Empty Netter Assists - 5-28-09
Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-Back to Detroit.
-The Penguins took a different route to the Stanley Cup final.
-Sidney Crosby has the lead in the playoff scoring race over Evgeni Malkin (above) by a technicality.
-Was Sergei Gonchar's injury a blessing in disguise?
-So... 2008 Penguins or 2009 Penguins?
-"It's not that scary." - Malkin on playing the Red Wings.
-Today's 1984 Oilers/2009 Penguins comparison is brought to you by The Associated Press.
-This was CBC's pregame montage for Game 4:
-A rare miss.
-The Penguins are a year older and a year wiser.
-Versus' numbers are strong in Pittsburgh despite that horrible soul-stealing big screen outside Gate 3 at Mellon Arena.
-The Penguins, and by extension, yinzers, are popular north of the border.
Hurricanes
-Carolina has yet to determine if interim head coach Paul Maurice will be just plain old head coach Paul Maurice.
-The Hurricanes need to pick up some defensemen this offseason.
-Bill Cowher sure likes his Hurricanes.
-Remember when Bill Cowher was a Pittsburgher?
Red Wings
-The Red Wings aren't going to get much rest before the start of the Stanley Cup final.
-Detroit moved on to the Stanley Cup final without captain Nicklas Lidstrom, forward Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson.
-With some injuries to key players, forward Darren Helm stepped up big time for Detroit.
-Helm's overtime goal, the handshake line and presentation of the Clarence Campbell Bowl:
-An amazing picture of forward Tomas Holmstrom celebrating Helm's goal over Chicago's Cristobal Huet:
-Check out Helm's effort on a penalty kill:
-Forward Dan Cleary continues to find ways to score.
-Check out Cleary's goal:
-That brilliant replay is brought to you by CBC, a network which knows how to broadcast hockey. If we recall correctly, Versus only offered one replay and it was a camera angle from somewhere near Dearborn. We think.
-Remember when Chris Osgood was slumping?
-The Red Wings need to get healthy.
-Detroit is keeping the exact nature of Lidstrom's injury under wraps.
-General manager Ken Holland deserves more credit for Detroit's success.
-The Red Wings have a fan in NASCAR.
Blackhawks
-Chicago's magical resurgent season has come to an end.
-The Blackhawks took some major steps forward this season.
-Goaltender Cristobal Huet rebounded after a poor Game 4.
-Huet and forward Patrick Kane finally showed up, but it was a little too late.
-Check out the dazzling goal Kane scored last night:
-"We gave it our all. No regrets." - defenseman Brent Seabrook.
-"This is definitely a feeling we're going to remember." - captain Jonathan Toews.
Patrick Division
-Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! is staging the No Tin Foil Stanley Cup Replica Contest.
Non-Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-The Penguins signed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, a third-round pick in 2007, to a three-year entry-level deal.
Southeast DIvision
-It has come to this for the Lightning's cash-strapped owners. They're selling off their furniture on Craigslist.
Northwest Division
-The Canucks signed forward Rick Rypien to a two-year contract extension.
-Hall-of-Fame goaltender Patrick Roy (right) declined the Avalanche's offer to take over as the franchise's head coach.
Adams Division
-For some reason, the NHL is having trouble selling tickets at $500 a pop for its awards show.
(Photo: Crosby and Malkin-Gerry Broome/Associated Press; Holmstrom-Gregory Shamus/Getty Images; Roy-Photobucket)