2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 1.

Well folks here it is. Since I forgot to make a "Day 0" post, I'll just give you a quick summary of the match ups and how I think they'll turn out:

Eastern Conference:
1. Boston Vs 8. Montreal - Boston in 5
2. Washington Vs 7. NY Rangers - Washington in 6
3. New Jersey Vs 6. Carolina - New Jersey in 7
4. Pittsburgh Vs 5. Philadelphia - Pittsburgh in 6

Western Conference:
1. San Jose Vs. 8. Anaheim: San Jose in 7
2. Detroit Vs. 7. Columbus: Detroit in 6
3. Vancouver Vs. 6. St. Louis: Vancouver in 5
4. Chicago Vs. 5. Calgary: Chicago in 4

And here's a recap of what went down this evening:

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Game 1: Pittsburgh 4, Philadelphia 1
Pittsburgh leads the series 1-0

I gotta be honest, I'm really big on Philadelphia. But I can't deny that Pittsburgh has been the hottest team in the league since getting Dan Bylsma behind their bench. Tonight proved no exception to that as Pittsburgh turned over a dominant performance in all aspects of the word. I gotta be honest, I'm a bigger fan of Dan Bylsma's team more than I was of Michel Therrien's team because it suits the Penguin's style better.

First off, the stars came out for Pittsburgh, as Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby recorded a goal and an assist each. Pittsburgh's defense also got involved in the scoring, as Sergei Gonchar, Kris Letang, and Mark Eaton recorded points in tonight's effort. Marc-Andre* didn't have to face as many shots as Marty Biron, but he still was effective at shutting the door.

The only thing I can say that was notable about Philadelphia's performance is that their reaction to losing was nothing unexpected. They couldn't stay out of the penalty box and for most of the game and started a bunch of nonsense at the end of the game (including a fight at the end of the night between Bill Guerin and Braydon Coburn.) I love the rough stuff, but they took too many double minors and misconducts tonight, so they gotta start figuring out where they need to draw the line.

Kudos to Pittsburgh for a good effort. Philadelphia need to tone it down a bit if they want to survive.

*Editors Note: Much like either Cher, Bono, or Sting, he is simply Marc-Andre. Surnames are irrelevant to Marc-Andre.

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Game 1: NY Rangers 4, Washington 3
New York Rangers lead the series 1-0

Sonuvagun, I thought Washington would have won this one. But while last year's version of the St. Louis Blues turned out an energetic performance, the NY Rangers did what they're paid to do and win.

It all starts with the goaltending and Hendrik Lundqvist is absolutely money. Add that to a balanced attack of youngesters like Brandon Dubinsky, the newcomers like Nik Antropov, and players who're expected to perform at a high level like Scott Gomez and Wade Redden. Hell, even Sean Avery got into his game by being the best shift disturber in the NHL, creating power plays for the Rangers while only taking on minor penalty. Kid's playin' smarter.

Meanwhile, Washington did show up to play and put up an impressive effort. Mike Green and Alexander Ovechkin put up two point nights while featuring a balanced attack from the Washington squad. However, it all ends with goaltending, and at the other end of the ice, Jose Theodore's 4 goals on 21 shots is absolutely abysmal.

(Did ya see what I did there?)

Good for New York on getting the win. I hope Theodore responds; his future as an NHL starter could depend on it.

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Game 1: New Jersey 4, Carolina 1
New Jersey leads the series 1-0

I'm picking New Jersey to win this series but don't be fooled here. The Carolina Hurricanes are an exciting, relatively balanced hockey club and they deserve to be in the playoffs. It's just when New Jersey has home ice advantage, it's hard to take that kinda momentum away from them.

New Jersey demonstrated a blend of consistent production and balanced attack. Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise each recorded a goal and an assist while the Patrik Elias-Dainius Zubrus-Brian Gionta line was good for a goal. Defensively speaking, Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya boasted a +2 while Martin Brodeur allowed one goal on 19 shots, impressive considering many goalies complain if they don't face enough shots.

Carolina's loss wasn't lost on Cam Ward, who was remarkable while facing 39 shots from his opposing team. The team got second line production, but was largely unremarkable against the Devils during this contest.

If New Jersey can keep the momentum up it could cause certain doom for Carolina. I stand by my prediction but they need to right the ship now or it's over.

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Game 1: Vancouver 2, St. Louis 1;
Vancouver leads the series 1-0

Ah, The NHL's Cinderella team of the year, the St. Louis Blues, face formidable opponents in the Vancouver Canucks, who missed the playoffs last season. Judging by how they did, they don't have reason to doubt themselves yet, but they'll still need to be better.

The Canucks played a simple game and it showed. They scored once in even strength and once on the power play while playing some defensively responsible hockey. Daniel Sedin had two points on the evening while Roberto Luongo only allowed a shorthanded goal on 26 shots.

St. Louis was the lesser of the two this evening, but was still able to do enough of the little things right to make it a close contest. Brad Boyes converted on the power play and was assisted by Alexander Steen and the $4.7M man Andy McDonald. Chris Mason had an admirable effort, allowing two goals (one short handed) on 31 shots.

I still think the Canucks will get the better of the series, but it'll be nice to see St. Louis stick around as long as they can.

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Thanks for checking in, stay tuned for more Stanley Cup coverage!

More fan rowdyness... now in Anaheim

Ha. Well, the San Jose Sharks beat the Anaheim Ducks in regulation and things got very ugly when the game ended. Well, an Anaheim fan wanted to let everyone know how he felt about watching his team lose...



Take THAT, San Jose!

(Sorry for the lack of meaningful updates, I'm reemployed again and Dave's busy. Hopefully we'll get in the groove of things for the "Second Season.")

Viktor Tikhonov accomplishes an amazing feat!

Now, we all know about the week that Martin Brodeur had, but how about Viktor Tikhonov's goal last night? He's the first person in the history of the NHL to score a goal and get awarded a penalty during the same play. How does that work? He was technically the last person to touch the puck after drawing the penalty, but because he didn't maintain control of the puck, it was ruled live when Shane O'Brien mishandled the puck and it went into Vancouver's net. Here's the footage:

Nash Gets Hat Trick, Detroit Fan Not Happy...

So Rick Nash got a hat trick tonight. See if you can figure out whether or not the Detroit fans are happy to see that...



If anyone knows who that guy is, get him a beer. He's obviously somewhere around the Detroit area.

Peace!

The Coyotes: Rebuilt and Reborn... again.

This post is going to dissect the moves the Coyotes made today. For those who didn't see it the first time, they brought in A LOT of new faces for a few of the key old ones that were either on their way out or just not fitting in with the system. Lets take a look at some of the moves they made, how it will affect the team, and whether or not they won or lost the deal.




Phoenix Coyotes traded Mikael Tellqvist to the Buffalo Sabres for a Fourth Round Selection in the 2010 NHL Draft.

How will it affect the teams?: In Buffalo's case, they needed an insurance policy in case Patrick Lalime becomes injured. With Ryan Miller already on the shelf, the team needed a goaltender with NHL experience to turn if they end up in a worst-case situation. This way, they can send 20-year-old goaltender Jhonas Enroth back to Rochester for more seasoning.
In Phoenix's case, they were becoming too deep in goal, with Swedish goaltending prospect Joel Gistedt playing for the AA-Level Arizona Sundogs of the CHL when the team would preferably have him in the AAA-Level San Antonio Rampage in the AHL. The reason this trade was possible though is because of Josh Tordjman's performance at the AHL Level. He was named RBK X-Pulse goaltender of the month in January, he's persevered with players like David LeNeveu and Al Montoya supposedly higher than him on the depth chart, and he's steadily improved at the minor-pro ranks. In short, he's done everything right to deserve the call up to support and challenge Bryzgalov for playing time.
Telly will be missed, he was definitely a fan favorite and loved in the locker room, but there was no way he was coming back next season and the Coyotes did right to get something, if anything, in return for him.
Edge: Draw




Phoenix Coyotes traded Dan Carcillo to the Philadelphia Flyers for Scottie Upshall and a Second Round Selection in the 2011 NHL Draft.

How will it affect the teams?: In Philly's case, they're getting a player who's not only overwhelmingly popular, but will stand up to heavyweights despite being outclassed. Some think he'll never be a 20 goal scorer, some think he'll be a 30+ goal scorer. However that works out, the environment in Philly could be a bit more conducive to him finding that element of his game and his hot-headed nature will either be encouraged or controlled with the higher element of veteran presence.
In Phoenix's case, Carcillo was taking the wrong penalties at the wrong time and despite his popular nature as a toughguy, was not giving the team the kind of production they assumed he was capable of. In Scottie Upshall, the team gains a player who was the sixth overall pick in 2002, has consistently shown improvement over the past few seasons in terms of production, isn't afraid to drop the gloves, and is Western Canadian alike the majority of the Canadian players found on the squad. A red flag is raised when you come to realize this is Upshall's third team in as many seasons, but when you consider the numbers situation in Philly, having him come to Phoenix gives them breathing room toward their salary cap while giving Phoenix a player they can work to lock up next season because he still falls into the RFA (or restricted free agent) category.
This deal looks like a draw until you consider the fact Phoenix also acquired a 2nd rounder out of the deal...
Edge: Phoenix by a hair




Phoenix Coyotes traded Derek Morris to the New York Rangers for Nigel Dawes, Dmitri Kalinin, and Petr Prucha.

How will it affect the teams?: The Rangers have had problems on defense all season long, so it's no surprise that they went after a legitimate top-four defenseman before the deadline. Derek Morris has spent the past few seasons as a shut-down defender with the Coyotes, but there was a time during his career with Calgary and Colorado where he was considered a legitmate offensive threat. While it remains to be seen if he'll rediscover his offensive touch as a Ranger, he can defend with the best of them and given his UFA (or unrestricted free agent) status at the end of the season, he can be let go if the Rangers decide not to include him as part of their confounded salary cap situation.
The Coyotes, however, are getting three guys who have all the ingredients to be great, but need to demonstrate the consistency to be great.
Nigel Dawes has produced with great results at the junior level and minor-pro level. This is his first full season in the NHL and while his production isn't on par with what he's produced at lower levels, it could be argued that he wasn't used properly with the Rangers. If the Coyotes can tap into his scoring abilities, they really could be on to something from acquiring him. He's a bit on the smaller side, but while he doesn't fit in terms of pedigree of the other players, he could really inject some soul into the team... because he's from Winnipeg. (I gotta admit though, with him being half-Canadian and half-Jamaican, I'd LOVE to hang with the guy if he were a musician! Fa Fa!)
In Petr Prucha's case, you're wondering if a change of scenery will help him rediscover the offensive game he had a few season ago. In his first two seasons in the NHL, Prucha was producing at least 40 points a season. In the past two seasons, he's put up 17 points and 9 points respectively. I don't know if it was the acquisitions of players like Zherdev, Drury, and Gomez that thrust him into a different role on the team, but he hasn't been as prolific as his previous numbers would indicate. He does join fellow countrymen Martin Hanzal and Zbynek Michalek, which may help him become better acclimated to the club.
With Dmitri Kalinin, you're having a player who's been wrought with inconsistency despite having the tools to be a star. The 18th overall pick in 1998, he's gone from being considered a part of Buffalo's future to a player who is now with his third team in two seasons. Nevertheless, he's a legitimate Top-Four defender who is extremely versatile. While it's nice for him to have Viktor Tikhonov to speak his native language, it's going to be how well he works with Ilya Bryzgalov that will show how beneficial or detrimental he'll be to the team for the rest of the season.
While Kalinin is a UFA at the end of the season, both Prucha and Dawes will be RFAs, so they'll be easier to retain. Even then, given the economic nature of the league and of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, Kalinin may be easier to retain if he and Bryzgalov develop chemistry in the closing weeks of the season.
Edge: NY Rangers in the short-term, but if the Dawes, Prucha, and Kalinin not only stay with the team but in turn enhance it, Phoenix will win in the long-term. This especially holds true if Morris returns to Phoenix in the off-season.


And finally the "big trade of the day..."




Phoenix Coyotes traded Olli Jokinen and a third round draft pick in 2009 to the Calgary Flames for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, and a first round draft pick in either 2009 or 2010.

How will it affect the teams?: Calgary is wanting to go deep into the playoffs NOW and was willing to give up two significant players and a first round pick to obtain the "big centerman" that will be necessary to compete with the likes of Mats Sundin and Joe Thornton come playoff time. Jokinen is talented, but his production for Phoenix hasn't come close to what he did in Florida for the past three seasons. Ultimately, he didn't really fit in well with either the culture or the identity of the Coyotes. Jokinen will now not only get his wish to be on a playoff team, but will be reunited with Mike Keenan and will team up with fellow Finnish superstar Mikka Kipprusoff. Regardless of teams, this portion of the deal works out for Jokinen.
Make no mistake though, in giving up Jokinen the Coyotes acquired two players that they not only needed, but will fit in nicely with the M.O. of the team. Matthew Lombardi is a legitimate top-six forward with a sound two-way game, and that's something this team has needed far worse than a big centerman who can occasionally score goals (that's what Hanzal's for.) Prust is a checking-line forward who has a sound two-way game and a knack for dropping the gloves. He doesn't have a whole lot of offensive skill, but that role is more than filled by the other players on the squad.
All players involved will be locked into their contracts until the end of next season. Jokinen and Lombardi will be UFAs, while Prust will be an RFA
Edge: Calgary in the short-term, Phoenix in the long-term, no bones about it.

Well, this trade deadline day has me feeling sleepy, so until next time, goodnight hockey fans.

Trade Deadline!

Hit Refresh or F5 when viewing this post, as I will be updating it as transactions go down!

The transactions are listed in descending chronological order. The most recent transactions will be posted up top.

Sources: NHL Network, RDS, Sportsnet, and TSN.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired G Olaf Kolzig, D Jamie Heward, D Andy Rogers, and a fourth round draft pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning for D Richard Petoit.

- The Edmonton Oilers have acquired F Ales Kolatic from the Buffalo Sabres for a second round draft pick in 2009.

- In a Three-Way Trade, the Edmonton Oilers have acquired F Patrick O'Sullivan from the Los Angeles Kings and a second round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes, the Carolina Hurricanes have acquired F Erik Cole from Edmonton and two picks (second and fifth round) from Los Angeles, and Los Angeles has acquired F Justin Williams from Carolina.

- The San Jose Sharks have acquired F Travis Moen and D Kent Huskins from the Anaheim Ducks for G Tim Pielmeier, F Nick Bonino, and a conditional draft pick.

- The Anaheim Ducks have acquired D James Wisniewski from the Chicago Blackhawks for F Samuel Pahlsson.

- The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired D Kyle McLaren from the San Jose Sharks for a sixth round draft pick in 2009.

- In a minor-league deal, the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired G Kevin Lalande from the Calgary Flames for a fourth round pick in 2009.

- The Florida Panthers have acquired D Steve Eminger from the Tampa Bay Lightning for D Noah Welch and a third round pick in 2009.

- The Anaheim Ducks have acquired F Erik Christensen from the Atlanta Thrashers for F Eric O'Dell.

- The Buffalo Sabres have acquired F Dominic Moore from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second round pick originally acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009.

- The NY Rangers have acquired D Derek Morris from the Phoenix Coyotes for D Dmitri Kalinin, F Nigel Dawes, and F Petr Prucha.

- The NY Rangers have acquired F Nik Antropov from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a second round pick in 2009 and a conditional pick.

- The Phoenix Coyotes have acquired F Scottie Upshall and a second round draft pick in 2009 from the Philidelphia Flyers for F Dan Carcillo.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired F Bill Guerin from NY Islanders for a conditional draft pick (a fifth round pick of Pittsburgh misses the playoffs, a fourth round pick if Pittsburgh makes the playoffs, and a third round pick if Pittsburgh goes beyond the first round of the playoffs.)

- Peter Forsberg is in Colorado today to announce his retirement. (Ed. Note: Even considering the rivalry, that's very, very unfortunate.) NHL Network has just retracted that report.

- The Boston Bruins have acquired F Mark Recchi and a second round pick in 2010 from the Tampa Bay Lightning for D Matt Lashoff and F Martins Karsums.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that G Vesa Toskala is out for the remainder of the season.

- The Phoenix Coyotes have traded F Olli Jokinen and a third round draft pick in 2009 for F Matthew Lombardi, F Brandon Prust, and a conditional first round draft pick in either 2009 or 2010.

- The Anahiem Ducks have traded D Steve Montador to the Boston Bruins for F Petteri Nokelainen

- Gary Roberts of the Tampa Bay Lighting, Aaron Voros of the NY Rangers, and Miroslav Satan of the Pittsburgh Penguins are among those NOT claimed off waivers today.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed F Craig Adams off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks.

- The Dallas Stars have claimed F Brendan Morrison off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed G Martin Gerber off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.

- The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed D Erik Reitz off waivers from the NY Rangers.

- The Los Angeles Kings have taken G Erik Ersberg off the market by offering him a two-year contract extension.

- The Phoenix Coyotes have traded G Mikael Tellqvist to the Buffalo Sabres for Buffalo's fourth round draft pick in 2010.

- In a minor-league deal, The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded D Danny Richmond to the St. Louis Blues for D Andy Wozniewski.

- The Colorado Avalanche have traded D Jordan Leopold to the Calgary Flames for D Lawrence Nycholat, D Ryan Wilson, and a second round draft pick in 2009 that was originally acquired from the Montreal Canadiens.

- The Ottawa Senators have traded F Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets for G Pascal Leclaire and their second round draft pick for 2009.

- The Ottawa Senators have taken D Filip Kuba off the trade market and have given him a 3 year/$11.1 M contract

- The Anaheim Ducks have taken D Chris Pronger off the trade market.

- The Buffalo Sabres have taken F Tim Connolly off the trade market and have given him a 2 year/$9 Million deal.

- The Los Angeles Kings have taken D Sean O'Donnell off the market and have given him a one year contract extension.

- I forgot the mention last night that the Vancouver Canucks have signed F Alexandre Burrows to a 4 year/$8M contract extension.

The Night Before The Trade Deadline

Hey everyone. Here's a roundup of everything that went down today.

- Well, looks like I was wrong about Niklas Backstrom being on the move. Turns out he signed a fancy 4 year/$24 Million deal that assures he'll be staying in Minnesota.

- A slew of players hit waivers today and that list includes Brendan Morrison of the Anaheim Ducks, Miroslav Satan from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Gary Roberts from the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Martin Gerber from the Ottawa Senators.

- One guy who was claimed from waivers today was the infamous Sean Avery. As expected, Avery was claimed by the NY Rangers after spending time with their minor league affiliate in Hartford. It seems to have cost Aaron Voros his job, but it doesn't seem to bother the team too much.

- The Derek Morris situation continues to be monitored with Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington being possible destinations. One scenario that seems to be mentioned is a three-way trade where Philadelphia would get Morris, Buffalo would get Biron, and Phoenix would get Maxim Afinogenov and Henrik Tallinder among others.

- Since Ken Holland gave him a sit, Chris Osgood has gone 2-0 with a .5 GAA and one shut out in his last two starts (this doesn't include Detroit's meltdown in Nashville, but Conklin started that game.) It's possible that Detroit could feel that he may give them enough goaltending to dissuade them from making a move for a goaltender.

- Other players expected to be on the move tomorrow are Toronto's Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov, as well as New Jersey's Scott Clemmensen, who is in the minors despite his stellar season with the Devils this year.

More news as it develops.