It All Comes Down To This...

I have said this multiple times, but it does not get any better.

While I counted myself among the skeptics once the 2009 Stanley Cup Final became a rematch of last year's six-game duel between the Penguins and Red Wings, I have been pleasantly proven wrong so far. This series has been downright incredible.

It's easy to pick the obvious storylines--Sidney Crosby's relative ineffectiveness in the first three games to Pavel Datsyuk's noted absence from the Detroit lineup, but the grand scheme is a remarkable one. Series like this do wonders for the game of hockey, and no one in the league office will complain when Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get some more air time.

Last night's Game 6 in Mellon Arena successfully blended together every element of exciting and enthralling hockey. The Penguins were on their heels early in the first period, but after Marc-Andre Fleury's point-blank save on Henrik Zetterberg, the home team settled down. After the first period, the Penguins owned a 12-3 shot advantage. But they had nothing to show for it in a 0-0 tie. Chris Osgood made momentum-halting saves on Ruslan Fedotenko and Crosby late in the first to carry his team into the locker room.

As playoff hockey usually goes, the unsung heroes led the way for the Penguins in this one.

Third-line center Jordan Staal opened the scoring in the first minute of the second period, burying his own rebound on a 2-on-1 rush. It appeared the floodgates would open for Pittsburgh, but Osgood stood just as tall. He stopped Max Talbot's deceptive backhand shot before robbing Bill Guerin on the door step. Osgood's stability between the pipes kept Detroit in the game while they were skating on tired legs.




The Penguins killed off multiple Red Wings power plays and took a 1-0 lead into the third period. Detroit countered hard in the opening minutes, but Pittsburgh's push back was equally strong. And again, the third line was responsible for the game-winning goal.

Matt Cooke took a drop pass from Staal behind Osgood and reversed the puck to Tyler Kennedy, who was waiting on the far post. Kennedy crept in front of the net and stuffed a tight-angle shot behind Osgood and put his team in control with a 2-0 lead.

But the ice would tilt again.

Center Kris Draper cashed a rebound from Nick Lidstrom minutes later to cut the deficit in half for Detroit, and Malkin took a cross-checking penalty soon after. The Red Wings peppered Fleury, but his defense swallowed up multiple shots from the point and effectively cleared the zone four times.

Pittsburgh felt the heat in the final 90 seconds with Osgood on the bench for an extra attacker. Most of the Red Wings' third-period attempts came in the final minutes, pushing hard for the tying goal. Defenseman Rob Scuderi made three straight saves in the crease while Fleury scrambled to get back into the net, leaving Red Wing forward Johan Franzen befuddled.

In theory, Scuderi made more key saves than his netminder, who only faced eight shots in the first two periods. But again, this is what makes playoff hockey both beautiful and chaotic: guys will sell out and do everything to get their name etched on the Stanley Cup.

Friday night, we will know whose names get the honor.

Q & A: Steve Osacky

I sat down with Ohio hockey defenseman Steve Osacky to talk about life in the OU locker room, friendly trash-talking among teammates about the Stanley Cup playoffs, and growing up hockey-crazy Chicago.


Q: Why is the future so bright for the Blackhawks?

Osacky: They're finally on the right track. I guess that's the best way to put it. For a while, there wasn't a lot to look forward to in terms of players or winning or anything like that. There wasn't a lot of energy in the United Center, either. Now, they have young stars like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg to build around.

Q: How has the atmosphere at the United Center changed in recent years?

O: Well, there's a lot more people there now (laughing). I mean, just the energy around the team is totally different. People expect to see the Hawks win, and they want to see the star players on the team, too. When you sell out every night, it makes things more exciting and definitely louder, too.


Q: There are a lot of Pittsburgh Penguins fans on the hockey team. Any other Chicago fans?

O: Few and far between (laughing). There are a couple other guys on the team from Chicago, like Mike Peota and Paul Marshall. I'm probably the loudest Hawks fan, but every now and then you'll see a couple of the guys wearing Hawks gear, even more so now that they're going deep into the playoffs.


Q: How much trash-talking is there among your teammates with the Penguins, Red Wings and Blackhawks all going far into the postseason?

O: A ton. Some guys keep it cool, but for the most part, the Penguins fans are all obnoxious. There are some Detroit fans, like (assistant coach) Stavros and Justin Farmer. Jeremy Browning is a Wings fan, too. But the loudest and cockiest of them all is definitely (former Bobcat) Jeff Jepson.


Q: How bright is the future in Chicago?

O: It's really bright. You look at all of the young talent and guys that have yet to make it to the NHL, there are a ton of good players both on the team and in the system. Now that they're winning again and this year they're doing some damage, hockey in Chicago is only going to get bigger.

A Second NHL Team in Toronto?

I don't usually delve into outside National Hockey League issues, but after withstanding three weeks of Phoenix Coyotes-Jim Balsillie madness, this one is too hard to pass up.

TSN, Canada's sports network leader and American comparison to ESPN, reported today that a group of investors led by Andrew Lopez would hold a press conference in Toronto to discuss its plans to bring a second NHL franchise to the Golden Horseshoe, the Canadian metropolitan hub.

According to the report, the investors have formed a group called the Toronto Legacy Group and the proposed expansion team would boast the same name (without the 'group'). Lopez and his fellow investors have reportedly allocated $1 billion (Canadian) to finance the franchise, as well as help build a 30,000-seat arena on the north side of Toronto.

At some point, the league has to take notice.

For years, commissioner Gary Bettman has spent the majority of his expansion teams on southern U.S. cities, those that have no professional sports teams or would be considered a non-traditional hockey market. I know, the most trite expression in the NHL.

The Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes and Nashville Predators have all experienced severe financial trouble in the past five years, and eventually losing all this money will come back to haunt the NHL. Getting investors in the league that truly care about hockey and that have deep pockets is only a good thing for the game and the NHL--yet for some reason, the Bettman administration does not think the same way.

I understand that these non-traditional market teams are his little project, and he refuses to see them die. But before too long, the losses are going to become insurmountable, and the Phoenix situation is no exception.

Sure, Balsillie is a different guy--he chooses not to abide by the league rules for acquiring a team and uses his multi-billion dollar wallet to do the talking. Using the round about way to buy a team is not a good method to endear yourself to the head honchos, but the BlackBerry founder sure has enough coin to make the NHL listen.

Since when were passion and dedication deemed bad things for people with money? Wise up, NHL, and grant these people their teams before you lose even more revenue.

Best Sights and Cities of the NHL Playoffs

This year's Stanley Cup Playoffs have been staged in some of North America's most beautiful cities. Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal are Canada's finest metropolitan areas, and the locals are crazy about the hometown teams.

South of the Canadian border, great cities such as Boston, St. Louis, Chicago and Washington D.C. played host to playoff games this season. The 16 teams that embarked on the journey to the Stanley Cup on April 15 have been whittled down to two. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings might not play in America's most picturesque cities, but the hockey they have displayed in the first three games of the final has been artistic.

This interactive map, created with the help of Google Maps, will take you around the continent and into some of the playoffs' best hockey cities. Click on the landmark above each city to learn a little more about their hockey team, and take a look at the pictures inside!


View The Best Sights and Cities of the NHL Playoffs in a larger map

Rematch, Anyone?

Who would have thought we would end up here?

Nearly two months after the Stanley Cup Playoffs began in eight cities throughout North America, the same two cities that represented themselves in last season's Stanley Cup final get a return engagement.



The Detroit Red Wings took the easier and quicker path to their second straight finals appearance. Their postseason began with a four-game sweep of the Columbus Blue Jackets, making their first-ever playoff run. It was on to Anaheim and the feisty Ducks, who gave the Red Wings their sternest test of the playoffs so far in a six-game slugfest. Upon advancing to the Western Conference final, division rival Chicago awaited the defending champions.

Poised to make a deep run, the Blackhawks could never build momentum after storming through both Calgary and Vancouver in six games. The 'Hawks young players were ineffective against the Red Wings' battle-tested forwards and after losing goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to injury in Game 3, backup Cristobal Huet could not keep the Red Wings at bay.

Pittsburgh's run to the final included some familiar foes as well as some to the contrary. They opened against their conference final opponents from a year ago--the Philadelphia Flyers. A five-game series win set up a date with the Washington Capitals, and a league marketer's dream: Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin, the game's two best players going head-to-head in a playoff series for the first time. The Penguins won the seven-game showdown with a dismantling in Verizon Center, and moved on to face the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes. The 'Canes looked nothing like the team that had just knocked off the East's top seed (Boston), and were swept by the Penguins.

So, we meet again.

The Red Wings won the first game Saturday night in familiar fashion--solid play from their forwards as well as a handful of key stops from Chris Osgood in the 3-1 win. Pittsburgh's top players must be better in order to keep their team in the series, as Detroit's top guns (minus the injured Pavel Datsyuk) are in top form.

My prediction? A carbon-copy of last year's final...Detroit wins in six games.


Photo credit: jpowers65 via Flickr

The Resurgence of Hockey In Chicago Continues

Hockey in Chicago goes further back than the days of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Denis Savard and old Chicago Stadium.

Those were the glory days of one of the National Hockey League's original six franchises, and they built around Hull--one of hockey's most distinguishable namesakes. But until recently, the Blackhawks have endured a stretch of lean years that has encompassed seven seasons, top-five draft picks and attendance that dipped into the 9,000s in the 22,000-seat United Center.

Now, it is safe to say the lean years have turned into a robust future.

Ohio hockey defenseman Steve Osacky grew up outside Chicago in Oak Forest, Ill., and he and his family are life long Blackhawks fans. They remember some of the good years, a lot of the bad, but are in the midst of their team's impressive run to the 2009 Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings.

"A few years ago, there really wasn't an atmosphere at the United Center," Osacky said. "I mean, obviously we didn't have a good team to go watch, and the future didn't look so good.

"Now, there's a good group of young players that have taken the 'Hawks to another level and it's exciting for the city."

Chicago selected center Jonathan Toews out of the University of North Dakota in 2006 (3rd overall) and then drafted winger Patrick Kane with the #1 overall pick at the 2007 NHL draft in Columbus. The two have not only become good friends away from the rink, but have developed a Hull-Mikita-esque partnership on the ice. Kane flanks Toews on the team's top line, and together, they have electrified hockey fans in the Windy City.




The Blackhawks ushered over 1 million fans into the United Center this year, averaging more than 21,000 fans per game. A major factor to the resurrection of the Blackhawks has been owner/chairman Rocky Wirtz, who took control of the team's operations once his father (William) passed away. Immediately, the younger Wirtz demanded that all of the team's games be broadcast on local cable channel Comcast Sportsnet--unlike previous years when home games were blacked out.

"Just people being able to watch the team has helped a lot," Osacky said. "It was hard to follow them when the games weren't even on TV.

"What Rocky Wirtz has done is great. It's a young team that has benefited from the exposure."

Last year's Blackhawks finished just outside of the Stanley Cup playoff picture, but were one of the league's hottest teams down the stretch. Savard, then the head coach, led a fast-skating and relentless team that many assumed would carry the momentum into 2009.

But they did not.

The Hawks stumbled out of the gate, going 1-3 in their first four games. Savard was fired and veteran NHL coach Joel Quenneville stepped behind the bench after serving a short stint as a pro scout. From there, the team embraced his attacking philosophy and they took off. Chicago finished with over 100 points in the standings and grabbed home-ice advantage with the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

So, is hockey in Chicago "back?"

"I would say so," Osacky said with a smile.

Site Review: HockeyBuzz

Leading the charge of hockey's internet renaissance is HockeyBuzz.com, an interactive, fan-driven Web site that is run by a man hidden behind a veil of anonymity.

Eklund, "the anonymous hockey blogger," is the chief operator and founder of HockeyBuzz, which was begun during the National Hockey League's labor dispute and subsequent lockout in 2004-05. What originally began as an independent blogger's random thoughts and musings has developed into a hockey media giant, and this postseason, HockeyBuzz and TV network VERSUS entered into a partnership. HockeyBuzz writers whose teams are competing the Stanley Cup Playoffs will have their content displayed on VERSUS' official Web site, and will also feature content from rival bloggers as their playoff series go on.

A few years ago, Eklund was hosting his site using Blogger, and now he is the CEO of his own brand and his site brings tens of thousands of hockey fans together under one umbrella. Some blogs by high-profile hockey media members such as Howard Berger (FAN 590 radio, Toronto) and Tim Panaccio (Philadelphia Inquirer) often achieve more than 1,000 comments in their respective feedback sections.

That perhaps is the hallmark of HockeyBuzz: feedback. Not only is the site a world-class hotbed of hockey information and a one-stop shop for the rabid fan, people from across the globe can interact and talk hockey all day and all night, which is what frequently happens. Throughout the regular season and playoffs, fans of every team comment not only on their respective team blogger's posts, but also those of other teams and especially their rivals or game-day opponents.

Few sites can say that they boast the degree of interactivity HockeyBuzz delivers. The NHL has became gradually more welcoming to the blogger as a member of the hockey media, and this revolution is due large in part to the annual growth of HockeyBuzz. Many local bloggers on the site have received full-season press credentials to NHL teams such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators.

But what do people come back to this site for? Rumors.

Rumors, rumors...and more rumors.

Eklund is an interconnected member of many hockey circles and has access to inside information that hockey fans loathe for. During the prime time of rumor season (after the season is over until the following season begins), Eklund provides fans with daily updates of the rumors and scuttlebutt that he is hearing from the many sources he communicates with. Some are far-fetched, others are well-placed, but in the end Eklund rakes in a significant amount of web traffic.

After a site make over last off-season, HockeyBuzz has introduced several unique features to its fans. Salary Cap Central is a feature that allows readers to view each NHL team's payroll structure, and how much money each franchise allots to its players. Contract terms are also available, so fans can see when each player's contract is set to expire or renew.

The Rumor Chart is Eklund's most popular feature. He analyzes the fate of hockey's upcoming free agents, and categorizes their potential destinations by percentages. He bases the percentages on hearsay and rumors he collects from sources while also taking into consideration salary cap situations.

But where does Eklund go wrong? His name.

While HockeyBuzz has developed into a highly marketable Web site that attracts some of the highest web traffic numbers among hockey-specific sites, Eklund's anonymous moniker has fueled controversy amongst his rivals. People have tried to unveil Eklund by scoping around the Web, but his real identity still remains a secret. For this reason, critics have a hard time believing some of the things Eklund writes or comments on--simply becasuse without a face to a name, credibility takes a big hit.

Hockey fans across the world have converged upon HockeyBuzz to discuss their favorite team, talk about free agents or vent about something Eklund or one of his bloggers said. The credibility issue continues to loom large, and the sad part is, the day Eklund reveals his identity (or he's outed) is the day his site begins to suffer. He has turned his anonymous blogger gig into a prime time show, per se.

Without the questions of Eklund's identity or source credibility, this site earns an "A." But for outstanding content, appearance and fan interaction, HockeyBuzz gets an "A-" from 16 Teams, One Dream.

Blackhawks Charge Into Conference Finals

At long last, someone has broken through. In dramatic, captivating and breathtaking fashion, the Chicago Blackhawks are the NHL's first team to advance to the conference finals.

They did so by penetrating Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo for seven goals last night in a 7-5 Game 6 win, securing their conference finals berth in front of over 22,000 fans at the United Center.

Remarkably, this game outshone the one that preceded it--Game 6 of the Pittsburgh-Washington series, in which the Capitals forced a deciding Game 7 with a 5-4 overtime win in Mellon Arena.

But, back to the Blackhawks. The hometown 'Hawks received a sterling hat trick from winger Patrick Kane, and his third goal was a dandy. He went inside-out on defenseman Shane O'Brien, then pitchforked a backhanded shot past Luongo to the far post, putting Chicago up 7-5 with under four minutes to play.

It was bedlum in the United Center.

Many people doubted the Blackhawks, primarily for their abundance of youth and questionable goaltending situation heading into the playoffs. But upon coming back from injury, Nikolai Khabibulin took over the net from a struggling Cristobal Huet and has lifted the Hawks within four victories of a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Yet it has been the Hawks youth that has been the catalyst to their dominant performance. Kris Versteeg, Adam Burish and Jonathan Toews also scored for Chicago last night, and other young players such as Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland and Cam Barker have been outstanding thus far in their team's deep playoff push. Their top defensive pairing of Duncan Keith and Seabrook has been matched up against the opposition's top players night in and night out, and did a wonderful job against Vancouver's twin killing, Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

Now, they play the waiting game. Game 6 between the Ducks and Red Wings takes place tonight in Anaheim, and the Ducks must win to keep their season alive. The last time these two met in Southern California, the Red Wings dropped six goals and coasted to a series-tying win. If Detroit prevails, the Blackhawks will meet their Central Division rivals for the Western Conference crown. Should the series extend the Game 7, it's just more rest for the battle-weary Blackhawks.

-On tap for tonight....

-Carolina and Boston tangle in Raleigh for Game 6, and the Hurricanes can pull the daddy of all upsets with a win. A Bruins victory would send the series back to Boston for Game 7 this weekend.

-Detroit and Anaheim meet for Game 6 in California. The hard-checking, fast-paced series spills over to SoCal, and the Ducks need to win or else tee times will be made in short order.

Picture Slideshow: The Stanley Cup Playoffs

Photo Credits (via Creative Commons & Flickr):

clydeorama, AxsDeny, Ayres no graces, steveleenow, phillenium1979, Falling Heavens, justin henry

Thanks!

Penguins Fan Levies Death Threat on Ovechkin

Contrary to what it may seem, this is not an Alex Ovechkin-exclusive blog.

But when things seem to unravel one after the other, the information is worth bearing.

Just before the Capitals dispatched the Penguins in Game 2, a 17-year old from suburban Pittsburgh posted a death threat on a Penguins message board aimed at Ovechkin. Perfect timing, eh?

And now, once the news comes out (of all places, ESPN), the Penguins fan base takes a respectability hit--hours after they put on a gutsy performance winning Game 3 last night.

This from ESPN.com hockey analyst Scott Burnside:


ESPN.com
Archive

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh police and the NHL's security office have investigated a death threat made against Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on a Pittsburgh Penguins fan message board

The post, reportedly written by a teenager from Chambersburg, Penn., said: "I'm killing Ovechkin and I don't care what happens to me."


The Penguins immediately informed local police, as well as the NHL and the Capitals.


"We were notified of the message and immediately turned over all information to the authorities," the Penguins said in a statement.


It is not known if criminal charges are pending, but officials don't believe Ovechkin was ever in any real danger. Ovechkin was aware of the threat, but did not comment when the incident was first reported by a local television station in Pittsburgh. The Capitals star has been escorted by police while in Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference semifinals series, which Washington leads 2-1.


"We are aware of it. NHL security was contacted and worked with local law enforcement in handling the matter," NHL spokesman Frank Brown said Thursday.


"We became aware of an inappropriate comment on a message board and referred it to appropriate authorities," the Washington Capitals said in a statement. "We appreciate their diligence and have every confidence in our club's safety."


Ovechkin, the NHL's leading goal scorer, has five goals in the first three games of the NHL Eastern Conference semifinal series against Pittsburgh. He scored the game's first goal during Washington's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3 on Wednesday night, hours after the threat was posted.

The Capitals and Penguins play Game 4 in Pittsburgh on Friday night. The series continues in Washington with Game 5 on Saturday night.

Scott Burnside is an NHL reporter for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

OV Sings Along

In yet another chronicling of my undying love for Alex Ovechkin, check out this YouTube snippet.

After scoring his hat-trick goal late in Game 2, he takes part in the celebration song:




Great stuff as usual from the Great 8.

Does It Get Any Better?

Quite honestly, no.

Last night's Game 3 tussle between the Penguins and Capitals was not only dramatic hockey theater, but a gut-wrenching playoff game. The Pittsburgh fans had waited for two days to welcome their team back to Mellon Arena, after falling behind in the series two games to none.

Most of their frustration was pent up at Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin, who's seventh goal of the postseason put the dagger in Pittsburgh's comeback hopes late in Game 2. He has been a nearly unstoppable force for Washington so far in the playoffs, and not even the Penguins' top defensive pairing of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi has been able to contain him.

Rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov, at the tender age of 21, has taken over the net for the Capitals and hasn't looked back. A gluttony of remarkable saves kept his team in the game early in last night's Game 3, and coupled with Ovechkin's quick tally in the first period, Washington went into the dressing room after the first period ahead 1-0.

The first goal seemed to unnerve the Penguins, who came out in the second period buzzing. They threw everything in Varlamov's direction, but the rookie sensation stood tall. Back-t0-back saves on Ruslan Fedotenko and Evgeni Malkin a goal-mouth sequence appeared to be deflating for Pittsburgh, but they built momentum with an odd-man rush from Fedotenko and Max Talbot. Fedotenko's second goal of the playoffs tied the game on a funny bounce off defenseman Milan Jurcina's skate, and Mellon Arena came to life.

But in the end, the story of Game 3 was the resurgence of center Evgeni Malkin. Teammate Sidney Crosby has done most of the goal scoring for Pittsburgh in the playoffs, and Malkin has endured criticism in the media for his disappearance in the current series. Until last night, it had been a battle of Crosby vs. Ovechkin, something the league is reveling in.

Malkin's power-play goal with just under five minutes remaining in the third period sent a charge through The Igloo, but the Capitals, who had led for most of the first two periods, would not go away. Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis took an interference penalty with 2:38 left, and Nicklas Backstrom banked a rebound of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, sending the game to overtime.

In the overtime, the two teams exchanged scoring chances until midway through the period when the ice began to tilt. Malkin put on a stickhandling display and undressed the Capitals defense, leading to another scramble in front of Varlamov. The rookie repeled all the Penguins' chances until Kris Letang's shot from the blue line after a faceoff win.

The puck glanced off Capitals defenseman Shaone Morrisonn before it reached Varlamov, who had no chance to react to the shot. With the victory, the Penguins slowly climbed their way back into the series, now trailing 2-1. Game 4 is tomorrow night back in Pittsburgh, and the Capitals hold the cards.

A strong effort and win from the Capitals puts the Penguins on the brink of elimination, and the Caps could knock out the Pens in D.C. Sunday afternoon. If the home team holds serve again (as has been the case in the series), it's a tied series and all bets are off.

On tap tonight:

-Game 4: Vancouver at Chicago, 8 p.m. (VERSUS)--Can the Blackhawks even the series, or will the Canucks and Roberto Luongo head home to Vancouver with a chance to advance?

--Game 4: Detroit at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. (VERSUS)--The Ducks have been the better team in this series as the 8th seed. Will the defending champions have a response after getting a quick whistle late in Game 3, or will the upstart water fowl put them on the plank?

PREDICTIONS:

1.) Chicago 4, Vancouver 2

2.) Detroit 3, Anaheim 2 (OT)

Photo Credit: clydeorama (Flickr.com, Creative Common)
http://search.creativecommons.org/#
Some rights reserved.

Inside Look: Light the Lamp

There are quite a few hockey blogs to browse, but some stand out. Whether they stand out for content or appearance, their effectiveness keep you coming back.

Light the Lamp is one of them.

The owner of the site is a die-hard Columbus Blue Jackets fan, and he updates up to three times per day. And it's not just Blue Jackets-related content, either. Light the Lamp discusses a wide array of hockey topics, and "LTL" (as he's known on the site) always injects his opinion.

By the way, his opinion is pretty damn strong, and pretty damn convincing.

Light the Lamp has all the elements of a successful independent blog. The header is attractive and eye-catching with a snappy logo. The content is listed in chronological order and each post enables comments and feedback using a Blogger ID or an e-mail address. LTL has quite the following, and people respond to what he has to say.

He makes use of many multimedia elements, as well. There are visual links to YouTube and Vimeo videos and enables a new poll every week. LTL also has his site's official Twitter feed uploaded to the sidebar, where he advertises for the R Bar (a popular Columbus hockey bar) and the Jacket Backers--the official fan/booster club of the Blue Jackets.

What is most interesting about LTL is his passion for the sport and the Blue Jackets. In each of his posts, the reader is easily engaged because his language is exciting and the content is appealing to hockey fans.

The site also features a lot of fan-submitted photos that LTL displays regularly. It is another avenue through which fans can express their opinions and interact with the site owner, which makes people more apt to visit the blog. Coupled with his own submitted pictures, it makes for an interesting dynamic that goes beyond typical blog posts and comments.

And if fans get itchy for the next Blue Jackets game or team-related event, LTL has a prominent "countdown banner" at the top of the home page, directly beneath the logo. The countdown is up-to-the-second, so if you can't wait until the puck drops again, just watch it tick away.

Once the hometown Blue Jackets were eliminated from the playoffs last week, LTL began analyzing the rest of the playoff matchups. They are fairly popular among his readers and the information he provides on each team is exceptional. It is clear that LTL is a knowledgeable hockey fan, and he gets the point across concisely.

In summary, Light the Lamp is one of the best hockey blogs on the Web. Few blogs can efficiently encapsulate the many elements of popular Web sites, but LTL comes awfully close. The videos are pertinent and timely, the comments provide constructive feedback and opinion, and the content he submits is top-notch.


OVERALL SITE GRADE: A

The Next Step

Two weeks have passed, and the Stanley Cup Playoffs have reached the second round. Eight teams are done, and eight remain in their journey toward sports' ultimate prize.

So, what did we learn from round one?

The Columbus Blue Jackets, hockey's lone remaining playoff virgins, were eliminated in four games by the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. We learned in this series that the once-beatable Red Wings have hit the extra gear, and are now firing on all cylinders going into round two against the Anaheim Ducks. The Blue Jackets didn't go down without a fight--game 4 in Columbus was one of the most exciting and enthralling playoff games in recent memory. Columbus rallied twice from two-goal deficits pull even at 5-5 heading into the third period.



Goaltenders Steve Mason (Columbus) and Chris Osgood (Detroit) were stellar in the final frame, and an unfortunate mishap doomed the Blue Jackets. They were called for too many men on the ice with 1:36 left in the game, sending the Red Wings' league-best power play on the job. Johan Franzen scored with 46 seconds left, and the Wings advanced.

We also learned that the Vancouver Canucks are in top form, sending the St. Louis Blues off in four games. They draw the feisty Chicago Blackhawks next, and will no doubt have their hands full.

Finally, we learned that breezing through the regular season is NOT the formula for success in the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks, winners of the President's Trophy for the league's best record, were ousted in six games by in-state rivals Anaheim. In the process, their potent offense looked pedestrian and All-Star goalie Evgeni Nabokov looked human.

The NHL gets what it has been waiting for--Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin in round two. The high-flying Penguins and loose cannon Capitals will meet in the second round, marking the first time Crosby and Ovechkin have gone head-to-head in a playoff series.

It should be a dandy.

A Little Gamesmanship in Philadelphia; Penguins Advance

We all know how the Flyer faithful can be obnoxious. For once, something they've come up with (other than the Orange Crush) that isn't either annoying or stupid.

One of hockey's best players, Sidney Crosby, is once again locked in their crosshairs as the Penguins have dominated the Flyers and take a 3-1 series lead back to Pittsburgh tonight. Should the Penguins win Game 5 tonight in Mellon Arena, it will be the second consecutive season that the Flyers have been embarrassingly eliminated by their in-state foes.

And they did.

On a Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, the home-standing Flyers raced out to a 3-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. All was well in Flyerdom, and all the Flyers had to do was play simple, straight-ahead hockey for the final 40 minutes and they would be going to Game 7.

Then, Daniel Carcillo happened.

But first, some background.

The Flyers acquired tough-guy and figher Carcillo from the Phoenix Coyotes on the day of the trading deadline (March 4). They sent Phoenix one of their promising young players in Scottie Upshall for Carcillo, who has never been known to possess the best brain in the NHL.

With his team leading and in total control of the game, Carcillo decided to fight Maxime Talbot of the Penguins, and it completely changed the game. The Penguins bench came alive, and shortly after the fight Ruslan Fedotenko popped in a loose puck in the crease to get Pittsburgh on the board, trailing 3-1.

Mark Eaton joined a rush with Tyler Kennedy just minutes later, batting a puck out of mid-air past Flyer goalie Martin Biron and cutting the once-large Flyers lead to 3-2. Sidney Crosby also batted the puck out of the air to tie the game at three, silencing what was a boisterous crowd in the Wachovia Center. The two teams went into the second intermission deadlocked at three, when it seemed a certainty that Philadelphia would need just one more period of strong hockey to even the series.

Wrong.

Sergei Gonchar rifled a slap shot past Biron early in the third period to give the Penguins their first lead of the game at 4-3. The Flyers, with only minutes left to save their season, gave their best punch to the reigning Eastern Conference champions, but Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was sensational, making key stops on Mike Richards and a ten-beller on Joffrey Lupul late in the third. Crosby's second goal of the game was scored into the empty net to seal it.

So, another series down. Who's left?

--Washington and New York will tangle for Game 6 in NYC today, and the Rangers will be without their head coach John Tortorella, who was suspended for throwing a water bottle at fans in D.C. last week.

--The Devils and Hurricanes meet up for Game 6 of their quarterfinal series, with the Devils looking to close out with a win on the road in Raleigh.

--The Blackhawks dominated the Flames in Game 5 tonight at the United Center, leading 3-0 after the first period and going on to win 5-1. They can advance to the second round with a win in Calgary tomorrow night.

--Anaheim's surprising run took a hit last night, as they fell 3-2 in overtime to a desperate San Jose Sharks team. The Ducks still lead the series 3-2, and can also advance with a win on their home ice tomorrow night in southern California.

Does it Get Any Better Than This?

Of course, you've heard the phrase countless times. But for those who have closely followed the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, can you disagree?

Every series, regardless of games won or lost, has been wildly entertaining.

Let's start with the past weekend.

The Flyers-Penguins series has been just like any battle of the Keystone state rivals--bloody, brutal and relentless. Both teams entered the league in 1967 and have met up on many occassions in the playoffs.


Perhaps the highlight of this series so far has been the hit by Chris Kunitz on Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen. In the words of a wise man, he got "erased."

Take a look:



It's hits like these that set the tone for not only the game at hand, but future games in the series. The Penguins didn't win this one (game 3), but they came back two nights later to win game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Pittsburgh, and should they win tonight, they will advance to the second round of the playoffs.


The Washington Capitals missed a golden chance to even their series with the New York Rangers last night, but were shut down by a seemingly impenetrable Henrik Lundqvist in goal for the Rangers. Capitals rookie Simeon Varlamov turned in another strong performance in goal, but a fumble on Chris Drury's shoot-in led to the eventual game-winner. The #2 seed Capitals go back home to D.C. in a sudden-death situation, down 3-1 to New York and on the brink of elimination.


Wednesday's game 4 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames was one of this postseason's most spirited contests. The Flames squeaked out a 6-4 win on home ice in the Saddledome, thanks to Eric Nystrom's game-winner with just over six minutes remaining. Calgary jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second period, but the Blackhawks responded by scoring three of their own in the seven-minute span to tie the game, capped off by Sami Pahlsson's power play goal late in period. The bruising, nasty series now goes back to Chicago for game 5, and there will be 22,000 ruckus 'Hawks fans ready to explode.


On the docket tonight:

--The Penguins look to eliminate the Flyers at home.

--The Blue Jackets look to stave off elimination from the Red Wings in game 4.

--Anaheim looks to extend its 2-1 series lead over the top-seeded Sharks in SoCal.

--New Jersey looks to rebound from a last-second loss and regain the series lead over Carolina at home in Newark.