EASTERN CONFERENCE

Montreal Canadiens defeat Boston Bruins in five games: Expect Montreal’s PP to be the difference

Pittsburgh Penguins defeat Ottawa Senators in five games: Loss of Alfredsson and Fisher too tough for Sens to overcome

Washington Capitals defeat Philadelphia Flyers in six games: Too much Ovie, too much momentum

New Jersey Devils defeat New York Rangers in five games: Forget the season series–Devils will crack down defensively

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Detroit Red Wings defeat Nashville Predators in five games: Detroit’s puck-control game will deliver victory

San Jose Sharks defeat Calgary Flames in six games: Sharks will advance with lots of bruises

Colorado Avalanche defeat Minnesota Wild in seven games: Battered Wild blueline and return of Forsberg tips it in favor of Avs

Anaheim Ducks defeat Dallas Stars in six games: Cup-winning experience and well-rested Pronger trumps Dallas’s acquisition of Richards

Playoffs are coming. We don’t want to be distracted by side issues. We’re 100 percent committed to the task at hand. But we still like the Quotes of the Week.
“People are going to say what they’re going to say, but when someone steps on you with a skate, I don’t think anyone deserves that.” - […]

Interesting article by the Vancouver Sun’s Iain MacIntyre today, focusing on Canucks defenseman Willie Mitchell and his concern for the environment. Apparently 16 members of the Canucks purchase carbon offsets against the extensive air travel the team undertakes.
Here, you can find one Kukla’s Corner commenter’s estimate of the distances travelled by each NHL club approximately […]

Maybe the Mexican vibe in Vancouver sent the wrong message to the Nashville Predators during their 6-2 loss to the Canucks on Thursday night. A mariachi band played rinkside to promote Tourism Mexico, and in nearby Yaletown, the Tequila Kitchen restaurant was preparing for its grand opening. But surely come April, defenseman Shea Weber and […]

My fellow IIHF.com columnist Risto Pakarinen has been busy on the podcasting circuit lately, promoting his new book, Off the Post. Listen to his chats with Andrew Findlater and Paul Kukla.
Meanwhile, Joe Pelletier of GreatestHockeyLegends.com ventures a little further off the beaten path with articles on Muhammad Ali’s 1983 fight with Dave Semenko and a […]

Michael Peca has two Selke Trophies to his name (1997, 2002) and one trip to the Stanley Cup final (1999). Yet only the most ardent Columbus Blue Jackets fan would believe this 33-year-old center has a chance of getting his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s mug come June. Sure, the Jackets are now just five […]

Here’s a quick look at the transactions that caught my eye on deadline day:
DEAL: Atlanta trades RW Marian Hossa and RW Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for RW Colby Armstrong, C Erik Christensen, C Angelo Esposito and Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.
VERDICT: Pittsburgh overpaid for the Slovak superstar, who has rarely come through […]

For the inaugural Breakaway Challenge at this year’s NHL All-Star Game skills competition, the league had high hopes for its dipsy-doodling superstars.
A best-case scenario last night in Atlanta would have seen Alexander Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf, or Pavel Datsyuk deliver a moment of individual brilliance that would have topped Vince Carter leaping over that French guy […]

I have to disagree with TSN analyst Bob McKenzie’s assertion that hiring Cliff Fletcher as interim GM is a smart move for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s not that the 72-year-old veteran NHL executive is underqualified to take over this much-ballyhooed National Hockey League franchise after John Ferguson Jr. was fired on Tuesday. Winning the 1989 […]

January 8, 2008. GM Place. Final score: Vancouver Canucks 3, New York Islanders 2 by shootout. Vancouver outshoots the Islanders 45-28.
This might have been the sloppiest game I’ve seen all year at GM Place.
The Islanders’ game notes trumpeted: “CHRISTIE BRINKLEY SUPPORTS HER HOME TEAM.” That’s great for the 53-year-old supermodel, but can you actually be […]