In an overtime thriller, the Detroit Red Wings successfully won their second home game over the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2009 Western Conference Finals.
I know it was a loss for the ‘Hawks but I still think they played a very good game.  It was a tough one but, in the end, Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime to give Detroit the 3-2 victory.

It just shows what kind of stamina a well-trained and disciplined team like the Red Wings can deliver despite the fact that their legs must be pretty tired at this point (they played for the fourth time in …read more

The Boston Bruins were facing elimination tonight but they rallied and won Game 6 and have now pushed the series against the Carolina Hurricanes to Game 7.

They are the highest remaining seed in the playoffs at this point and, like the San Jose Sharks (the #1 seed was eliminated in the first round), the Bruins have been showing some weakness.  They rebounded in a big way tonight and staved off elimination.
Barely five minutes into the game the Bruins were up 2-0 and managed to keep a two-goal lead in the end.  Now they will get to play Game 7 at …read more

The Washington Capitals have forced a series to Game 7 for the second time during this current playoff season after winning last night in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  It was a very intense game and I loved every second of it.  
I know that a lot of critics and commentators had discounted the Caps but I knew better – I may not be a fan of the team but I do knew that Alexander Ovechkin was going to fight to stay in the playoffs and, regardless of what he says, that drive is intensified by his rivalry with Sidney …read more

The Washington Capitals are just one game away from being eliminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Could the much-hype matchup between Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin come to an end in Game 6?

Incredibly, though, the Pens will have to admit that they are ahead due, in part, to some “assistance” they’ve received from the Capitals themselves.  Tonight’s overtime win was courtesy of a goal that was deflected into the back of the net by Capitals defenceman, Tom Poti.  I’m sure Evgeni Malkin couldn’t predict that Poti would be the one to help him score the goal but no one was complaining.  …read more

The Detroit Red Wings can thank Johan Franzen and Marion Hossa for being a huge part of their huge 6-3 victory against the Anaheim Ducks last night.  The Western Conference semifinal series is now tied at two games each.
Franzen led the Wings to an early lead by scoring two goals in the first period while Hossa scored twice in just over three minutes to break the 2-2 tie and put Detroit up by one.  Franzen added an assist on Hossa’s first goal.
The game marked the first time that we saw a crack in Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller’s pristine veneer.  …read more

I’m not sure what was going on with the Vancouver Canucks tonight but the Chicago Blackhawks managed to skate away with a 2-1 victory, tying the Western Conference semifinal series.

In what must be called an amazing comeback, Andrew Ladd received the puck from teammate Dave Bolland (Chicago) and tipped it right in behind Luongo to secure the victory.  It felt like poetic justice since, with less than 10 seconds left in regulation, Bolland was on a breakaway and Vancouver’s Alexander Edler caught up to him and either hooked or tripped him.  Bolland went down and the crowd at the United …read more

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitals in overtime and they can thank Kris Letang for scoring the game-winning goal.  Just like the Boston/Carolina series, the game was pretty intense and ended up going to overtime when the scoring stalled at 2-2.

As you would expect in a series with some serious talent, there were some great goals scored last night.  Alexander Ovechkin scored a crazy goal after he grabbed a bad bounce off the glass, clunked along toward the net (I can’t even described how weirdly he was skating) and then launched the puck into the net (and it looked …read more

Jussi Jokinen continues to be an instrumental part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ surprising postseason success and last night’s game was no exception.  Just like the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference, the Canes are playing surprisingly well in the playoffs and now lead the series 2-1 against the Boston Bruins, the east’s best team this season.

Hurricanes goaltender, Cam Ward, was coming off his fourth career playoff shutout and it seemed like the team was on a mission to prove that their first win was not a fluke.  It was definitely an intensely played game and the little feud between Zdeno …read more

It was another intense game between the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings but it was the Ducks that emerged victorious at home, in the Honda Center, last night.  As has been the case in the postseason, goaltender Jonas Hiller, came up huge for his team and made 45 saves (18 in the third period alone!)

The whole game was hard-fought but I honestly thought that the Ducks would either fall to the Red Wings or things would be decided in overtime again when I saw the intensity Detroit brought to the third period.
It was close, actually, since a goal …read more

The Vancouver Canucks have taken a 2-1 lead in the second round series against the Chicago Blackhawks.  I thought this game was going to be a lot different, especially with it taking place in Chicago, but the Canucks skated away with a 3-1 victory.

Neither goaltender was tested too much with Roberto Luongo (Vancouver) turning away 23 of the 24 shots on goal while Nikolai Khabibulin managed to only save 18 of the 21 shots he faced. 
Mason Raymond opened the scoring for Vancouver in the first, which was a period filled with penalties on both sides.  Patrick Kane (Chicago) …read more