More on bite gate. (Carcillo and Savard)

This video is worth a look; more on bite gate. It's almost like a couple of children on the play ground having a spat. Apparently Flyers forward Mike Richards threatened Marc Savard on is way to the penalty box. Savard is denying the claim. This series is heating up.

Bruins center Marc Savard has denied a report that said Flyers captain Mike Richards threatened on Monday night to knock him you "for another six weeks."

"No he never said that to me," Savard told NESN.com's James Murphy at practice on Tuesday. "I don't know where that came from."

The original report said that Richards approached Savard as the B's pivot was making his way to the penalty box, saying: "You were out for six weeks? We'll put you out for another six weeks."

Though it appeared to be the latest chapter in the brewing distaste growing between the Flyers and Bruins, Savard has quieted the storm. At least until Wednesday night.
[NESN.COM]

Gary Bettman discusses the officiating; yada yada yada...

I am going to say Barbra Streisand on that one Gary. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman must think the NHL hockey fans are complete and utter morons. In reading various fan sites, media blogs and on line newspapers, it does appear to be a reoccurring theme.

I agree the officiating has been really poor in all of the series. There has been no consistency in the way that games are called in any of the games that I have watched this spring. The best officiating that I saw was game seven between the Canadians and the Capitals. I will also admit that I have seen my Boston Bruins be the benefit of some really poor calls.

The officials: Bettman was also asked about the officiating in the playoffs -- a sensitive topic judging from ESPN.com message boards -- and whether the games are being called differently in the postseason.

"It's not the case," Bettman said. "They haven't been given a different set of instructions. The game is played a little differently, and the officials have to react to that. And there are adjustments that go on in the course of a series that you don't see over the course of the regular season, two teams will play and play different teams the next night.

"The games now are probably a little more intense. ... But no, they're told to call it just the way they did [in the regular season]. I also think the scrutiny tends to be even a little greater and the passion involved in every call is probably greater because every call is important. Our goal is to have the officials get it right and overwhelmingly they do. Are they perfect? This is a game of mistakes. Coaches make mistakes, players make mistakes and, occasionally, even an official might." [ESPN.COM]

Sharks reap return from Badger connection

This is a link to a very nice story about former Badgers Joe Pavelski and Dany Heatly. I know they are not Fighting Sioux hockey players but the success that Joe Pavelski has had in the NHL playoffs this season makes for a nice feel good story for WCHA fans. Currently Pavelski is 1st in goals with 9, 1st in game-winning goals with 3 and finally 1st in power-play goals with 5.

Had a chance to chat with the San Jose Sharks’ Joe Pavelski for a time this morning on his cell phone, just as they were about to leave for Detroit and Tuesday night’s third game of their playoff series with the Red Wings. A lot of us inquiring minds wanted to know what had possessed Pavelski to score nine goals already this spring, which leads the league. It’s my column for Tuesday’s paper and should be posted sometime tonight.

But I also had a personal question for him relating to Sharks teammate Dany Heatley, a fellow alumnus from the University of Wisconsin. When Heatley was originally traded to the Sharks from Ottawa last year, he mentioned that among the players that he knew on his new club were the ones that he’d crossed paths with internationally for Team Canada (Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Dan Boyle) - plus Pavelski. Except their times at the school didn’t overlap - Heatley was already in the NHL when Pavelski captained the Badgers to an NCAA championship.

Turns out, according to Pavelski, that he actually played one year of college with Heatley’s younger brother Mark, but he and Dany had a brief on-ice encounter earlier in their respective careers.

“Kinda funny story,” said Pavelski . “When I was in bantam or midget one year and getting ready for a national championship, one of the coach’s friends was one of the Badger players, so they came out and skated and scrimmaged with us. That was one of those things where you’re in bantams or whatever and you’ve got the college players out there and it’s a whole different level.

“That was my first experience with Dany. He didn’t even know who I was; and I don’t even know if he remembers that happened.” [Read the Whole Story]

Carcillo accuses Savard of biting him

Carcillo is one of the biggest hacks to ever play the game. Carcillo was diving up and down the ice last night and turtled when challenged.

BOSTON – Things are getting interesting between the Bruins and the Flyers.

The biggest incident from Monday night’s Game Two stemmed from a heated scrap between Marc Savard and Daniel Carcillo after the whistle had blown in the second period.

Carcillo threw a forearm shot to the side of Savard’s head in Savard's second game back from a Grade 2 concussion, but that was only the tip of the iceberg in a scuffle that took a turn for the bizarre.

Savard got tangled between Carcillo and Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, and ended up being the only player called for roughing after the testy exchange in the second period.

And that’s where things started getting really interesting.

Carcillo went back to the bench, took off his glove and flashed his pinky at both the refs and Chris Pronger while claiming Savard bit him during the fracas in the corner of the Philly zone.

This why Sidney Crosby isn't liked by a lot of fans.

This is the reason I think a lot of people refer to Sidney Crosby as Cindy Crosby. The man is an amazing talent but he is also an incredible whiner as well. Grow up Sidney and maybe more fans will embrace you... I have to admit that I am enjoying watching the Penguins get everyone's best effort this spring as well.

Remember The Name! (Waving Flag - New Version)

Here is the latest updated version of Remember the name by Ryan Schaefer. You can also view this video on Face Book group - Fighting Sioux forever.

A perspective worth looking at

Here is another perspective worth looking at on the Ryan McDonagh story. I do think sometimes fans of NHL teams that are unfamiliar with the college game lose touch with the fact that many of these young men really like playing college hockey and attending college. I don’t think it’s such a bad thing that some of these young men aren’t going to be in hurry to sign with their professional teams that drafted them.

From watching college hockey over the years, we have seen quite a few players rushed to sign with their professional teams only to fizzle out and never reach their full potential. Very few college hockey players go on to play in the NHL. Some of these players have been on record as saying they wished they would have stayed in school. While Ryan McDonagh will probably play in the NHL, I can't fault him if he wants to play another year in Madison.

That being said what is kind of funny in a sad way is the way some Ranger fans are reacting to the possibility that Ryan McDonagh is choosing to return to Wisconsin over leaving to sign with the Rangers.

From shock to wanting the soon to be Wisconsin captain to issue a public statement; some Ranger fans are acting as if McDonagh does not have the right to turn down the Rangers. If Ryan McDonagh wants to return to Wisconsin for his senior season it is his right and he does not owe anyone an explanation why.

Sorry people but I could list a whole bunch of reasons why McDonagh would want to remain in school and they just might start with something so simple as wanting to finish his degree. Anyone who bothers to look at McDonagh's biography at Wisconsin's website might discover that McDonagh was named to the named to the Academic All-Big Ten and WCHA All-Academic teams as a sophomore (repeated as a junior on the WCHA team).

And if you think the Rangers have not made an effort to get McDonagh to sign (or for the matter Stepan and Hagelin) that would also be a mistake. The Rangers spend a lot of time and effort in watching their prospects and we are not talking scouts alone as the Rangers have been well represented in Madison Wisconsin.

The Rangers also for their part really do not want McDonagh to speak up either way until after the free agent period is underway. The Rangers as everyone knows need help on defense so the price to bring in quality help is going to want to squeeze the Rangers as much as possible whether it be a trade or a free agent. [Read the rest of the story here]

The McDonagh Madness Continues

Here is the latest rumor on the Wisconsin Badgers defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Sounds like the Rangers would really like to sign Ryan McDonagh to a professional contract and why wouldn't they. Ryan McDonagh has a lot of upside and has a great chance of being an every day player some day in the NHL. Seems to be a lot of speculation but no one really knows what is going to happen. This is the worst time of the year for college hockey fans.

Anyway, basically what is going on here is that McDonagh realizes he has options and is not about to be forced into something he does not want to necessarily do. With knowing that he will captain Wisconsin next season, and knowing that he is guaranteed an expected amount of playing time as well as responsibility, he is leaning toward sticking with the Badgers. This is option number one.

Option number two would be to agree on terms with the Blueshirts, sign an entry level contract and jump straight to the pros instead of finishing his senior year in college. The difference between option one and option two, besides salary of course, is that he is guaranteed absolutely nothing once signing with the Rangers. He is not guaranteed that same playing time he is with Wisconsin, and he certainly is not going to be given the same amount of responsibility.

Take Matt Gilroy, for example, who signed with the Rangers out of college last April. A former Hobey Baker Award winner, Gilroy entered the National Hockey League playing under a coach that apparently did not have much patients to allow him to develop. He was docked ice time, sent down to the minors, and then was sentenced to watch the final week of the regular season from the press box. Again, a Hobey Baker Award winner, coming out of college, was shown very little respect by head coach John Tortorella, and barely was given a chance.

After seeing that, can you blame McDonagh for wanting to stay in college for his final year where he is one of their "go to" players instead of being belittled by Tortorella and possibly not even dressing on occasion? I cannot, and it is a shame that out coach can possibly scare off future talent. Gilroy has potential, and could have developed nicely this past season, but Torts finds it necessary to play individuals such as Wade Redden over him. If I am McDonagh, I do not jump to the pros and lock into a contract with the risk of having to contend with that nonsense.

Now I am not saying this is why McDonagh is holding out, but without a doubt, it is a possible explanation. Once the upcoming NCAA season concludes, the 6-foot-1 blue-liner has no choice but to enter the National Hockey League, and there is plenty of time between the end of his season and early August for him to strike a deal with the Blueshirts before becoming an unrestricted free agent and New York losses his rights. Until then, he is Rangers property and has shown no indication whatsoever of not wanting to play on Broadway as Brooks claims in his article.

McDonagh has the upper hand in this situation, which is rare for a rookie entering the league, and most people that are fortunate enough to have that upper hand are going to fully take advantage of it. If he does not have to rush, why should he? With the risk of making the wrong decision, he should take all of the time given to him be sure he is making the right one. No, it may not be the ideal thing for the Rangers (or their fans), but I am presenting the situation to you from his point of view
[Rangers Tribune]

Screw it up, Red and White Style (RW77)

Well, the Red Wings are down 2-0 now... and it's about 95% their fault.

Ok, ok, the officiating was terrible for both sides. Diving continues to be the key way to earn a powerplay for the Sharks. I'd like to put the issue of crappy officiating to bed with three examples:

Example 1:

In the 3rd Period, Bertuzzi gets called for holding.... holding air apparently, which is illegal in their imaginary rule book. Bertuzzi, who was bigger than the defender (I think it was Doug Murray) muscled the defender to the puck. In so doing, the defender falls down and makes no attempt to get up until after he hits the boards. The officials call Bertuzzi for holding. 40 seconds or so into the Powerplay, the officials actually call a legit penalty on Kronwall and the Sharks even up the score. My contention is: Uh............. Bertuzzi shouldn't have been penalized. I saw Sharks pulling the same crap on the Wings during that period NO CALL. Fine if you want it to not be a call, but DON'T CALL IT ON EITHER SIDE!

Example 2:

Dany Heatley goes for Goaltender Interference. Heatley was CLEARLY pushed into Jimmy Howard. CLEARLY. But they called him anyways.

Example 3:

I cite this after Example 2 because I believe this is what gave the Sharks the initial powerplay. To be honest, I can't even remember who got the penalty. In any case, the Red Wing in question successfully stick checked the puck. In so doing, he struck the blade of a Shark's stick. The Shark immediately drops the stick and...VOILA! Slashing on the Red Wings.

Check this out... penalties were something like 10-4 in favor of the Sharks. Usually that is indicative of lopsided officiating... but after the third period ended, I'm not so sure.

Despite all of this, Howard played well and so did the Wings... sorta.

They were starting to put on pressure when they pulled Howard and committed the most retarded, most easily avoided, idiotic crime in hockey: TOO MANY MEN ON THE ICE.

Seriously... HOW RETARDED CAN YOU BE?

At this point, with barely 90 seconds left in the game, I threw up my hands and said "Well, mail it in boys. Oh wait, you did. That's why you got caught." They even may have gotten away with 6 on 5 during the ensuing penalty kill!

All in all, this game was infuriating to watch because the Red Wings didn't beat the Sharks. The Sharks didn't beat the Red Wings. The Red Wings beat themselves.

They were ridiculously stupid and the officials were more than happy to "teach them a lesson" on top of it.

Really, if Colin Campbell thinks that WCHA quality officials is the best the NHL has to offer, then perhaps Campbell should be fired and go on to be head officiating consultant to the WCHA. This kind of crap we expect in the WCHA. Not in the NHL.

Oh well.

The Red Wings made their bed in this one. Gave crappy officials reasons to call ghost penalties on top of the numerous legit ones.

Well, now the task gets harder.

In lighter news, the Habs beat the Penguins. Looks like the powerhouse is gonna have to shoot for 5 instead of the sweep the media had Pittsburgh basically penned in for.

Craig Adams hit from behind on Marc-Andre Bergeron

The Craig Adams hit on Bergeron got him 5 minutes and a game misconduct. I am sure the hit will be reviewed by the NHL. It was a bad hit but I don't think it was a deliberate attempt to injure.

Bruins and Flyers to get it on in round two...

I am excited about this series and the Bruins took game one from the Flyers 5-4 in O.T. as Marc Savard made his return to the ice after missing 24 games, Savard scored the game winner in O.T. with this beauty. The Bruins gained a key player of their team but also lost "the German" Marco Sturm to a knee injury (MCL and ACL).

The Flyers are the one of the tougher teams in the NHL and were second in fighting majors with 77. Daniel "the toothless wonder" Carcillo and Scott "mop head" Hartnell are also two of the biggest hacks in the NHL. Uber Hack and team fight leader, some might call him a goon Ian Laperriere is out for the rest of the post season with a head injury. I am sure that Shawn Thornton will have someone to dance with on the Flyers.


Here is the video of the Sturm knee injury, Sturm attempts a check on Matt Carle and ends up hurting himself. That looks like a freak accident kind of thing.

Make it One More in the "Disappointing Starts" Department (RW77)

I'll let Goon chime in on his beloved Bruins.

Today featured yet another interesting series beginning with the Blackhawks hosting the Canucks in a rematch of last year's semis.

Now, I know what you're all thinking. "He's a Red Wings fan. There's no way he's upset about the Canucks absolutely destroying the Hawks tonight."

Yes and No. Truthfully, if the Red Wings overcome Game 1 to win the series and advance to the Conference Finals, I'd rather them face Vancouver than Chicago. Odd for me to say that because the primary weakness for Chicago (goaltending) benefits Detroit rather than facing a good Vancouver team, but I love disappointing Vancouver fans... Especially when they feel all entitled and superior to us (which, this year, I think they may be).

Anyways, tonight the Hawks got absolutely blasted by the Canucks at home by the score of 5-1. From what I saw, it might as well have been 12-0.

This is a team (the Hawks) that played awfully bad in all respects.

They couldn't pass in ANY zone.

They couldn't defend (though part of this goes to just how good the Canuck forwards played too).

They couldn't goaltend. Niemi looked unsure of himself every time he handled the puck. Routine saves were hard for him tonight. Huet came in and suddenly the Hawks started playing Defense (probably because if they gave Canucks more than 7 shots on goal, Huet would start letting them in. I'm positive everyone in the arena was holding their breath on that Vancouver 4 on 1. Huet got lucky.).

They turned the puck over all the time. And they couldn't get the puck on net EVEN WHEN THEY MANAGED TO PRESSURE.

Vancouver didn't play a flawless game. Every time Chicago started to pressure, you could see them get a little panicked, but luckily Chicago played like crap and Luongo picked up the rest.

Maybe I'm wrong, but Chicago seems to me to be a streaky team. Niemi isn't the answer as the #1 goaltender, but Huet is a disaster.

The biggest downside is that Huet probably showed the Hawks that spending money on goaltending wasn't wise. So, signing a guy that could help them (such as Vokoun) is probably unlikely... Then again, they don't have the Cap space anyways.

I guess I'm a fan of the Hawks because I like Jonathan Toews. However, I think even he had a pretty off night tonight despite getting the assist on the only Hawk goal.

Anyways, onwards and upwards.

It's anyone's guess as to who starts Game 2 for the Hawks, but I'll say this: If you want to see a more lopsided game in favor of a team than Penguins/Habs if Price starts, Quennville should start Huet. Oh my God.

Wings and Habs lose in the first game (RW77)

Well, Game 1 of the Pens/Habs and Wings/Sharks are now in the books and it's about where I figured it.

I know I shouldn't be down on the Red Wings and I'm not, but I'm not blind to the fact that, if the Red Wings ever had an "easy" series, it was the one against the Preds.

The Sharks came out of the gate fast and scored 3 right away. That's all it takes sometimes to get rid of a team for the rest of the game. No, the Wings weren't out of it and did a pretty good job fighting their way back to make it close. However, it was too little too late.

One thing that both Game 1 losers had in common was that both were ridiculously stupid on the ice. Especially the Habs. Penguins score 4 Powerplay goals tonight. Halak gets yanked in the 3rd period (more on that soon). The Red Wings take a ridiculous 5 on 3 pk between the 2nd and 3rd periods.

WOW. However, I must hand it to Devon Setoguchi. The dive was JUST believable on the second penalty. Watch the replay. Even the commentators thought that Stuart got him on the wrist and down he goes for the count. I can't argue against the Stuart move not being a penalty. I thought it was a slash, not a high stick. But Setoguchi flopping to the ice and holding his head until the whistle blew, then getting up and not even fazed? D-I-V-E. He should have gone for embellishment. 4 on 3 Shark PP.

Both teams played solidly otherwise.

DA HABS

Ok, this was the kind of game I was actually expecting in Game One between these two foes, but I didn't expect it to be all special teams. The Habs were RIDICULOUSLY BAD on the PK.

Jaroslav Halak did ok, imo. The rest of the team? Not so much.

However, the commentators further tipped their hand when Halak got pulled in the 3rd period. They started by stating a truth (I too thought Halak should have been yanked at the start of the 3rd period) and then proceeded to glom praise on Price and acted like eager little school kids the morning of a field trip to a candy factory when describing Price's playoff history.

They dismissed Halak's performance as a "He may have done good in 5, 6, and 7, but if Price plays well, he could get the start in Game 2." Yeah, the difference is that with Halak, it took 4 power plays to get to 5 goals. With Price, it'd take 10 minutes of 5 on 5 vs. the Penguins.

So it should come as no surprise that the commentators were adamant about the possibility of Price for Game 2. There's no doubt they want the Habs to fail.

On a positive side, Crosby was held to less than 5 shots and only 2 assists on the night. He's still bound for Playoff MVP honors should the Habs not pull out a second straight upset.

The same thing applies though: Everyone expects the Penguins to advance. If the Habs lose, what have they failed at? I think this is bonus hockey for the Habs all things considered.

Martin would be ridiculously retarded to start Price UNLESS he thought that Halak was too fatigued (with the fast turnaround between series) to be effective. It is PLAINLY clear that the Habs' chances rest on Halak. NOT PRICE.

That being said, if Price starts Game 2, I would be STUNNED if the Pens didn't win. I'd taunt them mercilessly if they did anything but win in regulation (even if the won in OT) should Price start.

The Pens SHOULD take this series 4-1. I say the 1 win comes in Montreal when Halak steals another game.

On a side note: Sad Markov got injured. Not surprised Cooke did it. SURPRISED the hit was legal, though (which it was). Reviewing it further, yeah, it was legal. Too bad. I never wish injury on anyone but if Markov had to get injured, the best thing to happen would have been if he could have gotten Cooke suspended.

EDIT:

Here's the Cooke Hit:

Toews wants revenge against Mitchell, but only on the score board

This is what former Fighting Sioux hockey player Jonathan Toews has to say about the hit that knocked him out for a few games with a concussion last fall.

CHICAGO — Turnabout is not fair play in Jonathan Toews’ eyes.

The Chicago Blackhawks captain admits he wanted revenge against Willie Mitchell and the Vancouver Canucks after Mitchell’s open-ice check left Toews concussed — but only on the scoreboard.

He’d never wish ill will on the defenceman, who is now struggling through his own post-concussion battles.

Mitchell stepped out of the penalty box during an October contest and rocked Toews, who missed six games as a result.

A blind-side hit into the end boards from Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin has had Mitchell out of action since mid-January.

“You want to get revenge when you play against Vancouver and the player who put you in that situation, but I’ve got to say there’s definitely no hard feelings,” Toews said Thursday

Andy Sutton's you're an expert interview...

For those that haven't seen it, this is the interview that happened post game after former MTU Husky and current Senator Andy Sutton knocked former Gopher and Penguin Jordan Leopold out of the game and caused Jordan Leopold to miss the last four games of the series with the Senators. There is no set time table for Leo's return to the line up. This is what Leo had to say about the hit today.

Leopold declined to say how many concussions he has sustained in his career -- "I do [know], but I'm not going to advertise it," he said -- or to offer an opinion on whether he believed Sutton's hit was clean.

"What's done is done," he said. "You just leave it in the past."

Sutton was neither penalized nor suspended, and Leopold characterized the damage done by Sutton as "relatively mild," but acknowledged that he appeared to be seriously injured when it happened.

"You look back at the hit, it wasn't pretty," he said.

Leopold said, "it's my call" about when he will be able to get back into a game and made it clear that he will not consider playing until he is convinced he is completely recovered. [Post-Gazette.com]

Best plays of the first round of the NHL playoffs.

All I can say is wow, what a first round.

Hart Trophy Finalists and Redwing's prediction

The Hart Trophy was announced. For those who aren't familiar with the the names of the Trophies what they're awarded for, the Hart is for NHL MVP.

The three nominees are: Alexander Ovechkin (WAS), Sidney Crosby (PIT), and Henrik Sedin (VAN).

I think I'm going to take my biased opinion and relate to you all my thoughts on this topic by breaking down the three candidates.

Alexander Ovechkin:

This guy does it all. He hits (sometimes illegally and cheaply), he skates, he creates, and he scores. In fact, he's a far better overall scorer than any of the other candidates. He did a great job of driving his team to the playoffs and inspired his teammates towards greatness, even if he wasn't always the best player on the ice.

Why He'll Win:

He finished the regular season 3rd in goals scored (50; behind Crosby and Stampkos), 6th in assists, 3rd in points, 2nd to teammate Schultz in +/-, and 4th in Game winning goals. He also scored at a 1.51 ppg pace throughout the season (ok, he played 9-10 fewer games than Sedin and Crosby...)

Why He Won't Win:

Somewhat inconsistent. Doesn't have the clean reputation that Sedin and Crosby enjoy. Surrounded by a ton of talent but he couldn't help the team past the first round.

Henrik Sedin

This flying Swede is a smooth skating point machine. He finds himself not on the same platform as Crosby and Ovechkin for several reasons, but most notably his lack of ability to be a prolific goal scorer.

Why He Will Win:

83 assists. Most points in the league. Scored at a point per game pace identical to Crosby's despite scoring about 22 fewer goals. Leader throughout, including the playoffs. Consistent point producer.

Why He Won't Win:

Lack of goal scoring. 4 power play goals. Perhaps the perception that assists are easier to achieve than goals on a high scoring team. Other than points and assists, he's not statistically altogether superior to the other two candidates.

Sidney Crosby

This NHL Front Office PR machine appointed "GOD" of hockey is simply legendary... Ok, enough of the hype talking. Crosby is one of the top players playing today and probably one of the top players since Messier and Yzerman retired. He put up impressive numbers this year and is a consummate captain despite having the reputation of living in Daddy Lemieux's basement (I don't think he still lives there and probably hasn't since his rookie year).

Why He'll Win:

Unlike Sedin and Ovechkin, Crosby has more than just the Penguin fanbase rooting for him. Crosby has the NHL Front Office, led by Gary Bettman, the PR machine, and the Hockey Sports Media rooting heavily for him. This guy's media following as epic. In fact, those I've talked to who lived through Gretzky (Oiler and Kings years), Orr, Howe, Mekita, etc. eras can't remember there being the type and extent of hype being awarded to any of the "greats" that has been garnered to Crosby. You can argue about supposed "need" and the waning interest in hockey, but it's sometimes hard to withstand. That being said, he's got a clean reputation, a great scoring line, and has led their team farther in the playoffs than Ovechkin. He's fresh off a great performance last year that got him the Cup and he's leading the NHL in points in the playoffs.

Why He'll Lose:

He can't hit worth a darn. I can't think of anything else. He's far behind Sedin and Ovechkin in +/-. I can't put any more in without fabricating stuff.

Truth be told, I can't see anyone but Crosby winning the award. Does he deserve it? Yeah, as much as it grates my gears, he does. I'd rather it go to Sedin, though. I think Sedin did everything without the hype. He ended the season with 3 more points than Crosby and Ovechkin and no one really cared.

Kinda like how Stamkos finished the year with Crosby tied for the most goals but he was mentioned as a mere afterthought.

I'm not a Crosby hater. I hate what Crosby means to the NHL front office and to Gary Bettman. Hockey is so much better across the league than just what Crosby brings, even if it is that good.

I think Crosby has enough hype. I think the media has given Crosby more than enough attention and laurels. He's a great player, but I'd rather see the league pushed forward as great than one player. Right now, I can only hope that nothing bad happens to Crosby.

Imagine this: Crosby goes through a career ending catastrophe of some kind (god forbid, seriously, I hope note). What would the NHL do? Bettman might go on suicide watch.

I know I'd love to have Crosby on my team. I know anyone would. I just wish that the NHL did as much to promote the sport itself rather than just name recognition of one or two players.

Maybe R.J. Umberger was right

Last night I watched in awe as the Montreal Canadians disposed of the Washington Captials. As the game was over I recalled the comments from Blue Jackets forward R.J. Umberger who had said earlier in the year basically said that the Washington Capitals were not a going to win in the playoffs. Umberger's comments look spot on now.

Here's what Umberger said:

“I don’t think any team in the West would be over matched by them,” Umberger said. “They play the wrong way. They want to be moving all the time. They float around in their zone, looking for breakaways and odd-man rushes.

“A good defensive team is going to beat them (in the playoffs). If you eliminate your turnovers and keep them off the power play, they’re going to get frustrated because they’re in their zone a lot.” [Puck Rakers Blog]

This is what the Montreal Canadians basically did the last three games. They got good goaltending and score when they had to. The Canadians also capitalized on power play and made the Capitals pay for taking stupid penalties. Lastly, you can not go 1/33 and win a playoff series. That is about three percent on the power play.

Alex Ovechkin goal that wasn't

In my opinion I think the refs made the right call on disallowing the goal, from the video you can see that the Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't agree with the call and his comments what the f*ck.

Ovechkin and the Capitals get Halaked

I think we can put the Carey Price argument to bed it's no mystery who the staring goalie in Montreal is and Redwing77 pretty much covered it in the last blog post. Oh darn the Capitals aren’t unbeatable, I guess I am not very good at predictions.

The goaltender for the Montreal Canadians Jaroslav Halak was unbelievable in their first round series against the Washington Capitals. Against an onslaught of shots Halak was simply amazing and didn’t give an inch. If you didn’t watch any of the game and asked the question; how good was Halak? Jaroslav Halak stood on his head stopping 41 of 42 shots tonight and 131 of 134 shots in the last three games. The Canadians will now face Gary Bettman’s favorite team the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Bruins will face the Broad Street Bullies from Philadelphia in their second round series. The Bruins went 2-1 against Philly in the regular season.

Montreal made history tonight by winning the series 4-3 and becoming the first eight seed to erase a 3-1 deficit against a No. 1 seed to win the series.

Bruins schedule against the Flyers

Game 1: Saturday, May 1 at TD Garden at 12:30 p.m.
Game 2: Monday, May 3 at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
Game 3: Wednesday, May 5 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m.
Game 4: Friday, May 7 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m.
Game 5*: Monday, May 10 at TD Garden at 7 p.m.
Game 6*: Wednesday, May 12 at Philadelphia at TBD
Game 7*: Friday, May 14 at TD Garden at 7 p.m.

Hey Bettman and Gainey: HALAK SHALAK!

HOW ABOUT THEM CAPITOLS?

Hey Bettman, at least you still got Crosby!

I'm not going to say that the Pens will succumb to the awesome known as Jaroslav Halak, but I SURE AS HECK HOPE SO.

I may not be a big fan of Montreal, but I am of Jaroslav Halak. This guy can play. Vs. commentators said that he stopped 131 of 134 shots in the last 3 games. That's insane!

I say Gainey listen up because this is the guy YOU wanted to be backup to your precious Carey Price! This is a guy who wanted to be traded because he knew he was better than Price and so did his teammates (well, they play better in front of him anyhow) and Gainey's only smart move was NOT to trade him. In the end, the Habs ownership saw the light and removed the barrier towards getting Halak more #1 goaltending time: Firing Gainey's deadweight arse.

Halak reminds me a TON of JS Giguere the year he carried the Ducks to the Stanley Cup... only the Ducks had a bit more scoring.

Halak is, by far, the MVP of the entire playoff picture thus far.

On a side note, Vs. is interviewing Capitol Defenseman Karl Alzner... KARL FREAKING ALZNER! His playing time in this series? ONE BLEEDING GAME! What does he know? He knows he's the lowest guy on the totem pole so, "go get em champ!"

Varlamov wasn't that bad. I thought both goaltenders played well. The Capitols dominated in SOG.

The fact is: Halak carried this team to victory. I am doubtful they have the ability to keep it up.

This is the first time a #8 team beat a #1 team (according to Vs.) after being down 3 games to 1.

Vs. makes a big deal out of this and I suppose it is, by the fact that the Habs had to win 3 straight games to overtake them. However, epic upset? I dunno. I can see why it could be considered that. The Habs were the worst playoff team in the playoffs...

That's ok. All I care about is the fact that Gary Bettman and his PR monkeys are now down to one God-child in the playoffs. If Crosby gets knocked out in the semis.... HELLO CHRISTMAS IN MAY!!!

All Crosby all of the time.

Do you think the NHL networks have a fixation with Sidney Crosby? You bet they do. We all know that Sidney Crosby is a great hockey player, the new face of the NHL, there is no question about it.

My follow up question is; does anyone remember who the top point getting in the NHL was this season? I will give you a hint it wasn't Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin... I wonder how many people know the top pointer getter in the NHL was Henrik Sedin with (29 goals - 83 assists - 112 points)

Savard ready to return - who will the Bruins play next?

There is a very good chance the Bruins are going to play the Penguins in the next round because I think the Canadians are going to be hard pressed to beat the Capitals tonight, it could happen but It’s unlikely that the Canadians advance.

The emerging story line is Matt Cooke versus Marc Savard and the Bruins, most of us don't need to bring up the incident that led to the Marc Savard's concussion. We are well aware of it and I am sure the Penguins fans remember it as well. None the less, this discussion is becoming more prevalent with the prospects of Marc Savard returning from injury; both of players will end up being on the ice at the same time. It's just a matter of time.

I predict that if Matt Cooke even comes near Savard he is going to get blasted and I welcome it. I would love to see Milan Lucic go Evander Kane on Cooke. While I think Cooke is a disgusting piece of camel dung and the lowest of life forms, I don't want to see the Bruins spending all of their time trying to knock the crap out of Matt Cooke; they have to pick their places that won’t affect the team in a negative manner.

Ben Scrivens signs with the Leafs

Leaf general manager Brian Burke continues to sign former NCAA players as the Leafs have signed former Cornell Big Red goalie Ben Scrivens to an entry level contract.

he Toronto Maple Leafs continue to beef up their goaltending.

Sources tell TSN the Leafs have signed college free agent Ben Scrivens to a one year, entry-level contract.

Scrivens, a native of Spruce Grove, Alberta, starred with Cornell and was a top 10 Hobey Baker finalist for college player of the year. He just finished his fourth season with the Big Red, compiling a 21-9-4 record and an impressive .934 save percentage.

Scrivens is expected to challenge for a spot with the Toronto Marlies next season. [TSN.COM]

Savard cleared to play for the Bruins

Marc Savard has been cleared to play for the Bruins. This is good news for the Boston Bruins.

Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced during a conference call with reporters Tuesday that Savard was examined Monday afternoon by neurologist Jeremy Schmahamann at Massachusetts General Hospital and had passed all necessary tests.

"He (Schmahamann) examined Marc, he had some further discussion with our doctors and he has been cleared to play," said Chiarelli. "I'll leave it up to Claude (Julien, coach) as far as putting the lines together and who plays and who doesn't play. Marc is ready to go. We'll see how his conditioning goes, but I know from talking to him he's very anxious to play."

Savard began skating April 18, and has been practicing with the team since April 24. Chiarelli said he isn't exactly surprised Savard is able to play again, but admits he had doubts his top center would be available anytime before next season.

Worst Cliche in Hockey; The two goal lead...

I included this blog post for Sioux fans because the 2009-2010 Fighting Sioux hockey team had a propensity to blow/throw a few away games after they had taken a two goal lead.

In an otherwise excellent piece criticising the Ottawa Senators for their collapse in game six against the Penguins, Wayne Scanlan remarks that the pressure was building as the Senators “set out to defend what Don Cherry always calls the worst lead in hockey: the two goal advantage.”

Now I know what he’s getting at: With a one-goal lead, a team keeps its focus, and with a three goal lead it would require a serious collapse to lose. But two goals? It’s close enough that you need to stay focused, but big enough to convince you that it is OK to relax. But is there any indication that a two goal lead is, objectively, a worse lead to have than a one- (or three-) goal lead? I find it hard to believe.

First thing to keep in mind is that all failed two-goal leads are also failed one-goal leads. That is, on its way to squandering a two-goal lead, a team must also squander a one-goal lead. So, it is analytically the case that the number of squandered one-goal leads is equal to, and empirically a certainty that it is greater than, the number of squandered two-goal leads. [MACLEAN'S.CA]

Jaroslav Halak and the Habs "have" Bettman sweating...

I would imagine that the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is having kittens with the prospects of one of their league faces/money makers being bounced out in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. In reality there is a good chance that one or both the Penguins and the Capitals could be out by the time the league finals roll around, neither the Pens or the Caps have looked that good in the first round.

It also looks like the Montreal Canadians have finally found a serviceable starting goalie that is a lot more consistent than former starter Carey Price in Jaroslav Halak. Halak has been nothing short of amazing in the first round.

Bruins gut out series win...

The Bruins while not pretty in winning their first round series against the Buffalo Sabres did all of the little things that they had to do to win the series. The Sabres are a tough pesky team and didn’t just go away quietly into the night, they went down fighting. The Bruins might have also caught a break with the injury to Thomas Vanek earlier in the series. (S/T to Brad aka "Sioux Rube")

This was a hard fought series with a lot of one on one battles, this series was downright nasty at times, as we saw from the Chara and Gaustad incident at the end of game five, I can't imagine what would have happened if Zdeno Chara had been suspended for game six. To further illustrate the toughness of this series after the game during the post game on ice interview you could see a cut on the left side of Bruins tough guy Milan Lucic face, it looked like Lucic was in needed of two or three stitches.

Ryan Miller was a warrior all series long and gave the Bruins nothing during the six games. In my opinion, I think Miller kept the Sabres in the series and gave the Sabres a chance to win and can’t be faulted because he is one of the Sabres that brought it every game and played very well, without him the Bruins could have very well ended this series in 4 games. True to form and being the classly player that he is, Ryan Miller was the first one to line up for the hand shake at the end of the game at center ice.

The Boston Bruins now await the winner of the Habs and Capitals first round series on Wednessday night to find out who they get to play in the next round. If the Habs can manage to win their series against the Capitals the Bruins would get the Flyers. If the Capitals win the Bruins would play the Penguins.

Quit? No, the Sabres never quit.

Vanek scored with 1:13 left to make it interesting in the third. Tim Kennedy and Kaleta, the two Buffalo boys, certainly didn't back down and connected on a goal in the second period. Gerbe answered after Krejci gave Boston a 3-1 advantage.

Let's face it, the Bruins were better for most of the series. They played harder, were more resourceful, twice stormed back from two-goal deficits to win and twice rallied in the third period to beat a Sabres team that had been perfect in that situation. They had more experience, better special teams and more thump. [Buffalo News]

Bruins knock the Sabres out of the NHL playoffs.

I must admit that I am very happy tonight. I would love to see the Boston Bruins resign Miroslav Satan to a contract extension because he has been clutch in this series (2g-3a-5pts) in 6 games.

Next to the UND Fighting Sioux the Boston Bruins are my favorite hockey team and it's has been 18 long years since the Bruins last beat the Buffalo Sabres in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Last time the Bruins beat the Sabres Dale Hawerchuk and Pat LaFontaine were leading the Sabres in points. Rob Ray was their top goon and Daren Puppa was the Sabres top goal tender. For the non-math majors like me that was the 1991-1992 season.

The Boston Bruins now await their opponent for the next round, I hate to say this but it all depends on the hated Habs and if they can beat the Capitals in game 7. If Canadians can beat the Washington Capitals (I don’t think it will happen) the Bruins will play Daniel “the Hack” Carcillo and the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Captials win the Boston Bruins will play the Pittsburgh Penguins. I like the Bruins chances against the Flyers more than I do against the Penguins.

Top ten goals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs...

I had a blog post yesterday about my two top saves of the Stanley Cup playoffs to date. Here is a compilation of TSN's top 10 saves of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs so far. s/t [KuklasKorner]

End for a coaching legend...

Whether you want to admit it or not Jacques Lemaire is a coaching legend, and belongs in the NHL hall of fame in my opinion. Now! While I do think watching some of his Minnesota Wild teams were some of the most uneventful, mind numbingly boring teams to watch on the ice he was an effective coach that got the most out of his teams.

NEWARK, N.J. - The energy is gone, so Jacques Lemaire is walking away from coaching.

Only four days after the New Jersey Devils were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third consecutive year, the 64-year-old Lemaire made the surprising announcement Monday that he is retiring as a coach.

"It's tough to leave what you like, but it's a decision that I made," he said.

Lemaire said he thought about retiring several times this season and that the loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games had nothing to do with his decision. He relayed it to Devils president Lou Lamoriello over the past 24 hours.

"It's not the team, it is not the result or the lack of result we had in the playoffs," a glassy-eyed Lemaire said. "It's not that at all. It's the end of the line. I'll be 65. It's just time."

Washington Capital Eric Belanger practices personal dentistry on the player’s bench

If you have a weak stomach you may not want to watch this. The irony is that these guys were former teammates with the Wild. Marc-Andre Bergeron knocks out eight of Belanger's teeth with a blatant high stick, no call on the play, then Belanger removes one of his teeth that wasn't knocked out. Hockey players are tough.

Speaking of Belanger, he said Marc-Andre Bergeron, his former teammate with the Wild, called him to a apologize for knocking out eight of his teeth with a high stick on Friday. (Belanger had just gotten thousands of dollars of work done on his teeth last year, and until Game 5, might have had the nicest smile on the team.)

"He felt so bad," said Belanger, who does not wear a mouthpiece because it makes him gag. "I spent a lot of time getting them fixed up, and here I am again."

On a positive note, Belanger is able to eat - just as long as it's cut into small pieces. So his energy level should be fine.

"I'm not going to eat crackers or stuff like that," he said. "But I can eat small pieces, chicken cut up or rice. I can chew in the back." [Washington Post]

Police: Booze Found In BC Student's Car After MBTA Crash

This is a story that emerged out of Boston over the weekend as three freshman hockey players from the defending national champion Boston College Eagles; Parker Milner, goaltender, and defensemen Phillip Sameulsson and Patrick Wey were involved in traffic accident with an MBTA trolley car. The driver of the vehicle a young woman was not drinking but there was alcohol found in the vehicle. Some of the beer cans in the vehicle were open. The part that makes it more series is some of the passengers in the vehicle fled the scene with their unauthorized alcoholic beverages. None of the passengers in the vehicle were of the legal age to drink alcoholic beverages.

It will be interesting to see how Boston College head hockey coach Jerry York handles this incident. My first question is how the hell do you run into a commuter train? Those things are pretty big, and I am not sure how you miss a big green commuter train. Also, what are 7 people doing in a Jeep it’s supposed to seat five.

BOSTON -- Three members of Boston College's national champion hockey team team are facing alcohol possession charges Monday after they and five other teenagers were in a car crash with a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trolley car late Saturday and police found blood-smeared cans of beer and a bottle of Rubinoff vodka in the SUV.

Police said BC hockey goal tender Parker Milner, 19, freshman defenseman Phillip Sameulsson, 18, and Patrick Wey, 19, were in a Jeep that was hit by a Green Line trolley when the driver, identified as Jane Stanton, 19, tried to make a u-turn across the tracks near the Evergreen Cemetery on Commonwealth Avenue at Greycliff Road.

Eight BC students were in the Jeep at the time of the crash, police said Monday. They originally believed there were only seven students in the five-passenger vehicle. Four were treated for minor injuries.[The Boston Channel]

Links to the story

USA Today; Boston College hockey players charged after car crash with trolley

WEEI; BC hockey players in car accident

Boston Bar Stool Sports; Underage BC Hockey Players Crash Into the Green Line

WBZ.COM; 3 BC Hockey Players Involved In Green Line Crash (with video)

Top two saves of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs...

Here are my two nominations for best saves during the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Personally, I think the Tuuku Rask save below is even better than the Roberto Luongo save on the shot from Ryan Smyth. I think both saves were the defining moments in their individual hockey games. I have included a poll on the right you can vote on your save of the first round.

Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice; No Suspension For Marian Hossa

First off this is the right call, in my opinion. Marian Hossa isn’t known as a cheap player nor is he a repeat offender and he isn’t going to be confused with a Matt Cooke or Daniel Carcillo type player/hack. While the coach of the Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz compared the hit on Hamhuis to one delivered by Washington's Alex Ovechkin that injured Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell last month. Whatever, the Predators coach is entitled to his opinion (no matter how flawed) the Marian Hossa hit on Predators Dan Hamhuis was not the same hit as the Alexander Ovechkin hit on Brian Campbell. There are not even the same type of hit. The Hossa hit was a push check or a shove the hit by Ovechkin was a blatant boarding/hit from behind.

I am not saying that I approve of the hit in question because I don’t, in watching the video (included above) it was a dangerous hit but I don’t think it’s worthy of a suspension. Also, I don’t think the NHL has to issue a suspension on every major penalty. If Hossa replicated the act again soon I would expect a suspension because they he would be a repeat offender.

The NHL said on Sunday that Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa won't be suspended for the major boarding infraction he incurred in Game 5 against the Nashville Predators.

Colin Campbell issued a statment after a hearing explaining the decision.

"I have made the decision that this play does not warrant supplemental discipline after considering all of the facts, including reviewing the video and speaking with Mr. Hossa," said Campbell. "This play is distinguishable from recent incidents by a number of factors, including the degree of contact involved; the fact that the consequences of the play do not appear to be as severe; that this was a hockey play involving a race for the puck; that Mr. Hossa is not a repeat offender and that the call of a major penalty by the referee was significant and appropriate."
[Read more]

Joe Pavelski game winning goal to knock the Av's out of the playoffs.

This kid scores some nice goals and this one is no different. This was the goal that knocked the Avalanche out of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The San Jose Sharks finally won a first round series and proved that they were not going to be a first round flop again this season. Of course Joe Thornton has been almost non-existent again with (0g-3a-3pts) in 6 games. Joe Pavelski (5g-3a-8pts)is tied for the team lead in points with Ryan Clow (1g-7a-pts). I have to admit that the former Wisconsin Badger is one of my favorite players.

April 24th, 2010 Coach's Corner with Ron MacLean & Don Cherry

Back by popular demand.

Marian Hossa hit on Dan Hamhuis

This is the latest controversy in the NHL. I saw the hit and while it's a bad hit there is no question and I don't condone it one bit, I am not sure that the hit in question is as bad as the Alexander Ovechkin hit on Brian Campbell. Brian Campbell went more violently face first into the boards than the Hamhuis hit. Just my humble opinion, don’t take my head off. There are a lot of people that are upset that Hossa wasn't thrown out of the game and given a match penalty and Predators fans are even more unhappy that Marian Hossa scored the game winning goal. Will the league suspend Hossa? I don't know? The league doesn't have much time to make a decision, the Hawks play again Monday. Hossa doesn't have a history of dirty hits or questionable play. So who knows where the Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice will land. Personally I don't think the play rises to the level where it deserves a suspension. Not every major penalty deserves a suspension.

War of the words; Ruff and Julien

This is turning into a pretty good drama between the two teams, it's playoff hockey. Personally, I hate the Buffalo Sabres and they sound like a bunch of whinny little cry babies, there has been excessive complaining about the officiating in this series by the Buffalo Sabres coaching staff. The fact remains that the officiating has been poor both ways. The game prior their coach Lindy Ruff had a temper tantrum at the post game press conference. I love it. I expect the next game to be even more intense. Some of this stuff is also tin foil hat crap though.

"I said [Friday] night, you run the risk of being suspended," Ruff said on Saturday. "The league's interpretation is what it is. I was arguing for the instigator. That's why I stayed on the bench. I had [Craig Rivet] go over and say, 'That's an instigator.'

"It really doesn't matter what I think. It really doesn't," Ruff added. "I don't think that little slash [from Gaustad] hurt [Chara], though. An instigator is an instigator. The referees deemed [Gaustad] was the instigator. I can find lots of little slashes in the game if you want me to find that."

In his media briefing on Saturday, Julien said he hoped Ruff was simply using coaching tactics and didn’t need any cheese with his whine. He also reiterated his disgust with what he believes to be one-sided officiating leaning in the Sabres’ favor.

"I've heard and read Lindy's comments," Julien said. "Hopefully, it's his way of taking pressure off his team. If not, it's a lot of whining. Simple as that. Every coach has his tactics. You just worry about yourself. We seem to be the team that's doing bad things. They seem to be the team that's on the nice side of all that stuff and they do nothing wrong. It's tactics. Those are things in the playoffs that coaches use, hopefully to their advantage. I don't pay much attention to it."

There is some speculation around the NHL that the league tends to resist suspending star players in the playoffs, and Ruff was asked if maybe that was the case here with Chara.

"I've heard that argument before and I'm not even going to go down that road,” Ruff said.

Rivet, the Sabres captain, also chimed in, saying he expected the Bruins captain to be in the lineup Monday.

"I'm not really surprised," Rivet said. "It's something I expect at this time of year. I think the action would have to be a lot worse to get a suspension. He was a little bit frustrated at the end of the game but I don't think it was really cause for a suspension."

One thing is for sure though: If Gaustad or any other Sabres player wants to take liberties with a Bruin again, they will get a similar reaction. Chara’s actions were questioned, because he could have put his team in a tough position if he was suspended. But with two seconds on the clock and the Sabres up 4-1, he and the Bruins weren’t about to let Gaustad and the Sabres rub salt in the wound.

“We stand up for ourselves, too, and it is about doing it at the right time,” Julien said. “Sometimes a guy takes a cheap shot at you at the time of the game, it gives you a power, play and you say, 'Well, OK, I know who it is and it is a long game.’ But the game [was] over [when Gaustad hit Chara]. Obviously, it was a cheap shot and it was unwarranted -- the two-hander -- and [Chara] responded.[NESN.COM]

Chara will not be suspended.

Here is the explanation on why Big "Z" will not be suspended for game six. As some of the pundits have said the Gaustad slash (at the end of this video) is probably the reason why Chara will not receive any additional discipline from the NHL.

Darren Dreger TSN - The Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres were informed by the NHL on Friday night that Boston captain Zdeno Chara will not be suspended for the end of game instigator he was assessed in the Bruins' 4-1 loss to the Sabres.

However, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli had to formally submit a written request to Terry Gregson, the NHL's director of officiating, to have the instigator rescinded.

Two instigator penalties during the Stanley Cup playoffs results in an automatic suspension.

Chara was not involved in any in-game incident prior to his retaliation which under Rule 47.22 provides the criteria for Colin Campbell, the NHL's Director of Hockey Operations, to lift the automatic suspension which coincides with this penalty.

"(Rule 47.22)

Instigator in Final Five Minutes of Regulation Time (or Anytime in Overtime) - A player or goalkeeper who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation in the final five (5) minutes of regulation time or at anytime in overtime, shall automatically be suspended for one game. The Director of Hockey Operations will review every such incident and may rescind the suspension based on a number of criteria. The criteria for the review shall include, but not limited to, the score, previous incidents, etc. The length of suspension will double for each subsequent offense. This suspension shall be served in addition to any other automatic suspensions a player may incur for an accumulation of three or more instigator penalties.When the one-game suspension is imposed, the Coach shall be fined $10,000 - a fine that will double for each subsequent incident. No team appeals will be permitted either verbally or in writing regarding the assessment of this automatic suspension."

Donny Brook at the end of the Bruins and Sabres game.

The reason that Zdeno Chara goes after Paul Gaustad is that he slashes Chara as he skates by. Holy Cow! You've got to love playoff hockey. While the Sabres may have won tonight's game the Bruins have two games to win the series clinching game. Mark it down, the Sabres are not going to win this series.

Should the Bruins shut Marc Savard down?

Marc Savard has been cleared to practice with the team after being out for 6 weeks missing 22 games with post concussion symptoms as a result of a bush league blind side hit by uber hack Matt Cooke. While the bloggers and media will pontificate on when players should return from a concussion, I think the decision needs to be with the player and the team doctors.

A championship is not worth risking any athlete's health, let alone a first round series. This is why Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien are wise to temper expectations for the return of dynamic center Marc Savard. This is why you hope the general manager and head coach of the Boston Bruins back up their words, even if their team's 3-1 lead over the Buffalo Sabres starts to dwindle after Game 5 on Friday in Buffalo.

The Bruins should not look for inspiration from a heroic return by Savard in this series against their division rivals. Julien is far better off sending the optimistic message, "Win this series and we get Savvy back for Round 2."

It would be so easy for the Bruins' brass to talk themselves into a Savard return. "We really need him on the power play, and no one's going to touch him there," could be one reasoning. "We'll break him in easily with some fourth line duty," is another. After all, with Bergeron and Krejci at center, the Bruins don't need Savard for his usual 18 minutes a game.

Hopefully, Julien will remember his words on Wednesday morning after Savard passed his neuropsychological exam and was cleared to practice. ][Fan House]

Everything I’ve done, I owe to hockey and UND

This letter to the editor was in today addition of the Grand Forks Herald, it's from a former Fighting Sioux hockey player that is also of Native American decent. I would like to see Sudie Hofmann or Winona LaDuke try to refute his letter...

By Bill LeCaine
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — I’m a Lakota Sioux and was born on the Wood Mountain Lakota Sioux reservation in Wood Mountain, Sask. That was where Sitting Bull and his people fled to in order to escape the U.S. Army after the battle of the Little Big Horn.

My mother took me off the reserve at age 4 or 5, and I lived with her on skid row until the government took me from her. After that, I lived in children’s shelters and foster homes.

I attended UND on a hockey scholarship and later played 14 years as a pro, including playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League.

I’m proud to have worn the “Fighting Sioux” logo and of what it stands for.

The name was chosen for all the right reasons: honor, pride, courage, respect and dignity, along with family and religious ethics that people are proud of.

Most alumni with whom I’ve spoken did not attend UND for the “Fighting Sioux” logo or name. But they did learn to love the name and school and everything that they stand for today.

Somebody once said that nothing happens until someone says something. More important, nothing happens unless someone is listening. I hope that 100 years from now, North Dakotans can say we made the right decision. Good things happen when good people do the right thing.

A few years ago, I met an author who wrote books about genocides that happened in the course of history. He also raised money for synagogues so that the world would not forget the Holocaust.

I asked him if he included in his books the genocide perpetrated on American Indians by our own government. He was embarrassed to tell me that he had forgotten that very significant part of our history and assured me it would be in his next book.

Only 130 years have passed since the battle of the Little Big Horn; how soon we forget.

The Fighting Sioux name and the programs that UND has for American Indians are a tribute to and should serve as a reminder of that part of history.

I’m also a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation in South Dakota because of my great-grandfather, Black Moon, who fought with Sitting Bull. My grandfather, John O’kute Sica, was a historian and writer. A German publishing company just printed a book with his writings of history and what might happen in the future. This summer, it will be published in English.

For my part, I only hope that my writings of the present can say that good people who do good things can have a profound impact on history and on the Indian nations that have not had many good things happen to them.

And I hope that my writings about the future will say what an uplifting occasion this was for all American Indians.

Let’s think about the future and not get stuck in the “now and immediate” time frame.

To sum up, I can say that everything I’ve accomplished today as an athlete, a father and a business person, I owe to hockey and UND.

LeCaine is president and CEO of Arrow Technologies, an Indian-owned company that designs and installs copper and fiber-optic systems.

He was the first American Indian to play in the National Hockey League.

Savard en route to Buffalo

This is good news for the Boston Bruins because it mean that their best players is getting better and could make a return to the ice soon. It's no mystery that the Boston Bruins who are already offensively challenged are a much better team with Marc Savard in the line up.

Marc Savard will travel to Buffalo this afternoon and participate in tomorrow's morning skate. Savard visited with Dr. Kelly McInnis this morning, and although he hadn't gotten any results, he believes he has been cleared for contact. Tomorrow will be the first time Savard skates with his teammates, although given the nature of morning skates, it doesn't project to be a high-tempo session.

"Just getting my wind back," Savard said. "You can do biking or whatever you want. But nothing's like being on the ice. Just keep taking it a day at a time and get stronger that way." [Boston Globe Hockey Blog]