By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

The National Hockey League’s Senior VP of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan and other forward-thinking hockey minds assembled in Toronto today for the commencement of the second annual Research and Development camp.

With Colin Campbell at announcement of Shanahan's new post with NHL. (Photo Credit: Dave Sandford / Getty Images)

36 of the top-ranked North American 17-year-olds will take part in scrimmages under the watchful eyes of NHL GMs and scouts, testing out a number of potential NHL rule changes.

The camp is designed to do a bit of fact-finding on different adjustments that can both improve the game as well as making it safer for the players.

It seems that a couple of issues that are at the forefront of the proposed rule changes could have the biggest postive impact on the game, and they revolve around the power play.

At present, a short-handed team can ice the puck to their heart’s content.  The proposal at hand is for the rule to be altered so that the shorthanded club not be permitted to ice the puck.

First off, the current rules raise some basic, common sense questions:

Why should a band of penalty-killers be allowed to shoot the puck the length of the ice while a teammate sits in the sin bin when they cannot do the same while playing at even strength?

Is it really a minus for a squad with an excellent PK to commit a penalty in order to neutralize an opposition scoring chance when they’ll likely be able to kill off a resultant power play?

Why would a league so desperate for an increase in offensive output have rules in place that encourage the opposite result?

Shanahan appeared on Tuesday’s edition of That’s Hockey with host Gino Reda, and discussed the possible modification to the rules while a club is operating with the man advantage.

“There are some things…some of the power play situations where we’re going to put a little bit more pressure on the penalty-killers,” Shanahan said.

That would seem like a good idea.  When watching many NHL games over the past decade, you can sometimes find yourself wondering if a power play is truly a man “advantage” at all.  If the NHL seriously wants to see talent, creativity, and scoring increase at a noticeable clip, the power play could be the beginning of where to focus.

“I think as you look at the statistics through the years, penalty-killing it seems, has become more proficient than the power play,” Shanahan continued.

He would be correct.

According to DropYourGloves.com, after experiencing a modest spike in 2008-09, scoring in the NHL was down for a second consecutive season in 2010-11.

One obvious way to help rectify that issue would be with giving more bite to the power play.

So when Shanahan continued, his words were kind of puzzling.

“I don’t think we’re at a point yet where we want to make a change, but if it continues down that road, or if we feel that we need to make a tweak to that rule, this is a good way of looking for it.”

Not exactly sure why the need to see the status quo continue in order for substanitive change to occur.  The league has seen scoring continually going down the same road for some time.

One of the “tweaks” to the current rules is the issue of players being able to ice the puck while shorthanded.  By allowing them to do so, the power play really doesn’t possess near the threat of making a penalized team pay, but rather levels the playing field for the penalty-killers.

That should change without even a second thought.

And while they’re at it, going back to making a player serve the entire two minutes of a minor penalty would be another positive.  This way the team on the power play has the opportunity to score multiple goals, just as they do on a five-minute major.

This suggestion is in no way to condone the majority of games being played via the special teams route.  The opposite would be preferential, as it tends to break any kind of flow a contest may have with a continual parade to the penalty box.

But if players have to serve the full two minutes of a minor, more discipline will have to be exercised.  Maybe a player will even think twice before taking a minor in order to thwart an opposition scoring chance if the alternative could instead be giving up multiple goals because a team possesses a lethal man advantage unit.  Can you imagine what would be going through Zdeno Chara’s mind if he had a clear shot at Patrick Sharp when the Blackhawk had a close-in chance on Tim Thomas?  Say the Bruins are holding a one-goal lead with less than five minutes to play in regulation.  It may be best for Chara to get position, but take his chances in allowing Thomas to make a big save instead of rolling the dice with the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Sharp with a full two-minute advantage late in the game.  Boston may not only give up a tying goal, but also run the risk of allowing a go-ahead tally late in regulation.

The full two minute PP is not unprecedented, and in fact, that used to be the rule in the 1950′s.  But the Montreal Canadiens of that era were so deadly with the advantage that the rule was modified to even the playing field.

Maybe it’s time to switch back and let teams have the full PP time.

Here are three other items of interest that the camp will be focusing on during the two-day event (With the CURRENT format, the PROPOSED CHANGE to each, and NHL Hot Stove’s  thoughts on the subject):

• Overtime Format and Manpower – CURRENT:  Five minute overtime with a four-on-four format.  PROPOSED CHANGE:  Four minutes of four-on-four and if still not decided, it will be followed by a three-on-three format for three minutes.  NHL Hot Stove:  Any possible way of avoiding the shootout is a positive, so go with it.  I wouldn’t mind seeing the time periods extended to five minutes in both the four-on-four and three-on-three situations, as it would seem to add to the excitement, as well as games decided without the shootout.  Some of the most riveting regular season hockey since the lockout of 2005 has been during the four-on-four OT periods, as the speed and skill of players is accentuated with more room to operate.  Go for it.
• Hybrid Icing – CURRENT:  The race for the puck results in either an icing touch up, or a sometimes momentum-changing moment.  PROPOSED CHANGE:  The excitement of the race is still there, with the play being allowed to continue at the discretion of the linesman.  If the offensive player gets to the faceoff dot first and it’s deemed that he will reach the puck first, play will continue.  However, if the defenseman hits the faceoff dot first and it’s apparent he will be first to arrive at the puck, the play is blown dead.  NHL Hot Stove:  If an offensive player gets to the puck first to negate the icing call with great hustle, it can even sometimes lead to a scoring chance.  This rule preserves the thrill of the chase while eliminating the danger associated with the battle reaching the end boards.  Look no further than horrific injuries suffered by defensemen Bob Dailey, Kurtis Foster, and countless others as to why this is a necessary adjustment.  This is where the “player safety” portion of Shanahan’s duties come into play, and there is no question here that this rule should be instituted immediately.
•  No Line Change for Offending Team of Offsides – CURRENT:  Both teams can make changes immediately following an offsides call.  PROPOSED CHANGE:  The team committing the offsides would not be allowed to change players, a la the current rules associated with an icing call.  NHL Hot Stove:  As far as the penalty associated with offsides being in-line with that of the icing rule, it is a great idea.  There are also proposals to have the ensuing faceoff taken deep into the offending team’s zone, also identical to the disposition of icing the puck.  But there are also many in the hockey community that have voiced their concern that such a rule will limit the creativity of offensively-gifted players and lead to more dump-and-chase.  This could especially be the case if the fallout becomes a defensive-zone faceoff with tired players stuck out on the ice.  This is one that has it’s obvious upsides, but comes with the possibility of downsides, as well.  We will leave our feelings on the matter at bay until after we see the results of just how well the rule tests in R & D camp.  But we will say that if player creativity remains, we’re all for it.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

While attempting to digest the enormity of the trades of two of the Philadelphia Flyers’ franchise cornerstones a week ago today, there is little question what is expected of players in the City of Brotherly Love.

Carter and Richards in happier times (Rick Stewart / Getty Images North America)

When Paul Holmgren dealt captain Mike Richards and leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter out west in two seperate moves, it was much more than just clearing space to fit a contract for goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov into the salary cap.

It was a statement.  

There is no question that there have been issues in the club’s dressing room for some time.  The last half of the 2010-11 season and playoffs were a testament to that fact.

There will be no delving into any kind of ”backstory” (sorry, J.J. Abrams) and allegations that have been lodged about the two and their participation in the Philadelphia nightlife.  That has been done previously by others, ad nauseum.

But there is little doubt that the distractions that can come with being a professional athlete deflected the pair’s attention to their most important responsibilities - that is to work as hard as they could on the ice, and do everything in their power to help the Flyers win hockey games.

You get the feeling that if they each had consistently exhibited Ian Laperriere’s makeup during their time here – that is, giving every ounce of energy with a fervent passion - the Flyers could well be basking in the afterglow of a recent Stanley Cup championship.

Holmgren’s bold moves are a ringing endorsement that the club wants a championship, and that the organization only wants those on board that live and breathe the same desire. 

Anyone who isn’t pushing in the same direction will be removed.

A Captain Too Soon?

One thing needs to be made clear and that is Richards’ eventual fate in Philly isn’t entirely his fault.  The team must share in some portion of the responsibility for the ultimate outcome.

At 23 years of age, Richards appeared almost reluctant to take on the “C” – and everything that came with it - when he said he wasn’t ready when originally asked if he would be ready for the captaincy at the end of the 2007-08 campaign. 

After then-captain Jason Smith was not brought back following that season - instead signing as an UFA with the Ottawa Senators - Philadelphia management again approached Richards about taking the position. 

This time, he accepted the added responsibility.

The organization maintained the sole reason he said he wasn’t ready previously was out of respect for the captain at that time.  

“I think that was a little unfair to Mike,” said then-head coach John Stevens of the situation via the team’s official website.  “That was probably a day or two after the season, and I think in his mind, everybody was still on our team, and as a player you don’t think of who might not be here.  So, I think it was an indication of Mike and the respect he has of the veteran players on our team, and that included Jason Smith at the time.  Since then, Smitty has moved on and we feel Mike is a great choice to replace him.”

That may be true, but it seemed that the Flyers
were all too anxious to move Richards into his destined role as the ”next Bobby Clarke“.
 It’s what they had envisioned from the day they selected him with the 24th pick in round one of the 2003 NHL Draft, and soon after anointed him with the title to their fans.  

It seemed in the club’s eyes, this
was the perfect opportunity to push Richards to that point.

Some players that age who have been leaders through the junior ranks respond to that kind of pressure at the NHL-level.  Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews are excellent examples of young captains that led their respective clubs to recent Cup victories.

While putting up decent numbers and playing through several injuries, for whatever reasons Richards’ eventual legacy was not destined to include taking on that role with the Flyers.

Moving on, he has a real opportunity to help push a very good Los Angeles Kings club over the top.  And the fact that Stevens is an assistant to another former Flyers’ coach, Terry Murray, it should help Richards in getting acclimated to his new environment.

My Kingdom for a Goal-Scorer

When Clarke selected Carter with the 11th overall pick in 2003, he nabbed what everyone thought would be a vital piece to any Flyers’ success in the future.

The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ leading scorer was a much-needed goal scorer that was more than welcome for an aging team.  Of the five Flyers to score 20 or more goals the previous season, only Simon Gagne (23) and Michal Handzus (26) were below 30 years of age.

Even though Philadelphia had pushed the eventual Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals, there would be a youth movement after the 2004-05 lockout season.  Gone were John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Jeremy Roenick, and Tony Amonte, and in their places were youngsters R.J. Umberger, Richards, Patrick Sharp, and Carter.

After tallying just 37 times in his first 143 NHL contests (one goal in nearly every four games), Carter became one of the most-productive goal scorers on the club.  He would net 144 goals over the last 318 regular season games he would play in Philly, almost double the rate of his first two seasons.

But many saw his effort as lacking, a floater, if you will.  Carter scored goals in bunches but would then proceed to disappear.  Much of the time in his slumps he relied on the exact same move; he would gather the puck in the offensive left wing corner, skate along the boards, then cut to the faceoff circle and snap a shot.

The sequence had become so routine and predictable, rarely did the puck ever make it to the net.  Defensemen knew what was coming well before the pattern was completed, and easily blocked his shots.

Maybe some players with which the game comes so effortlessly – especially at such an early age - are hurt by that fact down the road.  The element of hard work may tend to get lost on some of the more natural talents.

Whether Carter falls into that category will be debated by Flyers’ fans for years to come.  The fervor with which people will argue will be directly proportional to just how well the team fares minus their top goal scorer and faceoff man – and how well Carter does alongside Rick Nash as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Moving Forward

Both Carter and Richards played critical roles in the 2004-05 Philadelphia Phantoms’ Calder Cup triumph when a lockout destroyed the entire NHL season that year. 

The next logical step was to lead the big club to the Promised Land, but that scenario never materialized.

The two came to the Flyers on the same day – both in the first round of the 2003 draft - and they both leave the city with much the same timing, each traded within an hour of one another.

Holmgren realizes he will need to replace the usual 60-70 combined goals that his former duo would net annually.  He will explore his options, especially over the next 24-48 hours as the free agency period commences.

There is no doubt that Ed Snider, as well as head coach Peter Laviolette, among others in the organization, had their hands in the moves.  The non-commital answers each gave to questions regarding their captain’s leadership abilities after the team’s unceremonious dispatch at the hands of the Boston Bruins spoke volumes.

Make no mistake, the moves that the GM made last Thursday show a ferocity in which he handles his job - much the same way he did when he wore #17 on the ice in Philadelphia.

And that is exactly what he - as well as the rest of the Flyers’ organization - expects from the players that wear the Orange-and-Black.

Time will be the deciding factor in just how wise the decisions and resultant blockbuster deals will be viewed moving forward.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Cheryl Lemanski

Every year the formula changes.

After last season, general managers around the League believed they could cut costs with their netminder since rookie Antti Niemi and journeyman Michael Leighton backstopped their respective teams into the Finals. The season before that, we thought every championship team needed two elite centers (still valid) and the year before that the League emphasized skill and puck possession.

The winning formula changes every season whether it be a high-tempo offense with a blue line full of puck movers (Carolina Hurricanes) or a gritty team from the back end out full of high-end skill (Anaheim Ducks).

Once again, the formula will change.

Take this year’s combatants — the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks.  Both teams have strong depth up front and on D. Each team also has an elite-level goaltender in Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas. However, the Canucks and Bruins play a completely different style as Head Coach Alain Vigneault features highly skilled offensive players who are defensively responsible and Claude Julien is more comfortable keeping the games tight and relying on his Vezina Trophy winner and a couple of All-Star defensemen and elite two-way forwards.

Of the two, only the Canucks really compare to the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks when you consider their sheer top-to-bottom depth. Considering after their salary cap purge the current Blackhawks team almost defeated the heavily favored Canucks, they could be the most dominant team to win a Cup in the post-lockout era.

But how do the two compare?

How they got there:

The Canucks almost blew a 3-0 series lead, allowing the Blackhawks to force a Game 7, and then force an overtime within the game. Less dramatically, they would defeat the Nashville Predators in six games (but could have clinched in five) and made short work of the San Jose Sharks in five. Now, against the Bruins they hold a 1-0 lead in the series with hopes of going back to Boston with a two-game lead.

By comparison, the Blackhawks took the Predators in six, Canucks in six, swept the Sharks and then took the Cup in six games against the Philadelphia Flyers. While the Predators and Canucks both proved to be worthy adversaries, they never pushed the team to the brink of elimination — something the ‘Nucks came face-to-face with in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. They seemed to be the most dominant team in the playoffs, which is something both this year’s tournament lacked as the Bruins faced Game 7 twice as well.

In terms of ease, the Blackhawks take this round.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Head Coach:

Prior to last season, Joel Quenneville never won a Stanley Cup. After successful campaigns with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, the grizzled Head Coach made his way to Chicago in order to push them over the top. His success in the postseason gave him appeal to a young, up-and-coming team as he captured the game’s greatest trophy after only two seasons with the Blackhawks organization. His lowest winning percentage for any full season he coached was over 53 percent, making him a highly regarded bench boss.

Vigneault now enters his fifth season in charge of the Canucks and has won the Northwest Division four out of those five years. Unlike Quenneville, four of his nine years he missed the playoffs and he came to Vancouver after four relatively poor seasons in Montreal (missed playoffs three of four seasons). He was nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy while with the Canadiens but was fired the season after since the team once again missed the tournament.

Considering both coaches never won the Cup prior to their current teams, neither typically has an advantage. However, Quenneville held more past success which gives him the slight nod here again.

Photo Credit: Iwona Erskine-Kellie from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Forwards:

Depth, depth and more depth. Not the kind traded for at the deadline like stopgaps Maxim Lapierre or Christopher Higgins.  This Blackhawks team had the high-end talent in Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews and the complementary players in Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Dave Bolland and Andrew Ladd. Couple them with gritty defensive forwards like John Madden, Tomas Kopecky, Adam Burish and Ben Eager and we can determine that this could be one of the strongest groups of forwards assembled in the post-lockout era. Even with an implosion which severed ties with Versteeg, Byfuglien, Ladd, Madden, Burish and Eager the Blackhawks still clawed their way back into the playoffs which emphasizes just how good this team was last year.

Similarly, the Canucks have elite talent in The Sedin Twins and Ryan Kesler. Alex Burrows might even be able to force his way into that equation considering just how affective he has been in this year’s show. They also boast some tough defensive forwards like Jannik Hansen, Raffi Torres, Tanner Glass and Lapierre. Their calvary has been adequate in Higgins, the now-injured Mikael Samuelsson and regular season whipping boy Mason Raymond but the bottom end is one of uncertainty and inconsistency. Vigneault has rotated Victor Oreskovich, Jeff Tambellini, Alex Bolduc and Cody Hodgson in an attempt to find a perfect medium. Perhaps the return of Manny Malhotra could alleviate this issue.

Regardless, the Blackhawks take this by a mile as the top-end talent is there but the depth is simply not comparable.

Defensemen:

Photo Credit: CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG

Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith set the tempo as a perfect combination of ying and yang last season. Both mobile defenders, Seabrook’s intelligence allowed Keith to pick his spots in the offensive zone. Their stability allowed the second pairing of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell to flourish and make up for the third pairing of Nick Boynton, Brent Sopel and Jordan Hendry. When all of these guys were on their game, they had Keith at over 28 minutes, Seabrook 24 and Hjalmarsson 21 with no other blue liner surpassing 20 minutes.

This may be where the Canucks first hold an advantage as they boast six quality defenders and three others capable of playing decent minutes. Their top pairing of Christian Ehrhoff and Alexander Edler fits very well with the Sedins while Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa have formed a formidable shutdown pairing. The bottom set features some combination of Sami Salo and either Keith Ballard or Aaron Rome with mean d-man Andrew Alberts waiting to get into games. If Vigneault opts for a more mobile substitute, rookie Chris Tanev seemed up for the challenge in his limited playing time.

While the Blackhawks arguably have a higher end, the Canucks feature a more well rounded attack with the option of choosing mobility or snarl. Nobody has a more established top six in the League at this moment which gives the Canucks their first edge in the comparison.

Starting Goalies:

Niemi won the backup job from now-current starter Corey Crawford and then overtook Cristobal Huet for the starting gig in late March. As a veritable unknown, the Finnish rookie managed to get the job done despite what was considered a sub-par performance in the Finals. His success was questioned after winning as his arbitration reward earned him a ticket out of Chicago and into San Jose, where he would once again flourish. Due to his rookie status, the Blackhawks were able to win with a very tight budget which spawned the “don’t pay for goalies theory.” With two Vezina Trophy finalists vying for a championship, that theory has been debunked.

Luongo happens to be one of those finalists as he attempts to prove he can be the best goalie in the world. After toiling on the awful New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, Luongo was expected to win quickly and often in Vancouver. So far he somewhat disappointed fans after losing consistently to the Blackhawks in the playoffs but his ability to step up in big games like Game 7 of this year’s first round and in the Olympics last year has given him the confidence to try and take Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Elite netminder vs. raw rookie? Luongo and the Canucks take this one.

Photo Credit: Matt Boulton from Vancouver, Canada

Special Teams:

The Blackhawks got the job done with a 22.5 percent success rate on the powerplay and a 83.3 percent penalty kill. Their PP ranked fifth in the League but only second in the Western Conference while the PK ranked fourth but first amongst their Conference peers. While not necessarily dominating, the special teams was not a problem on either end which allowed them to continue their winning ways.

On the other hand, the Canucks PP has been a strength as they rank third in the League with a 25.8 percent success rate. The powerplay has been able to adapt from the hard-working Predators to the shot-blocking Sharks with ease making it a force to be reckoned with. Their penalty kill, however, has been a bit worse, succeeding at a 82.3 rate. Considering they lack actual shutdown forwards, players like Kesler and Burrows are forced to take on even more minutes.

The Canucks hold a better PP but the Blackhawks could shut them down better. Push.

The Bottom Line:

As both Jeff Quirin and Dave Strehle predicted, the Canucks should wrap up this series. Of course, we likely counted the Bruins out of the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers and the Tampa Bay Lightning so anything can happen. As far as comparability to last year’s formula, the ‘Nucks are the closest thing to last year’s Blackhawks but the latter takes the small edge due to depth up front, more experience behind the bench and ease in getting to where they need to go.

Feel free to post in the comments your thoughts on the matter as this article is merely the tip of the iceberg, not a definitive conclusion.

As the Chicago Blackhawks take the ice for game 5 tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, the question isn’t as much if the Hawks can beat their top-seeded rivals, but if they can do it again.

Chicago proved Tuesday night that they are more than capable of skating with, through, and around the Canucks in a 7-2 rout that chased goaltender Roberto Luongo in the third period and had the entire Vancouver team playing a step behind all night. Much of that was due in large part to center Dave Bolland‘s return to action from a head injury for the first time in over a month. Bolland was visibly excited to rejoin the team, and made the Canucks suffer to the tune of one goal and three assists, not to mention frustrating both Henrik and Daniel Sedin who were a combined -7 with one goal and only four shots on net.

The entire Canucks team seemed to all but abandon Luongo on defense, leaving him to face a swarming Hawks attack that mustered 35 shots on the Vancouver net and won a good majority of the one-on-one puck battles. The knee-jerk reaction might be to say that the Hawks are back in Luongo’s head, but it’s important to realize that the Canucks are still in the driver’s seat. With a 3-1 series lead, it will be a lot easier for Luongo and his teammates to shrug off that debacle and come back with a clear head tonight. The easiest way to prevent that from happening will be to jump on the scoreboard early. Quick goals have always rattled Luongo’s cage.

The Hawks also saw a resurgence from their blue line as the defensemen seemed to steel their resolve in the absence of Brent Seabrook, who was out due to a head injury suffered Sunday on a hit from Raffi Torres. Duncan Keith had one of his best games in recent memory and he and Brian Campbell set an NHL playoff record for quickest two goals by defensemen by beating Luongo 17 seconds apart. They will definitely need a similar if not better effort from them all to ensure this series comes back to the United Center.

A simplified game plan as well as contributions from top players like Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa will also again be key for the Blackhawks’ success in game 5. Extra and unnecessary passes always run the risk of getting intercepted and heading the other way and ending up in the wrong net. The Hawks need to get pucks on Luongo early and often and keep the Canucks on their heels to have a chance to keep their repeat bid alive.

Ryan Hackett
NHLHS Blackhawks Correspondant
rhackett@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hawknut

Take a deep breath in this fine Monday. Do you smell it? Yep, that’s playoff hockey alright. For some puckheads it’s a sweet scent they’ve become accustomed to. For others it’s the bitter stink of another failure.

In the Western Conference the journey to the hockey god’s promise land was as arduous as ever. A whopping 97 points was required for entry beyond the red iron gates. Marking the second consecutive season 95 points or more was the entry fee and at least 6 teams finished with 99 or more.

Who made it through?

1. Vancouver Canucks
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Detroit Red Wings
4. Anaheim Ducks
5. Nashville Predators
6. Phoenix Coyotes
7. LA Kings
8. Chicago Blackhawks

Who didn’t?

9. Dallas Stars
10. Calgary Flames
11. St. Louis Blues
12. Minnesota Wild
13.Columbus Blue Jackets
14.Colorado Avalanche
15. Edmonton Oilers

In this week’s Around the League: Western Conference Edition I’m deviating from the norm. Over the course of the week I’ll be taking a look at each first round matchup and what the seven teams setting tee times should be up to this summer.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Is there a more anticipated pairing in the opening round than the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks? No, it’s not possible.

The old axiom that playoff series build rivalries holds true for these two clubs. They’ve met in two consecutive spring sessions with the Hawks coming out on top of both viral series. Needless to say that Coach Joel Quenneville’s boys are in the heads of the Canucks and their fans, whether they admit it or not. How Vancouver deals with historical trends will tell the league as a whole if they are the next “San Jose Sharks” or “Detroit Red Wings”. Playoff flopper or dynasty in the making. Alian Vigneault’s legacy will go much the same way after this watershed showdown.

All of the pressure in this best of seven battle falls on Vancouver netminder Roberto Loungo. Who has gone from extraordinary to ordinary when facing the black and red. Allowing 42 goals in 12 playoff games against the Hawks. An average of 3.5 per game. Quite a stark contrast to his 2nd best in the league 2.11 GAA this season.

If any team can score four or more over an extended stretch to overcome goaltending adversity, it should be the Canucks. The Brothers Sedin, Daniel and Henrik, tore through the NHL this season. Combining for 60 goals and 198 points. Add in Ryan Kelser’s 41 goals (and Selke winning like all around play) and Alex Burrows 26 goals in 72 games and putting the puck in the net should be a given.

Tasked at stopping the leagues most prolific offense (NHL high 3.15 goals/game) will be former Norris winner Duncan Keith and his pairing partner Brent Seabrook. The duo was the backbone of the Blackhawks surge to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup a year ago and must rediscover their prowess. After slipping throughout the 2010-11 campaign, all the pressure in the Windy City falls to them. Can they shut down the dynamic Sedins? Can they help put the 4th rated power play (23.1%) over the 3rd rated (85.6%) Vancouver penalty kill? can they pump up the 25th rated PK (79.2%) to stop the top ranked power play (24.4%)?

Corey Crawford is the Hawk to watch for. The rookie goaltender assumes must hold back the Canucks attack when eventual breakdowns occur in the defensive scheme. It’s not the same type of guys in front of Crawford that were in front of another wet around the ears netminder, Antti Niemi, when Chicago won last season. Number 50 will have to step up and make bigger individual saves than his predecessor. Too much to ask of a 26 year old in his first time around the block? Probably, but he is a better option Marty Turco.

Who Has The Edge?

Forwards: Vancouver
- Jonathan Toews and Patrik Kane match up well with the Sedins. As does Marian Hossa with Ryan Kesler.  With Patrick Sharp hobbled, Dave Bolland questionable and the supporting cast in the bottom 6 and third pairing degraded due to cap constraints, Vancouver gets the edge. The likes of Tomas Kopecky, Troy Brouwer, Viktor Stalberg and Michael Frolik don’t match well against Mikael Samuelsson, Alex Burrows, Raffi Torres and Mason Raymond.The edge in defensive specialists would go to Vancouver if not for the loss of Manny Malhotra. Instead the advantage goes to the Hakws with former Canucks center Ryan Johnson and Jake Dowell.

Defense: Push
- Vancouver should have the edge due to experience in their depth, but injury issues could come back to haunt them. Up and coming Swede Alex Edler has played only two games since January 24th due to back surgery. Who knows if he can knock all the rust off to get back to where he was. Top free agent signing Dan Hamhuis missed 18 games due to injury this season and is just came back from a Concussion. Given the health issues and questions there, gritty Kevin Bieksa and offensive dynamo Christan Ehrhoff will be key contributors to reaching four victories.

The Hawks don’t have injury issues, but instead of depth concerns. How will Nick Leddy handle the elevated pace and pressure as a rookie? Can Chris Campoli be counted on for 20 minutes for a legitimate contender? Will Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell be able to stop the second wave known as Ryan Kesler? Questions from the regular season linger. It’s just not the same type of group and that raises red flags.

Health questions vs Depth questions = Push. That said, if Keith and Seabrook come out ready to play, advantage Hawks.

Goaltending: Vancouver
- Say what you want about Bobby Lou, he is the elder statesmen between the pair of starting goalies and deserves to be the favorite. History tells us the advantage isn’t by much however.

Prediction: Vancouver in 6
This one is almost going all the way. Chicago may be limping in, but they’ll steal a couple and give the Canucks a wake up call.

Less than 24 hours after Antti Niemi allowed four goals on 18 shots to the Chicago Blackhawks, the San Jose Sharks will start their Finnish netminder on back-to-back nights. After his counterpart Antero Niittymaki came into last night’s loss to the Blackhawks, head coach Todd McLellan feels confident in turning to his starting goalie.

Last night’s loss broke a perfect record against the Blackhawks.

In what would have been a sweet taste of revenge for the Sharks, the team could not complete the season sweep on their rivals as they lost 6-3. After lost their last two games via shootout the Sharks needed to start this two game road trip off with a win.

Patrick Sharp picked up four assists in the second period, earning him the first start of the night. Marian Hossa took advantage of the 23rd ranked Sharks penalty kill with two power play goals only 3 minutes apart to start of the second period, putting Chicago up 3-2.

Niemi was pulled in favor of Niittymaki just under halfway through the second period after giving up 4 goals on 18 shots. Niittymaki, who had been out since January 17th, gave up two goals including Patrick Kane’s 100th career goal. Niklas Hjalmarsson and Viktor Stalberg also scored for Chicago.

The Sharks picked up goals from Joe Pavelski as well as Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. Couture currently sits second behind New York Islanders rookie Michael Grabner (28) for most goals as a rookie with 26.

In about an hour the Sharks will take on the Dallas Stars in Big D. According to David Pollack of Working the Corners rookie Justin Braun will make his return to the lineup with the team dressing six defensemen and 12 forwards. Expect one of the current d-men to sit, however, that decision has not been made.

Tampa Bay’s four-game skid consisted of three one goal games and their offense only generated five goals in that span. Wednesday night against the Blackhawks, the Lightning knew they would have to generate more offensively if they wanted to win. Steven Stamkos opened up the scoring in the first period as he maneuvered his way through the Blackhawks zone before taking a snap-shot that appeared to have surprised Corey Crawford.

Chicago’s Patrick Kane knotted it up 1-1, at the 16:43 mark of the first with a shot between the face-off circles. Scoring chance developed from Mattias Ohlund leaving Kane open after defending him quite closely seconds earlier along the boards.

As the first period drew closer to an end, Martin St.Louis was sure to end it on a high note. St.Louis’ goal came with just 16 seconds left, as he sent a shot over the left shoulder of Crawford. After Stamkos was getting doubled up defensively, he was able to just nudge the puck out to open ice for St.Louis to pick up to put the Lightning up 2-1.
Teddy Purcell extended Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1 after throwing a backhander to the back of the net. Victor Hedman’s initial shot rebounded out right to where Purcell was headed on the ice; Gagne got credit for the other assist.

Chicago’s resiliency came to life at 9:39 of the second when Patrick Sharp fired a shot to the top shelf behind Roloson. Shortly thereafter, Jonathan Toews tied the game up at 3-3 early in the third period that carried through a scoreless overtime.

Dwayne Roloson, after stopping 28 of 31 shots through regulation and overtime, he stopped all three shots in the shootout from Toews, Kane and Hossa. In the third round of the shootout, Martin St.Louis decided he need to have some fun in the shootout as he made an exceptional spin-o-rama move before backhanding it into the top half of the net.”I find I have more success when I go have fun with it. I feel like if I try to keep it simple, I beat myself,” St. Louis told team media, who used similar moves during the NHL’s SuperSkills competition in January. “I was just thinking about the All-Star Game. There is no pressure, and I just got out there and did some funky stuff and I got a good result. I was trying to do something similar to that.”

Tampa Bay remains two points behind Washington as they won their game versus Edmonton. The Lightning will close out this homestand against the Ottawa Senators Friday night.

By David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent

“I thought he was dominating with his speed and intensity.  He was terrific.  You’re right, he’s a horse right now.” – Flyers’ head coach Peter Laviolette commenting on Claude Giroux after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes February 22nd - a game that saw Giroux score a spectacular, diving game-tying goal with just over a minute left in regulation.

Having gaudy personal statistics when retiring gains respect as an excellent player in the annals of hockey history.  Winning the Stanley Cup pushes that status into another stratosphere altogether - that of being regarded as ”legendary”.

Throughout the illustrious history of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise, there have been players whose names have become iconic not just in Philadelphia, but also in the hockey world in general. 

Bobby Clarke.  Bernie Parent.  Bill Barber.  It’s no coincidence that those three players are all enshrined in the Hockey Hall-of-Fame in Toronto.  It should also come as no surprise that all three played for the two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers teams of the mid-1970′s.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

This season, Flyers’ center Claude Giroux has commenced the process of carving his name into the lasting archives of all-time Philly greats.  That statement is irony in itself after the inauspicious beginning Giroux experienced with the Flyers’ organization. 

Many fans of the Orange-and-Black remember the moment when the native of Hearst, Ontario was drafted by Philadelphia with the 22nd overall choice in 2006.  Clarke served as General Manager of the club at the time and had difficulty remembering exactly which player the team was selecting with the pick when he made his way to the podium.

No one watching the Flyers over the past few years have had any trouble remembering Giroux’ name.  The 23-year-old had occasionally shown flashes of brilliance in the season and a half since his recall from the AHL’s Philadelphia (now Adirondack) Phantoms during the 2008-09 campaign. 

His creativity with the puck was evident from the outset, as was his propensity for dishing the puck off instead of shooting.  In his first 126 regular season contests in the NHL, Giroux scored 25 goals and picked up 74 points.

Something happened before last year’s postseason – Giroux began to shoot more often.  Throughout his time in Philadelphia, the slick playmaker averaged just about 1.5 shots on goal per game.  Commencing with the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, Giroux has been registering over two shots on opposition nets per contest – which may not sound like much but over the course of an entire season, it’s an extra 40 shots.

During last year’s march to the Finals, Giroux registered 21 points, which tied him with teammate Ville Leino for sixth in NHL postseason scoring.  Giroux’ 10 goals were tied for fifth most with the Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane.

It should come as no surprise to see Giroux has already set career-highs in goals (21, previous best was 16), assists (37, previous best was 31), and points (58, previous best was 47) this season - and this with 20 games still remaining in the regular season.  His 58 points leads a very deep Philadelphia team in scoring.

He’s also become a force on special teams.  Giroux has added penalty-killer to his resume’ and has racked up the first three shorthanded goals of his career, as well as scoring eight times on the power play – which matches his career-high that was set last year.

Giroux’ talent was showcased for all to see during the NHL All-Star weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina in late-January.  He finished the game with a goal and an assist, helping All-Star linemate and ex-Flyer Patrick Sharp to the game’s MVP award.

Defenseman Chris Pronger had some insight into Giroux’ play as he watches him on an everyday basis.  “I think you are seeing that he can take his game to the next level this year“, Pronger said after the Islanders’ game.  “He’s kind of playing with that confidence.  He is making plays and really controlling the game.  If you watch him out there, he always wants the puck.  He always wants to be making plays.  He wants to be that guy in that position that is making things happen.”

Giroux continues to improve with each passing contest.  “When you play more games in the league, you get more comfortable“, he said when asked about the reasons for his improvement.  ”The coaches play me a lot.  When everybody plays well around you, you just get more comfortable.”

He has also been noticeably more responsible in the defensive end, as well as much more physical in his play.  “Any time you are good defensively, I think you create more chances offensively“, he explained.  “When you hit, you get on the puck more.  (Assistant coach) Craig Berube is always telling me to get involved more, so it’s a little fun.”

In a recent game against the New York Islanders, Giroux even lined up Frans Nielsen and threw a classic hip check along the boards on the Isles’ forward.  “I almost fell a couple of times there going backwards“, Giroux chuckled after the game.  “The last time I skated backwards I think was peewees, so I was just trying to get up on him and I was able to clip him, so I got pretty lucky there.”

Those watching know it was much more than just luck, and it was more like good, old-fashioned hard work.  Giroux’ hustle at both ends of the ice has been awe-inspiring.  He made a length of the ice dash from the offensive left wing corner to take Blake Comeau off the puck in the left faceoff circle in the defensive zone to short circuit an Islanders’ rush with a fantastic backchecking effort in the same game.

Another big key to the development of Giroux’ game has been the fact that Laviolette has kept him almost exclusively at center.  On a team so loaded with natural centers to the point that some have to man the wings to get playing time, Giroux has excelled since playing pivot for the most part.

“You get more speed, and you are able to make more plays“, Giroux said of playing center.  “I think I have a better game playing center, but sometimes I have to go play wing, but that’s alright.”

After the game against the Islanders – in which Giroux also assisted on two goals, including a no look, behind the back beauty to set up James van Riemsdyk, and was on the ice for the game-winner by Andrej Meszaros in overtime - Laviolette had high praise for his centerman.

“He is playing with a lot of confidence right now and he is competing shift after shift at a very high level“, said the bench boss.  ”He looks strong on the puck, strong on his skates, and it is very noticeable.  He seems to be getting stronger and towards the end of the year that is a good thing.  He was terrific last year in the playoffs and he has really carried forward with the way he plays with his speed in the attack in which he is playing the game.”

Playing left wing on his line, van Riemsdyk, has also marveled at the level that Giroux has been playing.  “On both ends of the ice he was pretty incredible“, van Riemsdyk beamed after the battle with the Islanders.  “He controlled the play whenever he was out there and he does what he does best.”

As for Giroux’ jaw-dropping pass in front of the Isles’ cage that was converted into a goal, van Riemsdyk added “I mean, nothing really surprises me with him out there.  He’s a great player.  He’s really well-rounded on both ends of the rink and he does a lot of special things out there.”

If you’ve noticed, more than one player has mentioned that Giroux has been ”controlling play” or “controlling the game”.  Not many players can do that but with his on-ice vision, creative flair, and dynamic, world-class offensive skill set, Giroux is beginning to be considered by many as an elite-level player.

Giroux’ eventual place in Flyers’ history has many years to yet be determined, and will no doubt be tied in with the club’s playoff success during his time here.  With the team appearing to be poised to make a run at the Cup for at least the next few seasons, Giroux has a real chance of one day reaching the same iconic stature as some of the Hall-of-Famers that called Philadelphia their home.

There is much work to do, but that cause could be greatly aided if Giroux can get his name etched on Lord Stanley at least one time during the course of his NHL career.

And that would make Giroux’ name one that endures the test of time.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter - @David_Strehle.

The Philadelphia Flyers won the much-anticipated rematch of last June’s Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday by beating the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1.  Philadelphia, which has now won five of their last six contests, did so in convincing fashion.

Even though there are many new faces donning the Chicago uniforms, the Blackhawks’ core still remains formidable.  Like the New Jersey Devils, who the Flyers lost to yesterday, Chicago was riding a 5-0-1 record in their previous six.  This included an impressive 4-1 victory over their division-rival Detroit Red Wings last night.

By virtue of the win, Philadelphia has once again moved to the top of the league standings with 69 points, so just qualifying for the postseason should not be an issue like it was last year.

There were many positives to take away from Chicago for the Orange-and-Black, and perhaps the most-promising was in the crease.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves in winning his 20th game of the season, as he perhaps played the best game of his young career.  The rookie withstood tremendous amounts of Blackhawk pressure throughout the matinee and only yielded a third period penalty shot goal to Marian Hossa.

Bobrovsky owns a very impressive 20-6-3 mark on the year, and has played his way back into the starting spot after a good run by veteran Brian Boucher saw the first year netminder riding the bench.  Even though Boucher’s play has seen a very nice resurgence, there is no question as to who is the Flyers’ number one goalie.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Up front, Jeff Carter notched two goals and an assist, and was a +4 in earning Star of the Game honors.  Carter now has 22 goals on the year, just three behind team-leader Danny Briere.

NHL All-Star forward Claude Giroux picked up assists on all four Flyer goals, and also finished the afternoon with a +4.

The much-maligned Nikolai Zherdev, who has bounced back and forth between regular shifts and head coach Peter Laviolette’s doghouse for much of this  year, netted the eventual game-winning goal early in the third and added an assist.

It was Zherdev’s 15th goal of the season, not bad for having been a healthy scratch for seven of the team’s 49 games, and sometimes seeing limited ice time due to indifferent play.  He has demonstrated numerous times during the current campaign what a lethal weapon he can be when focused and interested, and today was a perfect example of what he can bring to the team.  His two points today were the first in the past six games, as the previous five were classic pattern of why he gave Ken Hitchcock fits while the two were with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

But the entire forward unit played responsibly in the defensive zone, back-checking ad nauseum in aiding the Flyer defensemen in protecting the Philadelphia net.

The Philadelphia defensive unit played well in front of Bobrovsky.  Kimmo Timonen led the way with a +3, while Chris Pronger and Braydon Coburn were each a +2.  Timonen, Pronger, and Andrej Meszaros all had three blocked shots, as the rear guards held the Blackhawks big four of Hossa (5), Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews (3 each), and ex-Flyer Patrick Sharp (1) to just 12 shots on the afternoon.   As a matter of fact, all members of the Kane-Sharp-Troy Brouwer line were each a -3.

The Flyers peppered Chicago’s starter Corey Crawford with 33 shots.  The 26-year-old netminder was excellent in keeping the Blackhawks in the game, but he suffered his first regulation in his last six decisions.

Another huge positive for the club all season-long has been their play on the road.  While possessing a decent 15-7-2 mark at Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers have posted a blistering 17-5-3 away from home, the best road record in the NHL.

This will no doubt prove invaluable come playoff time.

It was an excellent effort for the Flyers following a Saturday afternoon loss to New Jersey that could only be described as disappointing.  For those who wondered aloud how the team would respond, their performance spoke volumes.

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Taking a Flyer:  James van Riemsdyk was a late scratch with a lower body injury, and is listed as day-to-day…with van Riemsdyk out, Dan Carcillo got into his first game since being a healthy scratch for the past six contests.  He played just under 10 minutes, and had a fight with Chicago’s Jake Dowell.  Carcillo held his own in the bout, but was cut in the tussle and required some stitches in the Flyers’ locker room…both teams were 0-2 on the power play, and Philadelphia outshot the ‘Hawks 34-31 for the game, including 19-9 in the second period.  ..the Flyers return home to play the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday night in their second attempt at recording their 1,000th home win in their illustrious franchise history.  When they do so, they will become the first expansion team to accomplish the feat.

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David Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia