FINAL UPDATE: Brenden Morrow came through with the power play winner at 9:03 of the fourth overtime. The Dallas captain redirected a perfect Stephane Robidas pass at the front of the net past Evgeni Nabokov to eliminate the Sharks and destroy San Jose’s hopes for the magical 33 year 0-3 theory. The actual time of the goal was 69:03 of sudden death since it was in the fourth OT. If we were counting regulation, that would make it 129:03.

It was the eighth longest OT game in NHL playoff history.

Some notes from it:

-Morrow played exactly 51:00 and was credited with 19 hits. By far the most of any player. In fact, Dallas outhit San Jose 88-54. The Dallas captain also laid out Milan Michalek with a clean shoulder knocking him out of the game at the end of regulation. The encouraging news was he was able to walk with a cast on.

-There were a total of 117 shots on goal. Marty Turco made 61 saves further cementing his reputation during this postseason. That means he repelled 61 of 62 shots his way. Many quality stops. Evgeni Nabokov saw 55 come his way and stopped 53 to suffer a very hard luck defeat despite one of the greatest saves in sudden death history when he reached out and snagged Brad Richards shot getting it just before it crossed the goal line.

-57 shots were blocked and another 47 missed the net entirely. That’s 104 which didn’t even make it to the net.

-There were only two penalties called in the last five periods with none in the third, the first and second overtime. Just the way a game should be officiated unlike the penalty barrage which has become common in today’s new NHL. Unfortunately for Brian Campbell, he got nabbed and his team wasn’t able to bail him out. The former Sabre logged 56:23 of ice-time getting a ridiculous 68 shifts. The most in the game.

-Sergei Zubov logged 53:50 taking 61 shifts.

UPDATE II:  It still isn’t over. It’s past 2 AM here in NYC and we’re 10 minutes or so away from the fourth overtime. The Sharks have done everything but can’t beat Turco, who’s had a couple of very close calls. The man has 58 or 59 saves. What a game. Nabby has been pretty damn good too.

Whoever loses is going to really hurt.

Here are my fourth OT picks:

San Jose- Mike Grier cause it’s time to go with an obscure former Sabre. 

Dallas- Jere Lehtinen cause he’s a darn good player and I can easily seeing him winning it. 

UPDATE:  Amazingly, it’s going to a sixth period. Will someone end this or is this going to be like that crazy Stars-Canucks game last Spring?

I may as well pick two new players:

San Jose- Patrick Marleau just cause he’s playing with Thornton.

Dallas- Sergei Zubov cause he rocks and could sneak one of those point shots through a screen.

It’s on still and about to go to a second overtime by which time I’ll probably be on a fourth brew.

Great freaking goaltending by Turco and Nabokov. You want to talk about laying it all on the line. This is great stuff! I can’t wait to see what happens.

The series in the balance and Nabby makes one of the most amazing saves ever robbing Richards of a certain winner. Unreal! And then Turco comes back with highway stack jobs on Marleau. Twice!

And Ribeiro came close to winning it twice and hit the pipe. This is just a classic game and what makes our sport so special. So, fire up a brew or not and kick back and relax.

OT picks:

San Jose- Roenick has been flying and has been involved a lot. I wouldn’t be too shocked if the grizzled American vet gets it to keep a shot history going with the whole 33 thing.

Dallas- Lundqvist had some good chances and has skated well. Usually, the pick is a star but I like what I saw from King Henrik’s twin brother. Why not.

Don’t call it a comeback!  At least rapper L.L. Cool J wouldn’t.

Who says you can’t comeback from the dead? History tells us that this is THE YEAR for another remarkable 0-3 comeback to win a series. 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs. 1975 New York Islanders. 2008???

That’s the growing question because there are two Conference Semifinal series which could be going that route. I honestly thought the Stars had it at 2-0 up with a period left from setting up an old style WCF against Detroit. When Dallas captain Brenden Morrow scored from a bad angle on Evgeni Nabokov with 55.3 left in the second, I ASSumed  that would take the wind out of the Sharks, who never seem to win on home ice against those Stars.

So to my shock when I flipped back, there was Jeremy Roenick being interviewed following a third which saw his team rally to tie it on goals by former MIA duo Milan Michalek and Brian Campbell. Joe Pavelski completed the stunning turnaround when he cashed in on a blatant Dallas turnover and beat Marty Turco top shelf 65 seconds into sudden death.

Just shocking. This was another one of those quick OTs which was already over by the time I flipped back on Versus. Btw…this network really sucks. They didn’t even bother showing replays and their postgame show was what? Five minutes. I understand production talent stay but come on. Could they at least try to have a 10 or 15 minute segment before dumping out?

It’s almost as bad as the New York papers. That Game Four hero Jaromir Jagr actually got a back page on yesterday’s Daily News was one of the most cool things ever. Way to step up! Boo to the New York Post who’d rather fantasize about meaningless April baseball. What would you expect from a tabloid who employs killjoy tandem Kevin Kernan and Phil Mushnick. That the latter is from my neck of the woods is an embarrassment.

Anyway, kudos to the Sharks for picking themselves up off the mat laying it all out there even if they did get quite a bit of luck and help from two video replays which went their way. Both happened to be no goals against Morrow, who should’ve had a hat trick and a five-game series victory for his team.

He really got jobbed on the first one. Even Neil Smith was beside himself at how they could actually conclude that was a “kicking motion.”

Unbelievable. Still, the Stars should’ve finished it. This could comeback to haunt them. Now, they better wrap the series up in Game Six at friendly American Airlines Center back in Big D. Would you chance going back to a crazy Shark Tank (HP Pavilion- just another lousy corporate bs name) for a suddenly deciding Game Seven situation?

If that happens, they’re toast. Just the way I guaranteed a Ranger victory the other day, I’m doing the same here. If it goes seven, the Stars will not win. Book it!

You know. With all the comeback talk and playoff history, etc. (2004 Boston Red Sox) the Sharks’ second straight win can only be used as even more positive reinforcement for the Rangers, who still trail the Penguins 3-1 with the vital Game Five back at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon at 2 ET on NBC.

The only difference is the Sharks know that they’ll have the fans if it gets to Game Seven. So, how am I viewing this as a Ranger fan? This is what I tell my team, who fought so valiantly to stay alive in winning Game Four 3-0 thanks to marquee performances from Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Lundqvist.

“We took the first step winning on home ice. One win in Pittsburgh tomorrow and we’re going back home the next day where the Garden will be rocking. No way are we losing that!”

This team has played well on the road. They certainly were right with the Pens in the first two games. They know full well they can win there.

The strategy is the same. Play 60 minutes leaving it all out there while channeling the emotions. Discipline will be key. That means like the other night, staying out of the box and taking the play to the Pens. When they attack, they’ve been good. That’s the best defense against an explosive offense. You got to play to win. The Rangers did that on Thursday. Do it once more and we got the Game Six I also promised.

I realllly BELIEVE! Judging from some of the player quotes along with Tom Renney, so do they. They know they can do this. That gives me hope. The inspired dominance of Jagr and a revitalized Lundqvist also give me plenty of ammunition.

Now there’s also another team who needs to start believing later tonight instead of deceiving their fans and a sudden new Flyer fan. I never thought I’d see the day Brian Sanborn would actually be waving orange and black pom poms!

Well, he always did take a liking to the green and white of the Eagles.

The Flyers do have former Sabres Daniel Briere and <gulp> emerging Conn Smythe candidate Martin Biron. Wow. Words I never thought I’d utter about a Flyer netminder.

Truthfully, Brian (grosek18- there’s a long comical story behind that name) nailed most of the points already at why the Habs find themselves in a 3-1 hole with a must win Game Five at Bell Centre tonight.

Biron has stolen three games. The Flyers really shouldn’t be playing right now because Lord Biron if I may call him that stoned the Caps in Game Seven. There never would’ve been a Joffrey Lupul sudden death power play winner on a cruddy call. That’s life. Biron saved his team’s bacon. R.J. Umberger’s also been playing like a beast.

Truthfully, I don’t remember Biron ever being this good. I have to think if the Canadiens continue to dominate play and shots, they’re eventually going to get to him.

Why on earth Guy Carbonneau didn’t start rookie Carey Price in Game Four is beyond me. He got you that No.1 seed and home ice. You don’t bench him for a guy who’s hardly played. It was one of the worst coaching decisions ever. Especially in that situation.

Bri, Carbonneau deserves to get trashed for it. It was irrational. We’re talking about their next franchise goalie. It was a mind boggling decision to say the very least. If they still had Cristobal Huet, fine. Jaroslav Halak? Was he kidding? And no. You don’t fire a Jack Adams candidate unless your name is the Buffalo Sabres and it’s Ted Nolan. God. Only Buffalo.

So, what do the Canadiens need to do to stop this Flyer hot streak? Get to Biron. The sooner, the better. They’re going to have overwhelming support with arguably the loudest fans in the game. A couple of early goals and that place will be bedlem.

The best players also have to be the best players. That means Price, who is back in net tonight must be good. A few good saves early could set the tone and let his teammates know he’s going to be there.

Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei and Sergei Kostistyn and Chris Higgins better come to play. They haven’t had great series. I’ve seen an awful lot of heart from their team captain Saku Koivu, who can’t be 100 percent. It’s time for those other big name forwards and also defenseman Andrei Markov to step up. Power play specialist Mark Streit has also been quiet. He needs to pick it up.

When I look at the list of guys I put out here, it tells me that Montreal is very equipped to comeback from this deficit. They have one of the fastest skating teams in the game with tons of skill to go with it. 

One offensive explosion can change the entire mindset of that dressing room.

What’s the formula? Win on home ice tonight. Get one in Philly and then back home for a winner or golf Game Seven in that building. What also shouldn’t get lost is that the Habs were one of the best road teams this season tying with Detroit for the second most wins (25) on the road.

Want to know who was first? The Sharks with 27. Pretty ironic considering what they’ll be aiming for tomorrow night.

Say it with me loud with feeling:

Don’t Stop Believing!!!!! ;-)

It’s not often a graybeard turns back the clock to lift a team on his shoulders to a series clinching victory. That it happened to be Jeremy Roenick posting a memorable four point performance to propel the Sharks past the Flames 5-3 in Game Seven was pretty amazing.

Having been a healthy scratch for Game Six following no points and a minus-two rating during the series’ first five games, the 38 year-old proud veteran pivot was back in Ron Wilson’s lineup in the most important game of San Jose’s season. With his team trailing 2-1 despite dominating Calgary, Roenick scored the tying goal floating a change up through a maze of players including a befuddled Miikka Kiprusoff. That foreshadowed plenty unfortunately for the former Vezina winner.

Three minutes later while on the power play, one of the greatest American-born players found another way to score. This time, he got to a Brian Campbell rebound and deposited the puck into the upper portion for a 3-2 Sharks’ lead at 9:04 of the second period.

Up till that point, Roenick had factored in on all three San Jose goals including Joe Thornton’s power play tally back in the first which started the scoring. However, JR wasn’t done just yet.

A key sequence in the deciding game took place five minutes later when Joe Pavelski got to a loose puck and beat a down Kiprusoff who was expecting a lower shot which suddenly made it three San Jose goals in a 7:57 span. Veteran Calgary coach Mike Keenan had seen enough lifting his No.1 goalie in favor of veteran Curtis Joseph.

Earlier in this series, such a move paid off when Cujo sparked the Flames back from three down to a 4-3 Game Three win and 2-1 lead. If it was to try to motivate his lackluster team who was badly outshot, it didn’t work the second time around. In fact, on the very next shift, Roenick dished off to rookie Devin Setoguchi, who fired a tricky wrister past Joseph 52 seconds later making it four straight Shark goals in the last 8:51.

Roenick’s first four-point night in a playoff game in more than a decade was too much for Calgary to overcome. Former Shark Wayne Primeau’s goal 5:18 into the third was the only one they’d get by Evgeni Nabokov, who repelled eight of nine shots en route to 19 saves and a second round date with Pacific rival Dallas.

It’s hard to believe that Roenick would net two goals and two assists with a plus-two rating in 12:13 of ice-time. Though Islander color analyst and Versus sideline reporter Billy Jaffe revealed that Wilson’s pregame speech emphasized positive reinforcements alluding to Roenick’s Game Seven past which included four goals even telling the always colorful 500-goal scorer not to be afraid to step up.

Maybe that’s what we witnessed. Say whatever you may about JR but that was pretty storybook. Definitely what makes the Stanley Cup playoffs so compelling. You never know just who might be the hero.

With the second seeded Sharks prevailing, that sets up a Western Semifinal against the fifth seeded Stars.

Here are all the Conference Semifinal match-ups including the Game One schedule:

Thursday, 4/24

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs (6) Philadelphia Flyers, 7 ET, CBC

(1) Detroit Red Wings vs (6) Colorado Avalanche, 7:30 ET, Versus

Friday, 4/25

(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (5) New York Rangers, 7 ET, Versus

(2) San Jose Sharks vs (5) Dallas Stars, 10 ET, Versus

All Photos Copyright Getty Images 

As our very jovial Devil blogger Hasan referred to below, the Anaheim Ducks’ season officially came to an end in Dallas where a hungrier Stars’ bunch hunted them down to the tune of a 4-1 Game Six win before a relieved American Airlines Center crowd making the defending champs part of an ugly statistic provided by Versus.

They became the fifth consecutive defending champ chump to bail out in the first round. Well, at least they made the playoffs unlike the Hurricanes, who apparently sold their souls to the Devil making plenty of New Jersey fans pleased along with our Buffalo blogger who’s lurking in the woodworks. Tonight had to be bittersweet for Brian as the Stars will see the second round for the first time in five years. Maybe he’s sticking a pin in a Marty Turco voodoo doll as I write this.

As someone who took the Ducks in seven, good for Dallas. Especially Turco, who always took the most heat when his team fizzled out in previous opening rounds. He and his teammates finally showed that killer instint playing a splendid third period outscoring Anaheim 4-0 to turn their opponents into dead Ducks. Pardon the expression to anyone supersensitive out there.

The Stars hadn’t mustered any offense against Jean-Sebastien Giguere through 40 minutes and trailed 1-0 on a very stoppable Corey Perry goal from a sharp angle which Turco should’ve had. Considering how quiet that arena was probably waiting for the other shoe to drop (recent history hadn’t been good), it was nice to see Dallas play as well as they did dominating the final 20 to wrap up the series.

If there was a series MVP, it would have to go to defenseman Stephane Robidas. With Sergei Zubov out, the much overlooked 31 year-old from Quebec stepped up and was his team’s best player logging big minutes and contributing offensively. His tying power play goal 1:18 into the third and primary helper 52 ticks later on Stu Barnes’ series clincher sparked his team to the final victory which sent Giguere, Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger and playoff choke artist Todd Bertuzzi on a permanent vacation.

In fact, the Ducks rarely threatened with Turco shutting the door and an air tight Dallas D limiting them to 18 shots and few opportunities. They couldn’t handle the Stars’ superior transition game. If there was a decided edge entering this series, it was Dallas’ depth up front with former Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards putting his fingerprints on display. The former Lightning pivot scored a big insurance marker which gave the Stars the first two games. Fittingly, after another strong shift, he retrieved a puck along the wall and sprung linemate Louie Eriksson for a breakaway tally at 17:42 which put the Ducks away.

With Giguere lifted for an extra attacker, it was only a matter of time before Mr. Star Mike Modano hit the open net with four seconds left to put the finishing touches on a great third. They couldn’t afford to chance a seventh game back in Anaheim.

Finally, a Dave Tippett coached club played with the kind of desperation needed to put away an opponent.

Congrats to them. They still don’t know the opponent because Calgary got goals from Owen Nolan and Daymond Langkow while Miikka Kiprusoff blanked the Sharks making 21 stops to send their series back to San Jose for a deciding Game Seven Tuesday night.

Earlier in the day, the top seeded Red Wings got goals from captain Nick Lidstrom (SH from red line), Jiri Hudler and an empty from former Devil Brian Rafalski in support of winning netminder Chris Osgood (20 saves) in a 3-0 road Game Six shutout of Nashville to advance.

Detroit can either play old nemesis Colorado or Mike Keenan’s Flames depending on if they win at the Shark Tank. A Calgary win would setup these Western Semifinal match-ups:

(1) Detroit vs (7) Calgary

(4) Dallas vs (6) Colorado

If the Sharks prevail, then this is how it would look:

(1) Detroit vs (6) Colorado

(2) San Jose vs (4) Dallas

So, what went wrong for Anaheim after posting the league’s best record after February?

They didn’t score enough goals. I said in my preview that much depended on their blueline. Niedermayer didn’t score in the series and Pronger only had one good game (2 goals, A in Game Five). Mathieu Schneider (goal) didn’t do much. Leading regular season scorer Ryan Getzlaf (2-3-5) had a disappointing series. Obviously, not having Perry around early on hurt.

Anaheim also missed Rob Niedermayer, who only got into two games before injury forced him upstairs. Did Doug Weight even play? That’s what they get for subtracting Andy McDonald. Even the normally dependable Chris Kunitz netted just two assists. The kind of effort one would expect from Bertuzzi. Ah. What a shock that he didn’t score in the series. What does the washed up former power forward have on GM Brian Burke? Is it as unique as the relationship between Isiah Thomas and Jim Dolan?

Maybe that’s better off being unknown. In any event, there will be a new Stanley Cup champion. So, it should be a fun ride.

Don’t forget. Game Seven between the Original Six rivals Boston and Montreal tonight on Versus (CBC) and Game Six will also take place between the Capitals and Flyers.

All Photos Copyright Getty Images

Normally, one wouldn’t think an eight seed has a shot at coming back. Especially from the 3-1 hole ex-Montreal coach Claude Julien’s Bruins entered last night in before outscoring the home Habs 4-0 in the deciding period to post a 5-1 Game Five road win.

Given how well Boston played while facing elimination along with how shaky 20 year-old rookie netminder Carey Price was, it’s hard not to like the Bruins’ chances of forcing a seventh and deciding game over the weekend. Have you ever seen a goalie come apart quite like that? Oh. It’s happened before. Just usually by more experienced ones than the kid who earlier in the third had supporters chanting, “Car—ey, Car—ey, Car—ey” before his unreal gaffe led to Montreal’s demise.

As Price made a fine glove stop to foil a Boston chance in a 1-1 game, for some reason he decided to play the puck with two attacking Bruins close by. By the time he realized his folly, it was too late as an opportunistic Glen Metropolit got just enough of the disc to put it by the scrambling goalie for a 2-1 Boston lead before a stunned Bell Centre.

Metropolit’s big goal opened the floodgates. There would be no signature, “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants on this night. More like ole ole for how unglued the Canadiens became. An undisciplined Sergei Kostistyn penalty in the offensive zone led directly to Boston captain Zdeno Chara’s first of the series coming 2:18 later which gave the B’s a 3-1 lead.

The Habs would also squander a couple of power play chances to get back in it. Once again, the Bruins had the right recipe in killing off all four Montreal power plays. In fact, the league’s highest ranked PP during the regular season gave up a crushing shorthanded goal to Marco Sturm, who beat Price from 40 feet out with a perfect wrister off the far post.

A Vladimir Sobotka tally from an awful angle in which he just threw a softie on net showed just how fractured Price was. Why did Guy Carbonneau even leave him in? There was just 2:12 on the clock. May as well have let the kid get the rest of the night off and regroup.

Instead, plenty of questions will arise during the off day by the crazy Montreal and Canadian media. How will Price respond Saturday night in Beantown?

Don’t be surprised if there’s a Game Seven. These B’s have fared well and are playing with confidence. Tim Thomas also finished a stellar night in net making 31 saves earning the game’s Second Star.  

In the other Eastern Conference series, Mike Knuble’s double overtime winner put the Capitals on the brink. Despite some highlight reel stops including a strong denial of Knuble’s wide open one-timer from in front, Cristobal Huet couldn’t save his rebound which made the Flyers 4-3 comeback winners in Game Four before a screaming sea of orange.

Washington played better than in Game Three but ultimately were done in by a mistimed bench minor for too many men on the ice which red hot Flyer Daniel Briere cashed to tie the game with 9:59 left in regulation.

Both teams had golden opportunities to take the lead but didn’t have what it took to beat either goalie as both Huet (diving glove stops) and Martin Biron (big glove save from in tight) were up to the task.

Neither team budged in the first OT forcing it to a second leading to Knuble’s heroics. Setup by linemates Jeff Carter (two goals, helper) and Scottie Upshall (2 A), the ex-Ranger got two whacks at it before burying his second past a helpless Huet with Alex Ovechkin standing around.

Not quite what the league’s leading scorer had in mind for his first playoff series unless the suddenly ice cold Russian’s planning a miraculous comeback. Sure. AO assisted on two of the Caps’ goals but one shot in 28:00 isn’t cutting it. He better start hitting the net by Saturday or his team is likely going home for good.

There were three games out West. I only caught the majority of Flames-Sharks. San Jose got two Jonathan Cheechoo goals 3:30 apart early in the third to hold off Calgary 4-3 in Game Five moving them within a win of the second round.

Calgary did rally for two goals including David Moss’ first on a stuff in which sliced the deficit down to one with 77 seconds left from Jarome Iginla with Miikka Kiprusoff pulled. However, they were unable to get another quality chance on Evgeni Nabokov, who finished with 33 saves.

Very questionable was Mike Keenan’s decision to only play Kristian Huselius sparingly including just a few shifts in the third while giving veteran Owen Nolan nearly eight more total minutes of ice-time. I like Nolan but come on. There’s not much margin for error in the playoffs.

Huselius needs more ice-time and Alex Tanguay must score if the Flames are to extend the series a seventh game.

Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny’s goals in a 79 second span lifted the Avalanche to a 3-2 Game Five road victory over the Wild, who now must win in Denver to force Game Seven.

The difference was Jose Theodore, who turned back the clock making 38 saves to stone the host Wild in a game which saw them limit Colorado to just 17 shots. The Avs are a skilled team and went two-for-three on the man-advantage. With Minny sniper Marian Gaborik again shutout, his teammates couldn’t overcome it. Brian Rolston’s goal and helper weren’t enough.

Unless Gaborik finds his offense, this series is likely over.

Also moving within a win of Round Two were the Stars, who got a superb effort from Marty Turco (27 saves, 1st Star) to shutdown the Ducks 3-1 in Game Four. Joel Lundqvist, Stu Barnes and Steve Ott tallied for Dallas before Mathieu Schneider broke Turco’s shutout bid with eight seconds to go.

The defending champions have their backs to the wall. They did get leading finisher Corey Perry back. They’ll need more offense to stave off a disappointing first round elimination on home ice.

Photo Copyright Getty Images

Evgeni Nabokov’s challenge after Game Three stood for quite a while. Finally, his teammates stepped to the forefront and transformed from boys to men (no not the cheesy do op R & B group which once was alright back in the day) coming back to take the all important Game Four over Calgary 3-2, squaring their best-of-seven first round series.

Jonathan Cheechoo’s tying goal with 4:54 left and Joe Thornton’s deciding marker with under 10 seconds to go was exactly what the doctor ordered, saving the No.2 seeded Sharks from falling behind 3-1 in the series a game away from elimination. Instead, they were rescued by their best players gaining home ice back.

In a game they somehow trailed by a goal late in the third despite a decided edge in play and shots, San Jose finally turned it up enough to get to Calgary No.1 goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. A couple of nights removed from being pulled after permitting three quick goals before his team made a stirring comeback with Curtis Joseph in net, the two-time Vezina winner was back to his stingy self denying Sharks at every turn.

Kipper’s stellar netminding looked like it would be enough to hold off a furious San Jose attack which saw them outshoot the Flames 32-10 including a combined 26-8 the final 40 minutes. However, the Sharks’ persistence finally paid off when Cheechoo saw a small opening and fired a quick wrister past Kiprusoff’s glove to tie the contest at 15:06. The hard work down low by linemates Joe Pavelski and rookie Devin Setoguchi allowed the San Jose finisher to get to a loose puck and tally his first of the postseason.

I could tell that the guys in the white and teal weren’t done. Instead of being satisfied, they kept coming after Calgary in wave after wave. The aggressive strategy resulted in Thornton’s winner before a stunned and dead silent Saddle Dome. Thanks to an outstanding shift in which they kept the Flames pinned in their end, energetic winger Ryane Clowe worked the puck to an open Doug Murray at the point, who shot without hesitation. The screening Thornton got just enough of it to tip it home for his first of the series.

A hooking minor on Calgary’s Kristian Huselius with five ticks left wrapped it up for the Sharks, who now will head back home to host the pivotal Game Five tomorrow night.

Just a gigantic win for a team which was once again being seriously doubted including by myself for taking them to the Cup Final. This was a nice character builder as they were able to overcome Jarome Iginla (goal, assist) and Dion Phaneuf (goal) along with deadline pickup Brian Campbell’s continued substandard play in his end. God. Did the Sabres know or what? With every shift he doesn’t compete hard defensively, that’s more money going by the wayside.

At least his more determined teammates were able to pick him up. The Sharks aren’t out of the woods by any stretch. But again, it’s hard to see Calgary prevailing when they continue to be severely outplayed by a wide margin. You have to figure they’re going to run out of gas.

We’ll see.

It was a busy Tuesday night with four other series going on. In one they had to have, the defending champion Ducks finally showed some life by getting the first four on Marty Turco before hanging on for a 4-2 Game Three victory to get back in their series. Chris Pronger scored twice including on a five-on-three for his first career two-goal playoff game. The defenseman also helped assist on Todd Marchant’s first which opened the scoring, restoring Anaheim’s confidence as they outscored Dallas 3-0 in sharp contrast to the first two back home.

Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and assist and Jean-Sebastien Giguere rebounded from a poor showing in Game Two with 31 saves including 12 big ones in a final stanza which saw Dallas make a late charge thanks to a pair of Brenden Morrow power play goals. Giguere wouldn’t allow them to draw closer even though they had a couple of more chances on the man-advantage.

Game Four is tomorrow night with the home team 0-for-3 in the series.

Also out West, the Avalanche used a three-goal first period barrage of their own to storm past the Wild 5-1 in Game Four to even their series at two apiece. The first three games of this very competitive series all wound up 3-2 with each needing sudden death. Since Joe Sakic’s Game One winner, the Wild had taken the last two off the sticks of Keith Carney and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Last night though as Islander goalie Rick DiPietro predicted during a Versus segment, back-to-back games in the thin air was advantage Colorado who was more used to it. They completely outplayed the Wild scoring the first five on Niklas Backstrom who was relieved by Josh Harding in the third.

Deadline pickup Ruslan Salei had a goal and assist as did third line pivot Tyler Arnason. Jordan Leopold added a pair of helpers in a game which saw the Avs get 14 power plays converting twice. Not surprisingly, it got ugly with the frustrated Wild going to the box plenty as they lost their cool.

Figure Game Five tomorrow back at St. Paul to be a real barn burner.

In one of two Eastern Conference playoff games, the Flyers had a little too much for the Capitals, getting a late penalty shot goal from Mike Richards in a 6-3 home win before a crowd of orange who enjoyed seeing their team go up 2-1 in the series. Richards also made a great pass to setup Daniel Briere’s second of the night at 19:50 of the second on the power play. Briere tallied twice and has four goals in the series.

Though the Caps got a Brooks Laich goal with 4:34 left in regulation to cut the deficit to 4-3, they couldn’t get closer due to a poor read by one of their D which led to Richards beating Cristobal Huet on the penalty shot going five-hole with 2:59 to go. It looked like a pretty good call as he had a step on the defender.

Mike Knuble added an empty netter in a game the Flyers controlled with a 32-19 SOG edge. For the Caps, Alex Ovechkin tallied just a helper and Alexander Semin (assist, -2 rating) plus rookie pivot Nicklas Backstrom (no points, 1 SOG) struggled. They’ll need a stronger effort to level the series Thursday.

As for the other game, the Canadiens did what they needed to gaining a split in Boston with a 1-0 blanking of the Bruins. Only veteran defenseman Patrice Brisebois’ power play goal with 42 seconds left in the second made the scoresheet in what was a tightly contested game between the Original Six rivals.

His quick one-timer off a broken play beat Tim Thomas to give the top seeded Habs the edge they needed. The third saw the Habs buckle down allowing just six Boston shots as rookie Carey Price stopped all 27 for his first career NHL postseason shutout. The 20 year-old’s best save came with the game still scoreless when Game Three hero Marc Savard nicely setup Glen Murray in front but Price quickly slid across to make a tough stop look relatively easy.

The Habs can wrap up the 31st series between the close rivals tomorrow night in Montreal.

Later tonight, it’s Game Four between the Devils and Rangers at the Garden. See ya later!

It’s Day Six of these NHL playoffs and already we’ve had some very exciting games featuring unpredictable finishes. Last night saw three such contests take place with a couple requiring sudden death before the more desperate team which trailed 2-0 in their respective series found ways to prevail and get back in it.

The John Madden bizarre winner off Ranger defenseman Marc Staal has been covered plenty. However, Marc Savard’s heroics last night up in Beantown has not. In case you missed it, one of the game’s best playmaking pivots finally notched his first career playoff goal doing so in dramatic fashion to lift Boston to a 2-1 OT win over Les Habitants in Game Three. 

On a delayed call, the former Ranger came off the bench and took Dennis Wideman’s no-look backhand feed and beat rookie Carey Price to give the Bruins a measure of revenge before an energized Boston crowd which saw their team finally get a ‘W’ against the Habs. Montreal had taken the first 10 including all eight regular season meetings. But that no longer matters cause with one victory, the Bruins are alive and know one more win tomorrow can knot their series against a bitter Original Six rival.

For more on Savard’s big goal in only his third career postseason game, I highly recommend the Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dumont’s piece on how truly special that tally was and why it took on extra meaning for Marc dating back to childhood.

That wasn’t the only other game quite a few of us might not have paid close attention to. If I weren’t so preoccupied posting my thoughts on last night’s tough OT loss once I got home, I might’ve checked out what was a stirring comeback win for the Flames at The SaddleDome.

When the WFAN update person said the Sharks led by three, I figured I’d just write instead. Little did I know that San Jose got the game’s opening three in just 3:33, the fastest such start nearly eight years to the day since Detroit did it in 3:32 on Apr.15, 2000.

Inspired by a lethal dirty clean hit by defenseman Cory Sarich on San Jose captain Patrick Marleau in the offensive zone, the Flames fought valiantly back after seeing franchise netminder Miikka Kiprusoff pulled in favor of veteran Curtis Joseph. A Jarome Iginla redirection of a Dion Phaneuf shot got the Flames within two before the first period concluded. Daymond Langkow’s second period power play tally got them within one. Phaneuf tied it when his shot went off San Jose’s Marc-Edouard Vlasic early in the third. It was just a matter of time before ex-Shark Owen Nolan scored with 3:45 left in regulation to complete the dramatic turnaround.

For more on this stirring comeback, Calgary Herald’s Jean Lefebvre had an excellent recap on Sarich’s inspiring hit which woke up his team in time to take a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-seven Western quarterfinal.

While the other three series Game Three’s were on tap, the second game between the Flyers and Caps took place yesterday afternoon. Philly had blown a 4-2 lead to lose Game One 5-4 on Alexander Ovechkin’s third period winner. This time however, they got the first two on Cristobal Huet off the sticks of R.J. Umberger and Jeff Carter. Martin Biron was much better in denying strong Cap opportunities stopping all 24 shots his way for a Game Two 2-0 blanking to level the series as it shifts back to Philadelphia. 

Biron’s big day postponed his wife’s procedure where his third baby was expected to be born earlier this morning. For more on the ex-Sabre’s happy time, Phil Sheridan of the Inquirer had a nice story on the proceedings.

The Devils knew they needed to take Game Three if they were to stand any realistic chance of winning the Battle of Hudson series. For Madden, just sitting in the hotel and watching playoff hockey coverage on the tube helped his team’s cause last night.

For more on that and what was an eventful night at MSG, Rich Chere of the Star Ledger had a good piece summing up the Devs’ hard fought 4-3 OT win well.

Here’s some more info courtesy of The NHL Today thanks to the very friendly nhlmedia site:

 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF MEDIA WEBSITE NOW LIVE
To assist media members covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the National Hockey League’s Communications Department has introduced www.stanleycupplayoffs2008.com, a ‘one-stop shopping’ website that provides story lines for each series, statistical previews and other features, including a fully searchable version of Total Stanley Cup, the 2008 NHL Playoff Media Guide. In addition to providing new information at the start of each round, www.stanleycupplayoffs2008.com will be updated on a regular basis.com/

WHATS NEW ON THE STANLEY CUP MEDIA WEBSITE
The Stanley Cup media website is a good resource for regularly updated interesting facts, milestones and NHL statements on game events. Below are two examples from last night that were posted in the “Latest News” section:

– April 13, 2008 11:05 PM ET
The San Jose Sharks’ three goals in 3:33 is the fastest three goals by one team at the beginning of a playoff game since April 15, 2000, when Detroit did it in 3:32 (Shanahan, Lapointe, Draper). The record is 1:48 held by the Pittsburgh Penguins against the New York Islanders on May 10, 1993.

– April 13, 2008 07:19 PM ET
Video Review (New Jersey at NY Rangers, 3:01, 1st period) – Good goal. New Jersey goal. Goal counts as puck went off NY Rangers (#15 - Blair Betts) stick into net. Goal was reviewed under Rule 39.4 for a kick.

ALL IN THE NUMBERS FOR WILD’S LEMAIRE
Michael Russo writes in the MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE, “When the Wild visited Calgary three weeks ago, Jacques Lemaire hitched a ride to the game on the media bus. ‘Want to see my lines for tonight?’ the Wild coach asked. Lemaire pulled out a legal-sized piece of paper, folded in half. He then flashed what looked to be 30 line combinations: 17-38-10; 12-9-96; 24-67-10; 17-38-96; 11-15-24; 19-9-92; 12-15-10 — to name a few! There were so many numbers, the sheet could have doubled as Lemaire’s Powerball picks.”

STARS’ MODANO FEELING A DIFFERENCE
Mike Heika writes in the DALLAS MORNING NEWS, “Mike Modano has noticed something different about the Dallas Stars recently. They’re loose, they’re happy, they’re confident. It’s a twist on a team that has a history of playing nervous in the postseason, of trying too hard to live up to expectations, of not enjoying itself.”

ON THIS DATE IN PLAYOFF HISTORY
April 14, 1928 - In only their second season as an NHL franchise, the New York Rangers captured the 1928 Stanley Cup with a 2-1 triumph over the Montreal Maroons in the final game of the best-of-five title series. The Rangers became only the second American team in history to win the Stanley Cup, joining the 1917 champion Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association.

April 14, 1931 - Goaltender George Hainsworth blanked the Chicago Black Hawks 2-0 as the Montreal Canadiens became the second NHL team to win Stanley Cup championships in two consecutive seasons. The Ottawa Senators first accomplished the feat in 1920 and 1921.

April 14, 1942 - Brothers Don Metz (3-2-5) and Nick Metz (1-2-3) led the Toronto Maple Leafs to a record-tying 9-3 victory against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 Final. The Leafs’ nine-goal outburst matched the Final scoring mark for an NHL team set by Detroit on April 7, 1936, in a 9-4 win against Toronto.

April 14, 1948 - The Toronto Maple Leafs repeated as Stanley Cup champions with a 7-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings, thus completing a four-game sweep of the 1948 Final. The game marked the end of a career for Toronto captain Syl Apps, who punctuated his stint in the NHL with a goal in this series-ending victory.

April 14, 1953 - Maurice “Rocket” Richard became the second NHL player to register two hat tricks in Final history, joining Howie Morenz in achieving the feat. Richard, who led Montreal to a 7-3 win against Boston, later added a four-goal performance to his record on April 6, 1957.

April 14, 1955 - Right winger Gordie Howe scored the winning goal in Game Seven of the 1955 Stanley Cup Final to lead the Detroit Red Wings past the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. The goal gave Howe a 5-7-12 scoring mark in the series, setting a new individual mark for Final competition.

April 14, 1960 - Goaltender Jacques Plante blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 as the Montreal Canadiens captured their record-setting fifth straight Stanley Cup championship. The victory marked the end of a career for Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the NHL’s all-time leader with 34 goals in the Stanley Cup Final.

NHL AND PARAMOUNT PICTURES PARTNER ON MIKE MYERS FILM ‘LOVE GURU’
The National Hockey League and Paramount Pictures have entered into a strategic marketing alliance supporting the new Mike Myers comedy film “The Love Guru,” due out June 20, which features the Toronto Maple Leafs’ pursuit of the Stanley Cup under the guidance of the Guru Pitka, a self-help spiritualist played by Myers. The marketing alliance includes co-branded and co-produced spots featuring Myers and content from the film to air during NHL game broadcasts on NBC, VERSUS, CBC and TSN, online and in NHL arenas, exclusive NHL.com content and retail activations, all designed to promote the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the June 20, 2008 nationwide theatrical release of the comedy.

– View the ‘Love Guru’ commercial spot.

STANLEY CUP FINAL PLAYOFF ACCREDITATION APPLICATION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The NHL Public Relations department has launched an online media accreditation application to help streamline the credentialing process. Please click here to submit your credential request for the 2008 Stanley Cup Final.

– Credential applications sent via e-mail and fax are still being accepted. The application may be downloaded by clicking here. The deadline for the Stanley Cup Final media accreditation application is FRIDAY, MAY 16.

For story ideas, suggestions or comments, please e-mail the NHL TODAY

THE SCHEDULE
– Game 3: Penguins at Senators, 7 p.m. (CBC, RDS) (Penguins lead series 2-0)
– Game 3: Red Wings at Predators, 7:30 p.m. (VERSUS, TSN, RIS (Red Wings lead series 2-0)
– Game 3: Wild at Avalanche, 10 p.m. (VERSUS, CBC, RDS) (Series tied 1-1)

All Photos Copyright Getty Images 

I just didn’t have a good feeling about this game. All day, I was tenative for many reasons:

1.The Devils had way too much experience to go so quietly.

2.Both the first two games could’ve easily gone the other direction just showing how closely matched these bitter Hudson rivals are.

3.I just couldn’t envision being up 3-0 on the Devils even with home ice at what was an electric Garden. Truthfully, it was a fun atmosphere even if the team I root for lost. They have only themselves to blame.

4.You just knew the Devils would come with their best effort. They played with more edge and got the desired result to make this a series.

I could probably think of even more reasons but you can pretty much catch my drift as to why the Devils had what it took to win Game Three. Even if it was decided on one of the flukiest goals you’ll ever see. Stephane Matteau ring a bell? Sure did for myself watching from Section 411 as suddenly off a draw rookie Brandon Dubinsky won- outstanding all night- John Madden snuck in and centered the puck and got the break which his more desperate club was looking for with the puck taking a Devil-esque bounce off rookie Marc Staal’s skate past a stunned Henrik Lundqvist who never saw it coming.

If you were a diehard fan sitting or standing like myself watching it, you just couldn’t figure how the puck went in. But that’s what happens when your team plays like a bunch of wusses. It was all Devils in sudden death. And that’s what these sort of games come down to. NHL overtime is about who wants it most. On this night, Brent Sutter’s club did. They had the desperation and attacked with vigor also hitting three posts including a brilliant outside-inside move by Brian Gionta which rang off the crossbar.

Maybe that should’ve sounded off the alarms at the Ranger bench but the message never got to Tom Renney, who saw his team sit back more than the old style Devils used to. Hello? It was playoff OT! What the hell were they waiting for?

From my perspective, they basically said to the better goalie Marty Brodeur and his team:

“Here. You take it.”

That might’ve worked in the regular season against these guys but it sure won’t get it done now.

I give the Devils credit. They could’ve caved in when it was tied 3-3 late in regulation but wouldn’t mostly thanks to their future Hall of Famer in net, who saved his biggest stops for those final frantic minutes with his team’s first round hopes sinking as fast as sand in an hour glass. Brodeur’s best save had to be on Michal Rozsival, who jumped in and rocketed one labeled for the far right corner but the veteran netminder slid across and just got his stick on it to push it wide.

If that goes in, that could be it for the Devils. Maybe they go away for good. Instead, it allowed his team to regroup and play a much superior six minutes of OT before Madden’s prayer was answered with help from who’s maybe been the Rangers’ best defenseman Staal.

Go figure. Dubinsky, who netted his first two career NHL postseason tallies including the tying power play goal and Staal, who’s played like a veteran would impact the winner at 6:01.

Sometimes, hockey’s a stange game. Either way, the Blueshirts now know it’s a series and there will be a lot more riding on the line following two days off before Wednesday’s Game Four on Garden ice. By now, they realize how tough a task it will be to put these Devils away. They also to a man never thought they’d be up three zip. They’re still in an enviable position.

If there’s one thing I’d worry about from a Ranger fan perspective, it’s that usually when a series is dictated by the road team and then the road one gets an OT victory, it tends to shift the momentum. I still can recall the 2000 Flyers down 2-0 against the Pens. Keith Primeau. Once, there were the Pens trailing the Caps by the same deficit needing to turn it around on the road. With help from Petr Nedved, they did.

Will the Rangers get sucked up and have the same kind of fate or will they bounceback and show the sort of character this team’s had when their backs were up against it.

I’m calling out a few players now:

A.Paging Chris Drury. You weren’t brought in to lose every faceoff to Madden and make fans nervous. You were brought here to win those all draws and score the all important goal which changes the tide. That zero next to your scoresheet is looming larger and larger buddy. So get it in high gear. Time to find your game!

B.Paging Nigel Dawes. Yes, you scored that gimme in Game One but you’ve not been as good as you can be on the forecheck. Win some more pucks and get open for your shot which Brodeur even with perfect 20/20 has problems with. We need you also to make that key defensive play which sets up the transition and that extra pass which creates the kind of scoring chance which will have our opponent very concerned over. You and Drury have not done the job while your grittier linemate Ryan Callahan has won every battle and done so much more.

C.Paging Marty Straka. You freaking missed on a textbook give-and-go with your very inspired Czech butt buddy Jaromir Jagr. Score there like you have in the past when setup by that same great pass by No.68 and there’s a good chance we’re not talking about a loss. You are a good skater and have backed up the Devils a few times but stop overpassing the puck and shoot it already! Jagr needs you to be a threat.

D.Paging Fedor Tyutin. For whatever reason, you aren’t playing up to capability. While your partner Dan Girardi covers for your every mistake, you have been too tenative. That penalty didn’t help either buddy. Even if it was a crap call which speaks volumes about how abysmal the two-ref BHL crew really was. That doesn’t matter because you were in the box while the Devils found a way to score on the power play and get back in the game.

E.Paging Henrik Lundqvist. You were brilliant the first two games but tonight, weren’t as razor sharp as needed. In particular, that Zach Parise PPG was about as soft as a marshmallow. There was no excuse for letting that low backhand to sneak through like that. And the first goal early on wasn’t a good one either and allowed the Devils to establish themselves and gain more confidence. You must be better come Wednesday or people are going to start questioning you including this fellow blogger. It’s happened before.

F.Paging Scott Gomez. It was nice that you dominated Game One and were good again in Game Two but you were basically invisible tonight. Even if you did get a primary helper on a Sean Avery lay-up during a five-on-three, you did little else. You didn’t battle hard and dogged it frequently when challenged by former teammates. You can’t always smile and want to hug your ex-buddies during a playoff series. Time to get hungrier and impact the game with your game changing speed. That’s what you get paid for.

G.Paging Gary Bettman. Your referees are an utter disgrace. It’s clear that most don’t know how to interpret the rules and make the wrong calls. I’m not just speaking about tonight’s game which nearly derailed what was a very entertaining playoff game. I’m talking in general. There have just been way too many poor judgments being used by these officials. We saw it rear its ugly head in Newark the other night and again Saturday in Montreal helping decide games. If that’s what you want, then your sport is never going to get the respect it merits. Right now, I sit here a little baffled. Is this what you want? If we took a poll, I’d be willing to bet the old regimen isn’t pleased with the standard of officiating. Either get guys who actually grasp it and won’t make tacky calls which have no business being in the game or go back to the one ref system.

Well, guess that’s all I can think of for now. There were other games. The Caps were shutout on home ice by a more desperate Flyer team 2-0 and the Bruins got an OT winner from Marc Savard to get back in their series against the Canadiens. Oh my god. I also see the Sharks somehow managed to blow a three-goal first period lead losing 4-3 to the Flames in Alberta. Adding further injury to insult, former Shark Owen Nolan potted the winner at 16:15 of the third. Wow. What a bunch of chokers. I sure hope my team doesn’t have that same label after this series. How could I have picked San Jose? What was I on?

Geez.

Tonight, the Rangers and Devils do battle in Game Two at The Prudential Center. New York leads the series 1-0. The Caps and Flyers finally get underway in the nation’s cap. How will Alexander Ovechkin fare in his first playoff game? The Senators also look to avenge a Game One defeat in Pittsburgh. The Wild look to draw even against the Avalanche.

In case you missed it, the Stars dominated the Ducks getting four power play goals in a 4-0 blanking of the defending champs, who looked listless. Stephane Robidas had a pair of assists as did Mike Ribeiro and Jere Lehtinen scored for Dallas, who took home ice away. The Sharks rebounded with a big 2-0 shutout of Calgary to level their series as it goes back to Alberta Sunday night. Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell scored in a dominant second in which San Jose outshot the Flames 27-3 due to a plethora of power plays. Calgary was very undisciplined. Evgeni Nabokov stopped all 21 shots including a highway robbery of former teammate Owen Nolan in the third which kept the Flames off the board.

Here are today’s key match-ups along with vital playoff info and articles:

THE NHL TODAY – FRIDAY, APRIL 11

THE HEADLINES
– Ovechkin Makes Playoff Debut Tonight Against Philadelphia
– Zetterberg’s Two Goals Lift Red Wings over Predators
– Canadiens’ Price Wins Playoff Debut against Bruins
– Turco’s Fourth Playoff Shutout Downs Ducks
– Sharks’ Nabokov Shuts Out Flames to Even Series
– Notre Dame, Boston College Meet in Saturday’s NCAA Hockey Finals THE SCHEDULE
– Game 2: Senators at Penguins, 7 p.m. (CBC) (Penguins lead series 1-0)
– Game 1: Flyers at Capitals, 7 p.m. (VERSUS)
– Game 2: Rangers at Devils, 7 p.m. (TSN) (Rangers lead series 1-0)
– Game 2: Avalanche at Wild, 9 p.m. (VERSUS) (Avalanche lead series 1-0)

THE SCORES
– Game 1: Canadiens 4, Bruins 1 (Canadiens lead series 1-0)
– Game 1: Red Wings 3, Predators 1 (Red Wings lead series 1-0)
– Game 2: Sharks 2, Flames 0 (Series tied 1-1)
– Game 1: Stars 4, Ducks 0 (Stars lead series 1-0)

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF MEDIA WEBSITE NOW LIVE
To assist media members covering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the National Hockey League’s Communications Department has introduced www.stanleycupplayoffs2008.com, a ‘one-stop shopping’ website that provides story lines for each series, statistical previews and other features, including a fully searchable version of Total Stanley Cup, the 2008 NHL Playoff Media Guide. In addition to providing new information at the start of each round, www.stanleycupplayoffs2008.com will be updated on a regular basis.

WHATS NEW ON THE STANLEY CUP MEDIA WEBSITE
– This date in playoffs history (updated daily).
– Team playoff guides (Dallas, Detroit, New Jersey and Philadelphia).
– News, notes and milestones from last night’s games.

THE STORIES

KOSTITSYN BROTHERS PUT ON A SHOW FOR CANADIENS’ FAITHFUL
Pat Hickey writes in the MONTREAL GAZETTE, “It’s a shame that hockey fans in Belarus weren’t able to follow the exploits of brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn on TV last night. Those wild and crazy guys from Novopolotsk made their National Hockey League playoff debuts memorable as they each scored a goal early in the first period last night to propel the Canadiens to a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. ‘Maybe next game,’ Sergei said when asked whether the game was available on TV back home. Sergei Kostitsyn said he wasn’t going to be nervous in his first playoff game and he didn’t look like it as he gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead at the 34-second mark of the first period. Brother Andrei made it 2-0 at 2:02 and said he wasn’t trying to match his younger brother. They were the third-fastest goals ever scored by brothers in an NHL playoff game.”

– Watch the highlights on NHL Network Online.

FROM THE STAT WIZARDS AT ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU
Bryan Smolinski scored a goal for the Canadiens in Game One of their series against the Bruins. Montreal is the sixth team for which Smolinski has scored a goal in a playoff game. (The others were Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Ottawa and Vancouver.) That ties an NHL record, shared by Doug Gilmour (St. Louis, Calgary, Toronto, New Jersey, Buffalo and Montreal) and Mike Sillinger (Detroit, Philadelphia, Florida, St. Louis, Nashville and the New York Islanders).

STARS’ POWER PLAY SHUTS DOWN DUCKS
Mike Heika writes in the DALLAS MORNING NEWS, “The Dallas Stars may have surprised even themselves Thursday night by playing a game that has been missing for almost a month and shutting down the defending Stanley Cup champions on their home ice in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Not only did Dallas put together the kind of team effort that was a hallmark of this squad earlier in the season, it laid a huge amount of doubt onto the table for the Anaheim Ducks and their fans. The Stars went 4-for-7 on the power play and took a 4-0 victory against a team that touted the best home record in the NHL. It also set up a big challenge for the Ducks, who must rebound in Game 2 on Saturday or face the prospect of going down 2-0 in the series with Game 3 and Game 4 in Dallas next week.”

– Watch the highlights on NHL Network Online.

RED WINGS HOLD OFF TENACIOUS PREDATORS
Bob Wojnowski writes in the DETROIT NEWS, “The other goalie was a no-name newcomer making saves, big ones and small ones, and you could see the old storyline developing. The Red Wings were taking shots, big ones and small ones, and old tensions were rising. And then it ended where it often ends once the Wings get cranking—at point blank, from Hank. Nashville is feisty and its rookie goalie, Dan Ellis, was good, but the Wings are better, and the sooner they show it, the easier everyone will breathe. The Wings showed just enough in their playoff opener Thursday night at a mostly full Joe Louis Arena, edging the Predators 3-1 in the type of tight game we expected. Henrik ‘Hank’ Zetterberg scored the winner at 6:54 of the third period, blistering a shot off a perfect pass from Pavel Datsyuk after a fortuitous bounce kept the puck in Nashville’s zone. Zetterberg clinched it with an empty-netter, and the truth is, this wasn’t easy for the Wings. Then again, it rarely is. Ah, another playoffs.”

– Watch the highlights on NHL Network Online.

SHARKS SNUFF FLAMES TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Mark Purdy writes in the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, “The Sharks didn’t nab a victory Thursday night. They Nabbied a victory. They Nabbied themselves back on track. Heavens to Kamenogorsk, did Evgeni Nabokov save the Sharks’ tail fins in their 2-0 win over the Calgary Flames. On a night when the Sharks needed their goalie to be great, Nabokov was greater. The ethnic Russian from Kazakhstan who speaks five languages might have had his best playoff game ever, in any language. But the only ethnicity that mattered to him was the Sharks’ continuing legal status as Playoff Viable Citizens. Nabokov said, in English, ‘They’re playing great hockey. They’re working their butts off. Give them all credit. They just keep coming.’ But fortunately, when the Flames kept coming, Nabokov kept erecting his unflappable stop signs and wound up with his sixth playoff shutout. The score sheet showed that he made just 21 saves, not a huge number. But the score sheet accounts only for quantity, not quality. Or timing.”

– Watch the highlights on NHL Network Online.
– Mark Emmons on Jeremy Roenick’s quest for the Stanley Cup.

CAPITALS OF THE WORLD
Tarik El-Bashir writes in the WASHINGTON POST, “It’s no surprise that the Washington Capitals have captivated local sports fans with their run to the playoffs, an improbable surge sparked by their charismatic star, Alex Ovechkin, everyman coach Bruce Boudreau and stars-in-the-making Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green. What’s surprising is the amount of attention the Capitals’ charge into the playoffs is receiving outside the Washington area. The Capitals are a big deal in Moscow, where the quartet of Ovechkin, Sergei Fedorov, Viktor Kozlov and Alexander Semin has turned the Capitals into ‘Russia’s team,’ much the way the Detroit Red Wings’ ‘Russian Five’ became the country’s surrogate squad in the 1990s. They are headline news in Sweden, Backstrom’s home. And they’re the talk of sports television and radio programs in Canada, where the game’s most rabid fans have been drawn in by Ovechkin’s record-breaking season and the Capitals’ remarkable rally from last place to Southeast Division champions.”

– Watch an English news report from “Russia Today.”
– Thom Loverro on unassuming Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.
– Read Capitals owner Ted Leonsis’ playoff journals in USA TODAY.

FLYERS LOOKING FOR CAPITAL GAIN WITH BIRON
Jack McCaffery writes in the DELAWARE COUNTY TIMES, “The Flyers took a train from Philadelphia to Washington for the Stanley Cup playoffs. They also took a gamble. Not that it was a dramatic risk, or that it was a lottery-ticket, trillion-to-one stab. Not that it was born from anything other than solid scouting principles and courageous commitment of funds. Not that it has seemed ridiculous more than one calendar year later, or that anyone warned them of a hockey folly. But something told them that they could end their 0-for-three-decades championship slump with a goaltender who has never arrived by plane, train, automobile or even odd hockey luck to play in an NHL playoff game. Not one. Not a period. Not a shift. Not a shot. As they turn now to face the Capitals — then look forward to another series, and another, then another — the Flyers’ lone prayer for success is that they were not wrong when they traded for, then committed to Martin Biron.”

FROM THE STAT WIZARDS AT ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Martin Biron is expected to make his NHL playoff debut tonight at Washington. Biron’s 378 career regular-season games without a playoff appearance ranked second all-time among goaltenders to Mike Dunham (394).

QUICK HITS
– Scott Burnside on the affable nature of Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

ON THIS DATE IN PLAYOFF HISTORY
April 11, 1936 - Detroit coach Jack Adams steered the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup championship with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the best-of-five Stanley Cup Final. The Red Wings, who had entered the NHL in 1926-27, became the last of the League’s “Original Six” teams to win the Cup.

April 11, 1965 - Detroit Red Wings center Norm Ullman set NHL individual and team playoff records by scoring two goals just five seconds apart in Game Five of their Semi-final series against Chicago. Ullman scored at 17:35 and 17:40 of the second period in a 4-2 Detroit victory. The goals were scored in almost identical fashion — snapshots from about 50 feet out, using Chicago defensemen as screens to beat Glenn Hall. Chicago won the best-of-seven series 4-3.

April 11, 1971 - Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr became the first defenseman to score three goals in a playoff game during a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, nine other defensemen have equalled Orr’s mark.

April 11, 1980 - Montreal’s Yvon Lambert scored at 0:29 of overtime to give the Canadiens a 4-3 victory over Hartford and a sweep of the best-of-five Preliminary round series. The game marked the final NHL appearance of two Hall-of-Famers as Hartford’s Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull retired following the Whalers’ elimination from the playoffs.

April 11, 1981 - The Boston Bruins set a new playoff record by scoring three shorthanded goals against the Minnesota North Stars in Game Three of their Preliminary round series. The three shorthanded goals were not enough as Minnesota won the game 6-3 and swept the best-of-five series. The record has since been equalled by NY Islanders (Apr. 17/83 against NY Rangers) and Toronto Maple Leafs (May 8, 1994 against San Jose).

April 11, 1989 - Philadelphia’s Ron Hextall was the first goaltender to score a goal in the playoffs with an empty-net goal against the Washington Capitals. The Flyers won the game 8-5.

April 11, 2007 - Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo made a record-setting Stanley Cup playoff debut, stopping 72 of an NHL-record 76 shots and helping the Canucks defeat the Dallas Stars 5-4 in four overtimes in the opener of the teams’ Western Conference Quarter-final. Luongo faced the most shots in an NHL game since the League started recording the statistic in 1956. The previous mark of 75 was shared by the New York Islanders’ Kelly Hrudey, against Washington in the 1987 playoffs, and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Ed Belfour, against Philadelphia in the 2003 postseason. Luongo’s 72 saves matched Belfour’s total and came within one of Hrudey’s NHL-record 73. The previous top performance among goaltenders making their first playoff start was that of Anaheim’s Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who made 63 saves in a 2-1 triple-overtime victory at Detroit on April 10, 2003.

STANLEY CUP FINAL PLAYOFF ACCREDITATION APPLICATION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The NHL Public Relations department has launched an online media accreditation application to help streamline the credentialing process. Please click here to submit your credential request for the 2008 Stanley Cup Final.

– Credential applications sent via e-mail and fax are still being accepted. The application may be downloaded by clicking here. The deadline for the Stanley Cup Final media accreditation application is FRIDAY, MAY 16.

For story ideas, suggestions or comments, please e-mail the NHL TODAY

All photos Copyright Getty Images

Well, the first night of the 2008 playoffs is in the books. And already, there was a riveting game which required sudden death. That and a lot more in my total randomness postseason edition:

-The game of the night was played between the Avs and Wild at Xcel Energy Center with Colorado taking the home ice away from Minnesota thanks to always reliable captain Joe Sakic, who potted the OT winner at 11:11 to lift his team over the Wild 3-2.

But this game was so much more than that with all sorts of unpredictable entertainment which is what makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs so compelling. The Avs had led by two goals off the sticks of Kurt Sauer and Ryan Smyth after 40 minutes. However, the Wild stormed back getting two in a row 3:11 apart from Mikko Koivu and unlikely source Todd Fedoruk, who left alone in front had a nifty backhand finish to beat Jose Theodore to knot it.

That’s when the game got a little crazy. The Avs took over generating quality chance after chance but couldn’t find the go-ahead tally due to superb netminding from Niklas Backstrom and his best friend- the goalposts which denied Milan Hejduk and a couple of other Colorado players. Even goal reviews went against the Avs including an odd situation where they ruled no goal on a Minny player who put his glove ove