NHL 08 - 2008 Playoff Simulation

[Trypod]

I had updates in the 08/2k thread, but screw it. It's technically a 'diary.'

I'm through the first three games of each series. Just in case you missed it in the previous thread, here's the first two games.

Montreal over Boston (3 - 2, OT)
Ottawa over Pittsburgh (5 - 2)
Philadelphia over Washington (2 - 1)
New York over New Jersey (3 - 1)

Detroit over Nashville (2 - 0)
Calgary over San Jose (3 - 2, OT)
Minnesota over Colorado (4 - 2)
Anaheim over Dallas (2 - 1)

Boston over Montreal (2 - 1, OT)
- This has been the best series so far. Tons of scoring opportunities, but Price and Fernandez have been outstanding in net. Fun games to play.

Pittsburgh over Ottawa (8 - 1)
- A nice little 'revenge' game. Ottawa came out flying in Game 1 but looked exactly like their real life counterpart in Game 2. They were lost, soft, and extremely weak in net. Those 8 goals? They came on 16 shots! I made a sweet cross ice pass with Malkin to Sykora for a goal that looked identical to their actual play in Game 1 of the real playoffs. Sykora had 3 G's and 2 A's in this game. Malkin had four points.

Anaheim over Dallas (2 - 1)
- Another surprisingly fun series to play. Low scoring games with good goaltending. Makes for some really fun last minute hockey. Morrow and Perry have two goals in the series.

Minnesota over Colorado (4 - 3, OT)
- High scoring games. Minnesota's goals are coming in the bunches. They're not lying back and sticking to defence. Although they could have been a whole lot better defensively in this game. Fedoruk missed on an open net in the final minute causing Wolski to come back and score the tying goal. Gaborik had a fantastic goal in OT to play the role of hero.

Philadelphia over Washington (2 - 1)
- Ovechkin nets his first playoff goal, but Kolzig lets in the softest goal in history - a backhand from the point after a face-off win. Boo-urns.

New York over New Jersey (3 - 0)
- King Henrik gets a shutout. Drury has two goals in the series after scoring the first in Game 2. Shanahan made an outstanding wristshot from the top of the circle for his first of the playoffs and then buried one on the empty net in the final minute for his second.

San Jose over Calgary (5 - 3)
- The Sharks managed to tie up the series after a disappointing Game 1. Although getting the win, their performance was hardly any better. Brian Campbell made the worst mistake you can in the playoffs - he scored on his own net (credited to Iginla). He tried to pass it across to Vlasic but it got caught up in Nabby's pads. Speaking of Nabokov, he wasn't anything special. He let in two more softies - one from Tanguay and another from Iginla. Luckily San Jose's offence was clicking. Marleau had two goals and Campbell bounced back from his mistake by getting three helpers on the night.

Nashville over Detroit - (3 - 2, OT)
- Nashville was almost shutout again in Game 2. Filpulla and Datsyuk gave the Wings a two-goal lead in the first period. It wasn't until the third when Steve Sullivan scored the Preds first goal of the playoffs. David Legwand scored the quick tying goal off a wraparound and playoff warrior, Martin Gelinas scored the OT winning goal.

Montreal (1) Boston (1)
Pittsburgh (1) Ottawa (1)
Washington (0) Philadelphia (2)
New Jersey (0) New York (2)

Detroit (1) Nashville (1)
San Jose (1) Calgary (1)
Minnesota (2) Colorado (0)
Anaheim (2) Dallas (0)

Suddenly, I've forgotten how to score. Most of the scores from Game 3's are so close. My goalies kept me in it, but I couldn't score to save my life. So..

Boston over Montreal (2 -0)
- Montreal was held scoreless in a game where Carey Price let in some goals that just make you cringe. Hopefully he hasn't lost his confidence and he can rebound in game 4. Sturm and Bergeron were the goalscorers.

Ottawa over Pittsburgh (4 - 1)
- The Sens rebounded from an atrocious performance in game 2. Ray Emery was on top of his game after posting a 40% save performance the previous game. The Sens were able to extract revenge at home and expose Marc-Andre Fleury. Alfredsson and Spezza scored their firsts of the postseason. Fisher scored and lead the team with 4 pts. Sykora scored the lone goal for the Pens and leads the team and the league with 6 points. Malkin assisted and has 5 points.

Anaheim over Dallas (3 - 2, OT)
- One of the tightest series thus far. Anaheim gained the 2-1 lead in the third but Jeri Lehtinen scored his first of the playoffs to tie it. It was Kunitz's bad angle slapshot that gave the Ducks the OT win and a three game lead in the series.

Colorado over Minnesota (2 - 1, OT)
- Minnesota played another tight defensive game after loosening up in the second game. It caused Colorado to come back in the third, so they stuck to what they were used to. Forsberg scored his first goal in the series. Fedoruk also got his first, assisted by Gaborik.

Philadelphia over Washington (3 - 2, OT)
- Washington blew a 2-0 lead heading into the second. Ovechkin notched his second and Cooke chipped in his first. Richards and Upshall scored for Philadelphia. Simon Gagne scored his second goal to secure the OT win and a three game lead in the series.

New Jersey over New York (3 - 2)
- Jersey looked as if it had no chance heading into Game 3 in MSG down two games, but they scored first and dominated the game defensively. Gionta had a goal and an assist to lead the Devils to victory. Shanahan scored his third goal (5 pts) and Jagr scored on a fantastic break with less than a minute left. New York lost a crucial faceoff and wasn't able to get another chance at tying the game.

Calgary over San Jose (3 - 2, OT)
- Mike Grier opened the scoring but Daymond Langkow scored his first to tie it minutes later. After successfully killing a penalty, the San Jose Sharks gained the lead after Jeremy Roenick scored his second as the result of a weak wristshot that some how slid by Kiprusoff. Roenick leads the Sharks with 3 points. Craig Conroy scored with 50 seconds left in the third to tie the game and take it to overtime. Langkow scored his second in OT to win the game and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Detroit over Nashville (2 - 1, OT)
- The Preds were feeling confident after stealing Game 2 in OT and were heading into Game 3 at home. Detroit struck first with a goal from Jiri Hudler. It wasn't until the third when Shea Weber scored from a lethal shot from the point. The Preds were hoping to get another OT win and recreate the victory from Game 2, but Pavel Datsyuk spoiled the fun and scored early in OT to win the game.

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Montreal (1) - Boston (2)
Pittsburgh (1) - Ottawa (2)
Washington (0) - Philadelphia (3)
New Jersey (1) - New York (2)

Detroit (2) - Nashville (1)
San Jose (1) - Calgary (2)
Minnesota (2) - Colorado (1)
Anaheim (3) - Dallas (0)

---

And I actually went on ahead and started writing down the stats of each game (no goalies stats, though). EA better put Playoff mode back in 09. Why did they take it out? Even if they mixed it with the Tournament mode. Where you choose the number of round robins, have it possibly to select zero. Until then, I'll be doing them in exhibition and keeping track of the stats manually.

Hopefully I can, y'know.. score some goals in the Game 4's.

[TooShort4]

Will be following fo sho.

[Trypod]

League Leaders
*Includes points in four Game 4's

Points
1. Sykora (PIT) - 4 G, 2 A, 6 PTS
2. Rolston (MIN) - 5 G, 0 A, 5 PTS
- . Morrow (DAL) - 4 G, 1 A, 5 PTS
- . Shanahan (NYR) - 3 G, 2 A, 5 PTS
- . Iginla (CGY) - 3 G, 2 A, 5 PTS
- . Fisher (OTT) - 3 G, 2 A, 5 PTS
- . Kessel (BOS) - 1 G, 4 A, 5 PTS
- . Foster (MIN) - 0 G, 5 A, 5 PTS

Goals
1. Rolston (MIN) - 5 G
2. Sykora (PIT) - 4 G
3. Morrow (DAL) - 4 G

Detroit (2) Nashville (1)
San Jose (1) Calgary (2)
Minnesota (3) Colorado (1)
Anaheim (3) Dallas (1)

Minnesota over Colorado (3 - 0)
- Minnesota was finally capable of finding a healthy balance between offence and defence. Niklas Backstrom earned a shutout and his team in front of him were capable of putting three past Jose Theodore. Brian Rolston had 2 goals, Pierre-Marc Bouchard had two assists, and Nick Schultz had three helpers. Minnesota leads the series 3-1 and is headed back home to the Xcel Energy Center for Game 5.

Dallas over Anaheim (2 - 0)
- The tightest game of the entire first round. The game was at a stalemate until the final minute where Brendan Morrow scored his third goal on a fantastic forehand-to-backhand move. With the Anaheim goaltender pulled, Morrow skated back up the ice and notched his second, fourth of the playoffs, to secure the victory. Dallas saves themselves from the sweep, but Game 5 is headed back to Anaheim and it doesn't look promising. Their best chance lies within Marty Turco who has been brilliant in the series.

Montreal (2) Boston (2)
Pittsburgh (1) Ottawa (3)
Washington (0) Philadelphia (3)
New Jersey (1) New York (2)

Montreal over Boston (3 - 2)
- Montreal rebounded from getting shutout in Game 2, but it looked scary right away. Carey Price let in the first shot of the game by Marco Sturm. He bounced back, though, and looked confident throughout the game until the final minute where Savard notched his first. Montreal was scrambling in the final minute of action trying to do their best from Boston and their extra attacker from tying the game. Price looked strong and has gained his confidence back.

Ottawa over Pittsburgh (2 - 1)
- An uncharacteristic defensive game from both sides. After the first three games saw plenty of goals from the winners, the fourth game saw some very tight hockey. Ottawa scored two quick goals to break the scoreless tie late in the third. Pittsburgh's Ryan Whitney broke the shutout in the final minute with his first of the postseason. Ottawa has the big 3-1 lead in the series, but the series is headed back to Pittsburgh!

[Trypod]

Game 4: Calgary over San Jose (1 - 0)
- Both teams had fantastic performances from their goalies. It was Huselis who broke the scoreless tie with just minutes left in the game after a cross crease feed that slid past Evgeni Nabokov. Phaneuf got his first point of the postseason with an assist on the play.

Game 4: Detroit over Nasvhille (3 - 0)
- Detroit's third and final goal of the game did it for the Preds. They basically gave up and lost all hope. Nashville has spent the entire round chasing the Wings. Both in games and on the scoreboard. The fifth game is headed back to Detroit and it looks bleak for the Predators.

Detroit (3) Nashville (1)
San Jose (1) Calgary (3)
Minnesota (3) Colorado (1)
Anaheim (3) Dallas (1)

Game 4: Washington over Philadelphia (3 - 1)
- Simon Gagne scored his third goal early in the first, hoping to take the wind out of the Caps' sails early. But after a hard fought battle in the second period, Alexander Semin scored his first goal and point of the postseason by beating Martin Biron top right corner off the post. The confidence in the Caps was evident and two more goals followed from Brian Sutherby and Viktor Kozlov. Matt Greene had two assists. Ovechkin was held pointless again. He's been invisible in his first appearance in the playoffs. Washington saved themselves from the sweep and now the series goes back to Washington.

Game 4: New Jersey over New York (2 - 1)
- All three goals came within the third period. Brendan Shanahan's fourth came on a nifty play that saw Jagr burst up the ice only to drop it back to Shanny who let a blast go from the top of the right circle. With one minute left, Jamie Langenbrunner received a cross crease pass to beat King Henrik and put the game away. New Jersey tied the series and plays game five at home at the Prudential Center.

Montreal (2) Boston (2)
Pittsburgh (1) Ottawa (3)
Washington (1) Philadelphia (3)
New Jersey (2) New York (2)

[Trypod]

Game 5: Montreal over Boston (2 - 1)
- The speculation about Carey Price's confidence can end. Price put up a fine performance in game 5, allowing only one goal. Captain Saku Koivu notched his first of the postseason and Ryder banged away his third on a terrible rebound. Fernandez was giving up rebounds like candy all night long. Boston's only goalscorer was Phil Kessel.

Game 5: Ottawa over Pittsburgh (2 - 1)
- Pittsburgh came out flying but couldn't solve Emery and as a result, the Penguins were the first team eliminated in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Vermette and Heatley scored for Ottawa while Hossa gave his team and Pens fans hope by scoring his second within the final minute. Ottawa won the series in 5 games.

Game 5: Philadelphia over Washington (2 - 1)
- The Flyers kept it close and only needed one goal to keep Washington from advancing. The biggest story of the series was Alexander Ovechkin's ineffectiveness. He had two goals within the five games and was invisible for most of the games. Matt Cooke led the way in points for Washington with only a goal and two assists. Cristobel Huet saw no playing time, with Olaf Kolzig getting all five starts.

Game 5: New York over New Jersey (5 - 1)
- New York had enough of the tight defensive games. They exploded in game 5 with their first three goals coming on the powerplay. New Jersey couldn't stay out of the box in the first period. New York had two five-man advantages. Shanahan notched a hat-trick and assisted on Martin Straka's goal. Drury had three assists and Fedor Tyutin had his first two points of the playoffs (1 G, 1 A). Gionta was the only goalscorer for the Devils - he managed to slide in the puck under Lundqvist's pads. New York got a huge road win to go up 3-2 in the series. Now they're head back home to MSG for Game 6!

Montreal (3) Boston (2)
Pittsburgh (1) Ottawa (4)
Washington (1) Philadelphia (4)
New Jersey (2) New York (3)

Game 5: Anaheim over Dallas (5 - 1)
- Anaheim took a 2-0 lead into the final frame. The scoreless streak for Dallas was broken by Mike Ribeiro who scored his first goal. However, sensing that Dallas was due for a comeback, the Ducks hammered 3 more goals within the final five minutes to kill any hopes of a return, as well as eliminate Dallas from the playoffs. Pronger notched a goal and an assist, his first points of the playoffs.

Game 5: Colorado over Minnesota (3 - 2)
- Minnesota once again went out and played tight hockey, keeping the game scoreless for the first frame. Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored his second goal of the playoffs, only to be answered moments later by Andre Brunette and the Avs. Belanger crashed the net with his second goal on the next shift to gain back the lead, but Colorado once again tied it up within moments with a goal from Peter Forsberg. Milan Hejduk buried the OT winner under Niklas Backstrom's pads to win the game. Game 6 returns to the Rockies where Colorado can tie up the series.

Game 5: Calgary over San Jose (2 - 1)
- Another sound defensive game in this series. Calgary struck early and hung onto their lead until the end of the first when Curtis Brown scored his first. It wasn't until the final five minutes of the game until Craig Conroy scored his second. It was the only other goal needed to secure the win and take the series in five games.

Game 5: Nashville over Detroit (4 - 1)
- There's no place like home. Nashville was shutout in Game 3, going down in the series 3-1. A trip home gave the Preds a huge boost. They struck early with goals from Martin Erat, Alexander Radulov, and Martin Gelinas. Kris Draper broke the shutout in the middle of the third. Radulov scored his second of the game before time ran out. Martin Hamhuis had two assists. The series returns to Detroit from Game 6, and Nashville has a sudden boost of confidence.

Detroit (3) Nashville (2)
San Jose (1) Calgary (3)
Minnesota (3) Colorado (2)
Anaheim (4) Dallas (1)

[Trypod]

League Leaders
*Non-eliminated players only

Points
1. Shanahan (NYR) - 7G, 3A, 10PTS
2. Rolston (MIN) - 5G, 1A, 6PTS
- . Iginla (CGY) - 3G, 3A, 6PTS
- . Kessel (BOS) - 2G, 4A, 6PTS
- . Foster (MIN) - 0G, 6A, 6PTS
6. Fisher (OTT) - 3G, 2A, 5PTS
- . Sturm (BOS) - 3G, 2A, 5PTS
- . Perry (ANA) - 3G, 2A, 5PTS
- . Zetterberg (DET) - 2G, 3A, 5PTS
- . Bouchard (MIN) - 2G, 3A, 5PTS
- . Drury (NYR) - 2G, 3A, 5PTS
- . Radulov - 2G, 3A, 5PTS
- . Stillman (OTT) - 1G, 4A, 5PTS
- . Jagr (NYR) - 1G, 4A, 5PTS

[immortal]

the Sharks. \m/

[Trypod]

[Trypod]

Game 6: Montreal over Boston (1 - 0, OT)
- Both goaltenders were spectacular in the final game of the series. Michael Ryder scored his fourth goal in OT just minutes into the extra frame to take the win and the series.

Game 6: New York over New Jersey (3 - 2, OT)
- With the game back in New York, it looked as if the Rangers could easily take the game and the series, but Sergei Brylin struck early with his third tally. It was only minutes, however, when Chris Drury scored his third. Martin Straka poked in his second just minutes later to take the lead. Zach Parise scored his first in the third period to take the game to overtime. With just two minutes left in the extra period, Michael Rozsival took the feed off the faceoff win and ripped home the game and series winning goal. Dawes had two assists. Shanahan had an assist and leads the playoffs with 11 points. Drury had a two-point game.

Montreal (4) Boston (2)
Pittsburgh (1) Ottawa (4)
Washington (1) Philadelphia (4)
New Jersey (2) New York (4)

Game 6: Colorado over Minnesota (3 - 2)
- Minnesota looked lost for two whole periods while Colorado quickly gained a comfortable three goal lead. Brunette, Hejduk, and Smyth scored for the Avs who were looking to tie the series. Midway through the third, Gaborik scored his second followed by Pierre-Marc Bouchard. The Minnesota Wild finally started piling on the offence with minutes to spare, but Jose Theodore stood tall in net and made several saves to keep the game from going to overtime.

Game 6: Detroit over Nashville (4 - 3, OT)
- In perhaps one of the best games of the playoffs thus far, Detroit took the series against Nashville. It was a thrilling back and forth contest. Nashville only took a few minutes to get the early one-goal lead after Alexander Radulov's third. On the next shift, Johan Franzen scored his second to tie it up. Detroit took a tripping penalty allowing J.P. Dumont to score his first and take the lead again. But it was once again only moments later when Daniel Cleary scored to tie it onc more. Brandon Bochenski scored his first goal in the third, but the pattern followed and Detroit tied it up after Jiri Hudler tapped it past Chris Mason. In the overtime period, Nashville piled up the shots and couldn't score on a 5-on-3 poweplay. Alexander Radulov managed to get 4 shots on goal down low, but none of them would get past Dominik Hasek. Cleary took a pass from Datsyuk up the ice and netted his second to take the game and the series.

Game 7: Minnesota over Colorado (7 - 2)
- The only series that needed the full 7 games. The series ended in Minnesota and the Wild took full advantage of home-ice. They carried their offensive domination of the final minute in game 6 over into game 7 and never stopped hammering Jose Theodore until he was pulled in favour of Peter Budaj after letting in five goals. Marian Gaborik scored a hat trick to finish the series with 5 goals. Brian Rolston scored his 6th and Mikko Koivu had two shorthanded goals. Derek Boogard managed to score his first as well. Fedoruk had two assists as well as Demitra. Colorado's goalscorers were Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk. Jordan Leopold assisted on Hejduk's goal. Smyth's was unassisted.

Detroit (4) Nashville (2)
San Jose (1) Calgary (4)
Minnesota (4) Colorado (3)
Anaheim (4) Dallas (1)

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Eastern Semi-Finals

(1) Montreal (7) Ottawa
(5) New York (6) Philadelphia

Western Semi-Finals

(1) Detroit (7) Calgary
(3) Minnesota (4) Anaheim

[Trypod]

Game 1: Calgary over Detroit (3 - 1)
- Calgary opened the scoring in the second with two quick goals from Craig Conroy and Kristan Huselius. Dallas Drake responded for the Wings halfway through the third to take it within one. Calgary took a penalty and were down a man for the remaining minute and a half. Detroit pulled Dominik Hasek allowing Jarome Iginla to score the empty netter and secure the first victory of the series.

Game 1: Montreal over Ottawa (5 - 4, OT)
- The two northeast division rivals put on an offensive display in game one of their series. Montreal opened the scoring with Tomas Plekanec's first goal. Ottawa responded shortly thereafter with Antoine Vermette's third. Jason Spezza notched two goals in the second to stretch the lead by two. Before the end of the frame, Andrei Kostitsyn scored his first goal (first point) of the playoffs followed by Michael Ryder who now leads the team in goals with 5. Spezza scored the hat trick goal early in the third but before time could run out, Tomas Plekanec scored his second to tie it up and send it to OT. Carey Price was outstanding in the extra frame. It wasn't until there was 55 seconds remaining when Kostitsyn scored his second to take the victory and the lead in the series.

[rkolegendkilla]

Man, this is great. I'm cool if either New York or Minni take home the chocolates.

[Trypod]

Game 1: Minnesota over Anaheim (2 - 0)
- Anaheim's offence is itching to explode but they've run into another defensive minded team. They were kept to scoring low amounts of goals in most of the games against Dallas and in their first against Minnesota, the posted a goose egg. Minnesota didn't open too much themselves. They kept a one-goal lead into the remaining minute of the game until J.S. Giguere was pulled in favour of the extra man. Gaborik streaked up the ice and flipped the puck into the empty net. Mikko Koivu had the other goal. Kurtis Foster notched his eighth assist.

Game 2: Detroit over Calgary (5 - 3)
- Detroit was looking to even up the series before heading home. But it was the Flames who struck early with a goal from Alex Tanguay, his first of the playoffs. Tomas Holmstrom answered with his third followed by Kirk Maltby's first. Daymond Langkow was capable of tying things up in the second only to be answered with two more goals from Detroit. Craig Conroy brought it to within one with his fourth but Henrik Zetterberg scored the insurance marker to secure the win and tie up the series.

Game 2: Anaheim over Minnesota (3 - 2, OT)
- Another tight game by Minnesota, but Anaheim was capable of solving their defence and Niklas Backstrom. It was the Wild that struck first though after Marian Gaborik's cannon from the top of the right circle. Minnesota kept the one-goal lead heading into the second. Minutes into the next frame, Teemu Selanne notched his fourth to tie it up. Before the end of the period, Brian Rolston extended the lead to one. With less than a minute remaining in the third, it looked as if Minnesota was playing a tight enough game to squeak out with a one-goal win, but one last rush later, Mathieu Schneider found a hole between the Wild bodies in front of the net and scored his first to tie the game. Halfway through the extra period, Chris Kunitz found Bertuzzi parked in front of the net and slid a beautiful pass from the boards allowing Big Bert to score his third and win the game, tying up the series before heading to Anaheim. Gaborik and Rolston's goals were both unassisted. Doug Weight and Ryan Getzlaf had two assists each.

Detroit (1) Calgary (1)
Minnesota (1) Anaheim (1)

Game 1: New York over Philadelphia (2 - 1, OT)
- Both teams had close, low-scoring games in their previous series and carried the same type of play over into the next round. Simon Gagne opened the scoring with his fourth. Before the end of the frame, Chris Drury chipped in his fourth as well. The game would remain tied and would need extra time. Just a few minutes into OT, Brendan Shanahan crashed the side of the net and stuffed in the winner, his seventh of the playoffs. Rozsival had two assists.

Game 2: Montreal over Ottawa (2 - 1, OT)
- Both teams looked very different than in Game 1. Their first encounter saw plenty of goals. Both sides kept it close but still needed extra time to find a winner. Plekanec scored his second to open scoring in the first. Dany Heatley responded in the second and no goals were scored in the third. Halfway through OT, Mike Komisarek took a feed from the faceoff win, waited, and then blasted home his first to win the game and a take a two-game lead in the series.

Game 2: New York over Philadelphia (3 - 2)
- Philadelphia was desperate to tie up the series to have the momentum heading back home for Games 3 and 4. But the Rangers struck early with Rozsival's second goal of the playoffs just minutes into the game. It was the only goal-scoring of the first. Chris Drury banged home his fifth on a New York powerplay. Philly finally had something to say. Mike Knuble raced down the ice to beat an icing call that Paul Mara must have missed. Mara saw Knuble race by him, grab the puck, swing out from behind the net, and roof a backhander in the top left corner. Philadelphia started showing some life and looked good in the third, but a quick goal from superpest, Sean Avery, kept a two-goal distance. Philadelphia persevered and Jason Smith scored his second after a rocket from the circle. New York didn't take any chances by trying to open up and second another. They kept things slow and were obviously trying to hold that one-goal lead. They would succeed and take the win, earning a two-game lead in the series. Rozsival, Drury, and Shanahan each had a two-point night.

Montreal (2) Ottawa (0)
New York (2) Philadelphia (0)

[Trypod]

Team Updates
The big story of this years playoffs isn't crease crashing, fights, or kicking pucks in the net - it's the tremendous defensive play of all the teams involved. There have been very few blowouts seen this year and an abundance of one-goal and overtime games played.

(1) MONTREAL | 6 - 1 - 1
Montreal has yet to really explode and show off their speed in the playoffs. They were capable of matching Ottawa in Game 1 of the ESF but have kept all other games close. Carey Price has looked terrific as the rookie goaltender in his first playoffs.

Michael Ryder leads the team in goals with 5, including two OT winners. He shares the lead in points (7) with captain, Saku Koivu, who is 1-6-7.

Tomas Plekanec[/color] has had a spark lit under him in the second round against Ottawa. He has three points (2-1-3) thus far in the series and is starting to really click with linemates Koivu and Ryder.
Chris Higgins[/color] has only been able to chip in two helpers in the playoffs thus far and will probably be moved down to the fourth line for Game 3 against Ottawa.

(5) NEW YORK| 6 - 2 - 0
The Rangers have been impressive thus far in the playoffs. They started off with tremendous defensive play against New Jersey. In their first two games, they only allowed one goal. Henrik Lundqvist posted a shutout in game 2. However, the Devils fought back and tied the series. New York responded by wiping the ice with the Devils, 5-1 in Game 5. New Jersey came close to tying the series up to force game 7, but the Rangers took the OT win. They've looked good against the Flyers in the second round. They added another OT win and kept the Flyers to within one goal in game 2.

Brendan Shanahan leads the team in points (7-7-14) and goals. He leads the entire playoffs in points and shares the lead in goals with Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston of the Minnesota Wild.

Michael Rozsival[/color] has made an impact in the Rangers last three games. He scored the series winning goal against the Devils and in two game against Philly has four points (2-2-4).
Scott Gomez[/color] leads a second scoring line that isn't doing much of anything. The offence has come primarily from the top line of Shanahan-Drury-Jagr. If the top line goes cold, the Rangers are done for. That is unless Scott Gomez's line gets rolling. Petr Prucha is being moved up to the second line for Game 3 while Nigel Dawes will be bumped down to the third.

(6) PHILADELPHIA | 4 - 2 - 1
Philadelphia has made it to the second round but their lack of scoring from their snipers is what will do them in. Simon Gagne has been noticeable, but after that it drops off. They squeaked by Washington after the Caps couldn't bury home goals of their own. The Flyers can feel lucky that Alexander Ovechkin couldn't get rolling and kept his point production to only 2 goals the entire series. The Flyers need to respond to the Rangers' top line or they'll be finished in a hurry.

Simon Gagne leads the team in points with 6 (4-2-6) and goals.

Jason Smith[/color] is trying to lead by example in the playoffs thus far. He's second in team scoring with 5 points (2-3-5) and has been a horse on the blueline.
Daniel Briere[/color] has been invisible. He's managed only three points (2-1-3) and has yet to score a goal in the two games against new York.

(7) OTTAWA | 4 - 1 - 2
The Senators started with a big underdog victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in round 1. They got burned in the second game of the series, 8-1, but never looked back after that. They scored 14 goals in the five games it took to down the Penguins. They've come up short against the Montreal Canadiens in round 2. They've lost the first two games, both in overtime. They showed how capable they were of scoring goals in game 1, but Montreal showed that they could match.

Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson lead the team with 7 points each. Spezza leads in goals with 4.

Dany Heatley[/color] has started to come around after starting the playoffs with a couple of goals. He has four points (1-3-4) in his last two games against the Canadiens and looks like his old self next to his usual linemates, Spezza and Alfredsson.
Mike Fisher[/color], who looked unstoppable against the Penguins has cooled down since. He hasn't scored a single point since Game 4 against the Penguins where he scored a goal. Ottawa has also yet to receive some good point production from its blueline. Mike Commodore leads defenders with 2 points (1-1-2)

(1) DETROIT | 5 - 2 - 1
The Wings entered the playoffs as a Cup favourite. Perhaps the Cup favourite. They took the series against Nashville in six games, but it wasn't exactly easy. The series was tied 1-1 after two games. Detroit responded with two more wins, but a hungry and desperate Predators team got a commanding win in game 5. The Preds almost stole another in OT in game 6. It took a lucky break by Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Cleary to score the series winner after the Predators hammered Dominik Hasek with a flurry of shots that the Dominator was capable all of them. Detroit was a little too relaxed in game 1 against the Flames. Their top line went cold and they only managed one goal from Dallas Drake. It was game 2 when they woke up and tied the series 1-1 with a 5-3 win before heading to Calgary for games 3 and 4.

Henrik Zetterberg leads the team with 8 points (3-5-8). Zetterberg shares the lead in goals with Datsyuk, Holmstrom, and Cleary.

Jiri Hudler has been hot as of late scoring two of his three playoff goals in the last three games. With more consistent play like this, his 4 points are sure to rapidly climb the stat sheet.
Niklas Lidstrom has three points thus far and has yet to score a goal. The captain had better get going, as well as Brian Rafalski who only has two assists.

(3) MINNESOTA | 5 - 2 - 2
The Wild are trying to stick with what they know best, and that's defence. Although they exploded in game 7 against the Avalanche to win the series with a 7-2 victory. They've earned two shutouts thus far, one of them coming against Anaheim in the second round. It wouldn't hurt for them to try and open up a little more against the Ducks. The Ducks are capable of exploding themselves and it won't take long to get in the groove.

Brian Rolston leads the team in points with 12 (7-5-12). He shares the lead in goals with Marian Gaborik and the playoff lead with Gaborik and Shanahan.

Marian Gaborik started off slow against the Avalanche with one goal, but in the last two games of the series, he scored four including a hat trick in game 7. Gaborik already has two goals against the Ducks thus far and will be looked upon to start matching the Ducks scoring potential.
Pavol Demitra is centering hot hand, Marian Gaborik, but he only has three assists to show for it. It's tempting to move Mikko Koivu up to the first line, but Koivu is working too well with linemates, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Rolston. Eric Belanger may be placed in the top spot for Game 3.

(4) ANAHEIM | 5 - 2 - 0
The Ducks have offensive weapons they want to use but are being held back by defensive teams like Dallas and Minnesota. If the Ducks squeak by Minnesota and head into the WCF with a low goal total, then their next opponent better look out. They showed off some of their offensive capabilities against Dallas in game 5 where they eliminated the Stars with a 5-1 win. They were shutout by Minnesota in game 1 of their series but responded with a big overtime win to tie the series before going home for games 3 and 4.

Selanne, Getzlaf, and Perry lead the team in points with 6. Teemu Selanne leads the team in goals with 3.

Doug Weight has chipped in with four assists in his last three games, two of them coming in game 2 against Minnesota.
Scott Niedermeyer and the rest of the blueline haven't chipped in much. Niedermeyer has 2 assists. Chris Pronger is 1-1-2. Mathieu Schneider leads the blueline with three points (1-2-3). The blueline is capable of much more and could peak at the right time in the series against Minnesota. If the blueline can get rolling, then the offence in front of them could as well and become a huge threat in the west.

(7) CALGARY | 5 - 2 - 0
Calgary had the big upset in the west downing the San Jose Sharks in just five games. Their offence was lead by captain Jarome Iginla who was the star of their series. Kiprusoff managed to keep San Jose's offence ineffective through most of the series. They look to play a much more physical game against Detroit in hopes of advancing to the WCF.

Jarome Iginla leads the team with 10 points (4-6-10). He shares the lead in goals with Craig Conroy (4).

Craig Conroy[/color] has been great against the Wings thus far, scoring three points (2-1-3). His play is hoping to spark some life into linemate Alex Tanguay who has only managed one goal thus far. Luckily, that goal game in their last game and the trend hopes to continue.
Dion Phaneuf has managed only one assist and it came way back in game 4 against San Jose.

[Trypod]

Game 3: Calgary over Detroit (4 - 1)
- Adrian Aucoin opened the scoring in game 3 on home ice with his first of the postseason following a wristshot from the point. Henrik Zetterberg tied things up in the second, only to be followed by three more Calgary goals from Huselius, Iginla, and Tanguay. Calgary leads the series 2-1 with another game at home where they can take a 3-1 lead.

Game 3: Anaheim over Minnesota (5 - 3)
- With the series swinging to Anaheim, the Ducks wanted to use their momentum from the win in game 2 to home ice and take the next two games for a 3-1 lead. They succeeded in winning the first. The Anaheim Ducks finally showed what they were capable of in game 3. Todd Bertuzzi opened the scoring and now has four goals. Branko Radivojevic responded for the Wild but was closely followed by Teemu Selanne's fifth, which then in turn was answered with Radivojevic's second of the night and of the playoffs. Then the Ducks ran away with it. Todd Marchant scored his first of the playoffs followed by another from Selanne and finally, Scott Niedermeyer's first which took a funny bounce up and over Niklas Backstrom and plopped right behind him over the crease. Minnesota's Todd Fedoruk scored his second goal in the third period to bring it to within two goals but it was too late. Anaheim took the win and the 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4: Calgary over Detroit (3 - 1)
- Calgary was once again able to grind out another victory and keep the Wings to just one goal. There seems to be no problem with Calgary's offence which is coming primarily from the top line, but also getting help from the second. Jarome Iginla scored his sixth to tie the Wings to one-goal apiece in the first. The score would remain tied until Robyn Regher notched his first, an unassisted goal, in the third. David Moss from the checking line put away his first to secure the victory. The Flames lead the series 3-1 with the series moving back to Detroit.

Game 4: Minnesota over Anaheim (3 - 1)
- All of a sudden, momentum is on Minnesota's side. They successfully tied the series and now go back to Minnesota for game 5. A win back home would be huge. Minnesota went down early to a quick goal from Ryan Getzlaf and it looked like the Ducks could burn the Wild again with their potent offence. But the Wild didn't panic. They kept the Ducks at one goal and tied it up in the second period on a powerplay goal from Pierre-Marc Bouchard. Minutes later, the Wild took the lead with Pavol Demitra's first playoff goal! It would turn out to be the game winner and hopefully Demitra takes this game and starts a nice hot streak. Marian Gaborik tossed in an empty netter with seconds remaining to guarantee victory.

Game 3: Montreal over Ottawa (3 - 0)
- Michael Ryder continues to be a presence for les Habitants in the postseason. He scored his sixth goal and notched an assist and leads the team with 9 points. Mark Streit scored his first on a shot that goaltender Ray Emery would love to have back. During the powerplay, Mark Streit came in a bit from the blow line and tossed a backhander towards the net and managed to slip his first past Emery. Kostitsyn scored his third and the Habs walked away with a commanding 3-0 win which gave them an equally commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Game 3: New York over Philadelphia (2 - 1)
- No surprise here. Another low scoring game from the New York Rangers. The top line of Jagr, Drury, and Shanahan were no where to be found but the third line made up for it. Fredrik Sjostrom scored his first goal. Mike Knuble scored the lone goal for the Flyers whose top line and key contributers continue to be a non-factor in the series and the entire playoffs. New York took the 3-0 lead. Jason Strudwick had the other Rangers goal, his first.

Game 4: Ottawa over Montreal (3 - 1)
- They're not quite done yet. The Ottawa Senators picked up their first win in the series and gave their fans at home a treat before the inevitable. Mike Fisher broke his goal scoring slump and scored his fourth to tie up the game. The game remained tied going into the third but Dany Heatley scored two quick goals and the Senators looked good protecting their two goal lead. Alex Kovalev scored for the Canadiens. It was his first goal since game 1 against Boston where he scored the OT winner.

Game 4: New York over Philadelphia (3 - 1)
- Sweep complete. The entire series has been consistent in both teams' play. Low scoring with no spark from the Flyers whatsoever. Sjostrom scored his second to open the scoring, followed by Martin Straka's goal on the powerplay and Blair Betts' first. Philadelphia's Joffrey Lupul scored with less than a minute remaining to break the shutout. It was his first goal of the playoffs and only his second point. The New York Rangers are the first team to advance to the conference finals.

[Trypod]

Game 5: Detroit over Calgary (3 - 0)
- With the series back in Detroit for Game 5, the Wings desperately needed to use their hometown advantage to keep the series alive. The Wings were more than successful in doing so. Not only did they pick up the huge win, but they did it by neutralizing Calgary's hot streak offence, getting the shutout, and completely out-grinding them. Jiri Hudler scored the first of the game with his fourth goal. Kris Draper tipped in a point shot from Lebda, and Pavel Datsyuk added the unassisted marker. Mikka Kipprusoff was pulled after the three goals were allowed on 8 shots. CuJo looked terrific in relief and there's question of whether or not he should start game 6 in Calgary.

Game 5: Minnesota over Anaheim (5 - 4, OT)
- The most exciting game in the playoffs thus far. Anaheim started early and showed what they were capable of. Doug Weight scored his first of the playoffs and minutes later, George Parros tipped in a point shot from Francois Beauchemin to score his first. Then on the next shift, Aaron Voros accidentally scored on his own net when he intended to hand off the pass back to Niklas Backstrom. To make things worse, Teemu Selanne poked in his seventh to basically end the game at the end of the first with a 4-0 lead. Midway through the second, Mark parrish scored his second of the playoffs as a result of a wicked wrist shot, picking the top corner. Minnesota followed up with another goal on the next shift, this one from Pavol Demitra. The hometown crowd was suddenly back in it, realizing that a comeback wasn't so far away. The Ducks kept it at that for the rest of the second, but the crowd was at least positive. Things looked bleak again for the first half of the third, but Brian Rolston scored on a wristshot on the powerplay bringing it to within one. Then with minutes remaining, Mark Parrish poked away his second of the night to tie the game. Backstrom stopped a flurry of shots in the final minute to keep the hopes of a Wild win alive and the game was going to overtime. Backstrom had to make a few early stops in OT, but on the next shift, the top line of Fedoruk, Demitra, and Gaborik started making their way back down to the Ducks end. Gaborik took a pass from Sean Hill, circled the net, and threw a pass over to Demitra who picked the top corner short side to get the OT marker and take a 3-2 lead in the series! The Minnesota Wild jumped Demitra in a dogpile when the buzzer went and celebrated their hard-fought victory.

Detroit (2) Calgary (3)
Minnesota (3) Anaheim (2)

Game 5: Montreal over Ottawa (2 - 0)
- The Senators had nothing to hold on to but hope. They managed to steal game 4 and avoid a sweep at home, but heading back to a raucous Montreal crowd would be tough. The tension built early with a scoreless first period, even after Ottawa had numerous chances but couldn't solve Carey Price. In the second, Andrei Kostitsyn scored his fourth after Alex Kovalev made a cross-crease pass despite being hauled down by Mike Commodore. Montreal kept their one-goal lead into the final minute of the game until their expanded it with an empty netter from Kovalev with 12.3 seconds remaining. The buzzer went and the Canadiens celebrated their first ECF berth since 1993, the last year they won the cup. The Ottawa Senators were shutout for the second time in the series. The Montreal Canadiens will see the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Montreal (4) Ottawa (1)
New York (4) Phildelphia (0)

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Game 6: Calgary over Detroit (1 - 0)
- It was a frustrating loss for the Red Wings who were desperate to tie up the series and force a Game 7. After their getting shutout in Game 5, the Flames had all the reason in the world to come back and take the series at home. Jarome Iginla scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes into the first period. Mikka Kiprusoff practically saved the game. He started off great making 11 saves in the first period. He faced a flurry in the final minute as Detroit's top line, as well as Jiri Hudler as the extra man fired shot after shot. But nothing would get past the Kipper.

Game 6: Anaheim over Minnesota (2 - 1)
- Minnesota's huge comeback victory in Game 5 gave the Wild such a momentum boost. The Wild were back to their old ways playing an extremely tight game down to the dying minutes of the game. Marian Gaborik scored early in the first and the Wild managed to hang onto that lead and looked as if they were trying to keep it at that with their play in the third frame. Teemu Selanne tied things up with 8 minutes remaining. On the very next shift, Todd Bertuzzi took a pass from Chris Kunitz and picked the top right corner to take the lead. It would wind up being the game winning goal, allowing the Ducks to force a Game 7.

Game 7: Anaheim over Minnesota (2 - 1, OT)
- Almost identical to Game 6, it saw Minnesota open the scoring early and take the one-goal lead. Although instead of trying to keep the lead, Minnesota was visibly trying to bury some more. A number of shots rang off the post. Corey Perry slid home his fourth to tie it up with just 5 minutes remaining. Minnesota decided to throw caution to the wind and play a very aggressive game in the final minute. They had numerous chances to take the lead, but J.S. Giguere stopped them all. In OT, Kurtis Foster made an awful pinch allowing Teemu Selanne to squeeze through and pick the top corner short side to get the victory and win the series! Selanne had a goal and an assist. Minnesota's goal was scored by Branko Radivojevic. Anaheim will meet Calgary in the Western Conference Final.

[Trypod]

Eastern Conference Final Preview | MONTREAL CANADIENS (1) vs. NEW YORK RANGERS (5)

Both teams have had a similar run to the ECF. Two teams that are capable of plenty of offense but used a tight defensive game to earn their victories. Both teams were disciplined and patient.

Montreal had a battle with Boston in the Quarter Finals. The Original 6 rivals put on some great hockey and took the series to six games. Boston managed to shut out Montreal in Game 3, but the Canadiens bounced back and were led by Michael Ryder's hot streak to take the Bruins out in Game 6. Next was the Ottawa Senators who made the Pittsburgh Penguins pay hard for an 8-1 victory in Game 2 of their series. The Senators bounced back and won three straight to end the Penguins' playoff hopes in five games. But the Canadiens showed they weren't scared of what Ottawa was capable of. In Game 1, Montreal erased a two-goal lead and despite Ottawa's efforts to escape with a one-goal victory, the Habs fought hard and tied it up each time and in turn would win the game in overtime. From there, Montreal won two more to take a 3-0 lead in the series and shutout the Sens 3-0 in Game 3. Ottawa stole a win and broke the sweep but the Canadiens would take Game 5 with another shutout to win the series.

The New York Rangers had a great series against the New Jersey Devils in the Quarter Finals that saw all kinds of different hockey. Open end to end, tight defensive, and gritty. The Rangers took a commanding 2-0 lead in the series allowing the Devils to score one goal (an unassisted goal) in Game 1. They shut out Martin Brodeur and his Devils in Game 2, 3-0. The Devils would bounce back and tie the series up with some tight one-goal victories, but the Rangers would take the 3-2 lead with a 5-1 blowout win. The Devils came close to tying the series and took Game 6 to overtime, but a quick goal off a faceoff from Michael Rozsival would end the series. The Rangers advanced to face the Philadelphia Flyers who kept Alexander Ovechkin from exploding in his first playoffs, thus eliminating his Washington Capitals in five games. The Flyers were lucky in doing so, as their offense wasn't so great either and it showed in their second round series against the Blueshirts. The Rangers would go on to sweep the Flyers with three one-goal wins and a 3-1 victory in Game 4. The Rangers saw a positive sign in Games 3 and 4 when their top line scoring line of Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, and Brendan Shanahan went cold and the second line plus a number of role players chipped in to grind out the wins. It could have gone bad had the Flyers exposed the Rangers lack of scoring depth in the playoffs.

Now the Canadiens and Rangers will meet in the Eastern Conference Final. The Canadiens could capitalize on what Philadelphia couldn't, and that's the Rangers' lack of scoring depth. If the Canadiens eliminate Broadway's top line early, they might make the series a short one. New York has shown they're capable of scoring some goals but the Canadiens are ready and have already proven that they can match if they absolutely have to. Expect a close series with a couple of big scoring games but mostly some hard-nosed hockey.

Western Conference Final Preview | ANAHEIM DUCKS (4) vs. CALGARY FLAMES (7)

Tight, tight hockey. The two teams meeting in the WCF are in for a battle. Big hits, low scoring games, and superb goaltending. Mikka Kiprusoff has been shaky at times but looks to take his huge shutout series-winning victory from Game 6 against the Red Wings and built on it early against the Ducks. But the Ducks' netminder, J.S. Giguere, is somewhat hot himself. He allowed only two goals in the final two games against Minnesota, making a terrific rebound from Game 5 where he let in five straight.

The Anaheim Ducks had a close series with the Dallas Stars in the Quarter Finals. You'd never say it on paper, as they won the series 4-1 after gaining a 3-0 lead. But the goals were low and the scores were so close. It was only in Game 5 where the Ducks showed their offensive powers and hammered the Stars 5-1. In the following round they met the Minnesota Wild who also finished their series with a big win: a 7-2 victory in Game 7 over the Colorado Avalanche. The Ducks went down in Game 1 but went on to win the next two, including a 5-3 victory in Game 3. It was in Game 5 where they blew a four-goal, first period lead and lost in overtime. They rebounded and managed to break two one-goal leads in the final ten minutes of both games to win the series and advance to the WCF.

The Calgary Flames had the big upset in Round 1. They took the San Jose Sharks out, a Cup favourite, and only five games were needed. The series saw a number of goals scored in the first three games, but Calgary tightened up their game and came out victorious as a result of their gritty hard-nose play that's helped them along so many times before. In the Semi-Finals they had to deal with another Cup favourite, the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings put up more of a fight and came close to tying up the series and force a Game 7. But with the help of Mikka Kiprusoff's outstanding play in Game 6, the Flames took the series and now go into the WCF against another Cup favourite.

This series is just a matter of who will out grind the other. Both can score goals but they'll both prefer to keep things tight with physical play and low-scoring. Both goaltenders are entering the series hot. Whoever can get their momentum rolling the earliest will no doubt take the series and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

[Trypod]

Game 1: New York over Montreal (2 - 1)
- The first period was no surprise - no score, low shots. Jaromir Jagr broke the score in the first period and minutes later, Chris Drury scored his sixth to extend the lead by two. Tom Kostopoulos scored the only goal in the third and the Rangers took the first game of the series.

Game 2: Montreal over New York (1 - 0)
- The Rangers biggest fears came true: Montreal successfully shut down New York's top scoring line. The Rangers have one piece of positive news from this loss: despite not being able to get many shots on goal or score a single one, Henrik Lundqvist was unbelievable in net as Montreal riddled him with shots. It was Chris Higgins who finally scored his first playoff goal, and unassisted one, to squeeze by with a one-goal victory.

Game 1: Anaheim over Calgary (1 - 0)
- Just what was expected. Tight hockey with great goaltending. It was just a matter of which goalie would break first. Correy Perry scored his fifth in the third period with less than a minute to go after managing to pick the top right corner on Mikka Kiprusoff. In their last three games, Calgary has managed just one goal and it was from Jarome Iginla in Game 6 against the Detroit Red Wings.

Game 2: Calgary over Anaheim (3 - 1)
- It looked like we were in for an identical contest to Game 1 after a scoreless tight period. But halfway through the second, Jarome Iginla broke the tie with an unassisted goal. A true symbolic representation of Calgary's offense. Without Iginla, the Flames wouldn't have made it past Detroit. Calgary's offence had suddenly fallen off the map, but in the third, Kristan Huselius scored his fourth to take a two-goal lead. George Parros poked in his second with a great feed from Brad May, but Adrian Aucoin tossed his second goal into the empty net to secure the victory and tie the series up heading into Calgary from Game 3.

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League Leaders - Points
*Stats from eliminated teams not included
1. Brendan Shanahan (NYR) - 7 G, 8 A, 15 PTS
2. Jarome Iginla (CGY) - 8 G, 6 A, 14 PTS
3. Teemu Selanne (ANA) - 9 G, 3 A, 12 PTS
- . Chris Drury (NYR) - 6 G, 6 A, 12 PTS
5. Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) - 2 G, 8 A, 10 PTS
6. Michael Ryder (MTL) - 6 G, 3 A, 9 PTS
- . Saku Koivu (MTL) - 1 G, 8 A, 9 PTS
8. Corey Perrey (ANA) - 5 G, 3 A, 8 PTS
- . Jaromir Jagr (NYR) - 2 G, 6 A, 8 PTS

[Trypod]

Game 3: Montreal over New York (2 - 1)
- The biggest story of the Conference Finals this year has been the scoreless first periods. Through the first five games, there have been zero goals scored in the first 20. In Game 3 in the ECF, Montreal opened the scoring on a powerplay in the second period from captain Saku Koivu. It was his second goal of the playoffs. His first since Game 5 against Boston in the first round. Bryan Smolinski scored his first in the playoffs in another powerplay just minutes later on a bad shot that Lundvist managed to let slip by. During the final period, New York broke the shutout with Petr Prucha's first playoff goal.

Game 3: Anaheim over Calgary (1 - 0)
- For the second time in the series, Calgary has lost 1-0. Both of Anaheim's wins have been one-goal shutouts. The Flames came close numerous times to tie the goal late in the third, but it was Travis Moen's second period marker that won the Ducks the game to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

[rkolegendkilla]

This is awesome, man. I haven't checked this out for a few days and I was really excited to see the progress.

It looks as if all teams are playing hard, tight, low scoring hockey, which is realistic for the four teams involved.

Anaheim vs. New York, please.