The Hockey Stop

This is what I wrote last year after the then run-and-gun Washington Capitals became the first No. 1 seed in NHL history to blow a 3-1 series lead and lose to a No. 8 seed, the Montreal Canadiens, in the first round:

"What do I hope the high-flying Caps learn from this Game 7 loss, and last year's Game 7 loss to Pittsburgh, and the year before when they lost in Game 7 to the Flyers?

DEFENSE WINS STANLEY CUPS."

Lesson learned. On Saturday afternoon the road to redemption took a big step in the right direction as the Caps dispatched the New York Rangers in five games. It took three years of painful playoff exits and a 7-0 regular season thrashing by the very same Rangers this year to get the Caps to make the necessary changes to become a playoff team.

They changed their entire system from offense first to a tight-checking defensive style suited for the grind-it-out playoffs. They added a shutdown defenseman in Scott Hannan, a veteran Stanley Cup-winning second line center in Jason Arnott and two more battle-hardened veterans in Marco Sturm and Dennis Wideman. They also went with a young goaltender named Michal Neuvirth who has won two Calder Cup trophies with the minor league Hershey Bears and is cool as a cucumber between the pipes.

But despite all those necessary changes, the biggest question mark going into Saturday's game was whether the Caps could close out a series in five games. Well, by beating the Rangers 3-1 to end the series, the Caps not only threw that big monkey (more like a gorilla) off their backs but sent it into space.

This team found their inner killer instinct and is a dangerous team going forward. For the first time as a Caps fan, WE are the dangerous team no one wants to play. Change has come to Washington. Onward.

Other Notes:

• Congratulations to the Nashville Predators for winning their first playoff series in franchise history by beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2.

• Could it be the curse of the President's Cup? The Vancouver Canucks are on the brink of making the wrong kind of history as the Chicago Blackhawks forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0 to the Sedin twins and their mates. The biggest question mark going into Game 7 is between the pipes for Vancouver. Cory Schneider was injured on the tying penalty shot in Game 6 and Roberto Luongo has been very shaky in this series, including flailing around and giving up a bad rebound goal by Ben Smith in overtime last night. It should be a great game on Tuesday.

• What an exciting Round One! The Sharks came back from 4-0 down in Game 3 to shock the Kings and the Caps came back from 3-0 down at MSG in Game 4 to stun the Rangers. And all the overtimes have been great for fans. It is safe to say in these playoffs that no lead is safe and that the games will be most likely settled in the extra session.

With so many Chicagoans working at the White House -- including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama -- it was a a festive atmosphere today as the President welcomed the 2009-10 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks to the South Lawn for a ceremony honoring their achievement as the first 'Hawks team to win the Cup since 1961.

Obama said this event was special for him because it was the first time since he has been in the Oval Office that he has had the chance to welcome a championship team from the Windy City.

The President was given a Blackhawks jersey with his name on the back by Blackhawks president John McDonough and Blackhawks chairman W. Rockwell 'Rocky' Wirtz. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews presented the president with a mini replica Stanley Cup trophy.

Here is video of the ceremony:

First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a street hockey clinic on the South Lawn of the White House today following an earlier ceremony with President Obama celebrating the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup win last season. She gave remarks about her Let's Move! initiative with the Blackhawks players in the background. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman introduced her and she was then given a USA Hockey jersey with FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) on the back of the jersey. Let's Move! is a "nationwide initiative to promote making healthy choices, improving food quality in schools, increasing access to healthy, affordable food, and increasing physical activity."

Here is a PSA video with Michelle Obama from the Let's Move! campaign. The video touts the healthy benefits of playing hockey:

(Picture credit: Lake Fong, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The temperature is dropping outside and that means it's heating up inside NHL arenas across North America.

On Thursday the 2010-2011 season kicks off with festivities at Yonge-Dundas Square -- Toronto's Times Square.

But before the NHL Network's live coverage from Dundas Square at 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time there is the first game to be played in Helsinki, Finland at 12 p.m. EDT between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Minnesota Wild. The team from Minneapolis-St. Paul will hope to have better luck than the Twins did against the Yankees at Target Field last night. The game will be broadcast live on Versus.

The marquee matchups are later in the evening as the Pittsburgh Penguins play the first game at their new arena against Stanley Cup finalists and cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. The Consol Energy Center (pictured above) in downtown Pittsburgh is the first Leadership in Environmental Design (LEED) gold-certified facility in the NHL. We'll see if the new building can energize the Pens on to victory over the Flyers. The game starts at 7 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on Versus.

At 10 p.m. EDST Versus switches to Denver where the Colorado Avalanche will be hosting the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks as the rejiggered team -- no Dustin Byfuglen, Brent Sopel, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Antti Niemi, John Madden, Ben Eager and Adam Burish -- begins its title defense against a tough Western Division opponent with one of the best goaltenders in Craig Anderson.

So get ready for what should be an exciting season.

I did a double take when I saw this figure. If it is true, then it is simply stunning. City officials claim that more than two million Chicago Blackhawks fans lined Madison, Wacker, Washington and Michigan Avenues to cheer on their beloved team after their first Stanley Cup victory in 49 years.

To put the crowd in perspective, there were an estimated 350,000 fans at the White Sox rally when the team won the World Series in 2005 -- ending an 88-year championship drought, nearly double the Blackhawks!

And President Obama's inauguration drew between 1 million and 1.5 million people to the nation's capital. Even at the highest figure that would still be 500,000 less people then came out for the 'Hawks in Chicago today on a humid, scorching 88-degree summer day in Chi-Town.

And on top of the oppressive heat, the event took place on a work day. It is absolutely astonishing that over two million people showed up. The level of support for Chicago's hockey team is unbelievable.

Live coverage from WGN-TV of today's Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory parade in downtown Chicago:

 

The Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup in 49 years tonight versus the Flyers in Philadelphia off an overtime goal by forward Patrick Kane.

The red light didn't go on initially but some of the 'Hawks started celebrating anyway. After a brief review, it was declared a goal and the official celebration got underway with the hard-fought 4-3 victory in Game 6.

Captain Jonathan Toews, 22, was declared playoff MVP and was handed the Conn Smythe Trophy by Gary Bettman.

Chicago will be hosting its first victory parade since 1961 (before tonight the longest active drought in the NHL) for the team that won over this sports-mad city. The 'Hawks rode the timely saves of Antti Niemi, the stellar defense of Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell and the star power of forwards Kane, Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Marian Hossa to claim the greatest trophy in all of sports.

Washington Capitals fans have been attempting to get President Obama to attend a game at Verizon Center to no avail, even going so far as setting up a Barack The Red campaign initiated by Caps-centric blog Russian Machine Never Breaks.

But with the Caps out of the playoffs -- Vice President Joe Biden attended their Game 7 loss to Montreal in D.C. -- Obama will not be attending a game at the VC anytime soon.

Perhaps the president's first chance to witness a hockey game will come this weekend. That's because the First Family is returning to Chicago for Memorial Day Weekend and Games One and Two of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will be taking place at the United Center this Saturday and Monday nights.

With the 'Hawks the talk of the town, it will be impossible for Obama not to notice. Memorial Day is probably out since the president will be making remarks at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery south of Chicago.

So the opening game on Saturday night would be the best bet for the president attending his first hockey game. Both Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali have been seen at the UC donning 'Hawks jerseys so wouldn't it be great if President Obama joined them in the press box?

Stanley Cup Finals Schedule:

Saturday, May 2 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS

Monday, May 31 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS

Wednesday, June 2 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

Friday, June 4 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS

*Sunday, June 6 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS

*Wednesday, June 9 at Philadelphia, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS

*Friday, June 11 at Chicago, 8 p.m. NBC, CBC, RDS

- * denotes if necessary

- All Times Eastern

Before I mount heaps of praise upon the Chicago Blackhawks for reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992 by sweeping the San Jose Sharks, I have to make a comparison that might make Washington Capitals fans like myself question why Mike Green is on defense instead of being a forward.

The reason being is that Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien started out as a defenseman and was moved to the forward position -- an experiment that has been wildly successful. Byfuglien scored the game-winning goal the past two games against San Jose, none more important than his third period tally at United Center this Sunday afternoon that capped a 'Hawks rally after being down two goals and sent 23,000 fans at the Madhouse on Madison into a frenzy and the Blackhawks into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Perhaps Green is better suited as a forward and could have the same kind of success as Byfuglien has had with Chicago. But that is a decision the Capitals will have to make. Maybe seeing the 'Hawks skating into the Stanley Cup Finals will make them consider changing things up a bit.

Chicago will be playing for its first championship since 1961. While a lot of that is due to Byfuglien's heroics, goaltender Antti Niemi deserves a lot of credit for keeping the 'Hawks in every game with save after spectacular save.

And with young stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the NHL couldn't have asked for a better representative from the Western Conference. Chicago will play the winner of the Flyers-Canadiens series, which could end as early as Monday night in Philadelphia with the Flyers up 3-1 against Les Habs. Of course, tell that to the Caps and Pens.

Video highlights of Game 4:

No. 1 seed Washington Capitals. Done. No. 2 seed New Jersey Devils. See ya. No. 3 seed Buffalo Sabres. Eliminated. No. 4 seed Pittsburgh Penguins. It's tee time. No. 5 seed Ottawa Senators. Have a nice summer. No. 6 seed Boston Bruins. Bye bye.

Improbably the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens will be flying to Philadelphia to take on the seventh-seeded Flyers at Wachovia Center for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Wow.

Unlike the Western Conference, where the two top seeds -- the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks -- will be battling it out for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, two Cinderella teams will dance on the East Coast.

Tonight the Flyers came back from a 3-0 series deficit and 3-0 goal deficit in Game 7 in Boston to become only the third team in NHL history to climb back from three games down to win a series.

Simon Gagne scored on a power play with 7:08 left in the third period to propel the Flyers into the history books.

And what makes this win even more remarkable is the fact that Philadelphia needed an overtime shootout victory over the New York Rangers in the final game of the regular season just to make the playoffs.

And on top of that the Flyers are riddled with injuries, including losing top goalie Ray Emery earlier in the season and then losing backup Brian Boucher in the Bruins series. So they had to go with untested netminder Michael Leighton, who played solid in relief against the woeful offense of Boston.

And I also heard there was an NBA playoffs going on too, but I've been too busy watching the most exciting NHL playoffs in years to pay any attention.

Despite being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs tonight by a more experienced Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings have a lot to be proud of this season and much to look forward to in the years ahead.

After a nine-year playoff drought, this young, talented group will be battling deep into the playoffs for many years to come, thanks to a smart rebuilding effort reminiscent of the building blocks a few other teams started putting in place a few years ago that are now paying dividends, namely the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.

All three of these teams tasted the bitterness of early playoff exits before gaining the experience and supporting cast to make runs deep into the postseason. Pittsburgh already won a Stanley Cup last year and the 'Hawks and Caps hope this is their year to do the same.

So keep your heads up, Kings fans, although I know it is tough right now with the pain of losing to a team you very well could have defeated. But it wasn't your year. It's too early for that. The Caps learned a hell of a lot from the sting of losing in Game 7 two years ago to the Flyers in the first round and in Game 7 last year to the Penguins in the second round.

Now Washington knows how to handle these situations and hopefully come out on top this time.

And Los Angeles will know too. That's because Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty, Alexander Frolov, Ryan Smyth, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Michal Handzus, Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson, Matt Greene and the other Kings on this all-star roster got their first taste of the playoffs and once you get your first taste of the NHL postseason you live to return and eventually hoist the greatest hardware in professional sports -- the Stanley Cup.

The National Hockey League regular season wrapped today with a thrilling overtime shootout in Philadelphia to catapult the Flyers into the playoffs and send the Rangers home to New York.

Here are the first-round match-ups. For the full schedule with dates, times and TV coverage, click here.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #8 Montreal Canadiens

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche

#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Nashville Predators

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings

#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings

Also, some awards were decided on the final day of action.

Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Tampa Bay's Steve Stamkos will share the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy because both players finished with 51 goals.

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin nabbed the Art Ross Trophy for scoring with 112 points (29 goals, 83 assists).

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur and backup Yann Danis won the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, with 191.

Some initial thoughts on the first-round match-ups (and guess what, it all comes down to the men between the pipes):

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Caps-Canadiens

Washington is quickly putting its record-breaking regular season behind it (first non-Original Six team to reach 120 points) and focusing on Les Habs, a team it has never faced in the playoffs. Laval, Quebec native and former Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore should be pumped to play his old team and he is sure to hear it from the crowd, which should provide even extra motivation.

Prediction: Caps in 4

Devils-Flyers

Philadelphia is riding high after advancing to the playoffs in a last-game shootout against the Rangers. That won't last long. The Devils are a complete team. They already were one of the fiercest defensive teams in hockey, but with the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk they are now dangerous on offense. Flyers will sneak one win in but that is all.

Prediction: Devils in 5

Sabres-Bruins

A good match-up between two defensive-minded teams. But the edge goes to the Sabres because of Ryan Miller. If he shows the spark he had in the Olympics for Team USA, then Buffalo will be very hard to beat.

Prediction: Sabres in 6

Penguins-Senators

This is a very even match-up but the edge has to go to the Pens because of their experience winning the Cup last year and the Sidney Crosby factor. Also, Sens star Alexei Kovalev will miss the playoffs with a left knee injury. That said, Ottawa and head coach Cory Clouston should not be underestimated. They have weapons up front like Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson and the blue line is solid, especially with the addition of Andy Sutton.

Prediction: Sens in 7

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Sharks-Avs

San Jose is a perennial playoff disappointment and that won't change this year. Despite another stellar regular season, Colorado could upset the Sharks. That is unless goalie Evgeni Nabakov plays up to his potential. If he does, the Sharks are pretty much unbeatable. But the Russian goalie has been known to put in mediocre performances just at the wrong time. Avs coach Joe Sacco has his group of young players believing.

Prediction: Avs in 7

Hawks-Preds

Next to the Capitals, Chicago has the most dynamic team in the NHL. With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews leading the charge the Hawks are the best in the West. But there is still a question mark at goal. Can Cristobal Huet and Antti Niemi take this team deep into the playoffs? Time will tell.

Prediction: Hawks in 5

Canucks-Kings

The City of Angels is excited the Kings are back in the playoffs after a long dry spell. And with a corps of young talented players like Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown there is a bright future ahead for the Los Angeles franchise. And they will give the Canucks everything they've got. But it won't be enough. Vancouver has more depth and experience and Team Canada gold medal winner Roberto Luongo and Art Ross winner Henrik Sedin.

Prediction: Canucks in 7

Coyotes-Wings

This is going to be a great series. Both teams are peaking just at the right time and have hot goaltenders. Phoenix has MVP candidate Ilya Bryzgalov and the Wings have rookie of the year candidate Jimmy Howard behind the net. With all the off-ice problems in Phoenix, it is amazing the Coyotes are in the playoffs. And Detroit had all kinds of on-ice problems earlier in the season. But with the kind of Cinderella season Phoenix is having, it has the edge.

Prediction: Coyotes in 6

Question: What Western Conference team has won nine straight games as the playoffs approach for a conference-tying 97 points?

Hint: It's not the Sharks (losers of five straight), Blackhawks, Kings, Canucks, Avalanche, Predators (although they've won six straight) or the Red Wings.

Answer: The wily Coyotes are giving the competition a big cactus prickle as the financially troubled franchise from Glendale is getting hot just at the right time.

And tonight Phoenix improbably has a chance to surpass Chicago for sole position of first place in the Western Conference. And if the Flames lose in regulation and the Coyotes beat the 'Hawks, then they will clinch a playoff spot. Wow. No one saw this coming.

Chicago has lost five of its last seven games which is why coach Joe Quenneville told NHL.com this is the biggest game of the season.

The 'Hawks might have reason to worry as the Coyotes recently defeated them 5-4 at home, coming from two goals behind to claim the victory.

Streaks come and go, but Phoenix is getting hot just at the right time. While it is entirely possible the Coyotes will go ice cold when the playoffs start and this might be a fluke, I wouldn't underestimate this team.

Regardless, the game against Chicago tonight will be an interesting test to see if this team is for real and might make a playoff run.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has been suspended two games for his hit on the Chicago Blackhawks' Brian Campbell in the first period of Sunday's game at United Center.

The game, in which the Ovechkin-less Capitals came from 3-0 behind to stun the 'Hawks by winning 4-3 in overtime, was televised to a national audience on NBC and evidently since Ovechkin is a repeat offender the NHL wanted to send a message.

But is this the right instance to send that message? I don't think so. I watched the hit live and on replay several times and there is nothing malicious about the hit. Yes, it is unfortunate Campbell took a bad spill and knocked hard into the boards. He will reportedly miss the rest of the season with a broken clavicle and ribs. I wish Campbell a full and speedy recovery and I know Ovechkin wishes the same.

But the hit was from the side, not the back. It should have been a double minor or five-minute major for boarding, but not a game misconduct and certainly not a two-game suspension.

What is clear, however, which has nothing to do with the NHL's wishy-washy decision making, is that Ovechkin at times doesn't seem to realize his own physical power. Ovechkin loves to hit and that isn't going to change, nor should it. He is a complete player who can score goals and plays a physical game. However, Ovechkin needs to be more aware of his enormous physical advantage over most players. As Don Cherry says, he is a "pit bull" out there on the ice and he needs to stay physical but be more mindful of his raw power.

I saw that firsthand last year in a game I attended at the Verizon Center against the Tampa Bay Lightning when a Tampa Bay player had to be carted off the ice on a stretcher and sent to the hospital after a similar crushing hit by Ovechkin against the boards.

Ovechkin should not change his game one bit. But part of growing and maturing is being aware of your strengths and weaknesses and unless Ovechkin, who I consider the best hockey player in the world, wants to get more suspensions and possibly seriously injure another player, he needs to be aware of his awesome physical power.

And the National Hockey League needs to get their act together when it comes to enforcing penalties and setting proper guidelines. The way the rules are set up right now makes it confusing for referees, players and the fans.

The Caps proved in front of a national audience and against the best team in the West that they are more than Ovechkin. They are a complete team and a legitimate Cup contender this year.

But we fans sure want Ovechkin on the ice to share in the celebration when our Washington Capitals are hopefully hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in June.

1. NO GUNS IN HOCKEY



A hockey player would never store unloaded guns in his locker room and then lay them out Wild West style to intimidate a teammate over a gambling dispute like Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas did.

And a hockey player would absolutely under no circumstances dishonor the legacy of a beloved recently deceased owner such as Abe Pollin, who changed the name Bullets to Wizards because of gun violence.

And a hockey player would never bring guns to an arena like the Verizon Center in a city like Washington, D.C. where young black men have tragically been killing other young black men with guns at an alarming rate for way too long.

Sure, NHL players from places like Saskatoon participate in redneck activities like hunting Moose in the offseason, but their rifles are thankfully far from civilization.

2. HOCKEY PLAYERS ARE GREEN



NHL athletes get it when it comes to urgent environmental issues, as these two recent examples demonstrate.

Anaheim Ducks star Scott Niedermayer publicly announced his ownership of a Honda FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle. He will drive this zero emissions vehicle from his home in southern Orange County to the Honda Center. From the Ducks blog on the Orange County Register website:

“It’s something that’s important to me - being responsible as far as how we treat the environment,” Niedermayer said. “It provides everything we need to survive here. We should show a little responsibility and turn back to the planet. I’ve always considered that. I grew up in a beautiful part of the world (Cranbrook, British Columbia) where you’re able to drink from the streams … It’s just a passion, something that I feel is important.”

Former Rangers goaltender Mike Richter and other NHL reps and environmental experts participated in a panel discussion at Fenway Park prior to the Winter Classic game titled "Sustainable Success: A Discussion on Business and the Environment."

The panel was moderated by New York Times columnist David Brooks and the main topic of conversation centered around how professional sports can help be a part of the solution to the climate crisis. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made perhaps the most obvious but overlooked point:

"We as a League, well, we worry about the ice melting perhaps more than any other sport," said Bettman.

3. THE NHL WOULDN'T NIX 'HAWKS-BEARS PARTNERSHIP



A marketing deal between the Chicago Blackhawks and Bears sounds like a win-win right? Well, not according to the NFL.

The partnership would have included ads featuring players from both teams explaining their respective sports to each other. But those TV commercials will never air because the stooges at the NFL are citing an archaic rule to justify nixing the deal. From the Chicago Tribune:

"The NFL prohibits use of team marks and logos in connection with the promotion of other sports except by a three-quarters vote of the league's 32 clubs, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello."

This might be the dumbest rule in all of professional sports.

It would be in the NFL's best interest to allow the Bears to ride the coattails of the hottest team in Chitown, because it certainly isn't the playoff-missing Bears. The most coveted ticket in town right now is a seat at the United Center for a 'Hawks game.

Are you listening NFL?

Chicago's hockey team is better than its football team. Sort of like what is going on in our nation's capital with the Capitals and Redskins.

The NFL should reverse this rule so Patrick Kane can help sell some tickets to Soldier Field.