Empty Netter Assists - 04-20-12
Playoff Stuff
Penguins - Flyers
-"Most power plays, you kind of know exactly what they're doing. This one, I think they have so many different options and so many plays that they use ... that's what makes it so good." - Brooks Orpik (above) on defending the Flyers' power play.
-“Schenn left his feet and targeted my teammate’s head. We know (Paul Martin) is not playing. It’s my job to go in there and make sure no one takes any liberties on the guys. My stick got a little high and I’m paying the consequences for it now.” - Arron Asham on his cross-check to the neck of Flyers forward Brayden Schenn in Game 3. (PG+)
-Dan Bylsma speaks:
-Simon Despres:
-Craig Adams speaks:
-Sidney Crosby speaks:
-James Neal speaks:
-Brooks Orpik speaks:
-According to Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov will start tonight's Game 5.
-"I think you lose 1-0 or 50-0, at the end of the day, you didn't lose three games. It's just one loss." - Flyers forward Daniel Briere.
-Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo won't be facing any discipline for his attack on Zbynek Michalek in Game 4.
-"Maybe the forwards are too skilled." - Flyers forward and former Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr on the offensive nature of this series.
-Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk (foot) has a chance to play in Game 5.
Rangers - Senators
-Rangers coach John Tortorella said the Senators have taken the momentum in the series.
Bruins - Capitals
-Braden Holtby made 44 saves for the Capitals who edged the Bruins, 2-1, in Game 4. The series is tied, 2-2.
-Check out the placement on this shot by Washington's Alexander Semin:
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-Washington captain Alex Ovechkin had issues with the Capitals' bench:
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-Holtby snagged this puck:
-Boston's Tim Thomas had issues with this puck:
-Ovechkin being popular:
-“When you have a goaltender that’s on top of his game it really, really settles your team down. He was a leader for us tonight.” - Capitals forward Brooks Laich on Holtby.
-“You shoot 45 shots on net, you expect your team to have a little bit more than one goal." - Bruins coach Claude Julien.
-The Capitals demoted forward Cody Eakin to Hershey of the AHL.
-Hockey Night in Canada's pregame montage was edgy:
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Panthers - Devils
-Martin Brodeur made 26 saves for the Devils in a 4-0 shutout of the Panthers in Game 4. Travis Zajac had a goal and an assist for New Jersey while teammate Bryce Salvador recorded two assists. The series is tied, 1-1.
-New Jersey's Steve Bernier really sniped this shot:
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-Check out this double deflection which led to a goal by New Jersey's Zach Parise:
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-Zajac rally boomed this one-timer:
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-Check out the placement on this shot by New Jersey's Ilya Kovalchuk:
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-Hit of the Night: New Jersey's Stephen Gionta on Florida's Jarred Smithson:
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-Intense Photo of the Night: Florida's Tomas Kopecky trying to right through a hip check from New Jersey's Andy Greene for a puck:
-Brodeur had a chat with assistant coach Larry Robinson:
-Happy times for Gionta:
-Brodeur set an NHL record with his 24th career postseason shutout.
-The Panthers went with Scott Clemmensen as their starting goaltender.
-With defenseman Jay Garrison absent due to a "lower-body" injury, the Panthers replaced him with defenseman Keaton Ellerby only to lose him to an undisclosed injury in the first period.
Canucks - Kings
-“You have no idea how incredibly difficult that is, because of the amount of respect that we have for Roberto, not only as goalie and a professional, but as a man. That’s probably the most difficult decision Alain’s had to make in our tenure here.” - Canucks associated coach Rick Bowness on head coach Alain Vigneault benching starting goaltender Roberto Luongo in place of Cory Schneider (right).
-"If you're off for three weeks not doing anything, you're going to lose some of that quickness and being able to stay out for those 40-second shifts. I felt fine for 20-25 seconds and then it was off to the bench. So it will take some time. But if I feel like I did Wednesday night, that's good for me.” - Canucks forward Daniel Sedin on playing his first game in Wednesday's Game 3 after being sidelined due to a concussion suffered March 21.
Blues - Sharks
-Brian Elliott made 24 saves for the Blues who defeated the Sharks, 2-1, in Game 4. Patrik Berglund and David Perron each recorded two assists for St. Louis which leads the series, 3-1.
-San Jose's Antti Niemi kept an eye on this puck:
-Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak (ankle) is still wearing a walking boot.
Coyotes - Blackhawks
-Mikkel Boedker's overtime goal gave the Coyotes a 3-2 win against the Blackhawks in Game 4. Mike Smith made 32 saves for Phoenix which took a 3-1 series lead.
-Boedker's goal:
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-Happy times for Boedker:
-Not so happy times for Chicago's Patrick Sharp:
-Chicago's Michael Frolik force overtime by scoring a goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation:
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-Defensive Play of the Night: Check out this steal by Phoenix captain Shane Doan against Chicago's Johnny Oduya and the ensuing goal by Doan:
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-Coyotes forward and former Penguin Paul Bissonnette was ejected for not having his jersey tied down during this fight with Chicago's Brandon Bollig:
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-A couple of good looks at the fight:
-The Coyotes have a 3-1 series lead for the first time since 1999.
-All four games of this series have gone to overtime.
-The Blackhawks inserted forward Brandon Saad, a native of Gibsonia, into the lineup in place of injured forward Marian Hossa.
-Coyotes forward Raffi Torres will have an in-person disciplinary hearing with the NHL over his hit which injured Hossa in Wednesday's Game 3.
-Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was fined $10,000 for criticizing officials following the Torres hit.
Predators - Red Wings
-Will Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom (right) retire after this postseason?
-“I’ve been asking myself different questions, like, ‘what do I have to do to get back in? What am I not doing that’s keeping me out of the lineup?’ Ultimately, I get whose decision it is, but I’ve been here in every playoff game in the past and I think right from the beginning of the series, you’re told you’re not playing and … what the (expletive)?” - Predators forward Jordin Tootoo on being a healthy scratch for three of the fourth games thus far this series.
-Predators defenseman and former Penguin Hal Gill ("lower body") participated in a full practice for the first time this postseason and could play in tonight's Game 5.
Calder Cup Playoffs
-"Early in the series, I think it's important for both guys to have the mindset that they're going to play. They come to the rink tomorrow and go through the whole routine the night before, sleep and all that, just to get in that rhythm." - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach John Hyne declining to announce if he'll start Scott Munroe or Brad Thiessen in net for tonight's Game 1 of their quarterfinal series against the Hershey Bears.
Non-Playoff Stuff
Penguins
-Happy 58th birthday to former Penguins defenseman Gilles Lupien. Acquired prior to the 1980-81 season in a deal which sent a draft pick to the Canadiens, Lupien appeared in 31 games and recorded one assist for the Penguins that season before being traded to the Whalers for another draft pick.
IIHF World Championships
-Former Penguins goaltender John Curry (right) will play for the United States.
(Photos: Orpik-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Bruins/Capitals-Patrick McDermott/Getty Images and Evan Vucci/Associated Press; Panthers/Devils-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images and Julio Cortez/Associated Press; Schneider-Christian Petersen/Getty Images; Blues/Sharks-Ezra Shaw/Getty Images; Coyotes/Blackhawks-Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images and Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press; Lidstrom-Gregory Shamus/Getty Images; Curry-Rick Stewart/Getty Images)