Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• [Expletive] is getting weird with the Sedins, man.

• Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports that Milan Lucic will not be suspended for his boarding major on Jaroslav Spacek and will play in Game 7 for the Boston Bruins. [@RealKyper]

• In case you were wondering if the Montreal Canadiens were in a Game 7 tonight: "As they did during last year's playoff run, police will close Ste. Catherine to all vehicle traffic as of 8 p.m. between Guy St. and McGill College Ave. in an effort to funnel crowds of Canadiens fans down the major thoroughfare following the game. Whether those fans will be celebrating a big win or mourning the end of their hockey season remains to be seen." [Gazette]

• The hell is wrong with the Boston Bruins' power play? [Boston Globe]

• The Top 10 players who made the most impact in Round 1. [THN]

• Good piece on Guy Boucher, who leads the Tampa Bay Lightning into his first Stanley Cup Playoff Game 7 tonight in Pittsburgh. "Never mind that he's younger than his team's goaltender, or new to the league.  His team fought all year. It deserved to climb back into this series from 3-1 down.  It deserves a night like this.  And so does Guy Boucher, for the job he has done in one short season." [Tampa Tribune]

• Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik on the biting eye-gouging accusation from Boucher: "You try to play against their skill guys as hard as you can. You try to make it miserable for them. But it's kind of a childish accusation. It was kind of a little wrestling match on the ground with a couple headlocks. I don't know where that came from. That's him probably just trying to pull attention away from the [Ryan] Malone hit [on Pascal Dupuis] or just trying to start something going into Game 7. It's disappointing and childish on his part." [Post Gazette]

• David Shoalts on how the NHL will pull off its latest attempt to save the Phoenix Coyotes, which is to bring down the asking price: "The fact this still will require a hefty contribution from the Glendale sharpies means any new deal has no guarantee of success. And that is why most people in the know still think this team is headed to Winnipeg." [Globe & Mail]

• Who should win the OHL playoff MVP? [Buzzing The Net]

• Why Jonathan Toews doesn't deserve the Selke. [Houses of the Hockey]

• Blackhawks writer: Hey, if we can't beat the Canucks, at least we can get pissy about their quasi-conceited postgame quotes! [Chicago Now]

• More reaction to Henrik Sedin's chatter about the Blackhawks not belonging in the series. [The Hockey Writers]

• Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman: You're on notice! "Being a puck possession team is great but this club needs to add physicality, size and experience. The pounding the Hawks defensemen and forwards continually absorbed is costly. Changes are needed and it won't be easy. Bowman has to execute a better plan for next season than he did last summer and now salary cap restraints won't be as severe." [Hockey Independent]

• Breaking down the Mike Fisher vs. Ryan Kesler matchup that could be a key in Round 2. [On The Forecheck]

• Good times for Nashville Predators fans: "For about three hours, it didn't matter if you liked the Vols or the Dores. For about three hours, it didn't matter if you were an Alabama or an Auburn fan. For about three hours, it didn't matter if you cheered for the Titans or the Colts. For about three hours, the city of Nashville had one voice.  We were able to get on the backs of guys named Weber, Suter, Legwand and Spaling to name a few." [Tennessean]

• Todd McLellan on Joe Thornton: "There are a lot of things that people outside our locker room don't see, and for him to get the winning goal, to have the 'C' on to settle the team down … keep in mind that he's known for his offense, but he was a heck of a penalty killer. He blocked a lot of shots in the series and he won a lot of key faceoffs. He broke up plays on the backcheck. He's doing a lot of things away from the puck to make him a successful player." [NHL]

• Looking at Alexander Burmistrov's rookie season with the Atlanta Thrashers and whether he was mishandled. [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• Say, the NHL might want to look into this: "The number of Europeans in the NHL in 2010-11 continued the steady decline and is now the lowest in eleven years." [IIHF, via Malik]

• Miley Cyrus puts the foil on. Via Joe Siclari: "Looks like Miley is putting on the foil, or really excited about the Nashville Preds moving on to the next round.  Who knows? Maybe just redneck brass knuckles. Puckheads can only speculate."   [The Superficial]

• Mike Knuble of the Washington Capitals will return "in the second round at some point." [Capitals Insider]

• Via CSN Philly: "Jeff Carter  said he was feeling a little better with a badly sprained right knee. He said he feels he can return to play in the second round of the playoffs. Whether that is at the beginning remains to be seen." [CSN]

• Ciskie on the Sabres: "Blame Ryan Miller all you want, but it should have been 4-0 in the first period. He kept them in the game as long as he could, but he had no help, and he was screened by teammates on at least two of the goals he allowed. That's not effective defensive hockey. Miller wasn't at his best in this series, but let's be honest. The only reason it went seven was Philly's own atrocious goaltending ... atrocious goaltending we can only hope bites them in the second or third round." [The Ciskie Blog]

• Satire: Not the best bet for Buffalo's mayor. [WNY]

• The Florida Panthers ink Keaton Ellerby to a 1-year deal before he reaches RFA status. [The Litter Box]

• The Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and New York Rangers will receive 2011 Environmental Quality Award. Why? "Since October, the Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Sabres have combined to divert 14 tons of food waste from reaching landfill while providing 21,000 meals to local food banks." That's a lot of old popcorn right there. [NHL]

• Down Goes Brown with a hockey fan's guide to the UFC. [DGB]

• Finally, via Barstool, Jack Edwards takes a brave stand against diving, which is the root of all the world's evils.

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here is San Jose Sharks blogger S.M. Williams of Blades of Teal recalling the 2010-11 Los Angeles Kings. Again, this was not written by us. But you're probably not reading the intro anyway.)

By S.M. Williams, Blades of Teal

Ladies and Gentleman,

Just as an update, the funeral procession is currently stuck in traffic on the 10 East but on its way. Apparently, there were some delays in getting on the road as the morticians were told to match up each Los Angeles Kings player with his linemates for the procession…and they got confused.

So, we're going to get started.

Today we remember the fallen Los Angeles Kings. Sometimes ladies and gentlemen, the passing of seemingly vibrant and healthy youth, cut down in the prime of life, can be too hard for the living and victorious to bear, but we must muster on.

Well, not all young and vibrant. We remember you, head coach Terry Murray, and we can only assume that the reason you didn't shake hands with the Sharks players after being eliminated was because you were as bad as Dustin Penner at going to your right.

You did certainly lead by example Coach Murray, and that example was bitching about the officiating like a petulant child and causing your team to moan along with you in unison.

Seriously, about the only thing missing from your post game cry-fests was if you had been dressed in a sailor suit and sucking on a giant lollipop.

You gave us sage utterances as, "Heck, look, when you give up five goals in one period, everybody's got to be better" and announced the return of the hump Scott Parse as the tactical second coming of Rocket Richard.

Scott Parse?

I mean Scott Parse, rest his soul, was a mediocre grinder, coming off a hip injury who hasn't seen the ice since mid-November—I have that exact same guy on my beer league team. His name is Sully, and he broke his hip while hammered, after falling on the rock climbing wall, during a Carnival Cruise to Baja. Like Sully, Scott Parse also scored once last year, excepting in Sully's case, it was on said cruise with a chick, who I'm pretty sure belonged to the Hells Angels.

How about the late Drew Doughty? Drew, we will miss your grit and creepy playoff beard that never seemed to make it past the former-headlining-boy-band-who-now-plays-state-fairs stage. We did appreciate the penalty trade off you gave us for Scott Nichol in Game 4; I haven't seen a trade that bad since my buddy left a pre-IPO Google to get his law degree.

Drew, we will also miss your multiple uncalled slashes on guys like Devin Setoguchi. Watching you get away with all those ineffective hacks was like watching Kobe Bryant using his mind bullets against NBA referees to not have six-step traveling violations whistled.

Speaking of ineffective hacks, we remember you Jonathan Quick. Notso Quick, you did turn in a couple of beauties against the Sharks at the Tank, notably a shutout victory in Game 2 and a one goal against effort in Game 5—stopping a total of 86 shots over in those two games. But what about Games 3 and 4 and the 12 goals against?

Seriously, Notso, at what point did modeling your game after Dan Cloutier seem like a good idea?  I mean, did Cloutier have something on you?  Did that fir-trapping sieve blackmail you into letting him wear your gear and impersonate you on the ice? Did he lock you in Lamar Odom's locker?

Notso, you were the FUTURE OF AMERICAN GOALTENDING!…oh wait, that's still Ryan Miller. Nevermind.

We remember you Ryan Smyth and celebrate your 32nd and last year in the NHL. I know with the economic times were tough, but the Los Angeles Kings did pay you enough to buy an actual pair of hockey skates instead of those white "Play It Again Sports" blades you were rocking. Honestly, your skates were about the only ones that Mike Modano could talk smack about and were an abomination to the senses. They looked like you took your favorite pair of found dumpster tennis shoes and slapped a runner on them with a staple gun.

The sad thing is, you never would have even had to pay for them…just hit up the CCM rep next time he's around. With a little imagination, you could have even had a plastic surgeon sponsor your skates, and maybe take that Paleolithic mug of yours into at least the mid-Mesolithic period. Though, I suppose that matters not now as your carcass sits in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

We remember you Michal Handzus, mostly because every time we saw you on the ice we were trying to figure out when Scott Hartnell had been traded to the Kings, how we missed that story and when he started to suck.

In all fairness, when life gives you lemons…or clown-like Chaka Khan hair, you make hair lemonade. You made hair lemonade Michal, you truly did.

To Anze Kopitar, thank you for sitting in the Pierre Maguire seats at Staples and playing Angry Birds on your phone all game…and, for breaking your ankle earlier too…that one was clutch. It must have been really nice for some of your Kings teammates, covered in their own blood and sweat, to glance over at you grinning and giggling like a pre-teen who discovered that Joe Jonas just retweeted her.

To Brad Richardson, thank you for ducking and getting checked into the boards by Jamie McGinn, winding up with a head wound right out of "Braveheart." And for the lost teeth too, as there was nothing better than seeing you on your knees that time picking up your chiclets. But that big flop you sold as if somebody in the rafters shot you when Ginner ran you…the one that led to the 5 minute major penalty that your team couldn't capitalize on?  Thank you for providing the official nail-in-the-coffin moment, which immediately preceded the end of your team's hopes and dreams.

As much as joy of their demise fills my senses, I must pause. For even when it's the grief of fans of a hated rival team, it's still important that we reach out. In these times though, endeavors of ours to sincerely console wallowing Los Angeles Kings fans on their team's annihilation can get muddled as we battle our own frightening images of playoff mortality. When is our time?

Of course, we are not exactly battling the whole frightening images of mortality thing right this second or anything like that after winning and beating the Kings…it's kind of the opposite actually.

Sometimes, you're just happy to see the dead guy go and that's OK to admit.

Maybe it was taking glee in the sight of the Staples Center emptying out, seeing downcast Kings fans hanging their heads and shrugging the shoulders of those brand new Jarret Stoll jerseys. Maybe it was remembering that tool in the lower bowl, wearing in the MC Ren era Kings hat, who kept mispronouncing the names of  his team's own players ( HAND-Zeus) or made the "Jack Johnson has same name as singer Jack Johnson!" joke eight times in the span of about 15 minutes.

Not speaking ill of the Los Angeles hockey dead will come out in niceties such as, "They played us tough" or "they wanted it as bad as us" or "we got lucky" and will float about in the media ether for a day, maybe two. And just like the tearful faux tributes at the miserable guy's funeral, it will be all made up by a team trying to take the proverbial high road.

The beauty of those statements is that if your team is the one uttering them, you are the one still alive.

For the Los Angeles Kings, may their souls find peace, may their fans show up for them next year when they are reborn anew…and go not just because David Beckham goes.

Finally, may the hockey gods continue to shine their favor brightly upon the San Jose Sharks.

Condolences,

S.M. Williams

Lead Writer

Blades of Teal

As the Boston Bruins welcome the Montreal Canadiens for Game 7 of their first-round lovefest, the Boston Globe is referring to coach Claude Julien as the guy "who'll need to win tonight if he hopes to preserve his job behind the bench beyond his fourth season."

From dropping consecutive home games in Boston to start the series to an oh-fer power play that redefines ineptitude, the Bruins have done plenty to undermine their own success in this series. And that's without mentioning the two 5-on-3 power plays that resulted in Montreal goals in Game 6. OK, guess we just did.

Does the blame fall to the coach if the B's lose in their series finale?

From Eric Wilbur of About, who believes if the Bruins lose "Claude Julien will most likely be fired and general manager Peter Chiarelli's job is no certainty either":

Julien and Chiarelli should be given utmost credit for bringing this franchise back from the depths it was in just a few years ago (Remember 10 straight seasons without a playoff series win?), but two straight seasons of not being able to get out of the second round, last May's disaster, and this year's possibility of coming up short should signal to team ownership that enough is enough.

The BruCrew think he's coaching for his job, and don't like the odds:

Recent history isn't in Boston's favor. The Bruins are just 1-6 in their last seven elimination games, Montreal is 6-1 in theirs. Under Claude Julien, who is coaching for his job, the Bruins are 0-3 in Game 7′s.

Uncle Tony is referring to Wednesday night's affair as "Game Sever."

Of course, not everyone is down with the notion that (a) Julien's in trouble or (b) removing him makes sense. From Bill Burt of the Eagle Tribune:

Which brings me back to Chiarelli and Julien, who are signed through 2014 and 2013, respectively.  They have brought class to the organization on and off the ice. Players don't get blamed for everything like they seemed to all too often for a few decades. Players are actually paid the going market rate. And the product on the ice has been consistently good during their reign with a two first-place finishes over the last four years.

The Bruins are missing that superstar player but, because of Chiarelli's handiwork, he is already in their employ — 19-year-old Tyler Seguin — but still a year or two at most away from being special.  And Julien's record over four seasons as coach here, 179-103-46, is commendable. Realizing, in the end, it comes down to performance in the post-season, Julien's Bruins have some improving and proving to do.  The Bruins really are close, despite the fact that getting the puck out of their own end seems to require an act of Congress.

They are not the same old Bruins. There is a commitment to winning. And as far as I'm concerned, it starts and ends with these two men, Chiarelli and Julien.

So how does Julien save his gig?

How do the Bruins advance to the Round 2 to face last postseason's tormentors from Philadelphia? Matt Kalman writes on The Bruins Blog that it comes down to two factors: Their moribund power play and their top line of Nathan Horton, David Krecji and Milan Lucic.

No one, not even the Bruins themselves, deny the power play is a disaster. It's not even worth dissecting it anymore. If they're not going to win battles and Tomas Kaberle's never going to shoot, Boston might as well just use the two minutes to rest.

That leaves Boston to try to score 5-on-5, where they played pretty well all season. They finished with a top-1o offensive in terms of goals for per game. Stats, however, can sometimes mislead. And we all know that against some of the league's better defenses, Boston struggled to finish and their goals average was skewed upward by a few massive outbursts against weaker teams.

The Canadiens in the postseason are not a weak team. Not by any measure. The Bruins know entering Game 7 that the Habs will not concede anything to them, so the pressure is on Boston to make a play, make a difference, do something exceptional to advance.

And if they can't, then it could be someone else behind the bench next season trying to coax it out of them.

Another night, another pair of Game 7's. Hope your fridge is restocked.

At 7 p.m. ET, the Montreal Canadiens visit the Boston Bruins in the finale of their epic series. At 8 p.m. ET, the Tampa Bay Lightning try to take out the Pittsburgh Penguins inside their spiffy arena to advance for the first time in ... er ... when was that Cup year again?

Please join your pals at Puck Daddy for an evening-long mega chat that covers both of these games. You bring the funny; we bring the abrupt changes in tone and Hamburger Women. That's how it works.

Should be a hell of a night, eh Guy? Chat begins at 7:30 p.m. Tell a friend.

On a night with multiple Game 7's, what becomes the biggest topic of conversation in hockey? A new Don Cherry suit jacket on CBC's coverage of the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Boston Bruins, of course.

Fans ran to their televisions to grab shots like this. And also to make sure their color and contrast weren't completely blown out by this blinding blazer.

Grandmother's drapes? The carpet in a hotel conference room at the Trump Taj Mahal? The inside of a kaleidoscope?

Perhaps. But we'd also suggest:

As always, check out Don We Now Our Gay Apparel for full Don Cherry suit jacket coverage.

One of the best opening rounds in Stanley Cup Playoffs history is complete. Here are some preliminary thoughts about Round 2, with formal picks coming on Thursday.

Which series are you most looking forward to?

Philadelphia Flyers (2) vs. Boston Bruins (3)

The Flyers somehow overcame their goaltending deficiencies to win in seven games; the Bruins overcame their own self-inflicted problems to survive a Montreal scare in seven games.

Does the psychological damage from the Flyers' rally last season have an effect on this series? Not unless the scenario plays out again.

Special teams are huge here, as the Flyers' kill was underwhelming while the Bruins power play was putrid. No forward on the Bruins has looked as good as Danny Briere or Claude Giroux have in these playoffs; the B's need to be a hell of a lot tighter defensively against Philly.

Leaning Towards … My pick out of the East was the Bruins, but the Flyers have looked damn impressive at times — and Pronger's only going to get healthier. So I'm leaning Philly.

Washington Capitals (1) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (5)

The Capitals were 4-1-1 against their division rivals, with one of those wins coming in the shootout.

The Rangers didn't really test the "new" Capitals defensive dogma. They didn't have the weaponry. The Lightning do, and they're also much more dangerous on the power play, which is another test. But the Capitals looked like a deep, focused team in Round 1; if Michal Neuvirth could match Henrik Lundqvist, he can match Dwayne Roloson.

Leaning Towards … The Capitals, who have to like the fact they're avoiding the Habs and the Penguins for Round 2.

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Nashville Predators (5)

Conventional wisdom is that the Nucks will be gassed for Game 1, having celebrated their win against the Chicago Blackhawks like they won the Stanley Cup, a gold medal and the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes all in the same night. But the Thursday night start for this series should mean that the momentum carries over into Game 1, the weight of two crushing playoff defeats (and nearly a third) lifted off their backs.

The key to the series is Pekka Rinne. He was ordinary against the Ducks, but it didn't matter when there were seven different players with two or more goals for the Preds. He needs to steal a couple here, and Nashville has to make these games uglier than a 400-pound transvestite.

Leaning Towards … The Canucks. Should be a rollicking good time in Nashville for these games, but Vancouver advances.

San Jose Sharks (2) vs. Detroit Red Wings (3)

The first real indication that the Sharks were shedding the choker label was last spring, when they built a 3-0 lead on the Red Wings in the conference semifinals, got their asses handed to them in Game 4, but still managed to close out the series in Game 5. Now, that maturation as a contender has continued, to the point where Joe Thornton — Joe Thornton! — is scoring clutch, series-winning goals.

But while the Sharks are learning to be a champion, the majority of this Red Wings roster has been one. They dispatched the Phoenix Coyotes with an assassin's resolve. They'll be rested. They'll be healthy. They'll be ready.

Leaning Towards … The Sharks. Niemi and Howard are a wash, and San Jose has more quality depth at forward than Detroit. This is a different Sharks team; dare I say a special one?

No. 1 Star: Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning

The veteran keeper improved to 6-0 in elimination games, shutting out the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7, 1-0. Roloson made 36 saves, getting strong support from his teammates but making several key stops in a 14-save third period.

No. 2 Star: Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins

Horton's second OT game-winner of the series eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7. After Adam McQuaid forced a turnover, Milan Lucic found an open Horton who blasted the puck past Carey Price (30 saves) at 5:43 of overtime for the 4-3 victory.

No. 3 Star: Tomas Plekanec, Montreal Canadiens

The Habs center scored a pivotal shorthanded goal in the second period to tie the game at 2-2, and then sent a cross-ice feed to P.K. Subban for another game-tying goal on the power play that sent the game to overtime. His 25:25 time on ice was second on the team and he was even for the game. One drawback: He was dominated to the tune of a .200 winning percentage on faceoffs.

Honorable mention: Sean Bergenheim had the game-winner for the Lightning, on a nice backhand feed in back of the net from Dominic Moore. … Yannick Weber had the other Habs goal; Johnny Boychuk, Mark Recchi and Chris Kelly (his third of the playoffs) had the Habs goals. … Tim Thomas made 34 saves.

Did you know? The Lightning became the 24th NHL team in 244 tries to come back from a 3-1 series deficit and advance.

Dishonorable mention: Boston finished 0-for-21 on the power play. … The Pittsburgh power play finished 1-for-35 for the series. … Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez were minus-3. … Andrew Ference is due to have a hearing with the NHL for this collision with Jeff Halpern behind the play:

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Danny Briere, Philadelphia Flyers, 2. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; 3. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 4. Michal Neuvirth, Washington Capitals; 5. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks; 6. Mike Fisher, Nashville Predators; 7. Martin St. Louis. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins; 9. Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers.

The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have one of the most contentious rivalries in the NHL; meeting in the playoffs 33 times. The rivalry grew even more intense this season, when Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara injured Montreal's Max Pacioretty on a controversial hit near center ice that led to an ugly fallout.

So the Bruins' 4-3 overtime Game 7 win on Wednesday night was cathartic for the Boston faithful … including the always candid Jack Edwards, play-by-play man for NESN. Here's Jack with a bizarre epilogue about a revolution against hockey royalty and how it related to the Boston Tea Party:

(Insert slow, building applause here.)

For the video deprived, a snippet of Jack Edwards's kings speech:

"Yet those 'royals' sit there on their shiny thrones and primp in their hand mirrors and try to dictate morality according to them. About how you can dive or how you should play or how shouldn't run a player into the center glass. And the rest of us -- those poor, filthy masses -- are just supposed to take it.

"Well, a couple of hundred years ago, a bunch of rowdy radicals charged out of some Boston bars, went down to the dock and dumped the king's tea into the salty sea. And in doing that, it struck a chord, that rings true even today: That when confronted with imperious conceit, fighting the good fight is not only the right thing to do — it can be a heck of a lot of a fun.

"And who has more fun than us?"

Apparently, no one. This isn't the first time Jack Edwards has dipped into the American Revolution to punctuate a Bruins' victory against Montreal. Remember this from 2009, on Patriot's Day?

Hockey: It's just like AP History, only with occasional punching!

Stick-tap Barstool Sports and reader Nathan Roy.

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here are Vancouver Canucks bloggers Harrison Mooney and Daniel Wagner of Pass It To Bulis, fondly recalling the 2010-11 Chicago Blackhawks. Again, this was not written by us. But you're probably not reading the intro anyway.)

By Harrison Mooney and Daniel Wagner, Pass It To Bulis

We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of the 2010-11 Chicago Blackhawks. We will be cremating the team, then sprinkling the ashes around the NHL, just like Stan Bowman did after they won the Stanley Cup nine months ago.

Full credit to the Blackhawks team that won the Cup. They were a team loaded with stars, a testament to what can happen if you're terrible for a long stretch of time, you draft well, and then your incompetent owner passes away, and then his son gives the GM permission to overspend on unrestricted free agents while forgetting to qualify restricted free agents, and then you hand out a bunch of ridiculous contracts, and then you give a stacked, young team with dynasty potential a one-year window to win.

This is, of course, the team-building strategy beautifully outlined in Michael M. Lewis's Moneyball.

Yes, before the salary cap played red rover on the Chicago Blackhawks, they were stacked. They were more stacked than a stack of cups stacked by a champion sport-stacker. They were more stacked than a stack of records at Stax records. But, by the time the puck was dropped, that vaunted depth had become shallower than a petri dish. They'd been stripped like a tearaway tuxedo. Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, and Brent Sopel were Thrashers. Adam Burish was a Star. Kris Versteeg was a Maple Leaf. The entire bottom six played elsewhere, as did the bottom defensive pairing, not to mention the bottom goaltenders. All two of them.

Tasked with replacing the entire bottom half of the lineup, Blackhawks' management filled the lineup with guys synonymous with the word bottom. John Scott. Fernando Pisani. Marty Turco. Ryan Johnson. Nick Bottom. Okay, maybe not that last one, but after the summer, Chicago's depth was almost as fictional.

That said, we're not mourning the team that won the Cup. We're mourning this team, this year's Chicago Blackhawks, a team the Canucks just exposed for who they are: a different team.

It's possible that the regular season exposed the Blackhawks first, but a lot of people chalked that up to a Stanley Cup hangover. You had to know that a youthful team like Chicago was at-risk for one, if for no other reason than the presence of Patrick Kane, whose name is synonymous with the terms "hangover" and "at-risk youth."

After the high of winning it all, it was expected that Chicago would put together a string of unmotivated play. Granted, nobody expected that string to last 85 games. Is it still a hangover if it's permanent? We should ask a doctor. Is there a doctor in the crowd? I would think so. If there's one thing primetime television has taught me, it's that everyone in Chicago is either a doctor or a lawyer.

These Blackhawks rang a bit hollow, not unlike the Hollow Men of which T.S. Eliot spoke: stuffed men, leaning together, headpiece filled with straw. Alas! Our dried voices, when / We whisper together /Are quiet and meaningless /As wind in dry grass /Or rats' feet over broken glass /In our dry cellar.

Speaking of rats from a cellar, let us mourn Dave Bolland, known to friends and enemies alike as The Rat, who returned from concussion either too late or too soon, depending on whom you talk to. He made for one fine villain, though, perhaps the finest rat baddie since Ratigan.

Let us mourn Joel Quenneville, whose stylish moustache may have been the only thing that survived the great post-cup purge, thanks to its no-movement clause.

Let us mourn Corey Crawford, the latest product of Chicago's disposable goalie laboratory, who will no doubt be rewarded for his outstanding debut season by being placed in front of the United Center with a cardboard sign that says "FREE", just as his predecessor was.

Let us mourn Duncan Keith, who was hit 19 times in the first round, a year after being hit 6 times in 6 playoff games against the same team. You have to feel genuinely bad for him, even if you're faking melancholy for everyone else on the roster, as some of us might be. What else was he supposed to do -- pass the puck to Fernando Pisani?

Let us mourn Jonathan Toews, whose effort in Game 7 was unmatched by anybody, at least among his teammates.

Let us mourn Marian Hossa, who may or may not have left the team in last summer's great migration. We're not quite sure. And let us mourn Ryan Johnson, Marian Hossa's heir apparent, who has now been on the losing end of a Chicago/Vancouver playoff match-up three years in a row.

Let us mourn Chris Campoli, who couldn't unlearn the training of six years playing for the Islanders and Senators fast enough to remember you're not supposed to turn the puck over to a 30-goal scorer in overtime of Game 7.

Let us mourn the egos of the Blackhawks' core, which now have to accept that they apparently needed Adam Burish to win a Stanley Cup.

Let us even mourn Vince Vaughn, who may be too depressed to give a strong comedic performance for quite awhile, so now seems as good a time as any to sign on for a sequel to Four Christmases.

I'd like to say they were taken from us far too soon -- like, say, three months before the season started -- but, in the end, they managed to stick around for 185 minutes longer than they should have. If anything, their demise was delayed.

I'd like to say the Blackhawks deserved better. They didn't. They didn't even deserve to be in the playoffs. Their hopes rested in the hands of the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars, which is a little like trusting a kitten to keep a ball of yarn raveled.

I'd like to say I'll miss them, but I won't. The Chicago Blackhawks were the harsh, violent, karate master that, for years, debased and humiliated the Vancouver Canucks, then stroked their long, white beard with a smug self-satisfaction. I was sick and tired of letting them throw our bowl of rice on the ground. There's nothing more satisfying than when the student becomes the master, and then poisons the master's fish heads.

The Blackhawks' demise was about as satisfying as when Dennis Nedry takes a face full of Dilophosaurus spit. It was about as satisfying as watching Hans Gruber fall 32 stories in slow motion. It was almost as satisfying as watching Johnny Lawrence get crane-kicked in the face. I'm glad they're gone, I'm glad!

And so it is that we relegate the Blackhawks to the annals of history. I have written a sonnet to commemorate the occasion, in strict Petrarchan form, which I would now like to share with you:

"We gather here, to mourn, and eulogize,
The Blackhawks, former champ'ions of this league,
Whose losses, Byfuglien, Burish, Ladd, Versteeg,
And others, have, it seems, spelled their demise.

"The core remains intact! Hossa and Toews,
Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith,
But their enormous contracts, like a wreath,
Didst hang the team. We dance atop their graves!

"It's difficult to veil such Schadenfreude,
To be the bigger person, to withdraw.
A frown on every Hawks fan, boy and girl!

"This thing, which I have longed to have enjoyed,
I heartlessly and heartily guffaw --
The woe of every Illinoisan churl.

Written by Vancouver Canucks bloggers Harrison Mooney and Daniel Wagner of Pass It To Bulis. We can't stress this enough.

The ink's dried on the NHL's $2 billion, 10-year deal with NBC, and the general opinion from pundits is that it's a winner. It may even be as far-reaching as to influence the NHL to return to the Olympics for the 2014 Sochi Games, should NBC win the bid.

There's still a segment of fans and media, despite compelling arguments to the contrary, that believe ESPN would have been the better destination for the NHL's U.S. television contract.

John Ourand of Sports Business Journal had a piece this week that detailed the NHL's negotiating process with NBC, ESPN, Turner and FOX. In it, we get some interesting details on what the WWL was offering the League as a television partner. Here's Ourand, writing about Gary Bettman and Comcast's Brian Roberts:

Though the two are friends, Bettman had a tough message to deliver: Days earlier, ESPN told the league that it would make an aggressive bid on the NHL's media package. Bettman told Roberts that ESPN's planned bid of $160 million to $170 million per year would test NBC's and Versus' right-to-match clause, which several media executives described as the tightest such clause they had ever seen. The clause gave NBC the right to match any deal the NHL signed with another network.

But it would be hard for NBC to match ESPN's planned offer. ESPN told the NHL that it would televise every Stanley Cup playoff game nationally. ESPN said that it would stream the games to authenticated broadband and mobile users. And ESPN guaranteed an international component as part of its planned offer. ESPN's deal would include a regular-season Game of the Week, but it was not making the broadcast network ABC available. The details were new for Roberts, who did not want to lose the NHL. In early discussions with the league, the NBC Sports Group had resisted the idea of televising every Stanley Cup playoff game nationally. And Comcast could not match ESPN's streaming plans or international offerings.

Comcast/NBC's reaction? The deal that was eventually agreed upon that gave the NHL 100 broadcasting "windows" on NBC and whatever VERSUS will become and a nationally televised game the day after Thanksgiving.

SBJ reports that the NHL never went back to ESPN for a counteroffer, nor did ESPN ever submit a formal proposal.

Again, there were virtues to hitching the wagon to ESPN: There's no question the post-lockout product on the ice, the current crop of stars and the growing audience all position the NHL to be more palatable to the ESPN marketing machine than in their previous contract. It's still a network that drives the conversation for a large segment of fans that aren't (yet) watching hockey.

But it's clear that for what the NHL wanted out of this network contract, NBC was able to provide it — if not the ESPN casual fan seal of approval.

Two of the finalists for the Hart Trophy were set in stone heading into Thursday's announcement. The third was more mysterious … until you glanced at the final list of scoring leaders in the NHL for 2010-11, as many of the voters apparently did.

Right wing Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks, left wing Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks and right wing Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three finalists for the 2010-11 Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded " to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted five-player ballots for the Hart Trophy before the start of the playoffs. These were the top three vote-getters.

Who wins the Hart? And, more importantly, who do you feel was the most egregious snub this season for MVP?

Why Corey Perry Deserves the Hart

From the NHL:

Perry won the Maurice Richard Trophy as NHL goal-scoring leader with a late surge of 19 goals in his final 16 games that raised his season total to 50 and helped launch the Ducks from 11th place in the Western Conference to a season-ending fourth. The first-time Hart Trophy finalist shared the League lead in game-winning goals with Washington's Alex Ovechkin (11), tied for fifth place in power-play goals (14), shared fifth in shorthanded tallies (four) and led all players with 21 third-period goals. Twenty-five of his goals tied the score or put the Ducks ahead.

There are three very compelling reasons to assume Perry got the most support from the voters. First, he's the only 50-goal man in the NHL this season, which is an eye-catching glamour stat. His run from February through the end of the season was remarkable: 46 points in 30 games, including six game-winning goals among his 23 during that span.

Most perhaps most importantly, there are the optics that Perry kept the Ducks afloat while Ryan Getzlaf missed 15 games this season. Much like Henrik Sedin garnered support for excelling without injured Daniel in his MVP season, Perry can expect the same.

After we put over Daniel Sedin in a post for the Hart, Anaheim Calling responded with a reasoned argument for Perry. Check it out for an in-depth look at his candidacy.

Why Daniel Sedin Deserves the Hart

From the NHL:

Sedin is in quest of an unprecedented family 'double' -- becoming half of the first brother tandem to win NHL MVP honors in consecutive years after twin Henrik received the award last season. Daniel already has won silverware that Henrik claimed in 2009-10, the Art Ross Trophy, by tallying a League-leading and career-high 104 points (41 goals, 63 assists) to help the Canucks post the NHL's best regular-season record (54-19-9). Daniel sparked the League's top-ranked power play by tallying an NHL-best 18 goals and 42 points with the extra man. He also tied for second place among NHL forwards in plus-minus (+30).

We made our Daniel Sedin case here, and the evidence hasn't changed all that much.

It's all a matter of one's perception of value: Do goals at the start of the game mean just as much as goals at the end? Does a player who was consistent throughout the season mean just as much as player who sprints to the finish with an amazing offensive output? Does being the best, and most important, player on the League's best team mean just as much as helping an underdog make the playoff cut in the last days of the season?

Why Marty St. Louis Deserves the Hart

From the NHL:

St. Louis is a Hart Trophy finalist for the first time since he captured the award in 2004. The 35-year-old wing surged late in the season, tallying points in each of his last nine games and in 15 of his final 17 to finish second in League scoring with 99 points (31 goals, 68 assists). He tied a franchise record for assists in a season and posted the second-highest point total in his 12-year NHL career, helping the Lightning make a 23-point improvement over 2009-10, post the second-best record in franchise history (46-25-11) and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007.

This would have been Steven Stamkos had he not gone ice cold in March and April (4 goals). He had been penciled in for most of the season, and especially after Sidney Crosby's injury.

But the St. Louis nomination is a reminder that even in the most dynamic offensive years for Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and now Stamkos, it's always been the diminutive winger that's been the Hart, er, heart of this team. For example, as cold as Stamkos was down the stretch, St. Louis was torrid. His 99 points were a hell of a calling card for the voters, too.

Prediction

As much as we suspect our fellow voters would crave the "Twins win MVPs" angle from a headline perspective, Perry was the best player in the NHL during the voting period, and frequently it's how you close out the season that get you the Hart. So it'll be Perry.

Our Ballot

Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
Marty St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

The lack of clear-cut candidates among the position players opened this up to the keepers.

Thomas appeared in 57 games and was rested down the stretch, but there is absolutely no question that, after the Bruins' playoff disaster, his resolve and stellar play set them on course to a division title.

Rinne … where would Nashville be without him? In the lottery. Sixty-four games played, 33 wins and a 2.12 GAA with six shutouts. Absolutely belongs here, but god luck convincing most writers that goalies should win MVP.

But as we've said before: The mind boggles at what Sidney Crosby could have accomplished this season before his injury. This could have been Sid's in a runaway.

It's a Thursday edition of Puck Daddy Radio, and we're chatting about the following and much more:

• Special Guest Star: Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland joins us to preview Red Wings and Sharks, talk about the business of the NHL.

• Special Guest Star, Part Deux: The Green Men of Vancouver join us to preview the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators.

• Right wing Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks, left wing Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks and right wing Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the three finalists for the 2010-11 Hart Memorial Trophy, which is awarded " to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,"
Who wins?

• Complete reviews of last night's playoff games.

• Wysh and Pizzo's picks for the Stanley Cup Finals Round 2.

• Question of the day: Which player from an eliminated team impressed you the most?

• Puck Previews.

Email your thoughts to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com.

Puck Daddy Radio is on Monday through Friday, from 1-2 p.m. ET/10-11 a.m. PT on The Score Radio Sirius Channel 98. Featuring Wyshynski and Rob Pizzo, it's your show: Calls, tweets, special guests and a ton of hockey goodness every day.

The call in number is 1-888-942-7326 (1-888-9-HARDCORE). We'll also be reading emails to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com and tweets that you send to @wyshynski and @robpizzo.

We're all about interaction here; call in, email, tweet ... we'll discuss whatever you'd like. Listen here:

It might be understating the obvious to say that Roberto Luongo's situation as a professional hockey player is a little unique.

He makes $10 million, he's a Vezina Trophy nominee, and he has the weight of a city resting on his shoulders like so much slicked-back greasy hair.

But many of us have similarly been on the wrong end of a coach's decision — or in Alain Vigneault's case in Game 6, a "Decision"' with a capital "D" — then thrust back into action, and mentally, it takes a little extra work for a player. Sometimes not open-hand slapping your coach takes some serious restraint.

In Vancouver, Vigneault gambled with his starter and, on the face of things, appears to have won — Luongo bounced back and gave a stellar performance in Game 7, and the Vancouver Canucks are on to the conference semis.

The problem is, you never know how this stuff plays out over time. The weight of each game is only getting heavier for the Nucks, and the reassuring "when things really matter, don't worry — coach has no faith in you" seed has already been planted in Vancouver's crease.

All I know is, I would've been pissed.

Coaches are never quite certain how different players will react to being told they're not needed for a game — it takes some time to determine who needs the kid gloves and who needs the tough love. Maybe Alain Vigneault knows his goaltender well enough that he was sure the guy could take the one-game sit-down and move on like a pro.

From what I've seen, very few players (that aren't regularly scratched) are capable of that.

I found that getting healthy scratched from any game did more than piss me off for a single night, and I was never gut-punched quite as publicly as what we just saw at the United Center.

For most players on an average healthy scratch day, the sequence of events is supposed to be black and white: You're told you're not in (and usually why, something along the lines of "you're sloppy in the D-zone lately"), you mentally fix the problem, and you move on.

But that resentment towards the coach doesn't vanish the second you're back on the ice — players are proud and rarely feel like the nuclear option was necessary. This means you wind up telling yourself "eff him, I'm playing for myself and my teammates." That doesn't mean you're not going to return and play well, it's that the next time he needs your trust, he's not guaranteed to have the same amount he did before.

I gotta believe Bobby Lu, in the privacy of his lair or wherever it is dudes like him live, is not saying, "It's fine that he started Corey in that game, we're a team."

And that's not a good thing coming from a team's leader.

For fringe players, a scratch is disappointing. For regulars, it's fury-inducing. If I've damaged property over it, I doubt Lu went home anything better than bitter after hearing the news. If he's not still sore about it, I'd be genuinely surprised.

In most situations, when you're chucked back into the action, you face an annoying reality: You either play well and provide your coach with positive reinforcement that yes, sitting you improves your play; or you play poorly and crash through the thin ice you were skating on and end up in the doghouse-shaped press box (or on the end of the bench) once more.

Since the dog-house isn't all that awesome, you tighten up in the D-zone (or whatever the fix is, which may be stopping the puck for some) and everyone from the outside thinks coach did a great job fixing the problem.

Only now, the player is pissed at the man in charge and the season ain't over yet.

We never really know how these decisions affect a team in the long-term. They can change relationships and attitudes permanently, in some cases.

Hopefully in Vancouver, as the Canucks prepare to host Game 1 against the Nashville Predators, Luongo isn't as petty and spiteful as I am. But that was a pretty big public blow he took, and I've heard players in far-less serious scratch situations say some mighty harsh things about the guy who made the decision. Luongo came out and said the right things and played well in Game 7, but that that stuff weighs on a guy.

It's hard enough for your Average Andy to tidy up the clutter inside his head and play simple hockey after your ego gets blindsided, let alone for a guy under a spotlight so bright he's like an ant under a magnifying glass.

Doubt, resentment, and a whole lot of frustration — the mental side of hockey is hard enough when the battles come solely from your opponents. Once those battles are being waged in your own dressing room, you have to be a pretty mentally sharp guy to be able bring your "A" game to the table.

Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference had spun the NHL Wheel of Justice once in the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs for showing Montreal fans they're No. 1 in his book. That earned him a $2,500 fine.

He spun it a second time on Thursday, having a phone hearing with the NHL about this collision behind the play in Game 7 between the Bruins and Montreal Canadiens:

There was no penalty called.

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told the media that Ference will not be suspended for the hit, per the NHL. From NESN.

"When it first happened I wasn't [worried about a suspension]," Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said. "I thought it was just incidental contact, but when I took a closer look at bit I could see where the league's concerns lie. But when you look at the whole play, we turned the puck over at our blue [line], and when that happens the D are supposed to close off the rim around the wall.

"So he was moving that way and what Andy said is that he just saw a player off his shoulder as he was moving, as he was looking up when he saw the turnover," Chiarelli continued. "His motion and the player's motion, they ran into each other."

Now that this situation is settled: Can someone please explain how the Canadiens were able to manipulate the space/time continuum when it came to dangerous hits on Jeff Halpern in Game 7 and Jaroslav Spacek in Game 6?

The new concussion protocol says 15 minutes in the quiet room; did they misread that as "seconds"?

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Vancouver has incredible team chemistry.

• Penguins Eulogy due up later Thursday, as well as Canucks/Preds preview and our Round 2 picks.

• Detroit Red Wings Octopus Toss Arrest Update: The fan who was fined for and charged with disorderly conduct is fighting the system, pleading "not guilty" and claiming he'll be "lawyer'd up" in July for the hearing. [MLive]

• The Boston Bruins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers will be a battle of power-play mediocrity. Our lives wasted, two minutes at a time … [Broad Street Hockey]

• Speaking of terrible power plays, you know a fan base is upset when it goes the Fake Craigslist Ad route; eh, Pittsburgh Penguins? [On Frozen Blog]

• The "morning after" for Penguins fans. [The Confluence]

• Interesting bit of news from the Buffalo Sabres after their elimination: Ryan Miller had a concussion earlier this year, partially due to that Dion Phaneuf shot that we all figured rung his bell. [Die By The Blade]

• The NHL sends the city of Glendale a bill for $25 million to cover the Phoenix Coyotes' losses on the season, giving them until Monday to pay it. Because, you know, deadlines have been held so rigidly during this farce. [Arizona Republic]

• That said: Is May 6 the unofficial deadline for Matthew Hulsizer, Glendale and the NHL to come to an agreement? [SB Nation Arizona]

• Winnipeg mayor opens mouth, places foot in, smiles for the camera on claim Coyotes aren't moving. [Winnipeg Free Press]

• Interesting post from an Atlanta Thrashers blog that ends with a request for Thrashers fans on relocation rumors: "There's nothing I can do or say to change the behavior of Winnipeg fans or the Canadian media, but for Atlantans — hell, for other self-respecting hockey fans in general — I have a plea: stop. Stop following them. Stop retweeting them. Stop sending links to these rumor-mongering stories. Don't talk about it here or on social media sites. Don't comment on the stories. Don't comment on this story. ("Turn off your TV set!") Ignore the trolls. They won't go away, but I'm tired of giving them the attention." [Bird Watchers Anonymous]

• Cool find from Patrick Huffnagle: Visualizing The Stanley Cup, which is an interactive view of the different Cup champs and finals matchups. [Robby MacDonnell]

• S.O.B. on facing the Vancouver Canucks: "I'd be lying if I said I don't want to knock them out a little bit more [than other teams]. Obviously I do." [CBC Sports]

• Interesting bit on the Nashville Predators, who are using variable pricing in the playoffs: "The Predators reported a 30% increase in ticket revenue after launching dynamic pricing for NHL playoff tickets. Dynamic pricing adjusts single-game ticket prices through computer analysis of factors including team performance, opponent, weather, day of the week and gate giveaways." [SBJ, reg. req.]

• The New York Rangers will plan an exhibition game in the Czech Republic and "accidentally" leave Marian Gaborik there.  [Rangers]

• Hey, turns out picking Corey Crawford over Antti Niemi was the right move for the Chicago Blackhawks. [Blackhawks Up]

• A tidbit that was no doubt lost in the Game 7 shuffle but that shows what a class organization the Pittsburgh Penguins are: "The Penguins gave a game puck to the Lightning's management following the game so it could be presented to assistant coach Wayne Fleming who is back in Tampa battling cancer. Lightning coach Guy Boucher thanked the Penguins for their class." [Empty Netters, via GlensGages]

• Novel idea for the Washington Capitals: Don't allow the Tampa Bay Lightning to force turnovers with their 1-3-1 system and tremendous transition game. [Capitals Insider]

• Why the second round of the playoffs are a battle of hockey good vs. hockey evil. [Pegasus News]

• The five alternate uses for Dustin Penner of the Los Angeles Kings. Scathing. [The Royal Half]

• Kings GM Dean Lombardi on the team's attitude: "I want guys pissed off. I've said it before. You know you're turning the corner when guys go home and they're pissed off. I sense that." [LA Kings Insider]

• From the NHLPA: "Following an exciting first round of the playoffs, the National Hockey League Players' Association  (NHLPA) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) are pleased to announce that the NHLPA Beard-a-thon has already raised over $50,000. The money raised goes towards the Foundation purchasing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for local hockey arenas and communities across Canada. As the second round is set to begin, the NHLPA will be matching the first $50 pledge that each beard growing participant receives prior to May 14."

• If you enjoy the many virtues of Kukla's Korner, then help a brother out. [KK]

• Yours truly contributes to a multi-media project by the Toronto Observer about the Return of the Jets. [Observer]

• Finally, via Houses of The Hockey: Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Thursday that the hockey club has signed goaltender Mark Owuya (oh-WOO-yah) to a two-year entry level contract. He's 21 now; back in 2006, he was a contestant on Swedish Idol. (Adult Content Warning — One Expletive.)

(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most. Here are Boston Bruins bloggers Days of Y'Orr fondly recalling the 2010-11 Montreal Canadiens. Again, this was not written by us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it, so don't take it so seriously.)

By Days of Y'Orr

We want to welcome you all to Montreal — The City That Never Stays on Its Feet — for today's service.

Today's eulogy is sponsored by Air Canada and the 17,000 or so refs in Montreal that couldn't steal the series for the Habs, despite their best efforts. Air Canada has threatened to pull sponsorship from this funeral if any jokes are made about Canada being America's hat.

We do have life guards on duty, but we encourage those in attendance to refrain from diving. We also have goodie bags for everyone on the way out that include a team set of 2010-2011 Montreal Canadiens Diving Team trading cards and copies of "Hall Pass" autographed by Max Pacioretty.

Montreal fans are in a state of shock today as they wonder how the series would have went if the likes of Ken Dryden, Maurice Richard and Henri Richard were healthy enough to play — because apparently you need to talk about the accomplishments of players that played before you were even a sperm to feel good inside.

Theirs was a rocky road to the playoffs, and calls from fans have already flooded into Canadien Emergency Service Centers with complaints of broken hearts, shattered pride and concussions induced by throwing themselves to the ground on front of police officers whenever a Bruins fan walks by.

Montreal's offseason started by trading the Greatest Canadien Hero, Jaroslav Halak. Fans cursed to the hockey gods and cried on every message board they could find, begging Montreal to trade Carey Price and his subscription to Douche Bags Weekly. Then, in true Montreal fashion, when Price started the season played well, fans began to build monuments of Price smoking cigarettes and choking at home in the playoffs.

Their regular season was filled with meaningless wins over the Bruins and lots of controversy as the Habs finished second in the Northeast, but first in developing Wolverine like heeling capabilities.

As you may (or may not) know, Zdeno Chara checked Max Pacioretty in a late regular season game, driving his head into the turnbuckle and supposedly giving "Patches" a severe concussion and a broken neck. Montreal overtook Philadelphia for dumbest city in the history of the world by calling 911, demanding the execution of Zdeno Chara and his accomplice, George the Animal, for eating all the padding on Montreal stanchions.

Montreal became outraged as reports came out that Pacioretty's career was over and that he would never be able to gel Carey Price's hair again. A couple days later, however, Patches was tweeting about going to the movies despite his "severe concussion," while the likes of Sidney Crosby and Marc Savard exchanged playoff stories very quietly and in dimly lit rooms.

Despite his newly found healing factor, Patches was quite obviously injured as no one with a half-functioning brain would think Hall Pass was funny.

Montreal embarrassed itself again when they were outwitted by a 127-year-old man, as Mark Recchi M.D. questioned the legitimacy of Pacioretty's injury. The Habs spent the entire last regular season game against the Bruins chasing around a man in his 40s and who stands about five feet tall, giving him at least a foot on the tallest Montreal player. The only person on the Habs roster brave enough to challenge Recchi was Hal "The Pylon" Gill, who took a break from being talentless to shove Recchi. Bravo Montreal, bravo.

The Montreal Canadiens had a playoff run shorter than Brad Marchand's nose. Funny, since critics and Habs fans alike said the "Big Bad Bruins" couldn't skate with the Montreal Canadiens. They said the Bs were too slow to deal with Montreal's speed, not skilled enough to breakthrough Montreal's umbrella defense. Ference 3:16 had just one thing to say about that.

Canadiens fans and the media said Tim Thomas was too washed up, too fat to deal with the Canadiens talented offense. They said Timmy's five hole was looser than Celine Dion's. Yet in three overtime games, Tim Thomas calmly ate cheeseburgers while making snow angel saves. Yet with all his flopping in his crease to stop pucks he came no where close taking that flopping crown from Montreal.

To Montreal's credit they tried their best. They won Oscars nominations for their embellishments and spent so much time sprawled on the ice that the Boston and Montreal Ice Crews had little work to do between TV timeouts. Pernell Karl Subban cross checked and ran, ran, ran as fast as Subban can, anytime any Bruin looked in his direction. Carey Price went down easier than the Hindenberg any time a Bruins skated within 20 feet of him.

The Bruins spotted the Habs two games out of love and respect for their long rivalry. While the Bruins scratched and clawed for victories Montreal dove and whined. Now instead of celebrating a first round win and setting the streets of Montreal ablaze, Canadiens tears and bitterness flood the streets while they call into Montreal talk radio shows and reminisce about guys like George Hainsworth and others they just read about on Wikipedia.

If Montreal fans are still wondering what happened to their team, we conducted an in-depth autopsy, compliments of Dr. Recchi.

Montreal's "respect" for the game of hockey was highlighted in an otherwise competitive Game 7 In it, hockey fans witness the first ever trust fall in a playoff game by Pernell Karl while Roman Hamrlik did his best Alexei Kovalev impersonation. Dive, dive, everywhere a dive shows, once again, how little respect Montreal has now for the game — a team that would rather lay on the ice to win than play hard to win.

The 2010-2011 Montreal Canadiens died as they lived... on their backs. And now their fans can spend the rest of the summer quoting useless history they weren't around for. Quote your history all you want, Montreal. While you're busy spouting off stupid soccer chants at your team's favorite golf course, the Bruins continue to march on.

And remember... when you're lying in bed too depressed to face the world, just remember the words of the immortal Jack Edwards...

GET UP! GET UP!

This was written by Boston Bruins bloggers Days of Y'Orr. We really can't stress this enough.

In which your friends from Puck Daddy and Puck Daddy Radio on The Score Sirius 98 select the winners for Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You can see their picks for Round 1 and the Stanley Cup Finals here.

Greg Wyshynski, Editor, Puck Daddy

Washington Capitals in 6
Philadelphia Flyers in 7
Vancouver Canucks in 6
San Jose Sharks in 7

The Capitals pick is made on the assumption that they learned a bit about protecting the puck in their Round 1 win, because the Lightning have slightly more dangerous offensive weapons than Brain Boyle and Brandon Prust. Dwayne Roloson's going to have a couple of games behind the force field, but the Capitals are made of sterner stuff than in previous postseasons. They'll endure it.

The Flyers vs. Boston Bruins rematch should provide us with drama, intense physical play and remedial power play time (unless Pronger can kick-start the Flyers). Bottom line: I think the Flyers have gamers up front (Danny Briere, Conn Smythe favorite) and on the blue line, and I saw too much of the Bruins undermining their own success with stupidity in Round 1. They were my pick out of the East; I don't think they survive Philly. This series will go as long as Claude Giroux wants it to.

The Canucks are going to find an offensively liberated Ryan Kesler, a rejuvenated Roberto Luongo and a Nashville Predators team ready to win ugly in Round 2. The balance in the Predators' scoring is impressive, and Pekka Rinne will be better (one assumes). But Vancouver showed in Game 7 against Chicago what happens when it commits to playing well in its own zone and cranks up the forecheck, which it will at least four times in this series.

Finally, the Red Wings are going to have Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen back, and are rested following their first-round sweep. The Sharks, meanwhile, had a chaotic and tiring series vs. the Kings. Recipe for defeat? Nah. The Sharks have better scoring depth than Detroit and, in this series, I predict better goaltending. It'll go long, but the Sharks will go to the conference finals. Better chance of happening: Thornton scoring another OT goal or us getting through this series without at least one War Room controversy?

Sean Leahy, Associate Editor, Puck Daddy

Washington in 6
Boston in 6
Vancouver in 6
San Jose in 7

While they might not be the flashy Capitals we were used to watching, Bruce Boudreau's new system is effective and their dispatching of the New York Rangers in five games was proof that it can work in the postseason when games get tighter. The Lightning will come into the series with some momentum after their seven game series with Pittsburgh, but the Caps are on a mission this spring. Tampa's scoring depth will give them a fighting chance and watch out if Steven Stamkos hops on Martin St. Louis' scoring train in the series.

The Bruins have been my pick in the East since September and might as well keep riding them. Does Claude Julien need to inspire any further motivation in his club as they prepare for the Philadelphia Flyers? Like the Vancouver Canucks eventually exercised their Chicago Blackhawks demon, the ghosts of last season's second round and the historic 0-3 comeback by the Flyers should motivate the Bruins enough to get by Philly. Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic have been quiet and how long can that last? And while the Bruins' power play is dead last at 0-for-21 (someone worse than Pittsburgh Penguins? really?), even if it continues to struggle against the Flyers, even just scoring one or two goals with the extra man, it could pay huge dividends.

Like the Bruins, Vancouver was my pick in the West to not just win the conference, but win the Stanley Cup. Now that they've finally gotten over that Blackhawks hump, can Roberto Luongo and friends finally move on? They should be able to. We know the talent in their lineup, but Nashville will put up a fight. They've finally tasted the second round and Pekke Rinne still hasn't played up to his Vezina Trophy-caliber season, which should scare the bejesus out of the Canucks. But in the end, the relief of getting past Chicago should help awaken that lineup and get their minds right enough to make a deep run at the Cup.

San Jose and Detroit met at this time last year and it was the Sharks who advanced after winning the series 4-1. Another roll over? Likely not. Just when you want to count the Wings out, they regenerate and get stronger. Speaking of getting stronger, Henrik Zetterberg should be back and Johan Franzen will be rested after Detroit got plenty of time off after sweeping the Phoenix Coyotes. Both teams are getting balanced scoring and if Antti Niemi will be the key for the Sharks. He can't afford bad goals against Detroit. Same goes for Jimmy Howard who breezed through Phoenix. San Jose can bring the firepower and dramatics. Plus, Joe Thornton scored an overtime winner, that's gotta be a sign of the apocalypse, right?

Ryan Lambert, Puck Daddy Columnist

Washington in 6
Boston in 7
Vancouver in 5
San Jose in 7

Washington had little trouble dispatching the Rangers, and Tampa had a lot of trouble downing the injury-hobbled Pens, so that's easy. Boston certainly had better goaltending and defense than Philly, and it seems as though the offense would have done better against Montreal had a Bobrovsky/Leighton/Boucher-quality goaltender been in net.

Vancouver is still Vancouver, having exorcised whatever demons yet remained, and it's hard to see the Preds all of a sudden becoming a Chicago-level boogeyman, especially because their leading scorer in the playoffs was Mike Fisher. And concerns about the goaltending aside, it just seems like the Sharks are a better team than Detroit, as they were last year.

Dmitry Chesnokov, Puck Daddy Senior Writer

Washington in 6
Philadelphia in 7
Vancouver in 7
Detroit in 6

These Washington Capitals now have the playoff experience, playing alongside each other for some years now. What Steve Yzerman was able to achieve with the Bolts this year was, in my opinion, predictable, because of who Steve Yzerman is.  But that playoff experience and chemistry is on the Caps' side in this series.

I think the Flyers are getting used to playing without paying too much attention to who is in goal for them. They used three starters in the previous series, and this trend will likely continue.  The Bruins will surely want to take the revenge for last season's epic meltdown in the playoffs against these Flyers.  But I think the Flyers will come out on top again, especially if Pronger is as little as 50 percent effective.

I picked the Red Wings to go all the way this year before the playoffs started. With the returns of Franzen and especially Zetterberg for the second round, the Red Wings will be even better.  Sure, they're showing their age, especially in the third period of virtually every game, but they usually do enough in the first two to win the game.

Just as with the Bolts, the Predators don't have enough playoff winning experience having won just their first playoff series. The Canucks are drained after their series against Chicago, and the Predators will surely give them the run for their money. But in the end, the Canucks will likely come out on top.  Although this series could definitely go either way.

Justin Bourne, Puck Daddy Columnist

Washington in 5
Boston in 7
Vancouver in 6
Detroit in 7

Aside from the team I picked to win the Cup (Vancouver), two teams look considerably scarier than I gave them credit for heading into playoffs, mostly because I think I keep waiting for them to stop being so damn good at some point: Detroit and Washington.

They're still herrrreeeeee.

The call on the Washington series being short isn't a knock on Tampa, I just really think Washington isn't messing around this year.  From day one their focus has been on playoffs -- they'll have the war machine dialed to KILL.

The good news for the Canucks is that San Jose looks pretty darn terrific too (I'm really, really torn on my pick), so it looks likely that the Wings and Sharks can beat each other up and get softened up by the time the conference finals roll around.

Really, I could write some glowing review for all the remaining teams — I'm a big fan of "chalk," and the fact that we have the top six teams from the regular season (with two five seeds!) is going to make for some spectacular battles.

The David's of the NHL have all perished, and we're about to see some Goliath vs. Goliath heavyweight tilts.  "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!??"

Rob Pizzo, Co-Host, Puck Daddy Radio

Washington in 5
Boston in 6
Vancouver in 6
Detroit in 7

So the main question is, did one of the craziest series in playoff history help or hurt the best team in the NHL? While I believe the Preds will win Game 1 in a classic "letdown" game, I'm not changing my pick for the Cup. Use whatever cliché you want (monkey off back, exercised demons, etc), the Canucks finally beat Chicago, and I think they will use that momentum the rest of the way.

In the East, the Caps used their new defensive style to keep games low scoring, and they may be able to shut down the Lightning's offense. Also, Tampa just played three straight elimination games, and that takes more out of you than arguing with Wysh on Puck Daddy Radio.

As far as the Smythe goes, the twins hardly were the reason Vancouver won their 1st round series. Daniel does have five goals and a big series will put him right back in contention.

I'm sticking to my guns!

Stanley Cup Finals: Canucks vs. Capitals
Stanley Cup Champions: Canucks
Conn Smythe: One of the two guys who shared a womb.

Erin Nicks, Puck Daddy Columnist

Boston in 7
Washington in 7
Vancouver in 6
Detroit in 6

I'm still trying to believe in the Bruins -- it would be a lot easier to keep the faith if they could get their PP out of the starting gate. Boston went 0-for-21 in their round with Montreal, and are the second team in NHL history to win a seven-game series without scoring on the man-advantage. (The first, strangely enough, was also the Bruins, who lost a seven-game tilt in the 1952 semi-finals.) I fully expect the Flyers to push them to the limit. Meanwhile,

Washington takes a cue from the Canucks by exorcising their own demon, and will benefit from the rest achieved by quickly finishing off the Rangers. This may possibly allow Mike Knuble to return in this series sooner than expected. Of course, if the Capitals can't find an answer for Martin St. Louis, I'll live to regret this pick.

Vancouver appears ready to take the next step -- they will continue to roll. San Jose, however, showed a fair amount of difficulty in dispatching what was supposed to be an easy out against the Kings. Bad things happen when Antti Niemi is unable to keep his composure. As for up front, only one Sharks name appears in the top-30 playoff point-scorers thus far: Ryane Clowe. They will not beat the Red Wings if they aren't firing on all cylinders.

Dobber, Puck Daddy Fantasy Hockey Columnist

Washington in 5
Boston in 7
Vancouver in 7
San Jose in 6

I like how the pieces are falling into place for Washington, and I while I believe that Tampa Bay has a great foundation and have built a winning culture, this year is too soon. I also get the feeling that Boston is going to have one of those postseason runs. You know, where every round is with their backs against the wall, going to seven games, eking out the win in overtime.

If I were to pick an upset this round, it would be Nashville. But I don't have the balls so I'll just take the weaselly way out by saying things like, "If I were to pick an upset this round, it would be Nashville." That way, if they win I could say "Hey, I said that!" And if they lose I could say "I picked Vancouver anyway." Awesome.

Detroit is too banged up and San Jose is getting so much from their second and third lines that the Sharks will win.

Matt Barr, Stat Nerd

That was quite a first round.  To help inform my second round picks, I put on my horn-rimmed glasses and inserted my pocket protector and took a look at how each of the eight remaining playoff teams had done against the better teams this last regular season: Against other playoff qualifiers, and then against the other seven first-round victors.

Then I picked team names out of a propeller beanie.

Tampa Bay over Washington in 7

These are a couple of pretty evenly-matched teams, no matter how you look at them.  Here's how you look at their records against playoff teams:

Tampa has given up 3.13 goals per game against other playoff qualifiers, and get this, that includes five shutouts.  So in 35 non-shutouts, you're looking at 3.57 goals per game. Dwayne Roloson had best be paying attention during this series.

But anyway, other than the goals against, the Bolts and Caps look pretty similar against good teams, as well as against one another.  So why the edge to the Lightning? I'm still going with the theory that the Caps will get the yips when adversity strikes. They may eventually make me stop going with that theory, maybe starting this round.

Boston over Philadelphia in 5

Philly's record against playoff qualifiers is funky, 21-15-7 despite being outscored overall.  There's more separation between the two in favor of the Bruins when you look at just the other second-rounders:

Both teams squeaked by inferior opposition in the first round, one with an all-world goalie and one with no actual goalie that we are aware of.  That, and the aftertaste from last year's epic collapse, ought to make the B's the class of this series. I am also confident that Coach Julien, unlike, maddeningly, Lindy Ruff, will be aware of where Danny Briere sets up relative to the net on every single sustained Flyers possession in the offensive zone, and cause his defensemen to make him not be there anymore.

Nashville over Vancouver in 6

See? The Canucks didn't just pad their regular season record against cupcakes. However, Nashville was just as productive in the face of good opposition:

I don't think the proposition that the Predators were more impressive in their first-round series than the Canucks were is very contentious, and I also don't think I'm out of line suggesting Nashville's goalie is a notch or two better than Vancouver's. I foresee a hard-fought split in Vancouver, a couple Nashville squeakers, and then two wins by the home teams. Smashville advances. Shea Weber's RFA offer sheet grows.

Detroit over San Jose in 5

Here we finally have an obvious advantage on the part of one team over its opponent in its regular season record against the better teams:

The Sharks worked harder to earn their impressive first-round win, and as talented as they've been for so many years, you have to figure that one of these years they're not going to trip up on their way to the Final.  And you have to keep figuring that. Detroit is in championship mode.  I do not believe them stoppable.

History was made in Round 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs. After years of being pushed around and abused by their rivals, a team finally exorcised the demons, sacked up and overcame an obstacle that had been standing in the way of the franchise's progress for years.

We're of course talking about the Nashville Predators finally winning a playoff round.

Oh, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Blackhawks, too.

The season series was at 2-2, with the teams splitting games on the other's home ice. Nashville had the lead in goals, 8-6. None of the games were sterling examples of precision offensive hockey.

Can the Predators pull a second upset in their underdog quest for the Cup? Or have the Canucks finally shaken their shackles and are ready to embark on a Cup run of their own?

The Sedins were held in check by the Blackhawks, which means they only managed a combined 12 points (with five goals from Daniel). The first line of defense for the Predators might be the checking duo of Jarred Smithson and Nick Spaling. But On The Forecheck thinks that Mike Fisher's line could be used against them too.

One of the keys for the series will be the goal-scoring of Ryan Kesler, who will be freed from his death-struggle with Jonathan Toews to focus a little more on offense. He had four assists and no goals in the opening round. Alex Burrows found his game in Game 6 and that continued over to his mythmaking performance in Game 7.

One line to watch out for: The energy line of Jannik Hansen, Chris Higgins and Max Lapierre, which can generate chances and create chaos on the boards.

During the regular season, the Predators had two players north of 20 goals and 10 players in double-digits. That spread-out offense continued in Round 1 against the Ducks, as six forwards scored two or more goals and two of them (Mike Fisher and Joel Ward) scored three.

Fisher skates with Patric Honrqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn on a dangerous line for the Preds, as they combined for 13 points in six games vs. Anaheim. But the line that really provided a lift in the opening round was Smithson, Spaling (the Game 6 hero) and Jordin Tootoo, who managed five points and 22 penalty minutes.

Martin Erat is expected back and can create offensive on his own. Ditto veteran Steve Sullivan. David Legwand had four points in the opening round.

Here's a fun game: Ask a random fan which player led the Predators in scoring this year. If they say J.P. Dumont, feel free to dismiss their next opinion.

The Often-Injured Sami Salo will miss Game 1, but the Canucks are stacked on the blue line. Dan Hamhuis, the former career-long Predator, was a physical presence against the Blackhawks and skated 3:15 per game shorthanded. Kevin Bieksa led the team with 25:05 average TOI. Christian Erhoff had four points in the opening round, and skated well with Alex Edler. Keith Ballard and Andrew Alberts fill out the ranks with Aaron Rome.

Has there been another defenseman that's had the impact of Shea Weber in the playoffs? Three goals, two helpers and three of those points on the power play, skating 26:29 per game. Ryan Suter, his partner in crime, is fifth in the NHL in average ice time with 27:28 per game.

Kevin Klein has been essential to the penalty kill, while rookie Jonathan Blum has looked good … at least when Bobby Ryan wasn't mistaking his foot for a porterhouse steak.

One rather large X-factor in the series: Shane O'Brien, the former Canuck tough guy who was shipped out of town and resurrected his career with the Predators. Stay away from the Roxy, sir. Far away.

So much time is spent psychoanalyzing Roberto Luongo that it's easy to forget he's got very good playoff numbers against teams that don't have an Indian Head on their sweaters. Now that he's vanquished the Blackhawks and gotten over his benching (one assumes), will we see something closer to the 2.11 GAA and .928 save percentage form that earned him a Vezina nod?

If the Predators are going to win this series, Pekka Rinne has to be better. A lot better. Like, steal a game or two better. Because after one round, he's got a 3.29 GAA and an .876 save percentage, which is worse than that of Ilya Bryzgalov's sieve impression vs. Detroit. Ask the Preds, and he's their regular season MVP. That they won a round with Rinne average-to-below-average is impressive. But it won't happen a second time against a team like Vancouver.

Waiting in the wings for both teams are rookies Cory Schneider, who famously started Game 6 against Chicago, and Anders Lindback.

IT'S TOWEL POWER TIME! (And please try not to stare at the Green Mens' …er .... green men.)

Things got a little hairy for Alain Vigneault in Round 1, with the Blackhawks nearly coming back from 3-0 to win the series. To his credit, he was able to get Vancouver playing the brand of hockey that won them three games straight in Game 7. Can he manage to keep the Sedins away from Weber/Suter? Big picture: Did he handle Luongo correctly in the previous round?

Barry Trotz, the perennially underrated coach, orchestrated a victory against the Ducks and enters his first Stanley Cup semifinal round as a head coach. Much of his work will be about managing the emotions for his players, especially when it comes to playing in front of an amped home crowd in Games 3 and 4.

The Canucks are 4-for-18 on the power play for a 22.2 percent conversation rate. They're 24-for-30 on shorthanded for an 80-percent kill rate.

The Predators are 6-for-27 on the power play for a 22.2 percent conversation rate. They're 14-for-22 shorthanded for a 63.6-percent kill rate, which really needs to improve this series. Their power play also didn't score in 14 chances against Vancouver in the regular season.

We don't believe this reads "TOEWS SCORES ON THE REBOUND" on the back. Or at least we hope.

The Canucks must feel like the weight of the world is lifted off their backs. This is either a good thing or a bad thing. It's a good thing if it means a spirited, short series win over the Predators based on the momentum. It's a bad thing if they can't conjure a third of the emotion and effort they spent on Chicago against a rested and ready Nashville team.

The pick is Vancouver in six because (a) Rinne will be better and (b) the Predators are going to win a couple games ugly but ultimately (c) because, when it needs to, Vancouver can take over games with its speed and skill.

No. 1 Star: Chris Higgins, Vancouver Canucks

Higgins scored his second of the playoffs at 12:14 of the second period, and it ended up being the lone goal in the 1-0 Game 1 victory by the Canucks over the Nashville Predators. Kevin Bieksa slipped a pass to Max Lapierre, creating a 3-on-1 down low. Higgins then buried Lapierre's pass for the goal that was confirmed by video review.

No. 2 Star: Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

In his best effort since Game 1 of the Preds' series vs. the Anaheim Ducks, Rinne kept his team in the game with a 29-save performance that included 16 stops in the first period alone.

No. 3 Star: Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks

Luongo wasn't tested all that much in the first 40 minutes, facing only 11 shots. But he was there when Vancouver needed him, and especially in the third period when he stopped Mike Fisher on a shorthanded breakaway. He had 20 saves in the game for his second shutout of the playoffs — his first also coming in Game 1 vs. Chicago.

Honorable mention: Ryan Kesler was 19-11 on faceoffs as Vancouver dominated in the circle to the tune of 61 percent to 39 percent. … Shea Weber played 28:29, had four hits, three shots on goal and two blocked shots.

Did you know? Mats Sundin attended the game in Vancouver. No word how long it took him to decide to attend.

Dishonorable mention: Both teams were 0-for-5 on the power play. Nashville has yet to score a power-play goal against the Canucks this season. … Patric Hornqvist had three minor penalties for Nashville. … Finally, Keith Ballard was called for clipping on what was a textbook beauty of a hip check. For shame!

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Danny Briere, Philadelphia Flyers, 2. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; 3. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 4. Michal Neuvirth, Washington Capitals; 5. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks; 6. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning; 7. Mike Fisher, Nashville Predators; 8. Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins; 9. Dwayne Roloson, Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers.

That the Washington Capitals are rested and ready for a second-round series feels odd; usually under Coach Bruce Boudreau, their hearts should still be pounding after an intense seven-game series. And, usually, those hearts would be pounding on a golf course or back in Moscow by now.

Ah, but these are the new Caps, not the old Caps, and the new Caps dispatched the New York Rangers in five games. The signs are all positive: Their stars are scoring, their rookie goalie looked sharp and their veteran additions have given this group a championship gloss.

So the Capitals found their postseason personality … and so have the Lightning. The first four games were schizophrenic affairs, thanks in part to the Pittsburgh Penguins' defense. But that 8-2 pounding in Game 5 inspired confidence that carried over to the rest of their three-game series rally. They're a deeper team than you'd expect considering their star power; and Dwayne Roloson, the tireless geezer, is the great equalizer.

Will the Capitals ride the Lightning, or will Tampa be the next team in the grand playoff tradition of sending Washington fans back to their Redskins season preview guides with a sullen comportment?

With 3 goals and 3 assists in the opening round, Alex Ovechkin now has 46 points in 33 career playoff games. He didn't have to carry the team to victory offensively: Alex Semin scored 3 goals, including one in overtime. Jason Chimera had 2 goals, one of them in OT. Jason Arnott had 1 goal and 2 assists; and, making the Caps all the more dangerous, rookie center Marcus Johansson tallied 2 goals and 2 assists.

(Semin, by the way, tormented the Lightning in the regular season to the tune of seven goals. Yikes.)

The Capitals should get veteran Mike Knuble back during this series, and his net presence against Roloson will be key. Hopefully the Capitals get Nicklas Backstrom back, too, instead of the guy who had one assist in five games vs. the Rangers.

Comparing the offensive weaponry of the Lightning to that of the Rangers is like comparing the U.S. Marine Corps to a high-school safety patrol. Marty St. Louis, nominated for the Hart Trophy tallied 4 goals and 4 assists before going scoreless in Games 6 and 7 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Simon Gagne (7 points), Vinny Lecavalier (6 points) and Steven Stamkos (4 points, after a rough start) are all scary, especially on the power play.

But the Bolts' offense goes deeper than that: Witness the tenacious Steve Downie, with 7 point, 16 PIMs and a 1-game suspension in the first round. Teddy Percell had 5 points. Dominic Moore (4 points) set up Sean Bergenheim (3 goals) with a nasty backhand pass for Game 7's only goal.

One name to watch in this series: Nate Thompson, arguably Tampa's most important defensive forward and a heartbeat player for them, blocking shots and setting the tone.

Do not adjust your computer screens: That actually is Mike Green with five points in five playoff games and a plus-3. That includes a goal and an assist on the power play, where his lack of impact one year ago contributed to the Capitals' ouster at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.

The Capitals' ice-time leaders in Round 1 were Scott Hannan (25:11) and John Carlson (25:09). Hannan was over 4 minutes a game shorthanded. The Caps also received strong performances from Karl Alzner in the opening round. John Erskine is there for muscle. Dennis Wideman is still mending from that hematoma he suffered before the playoffs.

While Roloson is GM Steve Yzerman's most high-profile acquisition this season, his trade for Eric Brewer near the deadline is paying off big time. Brewer's leading the team with 25:43 TOI and skating a whopping 4:35 per game shorthanded. He's been a physical presence (ask Max Talbot) too. Brewer and Mattias Ohlund are a solid, veteran duo.

Victor Hedman (22:14) has elevated his game in the postseason, while the Bolts have gotten two power-play goals and some workmanlike performances from Pavel Kubina. Marc-Andre Bergeron is a power-play specialist.

Defense is a team effort for the Bolts, but their blue line looked good against Pittsburgh.

Rookie Michal Neuvirth played all five games of the first round, and was impressive (1.38 GAA). He gave up two goals in three games on home ice, and earned a split at MSG, by keeping it simple: No adventures trying to handle the puck with a quality defense in front of him, and lots of freezing the puck for faceoffs. If he falters, Semyon Varlamov and potentially Braden Holtby are in the wings.

Those three goalies combined can't come close to the experience for Roloson, the 41-year-old keeper who might be the key to the Lightning's upset bid. He posted a 1.77 GAA in the opening round, facing a postseason-high 256 shots. He kept the Bolts in all seven games, and posted a shutout in Game 7.

Fishin' in the mornin' and Zamboni's at night. It's a Hockey Paradise:

Best. Beer. Commercial. Ever.

Bruce Boudreau changed the Capitals' system this season with the playoffs in mind: An emphasis on team defense over flashy plays and gaudy stats. That the Caps won a playoff series in under seven games for the first time on his watch has to be a measure of validation, but the Lightning will provide a tougher offensive test. There is a very good chance that, at some point in the series, Boudreau will demand his team get their "ass outta your head."

Besides having the mutant ability to unhinge his eye sockets while coaching, Guy Boucher also instituted his own system this season to great results. The 1-3-1 the Lightning play proved effective in the first round of the playoffs. The test for Boucher will be finding favorable matchups for his big guns on the road.

The Lightning had one of the most lethal power plays in the NHL during the regular season, and that's carried over to the postseason. They were 8-for-27 against Pittsburgh, the best PK in the regular season. On the kill, they were a stellar 34-for-35.

The Capitals were 3-for-16 with the man advantage, which isn't great but also isn't the disaster that was last postseason's unit. On the kill, the Capitals were 19-for-20, but that had a lot to do with the Rangers' rather inept attack.

The Lightning could have the advantage in special teams, which speaks to the Capitals need to be disciplined in this series.

For any lover of cheap-ass beer, this Capitals tribute to Natty Boh is a catalyst for instant thirst.

Slamming nine beers in a row is a Bohvechtrick.

Are there reasons for concern here for the Capitals? Sure. Roloson is the kind of goalie that inspires night terrors. The Bolts are a tough team to crack when they're playing their system well. The Lightning have tormented the Capitals before; please recall their rally from down 2-0 in the series to win a 2003 triple-overtime series-clinching game in D.C. … on a too many men on the ice penalty, no less.

But the Capitals showed in the first round this postseason that they may not be the team that lets an opposing goalie get in their heads, or one that shoots itself in the foot with underperforming stars.

The pick here is the Capitals in six, because Roloson's going to be able to snatch a game or two. But overall, Washington is going to be able to contain the Bolts' big guns and continue to get confident playoff performances from its core and its veteran additions.