Check back for the opening faceoff!

7:03 PM: And it’s official, we’ll see Joey MacDonald again tonight. Memo to the Isles: Sit DiPietro for the rest of the season. Just let the man heal. You have too many years invested in the man for him to keep breaking like this.

7:11 PM: Doc Emerick isn’t calling the game even though it is on Versus.  I am sad.

7:13 PM: The Garden is loud.  Like, REALLY loud.  Couple of big stops by Lundqvist on Gervais and Guerin.

7:15 PM: The Islanders injury report is lengthy and reminds me of the Devils a few weeks ago.  Several players with broken feet.  I’d like very much to make a joke about that but I’ve got nothing.

7:18 PM: Mitch Fritz and Colton Orr with a great battle.  Mitch Fritz is huge and clearly has the size advantage, yet somehow Colton Orr draws blood and tackles him.  I’m feeling pretty bad about myself if I’m Fritz right now.

7:22 PM: Nigel Dawes and Mike Comrie?! That’s…different. For two guys that don’t fight often, they’re getting some good shots in.  I’d give the edge to Comrie.  The fight was a reaction to a hit on Kyle Okposo who appears to be in pain on the Islander bench.

7:24 PM: LOOK OUT, IT’S THE RED HOT RANGER POWER PLAY.   ….I’m an asshole.  Anyway, Jeff Tambelli takes a tripping penalty, Rangers with the man advantage.

7:26 PM: Fun fact: The Islanders have scored 3 shorthanded goals against the Rangers this year.  2 in the third period of one game!  Okposo back on the ice for the Islanders, good to see he’s ok.

7:27 PM: Back at full strength.  Not much going on for the Rangers on the power play.

7:31 PM: I really, REALLY, hate when they interview players and coaches mid-period on the bench.  LET THEM PLAY.

7:34 PM: Horrible turnover by the Rangers as Dmitri Kalinin collides with one of his own men and gives up the puck to Trent Hunter who finds Mike Sillinger all alone in front, ready to slam it home over Lundqvist’s shoulder. 1-0 Islanders.

7:40 PM: Kalinin’s getting some strong boos from the MSG crowd.  I almost feel bad.  Almost.

7:42 PM: Paul Mara takes a questionable goaltender interference call.  Islanders on the power play for the remainder of the period, with the potential for carry over time if they don’t convert in the last 50 seconds here.

7:43 PM: Joey MacDonald with a big stop on Chris Drury with 7 seconds left.  That’ll do it for the first period. Islanders will have about a minute of power play time left at the start of the second.

8:03 PM: Second period underway, and the Rangers have killed off the remainder of the Paul Mara penalty.

8:04 PM: Islanders turnover creates a great chance for Markus Naslund but Joey MacDonald comes up with the big save.

8:05 PM: Rangers going on the power play on a Tim Jackman high sticking call.

8:07 PM: Rangers with a little bit of offensive pressure in the early part of the power play, but MacDonald with the crucial stops again. Islanders kill of the remainder of the penalty without too much excitement.

8:13 PM: MacDonald has been clutch for the Isles in the second.  Huge stop on a deflection attempt by Petr Prucha in front.

8:14 PM: After an eternity of 6-on-5 play due to a delayed penalty call on Trent Hunter (and one hell of a shot off the post by Marc Staal), Scott Gomez puts one away after a great pass from Nik Zherdev.  I really hate saying nice things about the Rangers.  1-1.

8:18 PM: Paul Mara heading back to the box for tripping.  Isles back on the power play, a chance for the Fishsticks to settle things down and gain back some momentum after being outplayed badly for most of this period.

8:20 PM: Not the opportunity the Isles were hoping for, generating very little pressure on the power play.  Paul Mara is out of the box.

8:23 PM: STOP INTERVIEWING PEOPLE ON THE BENCH.  *fumes*

8:24 PM: Rangers outshooting the Isles 23-9, and the Isles take another penalty.  Chris Campoli goes off for hooking.

8:27 PM: Penalty killed with a little help from Joey MacDonald, who has been brilliant in this period.  This game could have easily gotten out of hand by now.

8:32 PM: Isles have picked it up a little bit in the last few minutes but its still all Rangers.  The Isles have to be looking to get out of the second period without any further damage at this point.

8:35 PM: Looks like I spoke too soon.  Islanders with a late flurry and a Freddy Meyer slapshot from the point is directed in by Kyle Okposo with 12 seconds left in the period. 2-1 Islanders despite the Ranger domination in the second.

8:55 PM: Third period underway and Ryan Callahan just laid out Trent Hunter, checking him into the opening bench door.  He’s flat on his back looking rather dazed.

8:57 PM: Trainers brought a stretcher out but Hunter skated off on his own, a good sign.  Scary stuff, here’s hoping Trent is ok.

8:59 PM: Rangers drive the net hard on the ensuing play and Petr Prucha jams one home, doing his best to earn his spot in the lineup.  2-2.

9:01 PM: Michal Rozsival with a slapper that changes directions on Joey MacDonald and beats him five hole.  3-2 Rangers.

9:02 PM: I CAN’T BLOG THIS FAST. Blake Como slams one home after Lundqvist leaves a big rebound in the slot. 3-3.

9:04 PM: Bruno Gervais takes down Korpikoski and gets called for holding.  Rangers go on the power play.

9:08 PM: Tonight’s Versus crew obviously has a man-crush on Rick DiPietro.  They’ve made a point of announcing why he’s not playing once every 5 minutes of game time all night.  Oh, and the Rangers power play is over.

9:11 PM: Nasland gets the fluky bounce over MacDonald’s shoulder. 4-3 Rangers. I’ve been trying to empty my dishwasher while I’m watching and blogging and every time I go over there the Rangers score.  The dishes will now wait until the game ends.  I refuse to be part of a Ranger victory.

9:17 PM: Brendan Witt takes some mystery penalty.  I’m going to assume it was interference.  Rangers on the power play again.

9:19 PM: Penalty over.  And thank you for reminding us Rangers fans that Potvin still, in fact, sucks.

9:20 PM: Positive news coming from the Islander locker room about Trent Hunter.  Moving around and talking with the training staff, out for the rest of the night as a precautionary measure.  Good to hear.

9:22 PM: MSG just started a PRU-CHA chant. The fans have made their wishes clear.  Your move, Renney.

9:23 PM: Nigel Dawes battles his way to the front of the net and puts one home to make it 5-3 Rangers. I have an irrational hatred for this kid and am now cranky.

9:24 PM: In case you hadn’t figured it out already, the Islanders are really bad at the third period.  Actually, the Islanders are really bad at a lot of things.  But I digress.

9:28 PM: One minute left.  MacDonald out of the net for the Isles for the extra skater.

9:29 PM: Mike Comrie pokes one home with about 19 seconds left.  5-4 Rangers. Makes things a little bit interesting, anyway.

9:32 PM: Rangers hold on to win it.  Crazy game.  I don’t approve of Rangers victories, but certainly an enjoyable hockey game.

My boyfriend’s sitting next to me as I’m doing this today (he actually insisted I blog during the game).  I’m sure he’ll have some comments throughout

1:02 PM: In an unfortunate turn of events (read: Center Ice blacked out the Devils coverage), it seems I’m stuck with the Philly coverage of the game today. I miss Doc and Chico already.

1:04 PM: Niittymaki v. Clemmenson in goal this afternoon.  Opening faceoff in a few.

1:08 PM: CSN Philly thought it was a good idea to put GIANT FACES on screen to introduce the lineups for each team. I didn’t really want to see the first 2 minutes of the game.  Jake: I hope those faces never come back.

1:12 PM: Josh Gratton and Mike Rupp go at it in front of Clemmenson.  Gratton’s probably a good six inches shorter than Rupp, but manages to get Rupp so tangled up that Rupp never gets a good shot in and falls over.  I’d call it even.  Jake agrees.

1:16 PM: Devils to go up a man as Kimmo Timonen hook.  Timonen is not pleased.  Good chance for the Devils to get some offensive pressure going.

1:18 PM: The Flyers announcers have an unhealthy obsession with Brian Gionta being “diminutive”.  They throw the word out there at least 5 times a game.  I still want Doc and Chico back.

1:21 PM: Flyers kill off the penalty without too much trouble.  One great chance for Travis Zajac but he can’t convert on the rebound in front.

1:23 PM: Devils on the power play again, this time on a tripping call on Kimmo Timonen.  Timonen is still not pleased.

1:25 PM: Awful power play for the Devils. We’re back a full strength.

1:29 PM: I really, really don’t like Sheldon Brookbank.  Just throwing that out there.

1:32 PM: Neither team look particularly spectacular right now.  Pretty even game thus far.  Also, the amount of points the Flyers have tallied shorthanded is intimidating (13 goals).

1:35 PM: Hooking penalty on the Flyers’ Darrel POWE.  That’s the best hockey name EVER.

1:39 PM: Penalty killed again.  Couple of good chances by the Devils this time around.  Great save by Clemmenson coming the other way right after the penalty expires.

1:42 PM: End of the first period.  Pretty even play so far, looks a lot like the last matchup between these two teams.  I still hate the Flyers announcers with a fiery passion.  Be back for the second.

2:01 PM: Second period underway.  Apparently Riley Cote fought Donald Brashear twice yesterday and got his face rearranged.  He’s got two black eyes, a fat lip, and a couple of stitches over one eye.  Not a good look.

2:09 PM: I’m sitting here munching on a frozen pizza and there’s not much going on.  Bobby Holik flattened Scottie Upshall early in the period, but other than that, nothing doing.  Hartnell just took a penalty though, so the Devils’ power play gets its fourth opportunity of the afternoon.  Asham’s sitting in the box for the penalty for an unknown reason and we just got a fantastic shot of him rocking out in the box.

2:12 PM: Patrik Elias extends his point streak to 10, hammering home a second rebound attempt for a power play goal.  1-0 Devils.

2:14 PM: Brian Rolston puts home a slapshot that Niittymaki never saw, and boy does he look happy.  2-0 Devils, with just a minute and 6 seconds between the goals.

2:22 PM: Sheldon Brookbank can’t even fight right.  He tries to go at it with Braydon Coburn and they just sort of hug for a while, Brookbank throws one punch, and then they hug some more until Coburn pushes him over.  You fail, sir.

2:28 PM: Devils’ take their first penalty of the afternoon, as Andy Greene goes off for high sticking.  Big kill here for the Devils.

2:30 PM: Jeff Carter takes back the league lead in goals with 25, poking one through Scott Clemmenson’s five hole at the start of the power play. 2-1 Devils.

2:33 PM: Some good extended pressure from the Devils following the Flyers’ goal, but they can’t convert thanks to some great defensive play by Randy Jones.  The rest of the second period expires without too much excitement. Check back in for the third period.

2:51 PM: Third period underway. Game had a great pace to it at the end of the second, we’ll see if that keeps up.

2:55 PM: Josh Gratton lays out Johnny Oduya and Mike Rupp and Jay Leach both want to destroy him but back off in favor of the power play opportunity.

2:58 PM: Scott Hartnell gets a breakaway as the power play comes to an end, but Clemmer comes up with the big save.  Another lackluster power play attempt for the Devils.

3:07 PM: Jake points out that Riley Cote just took a run at Bobby Holik.  He’s not a wise man, or at least doesn’t value his face.

3:16 PM: Colin White just destroyed someone in the corner.  I enjoy watching him hit everything that moves. In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s not much else going on.

3:18 PM: I should have kept my mouth shut.  Joffrey Lupul makes it 2-2.

3:26 PM: Couple of strong saves by Niittymaki since the Flyers’ goal.  About a minute left in regulation.

3:29 PM: And we’re headed to overtime!

3:32 PM: Bodies are flying everywhere.  I have no idea what’s going on out there.

3:34 PM: Clemmenson with the HUGE save on Jeff Carter.  Just under 2 minutes left in the overtime.

3:37 PM: 12 seconds left and the Flyers have an offensive zone faceoff.  Flyers call a timeout.  I imagine his point starts with WIN A FACEOFF ASSHOLES, as the Devils have won 2/3rds of the draws in the game.

3:38 PM: No dice.  To the shootout we go.

SHOOTOUT

Simon Gagne – save

Zach Parise – HIT THE DAMN CROSSBAR

Mike Richards – goal

Patrik Elias – save

Jeff Carter – save

Jamie Langenbrunner – goal

Kimmo Timonen – save

Brian Gionta – save

Joffrey Lupul – save

Travis Zajac – goal

And the Devils win the game 3-2 in the shootout on Travis Zajac’s first shootout attempt of the year.  Great game.

It’s the little things in life.

ANYWAY, third time’s a charm.  Tonight, I shall bring you a live blog of a way less exciting game between the Devils and Panthers!  I can feel your enthusiasm from here.  The Devils are coming off of a big shootout win Saturday against the Capitals (which I was in attendance for and I’m fairly certain took 3 years off my life), backstopped by none other than Martin Brodeur Kevin Weekes Scott Clemmenson?!  Sigh.  Clemmer will be in net again this evening, leaving me to yell out WEEEEEEEEEEKEEEEEESSSS in agony every time he does something stupid.  I’ll try to spare you my pain.  This is a big one for the Devils, as they are looking to build up some momentum at home before heading out on a road trip leading up to Thanksgiving.

I won’t lie to you, I know nothing about the Panthers except that David Booth has been playing lights out and both goaltenders have been pretty stellar this season, though I expect we’ll see Vokoun tonight.  They’re 7-9-1, which is better than I would have expected but only good enough for last place in the Southeast.  Just the kind of team the Devils love to lose to.

See you for the opening faceoff!

6:55 PM: I forgot about Jay Bouwmeester.  He’s pretty awesome too.  Too bad for the Panthers he’ll be gone by the trade deadline.

7:01 PM: It’s been a month since the Devils won back to back games.  Now would be a great time to break that trend if they intend to prove to people they AREN’T simply “Martin Brodeur & a bunch of other dudes who play hockey”

7:08 PM: Fun fact: I have an undying hatred for Stan Fischler.

7:11 PM: Strong start for the Devils (I like saying that). Zach Parise shoots about 3 feet too high after some extended Devils pressure.  Please don’t start shooting like Jamie Langenbrunner, Zach.

7:14 PM: Bouwmeester just did one hell of a job defending Zach Parise.  Like 4 times.  Lou, are you watching?  GO AFTER THIS KID.

7:15 PM: Jason Cullimore still plays in the NHL? Really?  I didn’t get that memo.

7:17 PM: Devils going on the power play, which Mike Emerick is nice enough to remind the viewing public is 1 for its last 15 tries.  I love me some crappy special teams.  Prior to that Jay Pandolfo shot harder than I’ve ever seen him shoot before.  Good stuff.

7:21 PM: Nice pass up-ice by Scott Clemmenson on the power play.  This is not a sentence I ever thought I’d type.

7:23 PM: Power play over.  Dainus Zubrus missed a rebound attempt at a wide open net.  Same old, same old.

7:26 PM: Florida’s first real chance of the period.  Good stop by Clemmenson.

7:28 PM: Nicklas Bergfors has clearly been watching David Clarkson’s wraparounds.  He fails of course.  I still like what I see from this kid, though.

7:35 PM: Bryce Salvador just got nailed in the back of the head with an unidentifed Panther stick.  Devils power play again.

7:47PM: I had unexpected company arrive.  Obviously, I am not meant to live blog.  To sum up the end of the first: The Devils power play sucks, terrible penalty call on Colin White, about 20 seconds to go in the Florida power play at the start of the second.

8:08 PM: Florida’s played much better this period, Devils’ look a little more sluggish.  Why yes, I am only half watching.  The best laid plans.  John Madden appeared to just take a shot off the leg and sort of gimped through the rest of his shift.  I grow sad.

8:10 PM: Patrik Elias puts one past Vokoun with a beautiful move.  1-0 Devils.

8:13 PM: Clemmer stops a great play by Booth, and Madden’s back on the ice.  I can breathe a little easier.

8:22 PM: Jason Cullimore appears to be hurt.  One of his own guys fell on his right leg — that didn’t look good.  Legs shouldn’t bend that way.

8:27 PM: Parise has been unfortunately snakebitten that last few games.  Also, Scott Clemmenson has been playing really well tonight.

8:28 PM: Shots on goal this period 10-1 in favor of Florida.  Devils with the one that matters.

8:31 PM: 1-0 Devils at the end of the second.  ThankyouScottClemmenson.  Add that to the list of things I didn’t think I’d be writing tonight.

8:52 PM: Devils are coasting a little too much.  May come back to bite them later on if they don’t pick up their energy level.

8:55 PM: Hey they listened! David Clarkson to Paul Martin who puts a shot right past Vokoun.  2-0 Devils.

8:57 PM: That. was. awesome. Gionta, to Elias, back to Gionta, and nothing but an open net awaits him.  3-0 Devils.  1:02 between the goals.  The Gionta/Elias/Zubrus line has been fantastic tonight.

9:01 PM: Elias takes an unfortunate high-sticking penalty.  The Devils penalty kill makes me really nervous.

9:04 PM: And that’s why.  Frolick’s first-ever NHL goal (the Devils really like giving those up), 3-1 Devils.

9:07 PM: Florida hasn’t won a playoff game in 10 years.  That’s just unfortunate.  Granted, they also haven’t been IN the playoffs very much, but that’s a whole different story.

9:17 PM: Chico Resch has a huge man crush on Zach Parise.  Oh, right, the game.  The Panthers will probably pull the goalie soon.  Or now.

9:19 PM: Times like these I want Bobby Holik and his huge frickin’ unibrow back.  Huge faceoffs in the defensive zone.

9:20 PM: Ok, enough digs at Clemmer.  He’s been absolutely awesome tonight.  Huge save again there.

9:23 PM: That’ll do it.  3-1 Devils.  Solid performance all around (minus the second period, perhaps) and a big win.

I promise I won’t always blog Devils games, they’re just the Versus game this week!

7:07 PM: So for those keeping track at home, the Devils are down Marty, Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik, Andy Greene, Paul Martin, and Pierre-Luc Leblond (I’m not even going to try to spell his full name).   Just a full line a forwards, a full defensive pair, and arguably the best goaltender in hockey.  No big deal.  I’m not worried at all.

7:10 PM: So it begins.  Madden and Pandolfo reunited with David Clarkson for the first time in a week or two.  Wonky defensive pairs for the Devils.  Kevin Weekes is 2 games from his 100th win.  Meanwhile,  Ryan Miller is leading the league in goals against average.

7:14 PM: The Versus crew is kind enough to remind us that these two teams played into overtime and beyond every time they met last year.  Hope you’re ready to go the distance!

7:16 PM: The difference in the size of the injury reports makes this Devils fan sad.  Great save by Weekes, though!

7:18 PM: Devils are having some trouble in their own end, and it finally pays off for Buffalo in a power play after a mad scramble in front.

7:21 PM: Penalty killed.  At the 9 minute mark, the shot count is 11-1 in favor of the Sabres.  Kevin Weekes is keeping this thing under control for the Devils.

7:24 PM: So, obviously, the logical move for the Devils here is to go down a man again.  Good job, guys.  Some pushing and shoving after the whistle but no one wants to fight David Clarkson.

7:26 PM: Kevin Weekes with an AMAZING left pad save on Thomas Vanek, and Vanek gets called for a hook on the ensuing  play.  4-4 for a minute and then about a minute of power play for the Devils.

7:33 PM: Weekes with a big stop on Connelly.  He continues to be the center of attention this period, as the Devils haven’t put any extended offensive pressure on the Sabres yet.

7:36 PM: If the Devils continue taking penalties and not playing defense they aren’t going to win.  Just saying.

7:40 PM: Killed the penalty, and then took a too many men on the ice penalty about 20 seconds later. Kevin Weekes with a great save right at the start.  Oh, wait, now its a 5-on-3, thankyouJohnnyOduya.

7:43 PM: Well, that was going to happen sooner or later.  On their 20TH SHOT OF THE PERIOD, Jason Pominville one-times it right past Weekes after the 5-on-3 expires.  The Devils still only have 3 shots.  It’s a miracle the Devils are getting out of this period only down 1 goal.

8:03 PM: Let’s see if the Devils actually play hockey this period, shall we?

8:04 PM: Good to see Ryan Miller IS actually in the house tonight!  Finally, some extended pressure by the Devils, punctuated by a nice loud CLANK!

8:07 PM: Gionta goes off for tripping and Afinigenov goes off for diving, and we’re 4-on-4.  I still don’t really understand calling both penalties at the same time, but that’s a rant for another day.

8:09 PM: That 4-on-4 looked an awful lot like a Buffalo power play.  A couple of scrambles and great saves by Weekes, but penalty time is up.

8:14 PM: The Devils just registered their 5th shot! How exciting.

8:19 PM: Devils with a good chance to take some control of this game, as Tallinder takes a hooking penalty.

8:23 PM: Great power play for the Devils despite the lack of finish.  4 shots and the first signs of offensive life we’ve seen all game.  Hopefully they’ll pick up some momentum.

8:25 PM: Craig Rivet to the box for a crosscheck to Jamie Langenbrunner.  The Devils are starting to buzz a little bit.

8:29 PM: Buffalo’s penalty kill is stifling.  Great effort by the Sabres there.  The pace of the game has shifted a bit, though, as the Devils finally seem to have gotten their legs moving.

8:35 PM: Another Sabres penalty, to Lydman this time, for hooking.  The Devils have had sustained pressure for the last few minutes and have forced the Sabres to take some penalties.

8:39 PM: End of the second.  Devils have about 40 seconds of power play time left to start the third period.  They outshot the Sabres 12-5 in the second.

8:56 PM: Third  period has begun! As a random aside, Ryan Miller is really, really skinny.

8:58 PM: Carry over penalty over.  Pretty lame power play attempt, but the Devils are going right back on the power play after some great work in the corners from Zach Parise.

9:02 PM: And nothing to show for it again.  The Sabres penalty kill is ridiculous.

9:06 PM: Versus is interviewing  Shaq.  I care….not at all.  Nor do I understand his relevance to this game.  Maybe I would if I listened.  Oops.

9:08 PM: The Sabres get a clean offensive zone faceoff win, followed by a rocket from the point and a perfect deflection from Patrick Kaleta right past Weekes.  2-0.

9:10 PM: Important power play for the Devils, a delay of game call of Ryan Miller.  Both Miller and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff are not pleased.

9:12 PM: Another Buffalo penalty – Thomas Vanek for  hooking.  21 seconds of a 5-on-3 for the Devils.  If they want to get back in this game, now is the time.  Time out called by Brent Sutter.

9:16 PM: Devils just can’t seem to finish tonight.  Power play over.

9:21 PM: The Sabres defense is REALLY good.  I didn’t pick this team to make the playoffs.  They’re making me feel rather foolish.

9:24 PM: Weekes is out already, just under 3 minutes to go.

9:26 PM: This is just a LITTLE insane.  Devils completely dominating and completely unable to bury one.  Weekes STILL on the bench.

9:28 PM: And that’ll do it.  Back-to-back shutouts for Ryan Miller, as the game ends at 2-0.  The Devils can’t really expect to win playing the first period like they did.   You have to give Kevin Weekes major credit for keeping it close.

I will be watching the games in the coming weeks, and will post a more detailed review of the series after I’ve watched them. As of right now, all I can say is that Detroit was simply the better team. Kudos to Pittsburgh for putting up one hell of a fight, and pushing the series as long as they did, but it seemed from game 2 that it was only a matter of time.

In other news, Dominic Hasek, Trevor Linden, and Mattias Norstrom all announced their retirements this week. After his collapse in the playoffs, it was only a matter of time before the announcement from Hasek. His level of play has been slowly declining over the past few season, but its hard to argue his contributions earlier in his career. He will certainly be a Hall of Famer.

Most of the Vancouver community knew Linden would not be returning, so his announcement was also not surprising. The team’s last home game ended in an uplifting tribute to the man who spent 16 of his 19 seasons with the club. He has always been one of the classier players in the game and I hope he continues to stay involved in the NHL.

The NHL awards ceremony is tonight at 7PM EST on VS. I’ll take a closer look at the winners tomorrow!

Detroit simply outworked the Stars from the first drop of the puck last night. They came out fighting hard in the first two periods and Dallas didn’t have an answer until it was too late — much like the first 2 games of the series. Zetterburg and Datsyuk got back on the scoreboard and some of their second tier scorers got back on the board by getting themselves planted in front of Turco to create scoring opportunites. Kris Draper scored a goal off his chin — now THAT’S playoff hockey at its finest.

Keys to the series:

Sloppy Defense

Dallas was sloppy on defense early on in the series, tightened up in the games they won, and crumbled a bit again early in game 6. Detroit’s offense is too explosive to allow for any mistakes. One sloppy pass and Zetterburg, Datysuk, or any number of other talented forwards is burying one at the other end. There were a TON of bad defensive plays, sloppy passes, and turnovers in the neutral zone in games 1, 2, &, 3 before Dallas really got themselves together — and by that point, it was too late.

Power Play

Philly went through this with Pittsburgh, and it was no different in this series. Dallas’ power play had more than enough opportunities to rescue them when games were still within reach, and they just couldn’t convert. Last night, Detroit spent the majority of the second period down a man, and Dallas barely registered a shot on the man advantage. You aren’t going to win games this way. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dallas took way too many penalties against a potent power play. In game 1, they were down 3 goals very quickly because of bad penalties — a deficit they never overcame.

Zetterburg and Datysuk

Possibly the most dynamic pair in the league, this duo of Selke finalists had a fantastic series, and gave Marty Turco fits. Zetterburg had two shorthanded goals and Datsyuk had a hat trick in game 3. Both were nearly invisible in games 4 and 5 when Detroit lost — coincidence? Not likely. When these guys are on their game, Detroit wins. The key to beating the Red Wings is shutting them down, and Dallas didn’t do it nearly well enough.

Goaltending

It pains me to say it because he’s one of my favorites, but Marty Turco struggled in the early stages of this series. Detroit’s net crashing got under his skin, and I think he had a bit of a mental struggle due to his personal record against Detroit being so poor. That being said, he also had some spectacular moments — he played amazingly in Game 5 and some of the earlier games could have been a lot worse for Dallas were it not for him. But he admitted himself that he felt he wasn’t at his best, and teams don’t win championships without consistently reliable goaltending. Osgood, on the other hand, has been just that – consistent. He lost his first game of the playoffs in Game 4, and preserved leads for the Wings more than a few times in this series. I’ve been repeatedly impressed with his play, and he’s quietly putting on one of the best performances of his career.

Overtime Hangover?

The Stars took 2 games to find their legs and really start playing strong hockey. After an exhausting 4OT victory to eliminate the Sharks in the previous round, they only had 2 days off before the Conference Finals. The Wings had a full week between series. Was the exhaustion a factor? With an extra few days (or two fewer overtimes), does Dallas come out stronger sooner? The Stars certainly proved in games 4 and 5 that they could compete with Detroit. Had they brought that intensity from the start of the series, this could have been an entirely different beast.

Bring on the Finals!

Pittsburgh showed the true intensity of their offensive firepower all throughout this game, and the Flyers just couldn’t keep up. You have to wonder if Michel Therrien drew some inspiration from watching Detroit falter on Saturday — the Penguins came out playing for the kill. They never looked nervous, never once looked like they doubted themselves. For a group of very young players, they are showing a great deal of maturity. Marc-Andre Fleury continues to impress — early in the game when it was still close he made a couple of unbelievable saves that turned the momentum in favor of the Penguins. These kids are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the finals.

The keys to this series:

Kimmo Timmonen/Braydon Coburn

The Flyers were a different team in Game 1 without Timmonen. Their power play suffered, and some mistakes were made that may not have been with him in the lineup. When Coburn went down early in Game 2, leaving them with only 5 defensemen for the majority of the game, the complexion of the series changed dramatically. Losing their top defensive pairing against a team with the firepower of Crosby, Hossa, and Malkin (and Malone, and Sykora, and…) was a huge blow to this team. Watching their power play yesterday, you could see how much better the puck movement was with Timmonen in the lineup. This was the number 2 power play in the league during the regular season. Having that attack all series has the potential to make a huge difference. The injuries were a factor.

Transition Game

This Penguins team is FAST. There is little to no room for error in the neutral zone, or they will be on the attack before you have time to blink. They move the puck unbelievably well and have an uncanny ability to just…find each other…up ice. This is part of what makes this team so scary. The Flyers just didn’t have an answer for them, and the lack of their defensive core hurt as the series wore on.

Power Play

The Flyers (read: Derian Hatcher) take stupid penalties. They are a tough team, which benefits them at times, but also bites them in the ass. Being in the box a lot against a team full of snipers is not going to benefit your cause. The Pens power play was lethal during this series, and the Flyers weren’t able to fight back, even though they had plenty of opportunities as this thing got a little ugly. They had a couple of chances when the game was still salvageable yesterday and couldn’t put one home. This is as much a credit to the Pens penalty kill, but you have to take advantage of the power play when you get one — and you can’t take stupid penalties in the playoffs, or you aren’t going to move on. Just ask Ryan Hollweg.

Danny Briere/Vinny Prospal

Has anyone seen them? Danny Briere played a great Game 4 to send this thing back to Pittsburgh, but I’d be hard pressed to find any great moments from Prospal all series. The duo carried the team through the end of the regular season after Prospal was acquired at the trade deadline, and they were phenomenal against Washington and Montreal. Where’d they go? If you’re going to win in the playoffs, your big guys need to step up

Pittsburgh awaits the winner of Dallas/Detroit. Game 6 is tonight in Dallas, after Marty Turco stood on his head on Saturday to grab his first-ever victory at Joe Louis Arena and help his team live to see another day. Dallas has some new life, and Detroit is looking a little tense. I think Dallas might be able to push this another game — all the momentum is in their favor right now. The pressure is on Detroit to prove that they can close out the series and not let things linger any longer. I called Dallas in 7 from the start of the series — will we see a miracle comeback?