Yup. No surprise, I am sure, but I was watching that one.

Wings end up finishing 5th in the West and will face Phoenix. I actually think, of all of the top 4 seeds in the West, the Coyotes are the toughest draw. Bryzgalov has been solid all year and has been lights out in the playoffs throughout his career and Phoenix has a balanced, grinding type team that excels in the playoffs. Given the Blackhawks' goalie situation, San Jose being San Jose, and Luongo's shaky play, Phoenix was last on my teams that I wanted to see the Wings face. Oh well.

The Flyers make it in and the Rangers are eliminated... in a shootout. 82 games comes down to a shooutout.

Going into a shootout with a playoff spot on the line...who would you rather have King Henrik...or Bobby err Brian Boucher? Boucher stops 2 of 3 and the Flyers make the playoffs.

Sorry Logan...this was a time I was glad to be wrong and I feel bad that you had to watch that DVRed game with this ending.

I hate it when the season comes down to a shoutout...

I couldn't agree more.

And why didn't Gaborik shoot in the shootout?

Maybe he was injured? It is Gaborik we're talking about.

Flyers got the Devils...the matchup Philly fans were hoping for.

While I understand where you're coming from, that's like saying the result of a football game is decided by a kicker missing or making a field goal at the end, or a bad pitch by a pitcher in a baseball game that some jacks for a three run homerun.

No, the whole season is reason for a team making (or missing) the playoffs. The bad losing streak in November. The poor cap management that left a team with depth issues when injuries hit. Some winger on another team nutting up and getting things down for his team at the right time. It all works into it. You see the shootout, and you say cause and effect. But it's everything that goes into it. Don't make the shootout to be the bad thing just because it is, time-wise, the last factor in a multitude of factors, most of which were probably far more impactful than a shootout, to determine whether a team makes it into the playoffs or not.

2 of 18 on the year.

Thanks Sak, it was tough to watch especially when I told my roommate in the middle of the second period that the only chance we had to win was if the game ended 1-0. And then as soon as the Flyers tied it up, I was...literally...praying for it to go to a shootout.

That second goal Lundqvist gave up five-hole was very uncharacteristic of him. And I'm glad Jokinen couldn't even get a shot off after circling around like a dbag trying to get more speed.

Whiffed Completely

Wings/Coyotes open Wednesday night.

And some non-Philly fans.

DOLA

Full round 1 schedules

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.ph...mes_announced/

lol...you're right, I did. Nice catch by both you and Dr. Sak.

I'll be there.

With my knowledge of the NHL these days 90% confined to the Rangers (the remaining amount scattered between the Atlantic Division and a few other Eastern Conference teams), I turn to you guys for this question: Let's say the Rangers felt like due to a lack of high end scoring talent outside of Gaborik and having tough contracts still remaining, they couldn't get to that next level before Lundqvist starts to go downhill. And they feel bad for him. Really bad that he's had to carry this team all these years, so much so that they are open to dealing him.

Realistically and hypothetically, what kind of package could they expect back? He just turned 28 and is signed for $7.75MM, $6.875MM, $6.875MM, and $5.125MM over the next 4 years. The team is basically set at defense and is in desperate need of a #1 center (which I imagine many would be).

I'll hang up and listen.

Top end goalies are a premium. His cap number isn't all that bad but the problem may be finding someone to take him without you getting a lot of dead cap weight back. But if Scott Gomez could get traded with some return...Henrik could get a nice package of prospects/picks and a serviceable player or 2 IMO.

I'll use Philly as an example, even though I don't see the Rangers making a deal with them:

I think Henrik could fetch you Jeff Carter and a 1st.

Something like that.

Goalies like Lundqvist are few and far between...if it's me, I'd keep him and roll the dice and try to find a piece or two to compliment the young d-men and Gaborik.

But...if you have your mind set on dealing him...well, target teams who need goaltending and who might be considered close to winning...PHI pops to mind. Do they have any pieces they'd be willing to part with? I'm sure they'd like to move Briere but I'm guessing if the Rangers are moving Lundqvist they want to get younger, not older. So, Carter or Gagner as they are both nearing free agency?

If I'm Sather, I think Carter has to be the centerpiece with a high pick or two as well...is that enough?

Oh, and Souray wants out of Edmonton...management didn't check on him as often as he would've liked while he was out of action after hurting himself in a fight...for the umpteenth time.

That's about what I thought the response would be...and it's probably not enough to get Sather to move him (unless Redden joins him in the deal). This team is pretty much stuck: Lundqvist will always have them in a position where they won't due poorly enough to get a high pick that would bring in the needed talent, and they need Hank to be Hank every minute of every game in order to make a playoff run, and unfortunately, he's human.

Also unfortunate is that I think the actual long term plan for this team is along the lines of johnny's "roll the dice to find some extra offense."

Oh and I might be crazy for thinking this, but I'd part with the picks and sign Backstrom to an offer sheet.

Not playoff related but I am beginning to think Yzerman will be the new GM of the Lightning.

We shall see but it makes sense.

Hmm...With Gretz as the coach?

That would be interesting.

May be enough to put asses back in the seats too.

Thrashers clean house ... sort of.

Entire coaching staff is fired, Waddell named team president, Rick Dudley promoted to GM.

Thrashers fire coaching staff | Atlanta Thrashers

Wow, I wonder what the Thrashers will do with former Oakland/Tampa Bay tight end Rickey Dudley as the GM.

Oh.

Would have rather the Bruins got the #1 and could make the choice, but I'm happy with either of the two guys who seem to be interchangeable at #1/#2. Both premium offensive talents who can both score and create (equal on pts this year in OHL right?). So that should provide some much-needed offensive spark.

I've got a ?? beside Seguins name.....just because if he is as good as people say,why was'nt he on the world jnr team?

worked out pretty well for Matt Duchene

Good question. Personally I guess Edmonton needs a center more than a winger so I assume they'll be taking Seguin, leaving us with Hall, which would be fine by me. Then again, B's taking Seguin would enable them to rejigger their pivots a bit, which would be nice. Since they dumped Joe we haven't had a true #1 center (Bergeron could have maybe been one before the missed time), so it'd be nice to get someone with that potential at least.

Win-win for the C's.

Couldn't be any worse than having Waddell in charge.

True,true.

I don't think there is a chance in hell that EDM take Seguin rather than Hall though.Even if EDM really needs a C.

Don't be so sure of that really. Penner took a step forward this year (significant because of Hemsky being hurt, so the hope is that the two of them give Edmonton a true first line next year) and they have a couple of top 6 type LW in the system (Linus Omark and Magnus Paajarvi Svensson). Omark is an outlier, but MPS (fingers crossed) should be a top 6 type.

In the middle they've got Sam Gagner and not much else. Personally I'm still not sold on Gagner ever being more than a second line player but he does have time on his side. I'd like to see Gilbert Brule get a prolonged look in the middle next year (played well in stints with Penner, but between a lot of usage on the wings and a couple bouts of illness, his time in the middle was abbreviated at best), but there's not a lot in the pipeline as far as centers go.

Hemsky and Eberle are likely the top 2 RW on the team going forward (whether Eberle arrives next season or the one following remains to be seen) and there is always a chance Gagner finds himself over here (if/when Hemsky is no longer with the team) if he can't continue to improve on the dot.

Long story short, the need for center's in Edmonton is pretty ridiculous. If the difference between Hall/Seguin is as small as the scouts seem to say it is, hard not to believe that the position won't factor in as a possible tie breaker.

like i said - i'd be happy with either here. probably more NEED for Hall in the system, but either would be welcome.

Wait...what's wrong with Savard? Granted, he may not be the same player for a while after the concussion, but why wouldn't he be considered a #1 center?