Playoffs Day Two Wrap: Battle Of Cali Classic

Day Two of these 2011 Playoffs had a pair of shutouts, doubling the number to four already. In the other two Eastern Conference Quarterfinals that got underway, goaltending was the story highlighted by Carey Price (31 saves) in the Canadiens' 2-0 win over Boston and Buffalo's Ryan Miller (35 saves) in the Sabres' 1-0 Game One victory. A better night for the road teams with two of three prevailing as opposed to only one of five on Day One (Preds 4-1 over Ducks).

Price had help from captain Brian Gionta, who pumped in his first two goals of this postseason- including an early one in front that set the tone for the upset. Afterwards, Price was brilliant in turning away the Bruins who fired more shots but couldn't find a way to put one past him. It had to be extra sweet with the shutout snapping a personal eight-game losing streak in the playoffs. The B's blew opportunities on the power play with Price and Montreal's penalty killing unit getting the job done. With Boston hosts pressing for the equalizer, a fatal mistake was made when a turnover allowed Scott Gomez to intercept the puck and quickly feed Gionta, whose slapshot from the right circle snuck past Tim Thomas, erasing any suspense. It was a bad goal to give up, preventing his teammates from having any realistic chance of tying it. So, Les Habitants steal home ice, already sending a message to their Original Six bitter rival.

While that was finishing up, the Sabres were keeping the Flyers at bay thanks to Miller, who was sensational. Despite undisciplined penalties throughout, Buffalo remained even with the high flying No.2 seed thanks to last year's Vezina winner. Every time it looked like they had an opening, Miller shut it down with acrobatic goaltending that was reminiscent of his heroic play during Team USA's run to an Olympic silver medal in Vancouver. Time and time again, frustrated Flyers looked skyward wondering what they had to do to score on the top American netminder who had his ups and downs in an injury riddled season. Perhaps the extra time off down the stretch thanks to understudy Jonas Enroth allowed Miller to stay fresh, which could be a bad sign for Philadelphia. While Miller did his job, pest Patrick Kaleta steered home a rebound early in the third that held up as the winner. A sore sight for Flyer fans, who weren't exactly thrilled with Kaleta's antics a period earlier. He's a frustrating player who also can score in key moments. Just ask Garden Faithful. The Flyers tried but simply never drew even, sending their fans home with a bitter taste in their mouths. Now, the Sabres have the home ice in the seventh meeting over the past 16 years in this overlooked rivalry.

If the first two games lacked in terms of scoring and momentum swings, that certainly wasn't a problem at the Shark Tank where the Sharks needed overtime to escape with a hard fought 3-2 win capturing Game One over the California rival Kings at a loud soldout arena. The eighth game of the playoffs was the best by far, featuring five goals, physical play, a fight and some heart stopping end to end action in sudden death before our pick Joe Pavelski sent the Sharkies home happy. Everyone knew this would be fun to watch with two close rivals finally doing battle in the Spring. It didn't disappoint. Right away, Dany Heatley escaped a check to put home a rebound before 30 seconds had elapsed. The Sharks flat out dominated the first period against the Kings outshooting them by a wide margin (14-3). Despite coming in waves and earning power plays, they couldn't extend their lead thanks to splendid goalkeeping from Jon Quick. Quick was sensational, finishing with 42 saves in what was a heroic effort even in defeat. At one point, San Jose led in shots 18-3 before LA mounted a comeback courtesy of a strong second that saw them outshoot the Sharks 16-9. Using a relentless forecheck, they were rewarded with two goals to draw even.

Before we get to the three goals, the first borderline hit took place when Jarrett Stoll hit Ian White from behind into the glass, cutting his chin. Somehow, the refs completely missed it. Even worse, Stoll stared at the injured White. Unbelievable. At present, there's a phone hearing taking place for what should be at least a one-game suspension for an important King that anchors their best line without Anze Kopitar. Actions have consequences and that could hurt LA's chances in Game Two. In response, Ben Eager fought Kyle Clifford, revving the crowd up with plenty of banter exchanged as the first concluded. It was the Kings who elevated their play, finally getting back into it when Justin Williams executed a perfect two-on-one with Dustin Brown, who rifled home his first on a power play past Antti Niemi. Rookie Logan Couture was guilty of missing wide on a shorthanded bid, trapping three Sharks which allowed LA to come 3-on-1. Williams waited before dishing across for Brown's roof job that tied it. Couture is a superb player. He atoned by abusing Drew Doughty to score his first of the playoffs, giving the Sharks their second lead. On the play, Doughty went for a hip check but his positioning stunk and Couture cruised around and surprised Quick with a low shot that trickled in. The Kings didn't allow it to unfaze them, continuing to work the puck deep and pin the Sharks. However, they caught a break on Williams' tying marker when the puck took a funny hop off Doug Murray right to Williams, who snuck a backhand in an open side. Speaking of the former Hurricane, he was excellent for a guy who missed time down the stretch and was expected to miss more. However, he's tough as nails and was the best King aside from Quick. Niemi made some important stops late to keep it tied.

The third was more even with each club searching for the winner but neither goalie budged, forcing sudden death. If the last five minutes of regulation were great, it only foreshadowed one of the most exciting overtimes. Neither team backed off, trading end to end chances in a chaotic fourth period that had plenty of drama on both sides. The goalies were brilliant. Twenty three total shots were taken and nearly every one felt like it had a chance of ending it. Only the exceptional play of Quick and Niemi prevented an earlier conclusion to what was a frenetic pace where both clubs pounced on turnovers to generate quality chances. Simply put, this was what Playoff Hockey is all about! Quick must've made about seven great saves just by being in the right position to deny the Sharks, including Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe. There was also a wild sequence where it looked like they had it won but a puck in mid-air deflected off the side of the net and a player before falling harmlessly to the left of the net back into play. Niemi was equally as good, stoning the Kings with other pick Williams making a bid. Finally, after 14 minutes, the clutchest player on the Sharks came through. Off a turnover, Clowe led a three-on-two rush down the left side. With two Kings back, he waited and waited before finding the trailer Pavelski at the top, who then made no mistake going upstairs on Quick for an exclamation point to a great game. It took a perfect shot to beat Quick, who easily could've been the game's No.1 Star. But Pavelski is the definition of a money player, who delivers in big spots. His goal at 14:44 of the first overtime made a winner of the Sharks, who lead the best-of-seven Western Conference Quarter 1-0.

Fantastic stuff in what looks like a potential classic series between foes who don't like each other. With all three Californian teams in for the first time ever, it sure is great to be a hockey fan in the Cali Valley. Tonight, the Ducks look to tie up the Preds while the Rangers aim for the same versus the Caps. The Canucks look to go two up on the defending champs while the Lightning try to steal home ice away from the Penguins. Hope it's as fun as the late show at HP Pavilion.

Calder Hopefuls

As we approach Christmas, there's plenty to be jolly about. Especially when it comes to this year's exciting rookie crop. While all the hype surrounded Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, some other fresh faces have come in and taken the league by storm. While maybe no one is on last year's level that saw Buffalo blueliner Tyler Myers steal the show away from last year's top three picks John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene, there's probably more depth this season, making for an even more exhilerating race. Who will take home the Calder? Let's look at 10 hopefuls!


BATTLE CALDER TOP 10

1.G Sergei Bobrovsky, Flyers-Seemingly out of nowhere, the 22 year-old undrafted Russian netminder has been a godsend for first overall Philly, posting a 15-5-3 mark with a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He's responsible for 68.2 percent of the Flyers' 22 wins which are tied for the league lead with Pennsylvania rival Pittsburgh. If goaltending was a question mark entering due to Michael Leighton on IR and Brian Boucher as the only proven guy, that's no longer the case. Ochenb xoposho to the Pyccku!

2.C Logan Couture, Sharks-While it's true the 21 year-old '07 first rounder got into 25 games last season, fact is he's become one of their most reliable finishers. Not easy to do when you're behind Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau. Amazingly, it's Couture who's 17 markers pace a club that's underachieved thus far. In fact, the 17 tie him for fifth best in the league. His five game winners lead all rookies. He also has five power play goals (leads rookies) and his plus-eight is second best to teammate Ryane Clowe. It's hard to ignore the rookie scoring leader (17-7-24). If the Sharks make the playoffs, Logan's fingerprints will be all over why.

3.RW Jeff Skinner, Hurricanes-The most daunting thing about the seventh overall pick is that the former figure skater rose up the charts where the Canes scooped him up and haven't regretted it. The 18 year-old Markham, Ontario native has a gift, combining superb skating with a ton of skill. He victimized Henrik Lundqvist already with a highlight reel goal. For so long, it was just Eric Staal that teams had to worry about. Now, there's another talent who looks legit, giving them a nice 1-2 punch. Word of advice to defensemen. Don't get Skinned!

4.RW Jordan Eberle, Oilers-The 20 year-old '08 first rounder who the Oilers stole 20th overall should be quite familiar to puckers. He dominated the WJC scoring big goals for Team Canada, leading them to golds and a silver in last year's championship classic against Team USA. If not for Eberle's late heroics in regulation, current Cap rook John Carlson never gets to play ultimate hero. To think in one game, you also had Ranger freshman Derek Stepan, who led everyone in scoring. That's three top rookies. Keeping with Eberle who scored one of the best goals this season in his NHL debut, the speedy right wing who plays a like ex-Devil Brian Gionta has wheels to burn. His two shorthanded goals rank second to Boston first-year player Brad Marchand (3). For years to come, we'll be talking about Hall to Eberle and also triumverate member Magnus Paajarvi Svensson (4-10-14). Eberle is third in rookie scoring with nine goals and 13 assists with his 22 points right behind club leader Ryan Whitney.

5.D Kevin Shattenkirk, Avalanche-Somewhat under the radar with Cam Fowler getting most of the accolades in Anaheim, the 21 year-old from Greenwich, Connecticut has been one of the biggest reasons why Colorado is proving that last year was no fluke. Selected in the '07 first round 14th overall, Shattenkirk has really emerged since scoring a second straight game against the Rangers in a home win. During a brilliant stretch in which he recorded points in nine consecutive games, Shattenkirk netted 13 points (4-9-13) including four of his five goals. Since, he's been a consistent threat, aiding Norris candidate John-Michael Liles. His 19 points (5-14-19) pace all rookies- two better than Fowler.

6.G Anders Lindback, Predators-With top goalie Pekka Rinne going down, another unheralded Swede who was taken in the seventh round has gotten the chance to shine in Music City. This rags to riches story seems too good to be true for the 22 year-old goalie taken 207th overall two years ago. In his first season, Lindback's been brilliant winning nine of his first 13 starts between the pipes, helping lead Barry Trotz' latest surprise up a crowded West. Their 40 points are tied for fifth with Anaheim while trailing Detroit by four for the division. Lindback is 9-2-2 with a 2.27 GAA, .927 save percentage and two shutouts. That's more than half Nashville's 17 wins for an unknown. Though to hear rookie countryman and Devil Mattias Tedenby tell it, he really impressed at home in the Swedish Elite League. Could we have another Lundqvist? Rinne's hoping not.

7.C Derek Stepan, Rangers- Where would the Rangers be without the heady 20 year-old from Hastings, Minnesota who started with a bang becoming only the third player to post a hat trick in his NHL debut. The gritty American with superb vision and instincts was selected in the '08 second round 51st overall. He starred for both Wisconsin and Team USA, doubling as the captain that led our country to its second WJC. After his hat trick, D-Step hit a rough patch that saw his ice time dwindle under John Tortorella. But he's worked his way back up, earning more responsibility including playing the right point on the power play. Locked in a three-way tie for fourth in rookie scoring with 19 points (9-10-19), Stepan already is his team's best center. Look for him to see more time with struggling star Marian Gaborik. Once USA 'mate Chris Kreider gets here, the Rangers will become a lot more interesting.

8.LW Taylor Hall, Oilers-It's taken some time for the first overall pick to settle in. Once he has, the talented 19 year-old who's living a dream playing in his hometown for the rival Oilers, has been as advertised. His 10 goals trail only Couture with all of them coming since Oct.28 when he finally found twine at Columbus, also recording his first two-point game. Hall owns five multi-point contests including a career high three assists and a plus-three rating in a recent 6-3 home win over the Blue Jackets. He also had his first two-goal game in Toronto. A night he won't soon forget. Four of his 10 have come this month with over half since over the last 13 contests. The top pick will only get better along with a new crop of Oilers who will put the franchise back where it belongs. Beware Colorado and Vancouver!

9.D Cam Fowler, Ducks-When the gifted scoring defenseman was passed over by a slew of teams including the Rangers who went for more rugged Dylan McIlrath, most curious observers couldn't fathom why. After all, this was a player who impressed at the WJC, showing off his gamebreaking speed and playmaking ability on a deep USA roster that won it all. Ironically, gold medal winning teammate and goalie Jack Campbell was taken by Dallas before Anaheim finally allowed the 12th overall pick to exhale. Considering that a great player in Scott Niedermayer who retired that he reminds us of, maybe it was a blessing in disguise, giving Fowler extra incentive. Nobody's saying he'll fill those big shoes but the 17 points (3-14-17) with seven on the power play along with 40 blocked shots is a nice start for the Michigan kid. Imagine what he, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan can do. Yikes.

10.G Michal Neuvirth, Capitals-Entering the year, the 22 year-old Czech who was selected in the second round four years ago was expected to split time with incumbent Semyon Varlamov. Having impressed with nine wins and a .914 save percentage in 17 appearances (16 starts) last season with the injury prone Varlamov in the press box, you can't say he's inexperienced. With his teammate again missing significant time, Neuvirth (pronounced New-worth) is largely responsible for the Caps hanging in despite a brutal stretch that was just snapped in Ottawa with the goalie making 24 stops in a comeback win. Of the club's 19 victories, he's won a lucky 13- accounting for 68.4 percent. With Varlamov finally healthy, it'll be interesting to see how Bruce Boudreau uses the young duo. Our guess is he'll go with the hot hand in what's suddenly not a given they'll win the Southeast.

That concludes our first series of rookies. Many other first-year players are deserving of inclusion. So with that, our honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

11.LW Bryan Bickell, Blackhawks-9-9-18, 17 PIM, 17 hits
12.LW Tyler Ennis, Sabres-7-9-16, 16 hits, 78 SOG
13.D P.K. Subban, Canadiens-2-9-11, 2 PPG, 33 PIM, 49 hits, 35 blocked shots
14.D John Carlson, Capitals-3-12-15, +6, 32 PIM, 70 blocks, 32 hits
15.LW Magnus Paajarvi, Oilers-4-10-14, 55 SOG
16.C Alex Burmistrov, Thrashers-5-8-13, +3, 23 PIM, 30 hits, 55 SOG
17.C Jake Dowell, Blackhawks-4-9-13, +8, 40 PIM, 46 hits, 18 blocks
18.C Brad Marchand, Bruins-4-8-12, 3 SHG, +5, 34 hits, 53 SOG
19.C Mark Letestu, Penguins-6-9-15, 2 PPG, 28 hits, 73 SOG
20.C Tyler Seguin, Bruins-5-6-11, +2, PPG, 54 SOG
21.LW Mattias Tedenby, Devils-4-4-8, 2 PPG, 4 PPP, 10.5 Pct.
22.RW Michael Grabner, Islanders-7-3-10, 16 hits, 9 blocks, 47 SOG
23.C Phillippe Dupuis, Avalanche-3-7-10, +6, 19 PIM, 52 hits, 10 blocks
24.C Kyle Wilson, Blue Jackets-4-5-9, 10 PIM, 12 hits
25.RW Evgeny Dadonov, Panthers-2-4-6 in 6 GP, +6, 10 SOG