It looks like the Hollywood scriptwriters are moonlighting for the NHL in the Stanley Cup playoffs. At least that what it seemed like tonight with two phenomenal game sevens between the Capitals and the Rangers and the Devils and the Hurricanes.

In Washington the Capitals looked tentative through the first two periods of the game, and the Rangers were the better team through 40 minutes. However, after a lucky goal by Semin in the first period tied the game 1-1 the Rangers' inability to score goals continued to haunt them. The Caps hung around and the game stayed tied until late in the 3rd period, setting the table for late game heroics by veteran Sergei Fedorov. Fedorov rushed down the right wing, cut back and whipped a wrist shot high short side over Henrik Lundqvist's glove. Ovechkin, who looked listless most of the night, summoned all his energy to come flying across the ice and take Fedorov down with a bear hug. (Obviously he never saw the footage of Radulov taking out Jason Arnott last year.) The Caps hung on for the 2-1 win and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1998. The win, coupled with Carolina's victory in New Jersey, sets up a dream match-up against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby, Malkin and Gonchar vs. Ovechkin, Semin and Green. Buckle your seat belts! This could be the best playoff series in years.

In the other game 7 in New Jersey the action was even better. The two teams went toe to toe right from the drop of the puck, and the Devils took advantage of their home ice to head into the third period nursing a 3-2 lead. Brodeur looked on top of his game, and with their experience and stifling defensive system the Devils looked like they would hold on to advance to round two of the playoffs. Well, perhaps the hockey gods wanted to see a Pittsburgh/Washington series as much as the rest of us because they intervened with 1:20 left in the third period. After a strong cycle, Carolina finally managed to open up the back door play, and Jussi Jokinen snapped the puck under a stretching Brodeur to tie the game. Before the Devils could recover from the shock Eric Staal came flying down the wing and snapped the puck far side past Brodeur with just 32 seconds left to give Carolina a 4-3 lead. Carolina managed to overcome a desperate Devils flurry to win the game and advance to the second round. All of the Devils have to be absolutely crushed by the way the game played out, but perhaps none more so than John Madden who twice led two on ones late in the third and both times fired the puck right into Cam Ward's chest. Had he managed to score on either one it is almost certain the Devils would be celebrating right now instead of booking tee times.

With the victory Carolina will advance to play the Boston Bruins. The Bs were the Beast of the East all season and rolled easily over Montreal. However, Carolina has been hot down the stretch and have a number of veterans from their 2006 Stanley Cup run. Should be a hell of a series folks. Round two action starts Thursday night. Can't wait!

 

written by admin \\ tags: Alexander Ovechkin, Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Staal, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Sergei Fedorov, Stanley Cup Playoffs, washington capitals

As the curtain gets ready to close on another NHL regular season most of the media focus continues to be on the games superstars. Players like Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Martin Brodeur scoop up the lion's share of the headlines, and rightly so. Their incredible level of play puts fans in the seats and money in NHL coffers, and hockey fans everywhere continue to be mesmerized by the on-ice (and sometimes off-ice adventures of these talented stars). But skating in the shadows of these giants there is a second tier of stars, their contributions nearly forgotten as they labor in relative obscurity. With this article I will attempt to shine a little light on these often ignored warriors, and give them the kudos they deserve. Here are some of this season's silent stars:

Shane Doan - Phoenix Coyotes - The captain of the Phoenix Coyotes is the very model of consistency. Game in and game out he seems to bring his A game, and so far this season has put up a respectable 30 goals and 69 points. Coach Wayne Gretzky absolutely loves this guy, and for good reason. Doan is reliable in any situation, and is the definition of an all-around player, scoring, hitting, fighting, killing penalties - basically doing whatever is asked of him. However, though the media and the fans might not give Doan the credit he deserves, he certainly doesn't go unnoticed by hockey brass around the league. Don't be surprised to see Steve Yzerman name this guy to Team Canada's 2010 Vancouver Olympic Team.

Jamie Langenbrunner - New Jersey Devils - Unless your name is Martin Brodeur it is pretty tough to get any media recognition as a player for the New Jersey Devils. For years the Devils have made a name for themselves as one of the most balanced teams in the league, a team without a bona fide superstar (beyond their goalie) and one that gains success by getting contributions from all 4 lines every night. Players like Patrick Elias and Travis Zajac could easily have made this list, but my pick is yet another unheralded team captain: Jamie Langenbrunner. Langenbrunner, at the age of 33, is having the best offensive season of his career, and so far has picked up 64 points in 76 games. His +24 rating isn't too shabby either, and he has proven his leadership abilities beyond dispute. Though the Devils have been on a slide lately, with Langenbrunner's leadership and his penchant for scoring clutch goals Brent Sutter's Devils should be poised to do some damage in this spring's NHL playoffs.

Nicklas Backstrom - Washinton Capitals - Though Alexander Ovechkin, Mike Green, and even Alexander Semin dominate the headlines in Washington, Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom has quietly had a brilliant sophomore season, and currently sits 11th in the league in scoring with 82 points. Now, critics might argue that his point total is so high because he plays on a line with Alex Ovechkin - a fair argument. However, I would counter by saying that Ovechkin's numbers are as good as they are because he is playing with Backstrom. Backstrom's slick passing ability the shot-happy Ovechkin finds the puck on his stick in prime scoring areas on a regular basis. Yes, Backstrom will always dwell in the Great 8's shadow, but don't be surprised to see this guy put up a few 100+ point seasons along the way.

Todd White - Atlanta Thrashers - Yes, there are NHL players in Atlanta not named Ilya Kovalchuk, and despite the Thrashers miserable record, a few of those players are having pretty darn good seasons. One guy who is dwelling in obscurity in Georgia this year is another 33 year old having a breakout year - centerman Todd White. Though no one has seemed to notice White has put up an impressive 70 points so far this season, the highest total of his career. White, always known as a solid 2-way player during his time with the Senators and the Wild has definitely found the offensive side of his game, and his outstanding effort on a mess of a team like the Thrashers deserves to be applauded.

Ray Whitney - Carolina Hurricanes - This guy has spent his entire career overlooked and under-appreciated. Whether it was with the San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets or the Carolina Hurricane, most seasons this talented winger scores at nearly a point a game clip, but few seem to notice or care. This season, at 36 years of age, Whitney is doing the same, with 71 points in 78 games. Those 71 points rank him first on the Carolina Hurricanes, ahead of team superstar Eric Staal. Whitney fits the mold of players like Marc Savard and former teammate Cory Stillman, who've put up points consistently throughout their career, but never seem to get the respect they deserve.

Loui Eriksson - Dallas Stars - Talk about a guy having a breakout season. Loui Eriksson, after rookie and sophomore campaigns that saw him score 6 and 14 goals respectively, has really come into his own this season, and his 34 goals have been a pleasant surprise to everyone in the Dallas Stars organization. Though many of his Dallas teammates have underachieved and the team is poised to miss the playoffs, Eriksson's breakout year will give him valuable confidence going forward. If Eriksson and rookie teammate James Neal can continue to improve look for the Dallas Stars to show a dramatic turnaround next season.

These are but a few of the NHL's underrated players. Feel free to leave your own list of unheralded hockey stars in comments.

 

written by admin \\ tags: Jamie Langenbrunner, Loui Eriksson, Nicklas Backstrom, Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, Todd White