11:47 PM: Sharks win Game 1, 4-3 the final score...you know Detroit is not going to go quietly, however...and don't take too much solace in the early series lead - you'll recall they took a 2-0 series lead into Edmonton in 2006 and ended up losing 4 straight...

Good start to what should be a long series...love the new NHL "History Will Be Made" ad with Pavel Datsyuk - asking the rhetorical question - what if the draft ended after the fifth round!?

Tomorrow night - Penguins-Canadiens at the Igloo...hope Marc-Andre Fleury is ready because we know Jaroslav Halak is...

11:13 PM: Devon Setoguchi must feel like he's got a target on his back - but at the same time, his team has scored two power play goals as a result - Pavelski had scored his second of the game, 5 on 3, to make it 4-2, but it's now 4-3 thanks to a goal by Brian Rafalski, his 1st...not surprisingly, the Red Wings are starting to come on...Dan Boyle now has 3 assists in this game...

15 minutes left of Game 1...

10:27 PM: The San Jose Sharks converged on the Detroit Red Wings like real sharks would go after blood....three goals within a span of 1:19...but hold up - the Red Wings, like they often do, are back in this game...guess who has their first goals of the playoffs tonight - you guessed it - Daniel Cleary, and Dany Heatley...Joe Pavelski scored his 6th on a power play to get it going, then it was Heatley just 56 seconds later, and Devon Setoguchi would score just 23 seconds after that...Pavelski also has an assist - Dan Boyle has 2...

It took just 1:16 for Daniel Cleary to get Detroit back in this thing, and Johan Franzen got them within 1 at 4:45 of the second...it's 3-2 Sharks midway through the 2nd period...of Game 1...

Welcome to the second round...my take on what I think will happen is now the latest Puckin' Around article...

9:40 PM: Hard to believe the most storied franchise in hockey history still has the ability to pull off an NHL first, but as the 8th seed, they came from behind 3-1 against the 1st seed to win in 7 games...a first...

Jacques Martin wins his first career Game 7...

We talk so much about teams like Ottawa and San Jose and their inability to get it done in the playoffs - what about Washington???

Best of luck against Sid and the boys...simply outstanding...1, 2, 3 and 5 in the East all go down in the first round...

I told my uncle in Niagara, one of the biggest Habs fans I know, that I'd be absolutely shocked if Montreal pulled off the upset - well consider me speechless...

9:32 PM: 1:44 left - penalty Montreal...Brian Gionta, 2 minutes for High Sticking...if Washington can get their goalie pulled it'll be a 6 on 4 for the rest of the game...

9:31 PM: Jason Chimera was inches away from tying it as he missed a yawning cage...

9:28 PM: 3:02 left...and it's 2-0 Montreal...Dominic Moore with his 2nd at 16:24 may have just achieved what was unthinkable two weeks ago...

9:10 PM: 11:37 left in the 3rd...badly out shot (31-14), but thanks to Jaroslav Halak, again, it's still 1-0 Habs...both teams have had a goal waved off due to goalie interference...

7:57 PM: Evidently nobody has told the Montreal Canadiens they are the 8th seed up against the President's Trophy winners...we're thru 20 minutes of Game 7 in Washington, and it's the Habs with a 1-0 lead thanks the Marc-Andre Bergeron's 1st on the power play...goal scored at 19:30 on a rare 4 on 3...

Tom Poti is not playing this game as he suffered a broken orbital bone after taking a puck in the eye in Game 6...replacing him is the recently called up Karl Alzner...and rookie John Carlson checks back into the lineup...Tomas Fleischmann is out with an undisclosed ailment...

Shots were 11-8 in favor of Washington...

11:39 PM: The Red Wings clearly know the way to San Jose, and that's where they're going next...6-1 final score, 4-3 series win...oddly enough, this is the first Game 7 Detroit has won on the road since 1963...as Ray Ferraro joked, Nicklas Lidstrom must have been in his rookie year back then...

Nice salute from the Phoenix fans that remain in Glendale...OK, so it's 0-5 for this franchise in Game 7 situations, but no shame in losing to this team...Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" was playing as the players filed off the ice...

So the West is set...we have one more game to decide the Eastern match ups...Game 7 for all the marbles between Washington and Montreal is tomorrow night...

11:29 PM: Frustration boiled over for Vernon Fiddler - on the ensuing double minor penalty, Lidstrom made him pay...6-1 Red Wings...it's Lidstrom's 8th 2 goal playoff game - he has never scored a playoff hat trick...his next score will be his 50th career playoff goal...

4 minutes left in the Desert...

11:16 PM: It's looking more and more like San Jose is getting Detroit in the 2nd round...Todd Bertuzzi picked up the garbage from a Valtteri Filppula shot, and it's 5-1...

12:04 remaining...I've seen stranger things happen...

10:48 PM: Detroit killed it off...and added insult to injury with another goal - Brad Stuart, out of the box, took advantage of a gaffe by Lee Stempniak...and with 4.6 seconds left in the 2nd, made it 4-1 Red Wings...

OUCH!!  That hurts...still 20 minutes left though...we'll see what the Dogs are made of now...the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets have never won a Game 7, in four previous attempts...

10:41 PM: 2:13 left in the 2nd, and a 72 second 5 on 3 power play for Phoenix coming up...this could be the series right here...

10:33 PM: 3-1 Detroit...goal was scored with two seconds left on a power play...they must have had about 10 shots on Bryzgalov before Nicklas Lidstrom's shot beat him from the high slot...the captain gets his 2nd goal of the spring...

There'll be a lot of controversy over the penalty - Tomas Holmstrom appeared to take down Adrian Aucoin in the crease, but it was Aucoin getting the holding call...Phoenix coach Dave Tippett is livid...

4:45 left in the 2nd...

10:25 PM: More heroics from Bryz...and the crease...Keith Yandle cleared it out of danger temporarily, then 3 point blank shots from Detroit...Dan Cleary looked skyward...

10:22 PM: Nothing like a fluke goal to get the crowd back into it...Vernon Fiddler, right from the face off, completely fooled the rookie Howard...it's 2-1...Fiddler with his 1st of this campaign, just his second career playoff goal...

10:11 PM: Gadzooks!!  Datsyuk has two...give him five...2-0 Wings...the two goals were scored 1:41 apart...this goal came 4 on 4 - the Coyotes had a power play, but Adrian Aucoin hooked Darren Helm on a shorthanded break...

10:06 PM: Pavel Datsyuk scores the ice breaker...1-0 Red Wings...on the power play, his fourth...

9:58 PM: Nothing to report on the scoreboard after 20 minutes...it was a typical Game 7 1st period...both teams spent the first 10 minutes feeling each other out, then went full throttle...or at least one team did - Detroit outshot Phoenix 17-6...Ilya Bryzgalov is in a zone...

9:11 PM: The two sweetest words in Hockey, if not all sports - GAME SEVEN...Detroit-Phoenix is underway...and the White Out is in full effect...both at the Jobing.com Arena, and here in Ottawa...we had SNOW today, or should I say we're STILL getting it off and on...this after it was 20 degrees Celcius on Sunday!!  Just as I was all proud of myself for saving $20 on my gas bill...

Unbelievable...the Senators can't even golf...well, had it been necessary, Game 7 would have been tonight...perfect weather for hockey...maybe not cold enough to make ice...

Shane Doan is still out with an upper body injury (shoulder is suspected)...they showed the play of him going into the boards in Game 3 about 100 times this afternoon...Doan and Jaroslav Halak...the two big stories in hockey today...

Game 1 of the OHL final was supposed to start tonight - Windsor vs Barrie...was there ever any doubt?  At last glance the Colts were leading 3-2 after 2 periods.  Surprisingly enough, the Spitfires had to come from behind against Kitchener to even be in the final...the Rangers won the first three games of the semi-final series before the Spitfires won four straight to win in 7...only the 3rd time it's ever happened in OHL history, and the first time ever it's happened outside of the first round...

Rounding out the CHL, the Calgary Hitmen face the Tri City Americans in the WHL final, and it's an all New Brunswick match up in the QMJHL as the Saint John Sea Dogs are up against the Moncton Wildcats...Brandon hosts the Memorial Cup this year...

11:11 AM: Only in Montreal does something like this make it into the daily Hockey rags...but they're making a big deal out of Alex Ovechkin's pre game skate from Game 4...apparently he likes to skate back and forth and spray his ice against the boards....well during said warm up before Game 4, he managed to spray one of the Canadiens' flag boys...so what does Ovie doe before Game 6, he went East-West and sprayed snow into the Washington Bench...when asked about it, Ovie said he meant no harm, and went on to say he felt it would give the boy something to remember...

Adding fuel to the fire are some of the Sportsnet forum comments: "Ovie is a goon..."; "A real goon would have sprayed him again, but that would have been too funny!"; "Mountains out of molehiles"; "Now there's an Ovechkin pre-game watch?"...sure there is...and if the Habs actually pull of the upset, the Crosby watch will be even larger...

11:39 PM: Well, Nashville gave it a valiant effort, but were unable to get the tying goal - a mad flurry at the end with the goalie pulled, but it was John Madden with the empty netter with just 7.8 seconds left on the clock...Hawks win the game 5-3, and win the series 4-2...

So we now know the Western Conference Round 2 match ups - Chicago will meet Vancouver, and San Jose will meet Phoenix or Detroit...

Game 7 of that series tomorrow night, and then we have Game 7 from Washington on Wednesday - the Eastern match ups all depend on who wins that game...

9:47 PM: Alright...Barn Burner Alert...4-3 Hawks on Jonathan Toews 2nd...goal scored with 30 seconds left in the 1st...they're now at the 1st intermission...as we can all now catch our breath...wow!!

9:44 PM: Thomas Vanek made it 4-3, but that's as close as the Sabres would come...Boston wins in 6...and becomes the first team this postseason to clinch their series at home...

Tie game in Nashville...Dan Hamhuis I think...the plot thickens...

9:43 PM: Jason Arnott has made it 3-2 with his and Nashville's first power play goal of the playoffs...2 minutes left in the 1st...

9:37 PM: As the Ole Ole Ole chant goes full throttle - the Montreal Canadiens have done the unthinkable - forced the Washington Capitals, the NHL's highest scoring team, to Game 7...Halak 1st star...maybe 2nd and 3rd...

9:35 PM: Meanwhile, in Nashville, Chicago has a 3-1 lead in the 1st in Game 6...Patrick Kane with his 4th, Patrick Shark with his 3rd and Duncan Keith with his 3rd...Shea Weber with his 2nd for Nashville...

Empty netter...Tomas Plekanec...4-1 Montreal...there will be a riot tonight...

9:32 PM: David Krejci with his 2nd of the night, 3rd of the playoffs, and Miro Satan's 2nd will all but guarantee the Bruins will pull off the 6th vs 3rd 1st round upset...Nathan Gerbe has replied for Buffalo, but there isn't much time left...4-2 Bruins...

9:31 PM: It's a bit of a shame, but Halak's shutout bid is busted thanks the Eric Fehr's 3rd of the playoffs...Montreal had gone ahead 3-0 on Maxim Lapierre's 1st...3-1 Habs, 4 minutes away from Game 7...

8:18 PM: Special teams are the story so far for the Boston Bruins - David Krejci with his 2nd of the playoffs, on the power play, and Mark Recchi with his 3rd of the playoffs, also on the power play - Recchi had an assist on Krejci's goal, so a 2 point night so far...

In Montreal, it's the Jaroslav Halak show...he's stopped 65 of the last 66 shots faced, dating back to last game...has just stopped Alex Ovechkin point blank, twice...

2-0 Bruins, 2-0 Habs...

Make that 2-1 Bruins...Patrick Kaleta just scored his 1st of the playoffs...12 minutes left in the 2nd period on both fronts...

7:30 PM: Montreal has 2 quick goals from Mike Cammalleri, and it's 2-0 halfway through the 1st period of Game 6...

Nothing to report yet from Boston...

3:05 PM: Finalists for the Bill Masterton trophy were announced today: and the nominees are, Kurtis Foster (TB), Jed Ortmeyer (SJ), and Jose Theodore (WAS)...the Masterton is given out to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."  Foster, who should win it, suffered a broken left femur after being pushed into the boards on an icing play - Foster was playing with the Minnesota Wild at the time...he missed an entire year while undergoing extensive rehab, returned to play 10 games with the Wild, before signing a deal with Tampa last offseason.  Jed Ortmeyer, has a blood clotting disorder, and must inject blood thinner into his stomach daily, but managed to return to the sport he loves playing after at least a year or longer away.  And Jose Theodore experienced the untimely death of his prematurely born son Chase, whose memory inspired the creation of the Saves for Kids fundraiser - proceeds go to the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital where Chase spent his first and final days in...Theodore went on to post a 20-0-3 record over the final months of the regular season...

Great stuff...

Somehow I missed the Norris nominations...must have been on Friday while I was in upstate New York...but they are notable for one reason - Nicklas Lidstrom is not nominated!!  The three nominess for the league's best defenseman are Drew Doughty (L.A.), Mike Green (WAS), and Duncan Keith (CHI)...not sure if Doughty will actually win, but to me he seems to be as strong a candidate as any - but he will be in tough if the voters use points as part of the criteria to decide the winner - Green and Keith were #1 and #2 in the league in scoring among all defensemen...Doughty, 3rd only the aforementioned in scoring (in just his second season no less), does have one thing going for him - he helped the Los Angeles Kings make their first postseason appearance in eight seasons...that's 9 years if you count the lockout...if plus/minus improvement is something the voters look at, Doughty improved from a -17 in 2008-09 to a +20 this season...+26 if you count the Olympics...then again...if plus/minus is a determining factor - Green (+39) gets it hands down...

2:47 PM: Daniel Alfredsson will undergo sports hernia surgery shortly - he played through it since it started bothering him after the Olympic break...usual recovery time is 4-6 weeks, so the captain will be ready for training camp come September...you could just tell that something was not right with Alfie during the series, even though he was able to tough it out and still be effective...but you could tell by the expression on his face that this was really starting to bother him...

More on Ottawa - there's talk today as many as four Senators could be invited to suit up for Team Canada at the World Championships, taking place next month...Mark Messier is Team Canada's GM, and Craig MacTavish will temporarily relinquish his TSN panel duties and take over behind the bench...Mike Fisher, Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips and Brian Elliott (?!?) are the named being bandied about...

2:00 PM: Back in 2003, while it didn't win them the series, it did help them stave off elimination against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils - I'm talking about the Ottawa Senators calling up then rookie Jason Spezza for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final...down 3-1 in the series, you'll recall Spezza scored to help the Senators force a Game 6, which they won to force Game 7...

Well, the Montreal Canadiens are hoping the move to bring up fresh young talent will pay off again - P.K. Subban, the promising 20 year old Habs prospect, has been called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs and is expected to play in Game 6...Subban, you'll recall, played for Team Canada's Junior team that won Gold in 2009...

How ironic is it that Jacques Martin is/was head coach on both teams?

1:48 PM: For the second straight year, there will be another coaching change in New Jersey - Jacques Lemaire announced he is retiring, just four days removed from Philadelphia's Game 5 victory...saying that he simply no longer has the energy to coach anymore, it's expected the 64 year old Lemaire will remain with the Devils in an as yet to be determined capacity...

11:51 PM: There will be no Game 7 between Vancouver and L.A. - the Canucks are on to round 2 after posting a 4-2 win in Game 6...at the end of the day, the Sedins needed to come up big for the team to succeed, and they did come up big indeed...

So, we were 1-0 Kings after 1 period...in the 2nd, Steve Bernier on a power play tied it at 1-1, his fourth of the playoffs...Drew Doughty would score his 3rd of the postseason and after 40 minutes, it was 2-1, Kings...in the 3rd, it was all Vancouver...Kevin Bieksa would tied it 2-2 almost 2 minutes in, then it was back and forth right up until the end - at 17:57 Daniel Sedin would score the game and series winner, Alex Burrows would add an empty netter, and that's game, set, and match...Los Angeles, buh bye!!!

A lot was made of Pittsburgh wrapping up their last five playoff series on the road...every series that has been decided in these playoffs so far have been on the road as well...

So four are complete, four more still to be decided...Montreal is home to Washington tomorrow, do the Caps also clinch in the road?  We'll find out...same goes for the Blackhawks, they are on the road for Game 6 with a 3-2 lead...other game tomorrow, Bruins in Buffalo, same situation...Game 6, Bruins win, they clinch, on the road...

If we have triple handshakes tomorrow, we'll have one lone game on the docket Tuesday, then we await the match ups and schedule for Round 2...

9:42 PM: Phoenix and Detroit are going the distance...the Coyotes win 5-2...five different goal scorers...the aforementioned Korpikoski with his 1st, Mathieu Schneider with his first on the power play, Radim Vrbata with his 2nd, also on the power play, Wojtek Wolski with his 4th, and Taylor Pyatt with his 1st, on the power play - 3 for 6 were the Dogs with the man advantage - for Detroit, Brad Stuart and Darren Helm both with their 1st goals of the playoffs...Stuart's goal tied the game 1-1, but then it was all Phoenix the rest of the way...series is tied 3-3, Game 7 is on Tuesday...

In Game 6 between Vancouver and L.A., Alex Frolov has his first of the playoffs, and the Kings lead 1-0 in the first...game 7 would also be Tuesday if this series is tied at the end of this one...more to come as it happens...

2:36 PM: Early going of Game 6 between Phoenix and Detroit - the Coyotes have an early shorthanded goal and lead 1-0...goal scored by Lauri Korpikoski - his first career playoff goal...the Red Wings have already had 3 power plays, including an extended 5 on 3 - Phoenix has killed them all off....9 saves already for Ilya Bryzgalov...only 2 shots on goal for Phoenix and one of them is the goal...still no Shane Doan in this one...still early, 10 minutes left in the 1st period, but Phoenix is surviving the early Detroit wave...

So, the consensus in Ottawa amongst the fans seems to be obvious disappointment for the series loss, but everybody seems to be very satisfied with the effort (rightfully so)...of course, a couple of silly or drunk people, not sure which - a lot of people placing the blame (unfairly I might add) on Jason Spezza...I even heard one person suggest the Sens try Erik Karlsson in a forward position next year, thinking he could be the next coming of Alfie...(Alfie played D in junior)...anyhow, people were not by any stretch as vicious as I've heard in recent years...especially after those many losses to their provincial rivals in Toronto...the all night wake was not an all nighter at all - in fact, J.R. was headed home by 3 AM in favor of the Fox Sportsworld syndicated overnight broadcast!!  I seem to have dozed off somewhere between 2:30 and 3:15, when I finally woke up...Gary Galley called in and that's the last I remember...

So a lot of work for Bryan Murray over the summer - does Anton Volchenkov come back?  If he does, does Matt Cullen stay?  Does Ottawa stay with the Pascal Leclaire/Brian Elliott tandem in goal, or will Murray make a pitch for the likes of Marty Turco (who Joe Nieuwendyk has said publicly will not be offered a new contract with Dallas)...it'll be interesting to see what happens...all eyes will be on a couple of the prospects - Brian Lee should be a much better player (and if Volchenkov doesn't come back he'll have to be)...Jared Cowen will get another look...and of course, this draft coming up in June is a very deep one...the fine young 67s forward Corey Cowick will get a shot too...

12:33 AM: Doug Murray with a second empty net goal for San Jose to rub salt in the wounds...5-2...Sharks advance with a 4-2 series win...

So, Ottawa, you can talk about Dany Heatley all you want - he may not yet be producing in these playoffs, but his team is moving on to Round 2.  Jealousy won't give you another crack at Game 6 this year...so put a lid on it, will ya?

12:32 AM: Devon Setoguchi missed the empty net on his first attempt, didn't miss the second time...4-2 Sharks with 40 seconds left...

12:16 AM: If you've never heard J.R.'s all night Senator's post mortem show - get on team1200.com right now and listen...trust me, you'll be riveted...it's great radio...

12:15 AM: 3-2 Sharks...Pavelski his 2nd of the game...5th of the playoffs...8 minutes left...

12:10 AM: Brandon Yip had put the Avs up 2-1, but Dan Boyle has just tied it 2-2...about 12 minutes remaining in the 3rd...

11:50 PM: A lot more players getting their first of the playoffs lately - another 1st goal in the 2nd period at 6:14, Marek Svatos, and after 40 we're tied 1-1 between the Sharks and Avalanche in Game 6...

Just heard the Team 1200 host (Scott MacArthur or Mike Eastwood, I think...) hang up on a Penguins fan who was complaining about the arrogance of Ottawa fans...told him to go wear his Penguins jersey into Philadelphia...ouch!!!  Either way, the host has a very good point...ever wonder why you always see all orange in Philly?

10:02 PM: Pascal Dupuis, 9:56 into the first overtime, gets the game and series winner...Dupuis' first of the playoffs...Pittsburgh moves on...and J.R. or somebody will do the all night wake on the Team 1200...

Interesting that HNIC pointed this out, but it's true - Pittsburgh has now won five straight playoff series on the road...it's like they still can't believe this team continues to get it done...Sidney Crosby almost seemed dumbfounded trying to answer the question from Elliotte Friedman...

Same old Sens...what can I say...give them credit for trying to come back, but at the end of the day it didn't get them any further ahead...but at least now it seems they have something they can build on...they didn't give up...something I never saw out of this team before...I've always said there's no shame in losing to the champions, so perhaps we can give Ottawa a pass this time...who knows, maybe next year with a healthy Pascal Leclaire for longer than 10 games...always the same story isn't it...maybe next year...

This will be overanalyzed to death over the next 24 hours, so I'll leave it at that...

It's 1-0 Sharks, early...Joe Pavelski scored just 47 seconds in...Avs have their backs against the wall tonight too...

10:02 PM: Well, I guess it's kind of hard to watch a game on tape delay when everybody's giving updates all night...so uLAr picked Kunitz before I did, so I'll take Sid...he's been quiet...

uLar has Peter Regin for the Sens, Kunitz for the Pens...

Here we go!!! 

9:57 PM: Picks...Chris Kunitz for Pittsburgh, Jason Spezza for Ottawa...

uLAr is supposedly watching this on tape delay, so not sure if I'll hear from him, but I'll see if I could get a pick from him...

9:55 PM: OK...so it's been a real barn burner at Scotiabank Place, as expected...Matt Cullen on a breakaway set up by Daniel Alfredsson at 5:19 of the 1st...it was 1-0 Sens after 1st period...

Chris Neil at 1:51 of the 2nd, 2-0...Alfredsson at 9:48, 3-0...then, a failed clearing play held in by Sergei Gonchar, led to Matt Cooke's 2nd of the playoffs, and we were 3-1 after 40...

Bill Guerin at 7:03 of the 3rd, on the power play, and Matt Cooke again, at 12:24 of the 3rd, and we have a tie game heading to OT...2nd straight game and we have OT...

9:46 PM: Martin Erat had scored to go ahead 4-3, but Patrick Kane scored a late shorthanded goal at 19:46 of the 3rd period to force overtime...Marian Hossa was the hero at 4:07 of the first overtime period, and the Blackhawks go ahead 3-2 in the series...a lot of controversy if you're a Nashville fan after this one - Hossa scored the goal after getting out of the penalty box - he served a 5 minute major for a scary looking hit into the boards on Dan Hamhuis...Hamhuis was none the worse for wear...so instead of being able to go home to pull off the upset, the Predators go home with their backs against the wall...

Watching the end of the Ottawa-Pittsburgh game...it's tied 3-3 with 1:35 remaining...

5:18 PM: Nashville ties it 3-3 on the strength of Martin Erat's 3rd of the playoffs...lots of time remaining...the Predators won't go away...

5:06 PM: In Game 5 between Chicago and Nashville, the Blackhawks lead 3-2 after 40 minutes...but more on that to come...

OK, so going back to Thursday night/Friday morning, and the 3rd period between San Jose and Colorado...already up 3-0, would get a second goal from the former Ottawa 67s captain, Logan Couture - at 10:37 of the 3rd, pretty much would all but guarantee there would be no Colorado comeback...that would be it for Craig Anderson, in came Peter Budaj...take nothing away from Anderson, though - he has been outstanding for the Avalanche, and is the main reason the Sharks didn't take this in 4 or 5...of course, the Danny Boyle own goal probably didn't hurt either, but...we move on...getting back to the end of that game, Patrick Marleau would score on a power play, after Cody McLeod charged another former Ottawa 67 - Jamie McGinn...a 5 minute major would be called on the play, and the Sharks would say goodnight Avs...Evgeni Nabokov didn't exactly steal the game with the 28 save shutout, but he didn't really need to...

San Jose can close out the series tonight on the road...and after that outburst, they just might...

As you know, on Thursday night, two teams were facing elimination, and one was able to stave it off, the other is done for the season...well on Friday night, two more teams had their backs against the wall, and both managed to stay alive...after Carey Price's Montreal Meltdown in Game 4, it was only natural that Jaroslav Halak would be between the pipes for Game 5, on the road, facing elimination - the rest seemed to help, because Halak had himself another memorable game - making 37 saves en route to a Montreal 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals.  Mike Cammalleri scored his 3rd of the playoffs just a minute and a half in, and Travis Moen would seal the deal at just 7:01 of the 1st period...Alex Ovechkin would get the Capitals going 3:52 into the 2nd, but the Habs would shut them down the rest of the way...Jaroslav Spacek, who has been solid on defense throughout this series, missed Game 5 with an indisclosed illness...Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges seemed to hold the fort...both logged over 27 minutes of ice time...

Alex Ovechkin gets to see the Bell Centre for the last time this season, but I'll bet he's thrilled to be going back to his favorite hockey city, Montreal, for Game 6...

So the Canadiens stay alive, meanwhile, in Buffalo - the Sabres were in danger of going out in five games to the Boston Bruins...it wasn't going to happen either...

Their were a few Buffalo players who needed to step up, and they did...Adam Mair got it going early with his first of the playoffs just shy of the two minute mark, and Jason Pominville made it 2-0 and got the Sabres faithful on their feet before the 1st was in the books...more of the same in the 2nd period - Mike Grier with his 2nd of the playoffs at 9:22 of the second made it 3-0...Johnny Boychuk would get a late power play goal at 17:30 of the 3rd, but it was too little too late...Tyler Ennis would get an empty netter, and the Sabres win Game 5 by a score of 4-1, yet still trail 3-2 in the series, needing a win in enemy territory to force Game 7...needless to say, Ryan Miller again needed to be stellar, making 34 saves versus Tuukka Rask's 29...

Detroit is now up 3 games to 2 after a 4-1 win of their own...the Calder Trophy nominee Jimmy Howard made 30 saves, but the game was in doubt until midway thru the 3rd period...Drew Miller scored his first of the playoffs at 17:04 of the 1st period, but Ed Jovanovski would answer close to the halfway mark of the game, 9:45 into the 2nd period...tie game 1-1 after 40 minutes...it would stay that way until 11:09 of the 3rd, when Tomas Holmstrom would get his 2nd of the playoffs, 2-1 Wings...just a minute and 10 later, Pavel Datsyuk would give Detroit some insurance...Henrik Zetterberg would add an empty netter for his 6th of the playoffs...Game 6 is back in Hockeytown...Shane Doan is still out with an upper body injury - not sure why the Coyotes wouldn't play Robert Lang, who was a healthy scratch last game...a little experience can't be a bad thing, can it?  There's a few players they could put in, actually...Jim Vandermeer, Alex Picard...all healthy scratches...the Dogs haven't been the same since they lost Doan, but they'll need to pull out all the stops if they want to keep playing...

And the game of the night seemed to belong to Vancouver...after they came from behind with a gutsy effort in Game 4 to tie the series on the road, they came home and absolutely embarrassed the Los Angeles Kings...Steve Bernier and Mikael Samuelsson both had a pair of goals, the twins both had 2 point nights, Pavol Demitra continued his hot play in key games (remember the Olympics?)...Roberto Luongo only had to make 24 saves and the Canucks cruise to a 7-2 win...Shane O'Brien again got into it with Wayne Simmonds, late in the game...they seem to have had something going the entire series - but finally they (hopefully) put it to rest as they went toe to toe...Kings' head coach Terry Murray called O'Brien "a clown" after the game...to which Alain Vigneault simply said, with a big smirk on his face "I don't care"...emotions in motion...but this series, what I've seen of it, has been fun to watch...good old fashioned Smythe division battle...

So now, in a Saturday afternoon tilt - Chicago leads Nashville 3-2 after 40...Niklas Hjalmarsson with his first, Tomas Kopecky with his 2nd, and Andrew Ladd with his 1st for the Hawks, David Legwand and Joel Ward both with their 2nd of the playoffs for Nashville...after this game is decided, every game from here on in is an elimination game for somebody...tonight, Ottawa and Colorado will both look to force Game 7, and both are playing at home...seeing a lot of flags, hats, t shirts and jerseys...good to see...I even had a Spezza shirt on today...yesterday, had my Sens hat on while roaming around Watertown and East Syracuse...

And now you're up to date...3rd period underway, as they keep that Chelsea Dagger song queued up at the United Center....

3:11 AM: OK...so when you take those day trips to Upstate Central New York, it doesn't seem to matter what time you hit the road...you never seem to get back before 1:00 AM...

So they tell me an Olive Garden restaurant is coming soon to Watertown NY (says Coming Soon right on their website)...well where I think it'll be, there's nothing even remotely resembling even a driveable patch of road, forget a restaurant...so I guess I'll get to Syracuse a few more times before they finally open this place...

OK...so I'll talk more about what happened in hockey on Friday night later on today...but for now, I can tell you simply that all 7 remaining first round series are going to at least a Game 6...Montreal and Buffalo, like Ottawa on Thursday night, were also able to stave off elimination...Habs with a 2-1 win, and Sabres with a 4-1 win...Vancouver is up 3-2 in their series against Los Angeles...the Canucks obliterated the Kings with the biggest offensive output so far in these playoffs...7-2 the final...OK, so it actually ties San Jose's goal differential from Thursday's Game 5...they ended up winning that game 5-0...

Again I'll go over this in more detail later today...for now, it's bed time after a long day on the road...

12:20 AM: Make it 3-0 Sharks after 40...Dwight Helminen, who is playing just his 3rd career playoff game, gets his 1st career playoff goal...scored his first ever NHL goal during a four game stint in the regular season...Helminen, I found out, is a former Edmonton eight round draft pick from 2002...including tonight, this is only his 34th NHL game, regular season and playoffs combined...

Can't believe what I'm hearing on the Sens postgame show...they won the game and people still have issues with the goals that went to review...in fairness though, HNIC opened up a can of worms when Ron & Don showed a couple of goal examples from a DVD they got from Mike Murphy over in the War Room...at the end of the day, they won, people...

I mean, if Ottawa ever wins the Cup, is some doofis going to get on the phone and critique the officiating!?  OK...so 3 goals went to video review in this game...as they should have...we need to get the right call...remember Calgary-Tampa Bay Game 6?

Why does everything in life have to be a conspiracy theory?!

With that, I'm heading Stateside tomorrow...so I'm going to turn in...I might be taking a risk abandoning this game after 40, but if I miss anything, I'll blog about it tomorrow evening sometime...worst case scenario I'll have a wrap up blog on Saturday morning in anticipation of Game 6 at the Bank...as always, the scoreboard is a click away...

11:50 PM: San Jose leads 2-0 for the first time in this series...Joe Pavelski with his 3rd of the playoffs...

11:45 PM: Logan Couture, the former Ottawa 67, gets his first career playoff goal, and the Sharks lead 1-0 in the 2nd period of Game 5...

11:43 PM: Matt Carkner, at 7:04 of the 3rd OT, keeps the Senators alive...Game 6 on Saturday...this might go to 7 yet...give Pascal Leclaire the first star...what a performance...

Now...Ottawa...I'm imploring you - get out there and support this team...win or lose, they need us now, more than ever...even if the score is 10-0, make some bloody noise at the Bank on Saturday...and wear red for heaven's sake!!!

11:18 PM: And we head to Triple OT...do we go to Game 6 or are we prolonging the inevitable?  Evgeni Malkin has played a couple of shifts with Jordan Staal and has helped give the Pens some pressure...Malkin had the best chance when he was able to beat Leclaire, just not the post...shots were 7-6 Pittsburgh in the 2nd OT period...Erik Karlsson leads the Sens with 37:33 in ice time, and Sergei Gonchar leads the Pens with 41:34...

Chicago wins 3-0 and ties their series 2-2 - Antti Niemi with his second career playoff shutout and second shutout of the series, and after 1 period in San Jose, it's scoreless in Game 5...

10:33 PM: It took over a week to see our first double OT game - now we have it for the 2nd straight night...still tied 3-3 in the Pitts...

Both teams had a couple of power play chances...Ottawa the better of the chances, shots 11-6, also in favor of Ottawa...

10:16 PM: Brooks Orpik, delay of game...one of those puck over the glass plays...

They thought they had scored early on in OT, but it was kicked in by Nick Foligno...

Chicago is up 3-0 after 40...another goal by Sharp, and Jonathan Toews with his first of the playoffs...

Power Play...Ottawa...

9:47 PM: OK, not that it means diddly squat now, but Mike Fisher was Ottawa's clutch go to guy in overtime all season long...so I'm picking him for the OT winner...as for Pittsburgh - who else?  The Golden Sid...

uLAr has Evgeni Malkin for Pittsburgh, Jason Spezza for Ottawa...

I hear our old friend J.R. is on call over at the Team 1200, just in case...

9:42 PM: Overtime at the Igloo...picks coming up...

9:39 PM: Philadelphia has done it...3-0 final score, 4-1 series win...the dreaded 7th vs 2nd matchup...or as uLAr explained to me earlier, his worst fear come true - Jacques Lemaire hockey...

Last minute of play in Pittsburgh...still tied 3-3...I won't get into Ottawa's record when facing elimination...it's not pretty...

9:23 PM: Peter Regin started the scoring for Ottawa in this series, and he may have just saved their season...9:28 left, and a blast that Fleury never saw...his 3rd of the playoffs, game tied 3-3...don't go away...

9:20 PM: Sidney Crosby is the leading playoff scorer, so who better to score the go ahead goal - 3-2 Pens, with 9:53 remaining...it's Sid's 5th goal of the playoffs...quietly he has 1G 1A...his 12th and 13th points...

Wonder if he'll shake Daniel Alfredsson's hand...;-P...

9:09 PM: Penguins scored on a power play, but this time the goal was disallowed, video review showed the puck was shot in with a high stick...since we're playing hockey, not lacrosse, that is a no no...huge break for Ottawa...still tied 2-2...15 minutes left...

14 minutes left in NJ, still 3-0 Philly...

Chicago leads 1-0 in Game 4 against Nashville...Patrick Sharp gets his first of the playoffs...if the Hawks win this one, every Western Conference series will be tied after 4 games...Brian Campbell is back in this one...

8:44 PM: We have a tie game in Pittsburgh after 40 minutes...there'll be a lot of controversy in Ottawa over Chris Kunitz' 2nd goal of the playoffs, but after video review the decision was the goal is good and will count.  The concern was the net had come off its moorings - it didn't...so even though the referee blew the whistle and waved the goal off, it was overruled by the War Room in Toronto...

Whatever happened with that whole intent to blow the whistle thing?

Meanwhile in Newark, Claude Giroux scored twice in the 2nd period to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-0 lead, and a first round victory if they can hang on for 20 more minutes...it's crunch time now for the Devils...

Just underway in Nashville...

7:53 PM: Well if Pittsburgh's power play isn't 3rd overall, it must be in the top 5...it's 2-1 after Kris Letang scored with the man advantage...1st intermission now...

7:32 PM: Jarkko Ruutu, with his 2nd of the playoffs...when the Pens thought Marc-Andre Fleury had made the save...2-0 Sens...

I wonder what the over-under in Vegas is that Don Cherry will say during Coach's Corner something to the effect the pressure is off Ottawa now, they're "Loosey-Goosey"?

7:28 PM: Mike Fisher on a power play, gives Ottawa a 1-0 lead in Game 5...believe it or not, the Sens are 2nd only to L.A. in Power play efficiency...about 9 minutes left in the 1st...

7:21 PM: It's do or die as well for the New Jersey Devils tonight, and they won't like their start - at 3:16 into the 1st, Daniel Briere gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead...his second of the playoffs...

Chicago-Nashville Game 4 at 8:30, and Colorado-San Jose Game 5 at 10:30...

1:05 PM: So every day this week nominations for the various awards have been announced - today the finalists for the Calder trophy, aka Rookie of the Year, were announced, and are as follows: Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, who should be the favorite to win it as he led all rookies in scoring, not to mention helped propel his team back into the playoffs; Jimmy Howard, the fine young goalie from the Detroit Red Wings, the very reason we have yet to see Chris Osgood in these playoffs; and Tyler Myers, the big defensemen who led all Buffalo Sabres in ice time with 23:44 on average...John Tavares who was drafted 1st overall by the NYI, was tied with Duchene in goals scored, but did not make it on the ballot...

Previous to today, we learned the nominees for the Lady Byng, Selke and Vezina:

Lady Byng Award, aka Most Gentlemanly Player, (or least penalized player) - Pavel Datsyuk (DET), Martin St. Louis (TB), Brad Richards (DAL)

Selke Trophy, aka Best defensive forward - Ryan Kesler (VAN), Pavel Datsyuk (DET), Jordan Staal (PIT)

Vezina Trophy, aka League's Best goaltender as voted on by 30 general managers - Martin Brodeur (NJ), Ilya Bryzgalov (PHX), Ryan Miller (BUF)

12:43 PM: Not sure if it will make a difference, but the Ottawa Senators are going to give Pascal Leclaire the start for Game 5...Jonathan Cheechoo will sit in favor of Shean Donovan...they call him Mellow Yellow...c'mon!!

It's obviously do or die for the Sens, who will look to avoid becoming the first team in these playoffs to be eliminated...it's going to be a tough task going into a fired up Mellon Arena, potentially for the last time (from an Ottawa perspective)...but they did already steal a game there...hard to say if they can do it again...doesn't seem like too many of their so called fans are behind them...

12:51 AM: A wild 3rd period to say the least...and the series is tied 2-2...the Sedins combined for five points...Henrik with a goal and an assist, Daniel with 3 assists...Canucks score four against one and win the game 6-4...Mikael Samuelsson, Sami Salo on a power play, Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler into an empty net...Wayne Simmonds with the only Kings goal of the period...

This one ended ugly...Simmonds and Kevin Bieksa got into it at the end, but only received roughing minors...

Guess what the turning point of this game was...yup, another too many men penalty...it was hard for the ref not to call it though, the Kings must have had 9 players on the ice...

We head back to Vancouver for Game 5...best two out of three now...I still say it's going to 7...

11:51 PM: So after 40 in California, it's the Kings with a 3-2 lead - Pavol Demitra tied it again for Vancouver, and Anze Kopitar has the go ahead goal...oddly enough, it's not a power play goal...scoring was even in the second...that Drew Doughty goal in the first is standing out as the difference maker...

So we head to the final frame...Canucks need this one...although, I did call it in 7...

11:16 PM: Christian Ehrhoff tied it, but Los Angeles has their 9th power play goal of this series...with 12 minutes left in the 2nd, it's 2-1 Kings on Dustin Brown's first of the playoffs...his first career playoff goal...the Kings are 6 for 6 in their last 6 power play attempts...

10:42 PM: You could see it coming as soon as the penalty was called...Miroslav Satan with the GWG...7:41 into the 2nd OT...there was only 9 seconds left on the power play...Boston leads the series 3-1...so now, every Eastern series is at 3-1...

10:38 PM: 5:50 into double OT...Sabres were caught with too many men on the ice...OUCH!!!  Power Play, Boston...

Kings lead 1-0 in the 1st...Drew Doughty with his 2nd of the playoffs...another Power Play goal...guess what the penalty was for...

--------------------

10:21 PM: E-mail received from uLAr says Michael Ryder for Boston, Drew Stafford for Buffalo...

10:14 PM: We now have the longest OT game of these playoffs - furious action during OT period 1 with chances to score on both ends, but it wasn't enough - we're going to Double OT in Boston...

Kind of reminds one of Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final...doesn't it?  Who's going to be Petr Klima tonight...and will we get to 3OT?!

9:41 PM: OT picks - Boston - Milan Lucic, Buffalo - Raffi Torres...

9:36 PM: 6-3 final for Washington and a 3-1 series lead...give Montreal credit, though, for staying with the game right to the end...

9:33 PM: Dominic Moore makes it 5-3...still a minute left...Price on the bench again...

9:31 PM: We have OT in Boston...I love the Dunkin' Donuts along the boards..."Boston Brewin'"...

Habs pulled their goalie with 2:35 left and Mike Knuble gets an empty netter...5-2 Capitals with still 2 minutes left...looks like they have Montreal by the throat...

9:20 PM: Just as Gord Miller was astutely pointing out how Washington hasn't taken a 3-1 series lead since the Eastern Conference Final against Buffalo in 1998, up the ice came Alex Ovechkin...3-2 Caps...Habs are leading 36-27 in shots on goal...

Make it 4-2...Jason Chimera...1st career playoff goal...Carey Price just took an unsportsmanlike penalty for shooting the puck into the Washington Bench...

Just like that...the Habs are Flatlining...

9:11 PM: Tie game at the Garden...Patrice Bergeron - 2-2 between the Sabres and Bruins in Game 4...13 minutes left...11 minutes left in Montreal, same score...we're not going to get two overtime games, are we?

They just showed Jake Gyllenhaal taking in the game...apparently he's in Montreal filming a movie..."Source Code" I believe is the working title...

9:07 PM: David Krejci, on a power play, has his first of the playoffs and has Boston on the board...2-1 now...lots of time left...

8:48 PM: Brian Gionta had put the Habs up 2-1 late in the period, but a too many men on the ice penalty for Washington while they were on a power play of their own resulted in a shorthanded goal from Mike Knuble...goal was scored with 6 seconds left...so after 40 of Game 4, we're all tied 2-2...

Still 2-0 Buffalo...they're at the 2nd intermission too...

8:27 PM: Steve Montador has given Buffalo a 2-0 lead in Game 4...about 7 minutes left in the 2nd period...

Meanwhile, back in Montreal, it's the goalie show...still tied 1-1...just about 5 minutes shy of 40 minutes there...

7:46 PM: 20 minutes in the books - Game 4 on two fronts...dans la Belle Province, it's tied 1-1 between Washington and Montreal, and in Beantown it's 1-0 for Buffalo...both at the 1st intermission...

Alex Ovechkin for Washington, Mike Cammalleri for Montreal; and Tim Kennedy for Buffalo...Cody McCormick gets an assist...Vanek is not playing...

Much easier to keep track of two games instead of 5...

Of course we have Game 4 of Vancouver-L.A. later...

Montreal's Carey Price will get the start in Game 4 against Washington...not sure if it will accomplish much, but he only gave up the one goal after Halak was yanked...so we'll see...Habs need to score...plain and simple...funny how not too many teams have been able to use their home crowd to their advantage...it's been the story in all of the series...Boston maybe, but they've yet to play two games at home...

Speaking of the Boston-Buffalo series...Thomas Vanek skated today and apparently will be a game time decision!??!...I guess having him at less than 100% is better than not at all...the Sabres had called up Cody McCormick from the minors to give then some more size, but it's not clear if they'll need him...

And don't count out the Devils in that Philly-NJ series just yet...the Flyers announced they will be without both Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter for Game 5...both are day to day with lower body injuries...Carter missed 8 games towards the end of the season with a bad left foot...might have reaggravated it...they're saying (Flyers' managment that is) right foot for both Carter and Gagne, but you know this time of year we never get the real story...

Chris Kunitz went on record as saying last night's Ottawa-Pittsburgh Game 4 was the wildest playoff game he's ever been a part of...keep in mind he won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim and had to go up against the likes of Vancouver, Detroit, San Jose, and others...

In fairness though, aside from some of those Leafs-Sens battles of the past, last night's game WAS pretty wild...

Nice to see some people are still keeping their Sens flags on their cars...I have one at half mast on that little stick that opens my blind...but it's still there...it's one of those ones you can put on a Car antenna...

1:04 AM: We still haven't seen double overtime...and we won't tonight either...Joe Pavelski, gets the GWG, 10:24 into the 1st OT, and the Sharks win 2-1, breathe a sigh of relief and tie the series 2-2, needing to win 2 out of the next three to move on - 2 of the next three will be back home at the Tank...

12:29 AM: 1-1 after 2, 1-1 after 3...we've got OT again...3rd straight game...

So, tonight...I'm going to go with Patrick Marleau for San Jose, Chris Stewart for Colorado...when this one finishes we'll either be tied, or Colorado will become the 3rd team to go up 3 games to 1...

If I'm awake long enough to see the goal, I'll let you know who scored it...otherwise, talk to you about it tomorrow...or...within the next 9-12 hours...

It's not possible for Dan Boyle to score on himself again...is it?

11:39 PM: Martin Erat gets Nashville's 4th of the night, and it's now a final - 4-1, Predators are now up 2-1 on the Hawks...the 2 vs 7 matchup is a tough one in both conferences...

2nd intermission in Denver and still tied 1-1...

11:14 PM: Tied 1-1 in Denver thanks to Paul Stastny's first goal of the playoffs...

Nashville is still up 3-1 with less than 10 minutes left in regulation time...

10:23 PM: Shea Weber - 3-1 Predators...8:51 left in the 2nd...

10:12 PM: Philadelphia needed to win in a shootout on the final game of the regular season to get in, and now they're one win away from the second round and an upset of 2nd seeded New Jersey...as we shift back to Newark for Game 5, the Devils look for answers...

Nashville leads Chicago 2-1 on a goal from David Legwand...13 minutes left in the 2nd...

And Dan Boyle, of all people, gets San Jose on the board first and early in Denver - on a power play - 1-0 Sharks...it'll count as his 1st of the playoffs, but technically it's his second in as many games, so what if they were scored at opposite ends of the ice??....Dany Heatley is back...Milan Hejduk is not...Craig Anderson stopped 51 shots in Game 3, can't stop the first shot in Game 4...

9:56 PM: Looks like Philadelphia is about to go up 3-1 in their series - 4-1 now on Jeff Carter's second goal of the night...about 5 minutes left in the 3rd...

9:52 PM: As I said...Good Night Ottawa...and good luck...7-4 is the final score...Pens lead the series 3-1 and are heading home for Game 5...

And this is mean of me to say, I know, but here's why I hope we're not coming back to Ottawa for Game 6 - the fans are booing the Sens off the ice...I mean, come on - remember when Edmonton was down 3-1 against Carolina, OK, they still lost the series, but the fans were behind them 110%...you want a Game 6, don't empty the building after the 2nd period, and get the Go Sens Go chant going...and actually make it sound like you mean it...unreal...

This city, I'm sorry to say, deserves this team and the result...I really did not miss this last season when Ottawa missed the playoffs...

Anybody else hear Ron Maclean say Pittsburgh leads their series 4-1?!

I wonder how many more times I'll have to hear Bob Cole say "Well that was a tough break for Ottawa!"...with any luck, one more game...he's even got Garry Galley saying it...

9:41 PM: 3-1 Flyers thanks to a goal from Dan Carcillo...it's going to be the same score in the series if the Devils can't tie the game - they've got 15 minutes to get back in it...

9:38 PM: Jordan Staal on a power play - 7-4 Pens...5:52 left in the game...

Nashville leads 1-0 on Joel Ward's 1st of the playoffs...Chicago has just tied it...Tomas Kopecky...1-1 with 2:25 left in the 1st...

9:25 PM: Jason Spezza - top shelf where mom keeps the peanut butter...6-4...Ottawa still on the power play...1:28 left in the second penalty...Sens need one here...about 12 minutes left in the game...

9:22 PM: In the Detroit game, they've taken away Filppula's and Bertuzzi's goals and given them both to Henrik Zetterberg...

9:19 PM: Evidently some fans in Ottawa need to learn what constitutes a too many men on the ice penalty, or how to count, one of the two...

9:13 PM: Red Wings win and tie the series 2-2...Jimmy Howard with his first career playoff shutout...

Philadelphia's Daniel Briere makes it 2-1 Flyers...they're at the 2nd intermisson...

Chicago-Nashville just underway...as is the Pittsburgh-Ottawa 3rd period...

9:04 PM: Detroit has two quick ones...late...Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula have both scored 25 seconds apart - 3-0 Red Wings...3 minutes left...

The octopii are flying now...

8:53 PM: Chris Kunitz makes it 6-3 Pittsburgh...the Sens will have 1:11 of a Pittsburgh power play to kill off in the 3rd...they took a late too many men on the ice penalty...

Jeff Carter just tied the NJ-Philadelphia Game 4...1-1...that game just hitting the halfway mark of the 2nd period...

Detroit is hanging on to a 1-0 lead with 6 mins left in the 3rd...they just killed off a Phoenix 2 man advantage...

8:40 PM: From goat to hero...maybe...Matt Cullen created the turnover that led to the SH goal...and scores on the 5 on 3...it's 5-3...and Ottawa stays on the power play...

8:38 PM: Shorthanded goal for Max Talbot...5-2...

Jay McKee just took another penalty - 38 seconds 5 on 3 for Ottawa...it's now or never...

8:35 PM: Nothing like a broken pane of glass to kill momentum...hurry up boys...

8:31 PM: Cory Clouston has juggled his lines...and it's working...Daniel Alfredsson finally has his first of the playoffs...playing on a line with Matt Cullen and Mike Fisher...it's 4-2...Spezza should get to go on the 4th line...

8:22 PM: Chris Neil has Ottawa on the board...4-1...and somehow managed to take a penalty after the fact...

8:17 PM: 2 quick ones for Pittsburgh - Sidney Crosby and Matt Cooke...both created by untimely turnovers...Jason Spezza should be benched for the rest of the game for coughing it up down the middle - you'd think by now he'd know that dipsy doodle move of his doesn't work in the NHL...it's 3-0 Pens...

Todd Bertuzzi has Detroit on the board with the 1st goal of Game 4 - went to video review, but was deemed a good goal...1-0 Red Wings at the 2nd intermission...

Another goal from Sidney Crosby...4-0 Pittsburgh...and Pascal Leclaire is coming in...Good Night Ottawa...

8:06 PM: Evgeni Malkin on a power play, and Pittsburgh leads 1-0 - 2nd period just underway...

New Jersey has a 1-0 lead on Philadelphia, also on a power play, Ilya Kovalchuk scored that one...they're late in the 1st (7:30 start)

Nothing yet to report from Detroit, they're almost through 2 periods of play (game started at 6:30)

Chicago-Nashville is a 9:00 start...San Jose-Colorado - 10:00...

6:38 PM: Not far from the faceoff of Game 4 Pens-Sens...Jonathan Cheechoo will get a chance to show Ottawa sending him down to the minors was a mistake...Ryan Shannon will be a healthy scratch...Coach Clouston saying he needs a little more speed and timely scoring...Cheechoo has done that in the past...don't blame him for San Jose's past playoff flubs...

Funny how fans and media alike are already throwing in the towel with a 2-1 series deficit...OK, so past history notwithstanding, let's play the games and see what happens...Sid is but one player...a good player, mind you, but he's one player...

Anyway...playoffs continue on 5 fronts again tonight...Game 4 of this one, NJ-Philadelphia, Phoenix-Detroit, San Jose-Colorado, and Game 3 between Chicago and Nashville...

I don't know...every series was tied after 2 games...will every series be tied after 4 games!?!  We'll find out...

Smells like BBQ hamburgers and Rickard's Red tonight....MMMMMMMMMMM....

12:47 AM: The Canucks pulled their goalie with more than 2 minutes left, and had a late power play to try and at least get one, but it was not to be - 5-3 is the final...and the Los Angeles hockey fans have waited 8 years to see a playoff home win, and a 2-1 series lead for the Kings..

This stat tells it all and is the difference in the series so far - power play efficiency - Vancouver - 2 for 11...L.A. - 7 for 12...

12:29 AM: Daniel Sedin and Ryan Smyth have swapped goals...Smyth took a hard but clean hit earlier in the game from Alex Edler, but seems to be none the worse for wear as he has his first of the playoffs...Daniel had another goal disallowed after it was ruled it was kicked in...not sure how you can kick it in when you're being tackled to the ice, but nevertheless, it's 5-3 Kings...about 7 minutes left....

11:44 PM: Never would have thought I'd see this...not this early in the playoffs anyway...Roberto Luongo was pulled in favor of Andrew Raycroft about 1/2way through the second period, after giving up 4 unanswered goals...and only 12 total saves on 16 shots...the Kings have taken control of this game on goals from Drew Doughty, Brad Richardson and Michael Handzus, who actually has 2...both Handzus goals and the Doughty goal were all scored on the power play...Mikael Samuelsson has scored to bring the Canucks within respectability - seems to be the only line that can score for Vancouver, Samuelsson is on that 2nd line with Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler...the twins, invisible...it's 4-2 L.A. after 40 minutes...well it's not as bad as the 8-3 drubbing...yet...

Back to the drawing board for the 3rd...but then if you're the Vigneault, do you give Raycroft the start in Game 4?  Probably way too early to tell...

10:18 PM: Alain Vigneault made a few line tweaks, and so far they're paying off early - Mason Raymond was promoted to the Canucks' 2nd line in Pavol Demitra's place, and he has been rewarded with a goal - 1-0 Vancouver at just the 2:09 mark...

Other changes - Andrew Alberts and Rick Rypien are healthy scratches in favor of Aaron Rome, and Tanner Glass gets some action...Demitra takes Rypien's spot on the checking line...no changes whatsoever for the Kings....

9:50 PM: Tomas Plekanec made sure the Habs weren't going to get shut out, but that's as close as they'd come...Matt Bradley with a late game goal, and the Capitals win 5-1, and now lead the series 2-1...

Boston's Patrice Bergeron got the eventual Game winner at 12:57 of the 3rd, and the Bruins win 2-1 and lead the series 2-1...this series has not only been low scoring, it's been very chippy...Andrej Sekara and Vladimir Sokotka got into a fight, and Raffi Torres along with Andrew Ference took 10 minute misconduct penalties...

Vancouver-LA forthcoming...

8:47 PM: After 40 minutes on two fronts...it's tied 1-1 between Boston and Buffalo - Mike Grier for the Sabres, Dennis Wideman for the Bruins...

In Montreal, different story altogether...Alex Ovechkin says his favorite rink to play in is the Centre Bell...and he's proving it tonight - the Washington Capitals are playing like the Washington Capitals tonight...Jaroslav Halak has been yanked in favor of Carey Price...and it's a 4-0 Washington lead in Montreal...Boyd Gordon, Brooks Laich, Eric Fehr, and Alex Ovechkin...still 20 minutes to go, but with the Habs clearly showing their frustration and taking misconduct penalties as a result, doesn't seem likely the comeback can happen in this one...but, stranger things have happened...Montreal will have to kill off 2 minutes of a 4 minute Tomas Plekanec penalty, 2 minutes for interference, 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct...they're trying to goad the Caps into shenanigans after the whistle, but to their credit, they are not biting and staying disciplined...if Montreal doesn't reel themselves in and discipline themselves, this series will be over fast...don't forget, this Washington team went on a 15 game streak...winning four straight shouldn't be too hard for them...if there has been a weak spot, it's their power play...if they ever start clicking on that, look out!!

12:29 AM: So uLAr tells me that he was considering picking Dan Boyle...maybe he should have...because technically, Boyle scored it...on his own goalie!!!!  The rookie, Ryan O'Reilly gets credit for the goal after all he did was leave it in the corner...Boyle was trying to reverse it behind the net...

ESPN.com is saying that Ryane Clowe scored it...don't think they're watching the game over there...ironically enough, they gave him the 3rd star...

Colorado wins 1-0, 51 seconds into the 1st OT period, in a game they had no business even being tied, let alone win...on a fluke goal no less...series lead is now 2-1 in favor of the Avs...51 saves for Anderson...

Anything can happen they say...and usually does...OUCH!!!

12:18 AM: OK...so there is still no score in Coors Light country...shots are 50-16 in favor of the San Jose Sharks...

After this one, the 3 stars will be as follows: #1 Craig Anderson, #2 Whoever scores the winning goal, #3 A toss up between Evgeni Nabokov or whoever assists on the winner...since Nabokov has only had to make 16 saves you'd have to give the nod to the assist...unless this somehow goes more than one overtime period...you get the feeling it might...

OK, so for winning goal picks - I've got Darcy Tucker for Colorado and Ryane Clowe for San Jose...

uLAr has Devon Setoguchi for San Jose and Paul Stastny for Colorado...

We could be here awhile...

11:16 PM: We are indeed scoreless after 40 minutes in Denver, Colorado...

In Chicago, everyone was down on goaltender Antti Niemi after Game 1, rightfully so, for the goals Nashville scored on him to steal Game 1...well, they won't be down on him tonight - 23 saves, and a shutout - the Hawks win Game 2 by a score of 2-0 - Dave Bolland on a power play, and Patrick Kane at full strength...the last time a Chicago Blackhawks goaltender got a shutout in the playoffs?  It was 14 years ago, almost to the day - April 19, 1996 - Ed Belfour against the Calgary Flames...

So, every team with a 1-1 split after two games...I can't remember if I've ever seen that...

Do you get the feeling we're in for a long night in the mountains?

11:07 PM: Almost thru 2 periods of play in Denver...and Game 3 between the Avalanche and Sharks is still scoreless...

In Chicago, Patrick Kane has a goal and an assist, and the Blackhawks are about to tie their series in Game 2 against Nashville...2:28 remaining in the 3rd there...

9:43 PM: Still scoreless in Chicago, about 4 minutes into the 2nd...

San Jose-Colorado Game 3 just underway...Dany Heatley is out with an undisclosed injury...

9:13 PM: Pittsburgh wins 4-2 and takes a 2-1 series lead...

uLAr was telling me yesterday that the Andy Sutton hit in Game 2 might have been the turning point in the series for all the wrong reasons if you're a fan of the Senators...the old adage about waking up the sleeping giant...well Sid was good in Game 1 but has been on fire ever since the hit...you can just see it in his eyes...

Still nothing happening in Chicago...last minute of play in the 1st...

9:06 PM: 2 minute warning in Ottawa...and they're going on the power play...

9:03 PM: No Dany Heatley in the San Jose warm up...

9:01 PM: They're just past the halfway mark of the 1st period of Game 2 in Chicago - nothing to report there yet...

8:56 PM: Dan Carcillo...just after the Devils killed off a David Clarkson interference penalty...at 3:35 of the 1st overtime period...Philadelphia leads 2-1...

So far the longest OT game was Game 1 of the Washington-Montreal series...

Sens have just scored on a power play of their own...Matt Cullen...4-2 Pens with 6:10 left...

8:50 PM: Philadelphia just got away with too many men on the ice...moments ago Jeff Carter had the game on his stick, but Martin Brodeur was equal to the task...

8:44 PM: uLAr goes with Zach Parise for NJ, and as one who never makes a pick for the opposition when it's against his team (can't say I blame him), said he'll go with Brian Propp for Philadelphia...

Isn't he an analyst for the Flyers now?!!?

8:43 PM: Bill Guerin makes it 4-1 Pens...there's 13:31 left...

8:34 PM: We've got OT in Philly...still tied 2-2...

I'm giving Brian Rolston the hat trick goal for New Jersey, or Daniel Briere for Philadelphia...

I'm pretty sure uLAr is awake for this one...

8:11 PM: Just as the Matt Cooke got out of the box to give Pittsburgh a short power play, Sidney Crosby waited out Brian Elliott and tucked it in under the crossbar...3-1 Pens...45 seconds left in the 2nd period...

8:09 PM: So much for the power play...slashing on Matt Cullen...4 on 4 for about a minute and a half...

Matt Cooke just took a boarding penalty on Peter Regin, who is none the worse for wear...PP Ottawa...Alfie is on the ice...

7:58 PM: All of a sudden the "Alfie" chants are quiet...Sidney Crosby put a hit on him, and he's left the game...now every time he touches the puck all we hear are boos...

So do you think we can stop calling him "the kid" yet??

7:47 PM: Evgeni Malkin puts the Pens up 2-1...when everybody else quit on the play, Malkin didn't, and put it home...Max Talbot assisting...the Sens had some great pressure going...but trail where it counts...

7:41 PM: Mike Fisher finally gets on the board in this series, with a great feed from Peter Regin, and we're tied 1-1...

Incidentally, Fisher's fiancée Carrie Underwood is attending the American Country Music Awards, where she is nominated for 5 awards, including Album and Entertainer of the Year...

We're tied 2-2 in Philadelphia - in that game Brian Rolston has both New Jersey goals, Claude Giroux and Mike Richards with the Flyers goals...at the 2nd intermission there...

7:35 PM: 1st intermission at The Bank in Kanata - the Penguins got the early start this time on a goal from Alex Ponikarovsky - and it's 1-0 after one...the Senators had a goal disallowed after replays showed Peter Regin directed the puck under Fleury's 5-hole with his skate...it was close, but clearly nobody touched it after...

Phoenix is up 2 games to 1 on Detroit after a 4-2 road win this afternoon, Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen for the Red Wings, Sami Lepisto, Petr Prucha, Radim Vrbata and Wojtek Wolski for the Coyotes...Prucha with the GWG...Vernon Fiddler missed the game with an upper body injury...

And it's 2-1 for Philadelphia with about 5 minutes left in the 2nd...more to come later along with news on Chicago-Nashville Game 2 and San Jose-Colorado Game 3...by the end of the night you'll have all the info you need...

1:01 AM: Every series except for 1 is now tied 1-1...it was Anze Kopitar with the game winner, at 7:28 of the 1st overtime - LA has scored 4 of 5 of its goals on the power play - and this one was no exception, as Vancouver got called for too many men on the ice...

Talk about a game of inches - Kopitar gets the goal unassisted because it bounced in either off Sami Salo or Roberto Luongo...Ryan Smyth was right there in the crease with Salo...so close...

Anyway - I told you the Kings were going to win tonight...didn't I?  My work is done here...five games on Sunday...starting with Game 3 of the Detroit-Phoenix series starting at 3 PM...

12:38 AM: So earlier, uLAr and I were both at a family gathering for somebody's birthday, and I literally got in the door as Washington and Montreal were going to OT...as I was going to check who to pick, the game was over...so he had said Brian Gionta for Montreal and Alex Semin for Washington...as it turned out we know Backstrom got it...looking at what Ovechkin did in the 3rd I probably would have picked him...and maybe Plekanec again for Montreal...anyhow, we know how that ended...

I know uLAr has been working harder than any man should ever have to work lately, so maybe he's gone to bed, but just in case I've solicited his picks...

Myself - I'll (again) go with Ryan Smyth for L.A. and Daniel Sedin for Vancouver...

These playoffs are going into just their fifth day and they're already legendary...

12:34 AM: I told you not to buy into the early lead...the Kings have indeed tied it on goals by Fredrik Modin and Wayne Simmonds...goals were scored 35 seconds apart in the second...

Nothing doing since, and we are now at the end of regulation - so we get OT for the second straight game tonight, and in this series...

10:35 PM: Don't buy too much into this based on what happened in two previous games today, but the Canucks have an early 2-0 lead on the Kings...Steve Bernier and Mikael Samuelsson have scored 2 minutes and 16 seconds apart...about 7 1/2 minutes left in the 1st...

10:22 PM: So, earlier today - Buffalo looked like they were going to storm ahead 2-0, but not so fast...

Tyler Myers (who is about an inch shorter than Zdeno Chara) got things started about 3 minutes into the game...then, after Raffi Torres did all the work down low, Matt Ellis put Buffalo up 2-0...and that was the score after 1 period...then it was the Michael Ryder/Zdeno Chara show...Ryder 2:35 into the middle frame, then Chara at 9:54 to tie it 2-2...Jason Pominville would put the Sabres ahead 3-2 with less than 4 minutes left in the 2nd...but then Ryder and Chara again took it to the net in the 3rd...Mark Recchi put it on ice with an empty netter...so Buffalo-Boston is now tied 1-1 heading back to Beantown...big story in this one - Thomas Vanek left the game with an lower leg injury in the 1st period and did not return...he is, however, making the trip to Boston...so we'll see if he comes back...

Now, I didn't pick Alex Ovechkin to win the Conn Smythe just because he scored 50 goals (again)...I picked him because of the type of impact player he is, the way he can take over a game.  We saw Sidney Crosby get the Penguins going last night, well after a first game where Ovie didn't even register an official shot on goal (he missed on many attempts, though, don't be fooled), tonight, it seemed to be more of the same - as the speculation continues to be Ovie is playing hurt (and who really isn't at this time of year?)...let me just say, if he really is indeed hurt, he put on a hell of a show...not like he had much of a choice - there is NO way the President's Trophy winners should be heading back to Montreal down 2-0...

So, the Habs built up a 4-1 lead on the strength of an Andrei Kostitsyn Hat trick, chasing Jose Theodore in favor of Semyon Varlamov...Brian Gionta started the scoring as Kostitsyn made it 2-0 before the game was 10 minutes old...from there Kostitsyn got the natural hat trick, then, like he did so many times during the season, Ovechkin took over...assisted on a goal from Nicklas Backstrom - 4-2...scored a goal of his own, 4-3...assisted on another goal by Backstrom - 4-4...Tomas Plekanec made it 5-4 with just over 5 left to play...then the rookie sensation who broke Team Canada's hearts at the Junior tournament, John Carlson, broke the Habs' hearts as he tied the game 5-5 with just over a minute and a half remaining, another helper from Ovie...this one would take just 31 seconds to decide - Backstrom capped off a hat trick of his own, and the Habs are probably right now boarding their plane back to Montreal wondering what in the hell just happened?!?  The series is tied 1-1...Game 3 on Monday...

We're about 6 minutes into L.A.-Vancouver Game 2...like I said...L.A. wins this one...or at least if the trend continues, this is what will happen...

The tradition continues...stay tuned...

9:58 PM: OK...just getting in...looks like I missed 2 more tied series...

So far, I know Boston won 5-3, and Washington just moments ago evidently won in OT by a score of 6-5...I know they battled back from a 4-1 deficit...

More to come as I catch up before the Vancouver game...

So just a hunch I have - Vancouver-Los Angeles will be tied by 1:00 AM EST...or, depending on how things go, maybe by 2:00 AM...

Time to check out some box scores and highlights...

12:41 PM: So for those who didn't get a chance to see the hit yet, watch the replay...

Clearly Andy Sutton wasn't taking any crap from reporters either:

"It was just a hit like any other hit I’ve been doing this year.  I saw the guy’s head down. I moved towards him and I think it was a clean hit."

When asked by a Pittsburgh reporter if he knew that he got his elbow up:

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?"

"I’m asking you.  It was on the replay."

"So, you’re an expert," replied Sutton.  "So you say you saw it and you’re an expert?  You’re not an expert."

The rebuttal (talking about a hit Crosby put on Ruutu):

"I think the hit on Jarkko was way worse and I got suspended for hitting Pascal Dupuis earlier this year for the exact same hit. I don’t know why mine’s going to be hotly contested."

Neither does the league, evidently.  TSN was on record last night saying Colin Campbell had deemed it was a clean hit.  It was hard to tell the first time I saw it, but the more replays I see of it, I agree.

As for the series itself - nobody said it was going to be a short one...no folks, this one is just getting started...

Boston-Buffalo Game 2 starts at 1 PM...I'll report on it later...

1:43 AM: Devin Setoguchi, on a power play, 5:22 into the 1st overtime - Sharks win...6-5 - series tied 1-1...Adam Foote took an interference penalty when he ran Jed Ortmeyer into the back of the net...could have called delay of game too...

1:22 AM: OT picks - San Jose - Joe Thornton - Colorado - Kyle Quincey...

1:16 AM: 31 seconds...that was how close it was to being a 2-0 series lead for Colorado...but not tonight!

Joe Pavelski, the hero of the hour...with the goalie pulled - it's 5-5...and we are going to OT in Game 2!!

Chris Stewart has his second of the game, scored at 5:34 of the 3rd, and Colorado is up 5-4 with 11:47 left...

12:43 AM: Empty netter for Zetterberg, who gets his first career playoff hat trick...he has scored twice in six previous occasions...

7-4...Detroit...Series tied 1-1...

12:39 AM: Valtteri Filppula on the power play, with Shane Doan in the box, gives Detroit a 6-4 lead...1:05 left, empty net Phoenix...

Don't know where you'd find Octopus in Arizona, but whoever threw it on the ice must have had it in their freezer for awhile...didn't look as fresh as the ones that come out of Lake Michigan...not that I would know the difference, but this one was smaller than the ones we usually see...thought I saw the culprit being escorted out of the building...

12:28 AM: Henrik Zetterberg with his 2nd of the night...5-4 in favor of Detroit...5:31 remaining...

Devin Setoguchi made it 3-3, Brandon Yip gave Colorado a 4-3 lead, and Scott Nichol has tied it at 4-4...Nichol's goal was scored with 15 seconds left in the 2nd...they're at the intermission...

In the 3rd in Phoenix, Justin Abdelkader had put Detroit ahead for the first time tonight at 2:32 of the period, but moments ago Shane Doan has tied the game...they talk about players having fire in their eyes at this time of year - just take a look at Doan after he scored that goal...hope his daughter was allowed to stay up and watch...

11:43 PM: Chris Stewart gives Colorado a 2-1 lead...they're giving the goalie Anderson an assist...the 2nd was only 24 seconds old...

This one looks like it's going to be another back and forth one...Rob Blake tied it, but moments ago Milan Hejduk has his second of the game...just like that it's 3-2...3 goals in less than 4 minutes...

11:36 PM: Barn Burner Alert: This game in Phoenix is outstanding...after what looks like it was a fairly uneventful 1st, has been blown off the Richter scale in the 2nd...we saw five goals scored in just over four minutes - Henrik Zetterberg tied it on a power play, then Wojtek Wolski took the lead, Pavel Datsyuk tied it, then Matthew Lombardi took the lead...Valtteri Filppula tied it again...it's 3-3...about four minutes left in the 2nd period...

In San Jose, it took them long enough on a power play (another late period penalty...this time for too many men on the ice, Colorado), but Manny Malhotra finally got it by Craig Anderson...on the same power play, Dany Heatley had a wide open net and hit the crossbar (sound familiar?)...

Evidently Andy Sutton got into it with a reporter over the hit...more to come on that...

2nd period just underway at the Shark Tank...

10:57 PM: Jerred Smithson and Martin Erat both scored into empty nets...and Nashville takes Game 1 by a final score of 4-1...the highest margin of victory yet...if you buy into the notion that empty net goals mean something...shots were even 26-26...

1st intermission in Glendale...and we're halfway thru the first in San Jose...the Sharks better get going, although I'm not convinced it's going to happen...

10:52 PM: They were both billed as potential long series, and so far they're true to form...New Jersey and Philadelphia is tied 1-1 (more to come), and Ottawa-Pittsburgh is now tied up at 1 game apiece, after a 2-1 Penguins victory in Game 2...but after this one we won't be talking about Sid getting 1G 1A, we won't even be talking all that much about Peter Regin's 2nd career playoff goal just 18 seconds into the game - even Kris Letang's game winner won't be high on the list - no folks, everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY is going to be talking about Mount Sutton's hit on Jordan Leopold in the 1st period...it was the hit of the playoffs so far, and could turn out to be the hit of the playoffs, period...we're talking stuff of legend here...Scott Stevens eat your heart out...watch the replay if you missed it...Leopold was out cold...as I heard one guy at the restaurant say..."Good Night!"...I have to say, it's one thing watching the game on TV, it's another to see a game live...but try being in a busy restaurant on a Friday night...let's just say we may as well have been at Scotiabank Place...

The only thing I can compare it to in recent history - of course, Stevens on Lindros, but from an Ottawa Senators perspective, there was Game 4 of the 2002 series between Ottawa and Philadelphia...Chara on Jeremy Roenick...yeah...it was that bad...

SoLeopold will have a headache and may think he's already won the Stanley Cup...not sure if Sutton will face a suspension...he served 2 games earlier this year for a hit on Pascal Dupuis, so you never know...

As for New Jersey - they become the first team in these playoffs to win a game by more than one goal...it was a 5-3 final, which was tied 3-3 right up until about 4 minutes left in the game...a back and forth affair this one - Zach Parise got the first Shorthanded goal of these playoffs, then Arron Asham even strength and Claude Giroux on the power play made it 2-1, Colin White even strength tied it, then both teams swapped power play goals, Andy Greene, and then Chris Pronger - tie game 3-3 after 2...and until late in the 3rd...Dainius Zubrus, who Washington probably wishes was still on their team, got the game winner at 15:56...finally Ilya Kovalchuk gets a goal...into an empty net...Devils win 5-3 and tie that series...

Now Chicago was leading their first game 1-0, but it's now 2-1, Nashville, with about 5 minutes left in that game...Patrick Kane for the Hawks, J.P. Dumont with both for the Predators....the late games, Colorado and Phoenix both have 1-0 leads...Milan Hejduk for the Avs, and Keith Yandle for the Dogs...

And now we're all up to date (myself included)...more to come as it happens...

10:26 PM: So I've been on somewhat of a mini vacation this week...took Wednesday, today and this coming Monday as vacation days...today I ventured down to one of my favorite places in the city - Legend Records...for those of you who haven't seen a record since the early 90s, it will take you through a virtual time warp...I literally spent 2 hours PLUS in there going through probably the largest collection of 45s I've ever seen...even bigger than Sam The Record Man back in the day...

From there, ended up at KS On The Keys...one of the best restaurants in town...they had the Sens game on a big screen hanging from the ceiling...nice touch...if anybody tells you there aren't any decent places to go eat in Ottawa, tell them they're lying to you...in the South Keys plaza at Bank & Hunt Club, there isn't a finer establishment around...

So...yeah...it's been a good day...

Now back to hockey...depending on how late the games are over, I might finally get a chance to delve into Grand Theft Auto, Episodes From Liberty City...it finally came out for Playstation 3 - take that all you naysayers on the forums...and...just reading this in my weekly Nintendo newsletter...ZAXXON has been released on the Wii's Virtual Console!??!  Are you kidding me?!!?

Well...they say it will be nasty weather this weekend...

10:09 PM: Just getting in from what's been a great Friday...catching the end of the Devils-Flyers game...will be back...

1:05 AM: I told you all we would see why Vancouver signed Mikael Samuelsson last summer - and like he did so many times with Detroit - he gets the OT winner - 3-2, Vancouver wins Game 1...goal scored at 8:52 of the first overtime period...

And that's a wrap on Day 2...so far every game has been decided by one goal...good night...

12:58 AM: Roberto Luongo just saved the game...it was on the goal line...just not completely over it...wow!!

12:33 AM: And we head to OT in this one too...still tied 2-2 after regulation time...

Going to go with our old friend Ryan Smyth for L.A. and Christian Ehrhoff for Vancouver...

11:32 PM: Fredrik Modin from Alexander Frolov and Dustin Brown, and we're tied 2-2...

11:24 PM: Henrik to Daniel...2-1 Canuckleheads...they're chanting MVP...Daniel has a goal and an assist...

Just past the 1/2way mark of the 2nd...

11:19 PM: Vancouver responded with a power play goal of their own - Mikael Samuelsson and it's tied 1-1...with the crowd into it and a little more physical play, it's on now...

11:09 PM: Jarrett Stoll with the series ice breaker - on the power play with Ryan Smyth in his office...boy does that ever bring back some fond memories...it's 1-0 Kings...

10:49 PM: Scoreless at the Garage in Vancouver...they're at the 1st intermission...

Yet another penalty called late in a period...the Kings will have about 1:50 of power play time to work with when the 2nd starts...things are getting rough between these two already...a lot of chirping going on...

10:11 PM: Jaromir Jagr...I mean, Tomas Plekanec, gets the winner, 13:19 into the 1st overtime period, and the Habs stun the Caps and win Game 1...

I didn't talk about this before, but in case you missed the reference, over the last few days there was a lot of trash talk going on between Plekanec and Washington goalie Jose Theodore...Plekanec did an interview with La Presse (a Montreal newspaper)...when asked about Montreal's chances, made a statement something to the effect that it's not like they're playing against Ryan Miller or Martin Brodeur...when the media asked Theodore about it, he was like "Who said that?  Jagr?!?"...

So far, Plekanec has the last laugh...can't wait to see the post game media scrum of this one...

They talked about it, but Ovechkin is not right...no shots on goal, and evidently his trainer is visiting from Russia...usually he only shows up when Ovechkin is hurt...they'll have to take him off on a stretcher before we'll ever know for sure...upper body injury...just a hunch...absolutely no shot accuracy...

Vancouver-Los Angeles just underway...

9:48 PM: Brian Gionta for Montreal; Alexander Semin for Washington are uLAr's picks...

The Habs have 1:30 of power play time left as Mike Green took a puck over the glass delay of game penalty late...

9:43 PM: I know uLAr is somewhere in Toronto with his Blackberry, so perhaps I'll hear from him on winning goal picks...

I've got Mike Knuble for Washington, Benoit Pouliot for Montreal...

9:36 PM: Buffalo wins Game 1 by the same 2-1 score, but in Washington, we're going to OT, tied 2-2...

Sabres lead their series 1-0...

Don't go away...

9:22 PM: Five minute warning in Washington...hard to believe Ovechkin has no shots on goal...but Jaroslav Spacek has shut him down all night...

9:14 PM: Tied 2-2 in Washington, and Buffalo is up 2-1, both games in the 3rd...

Nicklas Backstrom for Washington, Scott Gomez for Montreal...since the Vanek goal, Mark Recchi for Boston and Craig Rivet for Buffalo...

I can't tell you how weird it is to see Miroslav Satan and Daniel Paille both in a Boston uniform playing against their former team...

7:54 PM: At the 1st Intermission in both Washington and Buffalo...it's tied 1-1 between the Habs and Caps, and the Sabres have a 1-0 lead on the Bruins...Thomas Vanek has the Buffalo goal, and it's Mike Cammalleri for Montreal, Joe Corvo for Washington...

I'm happy that the late game is the only one...I won't have to channel surf...it's my pet peeve about the first round...then tomorrow night, Five games...how do they expect one to blog about all the games?

3:13 PM: Looks like "The Monster" Jonas Gustavsson will be staying put in Toronto for at least 2 more years, signing a 2 year contract extension worth $1.35 million per season...well deserved as at times he really did play like a monster...looks also like Dion Phaneuf will be the next Maple Leaf captain...Ron Wilson has all but come out and said so...

2:44 PM: Check this out...Jarome Iginla was asked his thoughts if the opportunity arose for him to leave Calgary: "I'd look at it. Absolutely. You want to play where you're wanted and people believe in you."

Problem solved...Edmonton trades Sheldon Souray and Ales Hemsky to Calgary for Iginla...make it happen Tambellini!!

2:23 PM: Looks like Alex Kovalev and Milan Michalek might soon be sharing a semi private hospital room...or at the very least attending rehab sessions together...Michalek is done for the season as he will now have season ending surgery on that knee he aggravated last night...torn ACL...

Maybe an opportunity for Shean Donovan...although word on the street is Ryan Shannon will get the call...

Not sure how many noticed the TSN ticker yesterday, but the Sens also put Jonathan Cheechoo on re-entry waivers...so far I haven't heard of anybody claiming him...so maybe calling him up would be an option...as weird as that sounds...I'll bet San Jose wishes they still had him, seeing as he was one of the few players that produced in that series against Anaheim last year...

I'd like to see him get a chance to play again...some players just have a knack for the postseason, and I strongly believe Cheechoo would add an element to the Sens that they will need...but that's just me...

1:01 AM: Avs win...they pay the price and they win...as for the Sharks...same old story...

Overall, not a bad opening night...3 of the 4 road teams win...

Much more to come...keep it right here throughout the playoffs...tomorrow night, Montreal-Washington, Boston-Buffalo and Los Angeles-Vancouver get underway...

12:59 AM: 49.3 seconds left...and T.J. Galiardi has the potential GWG...2-1, Avalanche...just when it looked like we were heading for OT...

12:40 AM: The Red Wings had plenty of late game heroics down the stretch to get into the playoffs, but they do not tie this one in the late dying seconds...Coyotes win Game 1 by the same 3-2 score...

Less than 10 left in California...

12:38 AM: Tie game in San Jose - weird goal, as Ryane Clowe shot the puck from the right hand hash marks...did kind of a spin-o-rama move along the boards, and it went in...

Never a bad play to shoot the puck kids...never...

1-1...11:23 left...

Final minute in Phoenix with the Coyotes holding on to a 3-2 lead...empty net Detroit...I've seen this movie before...

12:13 AM: The Phoenix Coyotes are 3 for 3 on the power play tonight - Derek Morris has put his team ahead 3-2 in the 3rd period...I find this unbelievable, but it's his first career playoff goal...

It's not possible that a team that was on the verge of bankruptcy, and now under the league's control, could actually go all the way and win the Stanley Cup, is it!?

With all of the "what if" NHL ads that we've seen over the last little while, imagine that one..."What if the Coyotes actually left Phoenix?  History will be made"...

And here's another one..."What if Big Joe actually paid the price and showed a will to win?"

12:30 remaining...in the Desert that is...

11:57 PM: Saw this coming a mile away...Colorado has the first goal of this series...John-Michael Liles, who spent some time in the press box but has been dynamite ever since getting back on the ice, has the goal, on a power play with Rob Blake in the box...it's 1-0, Avalanche...goal scored at 12:38 of the 2nd period...as the crowd at the Shark Tank gets impatient...again...

11:29 PM: Well, I'll tell you what - we're at the first intermission of Game 1 of the San Jose-Colorado series, and I just can't help but wonder if San Jose still just doesn't get it...I don't know if it's just the karma at the HP Pavillion, or if it's just the makeup of that team, or what, but all I can tell you is the Sharks are damn lucky the game is scoreless...it really shouldn't be, though - they only missed a gaping wide open net three times in the last five minutes, but what do I know...0-0 with the 2nd period about to start...I don't know, I have a feeling I might regret my Sharks in 5 prediction...but time will tell...

It's a much more exciting game in Phoenix - tied 2-2 in the 2nd period...we're just past the 1/2way mark of that one...2 of the usual suspects for Detroit in Holmstrom and Lidstrom, for the Dogs it's the guy everybody's been talking about all year long - Keith Yandle, and just getting on the board moments ago to tie the game was Wojtek Wolski, who I still can't believe Colorado traded, but again, what do I know...

9:58 PM: Philadelphia 2  New Jersey 1 - Flyers win Game 1...Brian Boucher gets his first playoff win in almost 10 years, and Philadelphia leads 1-0...

Well, we're just getting started!!  2 more games tonight...I'll be back after I take the garbage out and hit the showers...

9:54 PM: 40 seconds left...Brodeur is on the bench with the icing face off in the Flyers' zone...timeout...NJ...

Have I ever mentioned I love playoff hockey?

9:51 PM: 2:43 left in the 3rd period, and New Jersey is finally on the board - Travis Zajac, and it's 2-1...big finish coming up as the Devils look to tie it...

9:37 PM: Ottawa 5  Pittsburgh 4...Game over...Sens win Game 1...and home ice advantage...Ottawa leads series 1-0...

10:05 left in Newark...still 2-0 for the Flyers...the Devils are about to go 0 for 5 on the power play...Kovalchuk has to stop tripping over the blue line...

9:32 PM: Alex Goligoski took a Gretzky-like pass from behind the net from Sid - 5-4...that was unbelievable...don't go away...

1:13 left...empty net Pittsburgh...

9:25 PM: Double minor penalty for Philadelphia...Oskars Bartulis high sticked David Clarkson...

Senators killed off theirs...

9:22 PM: Seems the referees are watching Peter Regin...another penalty for the rookie...holding...6 1/2 left...important penalty kill coming up...

9:18 PM: Another "7 hole" goal...Jarkko Ruutu...Fleury has to have that one...it's 5-3...Ottawa...that line of Ruutu, Neil and Kelly is dynamite...has been all season...and it's obvious they know one of the Pittsburgh goaltender's weaknesses...Don Cherry was blaming the puck for being on edge during his Coach's Corner segment...I don't buy it...he's let goals in like that his entire career...

9:12 PM: Guess how many goals Adams scored in the regular season...0...already has 1 in Game 1 of the playoffs...anybody get him in their hockey pool??

Seems Michalek might have aggravated that knee that he injured in Atlanta during the stretch run...he came out of an along the boards scrum worse for wear...hopefully he's alright...to his credit he's still on the bench...

9:11 PM: Craig Adams fooled Brian Elliott with a backhand...4-3...don't go away.,..

14:04 left...

Looks like Milan Michalek is hurt...he's staying on the bench, though...blocked a shot I think...

9:06 PM: 4 on 4 as Matt Cooke and Jason Spezza took offsetting roughing penalties...not sure if Pittsburgh realizes this yet, but Ottawa is not easily intimidated anymore...I know this is just the first game, but you can already see maturity and confidence in the Sens' game...time will tell if this continues, but they seem to get it...finally...

15:35 left...

9:01 PM: With 3:33 left in the 2nd, Mike Richards gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead...in the last minute of play now...

8:46 PM: Philadelphia has a 1-0 lead...Chris Pronger with the ice breaker in this series...9 minutes left in the 2nd period...the goal was scored at 9:25...

Ilya Kovalchuk almost had the equalizer...it would have been a beauty if he would have scored...

8:45 PM: Senators kill it off...and escape the 2nd period still up by a 4-2 score...

8:43 PM: Too many men on the ice...Ottawa...another late period penalty...

8:37 PM: Seems like the coaching message in this one will be simple - stay out of the freaking penalty box!!  Erik Karlsson gets a rebound goal on the power play after a beautiful blast from the point by Matt Cullen...Ottawa 4  Pittsburgh 2...

Still nothing happening in Newark...13:04 left in the 2nd...

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8:32 PM: Momentum swings again...penalty Chris Kunitz for charging...this is looking like a see-saw game...

8:29 PM: 2nd penalty of the night for Peter Regin, 2nd goal of the playoffs for Evgeni Malkin...the CBC analysis nailed it...Ottawa might be able to keep Sid off the scoreboard, but they will also have to contain Malkin...

It's 3-2...you've gotta love how fast momentum changes in the playoffs...Crosby quietly has 2 assists already...

8:23 left in the 2nd...Malkin almost had a hat trick...Brian Elliott is alright so far...no chance on the two power play goals...

8:23 PM: Either the ice at the Igloo is terrible, or the Penguins are not on their game...so far no real flow to this game...a lot of Offsides and icing plays...

8:17 PM: Penalty...Pittsburgh...so far seems their strategy is slash the stick out of the Senators players' hands...Kris Letang sits for 2 or less...after a shaky first few minutes, Ottawa has settled down and dominated this first game so far...

By the time this series is over, win or lose, everybody is going to know who Erik Karlsson is...he's holding his own...

8:12 PM: No score after 1 at the Rock between the Devils and Flyers...

Not sure if this is going to become a trend, but already in 2 games I've seen a penalty called in the last minute of play of the first period - the Devils will take about a minute's worth of power play time into the 2nd period...

In the Ottawa-Pittsburgh game, same thing, a late penalty for Pittsburgh...and the Sens have actually scored on it early in the 2nd - Chris Kelly, and it's 3-1 in favor of Ottawa...

We have Phoenix-Detroit and San Jose-Colorado starting their series later on...should see another whiteout at the Jobing.com Arena...apparently Coyotes analyst Tyson Nash will be sporting a white Tuxedo...nice!

The 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs are nicely underway...

7:52 PM: Ottawa 2  Pittsburgh 1  1st Intermission - Evgeni Malkin on a power play, and Peter Regin and Chris Neil for Ottawa - 2-1 Ottawa leads after 1 - they played the perfect road period...

As much as Pittsburgh was full marks for their Stanley Cup last year, when I see Marc-Andre Fleury give up a goal like the one he gave up on Neil, I wonder how on earth did they ever do it!?

The fans all have T-shirts that they were given at the gate - they have a Penguins logo and "Mellon Arena White Out" marked on them...not bad...of course, this playoff will be the last we'll see of the Igloo as the Pens move into their new building next season...that T-shirt will be a collector's item for sure...

New Jersey-Philadelphia just underway...

11:05 PM: On the eve of what should be yet another fine playoff run...

My picks and what I expect to see during the first round are all posted in the Puckin' Around section...in the absence of an official playoff page (which is forthcoming by end of week), I received uLAr's picks via E-mail...similar to mine, but different # of games...which if you'll recall, counts in our little pool, which is more or less a mini Duel this year between the two of us...

So here goes nothing:

uLAr picks:

EASTERN CONFERENCE: Washington in 6, New Jersey in 6, Buffalo in 6, Pittsburgh in 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE: San Jose in 6, Chicago in 6, Vancouver in 5, Detroit in 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION: New Jersey

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Chicago

EAST DARK HORSE: Ottawa

WEST DARK HORSE: Detroit

STANLEY CUP: New Jersey

CONN SMYTHE: Martin Brodeur

And, my picks:

Eastern Conference: Washington in 5, New Jersey in 7, Buffalo in 6, Pittsburgh in 7

Western Conference: San Jose in 5, Chicago in 6, Vancouver in 7, Detroit in 6

Eastern Conference Champion: Washington Capitals

Western Conference Champion: Chicago Blackhawks

Eastern Conference Dark Horse: Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference Dark Horse: Detroit Red Wings

Stanley Cup Champion: Washington Capitals

Conn Smythe Trophy Winner: Alex Ovechkin

I don't recall us ever going through a playoff where we both seem to agree on all of the winners of the first round...obviously the # of games as well as who wins the East is going to be a determining factor here...

The madness is imminent...can you dig it!??

10:40 PM: So the Philadelphia Flyers prevailed over the NY Rangers...in a shootout no less...and they qualify for the post season - the Rangers miss by a single point...

In the only other game today that mattered in the East - New Jersey beat Buffalo in the game to decide 2nd in the conference...had Buffalo won in regulation it would be the Sabres in 2nd, but on this day the Devils decided they'd rather face the Flyers than the Boston Bruins...not that you can really pick your opponents...

Chicago failed to clinch first in the West after losing 2-1 to Detroit in OT...

So it breaks down like this:

Eastern Conference: Washington vs Montreal, New Jersey vs Philadelphia, Buffalo vs Boston, Pittsburgh vs Ottawa

Western Conference: San Jose vs Colorado, Chicago vs Nashville, Vancouver vs Los Angeles, Phoenix vs Detroit

And at this stage, it's looking like Anaheim will clinch 11th in the West...they have a 6-2 lead over Edmonton with about 6 minutes left...when George Parros and Steve Eminger both score just their 4th of the season, you know it's going to be a long night...even worse, Ryan Carter has just his 3rd and 4th of the season...all Pat Quinn could do is his best Don Cherry impression behind the bench, with his arms high in the air...

Don't blame Mike Comrie for the Oilers' woes...he managed 13 goals on the season after playing just 43 games...

And as bad as Edmonton has been this year - it's about to get worse - there's rumors that legendary play by play man Rod Phillips may retire at the end of the season...the end of an era for sure for the Hall of Fame announcer...

Even harder to believe is that Teemu Selanne as well as Scott Niedermayer may have played their last games...tonight...both still have wheels...who knows...Ducks missed by a mere 6 points, barring a complete and total meltdown in this game...to me, there's something wrong when a team finishes 7 games above .500 but misses the postseason...Calgary and St. Louis...8 games above .500...

The most telling stat of all...Detroit, the hottest team since the Olympic Break, gets 5th seed...by virtue of 102 points...14 of those points coming from OT losses...take those 14 points away and...you guessed it...Detroit misses the playoffs...then again...so do a few teams (Boston anyone?)...

So using that logic...look out for Vancouver in the Western Conference...they only lost 5 times all season in overtime or shootouts...the least of any team in the entire Playoff Grid...

Analysis of all the series coming by Tuesday night...

And if you're in or around Ottawa tomorrow - check out Game 7 between the Ottawa 67s and the Mississauga St. Mike's Majors...winner moves on to face the 50-9-9 Barrie Colts...home of Stefan Della Rovere, Alex Pietrangelo and T.J. Brodie...not to mention top OHL goalie Mavric Parks, and OHL overage player of the year, Brian Cameron...if the 67s get by Mississauga, it'll be #1 vs #2 in the East...

Another Game 7 happening tomorrow in London, Ontario...the Knights will face the Kitchener Rangers for the right to face another powerhouse - the Windsor Spitfires...

Deep down inside I'm hoping and praying for an Ottawa-Windsor final - win or lose (from a 67s standpoint), I'm chomping at the bit at the prospect (no pun intended) of seeing Taylor Hall live in my hometown before Edmonton (potentially) drafts him...don't know if it's going to happen, though...but the 67s are as good as anybody at this stage...they just have to take it one game at a time...if it happens, no disrespect to Ottawa, but I'm wearing my Oilers Jersey to at least one of the home games...and maybe I'll get myself a blue piece of bristol board and write on it in big orange and blue block letters "Taylor Hall, 2010 #1 NHL draft pick"...

On that note...Oilers lose to Anaheim by a score of 7-2...they finish the season 27-47-8, good for 62 points, and last overall in the NHL...only marginally better than 1992-93 when they went 26-50-8, and '93-94 when they went 25-45-14...by then, of course, Messier and company had all moved on...putting this all in perspective - in their first NHL season in 1979-80, the team was 28-39-13...

Somehow, I don't think Jordan Eberle is going to let that happen next year...who knows, maybe Hall, if drafted, will play too...two things need to happen in my opinion - Sheldon Souray has to go, and Pat Quinn has to go...can't have players on your squad that have made it clear they don't want to be there...and we can't have has been coaches behind the bench when your team is going through a rebuilding phase...

And not that I ever expect this to happen...but maybe make a pitch for Jarome Iginla...he is a local Edmonton boy after all...while we're at it, see if we can get Ryan Smyth back where he belongs, in Blue & Gold...great to see him back in the playoffs...he'll give Vancouver all they can handle...

OK...enough...I'll talk to y'all later...stay tuned for 1st round analysis...

12:58 PM: You almost need to be a mathemetician to figure out how things are going to shake down in the East this weekend...

So we have four teams fighting for 3 spots...Boston (87 points) is in 6th, with 2 games left...Montreal (87 points), Philadelphia (86 points) are 7th and 8th with 1 game remaining.  Philly's game is against 9th place NY Rangers (86 points), as you can see, both are tied in points...Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker...for now...

OK...so assuming Boston wins at least ONE of their remaining two games, regardless of whether it's a regulation or OT win, they'll go to 89 points, and they're in...seriously speaking, if Boston misses the playoffs at this point, it's their own fault...all they should need really is a Point...

All the Habs need is a lousy point as well - they couldn't get it against Carolina, now they'll have to make sure they make a statement at home tonight against their most bitter rival - Toronto - you might recall a couple of years ago in 2007 it was Toronto who ran the table, beating Montreal in the last game of the season before losing out to the Islanders the next day...and if you'll recall - the Islanders ended up winning in a shootout...

So here's where it gets good...if in the outside chance that Toronto beats Montreal in regulation, and if the Philadelphia-Rangers game goes to OT - the Habs are OUT by virtue of the tiebreaker...and the Flyers and Rangers would both make it in...

And it's not just the bottom end that's interesting...we already know Ottawa will finish 5th no matter what, Buffalo will finish 3rd no matter what, Washington will finish 1st no matter what...but you have New Jersey and Pittsburgh fighting it out for the Atlantic Division...and both have an identical record with two games remaining...if both teams win both of their final games, then things stay the same way as they are now, since the Devils won the season series between the two...if one of the two wins both of their games and the other loses even one of the two...then we'll see...

As I was saying yesterday - look in the West, and it's a fight to the finish between 5th, 6th, and 7th...Detroit won their game last night, so as it stands right now, the Wings get to 100 points for about the umptillionth season, and if nothing changes, they will fly to the Desert to play the Dogs in round one...so even though both are in, there's a lot riding on that Detroit/Chicago game tomorrow....but Nashville and L.A. will have a couple of things to say before that's all said and done...with the prospect of them all being 3 point games (L.A. is playing Edmonton after all), I don't even know what to tell you...

A quick glance of the standings has Chicago in 1st by virtue of the tiebreaker over San Jose...that race is not over by any stretch...

Like I said...you figure it out...and may the best team win...it's going to be a fun finish!!!

One thing I know for sure - is I will lose this year's edition of Weekend Picks...there just simply isn't any probability about it...I missed making picks last night but I would have only picked St. Louis different from the other four games...at this point I'm just too far behind, even if all of my remaining picks end up correct...which neither one of us has been able to do since we started this thing...

So congrats to uLAr for dethroning me, it's been a fun couple of years...but as they say, the rivalry and tradition continues...

I love this time of year!!!

9:36 AM: TSN reported late last night that Pat Burns was released from hospital and is resting comfortably at home...good news for sure...those Irish are tough I tell ya...

Anyhow - playoff seeding still to be determined...as of right now, Pittsburgh and New Jersey could flip flop depending on how the final couple of games go...Ottawa will not move from 5th...

In the West, Phoenix solidified 4th, but could play either L.A., Detroit, or Nashville, all three are tied with 98 points...

It's going to be an interesting weekend...Boston put more pressure on Montreal and Philly last night with a win...Habs drop down to 7th after failing to win in Carolina...

If the Hurricanes had played the opening half of the season the way they've played the back end, they'd be in...probably safe to say the Leafs would be too...or at least in the race...

And as if you needed more proof as to which conference is the stronger, East or West, look at #9-12 in the West...then compare those point totals to 6-10 in the East...

So much for 90 points being the benchmark for playoff qualification...

11:37 AM: Some news regarding our old friend Pat Burns - on Sunday he was admitted to hospital just outside Tampa, Florida with Pneumonia - Sunday was his 58th birthday.  Burns, as many know, has terminal lung cancer which a year ago he opted to forgo further chemotherapy on.  You'll recall he battled liver and colon cancer prior to that.

Puckin' Around sends our utmost best wishes to Mr. Burns - we all know him as a tenacious coach, and we know he will courageously fight this to the bitter end...

There is a Facebook group called "Let's Get Pat Burns into the Hockey Hall Of Fame - NOW!" which has in just over ten days attracted more than 50,000 followers - with my joining, they're at 50,944...and growing fast...the HHOF selection committee must make their selections by April 15 - we can only hope and pray Pat will live long enough to see it happen...

6:19 PM: So looks like we're going to pick for Thursday too...the final weekend of the regular season - Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday...for all the marbles...ie bragging rights...

1:02 PM: Well!  What a weekend it was here in Ottawa - on Good Friday and Passover Saturday we broke temperature records on both days - sunny and warm - 28 Celcius on Friday, and 27 Celcius on Saturday...unfortunately since then temperatures have come down to more seasonal levels, but still warmer than most years at this time - it's hovering around 10-15 Celcius, and today with rain...huge Thunderstorms last night...

Definitely not hockey weather...even though we're exactly one week removed from the playoffs...

Having said that - we now know the eight teams who will take part in the Western Conference festivities - thanks in large part to a 2-1 San Jose Win over Calgary last night, and a 4-3 Colorado Shootout win over Vancouver...The Avs are IN, the Flames are OUT...and there are no more spots left!

In the east, it's down to the Rangers and either Philadelphia, Boston or Montreal for that last spot - Montreal has more of a cushion - the intriguing story here - Philadelphia finishes with 2 games against the Rangers...so unless Boston caves in, that could be the season for either team right there...

Thanks to a 3-0 loss to New Jersey last night, Atlanta is now officially done...too bad too, because they stayed in there right until the bitter end...can't imagine what this team has to do to see some postseason success, but you have to think they're solid in goal...

I put up a Pergola outside over the hot days, and I can't wait to start sitting on the deck...it's too bad I don't have a way to mount a TV out there...I guess I could always open the window and turn the TV towards the deck...no?

Can the playoffs start today...please?

Stay tuned for little tidbits here and there...the reason we didn't do picks last weekend was because uLAr was in Florida - so I'm going to arrange to include Friday for the final weekend...makes it a nice round number anyway...25 weeks...

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For questions, comments, disagreements, or just to say hi, please send E-mail to puckin45@puckinaround.net

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