Empty Netter Assists - 06-05-12
Penguins
-Tomas Vokoun (right) was given permission by the Capitals to seek out a trade to the Penguins.
-Vokoun will wear No. 92. The only other player in franchise history to wear that number was Rick Tocchet during the Penguins run to the Stanley Cup in 1992.
-With Brent Johnson and Brad Thiessen not expected to be re-signed, the Penguins are lacking in terms of organziation depth at goaltending. (PG+)
-Happy 52nd birthday to former Penguins defenseman Brian Lundberg. A ninth-round pick in 1980, Lundberg's NHL career amounted to one game and a minus-one rating with the Penguins in the 1982-83 season. He was released from the organization midway through the 1984-85 season.
Playoff Stuff
Devils - Kings
-Jonathan Quick made 22 saves for the Kings in a 4-0 shutout of the Devils in Game 3. Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each collected a goal and an assist for Los Angels which has a 3-0 series lead.
-Pass of the Night: Check out this pass by Kings captain Dustin Brown to set up Kopitar for a goal:
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-A good look at the goal:
-Save of the Night: Quick on Devils captain Zach Parise:
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-Happy times for the Kings. Not so much for Parise:
-High-kicking times for Los Angeles' Jeff Carter:
-Cool Photo of the Night: Quick leading his team onto the ice:
-Bailey, the Kings' mascot, taunted the Devils' bench with cutouts of the "Jersey Shore" cast:
-NHL greats Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky took in the game:
-Happy times for Kings executive and former Penguins forward Luc Robitaille:
-Kings forward Simon Gagne returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a concussion Dec. 26.
-The Kings became the first team in NHL history to jump out to four consecutive 3-0 series lead since the NHL went to best-of-seven series for all four rounds in 1987.
-“I think every team that is down, 3-0, will have the same speech. We’re looking at this as one game at a time, like everybody will tell you in the last 20 years or so." - Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.
-“I don’t think it’s impossible. I believe we can do this. We have to battle. We have a big mountain in front of us. We’re down but we’re not out.” - Devils forward David Clarkson on the potential for a comeback from a 3-0 series deficit.
-Parise and forward Ilya Kovalchuk have each failed to score this series.
-The Devils are now 0 for 12 on the power play in the series.
-Hockey Night in Canada's pregame montage:
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Non-Playoff Stuff
Northeast Division
-The Canadiens hire former Penguins head coach Michel Therrien.
-The agent for goaltender Tim Thomas shot down suggestions his agent is trying to force the Bruins into a trade by taking a year off.
-Senators general manager Bryan Murray said his team isn't expected to re-sign unrestricted free agent defenseman Filip Kuba.
Northwest Division
-The Avalanche re-signed forward Cody McLeod (right) to a three-year contract worth a total of $3.45 million. He will have a salary cap hit of $1.15 million. McLeod, 27, appeared in 75 games last season and scored 11 points (six goals, five assists) and led the team with 164 penalty minutes.
-EN Says: McLeod is an effective fourth-line energy type of player who serves as the team's enforcer. This is a solid contract for a player in that role.
-What does the Penguins' trade/signing of Tomas Vokoun and the hiatus of Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas do for the value of Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo?
(Photos: Vokoun-Patrick McDermott/Getty Images; Devils/Kings-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images, Jeff Gross/Getty Images, Harry How/Getty Images and Christian Petersen/Getty Images; McLeod-Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)