Capital Disappointment

Well, at least not everything's going poorly in the nation's capital with President Obama receiving plenty of deserved kudos for giving the okay on a successful mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. The President visited Ground Zero today along with Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Bloomberg in a fitting 9/11 tribute that finally had some kind of closure. Of course, it'll never be over. But at the very least, we can take pride in the red, white and blue for accomplishing what George W. Bush set out to.

I'm not quite sure how to transition from 5/1/11 to the latest Capital disappointment but here goes. Many came away impressed with the Caps' improved defensive oriented system, which conquered the Rangers in five games. Myself included, I expected Washington to oust Tampa Bay and advance to the Conference Finals. I chose the Caps in six thinking Alex Ovechkin would continue to get support from Alex Semin, Marcus Johansson, Brooks Laich, Mike Knuble, Jason Arnott, Jason Chimera, Mike Green and John Carlson. I also figured Nicklas Backstrom would awaken from the malaise he was in all year.

Instead, I underestimated a strong Bolts club that had been my darkhorse due to real MVP Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier, Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell, Victor Hedman, Eric Brewer, Mattias Ohlund, Dwayne Roloson and my favorite third line featuring one-time Ranger Dominic Moore along with former Islander Sean Bergenheim and super pest Steve Downie. Did we mention ex-Isle Nate Thompson does a lot of the grunt work, becoming a real valuable player under snubbed Adams candidate Guy Boucher? Truthfully, the Lightning were always going to be a tough match up for the Capitals due to a solid nucleus that executed Boucher's 1-3-1 to perfection, allowing Roloson to see the puck without a plethora of chances versus a highly skilled opponent.

Nobody is playing at a higher level than St. Louis, who of the three Hart nominees (Daniel Sedin, Corey Perry) hasn't come down yet in crunch time. There, the cool small wonder sits atop the playoff leaderboard with six goals, seven assists and 13 points. The '03-04 former league MVP who last time the Lightning went this far led them all the way to Lord Stanley, is a constant waterbug every shift. The undrafted gem from Vermont is always on the puck utilizing his speed and skill to create as was evidenced on a nice set up for linemate Lecavalier that steered the Bolts back ahead in Game Three. Speaking of the rejuvenated Vinny C, he's back in a big way scoring huge goals like his sudden death crusher during Game Two that proved to be a fatal blow to the Caps. His dozen points (5-7-12) include a playoff tying three deciders (tied with David Krejci). The dynamic duo are joined by Downie, who Boucher shifted off the top line to a checking type that's wreaked havoc. All season, the rambunctious play of Moore, Bergenheim and Thompson have given opponents fits. Perfect players for the postseason where board battles are frequent and play gets chippy.

The genius behind bringing in Bergenheim, Moore, '04 hero Kubina, Simon Gagne and adding Brewer at the deadline is someone who knows a thing or two about winning in GM Steve Yzerman. The same young executive in Year One that hired Boucher under new management. Imagine that. From top to bottom, the Lightning Bolts got a remake and look equipped to challenge Boston for their second Cup appearance. If only it worked that way on Broadway.

Most impressive has been the play of Brewer, who plays the kind of aggressive, physical style the Islanders wanted no part of, trading him a decade prior to Edmonton for Roman Hamrlik. The Oilers didn't keep him. The Blues were sellers. So, they got what they could for a former '97 fifth overall pick that's better than his career stats. Won battles and clearing out in front don't show up on the stat sheet. He's the biggest reason Tampa's blueline is so much tougher, allowing Hedman to settle in while Brew and Ohlund manage the game's elite. Even minus Kubina and Gagne, Boucher's Bolts got it done quickly for a stunning sweep of the No.1 seed. Toss in stellar goaltending from Roloson (10 GA in series, 14 during 7-game win streak) and the Lightning are right there for the hardware. Roli is the youngest 41 year-old, sparking the Bolts back from a 3-1 deficit to oust the Pens. Now, they get the Bruins, who should be a stiff challenge after sweeping out Philly to avenge last year's humiliation.
While the Bolts move on, once again the Caps end in turmoil, unable to get past Round Two with a disastrous result to a close rival. How'd it happen? Ovechkin became the only scorer who held up his end of the bargain while Semin again disappeared and Backstrom continued his mystifying slump to conclude a dreadful first year in a new 10-year deal that has Charles Wang drooling. What happened? As new star Jeremy Roenick remarked on Versus, he's far too talented for this and will have plenty to answer after a long summer.

As for Semin, we have never trusted the enigmatic Russian, who is a classic tease that floats and loses composure. When he's not engaged, undisciplined penalties creep up that prove costly. Not exactly the kinda player you can trust with a year left at $6.7 million with a cap hit of $6 M. Might GM George McPhee consider trading the Russian enigma? If they could get a proven performer who plays a more straight forward game conducive to the postseason, they'd have to consider it. Semin's style might be a better fit in Hollywood where the Kings could use another finisher.

Offensive domino Mike Green also enters the final year of his contract and will earn $5 million ($5.25 M cap hit) before turning restricted in 2012. No one would argue how dangerous the top Cap power play rover is. One of the best quarterbacks in the game who possesses a rocket, Green's also a great skater who can transition the puck from defense to offense in a jiffy. For all his skills, he's still an adventure defensively. If Washington decided that they needed an overhaul, they could get creative and propose a blockbuster involving Semin and Green to LA for Ryan Smyth and Drew Doughty, who's due a raise this summer from the $3.475 million hit. The age difference between Doughty (21) and Green (25) is four with both celebrating birthdays during '11-12. Both are elite blueliners who'll earn hefty new contracts. The bigger risk is dealing a player with untapped potential eight years younger for a rugged, experienced warrior who's been where the Caps are trying to get.

If Bruce Boudreau sticks around, then owner Ted Leonsis is a man of integrity who understands that it takes time to adjust on the fly to a new system. It'd be easy to point out the latest failure as grounds for axing our favorite Haagen Dazs fan. However, his gutsy move to abandon the run 'n gun for a more diligent checking system produced a great second half with the Caps winning the East with 107 points in an improved division. That has to be considered along with a track record that's produced four division titles, a President's Trophy and tops in the conference. Something Leonsis alluded to on his blog, which indicated that they needed to take a few days before making up his mind. When you make such a radical change mid-season, there's bound to be some road blocks. Maybe it was too much to expect the Caps to win the Cup. More time is needed so that players don't panic when it fails.

The Caps have important decisions to make come July with Brooks Laich, Jason Arnott, Marco Sturm, Matt Bradley, Boyd Gordon and Scott Hannan all up. Laich's been a good player who they should bring back while Arnott played well after the trade from the Devils. If he took a one-year discount, they'd be nuts not to re-sign the vet, who still is hungry for another Cup. The other four probably are gone even though Bradley and Gordon were good soldiers. Hannan was a risk after dealing offensive playmaker Tomas Fleischmann, who was a point-a-game before a pulmonary embolism ended his year. They missed his creativity.

Washington needs another rugged defenseman that can support Carlson and pup Karl Azner (RFA). If they keep Green, then the top six should remain intact featuring Jeff Schultz, John Erskine and Dennis Wideman, who was hurt. They also could get more mobile so that they're not pinned in like they were by Tampa. Tom Poti is likely finished which is a shame since he developed into a solid D in the nation's cap. They definitely missed him. Words I never thought I'd utter.

Where the Caps go from here remains to be seen. There's enough talent obviously to compete. But until they take that next giant step, there will remain skepticism. Is it time for a change?

Why the Rangers can comeback

Anyone who's followed this first round series rematch of two years ago knows how close the games have been. The Caps talent has been the difference thus far, delivering an overtime win in Game One courtesy of enigmatic Russian Alex Semin and utilizing talented young guns Marcus Johansson and John Carlson to turn Game Four around in historic fashion. Amazingly, Alex Ovechkin didn't do much in the comeback thanks to splendid netminding from snubbed Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who somehow was left out of the Vezina while the superhyped Roberto Luongo got the nod from dopey GMs today with more deserving Tim Thomas and Pekka Rinne.

The combo of Marc Staal and shot blocking warrior Dan Girardi have limited Ovechkin's time and space. Girardi's play the other day was heroic, making nearly 10 blocks including a pair that defied logic. Sure. Ovi has factored into his team's more favorable 3-1 lead with the Capitals looking to finish the Blueshirts off tomorrow afternoon at 3 ET on NBC at the noisy Verizon Center. Look at both of the Washington captain's goals for proof with him going into the trenches to score a garbage goal that tied Game One and making a great play in Game Three to deflect a Jason Arnott feed past Lundqvist prior to Brandon Dubinsky playing ultimate hero.

Simply put, the Rangers have no one to blame but themselves for what happened Wednesday. They had the Caps on the ropes and let them breathe by backing off in the third. As this postseason's already shown, no lead is safe. Just ask the Kings who blew a 4-0 lead, allowing the Sharks to come all the way back in the best series for a dramatic overtime win that LA hasn't recovered from. As if it wasn't enough, the Bruins turned the tables on the Habs in rallying from a 3-0 hole with ex-Canadien Michael Ryder doing Montreal in. The road team has won every game of that electrifying match up.

So, how did the other night happen? Rookie Ryan McDonagh assumed he had an easy outlet but Semin, who was braindead for two periods- anticipated the pass and turned it into the Caps' first goal. The second time in the series a ref's failure to blow the whistle cost us a goal against. Granted. That's hit or miss. But it looked like Lundqvist had it long enough for Paul Devorski to blow it dead. Instead, he never saw it frozen and that allowed the Caps to flip the switch. Everyone knows how potent they can be despite five fewer goals than our team during the regular season. You can't compare the rosters. Not when they can throw Ovechkin, Semin, Nicklas Backstrom, Arnott, Johansson, Green and Carlson at us. Even without Mike Knuble, Bruce Boudreau's club found a way to silence MSG, who appropriately chanted, "Can You Hear Us," in response to the comical Caps' coach's comments that his club got better support at home.

The Rangers deviated from the strategy that worked, failing to get the puck deep and allowing the Caps easier access. Before you knew it, Johansson snuck behind Dubinsky for an easy tip that trickled off Lundqvist and in. In less than four minutes, it went from 3-zip to 3-2. A recipe for disaster. Throw out the overrated stat (29-0-0) that our team hadn't lost when leading after two all season. Even as a former ESPN researcher, I know better than to assume such stuff. The playoffs are a different animal. And don't forget, our team blew several leads in the third this year before prevailing in overtime/shootout. In the postseason, there's no five minute four-on-four or a skill competition to save you. When Carlson's harmless shot that was going wide went off Johansson, it set off a fire alarm. The Caps are the more skilled team and it's been on display twice, where again Lundqvist was victimized in our new Achilles heel sudden death. Ever since Michal Rozsival beat Buffalo in the '07 Conference Semis Game Three, it's been nothing but nightmares for Garden Faithful, who've seen our heroes drop five straight in a format we once owned during the Glory Days.

Even though the Caps generated more opportunities, our team didn't play as poorly, making a few bids to win it. There was Sean Avery with Michal Neuvirth down and a gaping net but all too predictably missing it completely. There was even goat Marian Gaborik, who already scored off a beauty of a set up from the Game's No.1 Star Ruslan Fedotenko, getting not one but two quality chances on Neuvirth, who got just enough of both to keep them out. Truth be told, he played his strongest game in months until the incredible gaffe that turned MSG into a morgue. As screwed up as it sounds, I can still see that idiot ref getting in Dubinsky's way for what looked like a three-on-two in the first overtime and Dubi can be seen screaming at him like I was at the TV. Even the refs are against us. You can't make this stuff up.
Matt Gilroy was tremendous, dancing in for chances. Off what we've seen, re-sign the kid. No way they're qualifying him at $2.1 million. But he has gained John Tortorella's trust with our coach rewarding him with power play time next to Old, Older and Oldest Bryan McCabe. Is there a slower player? I'd reinsert Steve Eminger. McCabe brings nothing. Ever since Ryan Callahan went down, our powerless play is like a free pass. Cally led the club with 10 PPG because he did the grunt work in front. Now, it's back to the slow, deliberate snail pace. The 0-for-7 was just as responsible for the stunning loss.

It's still amazing to me that as soon as the newest John Druce, Jason Chimera was coming, I sensed doom. I can't explain why but these are the types of players who victimize us. It would be easier to swallow if it was more conventional like his winner in Game Two off a great feed from Brooks Laich. Maybe it was seeing McCabe out with Gilroy even though Hobey's acquitted himself well outside of being outmuscled by Laich on the aforementioned play. Or perhaps it was seeing Lundqvist going to cover it when suddenly Gaborik was coming right at him, throwing a simple play to get a stoppage into utter chaos that ensued. I will never know what Gabby was thinking. Disaster struck when he unintentionally knocked the puck away from Henrik right off Chimera's chest. Chimera did the rest for the easiest goal in his life. Maddening. It's as painful a loss as you can have. Right up there with the final 80 seconds of Canes-Devils a couple of years prior that's still a sore spot for our resident Devil blogger. When it happened, I just sat in stunned disbelief and said nothing until a bunch of angry tweets with one expletive themed. Could you blame me? It took a long walk to my old public school to recover.

So, why then do I believe this team is still capable of pulling this off? Because the Caps haven't been that impressive. Sure. Neuvirth was excellent the other day and saved his team several times. But he also was leaking a lot of rebounds. Shoot high when you can and get traffic. He can be had. Lundqvist hasn't had one off game despite our predicament. He's capable of stealing Game Five and then a Game Six back in our barn, I wouldn't bet against us. This team has done things the hard way all year long. They also can win on the road. What better time than Saturday? Get an early lead a la Chicago yesterday in a game I guaranteed that turned into a laugher at Luongo's expense. You never know. The Caps have blown a 3-1 series lead four times. Last year's still fresh at the hands of the Habs. Create doubt. We weren't far off from leveling it until the roof caved in.

Ever since Tort put Dubi at center with Fedotenko and Gaborik, they've looked like a better team. Boyle's unit consistently forechecks the Caps to death. Maybe tomorrow, they finally breakthrough. We'll need better out of Derek Stepan to get this done. He's improved every game, which means he could be ready to finally pop one. The kid has a flair for the dramatic. Don't bet against him. Chris Drury had a superb Game Three, nearly winning it. He knows what it takes. Artem Anisimov is also coming off his best game. Vinny Prospal is probably our most clutch player. He will die to extend this series in what could be his final game.

I still have faith. This team has been resilient and there's still a belief they can get it done. I'm guaranteeing Game Five and Six, forcing a Game Seven. Why? Because I believe in this group.

Scoreboard Praying

There'll be plenty of scoreboard watching praying today. This is what it's come to for the idle Rangers who don't play till tomorrow's predictable NBC clash at the Flyers. Just dandy. You know Philly is licking their chops from that 7-0 humiliation that also came on NBC. They should be in a foul mood after falling to the Devils last night with the Jersey kids getting a Patrik Elias hat trick. Speaking of the Devs, they're still alive and visit Martin Brodeur's favorite target hometown Montreal.

Believe it or not, Ranger fans will be rooting for their most hated rivals. With the Canadiens only two up (technically 3), the Devils can do us a favor if Brodeur does what he usually does. Plus they are playing for pride, having not been eliminated yet. So, they should be amped up with Zach Parise finally back in the lineup. Will the Zach Attack score in his return? Ranger fans don't care as long as the Hudson rival wins. Doubly important for Brian's Sabres, who have to deal with Alex Ovechkin and the Caps in D.C. That should be no picnic. Though Washington isn't playing for much, it looks like Swedish wonder Jhonas Enroth gets the start with Ryan Miller still banged up. Buffalo also plays tomorrow when they visit Raleigh for a pivotal match against those Canes.

Meanwhile, Carolina looks to win again when they visit Long Island. Yes, the same Islanders who dismantled the Rangers in what amounted to their Stanley Cup, now must be counted on to stop the Hurricanes. How many disgruntled Blueshirt fans actually think that's going to happen? Exactly. If we don't win tomorrow, we're screwed. Then, it's Boston next on Versus with the Thrashers and Devils left. Of course, if you heard Brian on the No Goal Sports show Friday on BlogTalk along with myself, The Program's own Chris Wassel and quirky Dan Wheeler, you'd have thought the Sabres were done. The usual stuff from the most classic person I know for way too long. :P If you dare, catch the replay here. But I must warn that the first two hours were our baseball predictions and other assorted banter before puck took over in the witching hour.

The cool thing about tonight if you're not locked into a compelling Final Four that features Cinderella VCU versus Butler and powerhouses UConn and Kentucky, is every game comes on at 7. So, there'll be plenty of flipping. Between that, the Final Four and the always must watch Hockey Night In Canada feed featuring the Leafs and Sens, it will be chaotic. By 9:30, we should have a pretty good idea what the standings look like. Perfect timing since I'm heading out to celebrate a birthday party for a close friend in the city.

Fasten your seatbelts.

Rangers make statement in Cap destruction

It's not often we see the Rangers hammer opponents. Especially this hard working club short on talent outside the star goalie and star forward. The reason fans love this team is because they come to the rink ready to go to work. More often than not, they've given the Garden Faithful reasons to cheer and get excited.

Last night was no exception. Truth be told, even I didn't foresee our resilient club putting up seven on a good Cap team going through a slump. However, my gut told me they would respond off a tough 3-1 road loss at Columbus in which Henrik Lundqvist let down teammates. The one aspect that any Ranger fan can appreciate is how tough our guys are. They bounce back. No wonder I was confident as they took the 7-0 record in the second of back-to-backs at Madison Square Garden. As we made our way into the building, I guaranteed victory to startled looks on Dad, Justin and Mike. Why? Because whenever it seems this team's backs are to the wall following a disappointment, they show who they are. Credit John Tortorella for building the character and confidence we're seeing.

I didn't have us winning 7-zip. I figured Lundqvist would be better because for as much as I get on him when he allows softies, the man has a ton of pride. He takes losses to heart. Even ones which aren't his fault as evidenced in an MSG loss to Ottawa a week prior. He wants to lead this team. So, I had no doubt he'd be primed last night stopping all 31 shots his way (accurately predicted btw) en route to shutout No.5 and the Swede's 29th in his career. It's easy to forget that during the blowout that delighted the place to the tune of a standing ovation following a dominant second period, it was only 1-0 before the skies opened literally on Washington. After solid citizen Brandon Prust made it 1-zip, the King was there to stop Alexander Semin. He made a few pivotal stops before our team put up a four spot.

There wasn't one player who didn't show with even Alex Frolov continuing to improve since being put with energizer duo Prust and Brian Boyle, who emerged into a playmaker. Everyone contributed. Marc Staal was a beast, scoring a shorthanded goal and setting up a Gaborik tally while keeping Alex Ovechkin in check. Partner Dan Girardi a block machine, repelling any shot that came his way during one Cap power play where it seemed seven or eight were blocked with Boyle and Prust doing the job at the points. This was a masterpiece. The way we want to see our heroes play. When Artem Anisimov blew one past the poor Cap goalie who Bruce Boudreau didn't pull, it ended a nine-game point drought. I also felt he was ready to break out following a good performance realigned with Draft Linemates Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan.

Marc Staal kept a puck alive and fired for Gaborik, who tipped home his ninth making it 3-0. Then, Dubinsky got into the act backing up the matador Cap D before faking pass, then firing thru the wickets for his team best 14th. The party wasn't over. Not when Boyle came with a full head of steam shorthanded with Staal, making a sweet dish to our suddenly emerging franchise defenseman who had an even sweeter backhand deke finish, increasing to five.

This was Le Magnifique with apologies to Super Mario. There was also Dubinsky standing up for Girardi after Ovechkin came late. And Ovi accepted the challenge and the two threw down with Brandon getting the takedown to roaring approval. Imagine Sidney Crosby answering the bell to Dubi. We can dream with Wednesday's grudge match approaching. With the game decided, Sean Avery avenged Mike Sauer with a clean right earning the decision. To the haters, say what you want. But there isn't any teammate Avery won't stand up for.

There also was Dubinsky and Callahan hooking up for a beautiful goal from Cally in front. Then, there was No.24 racing in two-on-one with Dubi and ripping one off the far post to hit double digits. All on a night nothing went wrong. Spear the few knuckleheads who cheered when a Semin shot hit Ovechkin. The act of a few fools doesn't give any hockey writer/blogger the right to unfairly label an entire fanbase. Unfortunately, there are these types everywhere. And I'll bet if Avery was the victim in enemy territory, it would likely be worse. Don't rain on our parade because of a silly few who don't have common sense. There are plenty of knowledgeable Ranger fans who know how to act and were appalled by the folly of those losers.

It doesn't change what the guys wearing the cool third threads did. Now, they get to test it against the mighty Pens. We can hardly wait.

Mattias Tedenby Penalty Shot Goal

                                        Another highlight from Monday took place in Newark where the Devils exploded for three goals in the first en route to a 5-0 blanking of the Capitals, getting a much needed win for John MacLean. Jason Arnott tallied twice and Patrik Elias had a neat power play redirect of a Mattias Tedenby shot as New Jersey got 30 saves from Johan Hedberg for his 15th career shutout. However, the play of the game took place late in that first when Ilya Kovalchuk sprang the Swede rookie for a breakaway. John Erskine took him down leading to the most exciting play in hockey. The penalty shot! As he had in a Saturday loss at St. Louis, Tedenby made no mistake flying in before going to his bread and butter, sneaking a backhand deke past Braden Holtby for his second consecutive game with a goal. In only six games since being recalled from Albany, the 20 year-old speedy wiz is showing why the Devils took him in the first round two years ago (2008-21st overall). With a goal and helper, he's 3-2-5 thus far and has taken 20 shots. He's been used mostly with Arnott and Elias but might Mac try the gifted right wing with Kovalchuk and Dainius Zubrus? It might be worth the risk if it helps the Devils' $100 million man get going. The Devils host Benedict Arnold's Flames tonight in what should amount to a very intriguing match. You know the fans will be ready for Brent Sutter. Can the Devs finally win two straight? We'll see.

All Over for Ovechkin, Caps

Amazing stuff in Washington as the Canadiens led by Jaroslav Halak pull off the unthinkable- holding on for dear life in a hard fought 2-1 win in Game Seven stunning Verizon Center. Halak makes 41 saves including 18 in a wild third that saw two goals wiped out correctly. In the final three games, he stopped 131 of 134 shots, permitting a goal in each Hab win as they rallied from 3-1 down upsetting the heavily favored President's Trophy winners.

It probably amounts to the greatest upset since the Sharks stunned Detroit in 1994. There's only so much that can be said about Halak, who was the one reason I felt Montreal had a chance. Even if remote. I also liked the Habs countering speed and that proved crucial. But who ever would've predicted how well their D played, blocking shot after shot, flustering Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and invisible duo Alex Semin and Mike Green? Amazingly, Les Habitants blocked 41 shots. By comparison, the much more attacking Capitals had only 11. Well, they did outshoot their grittier opponent 42-16.

Somewhat fitting was that with Marc-Andre Bergeron's first period four-on-three PPG holding up, the Habs got huge insurance when one-time Ranger Dominic Moore abused Green before beating Semyon Varlamov for the nail in the coffin with 3:36 left. Good thing because a diving Brooks Laich banged home a rebound slicing it to 2-1 with 2:26 left. Both Ovechkin and Semin assisted to make the final portion of this memorable series a classic finish.

A Ryan O'Byrne hi-stick gave the Caps their third power play. With 1:44 remaining, Bruce Boudreau pulled Varlamov for a six-on-four. It didn't matter. Halak wasn't going to allow another puck to beat him, getting just enough of a dangerous Ovechkin chance to push it wide. The Caps, whose power play was such a strength during the regular season, couldn't get it together to save their fans from ultimate embarrassment. A Habs clear wide of the net along with hustle wound time down. A desperate Ovie tried to get the puck in for one last shot but failed, with the buzzer sounding as the Habs mobbed Halak jumping up and down. Remarkable scene.

Even more so, after sports best tradition in which Andrei Markov had some words of encouragement for an emotional Ovechin, the electrifying Russian superstar still saluted the crowd with his stick- showing a ton of class. That had to hurt. Bottom line. They ran into a hot goalie and a team that did the little things well enough to pull it off. There will be a lot of soul searching in D.C. For as much focus as there's been on the Devils' craziness on and off the ice, just imagine what's in store for the Caps. A year in which they led the league with 121 points and 318 goals is down the drain.

Should Boudreau pay? Every series he's ever coached has gone seven and now, the Caps have three times been eliminated on their own home ice. The first year against a more experienced Flyer club who went to the Conference Final before losing to the Crosby Pens. Last year after beating the Pens in Pitt forcing the second round series back home, they were embarrassed. Now, the indignity of being KO'd by an inferior team who just squeaked into the postseason, scoring 101 fewer goals.

How is it possible? In NHL playoffs, anything can happen. Especially if you face a hot goalie along with a team that believes they can get it done. Despite being severely outplayed after the Game Two collapse, Jacques Martin's club still believed with even players saying how they played well in the first two and could win at Verizon. But they did it twice, stunning the Caps who became the first team in franchise history to blow a 3-1 series lead. This in a year where they went for it, thinking this was the team that could deliver the club's first Stanley Cup. Now, they'll have to play golf and rent Tin Cup.

Much credit goes to Martin who severely outcoached Boudreau, devising a great defensive game plan. Even if shots were lopsided, they made Ovechkin and the rest of the skilled Caps earn it. Also, the Canadiens never backed up in their end, instead aggressively getting in the lanes which was why so many shots never found their destination. To think he went to Carey Price in a Game Four loss before going back to Halak is probably the most amazing aspect of this upset. The way Halak responded was incredible, supplying the kind of heroic netminding necessary to shutdown the league's best offense. Their power play was abysmal, connecting only once in 33 chances.

Green got victimized at even strength with awful reads and even worse defense, not fitting of a Norris candidate. It was his ill advised offensive zone penalty that led to Bergeron's tally. And there was Green again out of position chasing instigator Max Lapierre for a meaningless hit while Moore snuck through and beat Varlamov for the crusher. He's a great offensive D but has he not learned anything about the playoffs? John Carlson showed much more composure and Tom Poti was severely missed tonight. Sadly, Green and Jeff Schultz were the worst Washington blueliners in the series. Something which couldn't happen. But then again, did anyone really see Semin not scoring one goal. True, he floats. But come on. When they signed Semin to that extension, I said they should package him and a No.1 for Ilya Kovalchuk. Even though he and the Devs came up short against the Flyers, the former Atlanta star played with much more passion. Think he wouldn't have helped Ovechkin? Instead, the Caps are going home much earlier than anyone expected.

Finally, it's hard to blame the goalies for this debacle. Varlamov was good after replacing Jose Theodore. He certainly wasn't at fault the final three games. It was the Cap offense that disappeared. They refused to get dirty. And by that, screen Halak. He saw too many shots. If you face a goalie in the zone as the talented Slovak is, he's likely going to stop shots he can see. Even with vet Mike Knuble having a solid series, there weren't enough guys in red who got the jersey dirty. Tomas Fleischmann was reduced to a healthy scratch while Scott Walker (6:47) barely played. Eric Fehr was one of their most effective players in the series notching three goals and an assist. So, why only 10:48 with it on the line? Even Laich had a quiet first round despite getting his second marker.

It's obvious that the Caps must take a hard look at what went wrong and make changes. More grit is needed up front and on D. They'll also need a better goalie to help Varlamov. Nothing against Theodore who overcame so much in losing his son which should earn him the Masterton but he just isn't reliable. His $4.5 million salary does come off. What will they do? Big names Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco are available but both will cost. What about a cheaper option like Chris Mason, Dan Ellis or Johan Hedberg? Whatever is decided, they can't go into 2010-11 with Varlamov and Michael Neuvirth.

Is Boudreau to blame? He certainly will get tons of criticism for not having his team ready to close out the Habs earlier. Will he be fired? Tough to say. Regardless, the offseason just got a whole lot more interesting.

Playoffs Day Four

Day Four already! While it still feels a little odd minus my team, these playoffs have lived up its billing. To quote my favorite Bruce Willis The Last Boy Scout character Joe Hallenback, "And then some."

What great action we're seeing. Every underdog has demonstrated they belong. What. With even Les Habitants stunning the Caps on Tomas "Jagr" Plekanec's OT winner in a Game One upset where most notably, they silenced Alex Ovechkin, who had no shots. Shocking. He attempted some but they just never reached its destination. Jaroslav Spacek was responsible along with Andrei Markov for this. Imagine what our Buffalo contingent thinks. It'll be interesting to see how Ovie and Co. respond in essentially a must win tonight. ... Mean time, LOTCB's Sabres look to go two-for-two against the Bruins this afternoon with Game Two set for 1 ET on NBC. Or if you live in Long Beach, Cali like him, 10 in the morning. Fire up the eggs and coffee! We always kid or at least he does that times are always catered towards the West Coast, referencing late October baseball, March Madness, etc. Hopefully, they'll win. ... The late game features the Kings and Canucks at 10 here on Versus. If it's anything like Game One, wow. In what looks like the best series, it didn't disappoint. Great back and forth puck between two teams that don't care for each other. Jon Quick had himself a nice playoff debut even if it was a losing effort. Roberto Luongo though shaky saved his team's bacon in sudden death sweeping the puck off the goal line. Eventually, some Sedin magic led to Mikael Samuelsson's winner. Sick is how we'd describe it. Henrik Sedin showed why he won the Art Ross and probably should get MVP. Eerily reminiscent of that long classic over Dallas three Springs ago almost to the day. Will this be another classic?

Haircut for me and the bro.We'll review last night's wild action in a bit.

Playoff Matchups All Set, Round 1 sched released

Before I move on and go out, with the season almost done with just the Ducks and Oilers finishing up the final game in period three, the playoff match-ups are all set. A quick glance at both conferences:

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERS

(1) Washington Capitals vs (8) Montreal Canadiens

(2) New Jersey Devils vs (7) Philadelphia Flyers

(3) Buffalo Sabres vs (6) Boston Bruins

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) Ottawa Senators


WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERS

(1) San Jose Sharks vs (8) Colorado Avalanche

(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs (7) Nashville Predators

(3) Vancouver Canucks (6) Los Angeles Kings

(4) Phoenix Coyotes vs (5) Detroit Red Wings


Some intriguing first round series include the heated I-95 rivalry renewed between the Devils and Flyers. Plus an classic Adams throwback with the Sabres battling the Bruins who I'm sure our Buffalo blogger is fearing the worst based on the past. The Sens meet the Pens for a third time in four years but minus Alex Kovalev. Can an unpredictable Hab team with Halak in net scare the loaded Caps? Out West, you got the ever dreaded upstart Avs challenging the Sharks. The Canucks versus Kings promises to be entertaining. Could be a lot of fireworks. How will the Hawks fare against an overlooked Pred team? And can the surprising 'Yotes best the Wings? We'll have our picks in a couple of days.


Looks like the NHL has already announced the playoff schedule. So, here ya go:

2010 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS



SERIES A TIME (ET) #1 Washington vs. #8 Montreal

Thursday, April 15, 2010 7 p.m. Montreal at Washington

Saturday, April 17, 2010 7 p.m. Montreal at Washington

Monday, April 19, 2010 7 p.m. Washington at Montreal

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 7 p.m. Washington at Montreal

*Friday, April 23, 2010 7 p.m. Montreal at Washington

*Monday, April 26, 2010 7 p.m. Washington at Montreal

*Wednesday, April 28, 2010 TBD Montreal at Washington


SERIES B TIME (ET) #2 New Jersey vs. #7 Philadelphia


Wednesday, April 14, 2010 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey


Friday, April 16, 2010 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey


Sunday, April 18, 2010 6 p.m. New Jersey at Philadelphia


Tuesday, April 20, 2010 7:30 p.m. New Jersey at Philadelphia


*Thursday, April 22, 2010 7 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey


*Sunday, April 25, 2010 TBD New Jersey at Philadelphia


*Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at New Jersey


SERIES C TIME (ET) #3 Buffalo vs. #6 Boston


Thursday, April 15, 2010 7 p.m. Boston at Buffalo


Saturday, April 17, 2010 1 p.m. Boston at Buffalo


Monday, April 19, 2010 7 p.m. Buffalo at Boston


Wednesday, April 21, 2010 7 p.m. Buffalo at Boston


*Friday, April 23, 2010 7 p.m. Boston at Buffalo


*Monday, April 26, 2010 7 p.m. Buffalo at Boston


*Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7 p.m. Boston at Buffalo


SERIES D TIME (ET) #4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Ottawa

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 7 p.m. Ottawa at Pittsburgh

Friday, April 16, 2010 7 p.m. Ottawa at Pittsburgh

Sunday, April 18, 2010 6:30 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa

*Thursday, April 22, 2010 7 p.m. Ottawa at Pittsburgh

*Saturday, April 24, 2010 7 p.m. Pittsburgh at Ottawa

*Tuesday, April 27, 2010 7 p.m. Ottawa at Pittsburgh


2010 WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTER-FINALS


SERIES E TIME (ET) #1 San Jose vs. #8 Colorado

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 10:30 p.m. Colorado at San Jose

Friday, April 16, 2010 10:30 p.m. Colorado at San Jose

Sunday, April 18, 2010 9:30 p.m. San Jose at Colorado

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 10 p.m. San Jose at Colorado

*Thursday, April 22, 2010 10:30 p.m. Colorado at San Jose

*Saturday, April 24, 2010 TBD San Jose at Colorado

*Monday, April 26, 2010 TBD Colorado at San Jose


SERIES F TIME (ET) #2 Chicago vs. #7 Nashville

Friday, April 16, 2010 8:30 p.m. Nashville at Chicago

Sunday, April 18, 2010 8:30 p.m. Nashville at Chicago

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 9 p.m. Chicago at Nashville

Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:30 p.m. Chicago at Nashville

*Saturday, April 24, 2010 3 p.m. Nashville at Chicago

*Monday, April 26, 2010 TBD Chicago at Nashville

*Wednesday, April 28, 2010 TBD Nashville at Chicago


SERIES G TIME (ET) #3 Vancouver vs. #6 Los Angeles

Thursday, April 15, 2010 10 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver

Saturday, April 17, 2010 10 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver

Monday, April 19, 2010 10 p.m. Vancouver at Los Angeles

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 10 p.m. Vancouver at Los Angeles

*Friday, April 23, 2010 10 p.m. Los Angeles at Vancouver

*Sunday, April 25, 2010 TBD Vancouver at Los Angeles

*Tuesday, April 27, 2010 TBD Los Angeles at Vancouver


SERIES H TIME (ET) #4 Phoenix vs. #5 Detroit

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 10 p.m. Detroit at Phoenix

Friday, April 16, 2010 10 p.m. Detroit at Phoenix

Sunday, April 18, 2010 3 p.m. Phoenix at Detroit

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:30 p.m. Phoenix at Detroit

*Friday, April 23, 2010 10 p.m. Detroit at Phoenix

*Sunday, April 25, 2010 2 p.m. Phoenix at Detroit

*Tuesday, April 27, 2010 TBD Detroit at Phoenix

No April Fool's: Luck falls Rangers' way

On a day the Rangers stayed home and prayed for good results, they got exactly what they coveted on April Fool's Day no less. Not only was the Spring weather a welcome sight but the scoreboard was as well with the Islanders, Panthers and Capitals all cooperating to aid the idle Broadway club whose fate might get determined in sunny Florida this weekend.

First, the Panthers came into Beantown and dealt the Bruins a crushing 1-0 shutout loss thanks to clutch netminding from former Devil Scott Clemmensen, who turned aside all 36 shots in support of Keith Ballard's early goal. While that was taking place, the Rangers' No.1 rival the Islanders did something they hadn't in over two years. Beat the Flyers. Scott Gordon's club snapped a 15-game winless streak (0-12-3) in fine style by lighting the lamp six times in a 6-4 home win. On the strength of two more Blake Comeau tallies, they quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Ex-Isle Arron Asham got one back but Trent Hunter's ninth early in the third chased Brian Boucher, who permitted five goals on 24 shots. Jon Sim added his 12th which proved too much for a desperate Philly team to overcome as they fell to former netminder Martin Biron (31 saves).

The hat trick saw Eastern leader Washington snap a three-game skid by edging divisional rival Atlanta 2-1. Matt Bradley's third period marker along with Semyon Varlamov's 19 stops were the difference, preventing the ninth Thrashers from making it a four-way log jam for the final three spots occupied by the Flyers, Canadiens and Bruins. A huge dent to Atlanta's chances with only four games left all against stiff competition getting Pitt twice, the Devils and the same Caps.

As it stands right now, Philadelphia still is in sixth by virtue of one more win (38) than seventh Montreal, whose 37 are two better than eighth Boston. The trio remain stuck on 82 points with the Thrash's 80 two off the pace and the Rangers trailing by four. However, it's not that simple. With the Hurricanes gaining a point in a tough 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa who clinched tonight and are just three behind fourth New Jersey, Paul Maurice's club sits 10th with 76 points. Starting with the Devils visiting Raleigh Saturday, they'll need to run the table with Tampa, Montreal and Boston on tap. Imagine if that 4/10 matinee at Boston meant something. Highly unlikely but you never know. Even the Islanders, Panthers and Lightning are still alive but can only get to 84 and need plenty of help to pull off a miracle.

Meanwhile, the Rangers now know that a successful two days in Florida means they likely are very much in play. True enough, they're 3-0-1 over the last four with just that devastating OT loss to the Leafs preventing a four-game win streak. Brownie points won't work anymore. It's all about the 'W.' Can an inconsistent team that according to WFAN talkie Steve Somers owns the second worst record next to Edmonton since their 7-1-0 start really put it all together with it all on the line? Conventional wisdom says no because they've failed to deliver. Flat performances in do-or-die spots versus Montreal, Boston and even St. Louis leave plenty of doubt. Hell. That first period against the Islanders before they woke up was an abomination. With six games remaining, they actually have more margin to work with, especially finishing with a home-and-home versus the hated Flyers. However, it won't come easy.

Bottom line. You just don't know what you'll get each night. This is a team capable of beating better competition and then falling on its ass against lightweights. Who knows what to expect tomorrow in Tampa? They better remember to check Steven Stamkos or it could be "lights out." The Panthers have always given them trouble. So, that sure ain't a gimme. Get through it and they conclude with four games in six including a challenging three in four beginning Tuesday in Buffalo with the pesky Leafs the following night back at MSG along with the first of two versus the Flyers on Friday 4/9. The final game is Sunday 4/11 at 3 ET in enemy territory.

Fasten your seatbelts. It could be a wild ride.

NYR at Wsh Preview: Auld in tonight

The Rangers play their third game in five days since the break. With a fourth in six tomorrow versus Buffalo, waiver pickup Alex Auld gets the call giving Henrik Lundqvist a rare day off. It's a tall order as the well traveled 29 year-old vet who's now with his seventh team (Van, Fla, Bos, Phx, Ott, Dal, NYR) has to deal with Alexander Ovechkin and the rest of the explosive East-leading Caps.

This should be fun. A team that boasts Ovie, the most underrated superstar in the game Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, Mike Green, Tom "Orr" Poti, Brooks Laich and Tomas Fleischmann usually gives us fits. Take the wild 6-5 loss a month ago. A game the Rangers led 2-1 and 5-3 before wilting. That also was Olli Jokinen's Ranger debut if memory serves correctly. He had a goal and assist. Since the club acquired him and Brandon Prust from Calgary for rejects Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik, the Jokester has tallied two goals and five assists over seven games which the Blueshirts have gone 4-2-1 in.

Not bad. By comparison, the Devils are 3-4-1 since acquiring Ilya Kovalchuk (3-5-8) and Anssi Salmela (1-2-3) However, there's a huge difference with the Devs as usual ahead of the Rangers in the standings and a virtual postseason lock depsite their slump. Meanwhile, an inconsistent team that can be dictated to in its end as was the case the other night (55:16) will continue to struggle just to qualify for the Spring a fifth straight time. Hard to believe. They're currently tied with Atlanta and Montreal for the final spot but rank ninth due to more games played than the eighth Thrashers who visit Tampa Bay tonight. Oddly enough, Hotlanta has been fine without Kovy losing just once in regulation (4-1-2) while Niclas Bergfors (4-2-6) and Johnny Oduya (0-3-3, +4) have been fine.

None of that bodes well for the Rangers who at least get back Marian Gaborik (groin). How effective he'll be remains to be seen. They should be careful in terms of overplaying their meal ticket. This isn't exactly a Cup contender. That should be taken into account. Facing the Caps in the nation's capital might be a nightmare. Especially since they were very active at the deadline adding Joe Corvo, Eric Belanger, Scott Walker and reacquiring Milan Jurcina to further bolster the roster. Figure Ovechkin to be fired up with rival Sidney Crosby surpassing him in the goalscoring race with two today (43, 44). In other words, yikes.

We'll see what the Rangers come up with.

Did you say Super Bowl?!?!?!?!?!

Who needs the Super Bowl when you got the best two players in the sport and their respective teams going at it in what was a classic. Or as Doc Emrick justifiably noted along with NBC sidekicks Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury, this was a playoff game played between the Penguins and Capitals who didn't give an inch. The amazing aspect of Alex Ovechkin's Caps' riveting come from behind 5-4 overtime win over Sidney Crosby's Pens is I only caught the tail end after missing the opening 40, signifying how special both were and how truly blessed we are to have these guys playing our game.

I'll readily admit that I thought it was a bit much with heavy snow making travel so hectic for the Pens that they had to alter plans just to get there so the NBC noon game could go on as scheduled. However, big props to the NHL for getting this one right because this was spectacular. On Super Bowl Sunday, I just wonder how well they did ratings-wise. It's the kind of game that can really attract new fans, scoring big for the league. If only hockey drew better than their beloved golf which they immediately cut to following the exciting conclusion that saw a nicked up Ovechkin rifle one off the post that Mike Knuble swept home for the winner that extended Washington's win streak to 14. Three shy of the league mark ironically held by the Pens (March 9-April 10, 1993).

How well are the Caps playing? Against the defending champs who ended their season last year, they climbed out of a 4-1 hole to keep the streak alive. The Pens built the lead thanks to a first period pair from Crosby, who with No.'s 38 & 39 matched his career high set back in his rookie year ('05-06). Sandwiched around Jordan Staal's deuce, Ovechkin scored the first of three. Despite missing nine games, the electrifying Russian leads the league with 42 goals, 86 points and a +41 rating. Entering his fifth season, he was only a career plus-19. As great as Sid The Kid is playing along with Henrik Sedin, it looks like Ovie could become the first player to win the Hart three straight years since The Great One, who won a record eight straight ('79-80 thru '86-87). Wayne Gretzky owns a record nine MVPs. Amazingly, Super Mario won just three.

Still trailing late in the second, one of the Caps' role players Eric Fehr put home his own rebound slicing it to two. Ovechkin took over from there scoring twice and setting up Knuble's power play decider. He started it by whistling a backhand rebound past Marc-Andre Fleury at 6:51 from Tom "Orr" Poti and best kept secret Nicklas Backstrom. With the crowd going nuts as furious action went end to end, Ovechkin took an innocent hit to the hip that bothered him. With Emrick and Co. noting that something was wrong after he limped off the bench for a shift, Alexander The Great silenced the trio by getting his hat trick off a faceoff, sending a plethora of hats onto the ice.

Following the delay which probably irked Crosby (flashback reference), an absolutely dreadful call by ref Tim Peel- who somehow confused a composite plastic stick break into a Jeff Schultz phantom slash- handed the Pens a power play. However, they couldn't take advantage of the break thanks to a couple of big saves from Jose Theodore and some strong penalty killing, especially Matt Bradley. Pittsburgh still got momentum off it generating a few chances with Evgeni Malkin dangerous. Theodore quietly made a few timely stops to force OT.

In it, nothing was decided until Brooks Orpik foolishly high-sticked Alexander Semin, handing the Caps the only chance they needed to end it. Off a faceoff win, Backstrom patiently passed to Mike Green who dished across for an Ovechkin sizzler which rang off the post and right to Knuble, who earlier took a Fleury whack but still steered home his 21st with 2:21 remaining. It sent the packed home crowd into a frenzy and touched off a celebration as Washington continued to roll. Their 41 wins and 88 points pace the league. Three better than West-leading San Jose. The only question is can they bring home the franchise's first Stanley Cup with Theodore (31 saves) sharing the load with rooks Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. While Varlamov remains out, both Theodore and Neuvirth have held down the forte. What happens when he returns? Guess that's for Bruce Boudreau to decide. Regardless, they're going to be a handful to beat in a seven-game series.

The Super Bowl is a couple of hours away between the Saints and Colts. But at least in our book, the real one already took place. America. Please take note.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mike Knuble, Wsh (PP OT winner, assist, 17 PIM)
2nd Star-Sidney Crosby, Pit (2 goals-38th and 39th tie career high)
1st Star-Alexander Ovechkin, Wsh (hat trick-league leading 40, 41, 42 plus assist)

Kovalchuk madness overshadows wild Ranger loss to Ovechkin Caps

It would be impossible not to start what was a bizarre night at The Garden featuring 11 goals including the latest Alex Ovechkin magic trick without mentioning the Ilya Kovalchuk madness that took place during the first period. While the high flying Caps and new look Rangers were keeping fans out of their seats in one of the most unpredictable games ever, there was the much discussed Kovalchuk about to be traded out of Hotlanta to the sweepstakes/madness winner Devils. Something I was keeping track of over on Twitter while trying to pay attention to a game Washington came back to take 6-5 for their 12th straight win.

While the big Devil acquisition played out as had been widely speculated, the game on the ice was as much an enigma. Olli Jokinen's Ranger home debut had a bit of everything ranging from his first point 8:58 in on Ryan Callahan's power play redirect to his first goal as a Blueshirt in a roller coaster second period that saw each club score three times while also earning a hat trick of minor penalties with the potent Caps burning the Jokester twice. While the loss of discipline put a damper on things, the 31 year-old big pivot acquired from Calgary still had a good home debut that saw him pace everyone with seven shots plus the goal and helper.

“It’s disappointing,” the new Ranger said while donning his trademark No.12. “We’ve got to find a way to stay out of the penalty box. That was the difference. Our power play was good. We scored five goals at home. We should be able to win.

“Everybody knows where we’re at in the standings. We’ve got to treat every game like a playoff game.”

In his first game- a 2-1 loss to the original team that drafted him LA- Jokinen centered the top line with Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. Last night, he played on the second line with Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky, who had success together. Perhaps the keystone coach will even use common sense and keep them in synch. Don't count on it.

The Rangers came out strong getting 10 of the first 11 shots, testing a shaky Jose Theodore who still made a couple of nice saves from in tight keeping it scoreless. For some reason, his team looked discombulated getting outplayed severely and outshot 18-6. Normally, a power play means nothing for our team. But on this night, they made it count connecting on four-of-six. As I tweeted, it wasn't a misprint. It didn't take long for Callahan to get position in front and steer home a Jokinen drive for his 14th, giving the Blueshirts a rare lead. Dubinsky netted the secondary. Despite getting just six shots, the Caps put one by Henrik Lundqvist when Boyd Gordon finished off a mad scramble to tie it. But before the goal was announced, 10 seconds later Gaborik set up Prospal for the first of two, restoring the lead. Marc Staal added a helper padding his career best total to 22 points in Year Three.

Meanwhile, Twitter was nuts with everyone confirming that Kovalchuk was going to New Jersey. By 7:30, I'd pretty much told our whole section with of course some expected cynicism of whether it was really true. Who would the players be going back? All we knew was Johnny Oduya and Nicklas Bergfors were definites with the other half centering around a prospect and a first round pick. The original rumor started by of all people Denis Potvin produced quite a thread on NJDevs. For a while, the prospect seemed to be Nick Palmieri but when a deal of this magnitude gets completed, you had to figure that aspect could change. Hasan's completely right about all the different scenarios tossed out about who it was, ranging from Swedish tandem Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby to even David Clarkson's name being mentioned as part of the trade. By the second period, it turned out to be troubled center Patrice Cormier, who if he overcomes his discipline issues could evolve into a good two-way player.

As a Ranger fan, I couldn't help thinking how Lou had done it again. Holding onto his best two prospects with last year's first rounder Josefson making Cormier expendable. It's a great deal for the Devils but a little odd in that for as lethal a finisher as Kovalchuk is, he's also known to take shifts off and forger the defensive side. Vital components under Jacques Lemaire. Will it work? Only time will tell. It sure bolsters the Devs' offense and power play. Imagine a series against the Caps. Yowser.

While a wild second ensued with the teams combining for six goals, so much of the discussion centered around Kovalchuk winding up on our hated rival. What did the Devils give up to could Kovalchuk fit in and is it enough to vault them over the Caps, Pens and Sabres. Hell. Ottawa won again. So, they won't be any picnic either. Don't discount the Flyers but it's extremely odd that they weren't in on Kovy. It was almost like the stars were aligned for the Devils to swoop in and get the Atlanta superstar because the Bruins, Kings and Rangers all dropped out. As those thoughts were floating around, a flying Ovechkin got the scoring fest started by skating around the net to groans at Michal Rozsival for not hitting him (seri---ous---ly) with the electrifying Russian helping set up Mike Knuble's 20th with Nicklas Backstrom also assisting for one of his five points. For as much as we talk about Ovie, man is Backstrom impressive. He absolutely owned in this game, eventually netting the power play winner.

The first of three Jokinen minors (a slash) resulted in Ovechkin releasing a halitzer over Lundqvist's frozen left glove for his 37th tying Sidney Crosby for second. Backstrom got the lone helper for the Caps' first lead. A loss of discipline though nearly derailed them handing the Rangers three straight power plays including a near full two-man advantage. First, Jokinen connected for his first in our colors rifling one by Theodore to tie it. Prospal and Mike Del Zotto assisted. A delay of game and trip three seconds apart led to Prospal slamming home his second of the game from Callahan and Gaborik 40 seconds after they'd tied it. Things got worse for the Caps when Alex Semin went to the box for a trip. Astonishingly, the Blueshirts made them pay again when Dubinsky backhanded a Matt Gilroy rebound past Theodore for a 5-3 lead with 72 seconds left in the period. Even the MSG personnel downstairs couldn't believe they scored three in a row to surge in front by two.

Perhaps it also left John Tortorella in shock because he foolishly stuck out Rozsival and Wade Redden for the period's final shift against Ovechkin. How clueless can you be? Of all the baffling decisions including the ridiculous five forwards on a power play in a scoreles game that allowed LA to tally shorthanded two nights prior, this was the most illogical move he's ever made. And then he has the gall afterwards to talk discipline and how what resulted turned the game around. Get the hell out already! Can't we just have a normal coach? What transpired was one of the most amazing plays by such a physically gifted player. Taking a pass just outside the blueline from Backstrom, here came Ovechkin spinning around Rozsival who was just abused and then seemingly off balance while falling to the ice, he onehanded a shot off Lundqvist's pads and over his shoulder for a stunning goal that made it 5-4 with 8.5 ticks left. They'll be showing it on highlight reels for quite a while. In a nutshell, it demonstrated how pathetic our D is and also again sadly showed Henrik allowing a backbreaking goal. I like our goalie and he is good but read the difference between what he said and Bruce Boudreau concluded:

“It’s easy to start questioning your game when you let in six goals, but I don’t think I played that bad. It was just a really tough game. They find ways to create big scoring chances. They don’t shoot that much, but they find openings.”

“Even though they took a lead, we knew we would score. Lundqvist didn’t look as sharp as he has against us in the past.”

If that isn't a ringing indictment, my name is Peter Pan. Was Lundqvist serious? He was awful. I get that he has no help in front of him but that is just weaaaaak. You have royally sucked lately and are killing my fantasy team. How about manning up. For the salary he gets which is sadly too much thanks to Savior, how about coming up with a momentum turning save to stem the tide for a change?

Following the second period six-goal bonanza that featured a combined 32 shots (Wsh-18, NYR-14) with four PPG, the better team finally won out scoring the only two goals in the third. Tom Poti, who absolutely sucked here, made like Bobby Orr, scoring the tying power play goal 59 seconds in even though I swear Tomas Fleischmann tipped it in. The period saw our team shorthanded five times, including a dopey penalty by Dubinsky that killed any hopes of a comeback. In between, a struggling Lundqvist flopped to the ice like a fish and never recovered allowing Backstrom to blast home the winner. Fleischmann and Knuble, who wasn't good enough to play here registered assists.

On a night where All-Star defenseman Mike Green served the final game of a three-game suspension, Poti shined even faking out out entire D with an Orr-esque end-to-end rush that he nearly completed. If not for a lunging Lundqvist with a helpless teammate forced to take a penalty, this would've been jaw dropping. The jokes I made about how he never could've pulled that off here or taken that open point shot were easy punchlines. Now, he's a world beater. Just wait till Rozsival leaves.

The Caps outshot the Rangers 8-6 with Theodore still making a nice lunging save in the last few minutes to preserve it. Our entire D stunk. Rozsival was dreadful but at least got a takeaway from Ovie before the predictable fall from grace. Redden was a turnover machine all night and almost got victimized by Matt Bradley again. But this time Lundqvist denied his backhand deke. Dan Girardi hardly competed. Can we please get rid of this guy? I know he is loved but god, he is so overrated. They should just trade him. Staal at least tried because he always does. Del Zotto was probably our best notching a helper and logging big minutes. But it's trial by fire for the teenager. And Matt Gilroy just sucks. Another Hobey jinx. Oh. He's a good skater with solid puckhandling skills who can jump in but he is really soft. What did they teach at BU? I know he used to be a forward but come on.

Aside from the abysmal night that badly exposed our blueline, I already trashed Lundqvist and the coach, who hardly used Sean Avery with Brandon Prust, Enver Lisin, Artem Anisimov and Brian Boyle glued to the bench. Tort's coaching is so puzzling. He insists on starting Drury on the fourth line but then switches it up anyway while hardly giving the secondary guys enough ice. That can kill chemistry because those are your character guys who probably can't comprehend what their roles are. I'm past the point already.

Yes, Sather sucks. Dolan blows. But Tortorella is not the answer either. I like that he at least doesn't pull any punches. But if things don't change, he must go. Case closed. And what is there to look forward to? Kovalchuk and Parise scoring at will against us Saturday with Devil fans cheering in our building. From zero goals to probably 10.Can they just end the season already? You know the stuck up security guard who barked at us like children to sit in our seats prefers that. How screwed up can you get? Ever hear of fun?
Well, at least Saturday assuming it doesn't snow will be regardless.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Vinny Prospal, NYR (2 goals, 2 assists for season high 4 Pts)
2nd Star-Tom Poti, Wsh (PPG, 3 SOG in 26:36)
1st Star-Nicklas Backstrom, Wsh (PPG, 4 assists for matching season best 5 Pts)

Caps make deal with Jackets

Updating that rumored trade, the Caps and Jackets have completed it. Washington trades defenseman Milan Jurcina and forward Chris Clark to Columbus for forward Jason Chimera. Looks like a good deal for the struggling BJ's. Jurcina is a physical D with size and Clark adds character to a roster that's dropped nine in a row. Chimera's a decent guy who brings energy and is interchangeable. But he's nothing special.

I'm really not getting this move from the Cap side. Unless Karl Azner is ready to be full-time, eh. I don't get it. Their blueline just got worse. They also dealt away their captain. So, do they hand over the 'C' to Ovechkin? Who knows. Want to give full credit to Bob McKenzie, Elliotte Friedman and Puck Daddy's Dmitry Chesnokov for nailing the player the Caps got. He said either Raffi Torres or Chimera. Good job buddy!

Prospal has scope done, could miss 3 weeks, Caps/BJs talking trade?

Per Jim Cerny on Twitter, Rangers forward Vinny Prospal had a scope done on his knee this morning and is expected out three weeks. This isn't too surprising considering how much he's slowed down since a great start. He hasn't been as visible recently, playing more on the perimeter. The bad knee might explain why. It's still a crucial loss for an offensively challenged team that depends heavily on the league's leading finisher Marian Gaborik.

In 38 games, Prospal has posted eight goals, a club best 24 assists and 32 points, placing second in scoring to the Great Gabby's 49 (26-23-49). The two have played a lot together, teaming up with rookie Michael Del Zotto to form the league's seventh best power play (21.6 percent), including third most potent at home (26.4). Twelve of Prosp's 32 points have come on it. He also has a shorthanded goal and two game-winners. Just how unbalanced is our scoring? Del Zotto's 20 is next trailing the Big Ticket by 29 with Ryan Callahan (9-10-19) and Ally (0 G, 4 A in last 18 GP) next in line. At least Brandon Dubinsky (3-2-5, +5 over past 3) is playing better.

How do they replace that production? Artie Anisimov's (7-8-15) been too streaky in Year 1.Since his fourth line demotion, Chris Drury's (3-2-5 last 5) showed signs. They'll need help from Sean Avery (4-10-14, 63 PIM) and Chris Higgins (4-6-10) with both playing better lately. If only Higgs could get rewarded. Aside from that, do the Blueshirts reinsert Erik Christensen instead of recalling someone from Hartford? It says here Christensen should be playing over Brian Boyle, who is a waste. We traded a third round pick for a guy who has no balance and zero talent. Great job Slats! At least Christy can skate and win faceoffs. He also can kill penalties and be used in the dreaded gimmick if needed.

If someone comes up, is it P.A. Parenteau again or Corey Locke? All indications are Evgeny Grachev (7-10-17 in 34 GP) isn't ready. Hey. He doesn't turn 20 till next February 20. There's plenty of time. I don't view this season as a must to make the postseason. What for? So, we can go out in four? Why not give Grachev a taste to see how he responds? We're not going anywhere.

Caps and Jackets Talking? The big talk on Twitter today is that the Caps and Blue Jackets are in rumored discussions possibly involving Nikita Filatov. Can I just ask why one of the best offensive clubs needs more and would risk dealing away from a suspect blueline that could use another piece? They did just extend Alexander Semin for a year at $6 million. Personally, I'd trade Semin for a shutdown D or a goalie. If the Caps added either, they become the favorites to come out of the East.

Ovechkin hits 50 in style

There are nights where you are lucky to be a sportsfan. For our sport, this was one of those special nights courtesy of Washington Capital sniper Alexander Ovechkin.

The 22 year-old league leading finisher entered yesterday's home contest against Boston needing one goal to reach the 50-goal mark for the second time in his already brilliant career. By the end of the first period, he already had a hat trick to become the third Washington Cap to reach 50 for a season joining Peter Bondra and Dennis Maruk.

It capped a terrific night for AO and teammates as they stormed the Bruins 10-2 putting up a touchdown in the opening stanza. After former Canuck Matt Cooke got the scoring started, Ovechkin tallied twice only 50 seconds apart to put his team up a field goal.

The electrifying Russian completed the first period trick when he skated in front and buried an Alexander Semin centering feed past poor Boston No.1 goalie Tim Thomas.

"Today, everything just went to the net,” a relieved Ovechkin explained to the AP of snapping a funk where he had only one goal in the last eight. “You are going to score (in) lots of games, and some you (won’t). I always tell myself not to think about goals and to just play how I can.”

It wouldn't get much better for the sixth ranked B's, who saw their six-game win streak end in humiliating fashion. They were outscored 4-2 in the final 40 minutes with Ovechkin adding two assists for a five-point night while rookie pivot Nicklas Backstrom notched a goal and three helpers.

For Ovechkin and teammates, the big game came just in time and allowed them to cut idle Southeast Division leader Carolina's lead to three with 15 games remaining (one more than the Canes).

“Just wait, we have lots of games left, and one game can mean nothing,” he pointed out . “We just have to continue to do what we did today, and try to play the same way on Wednesday.”

Amazingly, only three Caps didn't register a point including deadline pickup Sergei Fedorov, who somehow finished minus-one. Ovechkin's big night allowed him to pass fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin for the NHL scoring lead. He now leads the league with 90 points (52-38-90) while Malkin has 88 (37-51-88).

Devs a no-show in shutout loss to new look Caps

It wasn't much of a night for the first place Devils. With a chance to increase their conference lead, instead they didn't show up ready for hockey easily being shutout 4-0 by the new and improved Capitals at The Prudential Center.

Despite a strong start by Marty Brodeur, the Devs couldn't muster much against ex-Jacket Sergei Fedorov and new Capital goalie Cristobal Huet. Instead, their power play fizzled firing blanks while finishing 0-for-3. Meanwhile, the opportunistic Caps cashed in on both of theirs including NHL-leading goalscoring D-man Mike Green, who whistled one past Brodeur off a nice Alexander Semin feed a little more than halfway through the scoreless contest.

Brodeur came up with what looked to be a large stop on a Tom Poti pointblank chance from 35 at the end of the second. Unfortunately, his teammates drew zero inspiration instead getting badly outworked and outplayed by a hungry Washington squad hell bent on catching the battered Hurricanes for the Southeast Division.

The end result was:

Caps 3 Devs 0

SOG: Wsh-13 NJ-2

Though the Devils again held league leading finisher Alexander Ovechkin off the scoreboard, the Russian still setup one-time Dev Viktor Kozlov's 17th just 43 seconds into the final stanza. They would tack on a couple of more with Semin notching his 20th off a Poti setup and then out of all people, Washington enforcer Donald Brashear got into the act.

Unchecked, the noted tough guy buried a Matt Bradley pass in the slot for his fourth to put the exclamation point on a stunning Caps' statement with 2:55 to go.


Notes: The Devils finished with only 18 shots and went only 20-for-47 in the faceoff circle. ... Fedorov registered his first point as a Cap with a secondary helper on Green's deciding tally in the middle stanza. ... Rookie pivot Nicklas Backstrom tallied two assists. Poti also had two assists as well. ... Deadline pickup Bryce Salvador logged over 20:00 in his Devil debut on the blueline finishing minus-one. ... Brodeur turned aside 25 of 29 in defeat.

Tops in the East on line in Montreal: The Devs will look to rebound when they visit the Habs up in Montreal with tops in the conference on the line. Usually, the Montreal native Brodeur shines in those. The Habs are coming off a 6-2 rout of Buffalo in which Tomas Plekanec notched a hat trick and leading scorer Alex Kovalev tallied four assists. We'll see what happens.

Brodeur stones Caps, Pens lose in shootout

It was a great afternoon for the Devils. In particular, All-Star netminder Marty Brodeur, whose 37 saves were the difference in a 2-1 overtime triumph over the Caps at Verizon Center.

With his team outshot 28-10 and outchanced by plenty through 40 minutes, the three-time Vezina and Cup winner stood on his head robbing Alexander Ovechkin and other Capitals including Alexander Semin and rookie Nicklas Backstrom point blank to keep the game scoreless.

The Devils finally came with a better effort in the third and were rewarded with the game's first goal when team captain Jamie Langenbrunner converted on a 5-on-3 power play just 39 seconds in for his 11th. Paul Martin and Patrik Elias notched assists.

However, the Caps finally found a way to beat Brodeur when Semin took an Ovechkin feed and went to the backhand for his 19th just 1:53 later to tie it.

If the Capitals were the superior team in the first two stanzas, then the same couldn't be said for the final 20 of regulation as the Devils got plenty of shots (18-10) and chances on Washington backup Brent Johnson. The former Blue was up to the task much like his counterpart earning his team a valuable point to get within five of the first place Hurricanes.

In OT, it would be mostly Washington as Ovechkin tried to stickhandle through every Devil. He also setup one quality opportunity for top defenseman Mike Green but a terrific pokecheck by Brodeur thwarted his backhand deke attempt keeping the extra session going.

Remarkably despite the Caps dictating the play, they got no total shots on Marty in the OT while the Devs finished with three including the winner.

Off a two-on-three, John Madden wouldn't give up the puck forcing a sharp angle shot on Johnson which rebounded out to Elias. The crafty left wing patiently waited before firing a shot off the post. A hustling Madden then slipped Shaone Morrisonn's check and backhanded one thru Johnson's five-hole for the winner sending FSNY basketcase announcer Mike Emrick into a screech of epic proportions.

Doc's a great play-by-play man but he sounded like an annoying child there. It was a great win for the Devils nonetheless and allowed them to grab the conference's top spot by a point over the idle Sens. According to the FSNY production truck team of Roland Dratch and Larry Gaines, it's the first time they've led the East at this point in seven years.

I'm not really sure what the significance is. Their team always wins the division and usually finishes at or near the top of the conference.

As a former researcher though, production teams love those kind of stats. So, it stands to reason why they used it.


Meanwhile, the Pens and Sharks needed a shootout to decide the winner. In it, all three San Jose shooters easily beat frustrated Pittsburgh netminder Ty Conklin. The best part had to be when Jarkko Ruutu slowly walked in before somehow going to the right hand to put the puck upstairs on Nabokov. For a guy who gets underneath the skin of opponents, he has some skill to go with it as I've never seen him miss in a shootout. No wonder Michel Therrien selected him over NHL leading scorer Evgeni Malkin and Petr Sykora.

It was all for naught as veteran pivot Jeremy Roenick made it three-for-three in the skills competition by easily picking the five-hole on Conklin to give the Sharks their second consecutive win of what's been a very tough Eastern road trip.

For the Devs, it meant they now lead the Pens by two points with each team having 19 games to go.

If the video of Brodeur's big game comes out, we'll be sure to put it up.

The Rangers aim for their second straight win as they host the Panthers now. Lenny did a quick preview. To any normal puck fan who read my drunken post last night, I apologize.

To the loser who posted under Anonymous because they have something stuck up their ass and have never made a mistake in their pathetic life, go to Hell! Anyone who can't put their name behind something is spineless and obviously doesn't have a lot going for them.


Enjoy the games people! See ya later.

Green's PPG gives Caps OT win over Rangers

Truthfully, the Caps were the fresher team and that's part of why they cameback to pull out a hard fought 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers earlier today in the nation's capital.

However, this was another one of those games the Blueshirts should've gotten two points in instead of the annoying brownie point. How many times can they outshoot opponents and not cash in on power plays? In case you're wondering, they took a collar finishing a deadful 0-for-6 on the man-advantage. Why not just decline it? That would make it easier for fans to watch.

Just how costly was it? In a game they controlled outshooting the Caps 33-24, their damn PP was the difference because the opportunistic Caps managed to go 2-for-3 including lethal defenseman Mike Green's OT winner just 23 seconds into the extra session.

To be quite frank, the Blueshirts have only one PP unit now. That would be the more North American one featuring leading scorer Scott Gomez, the sizzling Chris Drury (sixth goal in last seven) along with Nigel Dawes and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Daniel Girardi.

The Euro-overpassing unit featuring non-leader Jaromir Jagr, Michal Rozsival, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha and Brandon Dubinsky was just brutal wasting precious seconds. It was pretty easy for the Caps to kill off time when clueless coach Tom Renney stuck them out there. Why bother making a change? Right.

And is it his novel concept to stick stonehands fourth liners Blair Betts, Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr near the end of the PP? Geez. This team is run so ass backwards, it's no wonder they're treading water just trying to stay afloat and make a third consecutive postseason while lesser opponents such as the Caps and Bruins continue to work harder and netting impressive results.

If they do make the cut, it's only going to because the East sucks. Mediocrity is what Gary Bettman wanted and he sure is getting it. Call me a traditionalist but I'd prefer getting no points for losing in OT.

Why reward a loser? For the same exact reasons these brainwashed stripes waved off a perfectly legit tying goal by Wings' defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom with under a minute left in a whale of a game on NBC between the NHL's best and the Ducks.

Such is the nature of the rules. If you caught the couple of Ranger games this weekend, then you know exactly what I'm referring to. The soft calls which have no business being in the game. It's gotten stupid.

I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this sport. That's how much they've dumbed it down. It doesn't help that my team continues to underachieve with Jagr managing no points in the last seven games. How is that possible?!?!?!?!?! I got into a heated argument with some fans earlier this season about what No.68 has become. They didn't want to believe it and labeled me a "non-Ranger fan." LMAO...who's laughing now?

Sadly, no one is these days. Nobody feels sorry for this heartless team. I see Drury and Gomez putting a heck of a lot better effort in than Jagr or Rozsival, who suddenly is making me long for Marek Malik back in the lineup. Dawes and Dubinsky always put a good effort in and Ryan Callahan looks all the way back finally.

Is it the coach? Do they need a tougher one? There's only 23 games remaining. Less than anyone else. The next one isn't till the following Saturday which means teams are going to finally make up ground on our team who could be out of playoff position when they take to the ice again.

I haven't really said much about the game which they didn't play badly in. Problem was Alexander Ovechkin played for the opponent and once again impacted the game, factoring in on every Caps' goal. His hard work setup the tying Boyd Gordon marker with 15 seconds left in the second. AO also notched the primary assist on Green's 15th- a blast which unfortunately went off Marc Staal past a valiant Steven Valiquette, who in his second straight start finished with 21 saves.

Problem was Olie Kolzig was better garnering first star with 31 stops including highway robbery on Sean Avery, sliding across to rob the Rangers' first goalscorer of a sure second one in the third.

Congrats go out to Olie The Goalie for becoming only the eighth netminder to play in 800 career games. He certainly came up large in lifting his team back into first in the topsy turvy Southeast.


Props again to Lenny for providing some excellent coverage the past couple of days. All your hard work is very appreciated. I only wish our team could work just as hard and consistently as you do.

Random thoughts

Since I'm not able to go to tonight's Thrashing of the Rangers (yeah that's what I said), I figured what better time than now to give you the hockey fan some of my total randomness. In no particular order:

1.When is the NHL going to stop allowing their star players to walk all over them? No. We're not talking about Gary Bettman's new CBA with a rising cap where teams are panicking and signing their own players to ridiculously long contracts. What I am referring to is the latest news about the upcoming All-Star Game in Atlanta.

Why should a star player such as Martin Brodeur be allowed to miss a game which is for the fans? You think he's going to miss any upcoming starts between tonight in Philadelphia when he does what he usually does to them and Sunday?!?!?!?!?! It is an absolute joke that the league doesn't step in and do the right thing by the fans who want to see the league's marquee stars lace'em up in a fun-filled skills competition.

Unless you're out with an excuse (injury, family crisis, health issue), it should be your obligation to take part in the All-Star Game. Especially if your own fans voted you in as a starter. Brodeur is still the best netminder in the conference and plenty of people want to see him. Even now as the three-time Vezina and Cup winner gets older, the Montreal native is still one of the NHL's biggest stars. Someone who is marketable and treats fans and writers alike with nothing but class. No.30 should be in net for that first period in Atlanta. No if's, and's or buts.

That also means you Roberto Luongo! The fans deserve to see the Vancouver netminder at the opposite end of the rink against Marty. The fact that the two league's top goalies were elected and won't participate for unknown reasons looks bad. They're what this game should be about.

This goes for any player who is elected. Unfortunately, the league already lost their most identifiable star in Sidney Crosby due to a high ankle sprain which appears will keep the 2006-07 Hart winner out at least six weeks. And losing one of the bright young stars out West in Paul Stastny due to injury doesn't help much. Neither does one of the game's best players in Henrik Zetterberg for no other apparent reason than wanting to rest due to recurring back spasms.


If the league wants to be taken seriously, put out the best players for this game and make it a priority. The encouraging news is at least Evgeni Malkin replaced Crosby and Tim Thomas is now in place of Brodeur. The surprising Boston No.1 goalie certainly was worthy of making it.

On the other side, Corey Perry and Mike Ribeiro will get to take part. They certainly both belong. Scott Niedermayer was also tabbed probably as a league selection due to his veteran status. He certainly hasn't disappointed since returning to the defending champion Ducks posting 11 points in 17 games and helping lead his team to the top of the Pacific.


2.Hell or high water, Tom Renney has to go. His message clearly isn't getting through anymore to the underachieving Blueshirts. There's little effort. No discipline. And zero accountability. The affable coach is good at analyzing the team's problems. The problem is he never punishes his best players and that's not a good recipe for success. This team is severely lacking and has become softer than a box of Twinkies.

If the Ranger organization wants to save their season, they must bring in a tough cop. Pat Burns would be perfect. So too would John Tortorella if he ever gets fired down in Tampa. It's more likely that Jim Schoenfeld takes over if the Rangers don't get a win tonight or on Brian Leetch night against Atlanta.

3.Speaking of which, how is it possible that the Rangers host the Thrashers twice in a row??? What are the schedule makers doing? If it were a traditional home-and-home like the games against the Bruins, that would make more sense. Give both fanbases a chance to see a rivalry formulate.

4.Rookie Nicklas Backstrom continues to play extremely well on the resurgent Caps who now are over .500 and just three points behind first place Carolina and the eighth seeded Islanders. The former 2006 Caps' fourth overall selection became the first rookie in league history to record back-to-back four assist games. He assisted on four Washington goals in a come from behind 6-5 shootout win over Pittsburgh last night. With nine goals and a team-leading 31 helpers, his 40 points place him second to only Chicago rookie forward Patrick Kane, who has 45 points (12-33-45).

Backstrom's strong play along with NHL-leading goalscorer Alexander Ovechkin (38 goals), the reemergence of Alexander Semin (5 goals in last four contests) and Mike Green (14-16-30; 14 pts in last 10 GP) have Bruce Boudreau's Caps thinking playoffs.

5.Now that John Ferguson, Jr.'s finally been giving his walking papers in Toronto, when does the Original Six franchise realize their problems are a lot more than just one executive???

6.Can anyone think of any good reason how Mats Sundin was passed over for the East?

7.If he gets the Bruins in the playoffs despite no Patrice Bergeron and other regulars out, does former Devil coach Claude Julien win the Jack Adams?

8.Tomas Vokoun's a good goalie but he's not better than Florida captain Olli Jokinen.

9.Remember when Bill Guerin was a bad move for the Islanders? How's that turning out?

10.Speaking of which, Dainius Zubrus: 47 games, seven goals. He's still got another five years left on his deal in New Jersey. Somehow, the Devils are still winning games. Brodeur and first-year coach Brent Sutter are the biggest reasons why.