Penguins edge Flyers to take 2-0 series lead in Eastern Conference final

cp.org — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:41:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Maxime Talbot's pre-game nap Sunday afternoon included a wishful thought. The Pittsburgh Penguins checker was back in the lineup after missing three games with a foot injury and wanted to return with a splash.

"I was in bed this afternoon thinking, 'It would be nice to score a goal and make a big comeback,"' Talbot said. "You think about stuff like that and sometimes it happens. It's a great feeling."

Talbot, who was unable to stop smiling after the game, scored the winning goal 8:51 into the third period Sunday night to lift the Penguins to a 4-2 win over the Flyers, handing Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final.

"At the NHL level it's definitely my biggest goal," said Talbot. "I'm going to remember it for a long time."

His second career NHL playoff goal was a biggie, putting the Penguins just two wins away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup final in 16 years.

"It's pretty amazing," said Penguins centre Jordan Staal, who was three years old when the Penguins last lifted the Cup in 1992. "I still feel like I'm a little naive right now. But no question I'm excited about it. I want to win."

Marian Hossa, Sidney Crosby and Staal, into an empty net, also scored for the Penguins, who won their 15th straight home game and improved to an impressive 10-1 overall in the NHL playoffs. They also knew the Flyers would be desperate to try and get a road split.

"They split their first two games in their first two playoff series," said Staal. "We didn't want to give them any life. So we're happy to get this win and hopefully we'll win two in their building."

Mike Richards and Jeff Carter had the goals for the Flyers, who limp back to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Tuesday night now missing Braydon Coburn as well as Kimmo Timonen from their blue-line corps. Those are huge holes to fill.

"Well, obviously it's tough. Coby is an all-situation player for us," said Flyers head coach John Stevens. "He plays big minutes, but I thought the group of five did a heck of a job tonight."

The game was only 1:51 old when Coburn left a trail of blood behind him after taking the puck in the face from Hal Gil's point shot. Coburn did not return, reportedly needing more than 40 stitches. Timonen went down before the series with a blood clot in his leg.

"My left eye is swollen shut right now. I will keep the ice on it and get the swelling down and see what happens tomorrow," said Coburn in quotes distributed by the Flyers, adding he may be available for Game 3.

"We'll have to re-evaluate him when we get home," said Stevens.

The Flyers aren't getting any breaks on the injury front and feel they're just as unlucky with the officiating. Pittsburgh got six power plays to Philadelphia's three Sunday night.

"I'd just like to see some consistency," said Stevens. "We got a couple of stars on our team. too."

Philadelphia could help itself by making fewer mistakes. The Flyers had talked about limiting their turnovers after coughing up the puck over and over again in Game 1. The winner Sunday night came when both Steve Downie and Derian Hatcher failed to get the puck out of their own end. Eventually Gary Roberts got it in the corner and fed Talbot all alone in front.

"Max is a real communicator out there and that's one the reasons I passed the puck out in front to him because he yelled for it," said Roberts. "It was a great goal by him."

Downie had the first shot at clearing the puck and missed.

"(That) turnover can't happen," said Stevens. "Move your feet. I'd like to see them roll into that puck instead of putting his butt on the ledge, now we got to reach across and get that puck. But that's just, it is a learned skill, and it is a costly turnover there. But he's a good kid. He will rebound from it."

The sellout crowd of 17,132 at Mellon Arena was on its feet 3:49 into the game as Penguins winger Tyler Kennedy and Flyers forward Scottie Upshall exchanges blows at centre ice in a violent bout. That set the tone for a more physical and emotional game than the series opener, with both teams finishing their checks with authority.

Crosby opened the scoring on a power play at 10:48 when his pass attempt in front delfected off Flyers defenceman Lasse Kukkonen and past Martin Biron. The Flyers goalie had moved off his post anticipating the pass to Ryan Malone in the slot.

It appeared as though the Penguins had gone up 2-0 with 3:19 left in the first period but a video review came back negative on Crosby's tap-in.

"Since video review of the play proved inconclusive as to if the puck crossed the goal line, the call of no goal on the ice stands," the league said in a statement.

The call seemed to spark the Flyers, who came back strong. Carter tied it 1-1 5:46 into the second period, one-timing a nifty Joffrey Lupul pass from the corner.

Biron then made a series of solid saves to keep the game tied, notably a sparkling pad save on Kennedy.

Hossa put the home side back up a goal at 13:43 on another power play, fishing out a rebound in front and backhanding a shot past a sprawled Biron.

Richards, Philadelphia's best player early on in this series, pulled the Flyers back into a tie at 2-2 when he stole a pass attempt from Evgeni Malkin at the Flyers blue-line on a Pittsburgh power play and broke in alone on Marc-Andre Fleury, beating the Penguins goalie top corner on the glove side with 24 seconds left in the second period.

Notes - Veteran Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine was in attendance. He's an avid hockey fan and a former Los Angeles Kings draft pick in 1984 ...The Flyers inserted agitator Steve Downie into the lineup at the expense of forward Patrick Thoresen ... Talbot replaced Adam Hall in the Penguins lineup ... Pittsburgh's last home loss in regulation was Feb. 13.

Flyers' defenseman Coburn struck in face by puck, leaves Game 2

cp.org — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:33:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn was struck in the face with a shot by Pittsburgh's Hal Gill early in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.

Gill took a shot from the left point that apparently deflected off Evgeni Malkin's stick and struck Coburn near the left eye less than two minutes into the first period. Coburn dropped to the ice, bleeding, but soon got up without assistance and went to the dressing room with a towel held to his face.

The game was delayed for about a minute to wipe the blood from the ice.

The Flyers are playing the series without their top defenceman, Kimmo Timonen, who has a blood clot on his left ankle that developed in Game 4 of the second round against Montreal.

Altercation over, but feelings remain for Red Wings and Stars

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:14:00 -0400

DALLAS - Really, it's hard to imagine that Chris Osgood is completely correct in his assessment.

"Just a little altercation that's over with now," the Detroit goalie insisted Sunday, a day after the Red Wings' 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars was marred by an ugly ending.

But don't expect the fracas to be forgotten.

In the closing seconds of Game 2 of the Western Conference final, Osgood used the handle of his stick to poke Dallas' Mike Ribeiro, who responded from behind the net with a two-handed stick slash across the goalie's chest.

"He actually tries to do it. It's not like he accidentally hit me," Ribeiro said, defending himself Sunday after not being around for post-game interviews. "He kind of was bent down, raised up and clipped me in the face."

There was no word Sunday from the NHL about any suspensions resulting from the actions of both players. So it appears that Ribeiro and Osgood will both be on the ice Monday night for Game 3 when the best-of-seven series shifts to Dallas with the Red Wings holding a 2-0 lead.

Ribeiro said he was only retaliating.

"If he doesn't do that, I don't think I react, I have no reason to do what I did," Ribeiro said.

Osgood obviously disagreed, saying, "By no means was I trying to hit him in the face with my stick."

What can't be debated is that Dallas is already in a deep hole in its first conference final appearance since 2000. The Stars returned home with 2-0 series leads in each of the first two rounds of this year's playoffs, but wasn't able to duplicate that success against the top-seeded Red Wings.

Detroit will be going for a 3-0 series lead and its ninth straight win, which would be the franchise record for a single post-season. It would also be the longest in the NHL since Montreal won 11 in a row on the way to winning the 1993 Stanley Cup.

"You're not going to rattle us. We've got too much experience for that," Detroit's Darren McCarty said.

While the stage appears set for things to get even more feisty when the series resumes, Mike Modano believes the Stars can't be focused on what happened at the end of Game 2.

"That's probably the most you're going to see of it (Saturday) night, hopefully," Modano said. "They're not a very physical team by any means, but they do play the game. ... And for us to try to get into some street fight ain't going to work. You have to play the game of hockey and right now, they're doing it better than us."

The Red Wings did so in Game 2 without Johan Franzen, who was scratched from the lineup because of concussion-like symptoms. He's had recurring headaches since early in the previous series, and will miss Game 3 as well.

"It caught me by surprise," coach Mike Babcock said. "We'd love to have him. he's a good player. But we've got a good team and we can go on with or without him."

Dallas Drake twisted his knee late in the third period of Game 2, but came back to skate another shift for the Red Wings.

Stars forward Jere Lehtinen left Game 2 with a leg injury, which coach Dave Tippett said was not sustained on the play when he was hit by teammate Brenden Morrow. The coach described Lehtinen's injury as "just soft-tissue stuff" and said the team would see how he feels at the Monday morning skate.

After three power-play goals in the 4-1 series opener, Detroit had only one in Game 2.

"We took a step forward in getting ourselves back into the competitive issues of the series last game, but it will still have to go up another step," Tippett said. "I thought we had much better jump. Our legs looked like they were back to normal a little bit. Now we need some more execution."

Dallas is back home for the first time since its four-overtime, nearly 5 1/2-hour series-clinching victory over San Jose that ended in the early morning hours last Monday.

Michel Therrien, John Stevens have had their run-ins before in the AHL playoffs

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:49:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Before the NHL's Eastern Conference final is over and done with, there's a chance John Stevens and Michel Therrien will rekindle their personal rivalry.

Or perhaps, as they've tried to spin it to the media over the last week, they've left all that personal animosity behind them in the AHL and they're above that now.

"Coach Therrien and I had dinner together," Stevens, Philadelphia's head coach, said jokingly Sunday when asked about Saturday's day off.

Both coaches have downplayed their past run-ins.

"Thanks for reminding me," Therrien, Pittsburgh's head coach, said this weekend when asked about their AHL battles. "He's doing what he has to do to be successful. And I have to do what I have to do to be successful for our own team. He's a good coach. He had success in the American Hockey League. What he did this year coming up from a tough year last year with the Flyers, he deserves a lot of respect. ...

"But the focus is not on the coaches."

R.J. Umberger remembers when the coaches were very much front and centre. It was the 2005 AHL playoffs and for the second straight year Therrien's AHL Penguins were battling the AHL Phantoms coached by Stevens. There's the story of both coaches trying to get each other with only the glass dividing both benches keeping them apart.

"Yeah I remember that," chuckles Umberger, who played for the Phantoms that year. "It's definitely two coaches that aren't afraid to get into it. It's fun to watch, it makes us get extra emotional, too. ...

"It's always been pretty heated between the two of them," added Umberger. "They're pretty competitive. It's always been intense, and I think it will probably stay intense this year. This is probably something they both take personally against each other."

Former Penguins winger Colby Armstrong played for Therrien in those AHL playoff battles with the Phantoms and doubts the two coaches have grown fond of each other.

"Maybe hate is a strong word," Armstrong told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "Maybe it's not a strong word for Michel and John. I'm not sure where they stand."

Water under the bridge, insists Stevens.

"That's when I was a lot younger. I'm a little older now," Stevens said. "I said this the other day. I think if everybody likes you, you're probably not very good. I think a lot of teams liked us last year. They liked playing us last year. I think when you dislike each other, or there's emotion involved, it's probably because you have the other team standing in the way of where you want to go. I think that's the case here."

Therrien and Stevens have at least one thing in common - they deserve a lot of credit for both taking over struggling clubs and picking them up off the mat.

The Penguins were last in the Eastern Conference and 29th in the overall NHL standings in 2005-06, Therrien taking over behind the bench in December that year. The next season, Therrien's first full year, the Penguins improved by 47 points to finish fifth in the East. This year, the Penguins have taken another step from playoff team to contender, Therrien convincing his offensive stars to buy into a defensive system that has worked wonders in the playoffs.

Similarly, Stevens took over in late October last season with the Flyers on their way to a 30th overall finish in the NHL. A 39-point improvement in the standings this season left the Flyers sixth in the conference. Upsets over Washington and Montreal saw Stevens get the upper hand against fellow coaches Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals and Guy Carbonneau of the Canadiens - both finalists for the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year.

"Besides having their teams in a conference final, which by itself speaks to their accomplishments, all of the young players on both teams have taken dramatic steps forward in their development," said former NHLer and longtime hockey analyst Bill Clement. "So they've provided not only for the present but for the future as well and that is genius."

Red Wings defeat Stars 2-1 to take 2-0 lead in NHL Western Conference final

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:45:00 -0400

DETROIT - It was a huge win for the Detroit Red Wings and what surely will turn out to be a costly loss for the Dallas Stars.

The Red Wings surprised everybody just before the second game of the NHL's Western Conference final Saturday night by announcing that Johan Franzen, the leading goal scorer of the NHL playoffs, wouldn't play because he's out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms, but the setback didn't stall their drive for the Stanley Cup.

Rookie Darren Helm, with his first big-league goal, and Henrik Zetterberg scored Detroit's goals and goaltender Chris Osgood again was outstanding in a 2-1 victory that gave the Wings a 2-0 series lead going into Game 3 in Dallas on Monday night.

The Stars lost veteran forward Jere Lehtinen to a leg injury early in the second period of Game 2 and, given what happen at the end, they'll probably lose Mike Ribeiro, too.

Ribeiro was assessed a match penalty as time expired. Ribeiro was behind the Detroit net, raised his stick and slashed Osgood across the chest. Osgood crumbled to the ice. The trainers rushed out to tend to the fallen goalie, but he as eventually able to get up join his teammates to the dressing room and was uninjured.

That wasn't all. With five seconds left, Steve Ott went after Kris Draper from behind and punched the Wings' veteran centre in the head. Ott got roughing and misconduct penalties.

"I'm fine with that," Draper said of the Ott assault. "He threw a punch at me.

"No harm done. You get up and you go. But something like (the slash on Osgood), that's right out of Slap Shot. (Ribeiro) just literally . . . intent to injure on our best player. I couldn't believe it when he did it."

Colin Campbell, the NHL's discipline czar as director of operations, was in attendance and saw it all.

"It's an intense series," said Draper. "There's a lot on the line and it's physical but . . . that's just crossing the line.

"The league's been great all year about stepping in and taking care of this stuff. If it's not a goalie and he two-hands, it could hit a player in the throat, face, teeth, whatever. You kind of shake your head at what he was thinking. It's up to the league to step in and do what they have to do."

Some of the Stars were complaining that Osgood butt-ended Stephane Robidas during the scramble around the Detroit net with two seconds left. Osgood said he stuck out an arm to try and ward off a hit against one of his teammates and didn't try to butt-end anybody.

"If it did, it was an accident," he said. "I don't think it justifies a two-hander over the top of the net."

Detroit's latest win was its eighth in a row - all since Helm was inserted into the lineup and Osgood took over from Dom Hasek in the nets.

"This is as good as we played as long as I've been here," said captain Nicklas Lidstrom, who earned Stanley Cup rings in 1997, 1998 and 2002.

Joe Louis Arena remained a chamber of horrors for Dallas goalie Marty Turco, whose career winless streak grew to 11.

"We played a lot better," Turco said. "We've got no doubt we can win some hockey games at home.

"We're disappointed we're down 2-0, but it'll be a totally different atmosphere when we get home."

Helm, summoned from the AHL farm in Grand Rapids, Mich., in March, opened the scoring with his first NHL goal at 5:56. The 21-year-old from the Winnipeg region, who was on Canada's victorious 2007 world junior team, took a pass from Jiri Hudler and fired in a wrist shot from the circle to Turco's right.

Robidas tied it when he slammed in a cross-ice pass from Ribeiro on a power play at 10:41. Lidstrom had been penalized for flipping the puck over the glass in his own zone.

Referee Marc Joannette disallowed what at first appeared to be another Detroit goal. Pavel Datsyuk lifted the puck past Turco, but Joannette had seen Zetterberg touch it with a glove, and it was ruled a hand pass.

Zetterberg made it 2-1 on a power play at 15:13. With Tomas Holmstrom creating havoc in front of Turco, Zetterberg fired in a slap shot from a distance. Sergei Zubov was off for hooking Valtteri Filppula.

Detroit outshot Dallas 12-4 in the first period.

After only two penalty calls in the first, there were eight in the second - five against Detroit - and that created a mishmash of fruitless manpower advantages for both teams. Detroit had a 9-8 shots edge.

The Stars had outscored opponents 17-9 in third periods during their 13 previous playoff games so held out hope they could win this one in the third, but the Wings weren't fretting. They allowed the fewest goals in the NHL all season so they knew how to protect a lead.

It was the Red Wings' period. They outshot Dallas 13-6. It would end 2-1, and with Ott and Ribeiro losing their cool.

Lidstrom said he and his teammates knew it'd be a rougher game than Game 1.

"They were going to come out hard, and they did, too," he said. "They had the puck a lot more in our end and created some chances."

Surviving three consecutive manpower disadvantages in the first 10 minutes of the second period was a key to the win.

"Ozzie made some big saves again for us," said Lidstrom. "We were short-handed four times in the second period but we played real well in our own end.

"We kept them to the outside and didn't give them chances in front of our net."

Turco heard second-hand that some of his teammates were accusing Osgood of butt-ending Robidas.

"If that's the case, a butt-end to somebody's face at any time is pretty gutless," said Turco.

This series might be far from over.

Osgood seemed no worse for wear as he pulled off his gear.

"I do have a lot of padding up there but it got me in the side where I didn't have much," he said of the Ribeiro slash. "It did hurt a bit.

"It was kind of a full swing right to the side. But I'll be fine, I'm sure. A little sore, but I'll be fine."

Notes: The overall shots count was 34-18 in Detroit's favour . . . Detroit was 1-for-6 and Dallas was 1-for-5 on power plays . . . Detroit won 71 per cent of the faceoffs (39-for-55) . . . McCarty got the lineup opening created by Franzen's absence . . . Dallas also made one change by sitting down D Mark Fistric and inserting Matt Niskanen . . . Dallas is 0-10 in the post-season in Detroit. The last win in Joe Louis Arena in franchise history was by the Minnesota North Stars in 1992 . . . Detroit has outscored opponents 32-12 in its 12 playoff games (10-2) this spring.

Detroit Red Wings sign Ville Leino of Finnish Elite League

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:22:00 -0400

DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Ville Leino to a one-year entry level contract on Saturday.

The 24-year-old played for Jokerit of Finnish Elite League in 2007-08, leading the team in scoring with 77 points (28 goals and 49 assists) in 55 games.

Leino recently received the Oskanen Award, given annually to the league's best player in the regular season. He finished second in league scoring (77 points), second in plus-minus rating (plus-34) and third in goals scored (28).

Lehtinen leaves Game 2 vs. Red Wings with leg injury

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:44:00 -0400

DETROIT - Dallas Stars forward Jere Lehtinen was sent off the ice because of a leg injury in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals.

Lehtinen started Saturday night's game against the Detroit Red Wings, but didn't finish. He played 6-plus minutes in the first period and just nine seconds in the second.

He has four goals and four assists in the playoffs and had 37 points in 48 regular-season games, playing his 12th year in Dallas.

Franzen out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:05:00 -0400

DETROIT - Johan Franzen, who leads all NHL playoff scorers with 12 goals, is out of the Red Wings lineup indefinitely.

Franzen sat out Game 2 of the Western Conference final Saturday night with concussion-like symptoms, and his team since he would not make the trip for Dallas and Game 3 Monday night.

"He is scheduled to remain in Detroit to undergo testing on Monday," the Wings stated in a news release.

The six-foot-three Swede has been experiencing headaches since early in the second-round sweep of Colorado.

"The Red Wings medical staff has recommended that, as a precaution, Franzen not play until further testing and evaluation is completed," the release stated.

Franzen's goal in Detroit's 4-1 Game 1 triumph extended his post-season goals streak to five games, tying a longstanding club record he now shares with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. Franzen erased Howe's record of most goals in a four-game series - 8 - when he scored nine in four games against the Avalanche.

Franzen's forte has been obscuring the view of opposition goalies and deflecting in shots and passes from teammates. Including the regular season, he had scored 27 goals in his last 27 games.

The 29-year-old winger had been skating on a line with Valtteri Filppula and Mikael Samuelsson.

"It caught everybody by surprise," teammate Darren Helm told CBC during a first-intermission interview. "I don't know if anyone really knew what was going on. We have to give him his rest and hopefully he recovers as soon as possible."

With Franzen out, coach Mike Babcock kept his top line of Pavel Datsyuk-Henrik Zetterberg-Tomas Holmstrom intact and moved Dan Cleary up from the third line to join Filppula and Samuelsson.

Kris Draper, Dallas Drake and Kirk Maltby comprised the third line.

Darren McCarty, who sat out Thursday when Babcock decided to reinsert Maltby who'd recuperated from a hamstring injury, got the lineup opening created by the deletion of Franzen. He joined Jiri Hudler and Darren Helm on the fourth line.

Rookie forward Darren Helm surprise contributor in Red Wings' playoff march

cp.org — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:50:00 -0400

DETROIT - The possibility that he might get his name etched on the Stanley Cup as a member of the Detroit Red Wings this spring blows Darren Helm's mind.

The 21-year-old forward from St. Andrews, Man., had never played an NHL game before March 13, yet, here he is strapping on the pads in the Western Conference final.

"I didn't think I'd be in this spot, so I'm pretty happy I'm here," he said after pulling off his practice sweater and before unlacing his skates.

While some Red Wings fans are still wondering who's wearing No. 43, they were on their feet celebrating Helm's first NHL goal Saturday night. Helm took a pass from Jiri Hudler, skated into the circle to the right of goalie Marty Turco fired in a wrist shot 5:56 into the game and raised his arms as he circled behind the net

Helm played seven regular-season games but sat out when the playoffs started. He was inserted into the lineup April 18 for the fifth game of the first-round series against Nashville.

Helm has jumped the queue in a talent-rich organization, and coach Mike Babcock was asked after the morning skate prior to Game 2 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday how this has happened.

"We didn't have expectations of him whatsoever," Babcock said. "The first time we called him up, I was scared to play him and he was scared to play.

"Then when we called him up again he played really, really well. Now, in the playoffs, he's a player that can play against anybody. He's flat-out fast. He's gritty. Finishes checks. Smart. Good defensively. Good in the faceoff circle. A real good player."

The same night he made his playoff debut, Chris Osgood took over from Dom Hasek in the nets. Thus began a seven-game winning streak that the Wings rode into their game Saturday.

"I'm playing pretty well and, hopefully, we can keep things rolling," Helm said.

Helm and Osgood both played major junior hockey in Alberta for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Helm skated on the fourth line with Jiri Hudler and Kirk Maltby during the 4-1 win over Dallas on Thursday.

"Just using my speed," he replied when asked what he's concentrating on. "It's my biggest asset so I've got to use my speed to be effective.

"Finishing checks, trying to be strong in the faceoff dot, being alive in our own zone, trying to create energy for the team - that's pretty much it."

Helm was on Canada's victorious 2007 world junior team and helped the Tigers win the WHL title to get to the Memorial Cup tournament and those experiences helped him mature as a player.

"I've been in a few big games," he said. "If you've been in a couple, you kind of realize you don't have to do anything different to prepare.

"You come in and prepare pretty much the same. You know the level of intensity is going to be a little bit higher but it's still another game to be ready and focused as soon as the puck drops."

In other words, he doesn't get rattled, which impresses Babcock.

Helm's dad, Gary, works in a meat processing plant. His mother, Coriene, works as a cook. They were in Joe Louis Arena on Thursday, had tickets for the Saturday game, and fly back to Winnipeg on Sunday. Helm has two older brothers and "about 24 cousins" in Manitoba.

"They think it's awesome," he said of his parents' outlook during their visit. "They're extremely excited, for sure.

"They can't stop talking about the game, the crowd and how loud the fans were. They're loving the playoff atmosphere at The Joe. They were talking about never-in-a-thousand-years did they ever think I'd be playing here now, and thrown into the lineup for the Cup run."

The six-foot, 180-pound forward was a fifth-round draft pick, 132nd overall, in 2005. Two years of rapid development with the Tigers followed.

He had 16 goals and 15 assists in 67 AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins before being called up in March. Veterans such as Dallas Drake know little about him, but their appreciation of his contributions has been instant.

"He'll go into high-traffic areas and finish his checks," says Drake. "I've been real impressed by him.

"I didn't know much about him until a few weeks back. He's stepped right into the fold here. He looks to me like he's been here all year."

The Wings are strong down the middle with Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula, Kris Draper and now Helm.

Tigers coach Willie Desjardins gets a heartfelt thanks from Helm for guidance through the years in Medicine Hat.

"I went in there and I didn't really know what to expect," Helm said. "He gave me a really good opportunity.

"He gave me ice time and he pushed me along and showed me what I had to do to be successful. He always kept me positive and on the right track. He's a great coach and a great guy to talk to."

Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire to return for eighth season

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 23:35:00 -0400

MINNEAPOLIS - Jacques Lemaire has 11 Stanley Cup championship rings, 500 victories as a coach and is widely considered one of the best coaches in the NHL.

Yet despite all he has done as a player, executive and coach, Lemaire still needed a little reassurance from Minnesota general manager Doug Risebrough before deciding to return for an eighth season behind the Wild bench.

"I wanted to talk to Doug and see what he thought," Lemaire said during a teleconference Saturday to announce he will be back next season. "I got a good response."

For the first time in his seven seasons with the Wild, Lemaire seriously considered stepping down. He called last season, in which the Wild won their first Northwest Division title but struggled at times to play as a team, his toughest as a coach.

"We went for a little while there where we were not playing as a team," Lemaire said. "That really affected me because I feel my forte is to get them to play as a team. ... I felt I'm not doing my job. This is my job to get them to play good and make my boss happy with how his team is playing also. I didn't have that satisfaction."

So at his annual meeting with Risebrough in Florida, Lemaire needed to hear that Risebrough still wanted him around.

"I go back and I want to know what he thinks of me," Lemaire said. "I want to know if he's satisfied. I want to know what I can improve in the tough times. Give me some ideas. Give me some feedback on what he sees."

Lemaire has a career record of 500-381-168 over 14 years, including 60-52 in the playoffs.

But with the Wild, he's 11-18 in the post-season. The Wild were ousted in the first round last month by the Colorado Avalanche.

"I had no doubt he was the best coach to coach this team," Risebrough said. "I told him, 'You've got us this far and you're the best coach to take us to the next level."'

Lemaire called this off-season meeting with Risebrough the best he's had in the seven years he's been in Minnesota and the 62-year-old coach sounded invigorated as he talked about coming back.

"Really after the meetings I had with Doug, I do really feel comfortable," he said. "And I do really feel excited to come back and coach."

The coach's status was the first of several big questions the Wild will need to answer this off-season.

Star winger Marian Gaborik is entering the final year of his contract and will likely be looking for a significant raise after scoring a franchise-record 42 goals last season. So Risebrough has to decide this summer whether to sign him to a big-money, long-term deal or trade him.

The team also has 10 unrestricted free agents, including veteran leader Brian Rolston and Pavol Demitra, one of Gaborik's best friends.

With all that uncertainty hanging over the team, Lemaire's decision to return and provide some continuity and stability is a big one for the Wild. He is the only coach this franchise has employed and is a beloved figure in this hockey-crazed state.

"This is a sport where there's more potential for change than ever before," Risebrough said. "You need that stability. It's hard to find continuity now. There's so many variables out there."

Now the two of them have to figure out how to get the Wild out of the first round of the playoffs after two straight early exits.

Lemaire wouldn't speculate on how long he will continue coaching, but he said it would be a dream to win the Stanley Cup with the franchise he helped start.

"You look at it, when I was in Montreal, we won a few cups there," Lemaire said. "I went to Jersey and we won a cup there. For us it would be great to start with a brand new team and bring it there. It would be a great, great achievement that any person would dream of."

Injured Penguins centre Talbot could return on Sunday

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:59:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Penguins centre Maxime Talbot, sidelined with a broken right foot for three games, may play Sunday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia.

Talbot broke his foot while blocking a shot in Game 3 of the second-round series against the Rangers. He returned to practice Saturday, and coach Michel Therrien said he will be evaluated following Sunday's pre-game skate.

"He looked pretty good," Therrien said. "We're going to sit down with him and see how he feels."

Talbot has one goal and an assist for two points in seven playoff games and is a plus-1.

Defensive prowess overlooked facet of Pittsburgh Penguins' game

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:26:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Given the offensive pizzazz on the Pittsburgh Penguins, it's hardly surprising that the most overlooked facet of their game has been their defensive prowess in these NHL playoffs.

Yes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the rest of the offensive juggernaut have provided some flashy and timely goals, but behind the sizzle lies the truth behind a 9-1 record this spring. The Penguins are ranked first in goals against, allowing only 1.90 goals per game in the playoffs.

"That's a part of the game we've been working on," star defenceman Sergei Gonchar said Saturday after practice. "A lot of people probably aren't paying attention to it because it's not something people think about when they think about the Pittsburgh Penguins. They think about nice goals and nice plays.

"But everybody has really bought into the defensive part of the game and that's why we're having some success."

It showed again Friday night in the opener of the Eastern Conference final, the Penguins completely shutting down the Philadelphia Flyers once they took a 4-2 lead in the second period.

"When we took that two-goal lead, we were tough to play against," said head coach Michel Therrien. "It's just something that we try to teach a lot with that young group through the course of the season to be able to get some success in the playoffs."

Therrien and his coaching staff deserve much credit. It's not easy convincing a young roster full of offensive studs to try just as hard on the other side of the puck. That part isn't nearly as much fun. But it starts with the guy wearing the captain's 'C'. Crosby bought in a long time ago so his teammates had no choice but to follow their young leader.

"Obviously, we realize if we don't play well defensively, we're not going to win a lot of games," said Crosby, who was plus-18 in the regular season and is plus-3 so far this spring. "We do have a lot of offensive players. But we all realize if we take care of things on our own end, it gives us a better opportunity to have the puck and not be chasing as much all game.

"So I think up front we realize we have to make sure we're coming back hard. Our defence has done a great job. They manage the puck well. We've got some big guys there that can be physical and they need to be. And obviously when Marc-Andre (Fleury) is playing well, it's hard to score goals against us."

Therrien is constantly bombarded with questions about his offensive stars. Can you believe how good Sid The Kid is, can you believe what Malkin did in tonight's game, etc... But his eyes lit up Saturday when asked about his team's defensive play. He obviously is proud how far his team has come in that department.

"You know what, people probably won't pay attention to our defensive game because of the weapons that we have offensively," said Therrien, whose team will look to take a 2-0 lead with a win Sunday in Game 2 (7:30 p.m. ET). "And I believe that's normal. We stress a lot with the players about playing a good team game, good defensive game, a good checking game. They know they want to be successful. And there's no team at this time of the year that could be successful without playing a good checking game.

"This is a young group who wants to be better. This is why it is so fun for a coaching staff to work with those young guys. Because they want to get better, and they pay attention to detail. ... Even if they're gifted, a lot of players are gifted defensively, they're not going to cheat. They're going to play the book, they're going to do the percentage play, and that's the only reason why right now we have success."

Clearly that message has sunk in through the Penguins dressing room.

"Defence wins championships, that's the way it is," said Penguins checker Jarkko Ruutu. "If you want to start opening up and try to get into high-scoring games, then you're probably not going to win. When you play smart defensively you create chances going the other way. I think it's a good balance, we've been smart about it so far.

"I think guys are buying into the defence much better than ever," he added. "You see guys like Malkin coming back hard. Everybody is buying in, it's contagious. Especially when your top guys are doing it. When they're not cutting corners, everybody follows suit."

Centre Jordan Staal, only 19, figures it's pretty simple really.

"Our game plan is really about limiting the other team's chances and we know that sooner or later, with the talent we have on this team, we're going to score goals as well," Staal said. "When we keep the puck out of our net, we're fine."

Malkin scores twice as Penguins draw first blood in Eastern Conference final

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:36:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - The Philadelphia Flyers took out the Montreal Canadiens in the second round the NHL playoffs with a bend-don't-break style that frustrated the Habs to no end.

Outshot and outchanced in most of that series, the Flyers still prevailed in a short, five-game set in large part because goalie Martin Biron was terrific and the Canadiens couldn't finish.

If Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final was any indication Friday night, that Flyers won't get away with that this time around. Unlike the Canadiens, the Pittsburgh Penguins polished off their scoring chances.

"We did a great job of capitalizing," star centre Sidney Crosby said after a 4-2 victory over the Flyers.

Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist while Crosby and Petr Sykora also scored for the high-flying Penguins, who took advantage of defensive breakdowns by Philadelphia.

"You turn pucks over and give up rushes against Crosby and Malkin, that's a game you can't play," said Flyers head coach John Stevens. "Every time you get an odd-man rush error ... it favours them. Those are things we can't do.

"When we turn pucks over in the neutral zone, they come with too much speed, and they get you on the rush."

Malkin got them twice in that fashion, breaking open a 2-2 game with a pair of high-end goals. First, it was a blistering wrist shot with 6.5 seconds to go in the first period that beat Flyers goalie Martin Biron stick side, Malkin allowed to walk in from the side boards. There's nothing a coach hates more than giving up a goal late in the period.

"That's a huge moment in a hockey game," said Penguins winger Marian Hossa. "That was a huge goal by Malkin, it's the kind of goals that kill a team."

Malkin's second goal, and the real back-breaker, came on a short-handed breakaway, the Russian centre blasting a slapshot from the hashmarks right through Biron. A little unconventional, but it worked.

"At the last second I just decided to shoot that puck as hard as I can," Malkin said through an interpreter. "I didn't think about where to shoot or to make any moves. Just (shoot) as hard as I can."

And that was the game.

Moments later, for good measure, Malkin clobbered Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn with a clean but thunderous hit. The sellout crowd of 17,132 at Mellon Arena was loving every minute of it.

"One of the best hits was Malkin on Coburn, and that shows just the character of the players," said Therrien.

Malkin and Crosby and the rest of the Penguins fought back all night long. They won't be pushed around by the rugged Flyers.

"Our good players, you know, they play hard," said Therrien. "They're not going to back down."

Mike Richards scored both goals for the Flyers, who didn't look at all, at least for one game, like they could cope with the loss of Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers' top defenceman was lost for the series to a blood clot.

Timonen is Philadelphia's backside general, directing traffic while making smart plays in his own zone. The Flyers will need to find a way to tighten up defensively without him or this will be a short series. The Penguins have too many offensive weapons to be giving up odd-man breaks.

"We know if we can put lots of pressure on our their D, we're going to get the puck back," said Hossa. "We did that much better in the second and third periods."

Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 stops for the victory, including a flashy glove save early in the third period on Flyers forward Jeff Carter. There would be no Flyers comeback on this night.

Philadelphia showed promise in the early going, buzzing around in the Penguins zone in the first period and knocking at the door. But it was the Penguins that scored first, on only their second shot of the game, Sykora taking a nifty cross-ice pass from Ryan Malone and beating Biron with a backhand deke at 6:19.

But the Flyers continued their excellent first-period forecheck and it paid off when Richards beat Fleury on a wrap-around at 8:30. It was Richards again that gave Philadelphia its only lead of the game at 12:50, flipping a loose puck over a sprawled Fleury.

"I thought we had a kind of slow start," said Therrien. "We know how they're going to score their goals. They throw a lot of pucks to the net. And not playing in a week, the competitiveness level wasn't there for us at the beginning."

But then defensive mistakes began to happen and the Penguins smelled blood. Marian Hossa intercepted a Biron clearing attempt in the corner and fed Crosby in front, No. 87 deftly re-directing the puck through Biron's legs to tie it 2-2 at 14:11. They would never look back.

Notes: With Timonen out, veteran blue-liner Jaroslav Modry was reinserted in the Flyers lineup instead of Ryan Parent ... Forwards Steve Downie, Denis Tolpeko and Riley Cote were healthy scratches ... Penguins checking centre Maxime Talbot missed his third straight game with a foot injury. Head coach Michel Therrien said he was day to day ... Forwards Kris Beech and Jeff Taffe and defenceman Darryl Sydor were healthy scratches for Pittsburgh.

Fabian Brunnstrom signs two-year deal with Dallas Stars

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:55:00 -0400

DALLAS - Swedish free agent Fabian Brunnstrom signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars on Friday after being wooed by a handful of NHL teams.

"All of the other teams and clubs, like Montreal and Detroit, were good but I just felt that Dallas was a little bit better for me," Brunnstrom said. "I really enjoyed the town and the people around the Dallas organization. I got a chance to visit the practice facility and the American Airlines Center and I thought everything was great."

The 23-year-old Brunnstrom, who was an unrestricted free agent, will join the Stars next season.

Brunnstrom spent the just-completed season with Farjestads BK Karlstad in the Swedish Elite League, recording 37 points (nine goals, 28 assists) in 54 games. The six-foot-one, 203-pound forward skated for Boras HC in Sweden's second division during the 2006-07 season, when he had 73 points (37 goals, 36 assists) and a plus-51 rating in 41 games.

"We are very excited to get the calibre of player that Fabian is," Stars co-general manager Les Jackson said. "He is a very good prospect and will definitely be a nice addition to our group of younger players."

Brunnstrom said Dallas was the third club he visited.

"It was a really hard decision for me," Brunnstrom said. "The other clubs were really good, too."

Kimmo Timonen rejoins Flyers, resigned to not playing

cp.org — Sat, 10 May 2008 00:31:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Kimmo Timonen wasn't in the Philadelphia Flyers' lineup Friday night, sidelined by a blood clot on his left ankle that is all but certain to keep him out the rest of the playoffs. It didn't keep him out of their dressing room.

Timonen, ruled out of the Flyers' Eastern Conference final series against the Penguins the day before, unexpectedly travelled to Pittsburgh for Game 1 by catching a ride on team chairman Ed Snider's plane. Doctors cleared him to make the trip.

"I talked to (coach) John Stevens last night, and he said he would like me to come here and be part of the team," Timonen said Friday. "When I got the news that I could fly, it was a no-brainer. I want to come here and I want to stay here and I'm flying back Sunday with the team. So I'm going to be as helpful as I can."

Timonen, the shutdown defenceman who was pivotal to the Flyers' two playoff series wins, was devastated upon learning he probably won't play again this season. The ankle problem developed after he blocked a shot in Game 4 of the second-round series against Montreal and gradually became worse.

"It was awful. I can't even describe the feeling," Timonen said of learning he couldn't play. "It's been a really rough 24 hours."

Timonen also had a blood clot several years ago, but said this one is much worse.

"This time it was in the artery, not in the vein. The dangerous thing about this is if I kept playing and the clot breaks loose, it could go to my toes and they'd have to cut my toes off," Timonen said. "So obviously you don't want that to happen. So I met three different doctors (on Thursday), and everybody said they won't let me play. There are too many risks of that to happen, and I've got to respect their opinion."

Timonen isn't certain when he can play again, but has been told he shouldn't expect to come back the rest of the playoffs.

"They said it might be two weeks, it might be two months, it might be five months," Timonen said. "It's really individual how the blood thinners are working, and we'll see. We're going to do the checkup every week and see how if it's any smaller or is it any better, and then we'll go from there."

If the problem had not been discovered until later and he had continued playing, Timonen was told the problem could have become career-threatening.

While the Flyers acknowledge that losing their most skilled defenseman is a major setback against an opponent with skilled forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Timonen is confident the Flyers can compensate for his absence. Randy Jones is taking his place on the power play and Jaroslav Modry moved into the lineup.

"We faced a lot of adversity throughout the year. We lost some key guys for a long period of time," Timonen said. "But we were still able to win games, and that tells you what kind of team we have."

Detroit's Johan Franzen has scored 27 goals in his last 27 games

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:32:00 -0400

DETROIT - Johan Franzen is on quite the scoring tear.

The Detroit Red Wings winger has 27 goals in 27 games since March 2, including 12 in his team's 11 playoff games.

The six-foot-three Swede has scored in each of the last five games. His goal during a 4-1 win over the Dallas Stars in the NHL's Western Conference final opener Thursday gave him a share of the club record with Gordie Howe, who went five in a row in 1949 and in 1964, and with Ted Lindsay, who did it in 1952. He'd already broken a long-standing Howe record for most goals in a four-game series by potting nine in a second-round sweep of Colorado.

"I don't think anybody, including Johan, if somebody had said he would be leading the National Hockey League in scoring today. . . nobody would have bet on that," says coach Mike Babcock. "Yet, in saying that, he's been excellent. He's strong and he can be physical."

Franzen is a late bloomer in terms of hockey talent. He's 29. He was 25 before any NHL team signed him. The Red Wings' European scouts outflanked the opposition yet again.

Franzen was one of six Swedes in Detroit's lineup Thursday.

Dallas goaltender Marty Turco now is 0-8-2 in career NHL decisions in Detroit.

As much as he says the past is not a confidence eroder for him, the lack of success in Joe Louis Arena has to be eating away at him. He insists, however, he won't let the big fat wins zero affect his play. Neither will his teammates let one loss - 4-1 in Game 1 Thursday - get them down.

"This isn't a group that gets frustrated very easily," he says. "We've been through quite a bit already in these playoffs never mind the whole year and years prior.

"We're going to keep forging ahead and make the necessary adjustments to be a lot better in our own end. Our focus is on what's going on in (the Stars dressing room) and not on what they're doing. We'll play a lot better and start to figure things out."

Kirk Maltby got back into Detroit's lineup at the expense of buddy Darren McCarty.

Maltby hadn't played in this post-season while rehabbing from a hamstring injury but coach Mike Babcock put him in and deleted McCarty for Game 1 of the NHL's Western Conference final Thursday night. Detroit won 4-1.

McCarty is a fan favourite for his take-no-prisoners style and for his impressive comeback when it appeared his career was done after being let go by Calgary last year. Babcock wanted to get the quicker Maltby back on the ice and somebody had to be yanked.

"You don't want to take anybody out but it's the nature of the beast," Maltby said after practice Friday.

Babcock said he made his decision without letting emotions enter the equation.

"It's just about winning," said Babcock. "It's not about Darren, and it's not about me.

"It's about the Detroit Red Wings. You make a decision. You hope it's the right decision. You don't always know. It doesn't mean that Mac's not important. It doesn't mean he's not part of the team. It just means that we felt this was the best decision."

McCarty took it well, as Babcock expected.

"It's about the team," said the coach. "Pro sports is always like that.

"The best pros handle it well and help their team and empower their team to be better, and Mac is like that."

The Red Wings defenceman with the 55 on his back is Niklas Kronwall, and not Niklas Kronvall as the NHL indicates.

The league uses Kronvall in its printed stats and on game scorescheets.

"In my passport, it's with a 'V,"' he explains. "We never bothered to change it (because) you have to go through paperwork and all that, but our family has been using a 'W' for four generations now.

"We just never bothered changing the passport. All my papers and bank accounts back home, it's all with a 'W.' I guess the NHL goes by the passport."

It's Kronwall over his dressing room stall and in printed team material.

"It doesn't really matter to me," says the hard-hitting Swede.

Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios, Toronto's Jason Blake and Edmonton's Fernando Pisani were named finalists for the Masterton Trophy on Friday.

"I've been around a long time," says Chelios. "Perseverance I guess would be the word, or tenaciousness.

"It's a great honour."

One player from each of the 30 teams was nominated. The sportsmanship award will be handed out during the NHL awards ceremonies next month.

Detroit has won nine games this post-season, leaving it seven short of winning the Stanley Cup, but they're over the halfway hump.

"You don't look ahead too far but I think when you get into the conference finals and it's down to four teams then, obviously, there's light at the end of the tunnel," says Chelios. "By the same token, you've got to keep things on an even keel and worry about the task at hand. That's the next game."

It's been six years since the 46-year-old blue-liner wrapped his arms around the silver championship trophy. How badly does he want to do it again - perhaps for the last time?

"I couldn't be happier to be in this fight," he said. "It's always the most exciting time of the year so, hopefully, we can just keep going and have a lot of success here."

This is a stronger Red Wings lineup than the one that lost the conference final to Anaheim last spring.

"We've got very good chemistry," says Chelios. "Having Zetterberg and Datsyuk developing the way they have into top players in the league and surprises like Filppula and Franzen coming along . . . right now everything seems to be paying off and we're playing with a lot of confidence."

Joel Quenneville will not return as head coach of Colorado Avalanche

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:30:00 -0400

DENVER - The Colorado Avalanche want to play a faster, more attacking brand of hockey, similar to the style that brought them two Stanley Cup titles.

Now, they're looking for a coach who fits that description. Joel Quenneville and the Avalanche mutually decided to end their relationship Friday, a week after Colorado was swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings.

Quenneville was 131-92-23 in three seasons with Colorado, but just 2-2 in playoff series after inheriting a team that was on the slide after a decade of dominance in the NHL.

"Whatever happens going forward, my memories are all going to be positive here," Quenneville said.

Avalanche executive vice-president and general manager Francois Giguere doesn't have a timeline for when he'll hire a new coach, but he does have one requirement - an up-tempo philosophy. He wants the Avalanche to play with more speed.

"We've always been an organization that's been a puck possession, upbeat, high tempo, high energy, attacking (team)," said Giguere, whose franchise captured the Cup in '96 and '01. "That's the way the Avalanche have always played and I think that's the way I foresee this team continuing to play."

Quenneville thought the Avalanche were serious Stanley Cup contenders after beating Minnesota in a first-round series.

Then, injuries hit - again. Peter Forsberg (groin), leading scorer Paul Stastny (knee) and forwards Ryan Smyth (foot) and Wojtek Wolski (ribs) all joined Marek Svatos (knee) on the bench as the Avalanche could never muster any momentum as Detroit rolled past them.

"We believed we had a real good chance and things changed quickly in that Detroit series," Quenneville said. "The ending leaves a sour taste, but at the same time there's a lot of good things we should be proud of."

Quenneville said the two sides are departing on good terms.

"We'll still be able to say 'Hi' to each other," he said.

The future of Quenneville's staff remains in limbo. It will be up to the new coach whether assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier, Tony Granato and Jeff Hackett remain.

"My anticipation (is) that the coaches are going to be here," Giguere said.

Quenneville danced around the question when he was asked if he wanted to remain in Denver.

"Let's put it this way, I want to coach and I think it's a privilege to coach in this league," he said. "I would like to return to coaching in the league."

Maybe Toronto, perhaps? After all, the Maple Leafs are in the market for a coach and he once played for them during one of his stops in a 13-year career as an NHL defenceman.

"I don't want to talk about anything about the process going forward," he said.

In addition to finding a new coach, Giguere has to make tough decisions on unrestricted free agents like Forsberg, Jose Theodore, Andrew Brunette and Adam Foote.

Not to mention trying to keep his captain from retiring. Giguere is hoping that Joe Sakic will return for a 20th season. However, Sakic is coming off an injury-riddled season that saw the 38-year-old miss 38 games with a hernia.

"I'm hoping as the days pass by that he misses the game, and we'll have him back with us," Giguere said.

Giguere wouldn't tip his hand as to whom he may be after. He simply intimated he wanted a faster style of play and that it wasn't a knock on Quenneville.

"Joel Quenneville has an outstanding reputation in this business," Giguere said. "When I was hired as a GM, I was a big believer in Joel. I still am a big believer in Joel. Sometimes, for whatever reasons, you need to go in separate ways. It doesn't mean you're not a good coach."

Quenneville was an assistant with the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run in 1996, then was hired away by St. Louis. He spent eight seasons with the Blues, becoming the team's winningest coach with 307 victories. In 2004, Quenneville became the fourth coach in Avalanche history.

He coached his 800th game this season, joining Bob Pulford and Jacques Lemaire as the only coaches in NHL history to both play and coach in 800 or more games.

Now, he's looking for work.

"It's a tough business," Quenneville said. "You're not going to be coaching in the same place forever.

"I was fortunate to be around very competitive teams (in Colorado)," he continued. "At the end of the day, it was a good three years. It was a positive ending for us."

Kolzig confirms he won't play for Capitals again

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:39:00 -0400

WASHINGTON - When Olie Kolzig removed his nameplate from the Washington Capitals' locker room after their last playoff game, then skipped a mandatory meeting the next morning, everyone figured his time with the team was over.

Now Kolzig confirms he won't be back.

"For me, it was disappointing the way it ended. ... It just doesn't feel right," the 38-year-old goalie told The Washington Post for a story Friday. "But at the same time, as an athlete, you have to know when to move on."

Kolzig never has played for another NHL franchise. He was drafted by the Capitals in the first round in 1989, helped them reach the 1998 Stanley Cup final, won the Vezina Trophy in 2000, and owns most team goaltending records.

But he was relegated to being a backup down the stretch this season and in the playoffs after Washington traded for Montreal goalie Cristobal Huet.

"Olie has been great for the Washington Capitals, and the Capitals were great for Olie," general manager George McPhee said. "He has been a great leader and ambassador for the club. Olie can still play, and if he decides to continue to play, we wish him the very best."

Kolzig thought he might get a chance to play when Washington fell behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series against Philadelphia. The Capitals stuck with Huet, though.

"Our backs were against the wall, but it didn't happen," Kolzig told the newspaper. "I said to myself: 'My time here in Washington has passed. They've chosen to go in a different direction, and this was the exclamation point on it."'

He went 25-21-6 with a 2.91 goals-against average this season.

"If he decides to continue his career with another team, I will respect that decision, and he will be missed," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. "In my mind, however, he always will be a Washington Capital."

Kolzig's agent did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press.

Red Wings' proficiency on faceoffs a cause of concern for Stars

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:02:00 -0400

DETROIT - Watching the Detroit Red Wings play, it seems as if they've always got the puck.

That was the case Thursday night when they defeated the Dallas Stars 4-1 in the NHL's Western Conference final, and it all started with faceoffs. The Wings won 35 of 56 draws, a success rate of 63 per cent. They were even sharper on power plays in winning 11 of 15 or 73 per cent, which helped them fire in three goals with Stars in the penalty box.

Considering that a forward's average shift is about 40 seconds, it is of tremendous important to get the puck as soon as possible after jumping onto the ice.

"Instead of chasing the puck for 20 seconds, it's nice to have it right away," says Henrik Zetterberg, who won 12 faceoffs and lost only five. "Most of the time, if you win a lot of the faceoffs, you take the momentum in games."

During Wings practices, coaches will work two players at a time through faceoff drills that incite laughter and good-natured teasing.

"You have to have fun out there," Zetterberg said after practice Friday. "We usually do it at the end of practice.

"It's a good exercise for us to do that."

Valtteri Filppula won nine of the 12 faceoffs he took, Kris Draper won nine of 15, and Dan Cleary won all four he took.

On the other side, Brad Richards was 5-for-17, Mike Ribeiro was 5-for-15 and Mike Modano was 3-for-10.

"They have good faceoff people so I don't expect (Detroit's dominance at draws) to continue," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock. "Yet, it's something we take a lot of pride in.

"I think we were the best in the league this year and we want to continue to do that."

It helped, of course, that as home team the Red Wings' centres are allowed to be last to get into position for the drop of the puck.

"That's a key that gets overlooked," Richards said of the importance of winning faceoffs. "It is definitely something we've got to work on.

"Numerous times (in Game 1), pucks were just lying there and they were beating us to pucks out of faceoffs. That was a product of how we played. We were a little behind in every aspect of the game. We just weren't on."

The Red Wings have been entirely on for some time now. They've won seven in a row. They haven't lost since April 16. They're perfect since inserting Chris Osgood in the nets in place of Dominik Hasek.

"We have a good mix," Zetterberg said of the Wings' roster. "Last year we went to the conference final and it was a good experience for the guys who hadn't been there before.

"We kept the core group for this year and made some good additions."

Meanwhile, the Stars hope to play a much more up-tempo game when the series resumes Saturday night (7 p.m. ET).

"We really weren't skating very well and moving the puck (Thursday)," Modano said. "That's a big part of our game and when we're not doing those things we're not very effective."

Hits were 31-30 in Detroit's favour in the opener. Expect to see more Stars throwing their weight around Joe Louis Arena after the skates are laced up again.

"Shots and scoring chances go up, being physical and arriving on hits and causing turnovers - they're all related to skating," said Modano.

Game 1 was a wakeup call, he said.

"It showed us how good that team is and how well they play," he said. "They're structure is pretty solid.

"They do a lot of little things that make it difficult for you. We learned from it, and we'll push back (Saturday night)."

The Stars won the opening games over Anaheim and San Jose in the previous two rounds.

"Each series you have to take it up a notch and this is no exception," said Modano. "The level has to be much higher.

"That's a challenge for us and a lot of guys who haven't been in this situation before to get ourselves back in the series."

Modano has to come alive against a team he's enjoyed scant success if the Stars are to advance to the Stanley Cup final. He didn't earn a point in four games against Detroit during the regular season, and he was again held off the scoresheet in Game 1. He managed one shot on Osgood.

Centre Stu Barnes, who missed the last four Dallas games dealing with concussion symptoms, participated fully in practice and he'd provide a boost, especially on faceoffs, if he could play Saturday.

"He looked better out there," said coach Dave Tippett. "We'll evaluate him in the morning."

Tippett suggested goalie Marty Turco, who now is 0-8-2 in NHL career decisions at The Joe, has to be more aggressive in contending with forwards such as Tomas Holmstrom and Johan Franzen, who crowd the crease to deflect in goals. Each stuck out a stick blade to get one Thursday.

"Our goaltender has to battle harder to get us space," said Tippett. "Obviously, if they're going to be allowed to stand in the paint, then we have to battle harder to push them out.

"Simple as that."

While the Stars promise a better showing, the Red Wings figure they can up the ante, too.

"We know we're going to be better," said Babcock. "We were off a little while but we think we'll be much quicker and harder to play against.

"That's going to be our focus. They've got a really good team and we're aware of that. (Game 2) will be a different game. We understand that totally."

Daniel Briere hopes third time in conference finals the charm

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:20:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Daniel Briere is making May hockey a habit. But what he'd really like is to finally play a series in June.

The Philadelphia Flyers centre is playing in the NHL's Eastern Conference final for a third straight season. This time, he's looking for a different ending after being on the losing end with the Buffalo Sabres in 2005-06 and '06-07. Several days from now, he's hoping to be shaking the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, it's been two years in a row now going home empty handed after this series," Briere said Friday before Game 1 against the Penguins. "So I'm hoping with the experience we have in this dressing room and we'll be a little bit more better prepared and ready to attack it and move on next time around."

A year ago at this time, Flyers goalie Martin Biron returned to Buffalo to watch his buddy Briere and his former Sabres teammates lose to the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference final. The thought had already crossed Biron's mind right then and there. How good would his friend look in a Flyers uniform? Briere was heading into unrestricted free agency July 1 and the Sabres weren't making any serious offers to keep him.

"Then summer started, and it's the month of June, and we started working out together in Buffalo before he left to get ready for July 1," Biron said Friday. "Then we talked a little bit about the situation.

"He was asking questions about Philadelphia and the organization. Luckily I had been there for a couple of months. I knew what the direction of the team was and where they wanted to go. I talked about the good things of Philadelphia and the surroundings."

Biron also knew Briere was asking around about other teams as well. He kept his fingers crossed that the Flyers would be the team he'd choose. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had Briere as a July 1 target. But there was serious competition, notably from the Montreal Canadiens. Briere had done his homework and was ready for July 1.

"It's really tough," said Biron, who was keeping tabs with Briere. "You get to July 1, and you have an hour or two to make a decision for your next eight years of your life. You want to be prepared for that. And you can do it by asking questions to other guys."

Biron's wish came true, Briere signing a US$52-million, eight-year contract with the Flyers on July 1. Briere had gone from a Sabres club that won the President's Trophy to the last-place team in the NHL. Less than a year later, the Flyers are in the NHL's final four while the Sabres didn't even make the playoffs.

In between, however, were some tough times for Briere. Whether it was the burden of a big-money contract or simply adjusting to new surroundings, the 30-year-old Gatineau, Que., native will be the first to admit his 72-point regular season wasn't up to snuff.

"It was a trying year," said Briere.

One of the biggest factors was a revolving door of wingers once Simon Gagne was lost for the year.

"I mean, the last four years in Buffalo I only had three different wingers the whole time I was there," Briere said. "So that was an adjustment this year. ... I couldn't really find chemistry."

Head coach John Stevens takes some of the blame for that.

"I had the merry go round with the wingers there, trying to find the right fit," said Stevens.

Then along came Vaclav Prospal from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the trade deadline.

"Vinny Prospal arrived and chemistry started setting in right away," said Briere. "Our line with Scott Hartnell, going down the stretch I thought our line played really well helping our team move into the playoffs. And our play kept going into the playoffs. So it's been a lot of fun lately. And you know what, it makes you appreciate it even more when you have to go through tough times."

Briere led the Flyers through two playoff rounds with 14 points (8-6) in 12 games, clearly back at the top of his game.

"Well, I honestly believe there was a process that he had to go through to become a really valuable player for us," said Stevens.

"He's terrific," added Stevens. "He looks like his old self. I think you're going to see great play from him for the rest of the time he's playing for the Flyers."

Leafs expected to meet with former Canucks GM Dave Nonis

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:43:00 -0400

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to meet with former Vancouver Canucks GM Dave Nonis next week, a source confirmed to The Canadian Press on Friday.

Nonis was fired by the Canucks on April 14.

The Leafs have been looking for a general manager to succeed John Ferguson since Cliff Fletcher took over the team as interim GM on Jan. 22. It's not clear at this point whether Nonis would be hired on as GM or in some other front-office capacity.

Both Nonis and Fletcher declined comment when reached Friday.

Blake, Chelios and Pisani named finalists for the Masterton Trophy

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:27:00 -0400

NEW YORK - Toronto Maple Leafs winger Jason Blake, Edmonton Oilers winger Fernando Pisani and Detroit Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios were named finalists for the 2008 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy on Friday.

The award, under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

In October, Blake was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a rare but treatable form of cancer. Nonetheless, the Hibbing, Minn., native completed the season as one of only three players to appear in all 82 Maple Leafs games.

Blake hosted a leukemia awareness night at the Air Canada Centre in January and donated $1,000 per goal and $500 per assist during the month to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Pisani missed the first 26 games of the regular season due to ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammation of the large intestine. The Edmonton native suffered abdominal pain and weight loss and was forced to miss training camp and the first 26 games of the regular season. He made an inspirational return to the Oilers' lineup Dec. 2 in a 4-0 victory at Anaheim and played all of Edmonton's remaining games.

Chelios completed his 24th NHL regular season and ninth with the Red Wings in 2007-08. The three-time Norris Trophy-winner (1989, '93 and '96) and 11-time all-star game participant has appeared in 1,616 regular-season games, sixth on the all-time list. In January, the 46-year-old Chicago native became the second-oldest player in National Hockey League history, trailing only Gordie Howe.

The Masterton Trophy winner will be announced June 12 during the 2008 NHL awards in Toronto.

Morrow says Stars played on "tilted ice" against Red Wings

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:38:00 -0400

DETROIT - Brenden Morrow says he felt the Joe Louis Arena ice tilt Thursday night.

After playing the Detroit Red Wings even for six or seven minutes, the Dallas Stars were overwhelmed and dropped the opener of the NHL's Western Conference final 4-1 Thursday night. "They got a couple of power plays, we got behind," said the Stars captain. "I think we had a good two or three shifts to start the game, but then the ice got tilted the other way."

The effort wasn't anywhere near what his team had delivered previously this post-season, said coach Dave Tippett. His guys just didn't skate as well as they have been skating, and it probably was because of the emotional sag after requiring four overtimes to eliminate the San Jose Sharks last Sunday night.

Whatever, Morrow, who scored his team's lone goal after it had fallen behind 4-0, said there were too many spectators in visitors' white.

"Can't sit around and watch," he said. "We've got to initiate, play our style."

Detroit scored three times on power plays the first five chances it had on power plays.

"We've got to get in the shooting lanes, not let those shots get through," said Morrow. "We've got to do better on the penalty kill."

Nobody in the Stars dressing room was blaming goaltender Marty Turco, who faced 31 shots compared to the 21 Dallas fired at the Wings' Chris Osgood.

"We hung him out to dry with the 5-on-3 early in the game," said Morrow.

Turco said that "it looked like we lacked a little emotion or jump we had in the other series." He was screened on Detroit's first goal and couldn't react in time to handle Johan Franzen's deflection on the second Wings goal.

Another deflection, this time by Tomas Holmstrom, made it 3-0.

"He's one of the best in the league at tipping," said Turco. "He doesn't get enough credit for his hands." Holmstrom might have wandered into Turco's crease in deflecting the puck in. Turco thought that was the case.

"We got told we'd have a ability to move within the blue," he said. "We like to have our hands out in front us, and I wasn't able to do that cause he's coming backwards at us.

"It's a penalty, if you ask me. Those ones should be waved off, not going back to the late 90's type stuff, but that's me. But he's (Holmstrom) one of the best at it, getting in there, tipping, he doesn't get enough credit for probably his hands, but he certainly willing to pay the price, and he did and he got rewarded for it."

Stars forward Brad Richards have five shots on goal, while Mike Modano had none. Both were equally frustrated afterwards.

"We didn't get to the level that we needed to," said Richards. "We didn't get the speed up. That's why we took penalties." Mike Ribeiro said the loss will quickly be placed behind them.

"It could have been 7-1, it could have been 1-1," he said. "It's over now, it's 1-0 them and we need to look at the next game".

"Right now we regroup the team, we know what we did wrong, we'll fix that and be better next game."

Added Turco: "I know we'll be better in Game 2."

"They're a team that likes to control the puck and we need to be smart about where we're going to put those pucks and how we're going to get it back to play offence," said Ribeiro. "We know what we did wrong and what we have to do to fix it."

Wings dominate Dallas 4-1 in NHL Western final opener

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:50:00 -0400

DETROIT - The memory of their demise in the NHL's Western Conference final a year ago continues to spur the Detroit Red Wings on to greater things this spring.

"We've got a group that wants to win bad and we're determined," says coach Mike Babcock. "We've been here before and never got the job done.

"We'd like to take the next step."

The Red Wings are determined they won't let the Dallas Stars do to them what the Anaheim Ducks did in the 2007 conference final, and they trounced the Stars 4-1 in the opener to drive the point home Thursday night.

It was their seventh straight win.

As if they didn't already have enough offensive weapons, the Wings turned what had been an ordinary post-season power play into a flamethrower by connecting three times in their first five extra-man chances.

Power-play goals by Brian Rafalski and Johan Franzen put them up 2-0 in the first period, and a power-play goal by Tomas Holmstrom plus an even-strength goal by Valtteri Filpulla made it 4-0 before Brenden Morrow replied late in the second period.

The Red Wings hadn't played in a week but showed no signs of rust in the teams' first post-season meeting in 10 years.

"We got rested up and, if anything, you get eager to play again," said winning goalie Chris Osgood. "We missed playing. We wanted to start playing again."

Detroit outshot Dallas 31-21. Osgood improved to 7-0 since replacing Dominik Hasek in the first round. Marty Turco, winless in 10 career regular-season starts in Joe Louis Arena, was a loser again.

"We did a good job of getting pucks on Marty, making things difficult for him," said Osgood. "It's hard to play goal against our team because we shoot pucks from everywhere and we get guys in front of the goalie.

"We do have flashy players but tonight we scored by going to the net and getting guys in front of the goalie."

Babcock suggested the Stars had an emotional letdown after going four overtimes in eliminating San Jose on Sunday, and disappointed coach Dave Tippett seemed to agree.

"That's a game that wasn't even close to the games we played in the playoffs," he said. "There's some fatigue from the last game.

"Whatever the reason, we didn't play close to our capability. We just didn't skate, didn't get to the level we needed to be at. Give the Red Wings all the credit in the world. They did what they had to do to win. We're going to have to be much better."

Babcock is sure they will be better in Game 2 on Saturday (7 p.m.)

"Their legs will be back and the series will be on," said Babcock. "They've got a real good team.

"There's no question that the next game they'll be back and rolling."

The Red Wings had a two-man advantage when captain Nick Lidstrom smashed a shot off a post. The carom went all the way out to near the blue-line, and Rafalski slapped a long shot that sailed over Turco at 4:28. Mattias Norstrom was serving a hooking penalty and Mark Fistric joined him in the penalty box for roughing up Holmstrom after a whistle.

"It was surprising it came all the way back that far from the post," said Rafalski. "Guys were scrambling around and I saw Turco was down so I was trying to go high and it got in."

Franzen deflected down a high Niklas Kronvall shot and sent the puck skittering past Turco's feet at 15:34 after Toby Petersen had been nabbed for holding.

Franzen's 12th goal of the post-season, in his team's 11th game, tied the club playoff record of five consecutive games with a goal. The six-foot-three Swede shares it with Gordie Howe, who went five in a row in 1949 and 1964, and with Ted Lindsay, who had a similar streak in 1952.

Shots were 4-4 early on but the Red Wings were up 12-4 after 20 minutes.

"We talked about it before the game - that we wanted to get engaged right away," Lidstrom said of his team's great start. "We wanted to get our feet going, get skating right away. We wanted to come out with a strong effort right away."

Osgood made a fantastic leg save when Niklas Hagman got free for a shot from on Osgood's doorstep six minutes into the second period.

"Ozzie, Ozzie," cheered the near-capacity crowd of 20,066.

Holmstrom made it 3-0 when, parked in front of Turco, he deflected in a high Lidstrom shot at 6:40. Mike Ribeiro cringed in the penalty box, where he'd been exiled for hooking. The scoring sequence began when Henrik Zetterberg beat Steve Ott on a faceoff in the Dallas end.

A few minutes later, Kronvall slammed Antti Miettinen to the ice with a punishing and clean body check.

"He sees when a guy is vulnerable and he's got that ability to hunt you down," Babcock said of Kronvall, who missed the 2007 playoffs after a leg injury suffered after a hit from Dallas forward Joel Lundqvist. "He's looking for you all the time.

"It's important for us with him and (Brad) Stuart that they're alway son the hunt because it makes (opponents) nervous. You've got to be aware of where they're at."

Vilpulla finished off a nifty passing play at 15:37 of the second period. Kronvall fed Mikael Samuelsson who relayed the puck to Filpulla, who scooted between Fistric and Norstrom for a clear shot at the net. Turco didn't have a chance on the leftie's quick wrist shot.

Morrow flicked a rebound past Osgood at 18:53.

Detroit was up 25-15 on the shots counter after 40 minutes.

Babcock gave his muckers more ice time in the third period and veterans such as Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, appearing in his first playoff game this spring after recovering from a hamstring injury, frustrated the Stars with their checking.

Franzen continues to be as hot as a firecracker.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "I don't have a good answer for it.

"I've been lucky."

He'd already broken a Howe record by getting nine goals in four games in the previous round, and now he can break another Howe mark if he gets a goal Saturday.

"It's really something," he said. "But I don't want to think about that right now.

"My only concern now is to win seven more games this year."

What the Red Wings are doing is much more than The Johan Franzen Show.

"We're playing well as a team," said Lidstrom. "It's not that we're relying on one or two players.

"We have a lot of players chipping in and helping out.

"That's one of the keys to our success so far - that we're not relying on one line to carry the team. It's been balanced scoring, strong team defence, and I think this is very comparable to some of the teams we had back in the '90s."

History shows that teams winning the first game of a best-of-seven go on to win the series 68.9 per cent of the time.

Notes: The Red Wings won 35 of 56 faceoffs (63 per cent). Zetterberg won 12 of the 17 he took (71 per cent) . . . Power plays saw Detroit go 3-for-7 and Dallas go 0-for-4 . . . Detroit D Chris Chelios returned to the lineup after missing the fourth and final game of the previous series with what his team described as a lower body injury . . . The last time these teams met in the playoffs, in 1998, the Red Wings prevailed in a six-game conference final that catapulted them to a second straight championship. No team has won two in a row since . . . Hard to believe that 209 players were selected ahead of Zetterberg in his draft year (1999) . . . Dallas C Mike Modano was held off the scoresheet - just as he was during the regular season when he had no points and was a minus-5 in four games against Detroit . . . Two Michigan-born players are involved in this series: Modano is from Livonia and Rafalski is from Dearborn . . . Average age is 30.2 for the Red Wings and 29.0 for the Stars.

Hot state of hockey as Flyers, Penguins meet in East finals

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:04:00 -0400

PITTSBURGH - Some NHL rivalries evolve from a big game, a major trade or a short-lived scuffle, then fade after a few years. Not the Philadelphia Flyers versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

This rivalry is real, perpetual, and, mostly, downright nasty. Evolving from state lines and bloodlines - and it's mostly bad blood - it's been one of the league's most heated since the teams were born in 1967. Now, for the first time, it will decide a Stanley Cup finalist as the Pennsylvania teams meet in the Eastern Conference finals beginning Friday night.

"All the games (during the season) were heated and now we go into the conference finals and I'm expecting it to be heated again, and even more," Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen said.

Only Timonen won't be part of it. He is expected to miss the series with a blood clot in his left ankle that developed during the second-round series against Montreal, a major setback for the Flyers.

Timonen is their most skilled defenceman and was expected to be matched against Pittsburgh leading scorer Evgeni Malkin's line.

"We have to view this that he's not a player for us in the series, and march on," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said.

Mimicking their locations in diametric corners of one of the East Coast's biggest states, the teams are polar opposites. The Penguins haven't advanced to the finals since 1992. The Flyers' most recent appearance was 1997.

The Penguins, much like the days when Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr were the team's big names, are flash and dash, speed and flair with scoring stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa. They've won eight of nine in the playoffs and all five home games, a relatively easy start for a youthful team whose three biggest stars, including goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, are 23 or younger.

The Flyers, while possessing multiple scoring lines like Pittsburgh, are rightful descendants of the franchise's fabled Broad Street Bullies, winning through toughness and intimidation. They muscled up to the Penguins' stars, pushed them around, distracted them with some success while winning five of eight during the season.

A season series that, on Dec. 11, required only 20 seconds for the first fight to start.

Asked when the rivalry might kick in again, Penguins forward Ryan Malone said, "Probably right when the puck drops (Friday night), I think."

Don't think there's a difference between the style of play in the usually free-flowing Western Conference and the rivalry-filled East? Consider this.

In their four regular-season games, Western Conference finallists Dallas and Detroit combined for 26 power plays and two power-play goals. In their eight games, the Flyers and Penguins combined for a remarkable 86 power plays and 20 power-play goals.

"I think the only difference in us that you'll see from the regular season is that no one wants to take that extra one," Penguins defenceman Rob Scuderi said. "It's OK to be physical, it's OK to play the body, it's OK to play hard, but no one wants to take that extra penalty."

Not with Philadelphia No. 3 and Pittsburgh No. 4 in playoff power-play scoring, with the Penguins getting at least one power-play goal in all but one game.

If there's a common theme between Flyers coach John Stevens and Penguins coach Michel Therrien - who, coincidentally, faced each other twice in AHL playoff series - is that it's as important for their teams to stay under control as it is to control the other.

"We want to be aggressive. We want to play with urgency and intensity," Stevens said. "But if we're undisciplined, we're just neutralizing ourselves."

For the Penguins, that means finding a way to slow Pittsburgh native R.J. Umberger, who had eight goals in the second round against Montreal and six during the season against them.

For the Flyers, that means somehow containing the multiple waves of Penguins scorers that will emerge from the Malkin and Crosby lines to challenge goalie Martin Biron.

"We know they will target guys like Crosby and Malkin and Hossa and (Petr) Sykora, but that's fine," Therrien said. "That's the playoffs. Ottawa tried to do it. The Rangers tried to do it."

That they're facing each other to play for the Stanley Cup is something new. That each has figured in the other winning Cups is not.

In 1969, the Penguins passed on Bobby Clarke in the draft at No. 15 and the Flyers grabbed the future Hall of Famer at No. 17. In 1990, the Flyers picked Mike Ricci at No. 3, allowing Jagr to fall to Pittsburgh at No. 5. The Penguins won the Cup for the first time 11 months later, then captured it again a season later after the Flyers dealt them forward Rick Tocchet and defenceman Kjell Samuelsson.

Maybe there is some brotherly love in this rivalry after all. Then again, maybe not.

During the Penguins' 10-7 win in Game 5 of the 1989 conference semifinals, angry Flyers goalie Ron Hextall chased forward Rob Brown across the ice after Brown's goal made it 9-2. Equally embarrassed and incensed, the Flyers won the next two games and the series.

Crosby's introduction to the rivalry came by the blunt end of Flyers defenceman Darian Hatcher's stick in November 2005, leaving Crosby with some chipped teeth, a bloody mouth and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for protesting the lack of a penalty. No doubt that's one reason he has 37 points in 20 career games against them.

Now, there could be seven Flyers-Penguins games over two weeks in what truly will be a heated state of hockey.

"You know, why not beat each other up a little bit to get on to the next round?" Malone said, laughing.

Gloves and visors for the fans are optional.

"They're notorious for being physical and being on the edge of dirty, and that's the way you have to play in the playoffs," Penguins defenceman Hal Gill said. "But you have to toe that line and be smart. That's what the challenge is going to be."

Timonen likely out of NHL East finals with blood clot

cp.org — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:22:00 -0400

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Flyers all-star defenceman Kimmo Timonen will likely miss the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins because of a blood clot in his left ankle.

Philadelphia general manager Paul Holmgren said Timonen was hit by a shot by Montreal's Andrei Markov late in Game 4 of Philadelphia's second-round victory over the Canadiens. Timonen had an MRI taken Wednesday that didn't show a clot, but a vascular surgeon found a small one Thursday.

"We have to view this that he's not a player for us in the series, and march on," Holmgren said Thursday night.

The Flyers eliminated the Canadiens in five games and will open the next series at Pittsburgh on Friday.

The nine-year veteran discovered the severity of the injury after a hospital visit Thursday morning. Timonen said the doctor told him if the clot improves in the next two weeks, there would be a small chance he could play again this season. Still, Timonen knows a return to the lineup is unlikely.

"It's the most disappointing thing in my hockey life, for sure," he said.

Timonen is the Flyers' top defenceman and played a crucial role in shutting down Washington's Alex Ovechkin for most of the seven-game, first-round series. Timonen was fantastic at anticipating plays, attacking Ovechkin with the puck and taking away space to create easy goals.

He was just as effective against Montreal's Alex Kovalev, and was being counted on to limit Pittsburgh's top forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

"How many times in your lifetime do you get to play in the conference finals or the Stanley Cup finals?" Timonen said.

Holmgren said Timonen, who didn't make the trip to Pittsburgh, is injured right where he ties up the skate.

"Obviously, you can't replace a player that does what Kimmo does for us," Holmgren said.

Jaroslav Modry or Ryan Parent will fill Timonen's roster spot.

Timonen was also injured in Game 3 against the Capitals when he slammed into the net and crashed his right shoulder against the camera mounted inside. He didn't miss any games.

Timonen played Game 5 against the Canadiens, and felt numbness in his toes and foot that never went away. Timonen, who has six assists in the post-season, is on blood thinners. He had a similar injury earlier in his career with Nashville, but said that clot was much more painful and noticeable than this one.

Holmgren said the Flyers weren't taking any chances.

"If he gets hit again, a lot of problems could arise," he said.

Wings won all three previous playoffs against Stars

cp.org — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:40:00 -0400

DETROIT - Detroit and Dallas, opponents in the NHL's Western Conference final, have met only three times previously in the playoffs, and the Red Wings won every time.

Most recently, in 1998, Dallas lost the conference final in six games. Mike Modano, Sergei Zubov and Jere Lehtinen remain from that team. Tomas Holmstrom, Nick Lidstrom, Darren McCarty, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper and Chris Osgood are still with the Red Wings, who went on to win their second championship in a row in '98.

Detroit took the Stars out in first rounds in 1995 and in 1992, when their franchise was in Minnesota.

Osgood entered the opener with 44 playoff victories and needed three more to match the club record for goalies held by Terry Sawchuk.

Before pulling on the pads Thursday night, Dallas goaltender Marty Turco was winless in 10 career starts in Joe Louis Arena. He hadn't won a game in the building since April 10, 1998, when the then-Michigan Wolverines star helped a team of U.S. college players defeat their Canadian counterparts 3-1.

Dallas captain Brenden Morrow entered the opener in the lead among all playoff skaters in hits with 66.

"To say he's a warrior is kind of an understatement at this point with all he's gone through, the attention he gets, the phyical nature he plays with and the pure intensity," says Turco. "It's not easy but it's something that's inside him."

Morrow was a standout in the previous round against San Jose.

"The whole series, he was our first star," says teammate Steve Ott. "He led the charge physically, offensively, demanding every shift of himself and demanding that other players follow him. What he did was an incredible feat."

The last team to win the President's Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same year was Detroit in 2002. The Red Wings are hoping to do it again.

Al Sobotka was set to return to the pre-game spotlight after the NHL relented on its threat to fine the Red Wings $10,000 if the arena worker if he twirled an octopus over his head.

It's been a Joe Louis Arena tradition, but the league cracked down during the first round of the playoffs because pieces of the slimy creatures tossed by fans might become embedded in the ice. Sobotka then tried the twirl in the Zamboni entrance, but the league vetoed that, too.

Sobotka got permission before Game 1 of the conference final Thursday night to resume the octopus twirl at the Zamboni entrance so it could be shown to fans on the Jumbotron.

Detroit has 12 Canadians on its active roster, while Dallas has 11 Canadians.

Retired Sabres enforcer Rob Ray sues NHLPA, again

cp.org — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:24:00 -0400

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Former Sabres enforcer Rob Ray is suing the NHL Players' Association for a second time over money owed him during the NHL lockout, accusing the union of deceiving him into settling his initial suit two years ago.

Ray is seeking US$2 million in punitive damages and back pay in a suit filed in State Supreme Court in Buffalo in January. The lawsuit first became public Thursday in a report.

The NHLPA, in legal documents submitted this past month, has asked to have the suit dismissed. The union denies Ray's allegations, saying he was not deceived, but rather signed a waiver against receiving any more money or taking further legal action upon settling his first lawsuit in September 2005.

The latest lawsuit is a follow up to Ray's first case against the NHLPA filed in December 2004. Ray had accused the NHLPA of refusing to pay him a monthly stipend - ranging between $5,000 and $10,000 - during the lockout which wiped out the 2004-05 season.

Ray eventually agreed to an out-of-court settlement, and received an undisclosed amount of money. At the time, Ray said, the union informed him it would not distribute any more money to players out of its compensation fund after the lockout ended.

In his second lawsuit, Ray said he was shut out again when the union, following his settlement, did in fact distribute the surplus of its compensation fund to both current and retired players.

By doing so, Ray said, the NHLPA went back on its word and "falsely, fraudulently, and with the intent to deceive and defraud," got him to settle the first suit.

Not so, the NHLPA said in response.

The union said Ray was clearly made aware of the potential for future payments out of the compensation fund, and signed away any right to them.

The NHLPA cited the settlement agreement signed by Ray, which read: "It is understood that in this agreement, Ray is waiving any claim to future payments that may be made by the NHLPA to former members."

The union said Ray's position could have been different had he continued playing.

Ray completed his 15-year NHL career with the Ottawa Senators in 2004, and has said he failed in an attempt to land a tryout with a team following the lockout. He has spent the past three years as a TV broadcaster with the Sabres.

A court date has not been scheduled.

Paul Maurice has just one regret in time with Leafs

cp.org — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:55:00 -0400

TORONTO - On a couple of occasions, it looked like emotion was going to get the best of Paul Maurice during his final news conference with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He met with the media at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday after losing his job as head coach, paying the price for missing the playoffs for a second straight season.

Maurice was able to keep himself together for the half-hour session, but his voice did crack somewhat when he discussed his lone regret.

"When I look back at the two years, I have one and that was John (Ferguson) being fired," Maurice said. "I look at that as under my watch."

Maurice's job was spared when Ferguson was let go last January. Cliff Fletcher was brought in as interim general manager and the Leafs went on to finish 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 36-35-11 record, missing a playoff spot by 11 points.

"I watched in complete admiration of how (Ferguson) handled himself in a very, very difficult situation," Maurice said. "He came in every day with the same chin up and support for our group and it was really something to watch."

Fletcher told Maurice of his dismissal Wednesday morning. The 41-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said it was disappointing but not a surprise.

"Cliff said to me that when it became clear, he would tell me," Maurice said. "The reasons that it became clear, I'm not sure of the timing of all that, but he was a man of his word and I really appreciated that."

A new coach won't be hired until a search committee headed by Toronto lawyer Gord Kirke finds a permanent general manager.

Maurice spent one season as head coach of the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies before joining the parent club in 2006. The Maple Leafs finished with 91 points in his first season behind the bench, missing the playoffs by a single point. Toronto had just 83 points this season.

Maurice entered the NHL coaching ranks in 1995 with the Hartford Whalers and spent parts of nine seasons with the franchise, which moved to Carolina in 1997. The Hurricanes reached the Stanley Cup final in 2002, bowing to Detroit in five games.

Maurice often called the Leafs position a "dream job" and said he relished the challenge of coaching in the hockey-mad city.

"You love it, even in the dark days," Maurice said. "You get up out of bed every day and there's a new challenge even if you're winning."

Both Maurice and Ferguson stated before the season that the Leafs would be a playoff team competing for the Stanley Cup. Instead, the club spent a good chunk of the season hovering near the bottom of the standings.

"I'd make the statement again," Maurice said. "I know it will be kicked back around at me a few times, but I don't have a problem with that. That's what I believed if we had squeezed the maximum out of here.

"There's a place for pessimism and realism, but in the coaching world optimism is, I think, the only way you can do it."

Assistant coach Randy Ladouceur was also fired this week and assistant Dallas Eakins was offered a position elsewhere in the organization. Keith Acton will remain as an assistant while Mike Penny, the assistant GM and director of hockey operations, will become Toronto's director of pro scouting.

There will also be changes on the ice with buyouts and trades expected before next season. One big question mark is the status of captain Mats Sundin, who was one of the team's few bright spots. He'll become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

You could hear the emotion in Maurice's voice when he spoke of the veteran centre.

"This guy is all the things that you want in a captain," Maurice said. "He's the kind of guy you want your kids to grow up to be."

Sundin has yet to state his plans for next season.

"If Mats has said he's not ready, there's no other agenda," Maurice said. "He's just not ready to make that decision and when it comes time, it'll be the right time. He's a really unique man and I really enjoyed working with him."

As for the future, Maurice said he hopes to continue coaching at the NHL level. He added he will have fond memories of his time with the Maple Leafs.

"It is clearly an experience that I can't put into words," Maurice said. "I wanted so much better for this team and this group and had hoped for more, but it was a great experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

He also offered some thoughts on the good and the bad during his two years behind the Leafs bench.

"The best part for me right now was the interest in the team," Maurice said. "Not in the coaching position, just knowing how important the team is to the fans here in Toronto. That's the best part of it, the excitement.

"The difficulty, believe it or not, some of it was the exposure. You just prefer not to have everybody know what time you're getting up and those kinds of things, where your kids go to school and where you live. That takes some getting used to without question, but it's part of it."

He feels there are building blocks in place for the franchise to become a success in the future.

"I know that the entire operation gets painted with a negative when coaches get fired, GM's get fired, players get moved," Maurice said. "But there are some good people in that room, some good pieces to this hockey team and I think that's what carried us. I think there's some good solid leadership in there."

Stars win Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes, sign Swede to two-year deal

cp.org — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:38:00 -0400

DALLAS - The Dallas Stars have won the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes, agreeing to terms on a two-year, entry-level deal with the Swedish forward.

The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs were also in hot pursuit of the 23-year-old free agent, who went undrafted in the NHL.

"In the end there was no wrong decision for Fabian," his agent J.P. Barry of CAA Sports told The Canadian Press. "All the organizations were extremely professional in laying out the opportunity for him to play for their club. Dallas was involved from the beginning, and in particular (co-GM) Les Jackson did a good job overviewing the benefits of Dallas.

"When Fabian visited Dallas and got to meet everybody, including the players, he just felt it was the best overall fit for him."

Barry would not discuss financial details but it's believed the deal is worth US$875,000 in base salary and could pay up to $2.5 million a season if he reaches all of his bonuses.

Brunnstrom had 37 points (9-28) in 54 games with Farjestads of the Swedish Elite League this past season. He recently visited Dallas, Montreal and Detroit before making his decision.

Public memorial honours Blue Jackets owner McConnell

cp.org — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:17:00 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio - There were captains of industry, professional athletes, famous coaches, celebrities and even little kids wearing Blue Jackets jerseys quietly filing into Nationwide Arena on Wednesday night.

All of them, more than 4,000, came to remember John H. McConnell, the man of meagre means who built a Fortune 500 company, made millions of dollars, gave much to charity and brought the NHL to Columbus, his adopted home town.

McConnell, 84, died on April 25 at a Columbus hospital. He found out last year that he had cancer.

In one of several video tributes on three mammoth screens near where the goal cages usually sit, McConnell might have offered his own perfect eulogy: "I'd like to be a community leader. I'd like to do things and help people. Someday you'll be rewarded." There were countless tributes to the man who started the steel-processing company Worthington Industries in 1955 with US$600 he borrowed against his 1952 Oldsmobile. The central-Ohio-based company now has more than $3 billion in annual sales, 69 locations in 11 countries, and more than 8,000 employees.

"I loved Mr. Mac," said Jack Hanna, emeritus director of the Columbus Zoo, who had helped keep the zoo afloat with the money McConnell gave him 30 years earlier. "He's one of the few people who didn't think I was crazy."

McConnell once wrote a $50,000 check to the zoo for an exhibit for the gorillas.

"I held up the check and said, 'Look, Bongo!' to one of our gorillas," Hanna said. "Wouldn't you know that gorilla grabbed it and ate it? And I've got the pictures to prove it."

McConnell's management style was a simple one: "We treat our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated." He even wrote a book about his business philosophy in 2004 that was called, "Our Golden Rule."

Professional golfer Tom Weiskopf said of McConnell, "He was an iconic personality. He was a motivator. He reminded me of a coach." Then he looked down, tugged on his shirt and smiled, adding, "Every time I wear blue I think of John."

While continuing his involvement in his company's day-to-day decisions, he also gave much to the community.

He established the McConnell Heart Health Center at Riverside Methodist Hospital with a gift of more than $15 million after his wife, Peggy, had health problems 18 years ago.

"I always thought I owed something to the medical profession and to Riverside Hospital because they saved my wife's life," Mr. Mac said in one video clip.

McConnell also generously supported Michigan State University, where he played football while attending on GI Bill benefits for veterans. He graduated in 1949, and later endowed a chair in Business Administration at the school.

"The world's a better place because he was in it," current Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said after the memorial.

During a meeting in 1997, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was told by Columbus civic leaders that, if a referendum to build a publicly financed arena failed, they would not pursue an expansion franchise.

But as he was leaving the room, someone grabbed his arm. It was McConnell.

"Don't listen to that," Bettman said McConnell told him. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring an NHL franchise to Columbus."

And he did, spending an estimated $120 million to create the Blue Jackets, who joined the league in 2000.

Even though the team has had little success in its seven seasons - it's the only one of the 30 NHL teams that has never been to the playoffs - McConnell was revered in Columbus. Whenever a roving camera flashed his picture on the screen during a game, the fans responded with a standing ovation.

Rick Nash, the Blue Jackets captain, flew in Wednesday afternoon with several other Blue Jackets from the World Championships in Halifax.

"The word 'great' gets overused these days," Nash said in his eulogy. "But to say he was a great man was an understatement."

Nash announced a scholarship program in McConnell's memory.

Because the setting was a sports arena, it was only fitting that the memorial closed with the crowd giving McConnell a standing ovation.