Empty Netter Assists - 04-28-10
(Shameless Plug: We'll be running a live chat tonight for Game 7 between the Canadiens and Capitals. Click here and join the fun around 7 p.m.)
Playoff Stuff
Penguins-Senators
-"Now that we're out, sure, I'd love to see the Penguins win it all again." - Kings defenseman and former Penguin Rob Scuderi (above).
-Home-ice advantage means something right?
-The Penguins will be watching tonight's Canadiens-Capitals game with a vested interest.
-Regardless of potential opponent, it's looking like the second round will start in Pittsburgh on Friday (PG+).
-Bad news for Chris Conner. The Penguins were 2-6-0 with him in the lineup during the regular season.
-Senators defenseman Anton Volchenkov said his team didn't prepare for the Penguins.
Capitals-Canadiens
-With defenseman Tom Poti dealing with a facial injury, the Capitals recalled defenseman Karl Alzner from Hershey of the AHL.
-"This is the first time we've had to persevere, the first time we've had a chance to say, 'Yes, we pushed through the wall.'" - Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.
-The Capitals are experienced in Game 7s. But that's not necessarily a good thing.
-The Capitals shut down the message board on their Web Site during Game 6.
-"He’s one of those guys you’re going to see around the NHL 10 years from now." - Former Canadiens goaltending coach Rollie Melanson on goaltener Jaroslav Halak (right).
-"It seems the more shots he sees, the better he plays." - Canadiens forward Mike Cammalleri on Halak.
Sabres-Bruins
-Bruins forward Marc Savard, out since early March due to a head injury, was given medical clearance to return to play.
-One way or another, Bruins forward and former Penguin/Flyer Mark Recchi will be playing a former team in the semifinal round.
-NESN broadcaster Jack Edwards, who once compared a Bruins win to a Revolutionary War battle, compared the ending the Sabres's season to the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter which sunk in Lake Superior and claimed 29 lives:
Flyers
-It turns out Flyers forward Ian Laperriere suffered more than some facial cuts when he blocked a shot with his face in their quarterfinal series with the Devils. He also suffered a brain bruise which will likely end his season.
Sharks
-Sharks forward Dany Heatley could use some down time.
-The Sharks are ripping it up in the faceoff circle.
Blackhawks-Predators
-"It's two teams that probably don't like each other very much and it's going to be great playoff hockey." - Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp on the Canucks.
-"It's going to be a long summer — again." - Predators captain Jason Arnott.
Canucks
-"It's normal in playoff hockey that both teams, at some point, have a genuine dislike towards one another. We're starting ahead of the schedule." - Canucks coach Alain Vigneault on his team's dislike of the Blackhawks.
-Canucks forward Ryan Kesler is trying to push his individiual rivalry with Blackhawks forward Andrew Ladd to the side.
Coyotes-Red Wings
-A day before his 40th birthday, Nicklas Lidstrom had two goals and an assist and led the Red Wing to a series-clinching 6-1 rout at Phoenix. Pavel Datsyuk added two goals while teammates Brian Rafalski and Henrik Zetterber each recorded three assists. Jimmy Howard (above) made 32 saves in the victory which clinched the series, 4-3. The Red Wings will face the Sharks in the Western Conference semifinals.
-Check out this breakaway goal by Datsyuk:
-Somehow, the Coyotes managed to give up a breakaway goal to Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart after a penalty was killed:
-The final minute of play, handshake lines and the Coyotes' stick salute to their fans:
-Happy times for the Red Wings. Not so much for Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov:
-Lidstrom being popular:
-Sad times for Coyotes fans:
-Someone threw a beer bottle onto the ice in front of Phoenix's Taylor Pyatt:
-Man... did Zetterberg really want to get an early start on celebrating...:
-You'd think with so much sun, you wouldn't see so many albinos in Phoenix:
-More conventional items were thrown onto the ice as well:
-Concentraiting times for Bryzgalov:
-Happy times for the Coyotes. Not so much for Howard:
-Anthem time in Phoenix:
-"It starts with the captain, that guy right there." - Howard on Lidstrom.
-"We had no answer no matter what we were doing. They just turned it up another level that we couldn't get to." - Coyotes coach and former Penguin David Tippett on the Red Wings.
-Coyotes captain Shane Doan once again missed Game 7 with what was eventually revealed to be a separated shoulder.
Non-Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-Another day. Another set of bad news for the future of Mellon Arena.
-Some Point Park University students examine the Arena's future:
-Happy 60th birthday to former Penguins forward Jim Wiley. A free agent signing prior to the 1972-73 season, Wiley spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. In 26 games with the franchies, he recorded four assists. in the 1974 offseason, he was claimed by the Canucks in the intra-league draft.
Northeast Division
-The Senators signed forward Colin Greening, a seventh-round pick in 2007, to a one-year contract.
Southeast Division
-Capitals owner Ted Leonsis reached an agreement to by the majority share of the NBA's Wizards and Verizon Center from the estate of late owner Abe Pollin.
Pacific Division
-The Kings revealed defensemen Peter Harrold (broken wrist), Drew Doughty (sprained thumb) and Jonathan Quick (shoulder) were dinged up.
-Los Angeles coach Terry Murray admitted he used Quick too much down the stretch.
-Dany Heatley does not, in fact, throw like a girl:
Patrick Division
-The Lester B. Pearson Award, the NHLPA's MVP award, will be renamed in honor honour of Red Wings great "Terrible" Ted Linsday.
-Happy 68th birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets forward Howie Menard.
-Happy 77th birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets goaltender Claude Evans.
-Today would've been the 90th birthday of former Pittsburgh Hornets forward Hank Blade.
(Photos: Scuderi-Stephen Dunn/Getty Images; Halak-Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images; Red Wings/Coyotes-Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press, Christian Petersen/Getty Images and Matt York/Associated Press)