29 replies to this topic

[Dark Knight]

Please post your thoughts, pictures and comments on tonight's games in this thread.

NYR at Washington
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh
Carolina at NJD
STL at Vancouver

[DucksFan2035]

and the battle begins!

[Todrick]

So excited!!!!

NOTHING on television is better than playoff hockey

[QuacksMeUp]

Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz was absent from the morning skate as he was with his wife, who gave birth to their first child (we don't know yet if it's a boy or girl). He will be in the lineup Wednesday night.


CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS!!

[DucksFan2035]

lol probly a bad time for a hockey player to have a baby. he's gonna get no sleep at the most important time of the year BUT HEY! congrats chris!!

[M T]

Go CAPS! Can't wait to seek Ovechkin's and Green's red hair.

[sugarmama]

Congrats to Chris and Maureen.


From Pens game day blog:

I'm not sure if this is a bad omen or not but the fire alarm went off at Mellon Arena during the Penguins' morning skate. It's the first time all season that the alarm has sounded. Though I'm not sure as to what triggered the siren, the alarm did stop after a few minutes. From what I can tell, everyone is OK.
____________
1) The Penguins survived a short scare when forward Petr Sykora left the ice in obvious pain. Sykora hobbled down the runway to the Penguins locker room with head athletic trainer Chris Stewart. After a few minutes, while the team was huddled around interim head coach Dan Bylsma, Sykora returned to the ice. Evgeni Malkin welcomed his linemates return by tapping his stick on the ice, inspiring the rest of the team to tap their sticks in Sykora's honor. Sykora raised his arms in mock celebration to let his teammates know he was appreciative. Sykora finished the practice session and is OK.

[DropThePuck]

TSN's Ice Chips

Head coach Claude Julien says Patrice Bergeron (missed last two games - foot) and Andrew Ference (missed last four games - undisclosed) are still day-to-day. "I'm hoping both will be there [for the playoffs]," said Julien. "I don't see why they would not be a possibility." - Boston Globe

Cory Sarich and Mark Giordano skated early yesterday. Both skated well, Giordano's shoulder won't be able to handle contact for probably another month or two. - TSN

Tuesday's Practice Lines

Forwards:
Bourque - Jokinen - Iginla
Cammalleri - Langkow - Bertuzzi
Glencross - Conroy - Moss
Peters - Lundmark - Nystrom

Defence:
Leopold - Phaneuf
Pardy - Aucoin
Vandermeer - Eriksson

Head coach Paul Maurice said Matt Cullen, who missed the last eight games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, will be in the lineup tonight. - Herald-Sun

The team is hopeful Patrick Sharp will be okay to start the playoffs. "We think [Sharp] should be ready to go," said head coach Joel Qunneville. - Chicago Sun Times

Both Kristian Huselius (concussion symptoms) and fellow winger Fredrik Modin (knee) practiced on Monday and both might be able to play on Thursday. Modin skated on a line with Raffi Torres and Michael Peca.- Columbus Post-Dispatch

Derick Brassard will have his surgically repaired shoulder checked out by a doctor today. - Columbus Post-Dispatch

Winger Marian Hossa, who has been slowed by a groin injury, is expected to be ready for Game 1 tomorrow. - Detroit News
Forward Ville Leino was recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League today. - Media Release

Centre Robert Lang and defenceman Andrei Markov and Francis Bouillon will not travel with the team to Boston. - TSN
Forward Dany Masse was signed to a three-year contract today. Media Release

Practice Lines

Forwards:
Tanguay - Koivu - Kovalev
A. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - D'Agostini
Latendresse - Lapierre - Kostopoulos
Higgins - Metropolit - Laraque

Defence:
Hamrlik - Komisarek
Gorges - Dandenault
Schneider - Brisebois

Goaltender:
Price
Halak

Spares:
S. Kostitsyn, Stewart, O'Byrne, Weber

After being a healthy scratch for the last two games of the regular season, centre Bobby Holik might also start the playoffs watching from the press box. - Bergen Record

Centre Chris Drury skated briefly this morning and while head coach John Tortorella is saying he's a game time decision, it looks like Drury will play. - TSN

Winger Chris Kunitz did not skate today because his wife gave birth to their first child. Winger Pascal Dupuis took his spot on the top line, and Bill Guerin did the same on the 1st PP unit. Kunitz is expected to play tonight. Petr Sykora limped off the ice early after taking a puck to the foot, but returned and is fine. - TSN

Practice Lines

Forwards:
Dupuis - Crosby - Guerin
Fedotenko - Malkin - Sykora
Cooke - Staal - Kennedy
Satan - Talbot - Godard

Defence:
Orpik - Gonchar
Gill - Scuderi
Eaton - Letang

Goaltender:
Fleury

It doesn't look like forward Paul Kariya will be available for Game 1 of the series against the Canucks tonight. Kariya, who has had surgery on both hips doesn't have a flight to Vancouver booked. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Projected Lines vs. Canucks

Forwards:
McDonald - Backes - Boyes
Steen - McClement - Crombeen
Perron - Berglund - Oshie
Winchester - Tkachuk - Hinote

Defence:
Jackman – Polak
McKee - Woywitka
Colaiacovo - Weaver

Goaltender:
Mason
Bishop

After taking Monday off, defenceman Willie Mitchell returned to practice yesterday. - TSN

Projected Lines vs. Blues

Forwards:
D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Burrows
Demitra - Sundin - Kesler
Raymond - Wellwood - Bernier
Hordichuk - Johnson - Rypien

Defence:
Ohlund – Edler
Mitchell – Salo
O'Brien - Bieksa

Scratched:
Davison
Vaanenen
Hansen
Pyatt (indefinite)

Goaltender:
Luongo
LaBarbera

After missing the last three games of the regular season with a groin muscle strain, defenceman Tom Poti practiced with the Capitals on Monday, but is unsure if he'll suit up for Game 1 against the Rangers tonight. Forwards Donald Brashear and Boyd Gordon are both ready to return. - Washington Post

[Todrick]

Drury not playing tonight

[Barmy Army]

We're off to watch the Flyers/Penguins game just now, well we're going to attempt to watch it. Not sure how much we'll see before we get too tired and need sleep.

I'm cheering on the Pens to win in this series.

[Barmy Army]

Crosby scores a powerplay goal

1-0

[Dark Knight]

Crosby scores the first goal of this year's playoffs...

[Barmy Army]

Crosby's goal is going to count, it was reviewed due to a possible kicking motion.

Scored at 4.41

[Todrick]

Lundquist getting shelled in Washington SOG are 13-2... no score... yet

[Barmy Army]

End of the first in Pittsburgh

1-0 Pens

[DucksFan2035]

zachary james kunitz! congrats again

[DucksFan2035]

none of these VS commercials promoting the playoffs involve a single Duck. Dipietro and trotz? yep

[Dark Knight]

none of these VS commercials promoting the playoffs involve a single Duck. Dipietro and trotz? yep

Surprised?

[DucksFan2035]

Surprised?

mmph!,no but it still annoys me

[UltraDavid]

The Capitals dominated that game almost from start to finish. There were occasional flurries when the Rangers did well, but for the most part it was all Capitals. Thirty five shots to 21 shots, 7 takeaways to 2, 46 faceoffs won to 20, 4 penalties to 7, and Ovechkin gets 13 shots by himself... and they lose. Why? Because Lundqvist is really good and Theodore is really bad. Rarely have I seen such a clear demonstration of the importance of goaltending in the NHL playoffs as this Caps game today.

I hope Bruce Boudreau considers starting Simeon Varlamov, the Caps' young rookie who's up to replace the injured backup Brent Johnson, on Saturday. Varlamov went 4-0-1 on the season and had good stats against the admittedly poor teams Boudreau played him against, and I can't imagine that he'll do any worse than Theodore did tonight. At least with Varlamov the Caps will be giving valuable experience to a player they're gonna need to do very well for them in the future.

$4.5 million for a sieve like Theodore is a disgrace.

[Dark Knight]

I have to confess I'm quite surprised by the NYR win

[VegasJeff]

LOL, Andy just snowed Luongo. Good times Andy Mac.

[Cassie8236]

I turned on the Blues at Canucks...and I almost don't want to watching it because I don't want hear how "great" Luongo is.

[VegasJeff]

LOL, looks like the Blues are giving Luongo a snow storm. 2nd "shower" of the period.

[Dark Knight]

I turned on the Blues at Canucks...and I almost don't want to watching it because I don't want hear how "great" Luongo is.

I hear you... everytime the puck is near him they have to chant "Lou" or maybe it's loo

SoCal's Lindsay Soto in the crowd on this one.