7:57 PM: The lead up to July 1st and free agency...gotta love it...

Well, regardless of who it is, it's official - the Edmonton Oilers will have a new captain next year - Ethan Moreau was claimed off waivers today by the Columbus Blue Jackets...yet another guy from the 2006 team is heading to Ohio...although, they did trade Raffi Torres away, didn't they?

And, in a separate trade with the Phoenix Coyotes, they send Patrick O'Sullivan, another player placed on waivers yesterday, in return for...Jim Vandermeer!?!?  A little size back on D, I guess...

So of the three players they were planning buyouts on, only Robert Nilsson will count towards the cap it seems...assuming there isn't something else in the works...there's still the ongoing rumor that Sheldon Souray could get moved before midnight...we'll see...

In other news - Nigel Dawes was placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames...in a separate trade, the Flames sent Jason Jaffray to the Anaheim Ducks for Logan MacMillan...they swap contigent 7th rounders in 2013 in the deal...David Clarkson signs a multi-year deal with the New Jersey Devils...Minnesota have re-signed two prospects, Matt Kassian and Nate Prosser...and the biggest news of the day - Philadelphia has re-signed goalie Michael Leighton to a 2 year, $3.1 million deal...not bad for somebody who made $500,000 last season and made it to Game 6 of the Finals...

And just coming down the pipe...Rod Brind'Amour is hanging them up after 21 seasons - he is staying with Carolina in an as yet unspecified front office role...the Hurricanes former captain spent 10 years with the Canes...gulp, winning the Cup in 2006....

In Montreal, Dan Ellis may not end up in a Habs uniform if he's unable to come to an agreement before midnight...if not, then it'll be Kostitsyn for Boyd straight up..."future considerations" are listed on both sides of the deal, probably depends on if Ellis signs or not...

And now you're up to date...for now...I've got my eyes and ears to the wire over the next 24 hours or so...

7:38 PM: The World Cup of soccer is getting ridiculous...so now we have Italy, France, England, USA, Mexico, Portugal, all gone...with 8 teams left, it's got to be a toss up between Germany, Brazil and Spain at this point...no?!  Paraguay beats Japan on penalty kicks!?  Are you kidding me?!?  They may be playing the games in South Africa, but all of a sudden it's become the World Cup of South America...and we wait for the round of 8, starting on July 2...you know, I'm starting to wonder if Ghana might actually take this whole thing...they lucked out and got Uruguay in the quarterfinals...Netherlands are up against Brazil, Paraguay against Spain and Argentina gets Germany...wow!!

Anyhow - on to hockey news - and there is plenty of it today - the Habs have pulled off another blockbuster - sending Sergei Kostitsyn to Nashville for Goalie Dan Ellis and forward Dustin Boyd...if you're a Montreal fan, you have to love how your team is bulking up...they also announced today they signed Tom Pyatt and Benoit Pouliot to one year deals...$500,000 on a one way deal for Pyatt, $1.375 million for Pouliot...

Who knows, before long you might see two Pouliots in Montreal - Edmonton Oilers announced today they won't be attempting to re-sign Marc Pouliot or Ryan Potulny (which is a bit of a surprise - Potulny was one of only a few bright spots on an otherwise horrid team last season)...both are UFAs July 1...and adding to the mass exodus out of Oil Country - Ethan Moreau, Patrick O'Sullivan and Robert Nilsson were all placed on waivers, indicating that they might be bought out if nobody claims them...so I'm guessing barring a trade, Shawn Horcoff might end up the next Oiler captain...I guess after you finish 30th, nobody's job is safe...still don't know what they're planning in net...although I wasn't all that disappointed with Double D...their problem wasn't goaltending, it was scoring...

In more Oilers news - news today that team president Patrick Laforge is working with Hamilton city councillors on a tentative deal that would see the Oilers ownership group run the Copps Colliseum has some fans in a bit of an uproar...Laforge insists the deal is all about expanding Daryl Katz business opportunities and not about moving the team - I can't imagine the NHL approving a move to Hamilton anyway, not on Bettman's watch...but, the move might convince Edmonton city councillor's to get going on ironing out a deal to help fund a new arena...you know, threathen them with the prospect that if they don't help build a new rink, there's a rink all ready and willing to accept a new tenant...honestly, I hope that isn't Katz' mentality, but who knows...

And this shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone in this city - today Jonathan Cheechoo cleared waivers and was subsequently bought out by the Ottawa Senators...the man who lit HP Pavillion on fire after the Joe Thornton trade just never, for whatever reason, found his way in Ottawa...it certainly wasn't from a lack of trying...

Finally today - Adam Oates has been named an assistant coach to John Maclean in New Jersey...Larry Robinson remains with the team as their other assistant coach, and former NJ goalie Chris Terreri is the goaltending coach...

Speaking of qualifying offers - Dallas officially announced they will not be offering Mike Modano a contract...speculation had been that he'll retire, but there is a slight chance he might sign a one year deal with another team...

July 1 is fast approaching...

11:07 PM: While negotiations are expected to hit the boiling point over the next 24-48 hours or so, word out of Boston is that Marc Savard has lifted his no-trade clause if a trade could be worked out either with Ottawa or Toronto...by July 1, that list is expected to grow to no more than 5 teams...let me guess...Montreal, Buffalo, and pick any of the teams in the Atlantic Division aside from the Rangers...perhaps...hmmm...Philadelphia?!!?...as many already know, Savard is from Ottawa...chances are he'll want to remain close to home...

Of course, yesterday, Boston announced they had traded away forward Vladimir Sobotka to St. Louis for the rights to defenseman David Warsofsky, a fourth round pick of the Blues in 2008...perhaps they're clearing up cap space...Say goodbye, Jason Spezza...?!? 

Speaking of Philadelphia - they acquired the rights to goalie Evgeni Nabokov from the San Jose Sharks for a 2011 7th round pick!?!?  Of course, we saw a LOT of this after the lockout was finally over...teams trading the rights of assets for nothing more than a late draft pick and a box of pucks...the catch here being, if the Flyers can't sign Nabby by July 1st, then he'll be unrestricted anyway...so if Philly can sign him, he'd have to waive his no-trade clause, which he is willing to do...then San Jose gets a late round pick they can potentially use on another Ottawa 67s star...

I don't know...one would think Michael Leighton has earned himself a chance to be Philadelphia's top goalie after what just happened in the playoffs, Game 6 of the finals notwithstanding...does the Flyers' brass really believe Nabokov would be the answer in goal??

And Pittsburgh did a similar thing on Friday night - acquiring the rights to Dan Hamhuis from Philadelphia for a 3rd round draft pick...Hamhuis was just traded to Philadelphia last week, with Ryan Parent headed to the Music City...but talks to sign him have not gone well...Ray Shero believes he can not only sign Hamhuis, but also put pressure on the Sergei Gonchar camp to come down a little bit in salary demands...a 3rd round pick in a draft that is not expected to be as deep as this year's was, for a chance at another Stanley Cup?  Sure...

Never a dull moment in this sport, is there?

So, a few notables from the 2nd round...I'm pretty happy to see some of the names that Edmonton got in the later rounds - with their 2nd round 31st pick, they went with a center Tyler Pitlick - who, just in case Sens fans are curious, yes, he is related to former NHLer Lance Pitlick - Tyler is his nephew...Oilers had 3 picks in the 2nd round...they got Martin Marincin of Slovakia, a 6 foot 4 defenseman, at #46 - (just one pick too late to get Ryan Spooner from the Peterborough Petes...he went to Boston...)...and at #48 they got Curtis Hamilton from the Saskatoon Blades...they acquired the #46 pick from Carolina for former 1st rounder from 2007 Riley Nash...it's probably abundantly clear at this stage that both Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall will get a shot...Nash was deemed expendable...

But the pick I'm happiest about, aside from Taylor Hall of course, is their third rounder at #61 - Ryan Martindale - yet another Ottawa 67s graduate...

I mentioned Tyler Toffoli of the 67s...he's actually going to California after all...the LA Kings drafted him at #47...he was actually ranked 27th...and rightfully so...Kings fans, you're going to love him...

And fans in Columbus - you're going to love Dalton Smith, too...he was their 2nd round pick at #34...hell, even the 67s goalie Petr Mrazek got drafted...in the 5th round - by Detroit at #141...go figure...they say Red Wings scouting has a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, or good players in the later rounds - well there's another good one...

Aside from Edmonton's 3 picks in the 2nd round, only other Canadian pick was Toronto at #43 - Brian Burke opted for LW Bradley Ross of the Portland Winter Hawks...the pick came from Chicago for unsigned prospect Jimmy Hayes...the pick shouldn't produce any complaints from Don Cherry - he's a good Canadian boy...the Leafs also acquired forward Mike Brown from the Ducks for their 5th round, 122nd pick...

Calgary and Ottawa didn't pick until the 3rd round - the Flames took Kootenay's Maxwell Reinhart at #64, and the Sens took Jakub Culek, from the Czech Republic, and a member of the Q's Rimouski last season...

Plenty of talent, but only a handful will make it into the elite echelons of the NHL...seems there was plenty more OHL and QMJHL selections this year than normal...maybe it's just me...

Notes: A record for US born players taken in the first round - 11 - but it wasn't until pick 11 that a team drafted an American - Dallas, not expected to welcome Marty Turco back into the fold, took the fine young tender Jack Campbell.  Canada again, no surprise, was the dominant hockey player factory, with 14 of the 30 picks coming from this great land of ours.  Surprisingly, no Swedish players taken in the first round, and only one Finnish born player.  And, I believe Nino Niederreiter is the highest ever drafted Swiss born player - and he's got some serious skills - the Islanders are on their way.  California seems to have all of a sudden become a hotbed for hockey...and the California based teams love the local talent...

Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Gudbranson is an Orleans, Ontario native...nice writeup in this week's Orleans Star (local community paper) - Florida will get a solid D-man to replace the traded Ballard...more to come...

Cam Fowler, who was expected to go top 5, didn't hear his name called until #12 by Anaheim...with Scott Niedermayer retiring, it was a safe bet that the Ducks would draft a defenseman - they must have been shocked that Fowler was still available.

A lot was made of Carolina going way off the board with their pick of Jeff Skinner at #7 - but one person in Canada who won't be surprised at all - Donald S. Cherry...Skinner had a remarkable season with the Kitchener Rangers - maybe he wasn't on anybody's radar, but he should have been...while everybody talks about Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires - Skinner and the Rangers were right there with them...in fact - they almost swept them out of the playoffs before the Spitfires pulled a Philadelphia out of their helmets...although, they did it before the Flyers remarkable comeback against Boston...

Speaking of Boston...seems kind of ironic they announced shortly after drafting Seguin that Mark Recchi had decided to come back for one more year...good on him bringing that veteran leadership into the room...the Bruins are not far off from being a contender...second round gaffes aside...and what else could you call what happened against Philly?

Not sure if St. Louis expected to pick again just two picks after their first pick, but there it was - Ottawa trades their 16th pick for D David Rundblad - their first round pick from last year...with the pick, they chose Vladimir Tarasenko - the 2nd ranked European Skater according to Central Scouting...(1st ranked Mikael Grandlund was taken by Minnesota at #9).

I think Montreal fans might forgive Pierre Gauthier for trading away their beloved Halak - he traded up in the draft - sending their 27th and 57th selections to Phoenix in exchange for #22 and #113 - with the pick they took Jarred Tinordi, son of former NHLer Mark Tinordi - the young Tinordi stands 6 foot 6 and weighs 205 pounds...as I said before - the Habs HAVE to get bigger...well they just did...

Big trade of the day - and it's another one involving the Florida Panthers - already involved in a trade earlier in the week with Boston - this time they acquire Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner and Vancouver's 25th pick, in exchange for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich - the trade initially was conditional on a player Florida wanted still being available at that point, and he was - ranked #19 - Panthers draft center Quinton Howden...

No surprise - Washington picks the 3rd ranked European skater with their first pick - Evgeni Kuznetsov goes to the Caps with the #26 pick...faced with the possibility they might not be able to keep Alex Semin on their payroll, they're getting some insurance...

I expected the San Jose Sharks might keep their tradition of drafting former Ottawa 67s alive - and this year with Tyler Toffoli and Ryan Martindale available, how could they not?  (Well, I'm kind of happy they didn't, as you'll learn later...).  Sharks pick Charlie Coyle at #28, who will attend Boston University next year...he is Tony Amonte's cousin...

Anaheim had a habit in this year's draft of picking players who otherwise probably wouldn't have been available if everything went according to Central Scouting...Emerson Etem, from Long Beach, California, was ranked 8th overall - but somehow was still waiting to be picked well towards the end of the first round - Etem, much to the chagrin of the Los Angeles Kings' faithful, is now property of the Ducks...

After having already gained a few spots in the draft thanks to the Dustin Byfuglien trade - the Chicago Blackhawks traded away their #30 pick to the NY Islanders for pick #35 and 58...with the last pick of the 1st round, the Isles got center Brock Nelson, whose uncle is none other than Dave Christian, member of the 1980 Miracle On Ice team...Nelson comes from a long line of Hockey greatness - his grandfather, Bill Christian, was a gold medal winner with Team USA in 1960, and his great uncle, Roger Christian, won silver in 1956...maybe we'll see Brock playing for the Americans as early as this Christmas, when the Junior tournament is held in Buffalo...

9:51 PM: The moment I've been waiting for since...well...Christmas...has come and gone...and no surprise - Taylor Hall is the 1st overall pick in this year's NHL Draft - and he joins an Edmonton team that desperately needs him...I know we've heard the debates over the last few months - Taylor or Tyler? (Seguin, as expected, went second to Boston) - well, if you're rebuilding a team, with all due respect to the CHL's prospect of the year, I'll take the two time Memorial Cup MVP, thank you very much!!  Hall, Eberle...are you kidding me?  No 30th place finish for the Oil next year...that's all I have to say...

More to come later after the first round has completed...no shortage of news, for sure - Ottawa has traded their first round pick for yet another Swedish defenseman - St. Louis' first round pick from 2009, David Rundblad...I'm guessing it can't hurt to give Erik Karlsson someone to play with, especially with Alfie getting on in years...

Still about 8 players to be picked for the first round, so I'll be back later...

7:18 PM: So, yesterday, in case you didn't hear - a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Ottawa region...the epicentre of the quake was just 60 km north of here - around Buckingham, Quebec...tremors could be felt from as far west as London and as far east as Montreal...parts of upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio also reported feeling it...believe me when I tell you that when you're not used to it, it's probably the scariest 30 seconds to a minute that I've endured since moving into this new house...I was actually on my lunch break...so I was actually (according to experts), in a good spot of the house, had anything happened like a broken window or collapsed ceiling or something...thankfully, the house is perfectly fine...but until I knew what had happened I would have sworn either A) an airplane was flying right over my roof or a helicopter was landing on it, or B) something had exploded...not unlikely, because not only is there a natural gas pipeline right behind my fence, but there's a gas station on the corner of the main intersection about 500 feet away from my house...and they're doing construction on a new bank about 250 feet away...add to that a Tim Horton's with a drive thru within 100 feet, and a couple of restaurants and a grocery store...and who knows what could have happened...all I know is I thought the roof was coming off...very unsettling and scary to say the least...at the end of it all, I may be shaken but not stirred...

Anyhow - my point behind all of this - later on, there were reports of a Tornado settling down on Midland, Ontario...between severe weather and the geological disturbances, something knocked out the sound on CBC's HD feed last night, because I could watch the awards, but not hear them unless I tuned into a standard feed...so I tune in to see Jonathan Toews schmoozing with George Strombolopolous, and what looked like a representative of the Bunny Ranch...I tuned in to see the awards, not to watch Toews get lucky with a few fine looking women...

So, for the 3rd straight year (this is becoming a habit), I missed 90% of the awards show...although, I guess with the internet now, who needs to watch...

Henrik Sedin was awarded the Hart...the first ever Vancouver Canuck to be given the honor...it was the closest vote in the history of the award - Sedin only garnered six more first place votes than the runner up - guess who - Alex Ovechkin...of course, we already knew Sedin had also clinched the Art Ross trophy...

Ovechkin wasn't shut out, however, winning the Ted Lindsay award - otherwise known as the Players' MVP...

Duncan Keith, who many thought might have been in the running for the Conn Smythe, won the Norris trophy...well deserved...seems he's made a trip to the dentist since winning the Cup as he showed off his new pearly whites...

Dave Tippett, who took a Phoenix team on the verge of bankruptcy into a fourth place finish and a playoff berth for the first time in nearly a decade, was awarded the Jack Adams...

Although I thought Marty Brodeur might win the Vezina by virtue of breaking the all-time shutout record, the winner was Ryan Miller...Brodeur gets the Jennings...

Pavel Datsyuk won his 3rd straight Selke award...they'll probably rename it after him before long...kind of like for awhile it seemed the Norris was about to be renamed the Lidstrom trophy...Datsyuk was shut out of winning the Lady Byng for a fifth straight year, however - that honor went to Martin St. Louis...

Jose Theodore won the Masterton...and Tyler Myers is rookie of the year after a fine Calder trophy winning first season with Buffalo...during his acceptance speech he thanked the team for keeping him in junior an extra year, drawing comparisons to a former team mate Luke Schenn, who made it to the big club right away (out of necessity, I might add)...

The new Mark Messier Leadership award was given to Sidney Crosby, and as we already knew, Crosby shared the Rocket Richard with Steve Stamkos...

Overall, not too many surprises...I think perhaps Kurtis Foster might have got shafted on the Masterton, but aside from that, pretty predictable winners...the Norris wasn't even close evidently...Keith led by a landslide in voting over Drew Doughty and Mike Green...

11:26 AM: The Chicago Blackhawks are just barely 2 weeks removed from winning their first Stanley Cup in 49 years, and already it appears they're slightly dismantling the team - or clearing up Cap Space is probably more like it...

The player who, for my money, was Chicago's MVP, with all due respect to Jonathan Toews, has been traded to Atlanta - Dustin Byfuglien, along with defenseman Brent Sopel, forward Ben Eager and minor leaguer Akim Aliu, all head to Atlanta, in exchange for Marty Reasoner, minor leaguer Jeremy Morin, and Atlanta's 1st and 2nd round picks in this year's draft...

And, moments ago, it was announced that Colin Fraser has been sent to Edmonton in exchange for a sixth round draft pick in Friday's draft...so it's almost a certainty that captain Ethan Moreau may not be with the team on October 7th, since Fraser is more or less the same type of player...ironic that Fraser is now also a former Blackhawk...

I'll be back later today with a look at last night's awards ceremony...

7:04 PM: Evidently Tomas Plekanec is deemed a more valuable player in Montreal than Jaroslav Halak - Plekanec signed a 6 year contract extension worth a reported $30 million...although official financial terms were not released...

The 2010 Inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame were announced this afternoon - and for the first time, the Hall gives a nod to two female players - Cammi Granato, and Angela James...Dino Ciccarelli rounds out the players category, a nod many feel is long overdue for a player who was never expected to play again after badly injuring his leg in his 2nd year of junior...he only went on to amass 608 goals and 592 assists over 19 seasons spread out among 5 teams - Minnesota (North Stars), Washington, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Florida...I thought he won a Cup in Detroit, but he actually played in Tampa Bay during the two seasons the Red Wings finally won...he did play in two finals - 1981 and 1995...rumor has it he's been kept out of the Hall for so long due to a series of physical altercations/incidents, probably the worst and most publicized being his attack on Luke Richardson in January 1988 - Richardson, who was playing for Toronto at the time, received a wicked slash which cost Ciccarelli a $1000 fine and a day in jail...so if you've ever wondered why Leaf Fans were still booing him in 1993's Red Wings-Leafs series that Toronto won in 7...that's why...and that's also why you'll probably hear a lot of debate over the induction in weeks to come...not to mention debates on whether or not Eric Lindros belongs in...

All I know is as long as they keep Todd Bertuzzi out of the Hall, then they can induct whomever they want...I'm serious...Alexei Yashin better get inducted before Bertuzzi does...

2:49 PM: Seeing more of these type of deals trickle in...Minnesota acquired Brad Staubitz from San Jose for a 5th round draft pick...

Matt Cooke appears to have re-upped with Pittsburgh for three more years...and Phoenix retains the services of one Taylor Pyatt for two more years...

Mathieu Darche will remain a Hab for 1 more year...

And it seems EA Sports will put a Chicago player on the cover for a second straight year - captain Jonathan Toews will grace NHL 11's cover, in the Blackhawks retro black uniform...nice!!

Just happened to glance over a few notes from the weekend...and I completely missed this one - Jason Arnott was re-acquired by New Jersey, where he was a Stanley Cup double-overtime hero in 2000...going to Nashville was Matt Halischuk and a 2nd round pick in 2011...Philadelphia, also managed to lure Dan Hamhuis out of Predator-ville, for Ryan Parent...clearly it seems Nashville is shedding a little salary...

Of course, today in Ottawa, we wait and we wonder if Jason Spezza will still be in a Sens uniform when the puck drops October 7...he told Bryan Murray he woud be "open" to a trade...Murray further went on to say he'd go ahead and make a move, if it makes sense...careful what you wish for Ottawa...

As promised, the NHL released its 2010-11 regular season schedule today...plenty of highlights in the NHL's 93rd season...you can check out the write up on NHL.com...

Florida and Boston reported a blockbuster deal today - Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell head to the Bruins in exchange for Dennis Wideman and Boston's 2nd 1st round draft pick (15th overall) on Friday and 2011 3rd round pick...

There are multiple reports this hour confirming that Tom Renney will take over head coaching duties in Edmonton from Pat Quinn...it's expected Quinn is to become a senior advisor to GM Steve Tambellini...

And...a press conference is scheduled for 4 PM EST where Scott Niedermayer is expected to officially announce his retirement...once and for all...

11:55 PM: Lakers win 83-79 and win the series in 7...I hate you Kobe...but, that was a great game!!  Went right down to the last minute...man, how did Rondo miss that 3 pointer?!?!...got shades of Vince Carter against Philly way back when!...Jordan would have made that shot...oh well...great season for both teams...Lakers were expected to repeat and they did...but for awhile there it looked like they wouldn't...bravo Boston!!

10:24 PM: Don't know if my old rig just can't take my long post season post mortems anymore, or if I just neglected my hard drive once too often...but I no sooner got the long rant posted on Tuesday and my computer decided to give me the dreaded Blue Screen treatment..."Unmountable Boot Volume"...I knew I was in trouble...as it turned out, I had to boot from a boot disk and run the Check Disk program to repair whatever it was that got corrupted...that took all night...and then, an entire day to defragment...finally I have a computer again...thankfully I didn't lose any important data, but you want to believe today I was backing up anything and everything I could...that external hard drive I bought on Boxing Day is my hero today...

Anyway, sitting back watching Game 7 of the Boston Celtics-L.A. Lakers NBA Finals series (it's 40-34 Boston at the Half)...and, checking Sportsnet.ca, I get faced with a big picture of Carey Price...and then I learn the Habs traded Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis!?!?!? 

ARE YOU <BLEEPING> KIDDING ME!??!!?!?!?

Looks like J.D. and company are serious about getting the Blues deep into the playoffs...

So who did Montreal get for Halak?  Lars Eller, a centre who may be ready to play as early as next season...and winger Ian Schultz, who fans of the Calgary Hitmen will know well...it was called a "big picture decision" by "The Ghost" himself, Pierre Gauthier...

Check out some of the comments from various outlets, Twitter included: "A Shame", "A nightmare", "April Fool's In June" (well, in fairness, the Habs fooled us ALL this past April (and May), didn't they?!), and this tidbit from Liberal MP Justin Trudeau, during the last Canadian House of Commons meeting before the summer break: "What?  Halak for two hockey sticks and a bag of magic beans?"

Gauthier has a point though...the fans haven't seen Eller play yet - and Montreal's biggest problem wasn't their goaltending (obviously), but it was their size up front and on D...this move addresses that to a certain extent...Eller is six foot-one, 198 pounds...the 21 year old Danish player was drafted 87th overall by the Blues in 2008...a diamond in the rough maybe?!  As for Schultz, just the fact that he played for the Hitmen should tell you the whole story...he has grit...something the Habs didn't have against Philadelphia...

Salary Cap move or not - the right way to go or not - it's clear Montreal will go with the younger Carey Price and see if he can run with the #1 goalie job...yeah, good luck with that...

And, no surprise - the Habs officially bought out Georges Laraque, who these days is helping rebuild a children's hospital down in Haiti...the $1 million buyout will be spread out on the books over two years, giving Montreal a cap hit of $500,000...so with that logic, could have used the remaining $4 million that they would have paid Laraque on Halak...no?...just saying...

If you're a Blues fan, you have to be very happy today...this is Chris Pronger-like...and they weren't done there - they also acquired T.J. Hensick from the Colorado Avalanche for Julian Talbot...

In other news, John MacLean is the new head coach of the New Jersey Devils...the Devils' franchise leader in scoring, and yet another AHL graduate gets his due...

And the Boston Bruins promoted Cam Neely to the Team President job today...the former vice president takes over a role vacated by Harry Sinden in 2006...

Now if you'll excuse me...I'm going to watch the end of the NBA season...Let's Go Celtics!!!

Post season post mortem - I promised you one, and here it is...

Every year we go through the motions of an 82 game regular season, knowing full well it is merely a dress rehearsal for what’s to come – the 2 month Stanley Cup Playoff grind…and every year we wonder, how can we possibly top what’s happened in previous years?!  Let’s be honest – this game has quite a history, so to be able to come out and boldly state “History Will Be Made”, without having played one playoff game in 2010, was quite the strategy for the NHL – but you know what?  It worked…

I know just a year ago, in 2009, we were all saying right about now that we had witnessed probably the best playoff run in a decade…and myself included in that mix, I was wondering how could you possibly top it – well we got our answer in 2010 – we thought it was finally Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals’ time.  Not even close.  Detroit came in the back door and looked like they might contend again.  Not so fast.  We thought San Jose might finally be getting over the hump.  Well, they did stick around another round.  Early on it was looking like the Penguins might repeat.  Then you have Montreal – who even made a believer out of me…right up until they met up with the surprise team of the playoffs – unfairly I might add – the Philadelphia Flyers.  You can look it up if you must, but it was yours truly who suggested the Flyers would, at the very least, end up in the semi-finals thanks to the acquisition of both Chris Pronger, and Ray Emery.  Well, as we went along, Emery turned out to be every bit the bust he was in Ottawa, not even getting to suit up for a playoff game to redeem himself, and Pronger, well, love him or hate him, he was only the best defenseman in the Eastern Conference, as evidenced by the Flyers’ quick work of the upstart Habs in five games.  It was the way they got there that the entire hockey community is still reeling over.  At Christmas the Flyers were 2^nd last in the Eastern Conference – but like they did right up until their inevitable elimination in the final, they battled back – the Flyers, to be fair, played playoff hockey from January on, needing a shootout on the last game of the regular season against the other team that was fighting for the same playoff spot – the New York Rangers.  After beating what appeared to be a listless New Jersey Devils team in five games, it appeared they were for real.  Then they went down not one, not two, but three games to love against the Boston Bruins, who were on the verge of sweeping Philly right out of the playoffs in the 2^nd round.  Then – history.  As if things couldn’t get bad enough, Brian Boucher left Game 4 with an injury, and the Flyers, already without Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere, would have to place their playoff hopes on one Michael Leighton.  The writing was on the wall – or was it?  What happened next had to be seen to be believed, but believe me when I tell you there was no quit in Philly.  Four games more than we expected later, they had done it – they became just the 3^rd team ever in the history of hockey, and 4^th ever in the history of professional sports, to come back and win a series down 3-0.  Just ask the Montreal Canadiens what happened next.  But, the Western Conference had the answer for Pronger, Carter, Leighton, Laperriere, et al – the Chicago Blackhawks.  Western Conference semi-finalists a year ago, went all the way this year with virtually the same squad, and a rookie goaltender – rookie, that is, to the Stanley Cup Playoffs…and, the one piece of the puzzle everyone was ridiculing right up until the end of Game 6 of the finals – Marian Hossa, finally third time around got to see what it’s like to hoist the cup over his head – he must have enjoyed it because he wouldn’t let go of it…

Take nothing away from any team who played in this year’s Stanley Cup tournament – something great happened in every series.  For about a split second, there was thought the Ottawa Senators might upset the defending champions in the first round.  You want to talk history?  What if the Sens met the Habs in the 2^nd round…because they would have had Pittsburgh went down.  But, you can't pick your opponents, and Montreal would settle for the Penguins, as they, like with Washington, took them to 7 games before managing the unthinkable.  San Jose, even though they made it to the Western Conference final series, at times looked like they weren't going to make it out of the first round, again...Colorado's Craig Anderson was privy to a shutout and the most unlikely of winning goals, as Dan Boyle ended up putting the puck in his own net - otherwise, who knows how long that game might have gone on for?...the Phoenix Coyotes, on the verge of bankruptcy just a year ago, took the defending Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings to a 7th game, and at least up until the first period of that 7th game, had everyone believing they might actually move on...for all the talk about Philadelphia's remarkable comeback against Boston - just what exactly happened to the Boston Bruins?!  Thankfully the Celtics, on the verge of their 2nd NBA championship in 3 years have helped soften that blow...but you can be sure B's fans won't soon forget...and we all know now that Chicago stands on top of the world, but what if Nashville had managed to go up 2-0 in that first round series?  Ditto for Vancouver in the 2nd round!?

Yes, history will be made indeed – history was made – history even repeated itself…and we even ended a long drought – The Chicago Blackhawks – champions for the first time since 1961, if nothing else, gives hope to legions upon legions of Toronto Maple Leafs fans who, with the announcement of Dion Phaneuf as their new captain, have reason to be hopeful they could be next in line to end their 33 years and counting drought.  Philadelphia can only build on what they accomplished…priority numero uno - sign Leighton - I'm surprised they haven't done it yet...

And let's not forget - this hockey fan's Edmonton Oilers have the first pick in the draft as well as an ownership team committed to not only rebuilding a once proud franchise, but looking to move it into the future with a new building...sound familiar Chicago?!   Negotiations, I know, will be tough and will take time, but they will happen...as I've made fairly common knowledge in this very blog - I am absolutely chomping at the bit to see Jordan Eberle play in the NHL...if he shows even a flash of the brilliance he showed for Team Canada in the two Junior World Championships he played in, he'll be a lot of fun to watch...his style screams Edmonton Oilers...even Wayne Gretzky to a certain extent...but I can take solace in watching the young, and now experienced Chicago Blackhawks take it all, and know that I'll have all summer to wait in anticipation...

So, like I always say – stay tuned…because in this sport of hockey – anything can happen – and usually does…it's the sole reason I keep coming back...and will continue to do so...

NHL Awards, the Draft, and the new schedule release, all forthcoming...and I'll have it all for you right here...

I'll have to research this in more detail, but I think I'm correct in observing that this year was the first time the cover player of EA Sports' NHL series of video games actually went on to win the Stanley Cup...of course, it was Patrick Kane who donned the cover of NHL 10, and not only did he win it all, he scored the winning goal...

I'll look into this a little later...for now, it's time for bed...even though I know they won't be going to sleep anytime soon in the Windy City...enjoy it, Chicago, but behave yourselves...

So, here we are - at the end of yet another NHL season...plenty of highs and lows to be sure...and as always I'll have a Playoff Post Mortem in this very blog sometime in the next couple of days...and a post season Puckin' Around to follow...

Maybe this year I won't forget the NHL awards...June 23...and of course, the draft follows that...

Keep checking back because I have a feeling it's going to be a great summer...and you never know when I might be around the computer...which is usually all the time...

11:16 PM: Toews got the Cup and handed it directly to Marian Hossa...almost brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?!  Finally, 3rd time is a charm...Ian Mendes had an interesting article today on Sportsnet.ca - Hossa is the first Ottawa 1st round draft pick to lift the Cup...amazing when you think about it...

Many players getting it for the second time...finally it gets around to Kane...3rd Cup for John Madden...

There are no words...

11:13 PM: Jonathan Toews gets the Conn Smythe...wasn't sure if he might get it as he didn't do much on the scoreboard in the finals, but still managed to lead his team in scoring - and was a force throughout...

11:07 PM: Patrick Kane gets his 10th, and biggest of his career so far, 4:06 into the 1st overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 49 years...Kane skated all the way to the other end of the ice with his arms in the air before anybody realized what had happened...

The goal was eerily similar to the one Sidney Crosby scored to win the Gold Medal for Canada...

10:53 PM: My picks for the game winner: Chicago - Marian Hossa; Philadelphia - Jeff Carter...

10:43 PM: Jeff Carter had Game 7 on his stick...and Antti Niemi stoned him cold - WOW!!  That could be the series right there...I don't want to hear ANYBODY criticize this goalie anymore...that was outstanding!!

Last minute of play...

10:35 PM: Scott Hartnell gets his 8th and 2nd of the night - at 16:01...tied 3-3...don't go away...Briere gets another point on the play...

10:26 PM: They should be getting ready to take the Cup out of its trunk and polish it up pretty soon...

10:20 PM: Staggering stat - we haven't seen it as much in the conference finals and finals, but there have been 36 too many men penalties, and counting...8 of them have resulted in goals...3 of them, game winners...probably all scored by the Habs...or at the very least, 2 out of 3 were...actually, if I remember correctly, Chicago had one of them...

The referees were just warning both teams to be careful...so they're watching for it...don't be surprised if we see a too many men penalty before we're finished...

Halfway home...10 minute warning...the Ladd goal is standing up...

10:03 PM: 3rd period about to get underway - will history be made?...

9:46 PM: 36 seconds left on the Chicago power play, and they'll take that into the 3rd period...20 minutes to go...Philadelphia's season's on the line...again...

9:43 PM: Deflection goal by Andrew Ladd, his 3rd, at 17:43...3-2 Hawks...shot came from Niklas Hjalmarsson...

And Philadelphia is going to the penalty box...they're falling apart, fast...

9:26 PM: Patrick Sharp goes five hole with his 11th, shorthanded, at 9:58, with Marian Hossa in the box for Goaltender Interference...we're tied 2-2...

9:22 PM: Danny Briere has broken a Flyers franchise record - his 12th goal of the playoffs, 29th point, and 2nd point tonight, beats Brian Propp's single season playoff points tally - at exactly 8:00 of the second - 2-1 Philly...

8:54 PM: 20 minutes done in Philly - and we're tied 1-1 - Dustin Byfuglien with his 11th at 16:49, and Scott Hartnell with his 7th at 19:33 - both goals scored on the power play...early it looks like special teams could be the determining factor...

Shots were 17-7 in favor of Chicago...if Philadelphia doesn't get going they're toast...

6:03 PM: OK...don't ask me why, but somehow I thought Game 6 was actually last night...you have no idea how disappointing it is to go turn on your TV in anticipation of a big game, only to find yourself relegated to watching Hell's Kitchen and America's Got Talent...not very often that happens that I miss a little detail in the schedule like an extra travel day between games, but I digress...

Adding insult to injury, last night the L.A. Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to go up 2-1 in that series...after the Celtics started out on a 12-4 run and looked like they might run away with the game...two seasons ago, Boston beat virtually this same Lakers squad in 6 games for the championship...so it's far from over...Kevin Garnett is not going down without a fight...

So, Game 6 gets going in a matter of hours...around 8:15 should be the puck drop...and by 11:00 we should know if we're going to 7 or if the Cup belongs to Chicago...I know the Hawks are all saying today they want to wrap this thing up tonight, while Philadelphia, win or lose, wants to put on one last good show for their Cup Crazy home crowd...should be a dandy!!  Chicago seems to have figured out Philadelphia over the last four periods of hockey, and I really think that will be the determining factor...but, confidence is a hard thing to beat, and the Flyers have plenty of it...that's why I'm not going to be too quick to make predictions on the outcome...

There's an internet report out of the Bay Area tonight (CSNBayArea.com) that suggests Rob Blake has decided after 21 seasons to hang up his skates...he's expected to wait until after the season ends to make the announcement...can't come as any surprise to anybody who watched him play this season...while he is a veteran presence, he hasn't been anywhere near as effective as he was in his prime...if the Sharks ever want to get to the finals, it's time for Blake to move on...

3:37 PM: We'll see a couple more AHL coaches graduate to the NHL ranks next season - Guy Boucher, formerly of the Hamilton Bulldogs, has been hired by Steve Yzerman to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning...and just announced - Scott Ariel, from the Manitoba Moose, and a former assistant to Lindy Ruff in Buffalo, is now the new bench boss for the Columbus Blue Jackets...

A public hearing in Edmonton regarding a new rezoning application for a new hockey arena and entertainment district has been postponed...it was supposed to take place end of this month, but chances are now it might get bumped back as far as November...just in time for a civic election...word on the street is Daryl Katz is committed to putting upwards of $400 million of his own money to finance the billion dollar project - chances are the rest will have to come from the city or even the province...something that's not sitting well with taxpayers and Edmonton City Hall...chances are the Katz group will use this time to restructure a financing plan...either way, regardless of where the money comes from, they want to break ground on a new building by 2012...at the latest...I've often wondered how it is that companies will spend millions of dollars nowadays to put their name on a building after it's built - is it too far fetched to suggest that if a local company, Rexall for instance, wants to put their name on the new building, that they too should contribute a piece of the pie?  Just wondering...

And, really this shouldn't come as any surprise - not sure why coaches are so secretive on this, especially at this juncture of the season - Michael Leighton starts for Philadelphia tomorrow night...how could he not - I mean, win or lose, if at all possible you go with the guy who got you here, no?

1:23 PM: On the eve of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, one of the big stories of the day, especially here in Ottawa, is the financial trials and tribulations of one Chris Neil.  A financial report released today shows Neil owes approximately $2.4 million against assets totalling a meager $544,541.  Brock Aggregates, one of the creditors, had previously planned to embarrass Neil at a game in Toronto by holding up a sign for all to see - a move they've since reconsidered.

Now, I don't know Chris Neil from the next stranger on the street, and I'm definitely not one to talk to when it comes to the topic of credit (I've had my moments, and today I'm in a much better place for having experienced them, no thanks to myself...let's just leave it at that) - but wouldn't one think a professional hockey player like Neil, who unlike many, actually got to play during the lockout, would be able to live within his means?  OK, I know his big contract is due to kick in this season, but still, the guy has already made more money than I can hope to make in 20 years, short of winning the lottery!!  In fairness though, what the report fails to mention (unless you read the Ottawa Sun's version of the story) is that Neil's debts are mostly from a family excavating/construction business in his hometown of Flesherton, Ontario...Neil Brothers Construction...well I guess you have to hand it to the guy for having something to fall back on when his hockey career ends...

I have to laugh at one of the comments on Sportsnet.ca - "Just get Melnyk to pay for it, he spends more than that during a trip to the Casino!"...priceless...although, I wonder, how does this person know this?

Live within your means, boys...best advice I can give anybody...

Now with that said...will we see Lord Stanley's Cup tomorrow night??  Chicago will have to do what neither team has been able to do in this entire Final series so far - win on the road...

10:52 PM: Byfuglien's 10th, at 17:55 seals it...and they're chanting "We Want The Cup!" in Chicago...well, with a win Wednesday night, they'll have it...I wonder if Chris Pronger kept the puck from this one?

10:48 PM: 6-4...Simon Gagne pulls the Flyers back within 2 with his 9th at 17:24...looks like Buff is going to get the empty net...yes...

7-4...2nd game of this series that will see 11 goals...

1:30 left...

10:47 PM: Should be a 3-2 series lead for Chicago pretty soon...at 16:08, Patrick Sharp got his 10th and some much needed insurance...

10:38 PM: James Van Riemsdyk has his 3rd at 6:36 of the 3rd, and Philadelphia gets back within 2...it's 5-3...

Chicago just killed off a penalty and seems to have all of the momentum back...about 7 minutes left in the game...

Finally, Scott Oake caught up with Vince Vaughn...his wife is a Flames fan!??!!?

9:50 PM: All Dustin Byfuglien could do was look skyward, finally getting a goal from his office in the slot, a power play goal, his 9th at 15:45...it's his first of this series...

Chicago is playing like Chicago...this is the team we expected to see...and if they hang on they'll be one win away from a Stanley Cup...

2:51 remaining in the 2nd...

9:32 PM: Buff finally got a good one on Pronger...only took him five games...Pronger probably can't believe it wasn't Ladd or Bolland...

You knew the referees would be watching Scott Hartnell "like a Hawk" after Toews complained that Antti Niemi was interfered with on the last goal...another power play Chicago...

9:26 PM: Kimmo Timonen...4-2...we needed Dean Brown's "SKRAMBLE" call on that one...first of the playoffs for Timonen, at 4:38...and we've got another barn burner in Chicago...

9:21 PM: So much for that theory...Patrick Kane gets his 9th at 3:13 and restores Chicago's 3 goal lead - it's 4-1...

9:20 PM: Only took 32 seconds for Philadelphia to get on the board...Scott Hartnell with his 6th...it's 3-1...all of a sudden now it's the Flyers with all of the momentum...that ice must be tilted...of course, ever since the lockout ended I've been saying 3-0 is the worst lead in Hockey...

9:17 PM: Now appearing in goal for Philadelphia...Brian Boucher...2nd period just underway...

8:57 PM: Kris Versteeg at 18:15 with his 6th makes it 3-0...

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This has been the Hawks' best period of this series BY FAR...how happy must they be to have Andrew Ladd back in their lineup...he's been a physical force...and it looks like Dustin Byfuglien is finally starting to find his way away from Pronger...we'll see...

8:55 PM: They just showed Michael Jordan in a Toews jersey, watching the game alongside Chris Chelios...Chicago is filled with Blackhawks fever...the Jordan statue outside of the United Center has another Toews jersey, a helmet and Reebok skates...obviously the greatest NBA player of all time doesn't seem to mind...there were tons of sports forums and blogs alike that were on fire over this...I like it...

8:51 PM: There was going to be another Philadelphia penalty, but Dave Bolland caught Chris Pronger out of position, and it's 2-0 Chicago...his 8th of the playoffs at 15:26, and none bigger...

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8:48 PM: Joel Quenneville juggled the lines in the 3rd period of Game 4, and it almost helped them tie a game they had no business coming back in - the move continues to pay off in Game 5 - the Hawks have had most of the momentum, they're moving their feet, and Philadelphia is taking penalties - Brent Seabrook has scored on a power play, his 4th, at 12:17...

8:06 PM: The Windy City has become the Windy State - Tornadoes have been raging through Central Illinois since last night...looks like the same weather system made its way north, across the lake to Leamington, Ontario...just due south of Windsor...

Still a long way to go in this Stanley Cup Final, but after tonight, we know for sure one team will be within one win of it - question is, do we go 6, or 7?!

Face off in less than 10 minutes...the Madhouse on Madison is going to be rocking again...it'll be stormy inside and out...

11:56 PM: Well, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final wasn't anywhere near as close as Game 3...or was it?  Friday night and hockey, not a great idea as I missed most of the game, but got to see the final frame...for awhile there thought we might have another overtime game...

It was all Philadelphia through the first 20 - led by the captain, Mike Richards, his 7th of the playoffs, first of this series, on the power play, at 4:35 made it 1-0...at 14:48 Matt Carle got his first of the playoffs, and the Flyers led 2-0...Patrick Sharp would cut the lead in half at 18:32 with his 9th, but Claude Giroux would score his 10th less than a minute later, at 19:23...and after 1 period the Flyers led 3-1...even though Chicago led 11-8 in shots...Michael Leighton was up to his old tricks again in net - and if you're a Philadelphia fan, that's a good thing...

No scoring in the 2nd period, shots were 13-10 in favor of Chicago...someway, somehow, they'd have to somehow get back into this game right?  Well, sort of...

At 6:43 of the 3rd, Ville Leino would score his 7th, and it was 4-1 Flyers...but then Chicago would attempt the comeback...they finally got their first power play goal of this series, at 12:01, Dave Bolland's 7th.  Moments later, Brian Campbell would score his 1st, at 15:50, and all of a sudden it was 4-3...but that's as close as they'd get...Jeff Carter would score his 5th into an empty net, at 19:35, and Philadelphia has tied this series...

As was the case last year after four games of the final, we have ourselves a best two out of three for the Stanley Cup!

Game 5 Sunday night...

Sad to hear David Pelletier and Jamie Sale are splitting up after just four years of marriage...the figure skating power couple has said they will still perform professionally...they have one child together...perhaps the spotlight of Battle Of The Blades and the 2010 Olympics was too much!?

It was announced today the next Hockey Day In Canada will be held in Whitehorse of the Yukon...should be interesting...we won't know for a few more weeks what the triple header will look like...

As for me - looks like it's going to be Dennis Hopper tribute in my basement...either Speed or another of his finest...that I'll decide in a few minutes...no decision necessary on the popcorn and brew...

Have a great weekend...

If you think a lot is being made about the Flyers' win last night - well it's for good reason - it's the first Philadelphia win in a Stanley Cup final since 1987...23 years ago...that was Game 6 of the final against Edmonton, which forced Game 7 back in Alberta, a game and series won by the Oilers...who, incidentally, have not won a Game 7 in the final since...or even before that...

Yesterday I had my Oilers socks on...coincidence?!!?

Anyhow...on a completely unrelated note - they say these things come in threes, well here we go - last week it was Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper...well, today - we lost Rue McClanahan, best known as Blanche...which leaves Betty White as the last surviving member of the Golden Girls...and obviously most healthy...we lost Estelle Getty to Alzheimer's, Bea Arthur to Cancer, and evidently McClanahan had a stroke...White looks like she could live to be 100...

And I promise I'm not trying to turn this into a celebrity death blog, but I saw Paul McCartney doing a show for the Obamas at the White House, where he was accepting the Gershwin Prize, and he didn't look too hot either...is it possible Ringo Starr could become the last surviving Beatle?  You be the judge on July 28, when PBS airs "In Performance at the White House"...the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is awarded by the Library of Congress - named after George and Ira Gershwin, is an award given to a composer or performer for their lifetime contributions to popular music...previous recipients of the award, created in 2007, include Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder...can't imagine a Michael Jackson posthumous nomination being far behind...call it the President's Lifetime Achievement Award...must pale in comparison to being knighted by the Queen, but McCartney seemed to eat it right up - performing "Michelle" for the First Lady as though he had written it especially for her...

Hey, what else am I going to talk about on a night with no hockey?!?!...actually, that's not true...Game 1 of the Calder Cup Final goes tonight...the Hershey Bears, who have become somewhat of an AHL powerhouse, are going up against the Texas Stars...Hershey will look to become the first team to win back to back Calder Cups since the Springfield Indians faced the Rochester Americans in consecutive finals in 1989-90 and 1990-91...both series won in 6 games...of course, last year, the Bears beat the Manitoba Moose in 6...what's most impressive, though, is this is the fourth final in five years that the Bears have been in...winning in 2005-06 against Milwaukee, losing in 2006-07 to Hamilton, and of course, winning last year...two names from the team people will know from watching the Washington Capitals are goalie Michal Neuvirth, last season's MVP, and defenseman Karl Alzner...

I'm just reading a story about Ron Maclean rescuing some guy from the Delaware River, while he was having lunch with Don Cherry...should be an interesting Coach's Corner segment tomorrow...

11:13 PM: There'll be no doubt about this one - Claude Giroux with a tip in of a Matt Carle shot (Arron Asham was on the ice), at 5:59 of the 1st overtime, his 9th, and none bigger - Philadelphia wins 4-3 and cuts Chicago's series lead to 2-1...

Game 4 Friday night...this is a brand new series now...

11:10 PM: No goal...we keep going...

10:56 PM: OK...I've got Patrick Sharp for Chicago...Arron Asham for Philadelphia...Hawks are 2-0 in OT in these playoffs, Flyers are 2-1...it'll either be a 3-0 or 2-1 series when this one concludes...this is most likely the series for Philly...it took 35 years for a team to come back from 0-3...don't expect it twice in the same playoff...especially in the finals...

10:46 PM: We've got OT at the Wachovia Center...Philadelphia leads the shot count 31-25 through regulation...they led 15-4 in the 3rd, but Chicago seemed to have momentum going their way towards the end...

Picks coming up...

10:14 PM: It was 2:50 of the 3rd when Kane scored his goal, and just 20 seconds later Ville Leino, with his 6th, at 3:10...we're tied 3-3...

The crowd is alive again...plenty of time left...16:15...

10:13 PM: Missed chance by the Flyers at one end, Patrick Kane with a breakaway at the other - goal...3-2 Chicago...Kane's 8th...

Flyers have just tied it...that didn't take very long...

9:50 PM: Ron Maclean talks with Gary Bettman at the 2nd intermission...as always, this should be entertaining...guess I'm going to wait to do the garbage...

9:48 PM: 17:52 of the 2nd, and Brent Sopel finally has his first of the playoffs - off a face off win by John Madden, who has seemed invisible aside from his face off win percentage...tied 2-2...Michael Leighton will want that one back...was a pretty weak shot that beat him...

9:37 PM: They did change the scoring to Hartnell...it's his 5th...

9:33 PM: They're giving the goal to Chris Pronger, but replay shows Scott Hartnell might have tipped it...either way it just got over the goal line enough to count - originally the referee waved it off, but replay clearly showed the puck completely over the line before Nicklas Hjalmarsson fished it out...almost 2 minutes went by without a whistle before they reviewed the play...goal scored at 9:44 on the power play...

During the finals there's no calling Toronto, the War Room is up in the press box...either way, they got it right...2-1...Flyers...

9:15 PM: Tied Game 3 in Philadelphia in the 2nd - Duncan Keith at 2:49...his 2nd...it's 1-1...Chicago weathered the Flyers storm and appear to be getting their legs under them...

8:42 PM: Different look for Philly early...they're crashing the net, hitting hard, and charging up the crowd - most of the fans have shirts that say "Broad Street Believin'"...home ice advantage at its finest...

No changes to either roster for this game...

It's 1-0 on Danny Briere's 11th, on a power play at 14:58 of the first...

Less than 2 minutes remaining before the 1st intermission...

3:41 PM: It's June...that mean's we're that much closer to seeing the shiny silver cup getting lifted...

Some sure signs summer is here: 1) Howard Stern this week is on one of his many vacations, and in his absence is rolling a "Wasted Week" special, the rolling theme being the most outrageous, drunken moments in the show's history.  2) Hell's Kitchen is back on.  3) Big Brother is coming soon.  4) Re-runs a plenty outside of the aforementioned.  5) I'm actually finding time to play some video games and catch up on a few movies.  6) I'm on my deck more.  7) I wake up at 3 AM and realize it was Thunder and Lightning that woke me up...

Shall I go on?

Game 3 of the Finals, live from Philly - tonight...all sorts of trash talk going on...everyone from Chris Pronger to the coach Peter Laviollette...as for the Chicago Blackhawks?  Mum's the word...evidently actions speak louder than words...at least so far in this series...

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