Kevan Barlow fan club

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The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Nashville Predators in six games to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1994.

To put that into perspective, in ’94, they played the Toronto Maple Leafs—it’s been an awfully long time since the Leafs were considered a western team.

Before the Canucks look ahead to the Western Conference Finals, let’s first reflect on their win in the Nashville series.

First of all, hats off to the Nashville Predators.

The Preds showed the rest of the NHL that they have a great fanbase and made franchise history by advancing to the second round for the first time.

That being said, the Predators were fighting an uphill battle against a Canucks team that had a cap payroll of 62.9 million, while the Predators had a payroll of only 50.9 million. (The Canucks exceeded the salary cap due to proration and LTIR exemptions.)

That 12 million dollar difference is almost exactly the cap hit for Henrik and Daniel Sedin. 

While the Sedins didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, grabbing only two goals between them, their presence forced the Predators to deploy their best checkers and defence pairings against them.

This opened up room for Ryan Kesler, who took advantage of it to win the series almost single-handedly.

Kesler exploded offensively and scored five of the Canucks’ 13 goals. 

Five of the other seven goals in the series that Kesler didn’t score, he assisted.

Of the four game-winning goals for the Canucks, Kesler scored two and assisted on a third, scored by Daniel Sedin.

Nashville simply didn’t have an answer for him.

If the Predators ever get the budget to spend to the cap ceiling, rather than hovering around the cap floor, the rest of the NHL had better look out.

Moving forward, the Canucks get the better part of a week to rest, as the next round won’t start until the weekend.

These four or five days of rest should be greatly appreciated by a team that’s been battered though a pair of physically challenging series against the Blackhawks and Predators. 

In particular, captain Henrik Sedin seems to be suffering from nagging injury that’s hampering his play. Mikael Samuelsson also has a suspected groin injury and missed Game 6 as a result. Spending a couple of days away from the rink should help.

Whoever wins, both the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings would provide a stiff challenge, albeit in different ways.

The Sharks are bigger and more physical, while the Red Wings have more of a free-flowing skill game. 

While the Canucks have been running roughshod over their opponents physically (they lead the NHL in hits), playing Detroit might finally let the NHL’s best offense open up.

On the other hand, if the Canucks continue playing as they have been, they could relish another tight, physical series if they play the Sharks.

After all, they did win the first two rounds by playing that way themselves.

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As a waiver wire pickup,he’s scored more goals in the last two seasons than Henrik Zetterberg, Patrick Kane and Vincent Lecavalier.

He has never been selected to skate in the All-Star Game, the Olympics or the World Championships.

He’s never been asked by Reebok or Gatorade to endorse sneakers and sports drinks.

He’s not a household name, but he sure plays (and produces) like one. 

He’s Matt Moulson, one of the lesser-known scorers in the NHL. So much so, that one of the beat writers for the Vancouver Canucks misspelled his last name, constantly referring to him as Matt “Coulson,” in a pre-game article.

After being dumped by the Los Angeles Kings last summer, Garth Snow and the Islanders took a chance on Moulson, a former ninth-round (they don’t even have nine rounds anymore) draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2003.

Needless to say, he’s been nothing short of a godsend for this team, netting 30 and 31 goals (respectively) in his first two seasons as an Islander, and, solidifying the top forward line by becoming the perfect winger for John Tavares.

Many “experts” felt that his strong performance in 2009-10 was a fluke, and that surely, Matt Moulson would not repeat that accomplishment.

They could not know just how wrong they’d be.

Moulson has a nose for the net and a knack for getting himself into goalscoring situations. He always seems to be in the right place at just the right time. Some people might say that’s luck, but I think it’s anything but that.

It takes skill and foresight to be able to get into scoring position on a consistent basis. Moulson will do whatever it takes to score, always driving hard to the net on every shift, always thinking of the next move.

He knows where the puck will end up before the first pass or shot fired in the offensive zone.

Since he knows how the play will develop, he makes sure to be on the receiving end. If there’s going to be a rebound, you know Moulson will pounce on it. And if Tavares is going to pass the puck into the slot, Moulson’s sitting their waiting.

That’s not luck, that’s intelligence.

As has become somewhat of a theme for Matt Moulson’s hockey career, there will always be doubters and detractors. If his responses have served as any indication, the more anonymous and unheralded he is, the higher he raises his game.

I think there will be a point in time that people (other than Islanders fans) will finally realize just how talented Moulson is. And I also think, as the players surrounding him become more mature and developed, and as the team continues to improve, Moulson will too.

Follow Daniel Friedman on Twitter and check out NYI Faceoff Circle.

Comments are welcome.

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So far there have been some obvious standouts for Detroit in their quest for the Cup—and current quest to dig themselves out of a 3-0 series hole. 

Pavel Datsyuk has been nothing but pure hustle n’ flow for the Red Wings.  Every time he is on the ice it seems that he is dictating the play and creating time and space for his teammates. 

Jimmy Howard has been (I’m running out of adjectives to be honest…  let’s try..) transcendent in his play and is arguably the only reason the Wings are still standing in their current series. 

He hasn’t stolen any games, but he is making big stops when he needs to.  Anytime your goaltender is making 30 or 35 stops a game he is doing his job.

Lidstrom has proven that he still has plenty left in the tank with his outstanding play. 

But who are the other guys?  The guys playing in the large shadows that the Nos. 13, 40, and 5 cast?  Lets take a minute to appreciate the five guys that are currently playing their butts off and not getting quite enough attention for it. 

Here is Detroit’s five biggest unsung heroes thus far.  In no particular order…

Todd Bertuzzi

Holy smokes!

Was that really Todd Bertuzzi?

You betcha’.  And anyone who has been watching the Wings so far during these playoffs shouldn’t be too surprised.  Todd has been rock solid at both ends of the ice, sporting a plus-1 rating to go along with his 6 points which is good for 4th on the team.

He hasn’t just been a scoring threat though.  He’s also been physical when needed, and even dropped the gloves early against Phoenix while the Desert Dogs were intent on running the Wings off with physical play, helping to set the tone in the first game. 

At that point, Detroit hadn’t asserted itself yet, skating to a tie into the middle of the 2nd period.  Todd’s scrap brought the Joe back to life, and has prompted the home crowd to chant his name on a few occasions since.

If Bertuzzi continues to play with this kind of tenacity coupled with timely goal scoring he will certainly endear himself further to fans, and the Wings will be just that much more dangerous. 

Patrick Eaves

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The depth lines for Detroit have been outstanding through the first round and a half, and Eaves is no exception. 

Pop quiz:  Who is tied for second on the Red Wings in goals scored in these playoffs along with Datsyuk, and Holmstrom??  Bet you wouldn’t have guessed Eaves unless he was in this slide here.  I know I wouldn’t have. 

But Eaves has been a boon on the power play, with all three of his markers coming on the man advantage.  Babcock has never been afraid to experiment with his role guys, and he may be onto something with using Patrick on the power play.

Having him skate along with the top forwards really adds a dimension to the power play, and creates a little extra space for guys like Pav, Hank, and Homer to play their games.  He’s also been very strong on the penalty kill.

Patrick Eaves:  Special teams extraordinaire.  Who would have thought.  Not me, and certainly not the Coyotes or the Sharks. 

Niklas Kronwall

Niklas Kronwall has always been known for stepping up at the blue lines and making huge open ice hits.  A lot of people still remember this gargantuan hit on Marty Havlat from a few years back.

That’ll leave…  a bit of a mark.  Yikes.

During the first round I believe we saw the Kronwall the Wings thought they were drafting with their first round pick in 2000—somewhat of a Lidstrom replacement.  Granted no one can replace No. 5, but Kronwall was supposed to be one of the guys to lesson the blow when he finally retires.

If Lidstrom decides to hang them up this summer I’ll be a bit more comfortable with it now that Kronwall has rounded out his game.  He is still making big hits like this one on Ryan Clowe while playing outstanding in his own zone (he currently stands at plus 5 during the playoffs), suddenly able to pick his spots on both sides of the puck.

It may have taken a little bit longer than expected, but the “Kronwaller” has finally turned into a top pairing NHL blueliner.  He’s as strong with his stick and positioning as he is with his shoulder.

Valtteri Filppula

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This is an odd slide for me to type out to be honest.  If you hang out with me (should you be so lucky!) while I’m watching a Wing’s game, a common phrase you’d hear shouted at least once is a good, hearty “DamnitValtteri!”

When Scotty Bowman departed for the Chicago Blackhawks to hang out with his newly anointed GM son, he claimed that Val had the most raw potential player on the Red Wings roster.  I think we were looking at the same guy, weren’t we? 

I don’t know if he has just been a personal scapegoat of mine, but I feel like the guy just doesn’t tend to make awesome choices with the puck.  He seems to shy away from contact, and is afraid to make the gutsy (risky?) play. 

While Pav protects the puck with his body and finds the trailer, it always seemed like Val was pulling up at the blueline, and either dumping the puck in or making a pass that really didn’t progress the rush down the ice.

He never seemed to have a finishing touch, and was a half-step slower than most of the other players on the ice.

All these perceptions came crashing down on me literally 24 hours ago.  I was sitting at Applebee’s watching the last five minutes of the game, and who was out there stripping pucks, forcing turnovers, and forchecking like his season depended on it—perhaps because it did?

Yeah.  Val.  Good ol’ ‘DamnitValtteri!” suddenly had me singing (writing) his praises.

Players can create identities for themselves in single shifts, especially come playoff time.  I think we are witnessing the birth of the player Bowman saw years ahead of us.  Scotty always did have a pretty good eye for talent.

Danny Cleary

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I can’t come up with enough positive things to say about Danny Cleary.  I’ll write an entire, long-winded, wordy article about it over the summer when news is slow and the playoffs are a fading memory. 

But right this second, he’s going to get his own slide to round out Detroit’s five most underrated players during these playoffs.

It’s because of efforts like this that I believe the Red Wings have a fighting chance to come back and win this series against the Sharks.  Because of plays like this, in times like these, with a player like that.

Can’t ask for much more from a depth player like Danny.  Always standing in front of the net.  Always making an impact somewhere.  He rarely, if ever, is outworked for the puck.  He’s a dog on the backcheck and forecheck, will lay down in front of shots and stick up for team mates.

He is the consummate Red Wing once the playoffs come around.  If I could clone him I’d take six of him.

Cleary has six points, one game-winner, and will be a large part of any comeback Detroit manages to mount from this point onward. 

The best defenders on the other team obviously have to tend to managing the skill of guys like Zetterberg and Datsyuk.  They generally have a harder time making up the gap between their work ethic and Dan’s.

He’s a timely goal scorer who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, when the Wings badly need a goal.  He’s persistent, and commonly sees the payoff in the playoffs.

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It’s official.  The Vancouver Canucks are through to the next round.   They barely escaped a scary Nashville Predators team and many hometown faithfuls were sweating out the final seconds of Game 6 on Monday night.

However, the past is the past.  Championship teams only look ahead to the next game.

The only problem? 

Which team will it be?

A few short days ago the San Jose Sharks looked like the team everybody expected to see this year. They shot out of a cannon to a convincing 3-0 series lead against the aging Detroit Red Wings.  At the time, people were wondering if a beat up and battered Canucks team would be able to contend with a rested and confident Sharks team.

That was until players such as Pavel Datsyuk, Niklas Lidstrom, and Jimmy Howard stood up and seemed to collectively say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

Suddenly, we have a series and no one has any clue how it will play out.

Roberto Luongo was interviewed immediately after their Game 6 win and when they asked him who he would rather play he said it didn’t matter, as long as it goes seven games.

And that really is a mediating factor in all of this.

Regardless of how Vancouver matches up with either of them, if Detroit goes on to win Game 6, it will give the President’s Trophy winners a leg up in the fatigue factor.  Many teams hit the proverbial wall in Round 3 and it’s a long and grueling season. 

Players need all the rest they can get.

Looking at the season series between the teams, the Canucks won three out of the four games versus the Sharks this season and Luongo had a sparkling .975 save percentage in his two starts.  They lost the fourth game in overtime.

At the same time, the Canucks split the season series with the Red Wings, but both of their losses came in overtime as well.

Both Sedins had dominating numbers against both clubs this year.

But does any of this really matter?

By the time the third round of the NHL playoffs kicks off, regular season games played in December and January mean very little.

Both Detroit and San Jose have considerably more offensive depth than the Nashville Predators.  Guys like Clowe, Thornton, and Couture are playing great hockey right now.  Much like the Sedins, Heatley and Marleau are struggling.   Yet, snipers like this do not stay off the score sheet for long.  Sooner or later the big guns come to play.

Zetterberg might not be his usual self, but if he gets the opportunity to play another round it’s quite possible he regains his health in time to put his team into the finals.  Datsyuk is a threat anywhere on the ice, and players like Helm, Eaves, and Abdelkader all have two-way ability.

There aren’t many holes on the blueline or in net on either of these teams either.

Serious questions surrounded Jimmy Howard coming into the playoffs, but he’s answered the bell in a big, big way.   Antti Niemi is also showing why he won the Stanley Cup last season with the Chicago Blackhawks.

At first glance, the Canucks would probably want to play Detroit because it would mean they went the distance in a hard-fought seven-game series with the Sharks.   The Red Wings are the oldest team remaining in the playoffs and they might not have enough left to take on a rested Vancouver team.

A closer look might reveal that the Sharks would be the better opponent.  They have always had trouble in the playoffs and if they need seven games to take out Detroit, their confidence might be shaken once again.  A mentally fragile Sharks team might be the perfect fit for the Canucks.

No matter which way you slice it, it appears as if the Canucks are going to have the advantage either way.

What say you?

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Pavel Datsyuk is one of the main reasons why the Red Wings are still playing
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Pavel Datsyuk has been one of the key players keeping the Detroit Red Wings alive in their series with the San Jose Sharks. Down 3-0, they have won Games 4 and 5 to force a Game 6 in Hockeytown. 

Why has Datsyuk been so effective? He brings stick-handling, speed, and agility to the Wings’ style of play. He hasn’t been a big goalscorer in this series, with only three scored so far, but he’s been a significant contributor in terms of assists, with 10 of them in the playoffs and three in Game 5 alone.

His stick-handling ability is incredible, with him pulling off incredible moves with the stick to keep the puck out of the Sharks’ sticks, allowing him to set up Tomas Holmstrom, who deflected a shot from Niklas Lidstrom past Sharks’ goalie Anti Niemi to score the winning goal for the Wings in Game 5.

Datsyuk’s stick-handling abilities are just dangerous. The way he moves the puck around and sets up his teammates for goals is a big reason why the Red Wings are still alive and kicking in this series. Since he hasn’t scored many goals this postseason, the Sharks may be lulled at points in the upcoming game where they think he will pass the puck, but instead shoot the puck and put one past Niemi.

For Game 6, this ability may prove useful because not only will the crowd be with the Wings in Game 6, Datsyuk will be there doing the same things that helped his team win Game 5. The thing that gives him and his teammates the most confidence is that his spectacular performance came on the road against the Sharks, which is key when the Wings go back to San Jose for Game 7. 

I believe that the play of Datsyuk, goalie Jimmy Howard, Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and others will be enough to have figured out the likes of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton and Anti Niemi and the Wings will pull off the upset and advance to play the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference Finals in what will be one of the greatest comebacks in NHL history.  

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He just was not good enough
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The first round for the Philadelphia Flyers almost ended in an absolute disaster. It took them a full seven games, which included a come from behind win in Game 6, to eliminate the injury-rattled Buffalo Sabres. Missing Derek Roy, losing Jason Pominville and playing with a concussed Ryan Miller, the Sabres really gave the Flyers all that they could.

After escaping by the skin of their teeth, the Flyers had a semifinal rematch with the Bruins. Let’s just say the epic comeback of last season did not see a repeat. The Flyers were outscored 20-7 in the four-game sweep and played like the Flyers of 2007, a season in which the team ended the season with 56 points. One stat that certainly jumps off the table is that the Flyers actually outshot Boston in the series 149-129. The goal differential, in light of the shot differential, highlights the Flyers’ long time problem: goaltending.

GM Paul Holmgren, in what many consider to be the most comical comment of the Playoffs, said, “I don’t think that we can fault our goaltending at any point in this series.”

While he is right that the backchecking amongst the forwards was not as good as it should have been, to not blame your goalies and their collective 4.50 GAA and .877 save percentage is ridiculous. Goaltending is clearly a problem for this team. It always has been, and unless Holmgren can man up and realize it is an issue that needs to be fixed, it may always be a problem.

The Flyers clearly need to get a frontline top goaltender to answer there woes.

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They have tried the Chicago and Detroit track, where you put no money into the goaltender, and it has failed them miserably. There are two star goaltenders in Illya Byzgalov and Thomas Vokoun that are going to be on the open market and will ask approximately $5 million per season. The problem facing the Flyers is how to sign them to a contract. Here is a list of the salaries that they owe to their top-11 players for next season:

Daniel Briere: $7 million

Mike Richards: $6.6 million

Jeff Carter: $6 million

Scott Hartnell: $3.7 million

Kris (crippling trade) Versteeg: $3.1 million

Claude Giroux: $2.75 million

Kimmo Timonen: $5 million

Chris Pronger: $7.6 million

Andrej Meszaros: $4 million

Which contract is the worst for the Flyers?

Matt Carle Kris Versteeg Andrej Meszaros Daniel Briere Submit Vote vote to see results

Which contract is the worst for the Flyers?

Matt Carle

66.7%

Kris Versteeg

33.3%

Andrej Meszaros

0.0%

Daniel Briere

0.0%

Total votes: 3

Matt Carle: $3.8 million

Brayden Coburn: $3.2 million

Total: $52.75 million

Note: This is a list of actual salaries. The cap hit on the contracts is varying in both directions.

With the suspected cap hit of $62 million, the Flyers are left with about $10 million to fill out over half of their roster. This is before they re-sign Ville Leino, their top UFA. Thanks to Holmgren’s short-sighted trade for Kris Versteeg, a deal made without giving up a penny from the current roster, he has left his team in contractual problems that makes the ‘Hawks’ woes of last year look like nothing. The Versteeg trade made even less sense when you realize that they had absolutely no need for another offensive player. It fails me to understand what the Flyers had to gain.

There are two scenarios that may allow Holmgren to sign either Bryzgalov or Vokoun. Either they are able to option a player making a lot of money, like Matt Carle or Brayden Coburn to the minors, or trade them. These guys, especially Coburn, who is an absolute beast on the penalty kill, may garner attention from teams looking for a young and steady defenseman that carries a short-term contract into the new CBA.

The other scenario that may arise, that will allow for the Flyers to sign a goalie, is if the market suffers from the “Turco/Nabokov syndrome.” Essentially, there is nobody on the market that is willing to pay for a goaltender, so you can either accept  a minimum veteran’s salary, or go play for a couple of weeks in Europe before promptly requesting to come back to the NHL, only to be claimed by the least desirable destination in perhaps all of sports. Hmm…

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I do not believe that the Panthers have any interest in re-signing Thomas Vokoun. They have the No. 1 goalie prospect Jakub Markstrom in their system, and since they are in full rebuilding mode, there is no need for a 35-year-old goaltender that will not contribute to any long-term success. The only way I see Vokoun returning to the Panthers is if they give him a big one-year deal. Again, I do not think that this deal would make any sense hockey-wise for either party. 

Bryzgalov is a very interesting case. If the Coyotes end up moving to Winnipeg, he has said that he has no intentions of playing there and will move on from the organization. While he may end up getting swayed by money, he has eliminated one of the few teams that will be in the market looking for a goalie. Also, with all of the ownership issues, it may be difficult for them to organize the funds to re-sign him to an adequate contract, especially with Kieth Yandle becoming a restricted free agent. 

The only teams that I can see actually interested in investing and pursuing a top-notch goaltender are the Flyers, Avalanche, Blue Jackets and Islanders (interested in pursuing a healthy goaltender).

The Flyers are the only ones that actually have realistic championship capabilities and will be a huge draw to any goaltender looking for a new home. So while the asking price may be $5 million, the Islanders may be scared off by paying for another goaltender, the Jackets might think that Steve Mason will remember how to play hockey and the Avs might decide that they can find another one-hit wonder like Craig Anderson and keep their costs as low as they possibly can.

It may be possible with the lack of demand for goalies on the market that the Flyers can get away with a lowball offer of approximately $3 million. While I think Bryzgalov may end up returning to Russia to play in the KHL, it is very possible that Vokoun may bite.  

If these avenues do not work out, the only other option left for the Flyers is to make a trade. The one thing that they most definitely have on their side is a significant amount of assets. While I do not usually like to speculate, the one glaring trade scenario that really seems to work is the Flyers acquiring Jonathan Quick.

As documented as the Flyers’ inability to procure a top-notch goaltender has been, the inability for the Kings to land their much coveted partner for Anze Kopitar has nearly been equally emphasized. The Kings have tried absolutely everything. They have signed Alex Ponikarovsky, traded for Marco Sturm and Dustin Penner and lost out on the opportunity to choke themselves by signing Illya Kovalchuk to an enormous contract.

With the most heralded young goalie in Jonathan Bernier, the Kings should be looking to trade Quick while he still has value on his low contract. Quick is signed for another two seasons at $1.8 mil each. The Flyers can afford this and can also provide the Kings with the top-line players they need. The Kings have an extensive number of restricted free agents to sign, highlighted by superstar Drew Doughty, and the best young third liner in the game, Wayne Simmonds. After all the internal signings are completed, the Kings will be left with approximately only $3 million in cap space to begin the 2012 season.

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With not much flexibility to play around with, it seems the best option for them is acquire to James Van Riemsdyk.

He is on his entry-level contract this season  and will be looking for a big pay hike at the end of the upcoming season. By then, the Kings will be able to afford to pay him the money, with almost $18 million coming off the books at the end of the 2011 season. Ryan Smyth ($6.25 mil), Willie Mitchell ($3.5 mil), Dustin Penner ($4.25 mil) and Jarret Stoll ($3.6 mil), even if re-signed, will be at a discount from what they are currently making. This will free up some money for the Kings. JVR has certainly showed that he is developing into one of the premier power forwards in the entire NHL and is the best asset that the Flyers can dangle to acquire a top-notch goaltender.

While it will hurt the Flyers in the long run to lose a player of JVR’s ilk, the future for this team is now.

With Briere, Pronger and Timonen on the wrong side of 30, this team is built to compete for a championship at this juncture and must sacrifice a little for the future. The future is not completely lost, however, with Carter, Giroux and Richards up front, there is still plenty of talent for the Flyers to continue to score with the best of them.  However, as is always the case, their success is contingent on finding a goaltender, and that is what they need to do. In essence, when Holmgren traded for Versteeg and the addition of his $3 million salary, all he was doing was ensuring he would need to lose a key piece of his future.

It is time for him to admit his mistake and finally do it the right way.

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Homlgren: Go find a goaltender, and do whatever you have to do to get him. Your comments about goaltending not being the problem makes you sound foolish and in denial of the reality.

Who do you think they should sign?

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Once in a 3-0 hole to the San Jose Sharks, the Detroit Red Wings have made things very interesting with two straight wins.
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I should have known better.

When the San Jose Sharks took a 3-1 lead over the Detroit Red Wings 54 seconds into the third period of Game 5 on Sunday, I switched the channel.

After all, through four games Detroit had looked old, slow and tired at times against a San Jose team that appeared to finally get “it” in terms of what it takes to get playoff glory. On Sunday, that same movie was playing again as the Sharks had a 22-9 edge in shots on goal at one point.

Curiously, the Red Wings always seem to play better playoff hockey when I don’t watch them. Which kind of dilutes the point of being a hockey fan at this time of the year. And sure enough, ten minutes later I checked the score online.

Tied at three with around eight minutes left in regulation. Despite being grossly outplayed, Detroit scored two goals in less than two minutes to turn the game, and perhaps the series, a complete 180 degrees.

To put it further in perspective, the Red Wings had six shots on goal in the third period and half of them got past Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi.

That’s an incredible shooting percentage in any league and Detroit has Pavel Datsyuk (three assists and a plus-2) and goaltender Jimmy Howard (39 saves) to thank for forcing Tuesday’s Game 6 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

I should have known better.

The reputation of the great Detroit teams in the late 1990s and early 2000s was that you could outplay them and still lose to them. The Red Wings were that skilled and that smart in making any opponent’s lead unsafe and that philosophy was displayed front and center on Sunday.

This series is Rocky vs. Drago in the modern era. You have the physically superior (in terms of shots on goal and scoring chances) Sharks team trying to find a way to put to bed a Detroit franchise that has been the class of the NHL for 20 years.

Drago punched and punched hard the first three games. Rocky has started to punch back. Rocky knew every time he hit Drago it had to make a dent and Detroit dented San Jose pretty good on Sunday. It’s coming up on the sixth round Tuesday and the first tentacles of doubt are starting to creep in the Sharks’ minds.

“He’s like a piece of iron,” Drago said in one of Rocky IV’s memorable movie quotes. And the Red Wings’ iron will showed through at HP Pavilion. As long as Detroit keeps punching, Game 6 will become Game 7 and then all bets are off after that.

I should have known better.

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It was a tale of two Bay Area teams headed in two very different directions this past weekend.

The San Francisco Giants swept the division-rival Colorado Rockies, while the San Jose Sharks are headed back to Detroit after not being able to close out the Red Wings series in Games 4 or 5 on Friday and Sunday.

Resurgence in San Francisco, and panic an hour south in San Jose.

It’s hard to say which is a bigger surprise in the Bay Area: The Mike Fontenot-led Giants gaining ground in the NL West by sweeping the Rockies, or the Sharks losing back-to-back games for the first time since February.

Coming into this weekend, Sharks’ fans were thinking about the Conference Finals. Now, they’re thinking of a possible Game 7 in the Conference Semi-finals in which pucks can bounce in any direction.

To add more fuel to the fire, Versus analyst and former Shark, Jeremy Roenick, has put Patrick Marleau on blast for “not showing heart.”

I want to disagree with Roenick, but Marleau has zero points in this series. Whether that has to do with heart is up to you.

The comment by Roenick can either fuel Patrick Marleau or cause him to press, and for the Sharks’ sake, I hope it’s the former.

Just an hour north, the Giants may have finally arrived in the 2011 season.

After the Giants’ offensive struggles, the Miguel Tejada issue and recent injuries to both Andres Torres and Pablo Sandoval, the Giants have turned to Mike Fontenot for their resurgence?

Fontenot, paired with a good outing from starting rotation fill-in, Ryan Vogelsong, and timely hitting from Cody Ross on Sunday, has suddenly given life to San Francisco with a sweep of the Rockies, including two walk-off-wins.

It was a weekend good enough, and clutch enough, to get this team back on track while they await the returns of Torres and Sandoval.

Torres is expected back Tuesday.

But two problems have arisen for the Giants, despite a three-game sweep of the Rockies:

Fontenot or Tejada, when Sandoval comes back?

Vogelsong or Zito, when Zito is healthy?

We will have to wait for the answers to those questions.

Despite a good weekend for the Giants, the overall morale of the Bay Area may be a little nervous today.

The Sharks, who on Thursday could not be touched, have been rattled and panic is currently setting in in San Jose.

The story for Game 5: The Sharks could see the Conference Finals in sight after two periods, but playing tight in the third period is no way to move on this time of year, and it ultimately cost them the game and a ton of heartache for the next 48 hours.

After Game 2, there was no way the Sharks were going to lose four of the next five games.

Now, the Red Wings are half-way there, and a Game 7 does not seem too far off.

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Let’s turn back the clock to last year when the Bruins were sitting pretty with a 3-0 series lead over the Flyers in the second round.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Boston gave up the series lead, and were even leading by three goals in Game 7, but blew that one too. This year, heading into Game 4, Boston was once again up three games but weren’t willing to allow history to repeat itself. This time it was personal.

Well not exactly, but they were pretty serious about it.

So on Friday night, at home, the Bruins took full advantage of their opportunity, tallied five goals, and knocked swept the Flyers right out of the playoffs. The game was won and excitement ensued, but there was more than just a Conference Finals berth as a reward.

The Bruins had officially exorcised their demons, so to speak. They didn’t let history, the critics, or anything else stand in their way and showed the world, that they’re serious this time around, serious about making it to the finals—something that hasn’t happened in over 20 years.

Beating the Flyers gave the Bruins the momentum they’ll need against a young, quick, Lightning team with plenty of momentum itself.

Beating the Flyers (badly) proved to the Bruins that they can fight with the heavyweights in the league and come out standing. They have much more experience than Tampa does, and in my opinion, they are far more talented.

As much as I hate the Bruins, I don’t see them losing, or at least going down without a fight. However, winning another four games is one thing. Winning another eight is a completely different story.

The Flyers were a solid team, but they were not Stanley Cup favorites this season. Boston will have to take on one of the Western teams who are some of the best in the biz. They lost to Detroit in both meetings this year, and were shutout by San Jose. They beat the Canucks, so there is still hope, but who knows what could happen in the playoffs.

I’m impressed with Boston so far in this postseason, and they should be too. There is still a long road ahead, but when you put the past behind you, it all seems a bit easier.

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The Lightning and Bruins will be fighting for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final.
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While we await the outcome out West the 2011 Eastern Conference Final match-up is set after a pair of sweeps. The Tampa Bay Lightning knocked out their division-rival Washington Capitals while the Boston Bruins avenged their epic playoff collapse from last year at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, dispatching them in four games as well.

The paths these teams took to get this far as produced some great performances from goaltenders, household names, and new faces. These players are going to have to continue to rise to the occasion in order to get to the Stanley Cup Final. Here’s a look at the ten most important players in this series.

10. Milan Lucic

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Milan Lucic has gotten off to a slow start through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but the Bruins are going to have to get more production out of him in order to match up with the potential that the Bolts’ offense has, even if they’re shooting on Tim Thomas.

Lucic has posted two goals and three assists in 11 playoff games so far, but his production should rise after he notched his first goals in the second round against the Flyers. His great physical stature can really help Boston in its own end by limiting Tampa’s talented forwards to much open ice.

Lucic can have a lasting impact on this series, but he is going to have to pick it up in the scoring column to help Boston the most.

9. Sean Bergenheim

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Sean Bergenheim has fit under the category of surprising playoff heroes, leading the Lightning with seven goals in 11 games. He only had 14 goals all season and the Bolts are hoping he keeps up this torrid pace.

His offensive production has also been a welcome addition considering the absence of Simon Gagne. Gagne was hurt early on in the postseason and has missed most of Tampa’s playoff slate. However, he should be able to return at some point in the third round.

If Bergenheim continues his scoring pace and Gagne is able to contribute coming back from injury it is only going to make the Bolts’ offense harder to stop.

8. David Krejci

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David Krejci was knocked out early in last year’s second round before Boston’s historic collapse against the Flyers, leaving him only hungrier to perform this spring. He has been very production in these playoffs and was instrumental as the Bruins avenged last year’s collapse with a sweep of the Flyers.

Krejci has put up five goals and five assists in these playoffs, including three game winning goals for the Bruins in the second round. It will be interesting to see where his production goes when he faces Dwayne Roloson and not the Flyers’ poor goaltending carousel.

He has scored points in each of the last four games and will be a key factor for creating more opportunities for the Bruins against a good playoff goalie in Dwayne Roloson.

7. Nathan Horton

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Nathan Horton has had to wait eight years for his first crack at the NHL playoffs, and has had a great start this spring. He scored the game winning goal in overtime of Game Seven against Montreal in the quarterfinals to go with four other goals this spring.

He continued his hot play into the Flyers series where he scored seven of his 10 playoff points in just four games. It will be interesting to see how Horton as well as other Boston scorers perform without Patrice Bergeron in the line-up. Bergeron suffered a “mild” concussion when colliding with Claude Giroux in Game Four according to Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli.

Horton has been a great addition as a pure scorer for the Bruins all year long, finishing second behind Milan Lucic in goals. Both forwards need to be on their game in the East Final.

6. Steven Stamkos

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It’s debatable as to where a player like Stamkos should fall on this list, but for this series he falls in the group of players that should be looking to break out more in this series. Like Lucic, Stamkos led his team in goals during the regular season but did not get off to a fast start in the playoffs.

But it is wrong to put Milan Lucic in the same breath as Steven Stamkos. Stamkos scored 15 more times than Lucic this year and owns a Rocket Richard Trophy. His capability to take over a game is clearly more existent than Lucic’s. The Bolts may need him to shine in a few games during this series.

In a series where the Lightning will have to beat Tim Thomas four times, they need their most dangerous goal scorer to really produce. If Stamkos nets five goals, this series is bound to be close.

5. Vincent Lecavalier

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The placement of Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos on this list was a tough call. Lecavalier lands one spot higher because of his Stanley Cup experience and higher numbers so far this spring. The Bolts’ captain is tied for second in playoff scoring list with 12 points.

He scored a few big goals in the Washington series to give the Lightning some separation from the top seed, including the game winner in Game Two. He is riding a four-game point streak that includes three goals and three assists.

The presence of Vincent Lecavalier in the Lightning lineup solidifies Tampa’s solid unit of forwards, even without Simon Gagne. On this relatively young team, playoff experience is huge and Lecavalier has it.

4. Zdeno Chara

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Zdeno Chara is going to have the tall task (no pun intended) of slowing down the potent Lightning offense in all situations. The Norris Trophy nominee has been up to the task of taking care of Philly and Montreal’s offense to the tune of a plus-11 rating in the playoffs.

Chara headlines a unit that has the capability to keep the Lightning at bay in the offensive end. This could not be more clear after the Bruins got past the Flyers in four. Boston only allowed three goals once in the Philadelphia series, a testament to the Bruins’ great defense as well as Tim Thomas.

Chara has the ability to shut down anyone in the league. The Bruins should like their chances if he and the rest of their defensemen can shut down the Lightning for a sustained part of this series.

3. Martin St. Louis

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Martin St. Louis has a legitimate chance to win both the Hart and Conn Smythe Trophies this year. After a 99-point regular campaign St. Louis has jumped off in the playoffs with 13 points, leading the league along with Ryan Kesler, Ryane Clowe, and Pavel Datsyuk.

St. Louis is leading the playoffs in scoring on the most resilient team in these playoffs. The Bolts are riding a seven-game winning streak, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against Pittsburgh and sweeping the Capitals.

St. Louis is the straw that stirs the drink for this Lightning offense and can create opportunities to beat the Vezina Trophy favorite Tim Thomas. He is going to need to be at the top of his game to get enough chances against a stout Bruins’ D as well.

2. Tim Thomas

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TIm Thomas is leading the race for the Vezina Trophy after an off year interrupted his last Vezina Trophy season in 2008-09. He is one of the players this spring that has the clearest potential to steal games, like Game Two of the second round against the Flyers. In an overtime win Thomas stopped 52 of 54 shots in a game where Philadelphia dominated at times.

This series features the top two goalies in the postseason so far. Thomas has posted a 2.03 goals allowed average and has held his composure under pressure. The Bruins are 4-0 in overtime games in the 2011 playoffs, including three in the first round (one being in Game Seven). If Thomas and the Bruins were not such a good team under pressure, these playoffs could have looked very different.

The Lightning are going to have to create a lot of chances and jump ahead early on Thomas to gain the upper hand for the balance of this series. If not, the Bruins are built to play well in close games, as their overtime and overall performance this spring suggests.

1. Dwayne Roloson

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Dwayne Roloson is showing his 2006 playoff form, where he backstopped the Edmonton Oilers to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes. While not having the most notable defense corps in front of him, “Rolo” is leading the playoffs with a 2.01 GAA.

Boston is going up against a goalie that is actually outplaying their Vezina Trophy favorite by the smallest of margins. Moreover, the Bruins are going to be without Patrice Bergeron, who has led the charge with 10 assists in the playoffs. Another thing to consider is how Boston is going from shooting on a goalie platoon that had a collective GAA above 3.00 (Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky) to having to score on the best goalie in the playoffs.

Not only has Roloson given Tampa the chance to be where they are right now, he is the top reason why. He is the early favorite for the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Lightning end up winning the Cup for the first time since 2004. Look for his performance to be the largest individual influence in this series.

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