User Rating: / 4
PoorBest 

Sunday, 24 April 2011 02:00

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

Playoff Stuff

Penguins - Lightning

-Monday's Game 6 will be a 7 p.m. start.

-Dave Molinari's recap from yesterday's game. "They showed up today. We didn't." - Pascal Dupuis.

-The St. Petersburg Times' recap. "You shoot pucks on net, and you never know what can happen." - Lightning forward Steven Stamkos.

-The Tampa Tribune's recap. The Lightning set a franchise record for goals in a postseason game.

-The Associated Press' recap. Fourteen o the Lightning's 18 skaters managed to record a point.

-NHL.com's recap. The Penguins' power play is 1 for 24 in the series.

-Mike Lange's goal call.

-Highlights, so to speak:

-This photo pretty much describes Fleury's day:

-This one too:

-Same here:

-Fleury being replaced by Brent Johnson:

-Stamkos ripping one by Johnson:

-Happy times for Tampa Bay captain Vincent Lecavalier:

-Maxime Talbot and Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis battling for a puck:

-Tampa Bay's Dwayne Roloson didn't keep his eyes on this puck:

-Anthem time:

-The Penguins taking the ice:

-Lightning coach Guy Boucher was either offering a billiards techniqe to this official or he was threatening to stab him with a sword:

-Dan Bylsma speaks:

-"We've got to do better -- a lot better -- next time." - Zbynek Michalek.

-The Penguins set a record... a bad one.

-"That was the biggest game of my career." - Stamkos on his three-point game.

Capitals - Rangers

-A goal and an assist by captain Alex Ovechkin helped the Capitals beat the Rangers 3-1 in Game 5. Washington clinched the series, 4-1. Brooks Laich recorded two assists for the Captials while Michal Neuvirth made 26 saves in the victory.

-Check out Ovechkin's goal:

-Capitals defenseman Mike Green, who has had various head problems this season, actually blocked a shot with his head:

-Capitals defenseman Mike Green left the game in the first period after taking a slap shot to the head. He did return to the bench but did not play.

-In response to the "Can You Hear Us?" chant by Rangers in Madison Square Garden in Game 4, Capitals fans offered a "We Are Louder!" retort:

-Happy, hoppy times for Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom:

-Hand shake time:

-Thumbs up times for Neuvirth:

-Happy times in Washington:

-Washington's Alexander Semin did a Rockette routine to celebrate a goal:

-We think.

-"Wing sauce! Ha!"

-Rangers forward and former Penguin Ruslan Fedotenko had issues with Washington's John Erskine:

-Neuvirth had a comfy seat:

-This photo pretty much explains the Rangers:

-Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi played despite a dislocated finger.

-“It’s the worst feeling you could have.” - Rangers forward Brian Boyle on his season coming to an end.

Flyers - Sabres

-The Flyers are being mum on which one of their 2,343 mediocre goaltenders will start Game 6.

-With forward Jason Pominville sidelined due to a leg laceration, the Sabres recalled forward Matt Ellis from Portland of the AHL.

-With today's Game 6, the Sabres have a chance to win a playoff series on home ice for the first time since 2007.

Bruins - Canadiens

-Nathan Horton's goal in the second overtime gave the Bruins a 2-1 win against the rival Canadiens in Game 5. Boston took a 3-2 series lead. Tim Thomas made 44 saves in the victory.

-Horton's goal:

-A good look at the goal:

-"Save" of the Day: Boston's Michael Ryder on Montreal's Tomas Plekanec:

-A good look at the "save:"

-Horton and Thomas having a moment:

-Thomas kept his eyes on this puck:

-Fiery times for Boston coach Claude Julien:

-Hockey Night in Canada had a pretty opening montage for the game featuring the Dropkick Murphys:

Canucks - Blackhawks

-"We’re going to go in that building and play like we’re playing for our lives. We’re going to throw it all out on the table.” - Canucks forward Ryan Kesler on how his team will treat Game 6 despite having a 3-2 series lead.

-Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has made 33 consecutive starts.

-After missing Games 4 and 5 due to a head injury, Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook declared himself symptom free after yesterday's practice.

Sharks - Kings

-Jonathan Quick made 51 saves for the Kings who held of elimination with a 3-1 win against the Sharks in Game 5. San Jose leads the series, 3-2. Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds each had a goal and an assist for Los Angeles.

-Quick scooped in this puck:

-Painful times for Brown:

-The Sharks once again pulled starting goaltender Antti Niemi in favor of backup Antero Niittymaki.

-The Kings scratched former Penguins forward Alexei Ponikarovsky in favor of forward Scott Parse who has not played since Nov. 25 due to a hip injury.

Red Wings

-The Red Wings are digging all this free time.

Ducks - Predators

-The Predators have a chance to win a playoff series for the first time in franchise history tonight.

-"Ducks hockey, it's like a box of chocolate." - Ducks forward Teemu Selanne doing his best Forrest Gump impression.

Calder Cup Playoffs

-A natural hat trick by Steve Wagner led the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a series-clinching 6-3 win against the Norfolk Admirals in Game 6 of their East Division semifinal series. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton clinched the series, 4-2. Tim Wallace added a goal and two assists for the Penguins while teammate Corey Potter recorded three assists. Brad Thiessen made 28 saves in the victory.

-Highlights courtesy of The Wilkes-Blog:

Kelly Cup Playoffs

-Mikael Bedard scored the Wheeling Nailers' only goal in their 5-1 loss to the Greenville Road Warriors in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Nailers have a 3-2 series lead.

Non-Playoff Stuff

Penguins

-Evgeni Malkin did a little skating Friday (PG+):

-According to former Major League all-star first baseman Steve Garvey, he and Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle want to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-Happy 24th birthday to current Penguins all-star defenseman Kris Letang. A third-round pick in 2005, Letang has spent parts of the last five seasons with the Penguins. After scoring two goals in a seven-game tryout with the Penguins in 2006-07, Letang broke through to the NHL full-time in 2007-08 and recorded 17 points in 63 games. In 16 postseason games that spring, Letang recorded two assists and helped the club reach the Stanley Cup final. He followed that up in 2008-09 by playing in 74 games and scoring 23 points. In 23 postseason games that spring, he scored 13 points and earned a Stanley Cup ring. During 2009-10, Letang saw action in 73 games and recorded 27 points. He appeared in 13 postseason games last spring and recorded seven points. This regular season, Letang played in all 82 games and scored a career-high 50 point while being selected to an all-star game for the first time in his career. In five postseason games this spring, he has four assists. Letang has appeared in 299 career regular season games for the Penguins and has scored 129 points, 61st-most in franchise history. In 57 postseason games, he has scored 26 points.

-Happy 38th birthday to former Penguins goaltender Peter Skudra. A free agent signing prior to the 1997-98 season, Skudra spent parts of three seasons with the Penguins. As a rookie in 1997-98, Skudra appeared in 17 games, went 6-4-3 with a 1.83 goal against average and .924 save percentage. The 1998-99 campaign was by far his best in the NHL as he set career highs in games played (37), wins (15-11-5) and shutouts (3) while sporting a 2.79 goals against average and .892 save percentage. During 1999-2000, Skudra was limited to 20 games, a 5-7-3 record at 3.12 goals against average, an .872 save percentage and one shutout. He appeared in one postseason game that spring and had a 3.00 goals against average and .909 save percentage. In the 2000 offseason, he joined the Bruins as a free agent. In 74 regular season games with the Penguins, he had a 26-22-11 record with a 2.65 goals against average, .894 save percentage and four shutouts.

-Happy 27th birthday to current Penguins minor league forward Brett Sterling. A free agent signing last summer, Sterling has appeared in seven games f0r the NHL Penguins this season scored five points.

Southeast Division

-Thrashers associate coach John Torchetti will interview for the vacant Panthers coaching position. Torchetti once served as Florida's interim coach in 2003-04.

(Photos: Lightning/Penguins-Justin K. Aller/Getty Images and Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press; Rangers/Capitals-Alex Brandon/Associated Press, Len Redkoles/Getty Images and Nick Wass/Associated Press; Canadiens/Bruins-Charles Krupa/Associated Press and Elsa/Getty Images; Kings/Sharks-Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Uli, April 24, 2011 - 12:47 PM

Happy Easter to everybody from Germany!

Wow, what can I say? I was looking forward to watch game 5 for three days as it was scheduled at 6 p.m. German time. And then I witnessed a desaster. Very sobering.

Nevertheless I´m confident they´ll win the series tomorrow as it can´t get any worse than yesterday.

GO PENS!!!

• 
• +3
• 
•