined Hart on the red carpet that led out of the Zamboni entrance to the ice area in an inspiring scene.
On Sunday night, fans broke out into spontaneous cheers of "USA, USA" as the news of bin Laden's death spread throughout Citizens Bank Park during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets.
Rangers to Play in Czech Republic
Prior to opening the 2011-12 season in Stockholm, Sweden, the Rangers will return to the Czech Republic to play a special exhibition game against HC Sparta Prague at TESLA Arena in Prague on Thursday, Sept. 29.
The game, which is part of the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge, will give the Rangers their second taste of Prague in a span of three years. The Blueshirts opened the 2008-09 season there with a pair of games against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Prague's O2 Arena. Those games drew capacity crowds and were big news in Prague, as the Blueshirts won both games over Tampa Bay by a 2-1 score.
One of the most popular teams in the Czech Republic, HC Sparta Prague not only has over 100 years of hockey tradition, but the club is a perennial contender in the highest levels of the Czech Extraliga.
"The New York Rangers are excited to have the opportunity to face off against one of the most storied franchises in Europe, in HC Sparta Prague, in an exhibition match as we prepare for the 2011-12 NHL season," said Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather. "Having already played in Prague, Czech Republic, we are fully aware of the passion that the city's and country's fans have for the game of hockey, and we look forward to experiencing their enthusiasm firsthand, once again."
The Rangers will open their 2011-12 regular season by playing two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday, Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday, Oct. 8 against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere marks a record fifth consecutive season the NHL will be playing regular-season games in Europe. NHL teams will play a total of four games in three different European capital cities- Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki- from Oct. 7-8, 2011. Last year, six NHL teams– the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks – opened the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing six games in Europe. The Bruins and Coyotes met twice in Prague.
By the end of 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere, 17 NHL teams- over half of the NHL- will have played regular season and exhibition games in Europe since 2007.
The game, which is part of the 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere Challenge, will give the Rangers their second taste of Prague in a span of three years. The Blueshirts opened the 2008-09 season there with a pair of games against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Prague's O2 Arena. Those games drew capacity crowds and were big news in Prague, as the Blueshirts won both games over Tampa Bay by a 2-1 score.
"The New York Rangers are excited to have the opportunity to face off against one of the most storied franchises in Europe, in HC Sparta Prague, in an exhibition match as we prepare for the 2011-12 NHL season," said Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather. "Having already played in Prague, Czech Republic, we are fully aware of the passion that the city's and country's fans have for the game of hockey, and we look forward to experiencing their enthusiasm firsthand, once again."
The Rangers will open their 2011-12 regular season by playing two games at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday, Oct. 7 against the Los Angeles Kings and Saturday, Oct. 8 against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere marks a record fifth consecutive season the NHL will be playing regular-season games in Europe. NHL teams will play a total of four games in three different European capital cities- Berlin, Stockholm and Helsinki- from Oct. 7-8, 2011. Last year, six NHL teams– the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks – opened the 2010-11 NHL regular season by playing six games in Europe. The Bruins and Coyotes met twice in Prague.
By the end of 2011 Compuware NHL Premiere, 17 NHL teams- over half of the NHL- will have played regular season and exhibition games in Europe since 2007.
Caps Must Win Game 3
The Washington Capitals know a comeback from being down three games to none is possible, but not very likely.
That makes Game 3 of this Eastern Conference Semifinal series Tuesday night at St. Pete Times Forum the closest thing to a must-win endeavor there is without it officially being an elimination contest.
"This is a pivotal game for sure," forward Matt Bradley said. "I'm not saying we couldn't come back from 3-0, but we don't even want to have that in our minds. We want to win tonight and get back in this series. The further you dig your hole, the harder it is to get out. We are confident we can come back no matter what the games are, but we would like to win tonight because we need to start going back the other way."
Added captain Alex Ovechkin: "It is very important game for us. We don't want to give them 3-0 with the series. We want to come back home with two wins."
Washington dropped the first two games of this series at Verizon Center. It wasn't that the Capitals played poorly, but in both games they failed to take advantage of their scoring chances when they were controlling the contest and eventually Tampa Bay was able to do what they couldn't.
If that sounds familiar, it is because the Capitals were in a similar scenario last season. Washington dominated Montreal for long stretches in the opening round but only in Games 3 and 4 were the Capitals able to change that into comfortable results.
Near the end of the series it seemed like the harder the Capitals tried against Montreal and goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the more their control of the situation slipped away.
"You have to play with desperation but you also want to have composure as well," Bradley said. "If you're out there super-nervous and squeezing your stick, you might be working hard but probably not making the right decisions. You have to be out there working hard and still be able to make the right decisions to win games."
Just as it was a problem against the Canadiens, the power play continues to be a dominant storyline in this series. Tampa Bay has thwarted all 11 chances Washington has had with the extra man.
The Lightning have also scored a power-play goal in each of the games. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau tried several different combinations in Game 2, but the results did not follow.
"I thought we had a lot of good chances," forward Eric Fehr said. "We were able to get the pucks back on our dumps and we had a couple of good set-up plays. I think it is going to be important as they always say to shoot pucks and go to the net. [Tampa goalie Dwayne] Roloson is a little scrambly back there and hopefully we can find a rebound and put one in."
Added Boudreau: "There are a lot of things going good and I was just telling them [before the morning skate]. We haven't been scoring, but we've had some really good looks, we've had good chances, we got good zone time -- plenty of shots. We just got to find different ways to get around them and put it in the net."
The Capitals talked Tuesday morning about the importance of scoring the first goal, about playing with desperation, about shooting more, about not getting frustrated with Tampa Bay's style- all valid focus points.
For the most part they deflected questions about the back-to-back scheduling quirk. The reason- Game 3 is incredibly important at this stage and Game 4 is for another day (even if that day is Wednesday).
This isn't an elimination game for the Capitals, but the theme Tuesday morning was this- it is pretty darn close.
"They're ready to play," Boudreau said. "I think one little tweak here and a break there and it would be a different series. They're ready to play -- they're definitely not in a defeatist mood, that's for sure. It's more of an angry mood."
That makes Game 3 of this Eastern Conference Semifinal series Tuesday night at St. Pete Times Forum the closest thing to a must-win endeavor there is without it officially being an elimination contest.
"This is a pivotal game for sure," forward Matt Bradley said. "I'm not saying we couldn't come back from 3-0, but we don't even want to have that in our minds. We want to win tonight and get back in this series. The further you dig your hole, the harder it is to get out. We are confident we can come back no matter what the games are, but we would like to win tonight because we need to start going back the other way."
Added captain Alex Ovechkin: "It is very important game for us. We don't want to give them 3-0 with the series. We want to come back home with two wins."
Washington dropped the first two games of this series at Verizon Center. It wasn't that the Capitals played poorly, but in both games they failed to take advantage of their scoring chances when they were controlling the contest and eventually Tampa Bay was able to do what they couldn't.
If that sounds familiar, it is because the Capitals were in a similar scenario last season. Washington dominated Montreal for long stretches in the opening round but only in Games 3 and 4 were the Capitals able to change that into comfortable results.
Near the end of the series it seemed like the harder the Capitals tried against Montreal and goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the more their control of the situation slipped away.
"You have to play with desperation but you also want to have composure as well," Bradley said. "If you're out there super-nervous and squeezing your stick, you might be working hard but probably not making the right decisions. You have to be out there working hard and still be able to make the right decisions to win games."
Just as it was a problem against the Canadiens, the power play continues to be a dominant storyline in this series. Tampa Bay has thwarted all 11 chances Washington has had with the extra man.
The Lightning have also scored a power-play goal in each of the games. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau tried several different combinations in Game 2, but the results did not follow.
"I thought we had a lot of good chances," forward Eric Fehr said. "We were able to get the pucks back on our dumps and we had a couple of good set-up plays. I think it is going to be important as they always say to shoot pucks and go to the net. [Tampa goalie Dwayne] Roloson is a little scrambly back there and hopefully we can find a rebound and put one in."
Added Boudreau: "There are a lot of things going good and I was just telling them [before the morning skate]. We haven't been scoring, but we've had some really good looks, we've had good chances, we got good zone time -- plenty of shots. We just got to find different ways to get around them and put it in the net."
The Capitals talked Tuesday morning about the importance of scoring the first goal, about playing with desperation, about shooting more, about not getting frustrated with Tampa Bay's style- all valid focus points.
For the most part they deflected questions about the back-to-back scheduling quirk. The reason- Game 3 is incredibly important at this stage and Game 4 is for another day (even if that day is Wednesday).
This isn't an elimination game for the Capitals, but the theme Tuesday morning was this- it is pretty darn close.
"They're ready to play," Boudreau said. "I think one little tweak here and a break there and it would be a different series. They're ready to play -- they're definitely not in a defeatist mood, that's for sure. It's more of an angry mood."
Monday, May 2, 2011
More Needed From Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin has already scored a critical goal for the Washington Capitals in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But, as it tends to be for the very best players in sport, expectations are incredibly high for Washington's captain. Given that, the Capitals are likely going to need more from Ovechkin if they are to stage an improbable comeback after falling behind 2-0 in this best-of-7 series with a pair of home losses to the upset-minded Tampa Bay Lightning.
"Everybody wants more from Alex," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said Monday morning at the team's practice facility. "I think he's trying out there. He's working hard. What are you going to say? ... We need more from everybody. We don't just need more from Alex."
Boudreau is correct -- Nicklas Backstrom has yet to score this postseason and was partly responsible for a goal allowed in Game 2 because of a turnover in his own end.
Mike Green has not had the same impact against Tampa Bay that he did against the New York Rangers in Round 1. Alexander Semin scored the first goal for Washington in this series, but his impact on games has come and gone.
Those three are all great players and compensated as such, but there is an extra burden place on Ovechkin. He's not only the face of the franchise but the face of his sport in his home country and one of the faces of his League -- and the other guy who typically shares that title with him -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby -- hasn't played since January.
This explains why there is the expectation of more from Ovechkin, especially with his team down 2-0 to the Lightning.
"He's not getting a lot done," Boudreau said of Ovechkin after Sunday's Game 2. Ovechkind did, though, tie the game at 1-1 with 67 seconds left in regulation before Vinny Lecavalier won it in OT. "It is not hard to put defensemen against forwards. It is an easy matchup and (Eric) Brewer is doing a pretty good job on him."
Brewer and Mattias Ohlund have been on the ice a lot against Ovechkin, who did not speak to the media Monday, and have been able to contain him at even strength. Ovechkin's goal came with goaltender Michal Neuvirth on the bench and with six Washington skaters on the ice.
Ohlund was a key free-agent addition during the previous regime for Tampa Bay, a guy who was brought in to help stabilize a porous defense corps and help mentor countryman Victor Hedman. Brewer has turned out to be one new GM Steve Yzerman's top additions.
He was added at the trade deadline, and after a few years dealing with injuries and playing for a team in St. Louis that was often outside the playoff picture, Brewer has almost re-emerged this postseason with his play against Pittsburgh and Washington.
"[Brewer] and Ohlund are steady. They keep it simple -- big bodies," Mike Knuble said. "They don't make mistakes. They can be counted on by their team and they perform and they've been very strong as a pair and individually. They battle in the corners, they're big bodies, physical when they can be so they present a pretty good challenge."
But, as it tends to be for the very best players in sport, expectations are incredibly high for Washington's captain. Given that, the Capitals are likely going to need more from Ovechkin if they are to stage an improbable comeback after falling behind 2-0 in this best-of-7 series with a pair of home losses to the upset-minded Tampa Bay Lightning.
"Everybody wants more from Alex," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said Monday morning at the team's practice facility. "I think he's trying out there. He's working hard. What are you going to say? ... We need more from everybody. We don't just need more from Alex."
Boudreau is correct -- Nicklas Backstrom has yet to score this postseason and was partly responsible for a goal allowed in Game 2 because of a turnover in his own end.
Mike Green has not had the same impact against Tampa Bay that he did against the New York Rangers in Round 1. Alexander Semin scored the first goal for Washington in this series, but his impact on games has come and gone.
Those three are all great players and compensated as such, but there is an extra burden place on Ovechkin. He's not only the face of the franchise but the face of his sport in his home country and one of the faces of his League -- and the other guy who typically shares that title with him -- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby -- hasn't played since January.
This explains why there is the expectation of more from Ovechkin, especially with his team down 2-0 to the Lightning.
"He's not getting a lot done," Boudreau said of Ovechkin after Sunday's Game 2. Ovechkind did, though, tie the game at 1-1 with 67 seconds left in regulation before Vinny Lecavalier won it in OT. "It is not hard to put defensemen against forwards. It is an easy matchup and (Eric) Brewer is doing a pretty good job on him."
Brewer and Mattias Ohlund have been on the ice a lot against Ovechkin, who did not speak to the media Monday, and have been able to contain him at even strength. Ovechkin's goal came with goaltender Michal Neuvirth on the bench and with six Washington skaters on the ice.
Ohlund was a key free-agent addition during the previous regime for Tampa Bay, a guy who was brought in to help stabilize a porous defense corps and help mentor countryman Victor Hedman. Brewer has turned out to be one new GM Steve Yzerman's top additions.
He was added at the trade deadline, and after a few years dealing with injuries and playing for a team in St. Louis that was often outside the playoff picture, Brewer has almost re-emerged this postseason with his play against Pittsburgh and Washington.
"[Brewer] and Ohlund are steady. They keep it simple -- big bodies," Mike Knuble said. "They don't make mistakes. They can be counted on by their team and they perform and they've been very strong as a pair and individually. They battle in the corners, they're big bodies, physical when they can be so they present a pretty good challenge."
2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Semifinal Schedule
| 2011 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS | ||||||||
| SERIES I |
| Network | ||||||
| Friday, April 29 | at Washington, 7:00 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| Sunday, May 1 | at Washington, 7:00 p.m. | VERSUS, CBC | ||||||
| Tuesday, May 3 | at Tampa Bay, 6:30 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| Wednesday, May 4 | at Tampa Bay, 7:00 p.m. | NHL NETWORK (US), TSN | ||||||
| *Saturday, May 7 | at Washington, 12:30 p.m. | NBC, TSN | ||||||
| *Monday, May 9 | at Tampa Bay, TBD | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| *Wednesday, May 11 | at Washington, TBD | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| SERIES J |
| Network | ||||||
| Saturday, April 30 | at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m. | NBC, CBC | ||||||
| Monday, May 2 | at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| Wednesday, May 4 | at Boston, 7:00 p.m. | VERSUS, CBC | ||||||
| Friday, May 6 | at Boston, 8:00 p.m. | VERSUS (JIP), CBC | ||||||
| *Sunday, May 8 | at Philadelphia, 3:00 p.m. | NBC, CBC | ||||||
| *Tuesday, May 10 | at Boston, TBD | VERSUS, CBC | ||||||
| *Thursday, May 12 | at Philadelphia, TBD | VERSUS, CBC | ||||||
| 2011 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS | ||||||||
| SERIES K |
| Network | ||||||
| Thursday, April 28 | at Vancouver, 9:00 p.m. | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| Saturday, April 30 | at Vancouver, 9:00 p.m. | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| Tuesday, May 3 | at Nashville, 9:00 p.m. | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| Thursday, May 5 | at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| *Saturday, May 7 | at Vancouver, 8:00 p.m. | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| *Monday, May 9 | at Nashville, TBD | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| *Wednesday, May 11 | at Vancouver, TBD | CBC, VERSUS | ||||||
| SERIES L |
| Network | ||||||
| Friday, April 29 | at San Jose, 10:00 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| Sunday, May 1 | at San Jose, 3:00 p.m. | NBC, TSN | ||||||
| Wednesday, May 4 | at Detroit, 8:00 p.m. | VERSUS (JIP), TSN2 | ||||||
| Friday, May 6 | at Detroit, 7:00 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| *Sunday, May 8 | at San Jose, 8:00 p.m. | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| *Tuesday, May 10 | at Detroit, TBD | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
| *Thursday, May 12 | at San Jose, TBD | VERSUS, TSN | ||||||
- * denotes if necessary
Luongo and Rinne Playing Unbelieavable
Two games, two goals for each team, two goaltenders who are finalists for the Vezina Trophy.
That's pretty much been the story of the Western Conference semifinal-round series between the Predators and Canucks as it moves to Game 3 here on Tuesday. The series stands at one game apiece with Nashville's Pekka Rinne and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo reverting to form in Round 2 after statistics, if not performances, that were uncharacteristic in the first round.
Luongo, who was pulled from his first-round series against Chicago in both Games 4 and 5 and had to take a backup role in Game 6 until Cory Schneider was injured, has stopped 64 of 66 shots in this series (a .970 save percentage) and has an 0.77 goals-against average. His opposite number in Rinne, whose save percentage was in the .870s after allowing 19 goals to Anaheim in the quarterfinals, has an 0.78 GAA (by virtue of playing 90 seconds less than Luongo, as the Preds have pulled him in both games for an extra attacker). Rinne has stopped 61 of 63 shots for a .968 save percentage.
In the first round, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle claimed that his staff had found a weakness in Rinne. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault was asked how his team would solve the 6-foot-5 Finn.
"Well, he's a real good goaltender," Vigneault said. "We've got a real good goaltender. I think you're looking at two teams here -- I know we were the best as far as goals against; I think they were second or third. (Nashville was second.)
"(There) weren't a lot of goals scored by both teams in the regular season (series) because both teams have great goaltending and because both teams can pretty much play very well when they don't have the puck.
"There's not a lot of room. There's not a lot of time out there to make plays. And he's a good goaltender. You got to give him credit. Didn't expect coming into this that these would be high-scoring games, and they haven't been so far."
No, they haven't. Luongo blanked Nashville 1-0 in Game 1 for his third career playoff shutout. He only faced 20 shots in that game and 11 through the first two periods.
Game 2 was a different story. Nashville peppered Luongo with 36 shots through regulation and did not break the ice until 67 seconds remained in regulation.
"There wasn't enough effort there (in Game 1) and we know that to a man," Predators forward Steve Sullivan said. "We understood that and came out in Game 2 until overtime -- I thought until overtime we had 30-plus shots -- so we were creating our chances. I thought Luongo played extremely well. We didn't score on our opportunities, but we were getting the scoring chances so we were happy with that."
Even though they proved victorious in the first round without stellar statistics, both goalies say they don't pay much attention to numbers.
"You know what? I had maybe two games that were not up-to-par in the first round series, but I think in all the other games I played well," Luongo said. "I don't really look at that stuff. I just look at the way I feel and I'm playing on the ice and not as much of the numbers.
"Right now, I feel the same way I've felt the last five months."
In the first round, Trotz said that despite the number of goals Rinne allowed, he thought his goalie, for the most part, made the big saves at the big times.
"Yeah, a lot of them (goals), though, it's just stats," Rinne said. "Games are always different. You just focus one game at a time. Sometimes you give up a few more goals than you would like, but it's hockey. There's great players and good power plays and they're going to get their chances and score some goals."
Rinne made the save of the game -- possibly even the playoffs -- in overtime when he stopped Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa's one-timer by leaping across the crease and getting it with his arm, as his back was turned to the play.
Vancouver's Henrik Sedin was asked if any of Rinne's saves surprised him.
"The one on Bieksa was surprising," he said. "But that's what happens. He throws his stick and glove over there and ‘Juice' hits it. That happens. It's not the first time, it won't be the last time."
Said Luongo: "Obviously, we haven't scored many goals, but we're getting some chances. We've had a few chances where we've had Pekka down and out so we got to bury the chances. He might make the first saves, but if we get him out of position we got to make sure we bear down on those chances and make sure he doesn't get an arm, a leg or a stick on it. Things like that."
With the series having turned into something of a goalies' duel, Luongo said that's fine with him.
"I just play my game and stay focused," he said. "It was a great game. It's a great goalie battle. I'm having fun out there. It's hockey. Stuff's going to happen out there and you try to enjoy it and do the best you can."
That's pretty much been the story of the Western Conference semifinal-round series between the Predators and Canucks as it moves to Game 3 here on Tuesday. The series stands at one game apiece with Nashville's Pekka Rinne and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo reverting to form in Round 2 after statistics, if not performances, that were uncharacteristic in the first round.
Luongo, who was pulled from his first-round series against Chicago in both Games 4 and 5 and had to take a backup role in Game 6 until Cory Schneider was injured, has stopped 64 of 66 shots in this series (a .970 save percentage) and has an 0.77 goals-against average. His opposite number in Rinne, whose save percentage was in the .870s after allowing 19 goals to Anaheim in the quarterfinals, has an 0.78 GAA (by virtue of playing 90 seconds less than Luongo, as the Preds have pulled him in both games for an extra attacker). Rinne has stopped 61 of 63 shots for a .968 save percentage.
In the first round, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle claimed that his staff had found a weakness in Rinne. Canucks coach Alain Vigneault was asked how his team would solve the 6-foot-5 Finn.
"Well, he's a real good goaltender," Vigneault said. "We've got a real good goaltender. I think you're looking at two teams here -- I know we were the best as far as goals against; I think they were second or third. (Nashville was second.)
"(There) weren't a lot of goals scored by both teams in the regular season (series) because both teams have great goaltending and because both teams can pretty much play very well when they don't have the puck.
"There's not a lot of room. There's not a lot of time out there to make plays. And he's a good goaltender. You got to give him credit. Didn't expect coming into this that these would be high-scoring games, and they haven't been so far."
No, they haven't. Luongo blanked Nashville 1-0 in Game 1 for his third career playoff shutout. He only faced 20 shots in that game and 11 through the first two periods.
Game 2 was a different story. Nashville peppered Luongo with 36 shots through regulation and did not break the ice until 67 seconds remained in regulation.
"There wasn't enough effort there (in Game 1) and we know that to a man," Predators forward Steve Sullivan said. "We understood that and came out in Game 2 until overtime -- I thought until overtime we had 30-plus shots -- so we were creating our chances. I thought Luongo played extremely well. We didn't score on our opportunities, but we were getting the scoring chances so we were happy with that."
Even though they proved victorious in the first round without stellar statistics, both goalies say they don't pay much attention to numbers.
"You know what? I had maybe two games that were not up-to-par in the first round series, but I think in all the other games I played well," Luongo said. "I don't really look at that stuff. I just look at the way I feel and I'm playing on the ice and not as much of the numbers.
"Right now, I feel the same way I've felt the last five months."
In the first round, Trotz said that despite the number of goals Rinne allowed, he thought his goalie, for the most part, made the big saves at the big times.
"Yeah, a lot of them (goals), though, it's just stats," Rinne said. "Games are always different. You just focus one game at a time. Sometimes you give up a few more goals than you would like, but it's hockey. There's great players and good power plays and they're going to get their chances and score some goals."
Rinne made the save of the game -- possibly even the playoffs -- in overtime when he stopped Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa's one-timer by leaping across the crease and getting it with his arm, as his back was turned to the play.
Vancouver's Henrik Sedin was asked if any of Rinne's saves surprised him.
"The one on Bieksa was surprising," he said. "But that's what happens. He throws his stick and glove over there and ‘Juice' hits it. That happens. It's not the first time, it won't be the last time."
Said Luongo: "Obviously, we haven't scored many goals, but we're getting some chances. We've had a few chances where we've had Pekka down and out so we got to bury the chances. He might make the first saves, but if we get him out of position we got to make sure we bear down on those chances and make sure he doesn't get an arm, a leg or a stick on it. Things like that."
With the series having turned into something of a goalies' duel, Luongo said that's fine with him.
"I just play my game and stay focused," he said. "It was a great game. It's a great goalie battle. I'm having fun out there. It's hockey. Stuff's going to happen out there and you try to enjoy it and do the best you can."
Reaction to bin Laden Death
Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference had this to say about the recently announced death of Osama bin Laden:
"I texted my friend Lucas (an Army ranger serving oversees) right away and said did your guys get him," he told reporters following Monday's morning practice here at Wells Fargo Center. "They've been watching the Bruins games over there and we've been keeping in touch with them. I know they were out for a few days. He texted me a couple days ago and said they were out going hunting for bad guys, so I said was that your boys. He was excited. He said last night there was a lot of sleepless nights looking for that guy. I'm really proud for those guys. I didn't really feel it myself, but knowing those guys, how they put their butts on the line so much for us, for them to get a victory like that is pretty cool."
"I texted my friend Lucas (an Army ranger serving oversees) right away and said did your guys get him," he told reporters following Monday's morning practice here at Wells Fargo Center. "They've been watching the Bruins games over there and we've been keeping in touch with them. I know they were out for a few days. He texted me a couple days ago and said they were out going hunting for bad guys, so I said was that your boys. He was excited. He said last night there was a lot of sleepless nights looking for that guy. I'm really proud for those guys. I didn't really feel it myself, but knowing those guys, how they put their butts on the line so much for us, for them to get a victory like that is pretty cool."
Lightning/Capitals 5/1/11
Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis were stars when guys like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green were still dreaming of becoming NHL players.
The two veterans have propelled the Tampa Bay Lightning to a commanding lead in this Eastern Conference Semifinal series -- and they have the young stars of the Washington Capitals searching for answers.
Lecavalier scored his second goal of the game 6:19 into overtime Sunday night to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory in Game 2 and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. St. Louis had Tampa Bay's other goal and 41-year-old goaltender Dwayne Roloson made 35 saves.
"It's nice to get the two wins," Lecavalier said. "We know how it went against Pittsburgh. It was the other way around, but we know it's not over until it's over. It's obviously far from being over against a team like Washington. You can't let your guard down. We have to go home and play some good hockey."
Tampa Bay has won five straight games, erasing a 3-1 series deficit against Pittsburgh in the opening round before taking control of this series by opening with two victories at the Verizon Center. The next two games are at St. Pete Times Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Caps, who overcame a 2-0 series deficit to beat the Rangers in the opening round two years ago, are far from ready to concede.
"Well, [the] series is not over," Alex Ovechkin said. "We're going there and we're going to win two games. It is going to be hard but right now in this situation we have to win."
Ovechkin tied the game by scoring with 68 seconds left in regulation. But the Lightning caught the Caps in a line change to get the winner.
Randy Jones, playing in his first game since March 7 because of injury and in the lineup because Pavel Kubina was hurt in Game 1, retrieved the puck to the right of Roloson, noticed the Capitals changing and wheeled the puck to the far blue line, where Teddy Purcell was waiting.
Purcell had only defenseman Mike Green in front of him with Lecavalier steaming toward the far post. His pass hit Lecavalier in stride, and the Tampa Bay captain didn't miss, flipping a high shot past Michal Neuvirth.
"They chipped it in and I just looked over my shoulder to see who was coming on me," Jones said. "I know they had one man coming … I saw Teddy coming across the blue line, so I just wanted to get it up to him and get it in deep as quick as possible. He made a great play to Vinny, and he was able to put it in the net."
Added Lecavalier: "I went on the ice, and I saw Teddy Purcell was going to get the loose puck. I was just hoping it would get by the defenseman, and it did. I just tried to get it high. Last game, I tried going between his legs. If I tried to put it high, I'd have a chance."
There were multiple problems on the goal for the Capitals. John Carlson had been on the ice for nearly 90 seconds and needed to change, but the other defenseman, Scott Hannan, also went to the bench despite having been out for only 33 seconds.
A pair of forwards also went to the bench and Green, Jeff Schultz, Brooks Laich and Nicklas Backstrom were the fresh skaters. Green was the first one on and was able to reach Purcell but none of the other three were able to track Lecavalier.
"It was a bad change. I thought the puck was going in behind. You can't make mistakes like that. It will cost you in the playoffs," Hannan said. "I was a little tired and I thought I could get off in time and obviously I couldn't. It was a bad play. ... It is frustrating. It goes to show you in the playoffs if you make mistakes it will cost you. I will take the blame for that. I should have stayed on the ice and it would have been a dead play, a 2-on-2."
Added Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau: "It was a bad change and at the same time the guys coming on didn't come on anywhere near as quick as they should have. It was a combination."
Ovechkin had sent the game to overtime after the Caps pulled Neuvirth for an extra attacker. He drove to the net and chipped a centering pass from Jason Arnott past Roloson to set off a delirious celebration from the red-clad sellout crowd of 18,398.
St. Louis put Tampa Bay in front at 7:35 of the third period. Purcell took the puck away from Backstrom as he was about to skate it out of danger in the Washington end, and then got it to St. Louis. The Hart Trophy finalist was actually trying to feed Lecavalier, who was unchecked at the far post, but the pass went off Green's skate and into the net. St. Louis had gone three games without a point, but before the game coach Guy Boucher said he liked that because he knew the production was coming.
"Teddy made a great play on the forecheck," Lecavalier said. "I put it on net and Teddy went to hunt the puck. He gave it to me and I actually tried to fire it across the crease for Vinny and it hit Green's skate. You take those. It's a great effort by Teddy to hunt the puck down."
St. Louis also set up Lecavalier for the lone goal of the opening period, a power-play laser beam from the right circle at 19:01.
Washington's power play continued to struggle in the second as the Capitals squandered three more chances. But the Caps did dominate the period in part because of the penalties and were able to tie the score at 14:52 when Brooks Laich got his stick on the rebound of a Backstrom shot. The puck bounced off Roloson's chest and across the goal line for Laich's first of the postseason.
It was the highlight of a second period that saw the Caps outshoot Tampa Bay 16-3.
"I thought we had the momentum quite frankly for about 45 minutes of that game, but I felt very comfortable going into overtime rolling four lines and six defensemen if there wasn't any penalties but it didn't work out that way," Boudreau said. "I can sit here and evaluate and say there were bad bounces in both games and that, but they came in here and did the job. They got the lead. I think we only two shots on goal or three shots on goal until we scored."
But the Lightning had the better of play in the third period and took advantage of their opportunity in overtime to score the winner – leaving the Caps without a win after two games at home.
Boudreau knows winning in Tampa – where the St. Pete Times Forum will be filled with more than 20,000 fans – won't be easy.
"We've got to push harder," Boudreau said. "They're playing a very disciplined game right now and they're getting the most mileage out of all of their players. They believe -- they've won five in a row and they're a difficult team to play against."
The two veterans have propelled the Tampa Bay Lightning to a commanding lead in this Eastern Conference Semifinal series -- and they have the young stars of the Washington Capitals searching for answers.
Lecavalier scored his second goal of the game 6:19 into overtime Sunday night to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory in Game 2 and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. St. Louis had Tampa Bay's other goal and 41-year-old goaltender Dwayne Roloson made 35 saves.
"It's nice to get the two wins," Lecavalier said. "We know how it went against Pittsburgh. It was the other way around, but we know it's not over until it's over. It's obviously far from being over against a team like Washington. You can't let your guard down. We have to go home and play some good hockey."
Tampa Bay has won five straight games, erasing a 3-1 series deficit against Pittsburgh in the opening round before taking control of this series by opening with two victories at the Verizon Center. The next two games are at St. Pete Times Forum on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Caps, who overcame a 2-0 series deficit to beat the Rangers in the opening round two years ago, are far from ready to concede.
"Well, [the] series is not over," Alex Ovechkin said. "We're going there and we're going to win two games. It is going to be hard but right now in this situation we have to win."
Ovechkin tied the game by scoring with 68 seconds left in regulation. But the Lightning caught the Caps in a line change to get the winner.
Randy Jones, playing in his first game since March 7 because of injury and in the lineup because Pavel Kubina was hurt in Game 1, retrieved the puck to the right of Roloson, noticed the Capitals changing and wheeled the puck to the far blue line, where Teddy Purcell was waiting.
Purcell had only defenseman Mike Green in front of him with Lecavalier steaming toward the far post. His pass hit Lecavalier in stride, and the Tampa Bay captain didn't miss, flipping a high shot past Michal Neuvirth.
"They chipped it in and I just looked over my shoulder to see who was coming on me," Jones said. "I know they had one man coming … I saw Teddy coming across the blue line, so I just wanted to get it up to him and get it in deep as quick as possible. He made a great play to Vinny, and he was able to put it in the net."
Added Lecavalier: "I went on the ice, and I saw Teddy Purcell was going to get the loose puck. I was just hoping it would get by the defenseman, and it did. I just tried to get it high. Last game, I tried going between his legs. If I tried to put it high, I'd have a chance."
There were multiple problems on the goal for the Capitals. John Carlson had been on the ice for nearly 90 seconds and needed to change, but the other defenseman, Scott Hannan, also went to the bench despite having been out for only 33 seconds.
A pair of forwards also went to the bench and Green, Jeff Schultz, Brooks Laich and Nicklas Backstrom were the fresh skaters. Green was the first one on and was able to reach Purcell but none of the other three were able to track Lecavalier.
"It was a bad change. I thought the puck was going in behind. You can't make mistakes like that. It will cost you in the playoffs," Hannan said. "I was a little tired and I thought I could get off in time and obviously I couldn't. It was a bad play. ... It is frustrating. It goes to show you in the playoffs if you make mistakes it will cost you. I will take the blame for that. I should have stayed on the ice and it would have been a dead play, a 2-on-2."
Added Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau: "It was a bad change and at the same time the guys coming on didn't come on anywhere near as quick as they should have. It was a combination."
Ovechkin had sent the game to overtime after the Caps pulled Neuvirth for an extra attacker. He drove to the net and chipped a centering pass from Jason Arnott past Roloson to set off a delirious celebration from the red-clad sellout crowd of 18,398.
St. Louis put Tampa Bay in front at 7:35 of the third period. Purcell took the puck away from Backstrom as he was about to skate it out of danger in the Washington end, and then got it to St. Louis. The Hart Trophy finalist was actually trying to feed Lecavalier, who was unchecked at the far post, but the pass went off Green's skate and into the net. St. Louis had gone three games without a point, but before the game coach Guy Boucher said he liked that because he knew the production was coming.
"Teddy made a great play on the forecheck," Lecavalier said. "I put it on net and Teddy went to hunt the puck. He gave it to me and I actually tried to fire it across the crease for Vinny and it hit Green's skate. You take those. It's a great effort by Teddy to hunt the puck down."
St. Louis also set up Lecavalier for the lone goal of the opening period, a power-play laser beam from the right circle at 19:01.
Washington's power play continued to struggle in the second as the Capitals squandered three more chances. But the Caps did dominate the period in part because of the penalties and were able to tie the score at 14:52 when Brooks Laich got his stick on the rebound of a Backstrom shot. The puck bounced off Roloson's chest and across the goal line for Laich's first of the postseason.
It was the highlight of a second period that saw the Caps outshoot Tampa Bay 16-3.
"I thought we had the momentum quite frankly for about 45 minutes of that game, but I felt very comfortable going into overtime rolling four lines and six defensemen if there wasn't any penalties but it didn't work out that way," Boudreau said. "I can sit here and evaluate and say there were bad bounces in both games and that, but they came in here and did the job. They got the lead. I think we only two shots on goal or three shots on goal until we scored."
But the Lightning had the better of play in the third period and took advantage of their opportunity in overtime to score the winner – leaving the Caps without a win after two games at home.
Boudreau knows winning in Tampa – where the St. Pete Times Forum will be filled with more than 20,000 fans – won't be easy.
"We've got to push harder," Boudreau said. "They're playing a very disciplined game right now and they're getting the most mileage out of all of their players. They believe -- they've won five in a row and they're a difficult team to play against."
Sunday, May 1, 2011
NHL and Earth Day
Throughout the NHL season and in celebration of the 41st anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, NHL Clubs have implemented environmental programs in their communities and sustainability efforts in their facilities. Here is a snapshot of how several NHL Clubs have participated in activities and events leading up to and around Earth Day:
Anaheim: All season long, the Ducks supported environmental preservation through the "Green Goal Shootout" program, presented by Pinnacle Landscape. With every Ducks shootout victory, Pinnacle Landscape donated a tree to the new development at the Children's Hospital of Orange County. On Earth Day, Ducks fans who bring recyclable materials to Anaheim Ice, the Ducks' practice facility, will have an opportunity to participate in the "Ducks Grab Bag" to win prizes and merchandise.
Atlanta: Philips Arena became the first NHL/NBA arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing facility in April of 2009. Two years later, on April 8, 2011, Thrashers players showed their continuing support for sustainability by wearing "Follow Our LEED" helmet decals. Prior to the game, Philips Arena hosted an electronics recycling drive. Fans who turned in electronics received a 20% discount at the arena's Team Gear store. As part of the Green Goals campaign presented by The Home Depot, a $10,000 donation was made to Trees Atlanta to plant and maintain trees throughout the city. On April 6, representatives from the Thrashers, Hawks, Philips Arena and The Home Depot participated in a tree mulching project in Vine City.
Buffalo: On Saturday, April 16, the Buffalo Sabres teamed up with National Fuel and the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper to clean up the Ohio Street Boat Launch in Buffalo. The initiative was part of the Spring Shoreline Sweep, where volunteers were deployed in about 40 different locations to collect trash and debris in Western New York's waterways, thereby improving both wildlife habitats and drinking water.
Detroit: In March, the Red Wings held a "Going Green" night, presented by DTE Energy. The first 5,000 fans through the gates received a commemorative t-shirt. In keeping with the "green-themed" evening, over 50 groups from environmentally conscious organizations were in attendance, as well as 500 individuals who won tickets to the game from DTE Energy sponsored contests. Additionally, energy experts were on the concourse educating fans on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Minnesota: On May 13, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment employees will be cleaning up the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul River Centre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium campus. Employees will scour the grounds picking up and removing trash. Additionally, the Club plans to announce the success of the facility's "50-50 in 2" waste reduction plan, which was implemented to reduce trash on campus by 50% while increasing the annual recycling rate to 50% in a two-year window.
Nashville: The Predators and Bridgestone Arena are committed to recycling efforts which collect, sort and correctly dispose of aluminum, paper, plastic and cooking oils. Earlier this year, Bridgestone Arena installed energy-conservation controls on the ice plant, as well as an energy efficient High Dry system in the Predators locker room. For Earth Day, the facility is pursuing new "green" building upgrades, such as updating from T12 to T8 fluorescent lighting, replacing 100 watt metal halides with 24 watt compact fluorescents, converting pneumatic hot and chilled water valves to electric controlled valves, and testing bladeless air hand dryers in the arena.
New York: On April 1st, the Rangers hosted a "go green" event in partnership with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the Knicks (NBA) and the Liberty (WNBA). Using non-toxic paint and environmentally friendly materials, the Rangers transformed an old fitness center at WHEDco, a partner organization, into a functional computer lab for youths. The project's refurbishment included everything from new bamboo floors, eco-friendly clay walls, solar shades and brand new energy efficient computers. Rangers alumni Ron Duguay and Nick Fotiu, alongside children from the Garden of Dreams, helped to put on the finishing touches, painting the computer desks and cleaning the windows.
Phoenix: The Coyotes held a month-long "Going Green" celebration, sponsored by American Solar Electric. In partnership with the City of Glendale, the Coyotes collected and safely recycled fans old cell phones at Jobing.com Arena. Throughout the season, the Coyotes invited prominent environmental agencies, such as the Environmental Fund for Arizona, Habitat for Humanity and the Desert Botanical Garden, to assist in advocating for their environmental causes.
San Jose: The San Jose Sharks partnered with Sims Recycling Solutions to recognize the Sharks' "Greenest Fan." The "Greenest Fan Sweepstakes" was a monthly contest in which fans could submit an essay along with photos/video on why they are the Sharks "Greenest Fan." Each month a finalist was chosen, and the contest winner was recognized on the Sharks' final home game of the regular season on Sat., April 9. In addition, the Sharks and Sims Recycling Solutions held e-waste recycling events at HP Pavilion in March. Fans that brought an item to recycle were able to watch the Sharks pre-game morning skate and received a raffle ticket for the chance to win autographed Sharks merchandise. For a second year through Save Our Shores' Adopt-A-Beach program, the Sharks adopted Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz. During the offseason, the Sharks and their fans will participate in at least three scheduled beach cleans ups, recognizing the need for litter-free beaches.
Tampa Bay: In March, the Lightning hosted a "Go Green Night" to encourage recycling and raise environmental awareness. Fans who brought plastic bottles, aluminum cans or items including old jerseys, hats or t-shirts received discounted tickets. Those who rode their bike to the game received one complimentary ticket. The first 5,000 individuals in Lightning gear received a Lightning recyclable grocery bag. Outside of the St. Pete Times Forum, volunteer organizations helped fans safely recycle old car and boat batteries. Individuals who made a donation received a pair of tickets to an upcoming event. During the game, the Lightning Foundation presented two lucky "green" fans with a new bicycle.
Toronto: The Maple Leafs participated in the "20-minute Toronto Makeover" on April 15th. Introduced by the City of Toronto, the idea is for organizations and individuals to stop what they are doing at 2 p.m. and engage in a cleaning blitz around their home or workplace. 200 Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment employees spent the afternoon cleaning up garbage around Air Canada Centre.
Washington: On April 16, the Washington Capitals played host to a service project at Fort Dupont Ice Arena as part of the Greater DC Cares 2011 Servathon. More than 100 Caps fans volunteered to help spruce up the rink. Activities included planting flowers on the grounds, weeding and mulching tree boxes and flower beds, sweeping the parking lot and sidewalks, clearing brush from the building, sorting and pairing hockey equipment, cleaning and waxing the boards and painting locker rooms, hallways and bathrooms. Caps players' wives and mascot Slapshot joined fans in the effort.
Throughout the 2010-11 regular season, NHL Clubs implemented sustainable initiatives including e-waste drives, renewable energy offset programs, tailgate recycling operations and community beautification and restoration projects. Starting at the beginning of the season, all 30 NHL Member Clubs participated in a League-wide Rock and Wrap It Up! food recovery program. All prepared but untouched food was donated to local shelters, diverting over 100 tons of waste from landfill and providing 150,000 meals to local residents across North America. To date, eight NHL Clubs have received awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of their commitment to the program.
Anaheim: All season long, the Ducks supported environmental preservation through the "Green Goal Shootout" program, presented by Pinnacle Landscape. With every Ducks shootout victory, Pinnacle Landscape donated a tree to the new development at the Children's Hospital of Orange County. On Earth Day, Ducks fans who bring recyclable materials to Anaheim Ice, the Ducks' practice facility, will have an opportunity to participate in the "Ducks Grab Bag" to win prizes and merchandise.
Atlanta: Philips Arena became the first NHL/NBA arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing facility in April of 2009. Two years later, on April 8, 2011, Thrashers players showed their continuing support for sustainability by wearing "Follow Our LEED" helmet decals. Prior to the game, Philips Arena hosted an electronics recycling drive. Fans who turned in electronics received a 20% discount at the arena's Team Gear store. As part of the Green Goals campaign presented by The Home Depot, a $10,000 donation was made to Trees Atlanta to plant and maintain trees throughout the city. On April 6, representatives from the Thrashers, Hawks, Philips Arena and The Home Depot participated in a tree mulching project in Vine City.
Buffalo: On Saturday, April 16, the Buffalo Sabres teamed up with National Fuel and the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper to clean up the Ohio Street Boat Launch in Buffalo. The initiative was part of the Spring Shoreline Sweep, where volunteers were deployed in about 40 different locations to collect trash and debris in Western New York's waterways, thereby improving both wildlife habitats and drinking water.
Detroit: In March, the Red Wings held a "Going Green" night, presented by DTE Energy. The first 5,000 fans through the gates received a commemorative t-shirt. In keeping with the "green-themed" evening, over 50 groups from environmentally conscious organizations were in attendance, as well as 500 individuals who won tickets to the game from DTE Energy sponsored contests. Additionally, energy experts were on the concourse educating fans on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Minnesota: On May 13, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment employees will be cleaning up the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul River Centre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium campus. Employees will scour the grounds picking up and removing trash. Additionally, the Club plans to announce the success of the facility's "50-50 in 2" waste reduction plan, which was implemented to reduce trash on campus by 50% while increasing the annual recycling rate to 50% in a two-year window.
Nashville: The Predators and Bridgestone Arena are committed to recycling efforts which collect, sort and correctly dispose of aluminum, paper, plastic and cooking oils. Earlier this year, Bridgestone Arena installed energy-conservation controls on the ice plant, as well as an energy efficient High Dry system in the Predators locker room. For Earth Day, the facility is pursuing new "green" building upgrades, such as updating from T12 to T8 fluorescent lighting, replacing 100 watt metal halides with 24 watt compact fluorescents, converting pneumatic hot and chilled water valves to electric controlled valves, and testing bladeless air hand dryers in the arena.
New York: On April 1st, the Rangers hosted a "go green" event in partnership with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the Knicks (NBA) and the Liberty (WNBA). Using non-toxic paint and environmentally friendly materials, the Rangers transformed an old fitness center at WHEDco, a partner organization, into a functional computer lab for youths. The project's refurbishment included everything from new bamboo floors, eco-friendly clay walls, solar shades and brand new energy efficient computers. Rangers alumni Ron Duguay and Nick Fotiu, alongside children from the Garden of Dreams, helped to put on the finishing touches, painting the computer desks and cleaning the windows.
Phoenix: The Coyotes held a month-long "Going Green" celebration, sponsored by American Solar Electric. In partnership with the City of Glendale, the Coyotes collected and safely recycled fans old cell phones at Jobing.com Arena. Throughout the season, the Coyotes invited prominent environmental agencies, such as the Environmental Fund for Arizona, Habitat for Humanity and the Desert Botanical Garden, to assist in advocating for their environmental causes.
San Jose: The San Jose Sharks partnered with Sims Recycling Solutions to recognize the Sharks' "Greenest Fan." The "Greenest Fan Sweepstakes" was a monthly contest in which fans could submit an essay along with photos/video on why they are the Sharks "Greenest Fan." Each month a finalist was chosen, and the contest winner was recognized on the Sharks' final home game of the regular season on Sat., April 9. In addition, the Sharks and Sims Recycling Solutions held e-waste recycling events at HP Pavilion in March. Fans that brought an item to recycle were able to watch the Sharks pre-game morning skate and received a raffle ticket for the chance to win autographed Sharks merchandise. For a second year through Save Our Shores' Adopt-A-Beach program, the Sharks adopted Cowell's Beach in Santa Cruz. During the offseason, the Sharks and their fans will participate in at least three scheduled beach cleans ups, recognizing the need for litter-free beaches.
Tampa Bay: In March, the Lightning hosted a "Go Green Night" to encourage recycling and raise environmental awareness. Fans who brought plastic bottles, aluminum cans or items including old jerseys, hats or t-shirts received discounted tickets. Those who rode their bike to the game received one complimentary ticket. The first 5,000 individuals in Lightning gear received a Lightning recyclable grocery bag. Outside of the St. Pete Times Forum, volunteer organizations helped fans safely recycle old car and boat batteries. Individuals who made a donation received a pair of tickets to an upcoming event. During the game, the Lightning Foundation presented two lucky "green" fans with a new bicycle.
Toronto: The Maple Leafs participated in the "20-minute Toronto Makeover" on April 15th. Introduced by the City of Toronto, the idea is for organizations and individuals to stop what they are doing at 2 p.m. and engage in a cleaning blitz around their home or workplace. 200 Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment employees spent the afternoon cleaning up garbage around Air Canada Centre.
Washington: On April 16, the Washington Capitals played host to a service project at Fort Dupont Ice Arena as part of the Greater DC Cares 2011 Servathon. More than 100 Caps fans volunteered to help spruce up the rink. Activities included planting flowers on the grounds, weeding and mulching tree boxes and flower beds, sweeping the parking lot and sidewalks, clearing brush from the building, sorting and pairing hockey equipment, cleaning and waxing the boards and painting locker rooms, hallways and bathrooms. Caps players' wives and mascot Slapshot joined fans in the effort.
Throughout the 2010-11 regular season, NHL Clubs implemented sustainable initiatives including e-waste drives, renewable energy offset programs, tailgate recycling operations and community beautification and restoration projects. Starting at the beginning of the season, all 30 NHL Member Clubs participated in a League-wide Rock and Wrap It Up! food recovery program. All prepared but untouched food was donated to local shelters, diverting over 100 tons of waste from landfill and providing 150,000 meals to local residents across North America. To date, eight NHL Clubs have received awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of their commitment to the program.
Niklas Lidstrom Interview
The Detroit Red Wings picked up the level of their play in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinal series against San Jose, but the result was the same – a 2-1 loss.
Sunday's defeat leaves the Wings down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series as the teams head to Detroit for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom answered reporter's questions following Sunday's loss.
Q: The Sharks have beaten you 10 of the last 12 meetings dating back a year. Is it starting to become a mental obstacle?
A: You turn around and go home now and get ready for the next game. That's the way you have to approach it. You can't be feeling sorry for yourself or thinking that we blew a chance. You just have to recover as a team, regroup and be ready for the next game.
Q: Is it frustrating squandering another excellent goaltending performance by Jimmy Howard?
A: It's disappointing, but he has to continue to play well for us. We have to do a better job in front of him, too -- clearing out the people coming in there and try to push their shooters to the outside a little more.
Q: Coach Mike Babcock criticized the Red Wings' forwards after Game 1. Did they do a better job in Game 2?
A: I think we can still get skating more as a group of five out there, get the puck in deep more and get on top of their defensemen a little bit more than we have in the first couple of games.
Q: Are you giving Jimmy Howard as much defensive help as he needs?
A: It's a matter of bearing down and playing a little better defensively. And we've got to score more goals, too. Getting one goal, it's hard to win in the playoffs. We have to get more shots and I think we have to create more traffic.
Sunday's defeat leaves the Wings down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series as the teams head to Detroit for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom answered reporter's questions following Sunday's loss.
Q: The Sharks have beaten you 10 of the last 12 meetings dating back a year. Is it starting to become a mental obstacle?
A: You turn around and go home now and get ready for the next game. That's the way you have to approach it. You can't be feeling sorry for yourself or thinking that we blew a chance. You just have to recover as a team, regroup and be ready for the next game.
Q: Is it frustrating squandering another excellent goaltending performance by Jimmy Howard?
A: It's disappointing, but he has to continue to play well for us. We have to do a better job in front of him, too -- clearing out the people coming in there and try to push their shooters to the outside a little more.
Q: Coach Mike Babcock criticized the Red Wings' forwards after Game 1. Did they do a better job in Game 2?
A: I think we can still get skating more as a group of five out there, get the puck in deep more and get on top of their defensemen a little bit more than we have in the first couple of games.
Q: Are you giving Jimmy Howard as much defensive help as he needs?
A: It's a matter of bearing down and playing a little better defensively. And we've got to score more goals, too. Getting one goal, it's hard to win in the playoffs. We have to get more shots and I think we have to create more traffic.
Matt Halischuk Interview
Matt Halischuk got himself into the Predators’ record book Saturday night by winning the longest game in Nashville history.
Halischuk, a rookie forward, rifled a shot past Roberto Luongo 14:51 into the second overtime to give the Predators a 2-1 series-tying win against the Canucks in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinal series.
The goal was Halischuk’s second of the playoffs in just his eighth career NHL playoff game.
Afterward the 22-year-old sat down with the media to discuss his big night:
Q: Describe how the play unfolded.
A: Smitty (Jerred Smithson) did a great job winning the draw and (Shea Weber) threw it over to Suts (Ryan Suter) there, he had great battle on the wall and made a great pass over. Smitty was driving the net and I kind of picked my spot – luckily it went in.
Q: How good does it feel?
A: It was definitely unbelievable.
Q: Were you thinking upstairs on Roberto Luongo?
A: I was just trying to get it off as hard and quick as I could, tried to pick my spot and luckily it went in.
Q: How good was Pekka Rinne again tonight?
A: He’s been unbelievable all year, and it’s no surprise to us. You see those saves he makes in night in, and night out. He kept us in this game, and it was a good thing we could close it out.
Q: How does it compare to scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game at the 2008 World Junior Championship?
A: It’s hard to compare right now. Maybe I’ll look back at it one day, but definitely I think this is the most exciting it’s been so far for sure.
Q: How important was it to even the series heading back to Nashville?
A: Game 1 was a wake up call, we came out hard today and had a good 60 minutes to get us to overtime and just kind of went from there. I think we’ll try to take the momentum back home for sure.
Halischuk, a rookie forward, rifled a shot past Roberto Luongo 14:51 into the second overtime to give the Predators a 2-1 series-tying win against the Canucks in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinal series.
The goal was Halischuk’s second of the playoffs in just his eighth career NHL playoff game.
Afterward the 22-year-old sat down with the media to discuss his big night:
Q: Describe how the play unfolded.
A: Smitty (Jerred Smithson) did a great job winning the draw and (Shea Weber) threw it over to Suts (Ryan Suter) there, he had great battle on the wall and made a great pass over. Smitty was driving the net and I kind of picked my spot – luckily it went in.
Q: How good does it feel?
A: It was definitely unbelievable.
Q: Were you thinking upstairs on Roberto Luongo?
A: I was just trying to get it off as hard and quick as I could, tried to pick my spot and luckily it went in.
Q: How good was Pekka Rinne again tonight?
A: He’s been unbelievable all year, and it’s no surprise to us. You see those saves he makes in night in, and night out. He kept us in this game, and it was a good thing we could close it out.
Q: How does it compare to scoring the overtime winner in the gold medal game at the 2008 World Junior Championship?
A: It’s hard to compare right now. Maybe I’ll look back at it one day, but definitely I think this is the most exciting it’s been so far for sure.
Q: How important was it to even the series heading back to Nashville?
A: Game 1 was a wake up call, we came out hard today and had a good 60 minutes to get us to overtime and just kind of went from there. I think we’ll try to take the momentum back home for sure.
Sharks/Red Wings 5/1/11
Antti Niemi made 33 saves as the San Jose Sharks held on for a 2-1 victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at HP Pavilion.
The victory in Game 2 gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinal series. Both teams will receive two days of rest before Wednesday's Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Niklas Wallin's goal 1:39 into the third period, just his fourth in 83 career postseason games and first during regulation time, gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead and turned out to be the winner. Ian White scored on the power play for the Sharks early in the first period.
Henrik Zetterberg's first goal of the postseason pulled the Red Wings within a goal with 6:02 remaining in the third period. But Niemi was perfect the rest of the way and has allowed just two goals on 59 shots in the series.
"That doesn't surprise me or anyone in our organization," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Niemi's performance. "We've come to expect that from him. I think maybe because of his numbers in the first series (Niemi was lifted twice against Los Angeles) -- not we, but people outside our locker room got a little panicky. He's a solid goaltender who's played extremely well.
"We needed him -- in six of the first 10 minutes we were shorthanded. The momentum swing there, the ability to play with a lead later on, that was due to his ability to stop the puck during the penalty kill."
Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard made his second straight solid start, but again had nothing to show for it. After making 44 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 1, he made 35 saves in Game 2.
The Sharks' power play that was dormant in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings (2-for-23) now has two goals in two games in this series.
The Sharks are 10-2 against the Red Wings in their last 12 meetings as they head to Detroit.
"The bottom line is that we came to their building and they were able to win two games," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought they were better than us (Friday) night; I thought this game was more even.
"Now we're going home. We've got our crowd, and we've got to do something with it."
After the Sharks killed a penalty to Ryane Clowe for roughing early in the first period, they were awarded a power play when Logan Couture was clipped in the face by the stick of Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader (the 1st player alphabetically in the NHL). White cashed in the opportunity with a straightaway 40-foot blast through a screen that Howard never saw. It was White's first career playoff goal and gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 4:54.
Niemi had his most active period of the series, stopping 12 shots. The Red Wings were 0-for-3 on the power play in the period, but had a 9-3 edge in shots during 5-on-5 action.
The Red Wings had their first dangerous scoring chance of the second period while killing a penalty in the first three minutes. Darren Helm stripped Jason Demers of the puck at the blue line and took off on a clear-cut breakaway. Helm tried to go five-hole, but Niemi squeezed the pads to keep the Sharks ahead by a goal.
Howard answered with a great save of his own later in the period while the Red Wings were killing yet another penalty. A shot from the point fell at the feet of Patrick Marleau, who didn't track the puck quickly. He eventually saw it at his skates and whacked a shot toward the net, but Howard sprawled and made the save with his chest and face.
Not long after, Howard came up with another big save off a redirection by Dany Heatley, sliding his right pad along the ice to stop the deflection.
The Sharks again came within inches of scoring during the second after a great move by defenseman Douglas Murray, who spun away from Pavel Datsyuk in the corner for a backhand shot in front of the net. Howard made the first save, but a second shot squeezed through him and toward the goal line. However, Datsyuk recovered in time to sweep the puck out of the crease.
The first two periods were reminiscent of what took place in Game 1. After the Red Wings had more control in the first period, the Sharks responded to dominate the second, leading 19-9 in shots. In Game 1, the Sharks outshot the Red Wings 18-9 during the second period.
Including Game 1's overtime, the Sharks are outshooting the Red Wings 44-19 when the teams have to cover a greater distance to complete line changes.
"They were better both nights than us in the second period," Babcock said. "They've been harder (on the puck) for longer in the second period."
Wallin's goal came off a rush down the right wing, a rare sight from the historically defensive defenseman. He snapped a wrist shot that appeared to glance off the mask and catching glove of Howard and fell into the net at 1:39.
A slashing penalty on Devin Setoguchi with 6:38 remaining in the third period led to Zetterberg's power-play goal 36 seconds later. His shot from the slot was set up by a pass from Datsyuk, setting up a tense final six minutes of the third period. Lidstrom nearly tied it with just over two minutes remaining, but his shot hit the short-side post.
"At the end of the day, the two teams are pretty darn even," said McLellan, an assistant under Babcock before joining the Sharks following the Wings' run to the Cup in 2008. "I think you're going to continue to see this -- it's going to be a bounce or a break that goes one way. But if anybody should let their guard down, whether it's us or them, the other team is going to make them pay."
The victory in Game 2 gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinal series. Both teams will receive two days of rest before Wednesday's Game 3 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Niklas Wallin's goal 1:39 into the third period, just his fourth in 83 career postseason games and first during regulation time, gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead and turned out to be the winner. Ian White scored on the power play for the Sharks early in the first period.
Henrik Zetterberg's first goal of the postseason pulled the Red Wings within a goal with 6:02 remaining in the third period. But Niemi was perfect the rest of the way and has allowed just two goals on 59 shots in the series.
"That doesn't surprise me or anyone in our organization," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Niemi's performance. "We've come to expect that from him. I think maybe because of his numbers in the first series (Niemi was lifted twice against Los Angeles) -- not we, but people outside our locker room got a little panicky. He's a solid goaltender who's played extremely well.
"We needed him -- in six of the first 10 minutes we were shorthanded. The momentum swing there, the ability to play with a lead later on, that was due to his ability to stop the puck during the penalty kill."
Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard made his second straight solid start, but again had nothing to show for it. After making 44 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 1, he made 35 saves in Game 2.
The Sharks' power play that was dormant in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings (2-for-23) now has two goals in two games in this series.
The Sharks are 10-2 against the Red Wings in their last 12 meetings as they head to Detroit.
"The bottom line is that we came to their building and they were able to win two games," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "I thought they were better than us (Friday) night; I thought this game was more even.
"Now we're going home. We've got our crowd, and we've got to do something with it."
After the Sharks killed a penalty to Ryane Clowe for roughing early in the first period, they were awarded a power play when Logan Couture was clipped in the face by the stick of Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader (the 1st player alphabetically in the NHL). White cashed in the opportunity with a straightaway 40-foot blast through a screen that Howard never saw. It was White's first career playoff goal and gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead at 4:54.
Niemi had his most active period of the series, stopping 12 shots. The Red Wings were 0-for-3 on the power play in the period, but had a 9-3 edge in shots during 5-on-5 action.
The Red Wings had their first dangerous scoring chance of the second period while killing a penalty in the first three minutes. Darren Helm stripped Jason Demers of the puck at the blue line and took off on a clear-cut breakaway. Helm tried to go five-hole, but Niemi squeezed the pads to keep the Sharks ahead by a goal.
Howard answered with a great save of his own later in the period while the Red Wings were killing yet another penalty. A shot from the point fell at the feet of Patrick Marleau, who didn't track the puck quickly. He eventually saw it at his skates and whacked a shot toward the net, but Howard sprawled and made the save with his chest and face.
Not long after, Howard came up with another big save off a redirection by Dany Heatley, sliding his right pad along the ice to stop the deflection.
The Sharks again came within inches of scoring during the second after a great move by defenseman Douglas Murray, who spun away from Pavel Datsyuk in the corner for a backhand shot in front of the net. Howard made the first save, but a second shot squeezed through him and toward the goal line. However, Datsyuk recovered in time to sweep the puck out of the crease.
The first two periods were reminiscent of what took place in Game 1. After the Red Wings had more control in the first period, the Sharks responded to dominate the second, leading 19-9 in shots. In Game 1, the Sharks outshot the Red Wings 18-9 during the second period.
Including Game 1's overtime, the Sharks are outshooting the Red Wings 44-19 when the teams have to cover a greater distance to complete line changes.
"They were better both nights than us in the second period," Babcock said. "They've been harder (on the puck) for longer in the second period."
Wallin's goal came off a rush down the right wing, a rare sight from the historically defensive defenseman. He snapped a wrist shot that appeared to glance off the mask and catching glove of Howard and fell into the net at 1:39.
A slashing penalty on Devin Setoguchi with 6:38 remaining in the third period led to Zetterberg's power-play goal 36 seconds later. His shot from the slot was set up by a pass from Datsyuk, setting up a tense final six minutes of the third period. Lidstrom nearly tied it with just over two minutes remaining, but his shot hit the short-side post.
"At the end of the day, the two teams are pretty darn even," said McLellan, an assistant under Babcock before joining the Sharks following the Wings' run to the Cup in 2008. "I think you're going to continue to see this -- it's going to be a bounce or a break that goes one way. But if anybody should let their guard down, whether it's us or them, the other team is going to make them pay."
World Championships
Right now, the World Championships of Ice Hockey are taking place in Europe. Many NHL players that are not with teams playing in the playoffs are representing their countries in this tournament. Since it happens during the playoffs, and many players cannot travel to represent their countries, this tournament does not gain as much popularity as it would if it were during the off season, for example. These games are still good hockey to sit down to, relax, and watch. Although it is not quite pro level hockey, it is still hockey, and a chance to watch hockey, so I recommend capitalizing on this opportunity.
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