Playoff Stuff
Penguins - Senators

-Welcome back Jussi Jokinen (above) to the lineup?

-What happened to James Neal's goal scoring ability?

-Or Jarome Iginla's?

-"That is why this is a team sport. If you play golf or tennis, you win it or lose it yourself. In hockey, that’s why you have 20-plus players on the team. Every night, it’s somebody different who makes the difference." - Tomas Vokoun.

-Dan Bylsma speaks:

-Vokoun speaks:

-Sidney Crosby speaks:

-Jussi Jokinen speaks:

-"It is what it is. It's playoff hockey, and one of those things that if he was in that situation I probably wouldn't have shoved him there. The way he plays, he plays a physical game, and I don't expect anything less from him." - Chris Neil on Brooks Orpik's hit which injured Neil in the second overtime of Game 3.

-“They’re the best team in the league and there’s a reason for that. They’re don’t themselves in vulnerable position. People can say [we’re] not playing physical. We’re trying but they’re the best hockey team in the league. That’s because they have the puck on their stick and they don’t put themselves in vulnerable spots. “ - Senators defenseman Marc Methot.

-“I would say we probably exceeded other people’s expectations (for this season), but that shouldn’t satisfy us. You have to keep pushing because you never know." - Senators defenseman Chris Phillips.

-“My Lululemon underwear ad has been cancelled." - Senators forward Colin Greening joking about his facial injuries from Game 3.

Calder Cup Playoffs

-The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins take on the Providence Bruins in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in the Calder Cup playoffs tonight.

-After the Jump: The Bruins take a commanding 3-0 lead on the Rangers and the Sharks even things up with the Kings.

This weekend hundreds of cartoonists will descend upon Pittsburgh for the National Cartoonists Society's annual convention. There will be animators, illustrators, magazine cartoonists, greeting card artists, comic book artists, comic strip creators, editorial cartoonists and more. There will be a public event on Sunday May 26th called "Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival". 

Call them Da Beard and Da Brush. 

Pittsburgh Steelers running back and artist-in-residence Baron Batch presented team captain Brett Keisel with an abstract painting today after the team's first OTA session of 2013. The Steeler-flavored art features Keisel doing his signature bowhunter sack dance move over a field of 'beard' and Keisel's bird-of-prey eyes glaring out from the hypocycloids. 

Batch said that it only took about five hours to actually paint start to finish, but that he'd been working on the idea for weeks in his head and sketching out designs.

Other stuff from today:

***** Second-round pick Le'Veon Bell of Michigan State on being a big back, but not a "big" back:  

"A lot of people look at me like a big heavy guy but a lot of people forget I'm a 6' 2' guy and at the combine I measured in at 230 [and] I was like 7% body fat. I'm not an out of shape guy. I'm a pretty lean guy."  

***** It's only but Mike Tomlin was already in midseason form in answering reporters questions: 

Does it feel different out there with a lot of new personnel? 

"It feels new and different every year this time. We're working with 90 guys and largely every year 40 or so of them minimum are new guys and so from that standpoint its the same. We're always excited and energized to work with new faces."  

Impressed with anyone?

"Not at all. Football in shorts." 

Any urgency given all the offseason defections?

"No. This time of year you need to have a certain sense of urgency as you build and prepare. Hopefully this year is no different than any other in that regard." 

The latest on Heath Miller & Sean Spence ...

"As of right now, they're on schedule. We're pleased with where they are and we'll just continue to take it day by day and when that day comes, it'll be a good day." 

Where is Jarvis Jones? (healthwise)

"He's in the building. From a health standpoint? He's capable of practicing which he did and had a good day out there." 

***** Antonio Brown says that the Todd Haley offense is easier to grasp after a full year:

"Definitely. Everyone understands Todd's logic. He's got a feel for guys from last year and I think [we're] working together in the right direction."

***** Also, the team today hired former special teams ace Chidi Iwuoma as the team's BLESTO scout.

Playing hockey games which mean so much in the month of May is a new experience for Senators defenseman Marc Methot.

Prior to this postseason, he had not experienced this in his professional career. Having spent his first six NHL seasons with the Blue Jackets, Methot's only taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs was a brief four-game sweep at the hands of the mighty Red Wings in a 2009 Western Conference quarterfinal series.

This past offseason, Methot was traded to his hometown Senators. As a result, he's teamed up with a former Norris Trophy winning defenseman in Erik Karlsson and regularly drawing assignments against Hart Trophy candidate Sidney Crosby in front of frantic Canadian crowds.

Today, Methot talked about his role in defending Crosby, his captain Daniel Alfredsson and his first taste of postseason success.

How important is being the home team in this series?

“Having that last change is a huge factor for us. It’s going to be a challenge on the road for us and we’re aware of it but that’s why these games at home are so much more important. “

What has it been like defending Crosby?

“We know our matchups. [Erik Karlsson] and I are matched up against Sidney [Crosby]. It’s no secret. We were matched up against him all last game. There’s another match up on [Evgeni] Malkin’s line. Those two lines and possibly even their third, are strong lines. But I love those challenges. That’s why I get up and play this game. It’s certainly a challenge against Sidney Crosby. “

How do you defend Crosby?

“You’ve got to give the guy a little respect in terms of what he’s capable of doing or he’ll burn you. But at the same time, you can’t respect him too much. You’ve got to make his minutes hard minutes. I think for a defenseman such as myself, that’s when you’re doing your job."

How difficult is it to play physical against the Penguins?

“They’re the best team in the league and there’s a reason for that. They’re don’t themselves in vulnerable position. People can say [we’re] not playing physical. We’re trying but they’re the best hockey team in the league. That’s because they have the puck on their stick and they don’t put themselves in vulnerable spots. “

What was it like when Alfredsson scored the tying goal in Game 3?

“It was unbelievable. Of all the guys on the team, it’s our captain that ties that up. What do you say? He’s an unbelievable leader on this hockey team. He gets us up and motivated. He’s arguably the hardest worker in practice. We just follow his lead. “

What is it like playing with Alfredsson?

“He’s probably the best captain I’ve ever had. Everything he does from preparation to how hard he works on the ice. The biggest thing for me was, even in practice, seeing him compete. You see how competitive and passionate he is about the game still. I think that’s why all the guys respect him so much. “

What is it like being in the playoffs after having little success with the Blue Jackets?

“It’s been, at first a little overwhelming in a good way. Especially when you advance to the second round. I find people start recognizing who you are and what your game is all about. It’s only a good thing for each player on this hockey team. For myself personally, I’m just enjoying now. I’m just enjoying every day coming in, especially for the game. Seeing how the fans are and the excitement of the city, that’s huge. “

Did you watch the playoffs anytime you missed them with Columbus?

“Yeah. I loved it. I watched those CBC intros and getting all fired up for the games. I watched all the [Senators] games. “

Was it tough watching playoff games when you didn’t reach the postseason?

“Every player who doesn’t play in the postseason thinks about it. I had a little taste of it when I played in Columbus against Detroit for the one round [in 2009]. For a lot of us, it was kind of like a deer in the headlights feel to it. But now, I was really able to soak it in being my home town. It’ was really cool.”

(Photo: Jana Chytilova/Freestyle/Getty Images)