The Washington Capitals lost game three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal on Monday night, falling to the Boston Bruins 4-3 inside Verizon Center in the series’ first game that did not head to overtime.  The Capitals led the game twice by one goal on markers from Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin, respectively, before allowing the Bruins to tie it and then take the lead early in the third period.  The Caps would tie it on a Brooks Laich breakaway goal with exactly six minutes left in the period, but Zdeno Chara scored the winner late in regulation to give the Cup champs a huge game three win.  Game four in Thursday night at Verizon Center.

Energized by a loud and raucous Verizon Center crowd, the game started on a physical note, with big hits on both sides, including another epic collision between Alex Ovechkin and Dennis Seidenberg.  The Bruins were awarded a power play after only two minutes, but as had been the case for the entire series, the Caps’ penalty kill thwarted Boston’s dynamic offensive players with the man advantage. Play continued in a back and forth manner with many chances until there was 4:29 left in the period, when Zdeno Chara was boxed for a weak roughing call on Brooks Laich.

The Capitals were quick to convert on their man advantage, as Alex Semin collected a puck at the top of the offensive zone and snapped it through a screen and Tim Thomas’ five hole for a 1-0 lead.  Boston, however, responded well, earning a power play of their own two minutes later.  But once again, the home sides’ shorthanded unit exceucted a methodic kill, keeping the Bruins off the board and not losing their cool despite Milan Lucic cross-checking recently concussed center Nicklas Backstrom away from the play.

Starting the second period four-on-four because of penalties called on Backstrom and Lucic, the Bruins pulled even less than a minute in when Rich Peverley roared down the left wing and popped a shot over Holtby’s glove.  But it would take the Caps only 13 seconds to respond, as Brooks Laich chipped a long pass down the ice that Alex Ovechkin one-timed past a stunned Thomas to re-take the lead.  Washington would keep up the pressure and got another power play with 15 minutes left in the middle frame, but it was negated after a tripping call on Backstrom.

But again, the Bruins would find their equalizer, as Daniel Paille went to the net, collected a rebound from a Greg Zanon shot, and potted a goal around Holtby’s outstretched glove.  After the goal, the game once again picked up as physical play abounded and there were several large hits.  Despite some great plays down the stretch by both teams, including two brilliant saves by Thomas on Jay Beagle, the game remained 2-2 through 40 minutes.

Just as they had in the second period, the Bruins scored very early in the third period, as Brian Rolston crashed the net and banged a loose puck past a down and out Holtby, giving the Bruins their first lead of the series at the 62 second mark.  Boston was given another chance to open up a two goal lead when Jason Chimera speared Brad Marchand in front of the net during a scrum, but once again, the stout Washington PK held firm.  After more nasty play that extended to the midway mark of the final period, the Capitals earned another power play when Seidenberg got Backstrom up high with a hit that sent the center into the boards.  Washington was not able to convert with the extra man, however.

But the Capitals would tie the game soon after their power play expired, as Brooks Laich took advantage of a long outlet pass by Backstrom and a blown coverage by Chara to break away from the pack and roof a goal past Thomas.  Soon afterwards, though, the Caps were sent to the penalty kill once more as Backstrom shoved Marchand into the boards in the offensive zone.  Milan Lucic and Matt Hendricks would get matching minors for roughing, but the four on four would work to the Bruins advantage, as Chara ripped a slapshot that was tipped into the top corner by Roman Hamrlik to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead.  Washington pressed late with an empty net, but fell 4-3 despite a valiant effort.

Observations:

Nicklas Backstrom is incredible.  The Caps’ best player was just that all night, creating plays, being smart with the puck, and playing in all three zones.  His outlet pass to Laich on the third goal was a beautiful play that very few in the NHL could have made.  It’s a shame it came in a losing effort, but it is beyond spectacular that Nicky has been able to stay brilliant despite his long layoff.  Despite his brilliance, however, he was assessed a match penalty at the end of regulation for a cross check on Rich Peverley, meaning unless the league rescinds his penalty, he is out for game four.

Braden Holtby, for all his brilliance in games one and two, was not as good on Monday.  His poor rebound control contributed to two of the Bruins’s goals and the first goal was inexcusable.  As I said before, he’s been great and he helped steal game two, but he has to make some of the easier saves in a game like this.

Now, it’s on.  The Bruins reclaimed home ice advantage with this win, and it was a big one for them.  They have the momentum now.  It will be very interesting to see how the Capitals respond to this one, especially after leading the game for stretches.

Harry Hawkings is a college student credentialed to cover the Capitals for RtR.  Follow him on Twitter here. no comments

The majority of people, whether it be fans, players or otherwise in Wells Fargo Center earlier today were sporting huge smiles as the Flyers thumped their Keystone State rivals from Pittsburgh for the second straight game. [tonightsgirlfriend]

But nobody's grin was bigger than Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. Holmgren, who came under fire in the offseason for trading his pair of stars, including team captain Mike Richards, for a slew of young assets, has been looking smarter and smarter lately thanks to the play of some of Philadelphia's young guns.

Sure, the Flyers 3-0 series lead has had plenty to do with outstanding performances from all-world talents like Claude Giroux, Jaromir Jagr and Danny Briere. This is not a team devoid of big names by any means.

But as bright as those stars have shined during this series, if it wasn't for the play of Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Matt Read and Wayne Simmonds--all players Holmgren brought in last summer--, it's very likely that the Penguins would not only have a pulse in this series, but they might actually be the ones in the driver's seat.

Schenn, who righted the ship after his rookie campaign got off to a tough, injury-plagued start, has been as effective getting Pittsburgh's stars off their game as he has been on the scoresheet. His beautiful redirect of a Scott Hartnell pass completed the Flyers comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the third period of game one, setting the stage for Jakub Voracek's overtime winner.

But the way he plays with an edge, constantly gnawing at the patience of Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang has proved to be invaluable for Philadelphia. In a rather uncharacteristic turn of events, it's been the Penguins who have been wildly undisciplined in this series, which has resulted in a number of power play chances for the Flyers. Nobody is to thank more than that, perhaps, than Schenn.

During game two's third period goal-a-thon, Couturier struck twice for his second and third goals of the contest, including an insurance marker that proved to be the dagger with just over five minutes remaining. His four-point performance earned him number one star honors, despite Giroux topping him with three goals and three assists of his own.

Why, you ask? Couturier, who was selected with the ninth overall pick Holmgren acquired along with Jakub Voracek from Columbus in the Jeff Carter trade, has also drawn the ire of the Penguins, but not for his chippy play.

He's a damn fine defensive forward. In fact, head coach Peter Laviolette thought so highly of the 19-year old's defensive zone awareness that he's matched his line with that of Evgeni Malkin and James Neal. So far, so good. In three games, Malkin, widely regarded as a lock for this year's Hart Trophy, has just one point at even strength.

Read, an undrafted free agent out of Bemidji State, was Philadelphia's most consistent rookie producer over the course of the regular season, with 24 goals and 47 points in 74 games. His workmanlike approach to the game hasn't seen a dropoff in production so far in his first Stanley Cup playoffs experience. Read's two goals today, including the eventual game-winner, kept the surging Penguins at an arm's length amidst all the extracurriculars that broke out after the whistles.

Simmonds has also done his fair share of engaging the opposition both during the play and after the whistle. It seems as though Philadelphia's biggest strength, besides Marc-Andre Fleury's pitiful rebound control, is their ability to have checking lines with offensive flair. Players like Couturier, Schenn and Simmonds, who have the talent to play on the top two lines for a number of teams, excel when given defensive assignments. However, when the opportunity presents itself to promote offense, they rarely disappoint:

The idea, obviously, when Holmgren made the decisions to make his group younger was that the players they were acquiring would give the Flyers a better chance to win once they grew into the NHL game than the personnel they previously had. Surely there would be a learning curve, and perhaps some sort of step back, right?

Wrong. These kids, none of which are past the age of 23, have competed with all the talent and professionalism of a 10-year veteran of the league. The future couldn't be brighter in Philadelphia, that much was a given since last July. But thanks to a few kids playing well beyond their years in the City of Brotherly Love, the present looks pretty exciting too.

Maybe this was Holmgren's plan all along. [tonightsgirlfriend2]

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There is a lame sports joke hockey fans will be very familliar with that non-hockey people love to toss out whenever anyone tries to talk about the game.  "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out" and after a few stupid chuckles, hockey fans roll their eyes at the ignorant fools.  This year's playoffs thus far has provided those same ignorant fools with an example that the 'joke' may not just that, in fact it may actually be an accurate statement.  I love the NHL, and I love just about all parts of the game today.  I love the speed, skill, the physicality and in the playoffs all of those things are all amplified.  Normally, in the playoffs fights are few and far between; and while the stupid scrums of pushing and shoving near the creases are a sign of the post-season you don't often see teams pairing off as much as they have this year.  So why have we had more fisticuffs in the playoffs this year?  Maybe it has to do with incidents like this? 



I am not going to say that fighting has no place in the game, or that the league needs to change its rulebook.  In fact, I am well aware of why fights occur and the unwritten 'Code' that the players utilize.  Fighting does not occur just because two players hate another.  Often its about sending messages but I wonder if the NHL ever really considered the message it sent with this non-suspension of Nashville's Shea Weber for his turnbuckle slam of Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg.  Considering all of the discussion of hits to the head this seemed like a slam dunk for a suspension right?  Nope, NHL Safety Czar Brendan Shanahan just levied a paltry $2,500 fine.  The message sent by the league was loud and clear. 

Click on "Read More" for the rest of the article...
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In a game the Capitals had to have to stay in the series, their best players came through in the clutch.  Alex Ovechkin was more than just a physical presence on the ice, setting up the Capitals' first goal and threatening Bruins goalie Tim Thomas all night.  When it really mattered, the Capitals' #1 center coolly put the game away with a wrist shot past last season's playoff MVP.  Nicklas Backstrom had been paying the price all night in front of Thomas, and it was only fitting that he be the one to keep the Capitals' hopes alive.

The Capitals were more threatening right from the start of the game.  Just over a minute into the game, Alexander Ovechkin broke loose into the Boston zone on a breakout pass from Brooks Laich.  As he cut to the goal, hulking Bruins defender Zdeno Chara held him, drawing a powerplay for the Capitals.  That play marked the first time Ovechkin got free at even strength in the series and was a harbinger of things to come.  On the ensuing powerplay, the Capitals maintained offensive zone pressure and fired 5 shots on Thomas, putting the Bruins back on their heels early and setting the tone they never really established in Game 1.

After the early powerplay, the vaunted Bruins attack started threatening.  They quickly evened out the shot meter and forced Mike Green into a hooking penalty.  Once again, the Capitals' penalty kill was expertly executed (2/2 on the night) and kept the Bruins at bay.  The Capitals were mostly adept at keeping Zdeno Chara from winding up his slap shot, but the one time he did, Jeff Schultz took the shot off his visor.  As the period unfolded, the Capitals had a disjointed second powerplay chance, but regrouped for a decent one in the second period.  Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green were the keys to the Capitals pressure, and Brooks Laich nearly had a couple goals on a deflection and a rebound, but the Caps still finished 0/3.

The Capitals were much more disciplined in this game than in Game 1, but were still guilty of a selfish penalty.  Early in the second period, Roman Hamrlik was clearing the crease in front of Braden Holtby and took a few shoves from Brad Marchand.  After the whistle, he retaliated by cross-checking Marchand, earning himself a penalty.  Considering #6 defenseman Jeff Schultz only played 14 of 83 minutes tonight, it was not a smart way to take himself off the ice, and it certainly contributed to the territorial advantage the Bruins held in the second period.

Once again, the big story in this game was the goaltenders.  Both goalies dealt with traffic all night and excelled at making saves in spite of it.  Brooks Laich especially had his rump in Thomas's face all night, setting screens and waiting for rebounds, but Thomas was adroit at ensuring there were no rebounds to be had.  At the other end, Holtby gave up his share of rebounds, but once again the Capitals' defenders didn't let the Bruins do any damage.  The puck-moving defense corps assembled by George McPhee was able to do what they couldn't in the playoffs last year:  break the opponent's cycle and get the puck out of the zone.  Both sides had a few glorious chances to score, but neither side was able to dent the twine until late in the second period.

Troy Brouwer, brought from Chicago for exactly these types of games, drove the net as Alex Ovechkin pushed down the left wing with the puck.  Free from the blanketing coverage of Chara and Sedienberg but marked by veteran winger Brian Rolston, Ovechkin circled back to the point and fired a centering pass that hit Bruin defender Greg Zanon on the hands.  As the puck dropped to the ice, Zanon and Thomas tried to cover the it, but Brouwer beat them both and poked the loose puck through the goalie's pads.  It took 99 minutes for the Capitals to solve Thomas, but they had their first goal and lead of the series.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

The physical tone was once again present in spades in this game.  Backstrom is quite capable of taking a beating and making his own space in the offensive zone, and he drew a hooking penalty on Chris Kelly in the first period and was a nuisance for the Bruins all night.  Both sides took liberties with the other, but the referees swallowed their whistles after the obvious Brad Marchand high-sticking penalty midway through the second.  Backstrom had his face full of Bruins in a scrum to end the second period and took a beating from three Bruins in front of the cage late in the third period, but no penalties were called.

The Capitals were excellent at keeping the Bruins at bay and at blocking shots until 12 minutes into the third period.  At that point the Bruins' line of Kelly, Rolston, and Pouliot pressed the attack.  Kelly left a drop pass for Rolston, who fired.  Rolston's shot was blunted, but the puck trickled into the slot as Jeff Schultz searched for it.  Braden Holtby dove out to poke the puck away, but Benoit Pouliot won the race and put the puck in the back of the net, tying the match and bringing the hibernating crowd back to life.  When the clock ticked to zero, the Capitals had stared down the gauntlet once again and were far more ready for sudden death that they had been on Thursday.

Marcus Johansson and Alexander Semin had been playing exceptional hockey all night in all three zones even before overtime.  Once the extra session got underway, Semin made several excellent defensive plays and nearly ended the game on the first shift when John Carlson fed him the puck alone at the Boston blueline.  As the Bruins scrambled to make up for a bad line change, Semin fired the puck just wide of Thomas.  Not until nearly three minutes had gone by in double overtime did Dale Hunter's line juggling pay off to bring Johansson to that line.  Off an offensive zone faceoff, Johansson followed the puck into the corner and fed it to a wide open Nicklas Backstrom.  With ice water in his veins, Backstrom made no mistake, beating Tim Thomas past his blocker from the left faceoff dot. That line will continue to be a thorn in the Bruins' side for the rest of the series.

The Capitals won the faceoff battle tonight, and it was a large factor in them winning.  Backstrom won 11 of 19 draws on the evening, and Laich improved slightly (5/15), but mostly because he took fewer draws.  Jay Beagle was dominant in the faceoff circle (11/17), and especially so in overtime.  He played a major part in making Bruins #1 center David Krejci (1/9) a non-factor.  Krejci was obviously limited by his neck injury, and the Boston fans were noticeably keeping their hands away from the glass.  They will probably keep their hands away for Game 5, too, as the Capitals have ensured the series will go at least that far.  


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Now let's get something straight here. [tonightshealthyscratches]

I am a proponent of physical play in the game. The quick-reaction tendency to hand out suspensions in the NHL this season has at many times concerned me, and has in some cases set dangerous precedents in limiting the abilities of the blue-collar players of the league. In addition, I've always been a firm believer in the responsibility of the puck carrier for his own welfare, and I believe that a player caught with his head down across the middle is often as responsible for his concussion as the hitter that clipped him, in some cases.

Anyone who has listened to our radio broadcasts would know this.

But a $2,500 dollar fine for Shea Weber's head-slamming of Henrik Zetterberg is flat-out ridiculous.

I am willing to take into account the heat of the moment, or the playoffs getting the best of someone, even at the final horn of Game 1 against Zetterberg, who nobody would accuse of being a player to get under one's skin.  The incident doesn't affect my views of Shea Weber as a person.

But look at this video and tell me this wasn't 100% intentional.

 

In response to the hit, Weber received the fine from the NHL's Department of Player Safety, with the following announcement from Vice President Brendan Shanahan:

"This was a reckless and reactionary play on which Weber threw a glancing punch and then shoved Zetterberg's head into the glass," said NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan. "As is customary whenever Supplemental Discipline is being considered, we contacted Detroit following the game and were informed that Zetterberg did not suffer an apparent injury and should be in the lineup for Game 2.

"This play and the fine that addressed it will be significant factors in assessing any incidents involving Shea Weber throughout the remainder of the playoffs."

First of all, are we to believe from this statement that the decision not to suspend Weber is somewhat based on the fact that Zetterberg was not injured? That is not the criteria of course, but if Steve Moore' neck didn't break, would Todd Bertuzzi have been indefinitely suspended from the NHL? I can imagine that when Bertuzzi grabbed the back of Moore's head and slammed it to the ground, his intentions weren't much more malicious than Weber's.

This isn't saying that Weber should get that punishment by any means, but not one game?

Second, Shanahan says the turnbuckle maneuver will be a 'significant factor' going forward. What worse can he do? Folding chair to the back of Pavel Datsyuk? Pile-driver for Johan Franzen? Slamming some one's head into a wall is enough to garner a suspension from a league that has made both head contact and hitting from behind a major focus this year. Weber gave them the best of both.

Let's address the fine, which NHL.com reported as being the maximum allowed under the CBA. I'm sure Weber is relieved he didn't drop an F-bomb while palming the back of Hank's helmet, as we've learned that NOTHING is more offensive than that. That's worth $20,000! Instead, it'll cost Weber less than 1% of his salary and, more importantly, not cost the Predators their best player going into Game 2.

For a front-office that spoke up so loudly against the philosophies on staged fighting, vocal coaches, and the level of violence in the NHL, all areas where it arguably should step back and let men control the game, it was a surprisingly indifferent reaction to an assault after the final buzzer on one of the game's best players. Maybe Scotty Hartnell isn't so out of character, afterall.

 

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t's a 1st round picks column. (also, if you read this Wednesday, be sure to join my playoff pool)


(1) Vancouver Vs (8) Los Angeles Kings

I really like Vancouver as a team. The Sedins are great players, as is Ryan Kesler. They have a very strong 6-7 man deep defense, and a goaltending duo that rivals any in the NHL. Vancouver was the best team all season, and a worthy winner of the President's Trophy. They are no paper tigers as their Corsi Close was a very good .530.  Their defense may be the most underappreciated in the game. Hamuis, Bieksa, Salo, & Edler is a very solid unit. Havin Ballard, Grangiani & Rome rounding it out isn't so bad either. 

The problem is, things may have conspired against them. I think the Kings are just about the worst possible opponent for Vancouver to face, especially in their beat up state.  (Daniel Sedin is hurt, which is a major blow)

The Kings have been red hot since fleecing the Columbus Blue Jackets out of Jeff Carter. Since the trade deadline their ESCorsi is a ridiculous ~.575. (I believe that is best in the league, FWIW) Meanwhile, Vancouver's is a very respectable ~.540. One of Vancouver's biggest advantages is always their goaltending, but Jonathon Quick certainly counters any advantage there. 

The Canucks are battling injuries, incluiding to one of their best players, they have the added pressure of Vancouver and the ridiculous Luongo-Schneider situation (which, by the way is ridiculous). And they are playin an opponent that used the trade deadline wisely and became very formidable. 

If there was a true upset, this is the one to be had. Kings over Canucks in 6. 

(2) St Louis Blues vs (7) San Jose Sharks

Another series where there is no advantage to a great regular season, as St Louis pulls a very touch opponant in San Jose. Both of these teams are teams that no one could figure out this season. St Louis rode their goaltending to a great record, but they played very good hockey too. Their ESCorsi tied is a league-elite .540, so it wasn't just their goaltending. 

Alex Pietrangelo created some Norris buzz (although he likely won't win it), but his development into an elite blue liner was a big reason the Blues felt comfortable trading away Erik Johnson. Although Chris Stewart hasn't worked out all that well this season, Kevin Shattenkirk chipped in another 43 points for the Blues. David Backes is a darkhorse for the Selke, and TJ Oshie, after missing practice and being suspended for a few games last season, quietly put together a solid campaign. 

But the Sharks will be no pushover. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, & Patrick Marleau will be their normal selves. And the Sharks finally have MAtin Havlat back. Dan Boyle anchors a defense that includes the solid Brent Burns and Mar-Eduard Vlasic. That said, with all that talent, the Sharks have not been able to put ot together this season. Their ESCorsi is ~.510, and since the trade deadline it hasn't gotten better (or worse). I can't figure out why, but the Sharks are an above average team this season, but nothing more.

So I think St. Louis is the better team, and while anything's possible, I don't think it's likely that Niemi is going to steal a series.

Blues in 5

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs (6) Chicago Blackhawks

How in the world did Phoenix win their division? Mike Smith, and a little bit of luck. Frankly, I don't think Phoenix is a very good team. They got a very improbable 77-point season out of Ray Whitney, and an even more improbable season out of Smith, who may get a Vezina nomination. Shane Doan had 60 points, and Keith Yandle is still a very very good hockey player. But other than that, I just don't know how these guys did it (it helps that they won their division with less than 100 points).  Their < .500 Corsi is easily the lowest in the western conference. 

Meanwhile, Chicago was 4th in the guantlet that was the Central. Don't let that #6 seed fool you, this is a very good hockey team. They had a ~.535 ESCorsi on the season. They played a good chunk of those games without  their captain and best player, Jonathon Toews. They still have a very very talented core in Toews, Hossa (who had 77 points himself) Kane, Sharp, Keith & Seabrook. Their biggest weakness is goaltending, where Crawford is probably the worst goalie still playing in the conference. 

So I think it's more likely that Smith will steal a series than Niemi (And Crawford could blow one), I think Chicago is going to dominate this one. 

Blackhawks in 4

(4) Nashville Predators vs (5) Detroit Red Wings

Nashville had an ok group of skaters, defying and ESCorsi of ~.470 (weakest of the playoffs). Obviously a big reason they are able to overcome their skaters is the somehow still underappreciated Pekke Rinne. Obviously, Weber & Suter are possibly the best 1-2 defensive tandem in the NHL, & The predators have some talent up front, with Erat, Fisher, athe Kostitsyn bros, and David Legwand.

Meanwhile the Red Wings are the Red Wings. Another season of ESCorsi in the ~.540 range. Another season of Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk holding onto the puck toying with their opponents. Valteri Filpulla actually also had a very nice unheralded season, and a defensive corps that is 5 deep with Lidstrom, Stuart, Kronwall, Quincey, and Ian White, along with Jonathon Ericsson gives them a defense every bit as deep as the Canucks, and maybe even a bit deeper. Jonathon Franzen has picked up for the ghost of Thomas Holmstrom. 

I think the bigest question for this series is: How big an impact will Alexander Radulov have? It's impossible to predict with numbers, because the sample size is too small. He was the best pickup the team could have made, but is it enough to turn their, frankly, average group of skaters into a goroup that can hold their own with the Red Wings

Unfortunately, I don't think he'll be enough. Rinne has as good a chance as anyone to steal a series, but I think Detroit is the better team

Red Wings in 6


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Well, it looks like the goaltending tandem of the Hershey Bears will be manning the pipes to start the 2012 NHL Playoffs for the Washington Capitals. With Braden Holtby and Dany Sabourin up with the big club in DC, the two will have to adjust to the faster game and higher intensity of play in the playoffs. Holtby has some recent NHL experience, while Sabourin hasn't played in the NHL since early 2009 and has only 2 career NHL playoff games on his resume. Just in case he's forgotten, we've come up with a list of requirements for a backup NHL goaltender in the playoffs.

Bill Ranford: One-time 31 Year Old Backup Goalie

-A back-up will have to wear many hats. Usually it’s an Official NHL Team Hat, but sometimes it's a trucker cap.

-A cool demeanor and a steady hand.  You’ll need one to hold a clipboard and track shots.

-The ability to jump into a situation cold. You know, like Dale Hunter coaching the Caps…

-A catchy nickname ending in ‘y’ that people can chant if you come in and save the day, like ‘Var-ly’ or ‘Noo-vy’. ‘Dan-y’ just seems tailor-made for chanting… hopefully not by a couple thousand Bruins fans behind him.

-Fan support. Anyone with an old Ken Sabourin jersey from the early '90s need only change out the number and you're set to root for Dany. Although dont expect many buyers for that extra #8 you'll be trying to unload...

-Familiarity with the other team. Dany Sabourin played on a Providence Bruins team with Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid of the Boston Bruins. Knowing their shootout moves should be very helpful this time of year…

-Experience. Sabourin is 31 years old. The only time the Caps made the finals, they also had a 31 year old back-up. Although that guy had 230 NHL wins, a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy at the time…

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What have we here? Two bitter rivals in close proximity? Check. Mutual hatred amongst fans? Check. Opposing players criticizing one another in the media? Check. And now, it seems, the head coaches aren't exactly the best of friends, either. [tonightshealthyscratches]

The Rangers and Devils played the last of three recently spirited matchups tonight to close out their season series, and started it off with a bang. A trifecta of fights just three seconds into the action got things going, followed shortly by Brandon Dubinsky's goal en route to a 4-2 Rangers victory.

Stu Bickel and Ryan Carter made a bloody mess of each other while Cam Janssen, Brandon Prust, Mike Rupp and Eric Boulton all danced simultaneously. It made for quite the site on television:

Blueshirts coach John Tortorella, though, made his displeasure with Devils bench boss Peter DeBoer known immediately following the early-game frecas. Tortorella was seen on NBC Sports Network profanely screaming at DeBoer, suggesting he, um, kindly go back from whence he came. Here's video of the fisticuffs:

After the game, DeBoer wondered why it seemed to be the case that he was being criticized for doing the same thing Tortorella had done at the Prudential Center just days ago (courtesy of Peter Botte of The New York Daily News via Twitter):

"I guess in John's world you can come into our building and start your tough guys, but we can't do the same in here. He's either got short term memory loss or he's a hypocrite."

Tortorella declined to respond to DeBoer's comments or speak about the festivities in the first few seconds, but he did say he was thrilled with the way his team responded. Of course he is, they won.

For those who are unfamiliar with the rules, the head coach of the visiting team must post his starting lineup first. Upon seeing that DeBoer was interested in sending a message by starting with his goons, Tortorella apparently grew angryand started to rip off his suit and transform into a giant, mysterious green creature.

"He was not happy with their starting lineup, and he got us going pretty good in here," Henrik Lundqvist said of Tortorella to reporters after the game. "When Torts saw their starting lineup, he changed a little bit on our starting lineup."

That he did. Bickel, a defenseman by trade who claimed he had never taken a faceoff in his career, professional or otherwise, was moved to the middle to square off with Carter. You may remember Carter as the guy who bopped Dubinsky last week for his comments on New Jersey winger David Clarkson. Still following? Me neither.

Bickel centered Brandon Prust and Mike Rupp in a move that certainly wasn't made to promote offense. But hey, at least he won the faceoff.

The Rangers clinched a playoff berth with the win and earned a split of the season series with New Jersey. That's right, each team won three games. So after all that, the teams separated by the Hudson still haven't decided a thing. Ugh. Now what?

Well, let's see. Wrestlemania is coming up in about two weeks. Something tells me neither coach would object to a steel cage match right about now.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins waited nearly a calendar year for the brightest talent in the world to return to their lineup, from January 5th to November 21st, 2011. In that stretch, the Penguins had a record of 34-19-8. Not bad at all. 

After getting Sidney Crosby back from his concussion on for a game against the Islanders just before Thanksgiving, the Penguins went 5-2-1 over the next eight games, in which Crosby recorded 12 points and made it look like he never left. [tonightshealthyscratches]

Except that in that eighth game against the Bruins, Pittsburgh's worst nightmare came true. Crosby's concussion symptoms were back.

Later that week, a spinal specialist in Los Angeles discovered that Crosby actually suffered an injury to his vertebrae, leaving the Pens without a timetable for his return.

The Penguins played the next 40 games in the absence of their captain, and in that stretch they have done more than keep their heads above water. In fact, they've gone 26-13-1 since then, and are winners of nine straight which has brought themselves within four points of the first-place Rangers in the Eastern Conference.

On Thursday, the surging Penguins will take the ice at Madison Square Garden in one of two late-season matchups with the Rangers, a pair of gmaes that will go a long way to deciding who truly is the East's best.

And no. 87 will be there to make his case.

Thursday's meeting between the Rangers and Pens couldn't possibly come at a better time for Pittsburgh, whose nine-game winning streak is their best of the season. The Rangers are stumbling for the first time this year, who preceded Sunday's overtime win over the Islanders with three straight regulation losses for the first time this season. Despite having only one regulation win in their last six, the Rangers have still won their last five games at home heading into tonight's battle against the Hurricanes.

Crosby, who recorded two assists against the Rangers during his first comeback attempt, speculated that he would likely play with Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy on Thursday, as reported by Alan Robinson of NHL.com, whom he skated with in practice today. The third line role would be sensible, given Bylsma's likely efforts to limit Crosby's ice time in the early going.

In addition, Bylsma has no need to touch his top unit of Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, and Chris Kunitz. Malkin is having a Hart Trophy-worthy season with 60 points in 40 games since the last time Crosby suited up.

Neal's 65 points in 68 games are already his career best by far, and Kunitz has fit in beautifully on that line, despite his usual role as Crosby's wing-man.

The Penguins fortunes may even prove to be more fruitful before the puck drops Thursday. Kris Letang, who has missed five games with concussion-like symptoms, and defenseman Paul Martin, who has missed two games due to illness, are both targeting a Thursday return as well. Martin appears a sure thing for Thursday, while Letang's availability will likely be decided after Wednesday's skate.

If Letang and Martin are both able to go, it will be the first time the Penguins will have a full-strength roster to face the Rangers. The Rangers, on the other hand, may not have that opportunity.

The Ranger will likely miss Ryan Callahan for the second straight game as he recovers from a bruised foot he suffered blocking an Ilya Kovalchuk shot on March 6th. Michael Del Zotto looks as though he will miss his third straight as he battles a bruised hip. Henrik Lundqvist, healthy for most of the season to this point, will miss tonight's game with what appears to be a case of the flu, prompting the call up of Chad Johnson from the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League.

While Del Zotto and Callahan could use the rest to return for Thursday, rather than risk reaggravating injuries against the Hurricanes, the Rangers will certainly be in trouble if they have to handle of full strength Penguin squad without the league's best goaltender and two of their top five scorers.

The lone bright spot for the Rangers through this lull and their recently battered lineup has been the spike in production from Brad Richards. Richards has three goals and five points in his last three games, including two powerplay goals against the Islanders on Sunday night, after not scoring since February 19th, a span of ten games. For the Rangers to have success through a stretch in which they play ten games in 18 days, Richards will need to be one of their best.

The Rangers won the first two meetings between the teams, 4-3 at the Garden in a game that didn't feature Kris Letang, and 3-1 at Consol Energy Center in a game without Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh bounced back to win the next two, first a 4-1 win at the Garden in which Malkin scored twice and a 2-0 shutout win in Pittsburgh that started the Pens' current nine-game streak.

Thursday's match-up will tell us a lot about the top of the Eastern Conference. Who is truly the team to beat? Is it the "Black-and-Blueshirt" Rangers, looking weary for the first time this year (and perhaps running out of gas) who need a win over Pittsburgh to get their mojo back? Or is it the Penguins, finally healthy for the first time all season, rolling for the last three weeks behind the game's second-best player (or best?) and ready to sit atop the East, for the first time since December 8th, as many predicted in the summer?

Perhaps mast importantly, is Sidney Crosby legitimately healthy, and for the sake if the NHL, is he back for good? 

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On November 6, the St. Louis Blues were off to a 6-7-0 start and fans began preparing themselves for another frustrating winter resulting in a third consecutive season without playoff hockey. [tonightshealthyscratches]

Jaroslav Halak, in the second year of a four-year extension signed in the summer of 2010, was performing miserably and the skaters in front of them weren't faring much better.

General manager Doug Armstrong had to act quickly before their season spun completely out of control, and in doing so, he fired head coach Davis Payne in his second season with the team. In his place, Armstrong brought in defensive mastermind Ken Hitchcock.

Since then, the Blues have taken off, going 37-11-7 under Hitchcock and wake up this morning with their 93 points good enough for the lead in the Presidents' Trophy race.

This can't be real, can it? The Blues? Tops in the National Hockey League?

Believe it.

Halak has reemerged as the number-one goaltender Armstrong acquired from Montreal, while all-star Brian Elliott has spelled Halak brilliantly to form arguably the league's most formidable duo in net.

Upon arriving, Hitchcock, who seems to be running away with the Jack Adams award, instilled wholesale changes and a committment to defensive zone play that has yielded the fewest goals and shots against per game of all 30 NHL teams this season.

While they still aren't scoring at a very high clip--David Backes is the team's only 20-goal scorer thus far--the St. Louis blue line has improved tremendously. Kevin Shattenkirk is third in the league among defensemen for plus/minus with a +26.

Alex Pietrangelo's emergence as a prolific offensive defenseman, which allowed Armstrong to trade former number-one overall pick Erik Johnson to Colorado last year in exchange for Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart, has been a perfect compliment to the stay-at-home style of Carlo Colaiacovo and Barrett Jackman. Pietrangelo ranks third on the Blues in points (10-31-41) and has become the power play field general they'd hoped he would be when they drafted him fourth overall in 2008.

Halak has been given much praise for backstopping the Blues to their rise up the Western Conference standings. Does he deserve some? Absolutely. After all, he and Elliott are sporting sub-2 goals against averages that are good for third and first in the league, respectively.

But his team's improved play in their own zone has made it easy on the Slovak star to climb out of his early-season funk.

Consider that on average, Halak faces 25.9 shots per game, many of which from the perimeter or low-percentage areas. While the Blues have surrendered a fairly average 33 goals while shorthanded, they've only been scored on 82 times at even strength. The New York Rangers, who are the next closest team, are 17 behind.

Make no mistake, Hitchcock, more than anyone else, is the mad scientist behind this run of success.

Perhaps the greatest measure of the Blues' affinity for defensive zone coverage is in their ability to overcome a severe lack of production from their forwards. Chris Stewart, the main piece brought over from Colorado in the Johnson trade at last year's trade deadline has vastly underperformed. After three straight 28-goal seasons, he has chipped in just 14 so far this year to go along with 12 assists. That's far from the production Armstrong was expecting from the power forward.

Patrik Berglund, who some expected to have a breakout campaign in 2011-12 after a 52-point season last year, has shown flashes of brilliance, but also only has 14 goals and 17 assists.

But the defensive zone coverage doesn't end with the rearguards. Stewart and Berglund have adapted well to responsible play in all three zones and have complimented defensive-minded forwards such as Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott to form the league's most impenetrable five-man unit.

In a few short months, the question has turned from if they'll make the playoffs to how far they can go in a brutal Western Conference. While they'll undoubtedly need some timely scoring to make a run at Lord Stanley, they've got the pieces that make them a tough mountain to climb for anyone in the league.

Right now, from heights once thought unreachable, those pieces have them looking down at 29 other teams.

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