Ruffling Feathers

The Pittsburgh Penguins are determined to make sure history does not repeat itself.

Despite being down 2-0 to the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings, the same result after two games in the Stanley Cup Final last season, the plucky Pens have fought back to tie the series at two and are showing their true colours once again in these playoffs. While there were some eerie similarities between this year’s finals and last, Sidney Crosby and company have changed all that after an impressive game four win.

Older, wiser, more mature. All words and phrases used to describe the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins. If there was ever a time to prove it, it was in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch with the reigning champion Red Wings. After the first weekend, however, the Penguins found themselves in a familiar situation, down 2-0 and nothing going their way.

Young, inexperienced, nervous. These were the new buzz words surrounding the Penguins. Wait, new? No, these too were carryovers from last season. It felt like everything had changed and yet nothing truly had. You could see the frustration in the faces of Crosby, Staal, coach Dan Bylsma and many others in the Penguins organization.

Going back to Steel Town, it was fair to say that every fan of the flightless birds felt that sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. This feels too familiar... Then the Pens won game three. Nobody really felt better. After all, it was 2-1 Wings after three games last year too. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that game four was going to be big.

They started well, seeing Evgeni Malkin pot his 14th goal of this post-season, but fell behind with two Red Wings’ goals less than three minutes apart spanning the end of the first and the beginning of the second periods. But something finally changed, the Penguins wouldn’t quit and they would finally show the Red Wings just what they are capable of. In a flurry, Malkin, Crosby and their partners in crime went to work. Jordan Staal barrels in on Osgood fighting off a defender and slides home the tying goal. Malkin and Crosby get the 2-on-1 and Crosby makes good on a nice second effort pass from Evgeni. Then to top it all off, Kennedy slams home the biscuit on one of the nicest passing plays of the postseason.

The Red Wings are in trouble, and they are well aware of it, even if they won’t say so. The series has dramatically shifted in Pittsburgh’s favour and they show no sign of slowing down. Detroit hasn’t been able to see almost any contribution from their big guns and Pavel Datsyuk hasn’t played a game in the series. Even if they get him back, the damage may be done.

Led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are demonstrating the hunger and drive they showed in their run not only through the playoffs, but fighting back from near the bottom of the Eastern Conference barrel in the regular season just to make the postseason. They still have to win at least one game in Detroit to win the Cup, but their confidence is seemingly limitless.

The Cup will be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, but will it stay there or be on the move back to Detroit?

mitch.hart@gmail.com

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The Penguins Strike Back

In a playoff season that has delivered several great games, we were treated to another last night. Sidney Crosby finally gets on the board, helping set up the game winner, and the Penguins narrow Detroit's lead to 2-1.

The Penguins put forth their best effort of the series, despite being outshot 29-21. The most telling: the Penguins outshot the Wings 10-3 in the third period...probably one of the few third periods that Detroit has been dominated in.

Pittsburgh needed someone to step up, and Maxime Talbot finally answered the call, scoring twice. Kristopher Letang's powerplay goal late in the first period was crucial. With Detroit leading 2-1, the Penguins probably couldn't afford to go into the intermission thinking about being down again.

The Wings did look off-kilter all night, but that's how they looked in game three vs Chicago until they forced overtime, and we all know how that series ended. The thing for me is that despite looking sloppy, the Wings were never out of this game until the empty netter sealed it. I doubt they'll get worse. So if sloppy play is up to Pittsburgh's best effort so far, it's still Detroit's series to lose.

For game four, the Penguins will need a stronger defensive effort. Detroit adjusts well to the opponents arena, and they will come out hard. It's also possible that Pavel Datsyuk will be back in the lineup, considering the Wings could use a bit of a boost. If this series draws even, it's anybody's series. If Detroit goes up 3-1...again...well, I don't think that Pittsburgh will get another triple overtime win in game five.

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Detroit Takes Game One...Again

Game one is officially in the books, and the Detroit Red Wings have a 1-0 lead thanks to a strong team effort and a couple lucky bounces. The series quickly turns to game two tomorrow night. Will the quick turnaround favour the younger Penguins or will Detroit maintain home ice advantage?

Game Notes
Evgeni Malkin had a strong first period and scattered chances throughout but he was very soft on the puck, having it knocked off his stick several times and was seldom a factor in the third.

Detroit dominated the faceoff circle (39-16) and Pittsburgh will have to improve drastically if they are going to have any chance.

The referees did a fantastic job of managing the game. They maintained control without killing the flow of the game with endless penalties.

The best line of the night was Detroit’s fourth line, specifically Ville Leino and Justin Abdelkader, despite the low minutes played.

Even though he was shaky in the first period, Chris Osgood shook it off and turned in another solid performance, lowering his playoff GAA to 2.00 with a .928 save percentage.

Marian Hossa and Darren Helm used their speed to give the Penguins plenty of trouble. The Penguins attack is definitely missing Hossa.

Both teams combined for only three shots on three power plays. Whichever team that can correct their power play first will win this series.

Even though Pittsburgh outshot Detroit 32-30, Detroit put more shots at goal by a 62-53 margin.

The Wings are now 10-0 in the playoffs when leading after two periods.

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Mike's Take: NHL Combine

Featured on this week's edition of Mike's Take, the NHL Combine has begun for the top 100 prospects of the upcoming Entry Draft, and there's a few interesting tales to be told thus far. This is a detailed assessment of the tests and some of the results of the future NHLers who took part in the gauntlet.

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new edition of Mike's Take. This year's NHL Combine features the likes of OHL superstar John Tavares, and his counterpart, Victor Hedman, who looks to improve his ranking after the weekend's gauntlet. For those who are unsure what the combine is, it's essentially a legal way to drive these draft eligible players into a series of physical and stressful situations while interviewing them to get a good sense of their body capabilities and personality while under pressure.

The Tests:

- Psychological Evaluation

"It included a long series of questions about the prospect's personality (including mental toughness and coachability), and went on to a more grueling mental efficiency test, which measured spatial awareness, decision speed, decision accuracy, concentration, and rates of mental fatigue. The potential draftees took the supervised test in a quiet room set up exclusively for that purpose. An abbreviated version of the mental efficiency portion of the test was then given a second time to each prospect immediately after he completed his fitness testing. The scores under the two conditions were then compared to determine the how much the individual player's reactions decline under stress and fatigue" - Hockey's Future.

- Medical Evaluation

"The medical portion of the testing, which took about a half an hour, included the filling out of a medical form, questions and examination by doctors, photographs of the player, an eye test, and two hand/eye coordination tasks" - Hockey's Future.

- Fitness Testing

The fitness test is the most grueling segment of the entire combine. Each player goes through 18 tests in total, and one test that is considerably stressful on the players is called the "Windgate". What happens is the player has his feet taped to the pedals on a stationary bike. He is then told, in a loud/screaming sort of way, to pedal as fast as he can for 30 seconds. The computer then accurately reads and processes the information on the measurement of explosive speed and fatigue effects of the athlete. Many GMs gather around to watch the screen and record the stats.

Jordan Schroeder, ranked #5 for the draft, vomited right after performing this test. "Everyone will say the bikes are definitely the hardest. You're a little dizzy afterwards", said Schroeder. "A little bit came up - I have to admit, a little bit came up."

The most intense segment of the combine is always the last test for the athletes, and it's known as the VO2 Max test. "VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is one factor that can determine an athlete's capacity to perform sustained exercise and is linked to aerobic endurance. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight" - Sports Medicine. This is all performed on the bike.

While it is a draining exercise, all of the performers quickly regained their composure afterward. John Tavares, who did not do any upper-body tests due to a speculated shoulder injury, did very well on the cycling tests. Brayden Schenn is also believed to have an upper body injury.

Evander Kane, currently ranked #3 for the forwards, matched the day's high with 17 bench presses and 47 push-ups - which was far and away the highest total of the day.

Ryan Bourque, son of NHL hall of famer Ray Bourque, performed excellently on the agility tests in which the athletes jumped around a hexagonal mat.

Ryan Ellis showed up but then was granted permission to leave the testing due to unknown circumstances.

Victor Hedman showed up, and boy is he big. He measured in at 6'7", while Jared Cowen came in at 6'5", both are huge bodied individuals. Hedman was asked, "if you weren't a hockey player, what would you be?" He quickly responded "a pilot", much to the surprise of man around him.

"It's the last week to make an impression", said Hedman. "I'm looking forward to it...I've tried these tests before and I'm never going to quit." Something everyone wants to hear from a future prospect.

Brian Burke was met at the Combine and was asked of his desire to move up in the draft. "I got nowhere with it so far," said Burke. "I didn't think I would so early. There's no progress to report, but I'm not discouraged yet. So far I got nothing to report and no reason to feel positive or encouraged in any way, but that's how it is. The two times I've done this was on the floor. I'm not surprised there's no progress yet. We've got a month. If we have to stay and pick at seven we're content to do that. We're going to try to move up but we're not going to overpay to do it. We think we can get a good player at seven. We're going to try to hit it out of the park like we always do. The fact that we've put a few top prospects in the system doesn't change the desperation that I think you have to have when you go to the draft. Your mentality has to be we have to be successful here. The fact that we added Bozak, Christian … doesn't change that. It doesn't change that hunger you have to have gong into the draft. We have to get better today."

For more information of the process, read Central Scouting's NHL Combine Protocol.

Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com

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Here We Go Again

At the end of the Stanley Cup finals last year, Pittsburgh fans were quick to say that they'd be back and their team would win it all. I was quick to say that the Penguins would have a hard road back, and that it was unlikely that they'd do it.

Well, the Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings are both back, ready to pick up where they left off last June. Pittsburgh went through the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes to reach the Finals again. Detroit defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks.

This year, the Penguins have the one thing everyone felt they lacked last year: experience. They've been here before. Been so close, and had to live through the sting of watching the Wings hoist the Cup in Mellon Arena. That feeling will be an undercurrent through this sequel.

Since being pushed to a seventh game against the Capitals, Pittsburgh has been on a tear. In the five games they've played since (including game seven), they've outscored their opponent 26-11. The closest was game one against the Hurricanes, when they were still a bit spent from an epic series, but still managed to win 3-2.

Detroit, similarly, received a boost from defeating a highly skilled Ducks team that very nearly won. In the Conference finals, despite injuries to Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstrom, the Wings cruised to the Finals against a Chicago team that will be a force of the future.

Now the two teams clash again. With the shorter layoff, Pittsburgh might have the upper hand if Detroit's injury problems are serious. Still, you cannot discount the amazing depth of the Wings. And Marian Hossa now gets to experience this matchup from the other side. Both teams had some serious competition, but both made the Finals fairly easily.

So who wins? Which team has all the right pieces, and has enough left in them? Detroit has home ice advantage, and is 8-1 at Joe Louis, but only 4-3 on the road. Pittsburgh is 6-2 at home, and 6-3 on the road. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are running away with playoff scoring, but both teams have six players in double digits. Chris Osgood has better numbers in goal, but Marc-Andre Fleury has played just as well over the past five games. Detroit's power play is converting at 25.7% to Pittsburgh's 19.3%, but Pittsburgh's penalty kill is better at 83.6% to 73.7%.

Regardless of my prediction, fans are going to be treated to another great round of hockey. This year has been phenomenal in that regard. But inevitably, there has to be one champion. I've held this belief since before the season started, so I'm going to see it through.

Prediction: Detroit in seven

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Rematch - Every Which Way But One

We've reached the final four and many people have already been dreaming of a Penguins/Red Wings final in a re-match of last year's finish, but people need to accommodate their dreams to the fact that A. Cam Ward and Erik Staal are pure clutch players, and B. Khabibulin and his speedy comeback kids won't go down without a fight. But other than seeing the Canes battle it out with the Blackhawks, every other possible finish is a Stanley Cup Finals rematch from the last 20 years.

Detroit Vs. Pittsburgh

In a rematch from the 2007-08 Finals, this series features a few other mini-stories within. The first, and obvious, is Hossa now playing for the Red Wings instead of the Penguins. The second story to the rematch is having both teams being 1 more year older. That influences a lot considering most of the players on the Penguins are under the age of 30 and those on the Red Wings are not. The Pens have gone the distance and it is said in order to win the Stanley Cup you must first understand what it is to lose it. The Pens have done that, and this year they are now ready to take it by the horns and drive it home for the win. Needless to say, it will not be a quick series, nor will it be painless.

Carolina Vs. Detroit


Interestingly enough, the last three times the Hurricanes have made it to the playoffs, they've made it to the Conference Finals (2002, 2006, 2009) and both times, aside from this year, they've made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. If they meet the Red Wings in the Finals, the Hurricanes will faceoff against a familiar foe. In 2002, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in a 5 games against the Hurricanes. 2002 was a strange post-season for Carolina as both goaltender's were known to start strong and end weak. Artus Irbe was replaced by Weekes and Weekes was soon replaced by Irbe on almost a weekly basis, but the tactic worked as they stormed into the Stanley Cup Finals but could not maintain the fiery hot Red Wings as they lost the series 4-1. Now, with stronger goaltending and a crop of talented youth and great veteran leadership it is difficult to imagine this series ending in 5 games or less.

Chicago Vs. Detroit


This one is not a Stanley Cup Finals rematch, but the series itself should be discussed on a few interesting notes. The first is a series that features a former Blackhawk legend now apart of the Red Wings crop - Chris Chelios. The last time the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup was against, you guessed it, the Detroit Red Wings in 1961, and is the longest Stanley Cup drought than any other team in the NHL. In 1995, the two clubs faced off in the Conference Finals only to have Detroit go on to lose in the Finals against the New Jersey Devils. The third odd fact about this series is what has happened this season. The Winter Classic was hosted by Chicago at Wrigley Field against the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings won the game 6-4. Who would have guessed on New Year's day those two teams would meet in the Conference Finals? Let's not forget that Scotty Bowman left the Red Wings organization to work with his son in Chicago. This will be the 15th time these two teams have met in the post-season, the Blackhawks winning 8 of the previous 14 series.

Chicago Vs. Pittsburgh


In 1992, the Blackhawks stormed through the gate with 11 straight playoff victories coming into the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks were winning 4-1 in Game 1 before the Penguins came back to win it with 13 seconds left with a goal by none other than Super Mario. The Pens would then post 1-0, and 6-5 wins before sweeping the Blackhawks and tie the 11 straight playoff victory records they broke on Chicago. Mario Lemieux became the 2nd player in league history to win the Conn Smythe two years in a row and the Penguins captured their 2nd Stanley Cup in as many years. Should the Penguins meet the Blackhawks in the Finals once again this season, it will be a battle of youth as both teams are certainly coming into their own on top of the league. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews vs. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Oh, to dream.

There's only 2 tickets to paradise.

Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com

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Conference Final Predictions

What an ending to the second round. Three game sevens, one amazing overtime, and Chicago getting some needed rest while Anaheim and Detroit finish a war.

So now the Conference Finals are set, and both matchups look like they will continue the stretch of intense action. On the line: a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Will the upstart Chicago Blackhawks make it all the way and win their first Cup since 1961? Will Carolina make it back to the Finals for the first time since winning in 2006 (the last two times they qualified for the playoffs, they’ve made it to the Finals)? Are we destined for a Detroit-Pittsburgh rematch?

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Carolina Hurricanes
The Penguins are coming off a highly charged series against the Washington Capitals. Sidney Crosby proved why he’s arguably the best player on the planet right now. Carolina had staked itself to a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Bruins, only to be forced to overtime in game seven when unlikely hero Scott Walker put the series away. Now Eric and Jordan Staal get to face each other.

The Penguins will need a lot more secondary scoring, especially from Kunitz, Satan and Staal. Crosby and Malkin can only do so much of the heavy lifting. Carolina needs bigger contributions from Brind’Amour and Cole. Sergei Samsonov showed up against his former team, but he needs to not disappear again.

Prediciton: Penguins in six.

Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks
The last time the Hawks were in the conference finals was 1994-95 where they lost to Detroit. This is the third straight trip for the Red Wings. Chicago comes in on a tear, winning the last three against the Vancouver Canucks to close them out in six games, while Detroit needed a weak goal given up by Jonas Hiller late in game seven to finish off the Anaheim Ducks.

Chicago needs to establish leads early in games, and not have to comeback against Detroit, as the Wings are one of the best at maintaining a lead. Nikolai Khabibulin is going to have to be stellar for the Hawks to have a chance. Detroit needs to stay out of penalty trouble as the Hawks have the best powerplay in the playoffs and the Wing’s biggest weakness has been on the penalty kill.

Prediction: Red Wings in six.

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Can Anything Top Penguins-Capitals?

It was the series everyone wanted...and it turned out to be more than everyone expected.

The seven game epic clash between Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals did not disappoint. Five one goal games. Three overtime games. Crosby and Ovechkin each scored eight goals.


In the end, the Capitals just ran out. Ovechkin averaged 23 minutes a game in the series (21 minutes for the 14 games Washington played in the playoffs). Simeon Varlamov, who was incredible during this run, didn't have anything left. The Penguins moved on because of their experience, talent, and the sheer will of Crosby.

But now the question becomes 'What can top this?' Is there a matchup for the Finals that can reach this high? The answer: A Detroit-Pittsburgh rematch.

Sure, the Chicago Blackhawks are an exciting young team, but it's that inexperience factor that makes them a longshot. An original six final between Detroit and Boston would be cool, but I don't think it would capture the viewers. Anaheim and Pittsburgh might be interesting, but again that might not be a ratings draw (the 2007 Final between Anaheim and Ottawa had dismal U.S. ratings).

But Detroit and Pittsburgh have history. The Penguins would want revenge on losing last year. Detroit would be out to prove that beyond a doubt, they're one of the best teams ever. Marc-Andre Fleury would love to have another go, considering the Cup winning goal last year.

Game six last year had a 4.4 share in the ratings, so you can be sure NBC and the NHL would both love this matchup as well.

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The West is Set

In 2 games featuring a double elimination night, the teams on the brink of golfing just couldn't get it done. The Calgary Flames lose their game to the Blackhawks 4-1, and the San Jose Sharks lose their game to the Ducks 4-1. The Western Conference Semi-Finals has been determined and will feature the Ducks and Red Wings in one series, with the Canucks taking on the Blackhawks in the other. Two sweeping teams vs. two teams that went to Game 6. Interesting Setup.

Calgary Vs. Chicago

From the get go, it did not seem like the Flames had a chance to get into it. They constantly surrendered late surges after early leads and just could not get finish on plays that should have ended in a goal. They lacked leadership throughout and the young guns who were able to score over 30 and 40 goals could not find the back of the net.

Kiprusoff seemed like he was burnt out at the end of the regular season and once the post-season began, he played similar hockey. Perhaps if he is not in net for 76 games in the regular season next year he'll be of better help to the club when it truly matters; however, there is one reason why he had to play that many games. The club did not have the wages to afford a decent backup and were worried of losing games down the stretch and ultimately finishing behind the Canucks in the Northwest Standings. That said, a simple home-ice advantage issue should not be the cause of burning out your goaltender against teams like Los Angeles and Colorado. There needs to be a repair on the goaltending services next year that involve a stronger duo. Kipper needs a guy to man the pipes every 6 or 7 games.

Chicago, on the other hand, found out why Khabibulin was able to capture Lord Stanley with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Once they added Christobel Huet to the roster over the summertime, The 'Bulin Wall was energized and ready to battle for his number one position. He proved he is still capable of stealing games when they matter and the Flames were not too pleased over it. In Game 6, facing elimination, the Flames peppered him with 44 shots, only to score 1 goal, thanks to Todd Bertuzzi, on a shot that Khabibulin turns away from because he thought he was going to get hit square in the mask. He finished off the series 0.921 SV% after facing 190 shots, stopping 175 of them, and with a stronger defensive unit in front of him, he's provided the necessary goaltending to go far in the post-season. Vancouver should be well prepared for a series that will primarily feature a goaltender's duel. Luongo vs. Khabibulin.

With the amount of injuries the Flames suffered and the sheer finesse level on the Blackhawks team, the right team won the series.

Anaheim Vs. San Jose

This is a series that featured a powerhouse club in the San Jose Sharks against a team that has a ton of playoff experience and never gives up. That's exactly what played into the win for the Ducks - they never gave up.

The Sharks were destined the lose once people began to recognize that they would not give up the body in blocked shots, or go the extra mile for a race for the puck. You need to earn scars and bruises to win the Stanley Cup, and the Sharks did not earn their spot to move on. Yes, they go into a few fights; yes, they threw some big hits, but they did not find that extra gear to give it all they had when they needed it the most. In a sense, they kept allowing the losses the rally believing that "next game things will be different", but that next game featured more of the same. The Ducks took the punishment and still made the plays - the Sharks avoided the punishment in hopes to find the perfect play.

The Regular Season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are two different walks of life. You have teams that are buckling down to try and put together a successful year to make a few extra bucks by getting to the first round and you have other teams that are building chemistry and strength for the long battle that starts (not in October, but) in November. The Sharks played more like that team trying to get the extra playoff bonuses and not the team ready to take a beating to hoist the Silver Grail.

Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are an unbelievable trio. The loss of Dustin Penner two years ago has been filled by Bobby Ryan and there's no guessing that these three will be a line of superb talent for years to come. The Ducks now have a new core of players ready to take the reign and they proved it by wiping the President Trophy winners off the map right out of the gate.

Next stop: Motorcity, and a much anticipated battle between the Red Wings and the Ducks. If the Wings come into this series expecting to face another young, inexperienced team such as the Blue Jackets, they'll have another thing coming. I think of the Sharks would have advanced and met the Wings in the post-season (regardless of standings) they would not fair as well as the Ducks can. If San Jose met Detroit, I would have guessed Detroit to win it. Now that the Ducks are there, and ready to be Mighty once again, it's a tough call and certainly a series to pay attention to.

Micheal A. Aldred
michealaldred@hotmail.com

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Wings vs. Sabres LiveBlog Tonight

The Buffalo Sabres are on their last legs.

The team was sitting pretty in the Eastern conference for most of the season until star goaltender Ryan Miller went down to injury. Over that period, the team struggled to find wins, recording a 4-7-2 record and handing over their playoff spot to the surging Pittsburgh Penguins.

Miller is back now and Buffalo has returned to their winning ways however, they still sit 4 points back from the Panthers and the Rangers for that final playoff spot in the East. The good news is that they still have a game in hand, and that game is tonight.

The Red Wings on the other hand are in the midst of a goaltender controversy. Neither goalie has stepped up to show that they are ready to take the reins and lead the defending Stanley Cup champions into this year's playoffs. The team snapped a three game losing streak yesterday with a big win over the Wild however, Osgood still had his shaky points.

Despite rumors that Conklin was going to get the start tonight, Babcock has advised that he is going to stick with the vet for the next two games. Trying to instill some confidence are we??

I'll be play-by-play liveblogging the game tonight on theScore.com. CLICK HERE for a link to join me for coverage of the game and for some intermission playoff talk.


Ryan D. MacIntyre
thejackass@hockeyjackass.com

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