By Guest Blogger Alan Zlot:

So what were you doing on the third Saturday in May at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time?  Perhaps you woke up, decided the weather was too good to pass up and worked in the yard. Maybe you took the kids to the park.  You’re single with no kids or a spouse you say. Great, then you were either recovering from Friday night, at work or headed out to do something with your friends.  If you’re reading this up north, perhaps you were at the Preakness or headed to a party.

Whatever your situation, why would you be at home in the middle of May on an early Saturday afternoon watching a hockey game?  Haven’t we all just spent the last six to seven months doing just that, staying at home for most the last 26 weekends because of the weather, or because there is nothing to do outdoors until the middle of spring?

Apparently, hockey fans, NHL’s Gary Bettman and NBC ‘s Dick Ebersol thinks that is exactly what you did, or should have been doing, yesterday.  Watching the NHL at 1:00 p.m. on a Saturday in May. Even the most die-hard hockey fans may have a hard time watching at this time slot.

The geniuses at both the NHL and NBC decided that showing Game 4 between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning in the middle of May on Saturday afternoon was a good idea for hockey. This is not the first time this spring that this exact scenario has occurred.  I’m sure the three goal comeback by the Lightning would have done nothing to show new fans how exciting the NHL can be.

FOX Sports, which regularly shows baseball games on Saturday afternoons in the summer, waited until primetime last night to show a useless interleague battle between the Yankees and Mets.

The NHL can cause you to scratch your head at times, specifically Gary Bettman.  I know that networks usually have the final say, but after a recent 10-year marriage was announced with NBC, surely the NHL thought differently about yesterday’s decision and surely they could of done something about it.

In April, the NHL signed their most lucrative television contract in league history with NBC and the Versus network. While the 10-year, two billion contract looks great for the NHL, the truth is, it only looks that way/ When you sit back and examine the deal, yesterday’s decision concerning game time does not seem all that hard to believe.  It is funny what the word ‘billion’ can do to influence one’s perception.  The new TV agreement is not that great when you consider the length of the deal and the lack of exposure the league will continue to be crippled by.

The NHL has the best playoff product of any of the four major sports and watching NBC use yesterday’s game as a prelude to the Preakness was, well, horse-spit.

Decisions like yesterday’s and more importantly, the new TV contract leaves me wondering if this is it in terms of popularity for the NHL.  Many boasted that the new TV deal was great for the NHL.  Yes, the money was significantly more, but if you look into the crystal ball, a lot more could have been had.

In my mind, the NHL blew it. Pure and simple. TV deals require foresight by smart people and again the NHL’s commissioner, Gary Bettman, proved he is not that person. The NHL has failed to market the best crop of players since the Gretzky era. The Bruins are an Original Six team, and the Bolts have a few superstars flying around the ice.

I know somewhere in the league’s office, some intelligence exists. Last June, the NHL had the foresight to extend their labor agreement by one season.  The owners agreed to sign an extension because they knew they could be the only sport playing in the fall/winter of 2011-12.  The players agreed because they knew that the owners were set to ink the new TV deal, which could be used as a bargaining chip for more money in the next labor negotiations.  If you thought the negotiations for the last labor agreement, which led to the loss an entire season, were ugly, just wait until after next season.

I am not sure how many of you knew this, but Donald Fehr is the executive director of the National Hockey League Players Association.  Google his name and get back to me if you can find the expression ‘labor harmony’ and Donald Fehr in the same sentence.

However, let me point out that the NHL’s agreement was not extended because the current version is working so well. It is being extended because there are so many issues that need to be worked out.  It would be an impossible task to have completed the negotiations before the original September 15, 2011 expiration date they were facing.

Even though the NHL drove up the price of this TV deal, who was really laughing last? Did they really sell the notion that they could be the only sport playing next fall?  ESPN and Fox were a part of the bidding. Couldn’t the NHL have allotted the games to a series of networks, similar to that of NASCAR or the NBA?  The league plays almost 2,500 games per season. There are  enough of them to go around and every major television market in the United States has a solid fan base.

Currently, the NHL receives about $80 million dollars a year in TV money.  The new deal will pay the league $200 million per year. That is a great deal for a league like the NHL, you say. No, it really is not when you look at some of the other sports.  The MLB’s latest contract is worth $3 billion per year, for only seven years. That works out to $428 million per year.  Ok then, what about comparing apples to apples.

Let’s look at the NBA. They have the same number of teams and play the same schedule during the same time of year.  It’s no contest, the NBA makes $930 million per year for all of its broadcast rights, a figure that makes the NHL look like the minor league commissioner that runs it.

Here is what really bothers me. NASCAR has 36 races and a TV deal worth an estimated $473 million per year — or twice what the NHL receives per season. NASCAR is broadcast over five networks and even their secondary series, the Nationwide series, has more exposure on network television than the NHL.

The new deal promises at least 100 games will be televised during the course of the season.  NBC, which was the mastermind behind the Winter Classic, will now bring you games the day after Thanksgiving and possibly games on Christmas day to compete with the NBA on ABC.

Well there it is more coverage than ever before. Again, not so fast.  This past season, Versus telecast 78 regular season games with NBC telecasting 13 more games for a grand total of 91 games.  Increasing to 100 games is only a whopping nine more games per season. So do not be fooled by the 100 in the advertising next year.

This TV deal and decisions like yesterday’s time slotted telecast are embarrassing to real hockey fans and leave no hope for the expansion of a sport that many simply need to be exposed to just once.  A game like yesterday that saw the Lightning come back from three goals down could have been a start for a new hockey fan.  That exposure is not going to come in the form of a Saturday afternoon contest leading up to horseracing or a Sunday game leading up to Bull Riding, golf or extreme sports.

Hockey is a major sport being run by a minor league commissioner. Repeatedly Gary Betman has shown he has no ability to prioritize what is best for the NHL.  It is funny watching Bettman squirm around the whole Winnipeg-Atlanta situation. He and the league have gone all in with Glendale, Az. and the Phoenix Coyotes, so all Bettman can do is watch and hope. You can bet your sweet hockey stick the commissioner does not want the Thrashers to move out of Atlanta. It would be another blow to Bettman and what he feels is a major part of his legacy as commissioner in the NHL.

I love hockey, and it is a good thing that there is no turning back for me. I am a Washington Capitals fan living in Florida, following the NHL.  Can you imagine how frustrated I must be?

You have seen the commercials advertising the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on the Versus network. They show various moments throughout the history of the NHL playoffs of teams winning a playoff series or a game in that series.

They tell you the story of how improbable the win was or why this team made history in the particular series they are showing.

Following their 4-3 Game 3 loss in Tampa, the Washington Capitals need something, anything, so that “history can be made.”

Washington is looking for a hero.

Who on the Capitals will be Dave Roberts stealing second base in Game 4, in the bottom of the ninth inning of the ALCS? Which superstar will be Frank Reich coming off the bench to lead them to a victory after trailing 35-3 at the half?

It may be time to go back to being a southpaw. Yes, they say you must stick with what got you there, but if what got you there is no longer working? Then what?

In Rocky II (yes, I’m desperate), while training for the rematch with Apollo Creed, Micky asked his fighter—the Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa, a born southpaw—to improve his right-handed punch in hopes of throwing Creed off his game in the rematch.

Apollo was indeed confused, similarly as we Caps fans were when the Capitals began to play defense as much as they did from mid-December on through the rest of the season.

The offense disappeared and the opposition could no longer score against Washington.

Caps head coach Bruce Boudreau said his team would be better for the change in the style of play come playoff time.

They would be a more rounded team in the spring and the adversity of losing and then learning how to win again in the new system would pay huge dividends come playoff time.

The Caps successfully stuck with their right hand for the final five months of the season and into Round 1 against the NY Rangers.

Despite scoring 99 fewer goals, Washington managed to win the Eastern Conference for the second straight year and scored a five-game knockout of the Blueshirts in the process.

Washington sacrificed offense and goal scorers like Alex Ovechkin sacrificed personal accomplishments. Everything was on track until they Caps were struck by Lightning.

In Round 2, the tables are now more than turned; they are upside down with the legs off, and now would be a real good time for Ovie and company to show what all of that adversity taught them during the transition period this past season.

It is the Tampa Bay Lightning frustrating the Capitals with a 1-3-1 defensive zone trap. Washington looks stymied, stonewalled and confused on the ice. The Capitals could not have picked a worse time to lose their first game in regulation this season when scoring three or more goals.

The Caps were 39-0-3 in the regular season when scoring three or more goals in a game and 2-0 so far this postseason.

It is the Lightning that is killing penalties like the Capitals did all season long. Sure, the Caps scored a power play goal tonight, but it took a two-man advantage to do so.

Boudreau needs to change something, anything at this point 

The Capitals have faced elimination after the first three games of a playoff series just three other times in franchise history. They were swept by the Boston Bruins in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals and won Game 4 before being knocked out in Game 5 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000.

Only seven teams in the history of the NHL have come back to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 in the series. Only three actually won that Game 7.

Last year in the second round, the Philadelphia Flyers trailed the Boston Bruins 3-0 in games and after coming back to force a Game 7, trailed 3-0 in the first period before mounting what many consider the greatest seven-game comeback in the history of any sport.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks almost duplicated the feat in Round 1 this year against the Vancouver Canucks.

After coming back to tie the series, the Hawks lost in overtime of Game 7.

The Caps and Lightning are playing out a version of their own “Freaky Friday” role reversal in this series.

The Caps, who were 29-1-2 during the regular season when leading after two periods, surrendered not one, but two third period goals in Game 4 against Tampa.

The Lightning were one of the worst third-period teams in all of hockey this season. They were a minus-24 scoring just 64 goals (27th in league) while allowing 88 (fifth worst).

In the post season, Tampa is a plus-4 and the Caps are a minus-1 in the final stanza. In fact, the Bolts have scored the most goals of any team (12) in the final 20 minutes during the playoffs.

Michael Neuvirth, who stood on his head in the opening-round series against the Rangers, has now allowed three or more goals in his last three starts.

He has made many big saves but he has not been close to being as good as his “elder,” Dwayne Roloson, at the opposite end of the ice. The wrist shot that beat him for the tying goal was a shot Neuvirth should have had.

Granted, it came off the stick of sniper Steven Stamkos, but Neuvirth was not ready. The puck should have been cleared to begin with, but Eric Fehr could not execute the task.

Downie avgerages 11 minutes per game but leads Bolts in scoring in playoffs 

His defense, which protected him as if he was precious gold inside Fort Knox against the Rangers, again committed turnovers in their own zone leading to Tampa goals. Sloppy irresponsible play is the only way to describe the tying goal.

On the go-ahead goal, Karl Alzner was caught at his blue line trying to play (trying is the operative word) a loose puck and John Carlson simply got beaten to his own net by Ryan Malone for the tap in goal.

Sloppy and unacceptable is the best way to describe the entire scenario that was the third period. Tampa came back to outshoot Washington 15-5 in the final 20 minutes.

While the Capitals have no one to blame but each other, they can still give this the old college try. You know the cliché, one game at a time. That game had better be tomorrow night as this may actually be a big break for the Caps.

Back-to-back playoff games may favor Washington with a younger nucleus.

The Lightning were again outshot in the contest. Tampa has now been outshot in all 10 of its postseason games in 2011. The Bolts are 7-3 in those games, and have now won six straight playoff games.

They also own a seven-game postseason winning streak over the Capitals dating back to their 2003 series, in which the Caps won the first two games only to lose four straight.

Nothing to this point matters anymore, including how Washington got to this point or why the Caps cannot win consistently in the playoffs. All that matters now is that Caps must simply win one game.

We all know that Nicklas Backstrom has disappeared, their grinders are schooling our grinders, Dwayne Roloson is standing on his head and apparently Alex Ovechkin wanted to make sure he could not do that anymore by trying to chop it off.

We also know about the mental mistakes. How big was the too many men on the ice penalty that disallowed a Washington goal in Game 3?

What about the lack of an organized functioning power play and the simple fact that the Caps look like they are playing a game in January, with no sense of urgency?

The “if necessary” part of the playoff schedule is more than in the rear view mirror of the Washington Capitals express; it is driving the vehicle.

If the Caps lose tomorrow, the only thing that will be necessary is for the Caps to pack their bags and, here it comes, wait till next year.

Someone from the Washington corner had better tell the boys that it might be time to turn southpaw again, if just for a night. The Caps must change something because the game plan of playing better defensively in the playoffs is out the window right now.

Only goals will save the Capitals now. Michael Neuvirth may find himself out on an island tomorrow night and let us hope he can play it like Darrelle Revis, shutting the opposition down.

The Bjork look-a-like- may have to be prepared to face 40 shots and he may have to stop 37 or 38 of them in order for the Caps to win.

The Caps must pinch from the blue line, cheat down deep and everything else they did to score the most goals in the league last year.

Boudreau may even consider sitting Neuvirth in favor of Braden Holtby or Semyon Varlamov. Holtby did come up big for the Caps in a 2-1 shootout victory in relief of Neuvirth back in March against the Bolts and in Tampa.

Whatever happens tomorrow night, either the Capitals must be prepared to take the necessary steps and make the necessary changes to start to make history, or they will become a part of it.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have swept just one other team (Montreal Canadiens) in their franchise history.

How unlikely is it that the Caps can pull this off? Two hundred-eight teams have led an NHL playoff series 3-0. Two hundred-five of them have gone on to win the series. The time is now for someone in the corner to have the Caps switch back to southpaw.

By Guest Blogger AlanZlot:

The Washington Capitals will face-off tonight in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 22^nd time in franchise history. If you know the Washington Capitals then you know all about their tumultuous playoff history.

Eight times in their tortured history, the Capitals have led a playoff series by two games and lost the series. Last year as the President’s trophy winner the Capitals became the first No.1 seed to lose a series to an eighth seed after leading three games to one.

Therefore, you must excuse me if this sounds like broken optimism heading into this year’s playoffs. I must admit that while I have predicted the Rangers to win the series on a few other sites, I will use this opportunity to find a way to show what the Caps can do to win.

To start with, the Rangers owned Alex Ovechkin and Co. this season. The Blue Shirts took three of four from the Caps and blasted them 15-1 in the final three games.

The Rangers are eerily similar to what Washington faced in last year’s first round. The Montreal Canadians struggled to get into the playoffs but played well down the stretch.

While no team played better hockey than the Caps down the stretch, the Rangers were 11-4-1 in their final 15 games and posted a 7-2 record against teams currently in the playoffs.

Goaltending:

The Canadians beat the Caps with a historic goaltending performance from Jiroslav Halak and the Rangers posess one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist shut the Caps out twice this season and led the NHL with 11 total whitewashes throughout the season. If he gets hot, then he is capable of winning a few games on his own. Lundqvist plays a style that gives the Caps fits. He stays back in his net and is very quick going side-to-side. This takes away the give-and-go’s Washington loves to employ deep in their zone.

Lundqvist is is 6-4 with a 2.73 goals-against average against the Caps in the Boudreau era. This includes two seasons where his goal against average versus the Caps was well above three.

The Capitals will apparently try to platoon rookie Michael Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov. While Varlamov battled injuries, Neuvirth battled his consistency. Despite the fact that he set the Caps single season rookie record with 27 wins, he was never able to full claim the No.1 spot.

Neuvy has plenty of playoff experience in the American Hockey League as he won two Calder Cup’s with the Hershey Bears. He was named playoff MVP two years ago but it remains to be seen if the 21-year-old can parlay AHL playoff success into NHL playoff consistency.

Varlamov has played 19 post-season games for Washington and did show he could handle the bright lights when he replaced Jose Theodore against these same Rangers two years ago. In that series, the led the way in net allowing the Caps to rally and win after being down three games to one.

Each has a knack for allowing the “soft goal” and each showed that knack several times down the stretch. One has to wonder how much confidence either has knowing that Boudreau never named a No.1 guy this season.

Edge: King Henrik and the Rangers

Defense:

The Capitals recorded their best defensive season in franchise history. Washington set franchise records in goals against average (2.33) and goals allowed (191). Led by a mix of youth and experience the Caps are very effective at operating the 1-2-2 trap.

More than likely, Washington will head into the playoffs with Mike Green who has missed 20 games with a head injury and while he may not be in game shape just yet, his return will help bolster an already effective unit but depleted one to say the least. Led by rookie John Carlson and veteran Scott Hannan, the Caps did not miss a beat in Greens absence.

Karl Alzner and last year’s NHL plus-minus leader Jeff Schultz are consistent players that execute the system well for head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Washington does not carry an edge over New York as the Rangers ranked right behind the Capitals allowing just 2.38 goals per game. The Rangers have one of the best young blue liners in the game in 24-year-old Marc Staal. The third Staal brother in the NHL pairs with 26-year-old Dan Girardi as both put in about 25 minutes per game.

The Rangers youth continues with rookies Michael Sauer and Ryan McDonagh. While they have turned in good first seasons how they perform on the big stage  in the NHL playoffs remains to be seen.

Edge: If the Caps get Mike Green, Tom Potti, and eventually Dennis Wideman back then the edge is not a close one. However, with Lundqvist in net and the uncertainty of the health at the blue line for Washington, a slight edge must go to New York.

Forwards:

The Capitals scored 99 less goals this season than did last season and team captain and leading scorer Alex Ovechkin finished with 26 less goals and 21 less points than his career averages. Washington boasts on paper, at least, the better offensive weapons.

Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin are all world players that can explode at any given time. Backstrom has been impressive in his past playoff performances with 30 points in 28 games.

Semin, as he tends to do during the regular season at times, has disappeared in the second season. He has just eight goals in 28 playoff games and failed to score one in last year’s first round collapse.

The Capitals will need to crash the net and Mike Knuble has been hot doing just that lately. Knuble finished out the season on a tear with nine goals in his final 13 games. Lundqvist can be frustrated in his own crease and Knuble is the man for the job.

While the Caps have star power, the Rangers still ranked higher than the Caps offensively this season. New York tallied six more goals than the Caps did and were led by Brandon Dubinsky who notched a career high 54 points. The Rangers also have Marian Gaborik who is the kind of player that can bust out in a post-season. He scored 22 goals and finished with 48 points this year.

The Rangers took a huge blow last Monday when they lost their second leading scorer Ryan Callahan. Callahan broke his leg in the Rangers comeback victory of the Bruins on April 5. The Rangers are still missing their team Captain Chris Drury, who has played in only 23 games this season because of finger and knee injuries. He has been out since undergoing knee surgery on Feb. 11.

The loss of Callahan is a series changer for Washington but keep in mind he missed 19 games in the middle of the season and the Rangers still managed to post a 10-7-2 record without him.

Edge: With the Great 8 and the star power the Capitals have, the edge must go to Washington. Without Callahan, the Rangers could be in more trouble than they care to admit.

Special Teams:

The Capitals were the second best penalty-killing unit in the NHL this season. The Caps power play that ran away with the No. 1 ranking last year, struggled mightily this year. The Capitals went from November 26 until March 9 without scoring multiple power play goals. The 43-game span was a franchise record.

Washington did show signs of extra man life to close out the season. The Caps were 5-for-10 in their final four games of the season. The Capitals finished the season ranked 16^th with the extra man converting 17.5 percent of their chances.

The Capitals were 27-3-4 when it scored a power play goal this past season and 14-0-2 when it scored one but did not allow an extra man tally.

The Rangers power play looked top notch at times but it looked anemic through some stretches where it just could not score. It finished 18th at 16.9 percent, but it showed some improvement after they acquired Bryan McCabe. The penalty-killing unit ranked in Top 10 (83.7 percent) and their 11 shorthanded goals ranked among Top 5 in the League.

Edge: Penalty killing is more important than power play goals in the playoffs. However another 1-for-33 performance from the Capitals and they will once again be watching from the golf course after the first round. This edge goes to Washington.

Intangibles:

Something has to give in this series in terms of which team bucks the following trend.

The Rangers were a better road team than home team this year. New York won 58 percent of their games away from Madison Square Garden and just 48 percent when playing in it.

The Capitals were the best team in the Eastern Conference at home and second best team in the NHL when playing at the big phone booth in DC.

The Capitals will need to start fast in this series and must play Game 1 as if it were Game 7. Washington cannot afford to get behind in the series or in Game 1. However, the numbers indicate the Caps will do just that and with Lundqvist in goal, they can afford to play catch up.

Washington scored just 54 first-period goals this season and only the Edmonton Oilers scored less in the opening frame during the year.

However, Washington was an NHL-best 15-11-3 when they trailed after the first period and were 23-19-5 when allowing the first goal, also best in the NHL.

This stat catches up with teams this time of the year. I wonder, with last year’s result and the miserable playoff history of this franchise, can the Caps psyche handle falling behind early?

As the No.8 seed, the Rangers are playing with house money and have virtually nothing to lose as heavy under dogs in the eyes of many experts. The pressure sits squarely on the shoulders of the Capitals and Bruce Boudreau in this series.

Edge: With nothing to lose and only house money on the line, this edge goes to New York.

Coaching:

The Rangers have a coach in John Tortorella that won a Stanley Cup back in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He asks a lot from them and they deliver. Tortorella demands a tough physical style of play, one suited for the playoffs.

Bruce Boudreau’s teams have been incredible in the regular season, as he has won almost 62 percent of his games. He took over a last place team in the middle of the 2007 season and has since won four straight division titles. His work during the regular season has been second to no other NHL head coach over the last four seasons.

Boudreau’s players also delivered for him as he completely got his super star laden team to buy into his defensive trapping style of play.

However, coaches are judged in the NHL on what they accomplish in the second season and Boudreau has not done much. His teams are 1-3 in game sevens and won only one playoff series in four tries.

Expectations are incredibly high in Washington, and Boudreau’s job, rightly or wrongly, could be in jeopardy if the Caps fail this year.

Edge: One Stanley Cup to none equals edge to the Rangers.

I am a huge Capitals fan and want very badly to pick the Capitals. I am leaning New York in seven games but I will leave it this way with my last breakdown of this matchup. The Capitals must either do or prevent the following four things in order to win this series.

1. Win game one. Whoever starts in goal could get hot by simply winning the first game. The confidence the Capitals can gain as a team could erase last year quickly.
2. Lose Game one. If they lose game one by more than two goals or lose after leading at any point then the head games could begin in the Caps locker room, especially after last year.
3. Get to three goals. The Caps were 39-0-3 when scoring three or more goals this season.
4. Washington must not convert less than (17.5 percent) what they are converting right now on the power play. If the Caps fail miserably once again with the extra man, they lose the series.

Two years ago, the Rangers had Washington on the brink of elimination and led the opening round series three games to one. They allowed the Caps to battle back and win in seven games.

The Rangers won both Games 1 and 2 in DC and then would essentially fall apart in losing the series. That Capitals were an end-to-end let it all hang out gunslinging bunch of goal scorers as they scored 15 goals in their four wins.

These Capitals are a defensive-minded bunch that does not score goals like that anymore. Let us hope that all of their hard work in transforming into a better playoff team pays off starting tomorrow night.

Good luck and “Rock the Red” Caps fans. This will not be as easy as many experts are predicting and if I am wrong and the Caps roll past the Rangers in five games, then this could be the start of something special. LET’S GO CAPS!

By Guest Blogger AlanZlot:

It took until the last scheduled game of the NHL regular season to complete this year’s Stanley Cup playoff picture, but it is fair to say that after last year’s tournament, no one should be counted out.

The final team into this year’s field was last year’s champion, the Chicago Blackhawks. On Sunday, the Detroit Red Wings allowed the Dallas Stars a chance to steal the eighth and final playoff spot with a win over the Blackhawks at Joe Louis Arena.

With their destiny in their hands, the Dallas Stars lost to the Minnesota Wild 5-3, allowing the Hawks to sneak back in to the playoffs. The chase for the Cup begins Wednesday with five opening-round matchups scheduled to take place.

This season was one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory. In the Eastern Conference, just 14 points separates the No. 1 seeded Washington Capitals and the No. 8 seeded New York Rangers. Since the 2000 season, only the ’08 playoffs (10 points) had a closer point margin separating the top and bottom seeds.

The Vancouver Canucks dominated the Western conference in winning this year’s Presidents Trophy as the NHL’s top team in the regular season. Vancouver finished with 117 points and will take on the Blackhawks in the first round.

Since the All-Star break, the West proved to be a gridlock of playoff hopefuls as teams like Dallas and Calgary were in and eventually out of the final playoff spot for much of the second half. Just eight points separate the No. 2 seed and the No. 8 seed and that number was as low as five in late February.

While everyone else is still pondering how a 21-year-old blew a shot at a green jacket on Sunday, it is time for hockey fans to get down to business.

Can the Canucks become the fourth team since 2001 to win the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup? Will Alex Ovechkin and the new-look Capitals finally “Rock the Red” into June? Who will be this year’s version of last year’s seventh seeded Flyers?

The First round is sure to please so here are my predictions for the teams that should advance into May and possibly beyond.

No. 2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 7 Buffalo Sabres
One word looms large in Philadelphia this morning: goaltending. The Flyers lost 10 of their final 15 games and blew a 10-point lead, coughing up the No.1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference.

Six of the losses came after regulation and guess what, hockey fans—last year’s Flyers also lost 10 of their final 15 games and went on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Sabrescame from behind to beat the Flyers on Saturday in overtime, earning a playoff berth. But they did so with with an energy that will be hard to sustain for a long playoff series.

Ryan Miller is capable of stealing a game or two in this series. I would not be surprised to find the Flyers down two games to one after the third game. With that said, the Flyers are too deep and will be getting Chris Pronger back.

The Flyers are four lines deep and six defenseman solid. That was part of their secret in last year’s postseason.

Flyers goalies Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher were a combined 46-23-12 with 2.50 goals against and a .915 save percentage. Philadelphia’s head coach Peter Laviolette won a Stanley Cup with rookie Cam Ward and Martin Gerber back in the ’05-06 season.

Laviolette will figure this situation out and while the goaltending in Philadelphia may not be enough to win a Stanley Cup this year, it is enough to beat the Sabres in seven games.

No.3 Boston Bruins Vs. No.6 Montreal Canadiens
If you like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em robots and old time hockey, then this will be your series. Fate has a funny way of rearing its beautiful head at times in life and sports, and this is one of those instances.

Whichever team you root for in the NHL, it will be hard not to watch the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadians play in what could be a first-round classic.

There are more side stories to this series than there was during the Tigers Woods fiasco. This will not be a series for the faint of heart. If you do not like fighting in your hockey than this is not your series.

There is still the yet unresolved “little” issue of the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty in the minds of the Habs. Will blowing a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2 last spring be a motivator or a haunting memory for the Bruins?

Those are just two of the stories amongst many in what should be a hard fought series. Unfortunately, I look for this to be a hard fought, but short series.

Although the Habs won four of the six regular season meetings, the Bruins have a better balanced playoff team.

The Bruins are one of the best five-on-five teams in the playoffs and no playoff team has scored fewer goals at even strength than the Canadians. This is the major reason why Montreal will force a physical series. Only three teams in the NHL finished in the top 10 on both the power play and the penalty kill: Vancouver, Tampa Bay and Montreal.

In the end, even after a game that will feature 200-plus penalty minutes, this year’s Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas will outshine Carey Price in Montreal’s net.

Price has been up and down over the last month and took a beating in the last Habs-Bruins contest. Price surrendered five goals and was pulled at 4:29 into the third period.

If Game 3 in Montreal becomes a two or three-goal affair for either team, then lookout, hockey fans, it could take two hours to play the final 10 minutes.

The Bruins will win the only original six matchup in this year’s first round and while it will not be as easy as their four game sweep over the Habs in the 2009 playoffs, it will be not be much harder.

I like the Bruins in a “physical series” and I like them in five games.

No.4 Pittsburgh Penguins Vs. No.5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma sported a fedora reminiscent of the Toe Blake days in the NHL during this year’s Winter Classic. Blysma’s coaching job this year was also reminiscent of the greats like Toe Blake and even Scotty Bowman.

After losing Sidney Crosby and then Evgeni Malkin, many thought the Penguins would drop as Rory McElroy’s confidence did yesterday on the back nine at Augusta.

Instead, Bylsma, just like a US Marine, overcame and adapted. He continued to preach the system of defense he was running and got the most out every player on his team. Bylsma will win coach of the year honors.

Led by Marc-Andre Fleury, the Penguins still managed to record the second most regular season points in franchise history with 106. They play a tight and quick defensive style that forces turnovers and creates chances.

The Lightning are back in the postseason for the first time since 2007 and have not won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2004.

One of the best top lines in all of hockey leads the Lightning. Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis combined for 76 goals, 114 assists and 190 points.

The home team won both games this year and this series comes down to one thing: Which team will win the third period? The third period will be bigger in this series than in any other for these simple facts.

With a 0-19-1 record, the Pens are the NHL’s worst team when trailing after two periods. The Lightning surrendered 88 goals in the final stanza, fifth most in the NHL this year.

This series is a tough call, but I like the Bolts’ ability to get out front more than I like the Penguins’ ability to come from behind.

Lightning net minder Dwayne Roloson will not outplay Marc-Andre Fleury, but the 41-year-old netminder will be good enough to propel Tampa Bay to a tough Game 7 victory.

After what Pittsburgh gained in having to overcome all their adversity this year and with many players called up from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, if the Pens remain healthy next season, then look for them to be the favorites to win next year’s Cup.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No.1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No.8 Chicago Blackhawks

On paper, no team looks more impressive than the Canucks. They are No.1 in almost every important category: goals per game, fewest goals against, power play and penalty killing percentage, regular season standings, home record and road record.

So how will the Blackhawks beat the Canucks? They won’t and it will not even be close.

The Hawks are tired and worn out. Since 2009, Chicago has played a lot of hockey. They played 164 regular season games, 39 postseason games and if you throw in the Olympics, in which many key Hawks players played in, exhaustion is more likely what this team suffers from.

The Blackhawks will be back next year after a well-deserved rest. Sorry Hawks fans, this could be a sweep, but for the sake of the defending champions, I will say Vancouver wins in five games.

No. 2 San Jose Sharks Vs. No.7 Los Angeles Kings

For the first time in NHL history, all three California teams have made the postseason. The all California first-round matchup between the Sharks and Kings will have a hint of old time hockey. The series will physical and hard fought.

The Sharks were 3-1-2 vs. LA this year but only outscored the Kings by an 18-15 margin.

The playoffs are all about defense and so are the LA Kings. The Kings finished seventh in goals against and were fourth best at killing penalties. They do not score much and if Sharks goalie Antti Niemi starts to have visions of his run last year in Chicago, then LA’s season could be over fast.

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick seems to have the makings of being able to bust out in this year’s playoffs after being hammered by San Jose last year. However, he has no support in front of him, as Los Angeles is the worst offensive team in the post season.

Quick was not good last spring with a 3.50 goals against average and .884 save percentage in six games. He will be better this spring and will probably be better than Niemi.

The Kings offense was already anemic with Anzei Kopitar and Justin Williams. Now that both will be out, to me there is no way the Kings can win this series.

Quick and a stout LA defense could win two games, but look for San Jose not to repeat their misfortunes of two years ago when they lost in the first round to another California team.

In 2009, the Anaheim Ducks knocked the Sharks out in the first round after San Jose won the President’s trophy with 117 points that season. If they were healthier I would pick them, but they are not, so it is San José in six games.

No.3 Detroit Red Wings Vs. No.6 Phoenix Coyotes

After a thrilling Game 7 Red Wings victory over the Coyotes in the opening round of the playoffs last season, these two teams will do it again.

Both teams come into the first round in less than stellar fashion. The Wings have lost seven of their last 11 games and Phoenix has not been much better, losing three of their last four.

The Coyotes were in the middle of the pack in both goals for and goals against this past season. They were below average in penalty killing, ranking 26th, and not much better with the extra man, ranking 23rd in the league.

Without a prominent goal scorer, the Coyotes relied on balance. Phoenix had one player hit 20 goals this year (Shane Doan) while 10 Coyotes scored 10 or more goals last season.

Being a balanced and deep team may help the Coyotes in this rematch and if Henrik Zetterberg, who has already been declared out for Game 1, cannot return for the remainder of the series, the dessert dogs may just be able to pull the upset.

If Ilya Bryzgalov can post his career numbers in the playoffs (23 G, 2.23 GA .925 SP), then Phoenix wins. But that is a big if.

Without Zetterberg in Chicago for the season finale, Pavel Datsyuk showed just how valuable he really is. After all, this is the Detroit Red Wings and this is their 20th straight trip to the postseason.

Yes, health and age are issues, but that is the definition of experience in the NHL playoffs

Over that 20-year span, the Wings have exited just four times in the opening round that is once every five years if you are keeping score at home.

The last time the Wings lost in the opening round was five years ago to the Edmonton Oilers. Therefore, they are overdue for a first-round exit. Well, it will not be this year; the Wings will prevail once again and once again in seven games.

No.4 Anaheim Ducks Vs. No.5 Nashville Predators

They say defense wins championships and if that were the case in every scenario, then the Nashville Predators are the hands-down favorites to win the Cup this year.

The problem is, Nashville does not score and the difference in these two teams philosophies would be like comparing Charlie Sheen’s morals and scruples to Mother Theresa.

The Ducks have this year’s Rocket Richard Trophy winner in Corey Perry, who netted 50. Let us also not forget about the ageless 40-year-old wonder, Teemu Selanne.

Selanne had his best season since 2007 with 31 goals and 80 points. Nashville’s leading goal scorer is Sergei Kostitsyn, who had 23 goals this season. Kostitsyn and Martin Erat led the Preds this year with 50 points. That would have been good enough for fifth in Anaheim.

The Predators have everything you could ask for from a team to win a Stanley Cup defensively. They simply do not have enough on offense. Of all the playoff teams, only the Kings ranked lower during the regular season in terms of offense. While I do agree that defense does win championships, you still need some offense.

This is a notorious looking David Poile team. For many years in Washington, Poile assembled teams that were very good defensively, which translated into good regular seasons.

The lack of offense come playoff time killed the Capitals and hence their current reputation. With Poile at the helm and Barry Trotz on the bench, Nashville will meet the same fate as many of those Caps teams did.

Nashville may jump out to a 2-1, or 1-0 series lead, but once Anaheim is adjusted they will fly right past the Predators and win the series in six games.

Log in later today to view my Washington Capitals Vs. New York Rangers in depth preview.  I will break down each team and tell how and if the Caps will do this year what they could do not do last year, win as a No. 1 seed.

With the NHL and NBA playoffs beginning next week, here’s a look at how they compare:

Advantage: NHL

SCHEDULING:  The pace of the series schedule is pretty consistent with the pace of the games: hockey is faster than basketball. Hockey pretty much plays every other day (with occasional days off thrown in for television purposes). Basketball series, meanwhile, usually take longer to complete (although it’s getting better lately). Plus, for some reason, every NBA playoff game is nationally televised, so that puts a limit on the number of games that can take place in one night. Yes, it would be great to see every NHL playoff game, but it’s worth the sacrifice to keep the current structure.
Advantage: NHL

SEEDING: In hockey, the division champions get the top three seeds in the each conference, and the other five teams are seeded according to their standings points in descending order. The league added a great tiebreaker this year that gives more weight to non-shootout wins. In the NBA, a non-division champ can hold home court over a division winner if they have a better record, which is ridiculous. It pretty much takes away any reason to win your division.
Advantage: NHL

A Guest Blog By Alan Zlot

Please somebody pass the butter, the Washington Capitals are officially on a roll. The Capitals won their fifth straight game last night by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in a skills competition the NHL calls a shootout.

The Caps sailed into the Sunshine state and right into the perfect storm, a storm that saw their ship rise instead of sink. Washington arrived in Florida one point behind the Lightning for first place in the southeast and just six points behind the Flyers for the overall lead in the eastern conference.

With 17 fathers and two brothers along for the ride on the annual “Mentor Trip,” the Caps sail back to DC with all four possible points, in first place and now sit just two points behind the Flyers for the No.1 seed in the east.

The Capitals continue to defy experts in winning games ugly and without the benefit of scoring a ton of goals in the process. Many of those same experts are beginning to concede that the Caps are a different team and one that could do some damage in the playoffs with this new defensive style of play.

The Caps have surrendered just eight goals over their last five games and are getting stellar goaltending play from Michael Neuvirth and last night Braden Holtby. Holtby was magnificent in relief of Neuvirth, who did not start the second period after taking a shot off the mask early in the first period.

There was no update from Bruce Boudreau today about Neuvie’s condition, or Nicklas Backstrom who left the game with a hand injury.

“Right off the bat he comes in and there’s a power play,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Holtby. “I think he has three great chances. Gagne had a fabulous chance and when he saved that, you knew he was going to be on. If they had scored on that first or second shot, whatever it was, he could have said: ‘Man it’s my first game back in three weeks.’ But it didn’t and he’s a competitive guy. That’s why we’re happy we’ve got three good young goalies.” (Washingtonpost.com)

The Capitals have been the cardiac caps this week. They are tying and winning games very late in the third period and into overtime.
Last night Alexander Semin tied the game with 5:32 remaining and Ovechkin scored the only goal of the shootout in gaining the extra point and the win. On Sunday, Semin again scored but this time in overtime, beating a Panthers team that outplayed the Caps for much of the game.

Last Thursday against the Blues, Jason Arnott tallied the game winner with just 5:19 remaining in the game. Brooks Laich scored the latest goal of the third period in this recent nail biting heart-thumping run. Laich scored with just .48 seconds left in the game and the Great 8 won it in overtime.

The Caps won that game in overtime when Alexander Ovechkin traveled the length of the ice, deeked a few defenders, and beat a stunned rookie goalie for the win.

Washington has averaged just two goals per game in their last nine but they are getting points from their top players once again. Ovechkin has 18 points in his last 15 games and is currently riding a five game point scoring streak.

The other Alex has been MVP like in the last week. Alexander Semin has six goals in his last ten games, scoring the game tying and game-winning goal in consecutive nights.

Need more proof that Semin is a strong candidate to be Caps MVP this season ( I can’t believe I said that), Washington is 16-0 when he scores a goal. He has seven goals (two hat tricks) and nine points in just four games against the Bolts.

Last night against the Lightning, Semin’s multiple curl and drag shot that beat Bolts goalie Dwayne Roloson, was simply magnificent.

Roloson was well on his way to becoming the third goalie in the Capitals 36 year history to shut them out three times in one season, but Semin stepped up and beat the 41-year-old net minder to tie the contest.

“I was more worried that Roloson was in a zone,” Bruce Boudreau said. “I’ve played against him too many times and when he gets in that zone, no matter what happens, he’s impossible to beat.” In case you were wondering, Tommy Salo and Ken Dryden were the others to accomplish the feat.

The Caps were lucky last night at times but when you play defense as they do, luck is the byproduct of working hard in the corners and along the boards. Washington does those two things consistently, and does them well.

Washington caught a break on a goal that was disallowed because the referee said Caps net minder Braden Holtby was interfered with. If you saw the replay then you know Washington got lucky with the call.

Luck is allowing the first goal on the road and coming back to win. Luck is also beating a team that is 25-2-1 when leading after two periods, which the Lightning was prior to last night’s contest.

Washington also works hard in overcoming those stats. They won their 20th game of the season when allowing that first goal (20-16-4) last night. They also did not allow the Lightning a shot on goal for the final eight minutes of the game. They earned their victory last night and they got lucky too.

There is also some luck attached to the fact that the Lightning and Flyers lost four games in a row at the same time. However, Washington did their part by taking advantage of that lucky break. They won the games that have allowed for these “capital” gains in the standings.

Every year experts say in order to be a successful playoff team you must, play good defense, have good goaltending, get a little lucky, and score timely goals———-Currently looks like a four-for four scenario to me Caps fans.

Washington and their 17 fathers and two brothers come home to play the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night. Before you start thinking this could be an easy win, remember, defensive teams do not win easy, they win ugly.

Washington is on to something and for once in many years, it appears to be happening at just the right time.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Alan Zlot:

Welcome to the second week my NHL Power Rankings. I do this a little differently than most. I use a point system similar to that of the Bowl Championship Series. I have selected six categories in which I feel give the overall feel of just how good or bad a team is during a current week.

I only rank the top 16 teams in the NHL. I also add any team not ranked in the top 16 but is currently playoff eligible in their conference. This week the Rangers and Hurricanes fall into that spectrum.

The categories are winning percentage, goals for, goals against, division winning percentage, road record winning percentage, and goal differential.

I never begin until after the All-Star break, what does it matter before then and I do not rank the bottom half of the NHL, because, well, you already know how bad your team is.

Please enjoy and if there are any hateful, comments please them below.

• 18- Carolina Hurricanes- (115 pts), The Canes are holding on to the last playoff spot in the east. Right now, they are there by default. With a record of 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, nobody behind them wants to win either.
• 17- Dallas Stars- (140 points), The Stars at night are no longer big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. The Stars have slid from third in the Western Conference all the way to eighth during a current 2-7-1 slide, and they have not won in regulation since Jan. 26. Losers of four straight, Dallas is in danger of missing the playoffs.
• 16- Anaheim Ducks-(195 points), Jonas Hiller is out with symptoms of fatigue and dizziness, and that is how the Ducks are playing without him on defense. The Ducks need backup goalie Curtis McElhinney to step up, and it has not happened. Two nights after surrendering four leads and seven goals to Washington, McElhinney was beaten five times by the offensively challenged Wild in a 5-1 loss at Minnesota, and on Saturday night, were hammered by the Blues 9-3. .The Ducks have dropped to 10th in the west and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
• 15- Calgary Flames-(195 points), The Flames are winners of three in a row and are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. The Flames have collected 27 of a possible 34 points in their last 17 games. Over that span, Calgary is averaging 3.76 goals per game.
• 14- Montreal Canadians- (210 points), Montreal is 4-4-2 in their last 10, and without Carey Price, could easily be 2-8 over that stretch. The Canadians need help on offense, and with the Boston Bruins very active this week on the trade market, the Habs are now backed into a corner. The Bruins made big trades last week, what will the HABS do to respond.
• 13- Washington Capitals- (225 points), Everybody in Washington was proclaiming the return of the Caps offense and Alexander Semin this week when they put seven goals on the board against the Ducks. Problem is not only did Anaheim make the Caps feel good about their offense this week; they obliged the Minnesota Wild and St. Blues as well. In fact, seven goals were not even the most the Ducks surrendered this week. The Blues scored nine times Saturday night. Washington’s power play and offense are in bad shape, and now, their defense showed some signs of weakness this week. Lately, the Capitals have been vulnerable, allowing at least one third-period goal in five of their last six games, the first time this season that has occurred. Washington has allowed two or more goals in the last period in three of its last six games and has surrendered nine third-period tallies in its last six games.

• 12- Minnesota Wild-(242.5 points), Minnesota is 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and has cooled slightly over last week, what drops the Wild down three spots are their drop in offensive production. Now a minus-one in goal differential, the Wild must start to find some kind of offensive rhythm, or this will be a season of would have, could have, and most definitely should have made the playoffs.

• 11-New York Rangers- (245 points), The Rangers, like the Hurricanes, are holding on, just barely. The Blue Shirts take a trip to Carolina on Tuesday to play in a game with a lot of meaning. The Rangers are just 2-7-1 in their last 10, and since the clock struck 2011, the Rangers have won just seven of 20 games. So why in the hell are they ranked so high you ask? Compared to the rest of the poll, the Rangers score 40 or more pints in four of the six categories and are a plus-16 in goal differential compared to teams like Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Anaheim and Dallas who are all a minus on the year.
• 10- LA Kings- (257.5 points), the Kings are sitting pretty right now. L.A.is pretty much finished with their franchise record 10-game road trip, with the last stop coming just 50 miles from home, in Anaheim on Wednesday night.6-1-3 over their last 10 games, the Kings play 11 of their next 15 games at home where they are 17-9-1 this season. I have a feeling that this team could separate from the pack over that span, but it still must be frustrating to be playing so well, and after Sunday, not be in a playoff spot.
• 9- TB Lightning- (270 points), The Lightning, who were on fire, have dipped lately, especially late in games. After winning six in a row, the Bolts have now lost five of their last seven. They have managed to earn a point in two of those losses, but it is very different from the streak they were enjoying. Tampa Bay acquired defenseman Eric Brewer from the St. Louis Blues for prospect Brock Beukeboom and a third round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft.
• 8- Phoenix Coyotes-(275 points), Another game, another win for the streaking Coyotes, who have not lost since Vancouver, blew them out, 6-0 on Feb. 2. The Coyotes have won seven in a row and began a five-game road trip with a big win over a team ranked ahead of them in this poll—the Nashville Predators Saturday night. Only New Jersey is hotter over their last 10 games. The Coyotes are 8-2 over that span and are playing tight defensive-trapping hockey.
• 7- San Jose Sharks- (312.5 points), The Sharks and Coyotes are both 8-2 over their last 10 games and battling it out for the lead in the Pacific. They are ranked ahead of Phoenix because they have a better winning percentage (only slightly), have given up fewer goals, and have a better record within the Pacific. They also have a better goal differential than the Coyotes. San Jose is 3-0 against Phoenix this year with three left to play, including a home-and-home to close out the regular season. This is a long way from being decided.
• 6- Nashville Predators (315 points), Before losing to Phoenix, the Predators were coming off one of their best performances of the season in a 3-1 win over Vancouver but are just 4-4-1 over their last 10, dropping to fifth in the west. Suffering offensively, GM David Poile went out and acquired Mike Fisher. The veteran center was acquired from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2011 first-round pick. Fisher has 14 goals and 24 points this season. Nashville is 23-4-1 when they score three or more goals this season.
• 5- Pittsburgh Penguins (355 points), despite the absence of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pens have managed to accumulate points. Pittsburgh managed to earn a point Sunday in a 3-2 shootout loss at Chicago. Brett Sterling erased a 2-1 deficit for the Pens when he scored with 3:18 left in regulation. With all of the injuries, the Pens are still over .500 in their last 10 games with a record of 5-4-1.
• 4- Detroit Red Wings (387.5 points), Detroit won its fifth straight game in a shootout on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild. Getting healthier by the day, the Wings seem to be surging at the right time. The Red Wings had at least one goal in 12 straight periods, scoring 20 times over the previous four games, but Wild goalie Nick Backstrom and the Minnesota defense stopped every opportunity by the league’s second-highest scoring team over the first two periods on Sunday. Detroit’s offense was ”red wing” hot prior to today’s game as it had combined for 20 goals in its last four games after netting only four goals in its previous four games. Over their last 10, they are 7-3 and have managed to close to within five of the Vancouver Canucks.
• 3- Boston Bruins- (392.5), On Friday afternoon, Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced that the club had acquired defenseman Tomas Kaberle in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wait, there’s more,  Just hours before the Boston Bruins were set to take on the Ottawa Senators, General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced that the club had acquired forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers. I would say these moves send a very clear message about Boston’s intentions this postseason—Stanley Cup.The Bruins are 6-4 in their last 10 and seemed to be back on track after losing three straight games for just the second time this year.
• 2- Philadelphia Flyers- (510 points), The Philadelphia Flyers made a great move Monday night in an attempt to end their 36-year-old Stanley Cup draught, as they acquired right wing Kris Versteeg from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Versteeg, who has 14 goals and 21 assists this season in Toronto, should bolster an already potent offense. The Flyers are third in the League in goals per game and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They finally beat the Lightning this year. Philly beat Tampa last Tuesday in a shootout to avoid the season series sweep.
• 1- Vancouver Canucks- (515 points), after winning six straight games, the Canucks have alternated wins and losses over their past four. Things are getting a bit out of hand for Vancouver on the injury front. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa will miss the next 2-3 weeks of action with a broken foot. You can add Bieksa to the Canucks defensive injured list that includes Dan Hamhuis, Keith Ballard, Alex Edler, Lee Sweatt and Andrew Alberts. Getting to join the party from the AHL to take Bieksa’s place is Evan Oberg.Vancouver led the poll in goals scored and goal differential with a plus-60. Vancouver will play five in a row at home before traveling to play five in a row on the road.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy

A revived Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 20th goal of the season as the Devils knocked off the Hurricanes once again.  Kovalchuk, who performed under expectations the first half of the season, now has six goals in the last seven games to help the Devils extend their win streak to 5.  With the win, the Devils are now 13-1-2 in the last 16 games and are the NHL’s hottest team.

The Devils took a one goal lead into the third period and then blew it open with two early goals by left wingers Brian Rolston and Patrick Elias.  Elias also added an assist to receive the game’s 3-star honor.  It really is nice to finally watch these career-long Devils greats play well with the $100 million dollar man and win games.  Kovalchuk was under much scrutiny by Devils fans for his bad play early in the season, but tonight he heard chants of “Kovy, Kovy, Kovy” and was eating it up.

Goalie Johan Hedberg (aka “MOOOOOOSE”) has now won four straight in the net, not giving up more than 2 goals in any of those games and recorded 25 saves tonight.  The back-up has been in place for legend Martin Brodeur after he sprained his right knee on February 6th.  There is a chance that Brodeur will practice with the team on Thursday, and may be able to play against the rival Rangers on Friday.  In order for the Devils to keep up their winning ways, they need the net-minding to stay spectacular.

I mentioned in a previous blog that the Devils had a huge opportunity to make moves in the playoff hunt before playing the Hurricanes in the previous game.  The Devils won that game in an OT thriller and play the ‘Canes for a third time in 12 days on Saturday.  In terms of the playoff hunt, the Devils are now in 13th place in the East and behind the Hurricanes for 8th place by only 12 points.  The Devils are on a record-breaking run if they make the playoffs this year considering they were 27 points behind 8th place on January 9th before winning two straight against the Lightning.  If the Devils do make the playoffs, the rest of the league better watch out because the boys from Jersey are tearing it up and should not be taken easily.

By Guest Blogger Alan ZLot:

Welcome to the first edition of a new way to rank the top teams in the NHL. These power rankings are a little different from many you may skim through each week. These rankings are not based on my opinion but merely on a point system, a BCS style point system.

The top 16 teams in the NHL will be ranked regardless of conference and teams that are not in the top 16 in the NHL but are still playoff eligible (an eight seed or higher).

With that in mind, this week’s poll includes two additional teams not ranked in the top 16 but is playoff eligible, the Rangers and Hurricanes, bringing the number of teams ranked this week to 18

The teams ranked will be the top 16 teams in the league according to the standings and stats after Saturday night’s games.The top team in each category this week will receive 90 points with the lowest ranked team in that category receiving five points. The categories chosen are as follows:

1. Overall winning percentage
2. goals for
3. goals against
4. goal differential
5. road winning percentage
6. division winning percentage

There will be an additional five bonus points awarded to the team that is tops in the poll in a specific category. Remember hockey fans this is not my opinion but only the way the points fell.

I hate rankings but love numbers and the NHL, so I always like to see how trends shake out or shake up when applying reason and the philosophy of “numbers do not lie.”One last thing, I do not rank every team simply because not every team is worth ranking. I do not mean to offend anyone but do you really care where the Islanders or Oilers rank compared to the Flyers and Canucks these days?

Points for the week are in parenthesis:

#18 Carolina Hurricanes (92.5)- The Canes proved Saturday night they will not quit, scoring two goals in final minute to tie the game against the division leading Lightning. Not playing well enough on defense to make it the playoffs.

#17 Calgary Flames (132.5)- Calgary has done an about face over the last 21 games. They are 14-3-4 over that stretch and have moved right back into playoff contention. Their recent hot streak has cooled off a lot of the trade talk that was surrounding this team in late November and December.

# 16 Phoenix Coyotes (202.5)- The Coyotes are on a four game winning streak and tied with the Nashville Predators for fourth in the Western Conference with 67 points.

#15 Anaheim Ducks (210)- The Ducks are a team that are heating up as ageless wonders such as Teemu Selanne, who recorded afour-point night on Friday and Saku Koivu (2 goals and 6 assists over his last six games) seem to be pacing themselves nicely for an extended season. The Ducks bolstered their defense for the stretch run by re-acquiring Francois Beauchemin from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

#14 Dallas Stars (225)- The Dallas Stars are just 4-5-1 in their last ten games and although they still lead the NHL’s Pacific division, they are just 5-6-2 against teams in the division.

#13 Washington Capitals (232.5)- The Caps have been shut out eight times this season and in losing their last two games at home, scored just one goal in the process. Currently hanging on by a thread to the fifth spot in the eastern conference, the Caps are heading west to start a five game road trip. Washington has dropped six in a row to western conference foes this season. Is head coach Bruce Boudreau’s job in jeopardy?

#12 Montreal Canadiens (242.5)- Playing in perhaps their best all around game of the season, Montreal rebounded from going 4-3-3 in their previous 10 games as Carey Price shut out the Leafs, 3-to-0 on Saturday night. Montreal is tied with the offensive-less Washington Capitals for the fifth seed in the eastern conference but trail the NE division leading Bruins by just one point.

#11 Los Angeles Kings (260)- The Kings are in the midst of a franchise record 10 game road trip and on Sunday won their fourth game of the trip and second game in as many days, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 behind a brilliant 39 save performance from goalie Jonathan Quick.

#10 San Jose Sharks (265)- For the first time in 11 games, the Sharks failed to come away with at least one point in Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Devils. The Sharks are 8-1-1 in their last ten.

#9 Minnesota Wild (265)- The Minnesota Wild are just like half of the NHL’s western conference, on a hot streak and in danger of missing the playoffs. Fresh off a home and home sweep of the St. Louis Blues and winners of three straight, the Wild are now 8-2-0 in their last ten games.

# 8 New York Rangers (272.5)- They have struggled lately going just 3-6-1 over their last ten games  prior to winning yesterday against Pittsburgh. The Rangers had lost four in a row but play in a tough division. They still rank in the upper end of just about every category in this poll.

# 7 Nashville Predators (285)- With a 3-1 record against the Detroit Red Wings this season, the Predators feel they have a legitimate chance to make a decent run in April and May. Needing more playoff experience and offense Preds GM David Poile acquired Mike Fisher from the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Nashville is a defensive team built in a similar mold to what GM David Poile did in Washington back in the mid and late 80′s. Anyone have any idea how the Caps did in their post season runs back then?

# 6 Tampa Bay Lightning (287.5)- Tampa struggled last week in losing two games at home. Currently in the midst of an NHL record tying 12 game home stand the Bolts lost their composure and surrendered five third period goals in losing to Buffalo last Tuesday. Led by one of the best young coaches in the NHL, Guy Boucher calmed his troops down in time to beat the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday evening but again lost a lead late in the third period.

# 5 Detroit Red Wings (360)- The Red Wings are getting healthy and just in time for the stretch drive. Pavel Datsyuk, Dan Cleary, and Tomas Holmstrom  all players who missed time with injuries recently combined for two goals and four assists against the Bruins on Friday. The Wings were just 5-5 over their last ten games before beating the Bruins again on Sunday.

# 4 Pittsburgh Penguins (397.5)- In a week that saw Pittsburgh lose superstar Evegni Malkin for the year with a knee injury, with still no sign of Sidney Crosby returning the Penguins lost to the woeful New York Islanders in a game that saw 346 penalty minutes, 15 fighting majors and 21 misconducts. Besides Malkin and Crosby the Pens are missing other regulars like Chris Kunitz and Arron Asham sidelined with injuries and Eric Godard joining Matt Cooke on the suspended list. The Pens are 5-5 over their last ten games.

# 3 Boston Bruins (402.5)- Boston had won four of five games, including a fight-filled 8-6 victory over rival Montreal, and the Bruins were feeling pretty good about things. Then a healthier Detroit Red Wings came to  bean town and hammered Boston, scoring six goals against Vezina Trophy favorite Tim Thomas. Thomas allowed 2 goals or less in 9 of his past 11 appearances but surrendered six goals in two straight games this past week. The team’s best line of late has included center Patrice Bergeron, veteran winger Mark Recchi, and rookie Brad Marchand. That trio was a combined minus-9 against the Red Wings on Friday. Boston catches a bit of a scheduling break in their next three games as they play the Maple Leafs, Islanders and Senators this coming week.

# 2 Vancouver Canucks (512.5)- The Vancouver Canucks are hot once again. After slipping a bit, losing four in a row (three in OT or S/O) at the beginning of the month, the Canucks have now won seven of their last eight games and now have points in ten of their last eleven.

Vancouver is more than comfortable atop the Northwest division needing binoculars  to spot second place Minnesota. The Canucks ranked first in goals with 190 and number one in goal differential with a plus-57. The Canucks seemed poised to make as good a run at Lord Stanley’s Cup as they ever have in their franchise history. They are ranked number one in offense and defense in the NHL in average goals per game, and average goals against per game. As noted above, even when they did lose four in a row they collected points in three of those games.I suspect by this time next week, with this poll, the Canucks are sure to own the top spot.

# 1 Philadelphia Flyers (515)- The Philadelphia Flyers seem focused to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Broad Street Bullies are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 19-6 in their last 25 contests dating back to Dec-9. Despite losing on Sunday to the Kings, Philadelphia is playing well in all three phases of the game.  The only danger that could lie ahead for Philly is continuing to alternate goalies.

Both are playing great, Brian Boucher is 13-6-2 with a 2.25 goals-against average, while rookie Sergei Bobrovsky is 22-7-3 with a 2.49 GAA. One is going to have to step up, as head Coach Peter Laviolette knows the importance of riding one goalie through the playoffs.Laviolette rode rookie Cam Ward to a Stanley Cup title in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes. Ward was the Conn Smyth Winner as the playoffs most valuable player that year.

The Flyers ranked number one after Saturday evening in three of this polls categories edging out the Vancouver Canucks who were ranked number one in just two categories. The 15 bonus points the Flyers earned gave them the number one spot this week.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy:

Devils Trying to Put This Season on Backburner with Their Hot Streak:

The Devils have the least amount of points (as of January 26, 2011) in the NHL.  But if you have been following the NHL the past two weeks you would find it hard to believe.  In their past 7, the Devils are 6-0-1, including wins over the Lightning (twice), Penguins, and Flyers.  I think they may have dug themselves into too far a hole to make the playoffs if they keep this up after the All-Star Break.  An interesting debate in New Jersey is if soon-to-be restricted free agent Zach Parise will return to the Devils.  Parise, one of the best LW in the game, has been out injured nearly all year.  Is seeing a happy, productive Ilya Kovalchuk and rejuvenated Brodeur enough to get Parise to sign a contract extension?  Only time, and the Devils second half, will tell!

The Eastern Conference Race is Heating Up Heading Into Break:

The Philadelphia Flyers have been playing great hockey as of late, and will head into the All-Star break at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.  The Flyers have won 10 of their last 12 and have 71 points.  Not far behind are the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning (67 points) who have won their last 5 heading into the break.  Led  by Steven Stamkos and the always-studly Martin St. Louis, the Lightning will pose a big threat to reach the Eastern Conference Finals this playoffs.  The Flyers and Lightning will play in Tampa the first game after the break on February 1st.

A team that can’t wait for the All-Star Break to get here is the Washington Capitals.  The Caps have dropped to 5th in the Eastern Conference standings and have only won 4 games in their past 11 games.  The first half of the season was a very streaky one for this squad.  In December, they lost 8 games in a row after looking like the best team in the NHL in the beginning of the season.  In order for the Caps to gain some steam heading into the playoffs, they need to make sure they are on a hot streak and not a cold one.