Empty Netter Assists - 05-30-10
Penguins
-Dmitry Chesnokov for Yahoo! translates a very frank interview from Russian with Evgeni Malkin. Among the subjects addressed, he says Sidney Crosby is the best player in the world, says Crosby can party just like everybody else, calls Alex Ovechkin a "Russian Canadian" and explains his decision to play in the IIHF World Championships.
-Crosby is on verge of signing a new endorsement deal with Reebok worth $10 million over seven years.
-The Mellon/Civic Arena had quite a history as a concert venue.
-Property sales on the Fifth Avenue corridor across from Consol Energy Center aren't exactly going all that well.
-Happy 39th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Jiri Slegr. Acquired in the 1997 offseason in a deal which sent a draft pick to the Oilers, Slegr spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins. In 1997-98, Slegr appeared in 73 games and recorded 17 points. Despite appearing in only 63 games the following season, Slegr's offensive went up as he netted 23 points. In 1999-2000, Slegr played in 74 games and scored 31 points, including a career-high 11 goals. After appearing in 42 games and recording 15 points in 2000-01, Slegr was traded to the Thrashers for a draft pick. In 252 games with the Penguins, Slegr scored 86 points, the 90th best total in franchise history. Slegr spent last season with Litvinov CHP HC in the Czech Republic.
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Playoff Stuff
Blackhawks-Flyers
-Troy Brouwer had two goals and an assist for the Blackhawks in a 6-5 defeat of the Flyers. Dave Bolland, Tomas Kopecky and Kris Versteeg each had a goal and an assist for Chicago while teammates Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa each recorded two assists. Fire Ray Shero. Antti Niemi made 28 saves in the victory which gave Chicago a 1-0 series lead. Daniel Briere led Philadelphia with a goal and three assists.
-Highlights:
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-Check out this little cheap shot Chicago's Adam Burish gave Philadelphia's Lukas Krajicek:
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-Anthem time:
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-Happy times in Chicago:
-Niemi had issues with this puck:
-Niemi (and his lid) had issues with this puck too:
-Chicago's Kris Versteeg left Philadelphia's Mike Richards in the dust:
-Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell (right) and Ville Leino having a moment:
-Warm ups:
-Steely glare time for Niemi:
-Bright times for Niemi:
-Not so much with this puck:
-Chicago's Patrick Kane and Philadelphia's Matt Carle took a tumble here:
-Philadelphia's Claude Giroux was oddly proud of his canker sore:
-We think.
-Leino and Chicago's John Madden battling for a puck:
-Chicago's Cristobal Huet being popular:
-The Blackhawks top line of Jonathan Toews, Kane and Dustin Byfuglien was held without a point.
-"But I wouldn’t say (I’m a) hero. We have 23 heroes." - Kopecky on his game-winning goal.
-Kopecky was only in the lineup because forward Andrew Ladd was out due to an "upper-body" injury.
-The puck Kopecky scored his game-winner on allegedly hit a player on the bench and wasn't whistled down.
-"We stressed a defense-first approach, but I think we got away from it tonight." - Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville (right) being very understated.
-"I never felt good in this game." - Niemi.
-Quenneville never considered pulling Niemi.
-"We're not relying on one person or one line. We've got threats everywhere." - Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp.
-"We obviously think their weakness is their defense." - Leighton who was pulled in the second period.
-"What'd he do tonight? Next question." - Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger on his battles with Byfuglien near the net.
-"They don't give silver medals away here like the Olympics." - Leino.
-"When you lose the first game of the Stanley Cup final, it's hard to look for the positives right now." - Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.
-The last time 11 goals were scored in a Stanley Cup final game was also Chicago. The Penguins beat the Blackhawks, 6-5, to clinch the Cup in Game 4 in the 1992 final.-Game 1 was the Blackhawks' 100th consecutive sellout.
-The crowd noise made during the national anthem was comparable to sandblasting on a decible level.
-The Blackahwks have their very own made-up fake "curse."
-Byfuglien didn't take the usual path to the NHL:
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-Don Cherry's suit was bizarre even by his own standards:
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-Michael Jordan is a Blackhawks' fan:
-Kane's hair is just a disaster:
Non-Playoff Stuff
Northeast Division
-The Maple Leafs are expected to hire former Lightning assistant general manager Claude Loiselle in that same capacity.
Southeast Division
-The Hurricanes will face SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL in a preseason exhibition game.
Central Division
-Red Wings defensive prospect Brendan Smith (right), a first-round pick in 2007, was charged with disorderly conduct in Madison, Wis.
Pacific Division
-The Coyotes will faces Dinamo Riga of the KHL in a preseason exhiition game.
Smythe Division
-Former Lightning/Devils/Capitals defenseman Josef Boumedienne has joined Djurgarden in Sweden.
-Happy 81st birthday to former Pittsburgh Hornets forward Jackie Leclair.
(Photos: Malkin and Crosby-Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press; Flyers/Blackhawks-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images and Andre Ringuette/Getty Images; Smith-Wisconsin Athletics)