Sure, Calgary didn’t really need it with 4:05 left in the third since they were already up two goals but since Sjostrom is new to the team, I haven’t really seen what he can do and last night I was totally surprised.

image: TSN

He approached the net and couldn’t get a shot away, faked out Columbus goalie, Steve Mason, and then did a spin-o-rama right into the net.  It really was awesome so I thought I’d share the video:

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image: Zuma Press

This video’s highlights include the following goals:

• Zach Parise (NJD) vs. Jose Theodore (WSH)
• T.J. Oshie (STL) vs. Tim Thomas (BOS)
• Lee Stempniak (TOR) vs. Tim Thomas (BOS)
• Wojtek Wolski (COL) vs. Roberto Luongo (VAN)
• Hagman (TOR) vs. Martin Brodeur (NJD)
• Jason Blake (TOR) vs. Scott Clemmensen (NJD)
• Tomas Vanek (BUF) vs. Manny Fernandez (BOS)
• Anze Kopitar (LA) vs. Marty Turco (DAL)
• Mike Ribeiro (DAL) vs. Erik Ersberg (LA)
• Pavel Datsyuk (DET) vs. Josh Harding (MIN)

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Here’s a breakdown of the plays but definitely check out the video.

• Fedotenko cruises the crease and scores on Ward – Looking at it, I can barely believe that this happened in a playoff game.  Along with Ward, there was like 100 Carolina players gathered in front of the net but, somehow, Fedotenko was allowed to just cruise around and score. 
• This was a little lame.  They actually just listed the moment when the Penguins won the Conference Finals.
• Osgood locks the door on Fraser – this was just great goaltending.  Kane and Fraser made a good attempt at putting one behind Oz but the seasoned netminder shut them down.
• Great goaltending by Osgood part 2.  Enough said.
• Huet makes a great save on a hard shot by Hossa but, before he and his teammates could even celebrate, a long shot by Lebda made it in to the back of the net.
• Great goaltending by Osgood part 3.  Yawn.
• Kane launches an awesome backhand shot at Osgood and… actually beats him and got his first goal of the series.
• Huet makes an amazing save in overtime for the Blackhawks.
• The Red Wings score on Huet and make it to the Finals.
• Highlights from the Penguins/Red Wings series so far.

image: Newscom

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image: Zuma Press

Throughout the second and third periods, 16 penalties were called including a 10 minute match penalty for Carolina’s Ryan Bayda, and a matching 10 minute game misconduct for Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang.  As the minutes went by and the goals kept coming, both teams just seemed to reach their boiling point.  Players looked frustrated and angry but one person on the ice was celebrating.

image: Zuma Press

Evgeni Malkin had an incredible night.  He got a hat trick and his parents were screaming and cheering so much in the stands that I’m sure it made it that much better.  Carolina was definitely trying to get physical with him and, instead of falling apart, he channelled his energy and became unstoppable.  He completed his first career playoff hat trick with a suitably amazing goal – a backhander right into the net.  Incredible.  Watch his three goals.

After their 7-4 victory last night, the Penguins lead the series 2-0 as they get ready to head to Carolina for games 3 (Saturday, May 23) and 4 (Tuesday, May 26).   Since Carolina has been full of surprises throughout the playoffs, I’m very interested to see what they do when they’ve got home-ice advantage.

images: Zuma Press

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image: Zuma Press

Here are the plays that TSN selected as the best of the semifinals.  Do you agree with them?  I do for the most part.  If there’s one that you think is missing, let me know!

#10 – Check out the amazing goaltending of Carolina Hurricanes’ netminder, Cam Ward, who shuts the door on the Boston Bruins!

#9 – Ryan Getzlaf (ANA) will not be denied by Chris Osgood (DET).

#8 – Sergei Samsonov (CAR) slips one past Tim Thomas (BOS).

#7 – Vancouver Canucks’ blueliners rally and beat Nikolai Khabibulin (CHI).

#6 – Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg, Jiri Hudler and Johan Franzen tic-tac-toe it into Anaheim’s net.

#5 – Marc-André Fleury (PIT) completely robs Alexander Ovechkin (WSH)

#4 – Chicago’s Boland scores an awesome short-handed goal on Roberto Luongo (VAN).

#3 – Patrick Kane (CHI) makes an unbelievable drive to Vancouver’s net and scores the goal!

#2 – Netminder, Roberto Luongo, makes a nearly impossible save.

#1 – Simeon Varlamov (WSH) makes what might hold up as the best save of the playoffs when he denies an almost sure shot by Sidney Crosby (PIT).

Still want more?  The NHL has uploaded some great “Best of the Week” videos on their YouTube channel.  This one was for this past week but if you want to see even more action from this month, you can also check out the ones from the week of May 12 and the week of May 5.

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image: Zuma Press

To say that I was shocked by tonight’s game would be an understatement.  I wanted the Penguins to win but not like this.  I wanted it to be gritty and tough but, instead, the Pens dominated that Caps but I will concede that much of the shift was due to the surprisingly shoddy goaltender displayed by Simeon Varlamov.  After playing so spectacularly, the young netminder picked the most important game of the series to completely fall apart and was pulled and replaced by Jose Theodore who had not been seen between the pipes since early (game 1?) of the quarterfinals.

I’ve got to give credit to Sidney Crosby for earning the hype throughout the series and especially in tonight’s game.  He led his team and opened scoring in the first period and then again in the third (both on a power play).  He also registered an assist.  His rival, Alexander Ovechkin, didn’t leave the ice empty handed – he did score a nice wrap-around goal late in the second.  In the end, though, Crosby and his team skated away with a huge 6-2 victory over the Capitals.

The Penguins will have to wait and see who wins the Boston Bruins/Carolina Hurricanes series tomorrow night to find out who they will face in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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image: TSN

The game remained scoreless through the first period and then the Ducks scored on a power-play in the second and the entire feel of the match changed.  By the end of the second, they had a 2-0 lead (that second goal by Perry was downright insane).  Johan Franzen scored the lone for Detroit on a power-play in the third period.

Again, Ducks goalie, Jonas Hiller, was spectacular because the Red Wings definitely tried to win this game but he came up big for his team.  If it wasn’t for him, Pavel Datsyuk would have tied this game with less than 10 seconds left in the game.  He finished with 38 saves while Detroit netminder, Chris Osgood, turned away 26 shots.

A brawl erupted with Ryan Getzlaf going after Marion Hossa and Corey Perry sending a message to Brian Rafalski and it really set the tone for Game 7 which takes place tomorrow night in Motown.  Check out the highlights:

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With less than 10 seconds left in the tied game, Jussi Jokinen tried to take a shot on goal but the puck ended up circling around to Joni Pitkanen who passed it to Dennis Seidenberg, who then launched a hard blast from the point.  Jokinen was there to deflect it into the goal with two-tenths of a second remaining in the game.  The play immediately went to review which, I think, everyone expected.

As soon as it was ruled a goal, Devils goaltender, Martin Brodeur, freaked out.  Okay, to be fair, he started losing it the second the puck trickled past him but he managed to keep his composure.  The problem was that Brodeur had been bumped outside the crease by Jokinen right before the goal.  "’I had time to reset myself.’ That’s always the same answer. It doesn’t matter which referee," Brodeur said. "It’s the easy way out for them to say that. It’s hard. You want to play your game. You want to do what’s right and be in the best position you can. With these guys (Carolina), they go to the net. They play hard," he added. "I am not complaining about how Carolina is playing. They don’t take liberty. They’re pretty fair about it. They got to the net. The referee has to do their job. Today was pretty awful."

What does a Brodeur-style freak out look like?  Watch this video to see his reaction to the ruling on that final goal.

image: TSN

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image: TSN

During last night’s game, I saw a team that looked like they were positively starving for the Stanley Cup and, if they continue to play that way, they could make it.  Many people (myself included) have been really critical of Vancouver since they rely so heavily on the skills of their goaltender, Roberto Luongo, but last night, they earned that victory as a team.  They showed maturity on the ice and no traces of cockiness after the win.  I don’t know what coach Alain Vigneault is saying in the locker room but it is working.

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image: TSN

During last night’s 2-1 victory, Canes goaltender, Cam Ward, stopped 33 shots and helped buoy the team to their first playoff win since they took home the Stanley Cup in 2006.  Devils netminder, Martin Brodeur, made 30 saves.

It was all tied up when, at 2:40 overtime, Carolina d-man, Tim Gleason, chose the perfect time to score his first goal of the season.  “It was a good pass by Joe Corvo,” Gleason said. “He laid it right out there for me. Eric Staal had a great screen in front of the net. I closed my eyes and shot that thing as hard as I could.”

The series just got a lot more interesting.  I was beginning to think that it was going to be a sweep for the Devils.

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