The HD Corner - Playoff Preview

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner, I thought the time was right to have a write-up on each of the National networks and their broadcasting permutations and combinations.

CBC:

Obviously Bob Cole and Harry Neale are the two head honchos here. However, with Bob slowly being pushed out and with Harry having Buffalo Sabres duty, there could be shakeups amongst broadcasting tandems. Look for Bob and Harry to still call the Stanley Cup Finals, with Jim Hughson having more of a prominent role leading up to the grand finale. As it stands Bob will probably take the Habs first round match-up, which will be CBC’s bread and butter in the playoffs due to the Canadiens’ strong following throughout Canada. If the Sens still make the playoffs (I can’t believe that sentence needed to be written), either Mark Lee or Dean Brown would likely man the mike. As for the West, Hughson will probably call the Flames’ first round match-up. If the Canucks or the surging Oilers make it, maybe Cassie Campbell can pinch hit (in other words: Let’s Go Preds!). As far as colour goes, Harry, Craig Simpson, Greg Millen, or the underrated Garry Galley will be available to team up with any of the aforementioned play-by-play personnel. As with past post season series and a common occurrence this year, Bob and Harry will be split up at least for the first round.

NBC and Versus:

The above two networks have been grouped together since they feature more or less the same broadcasting team. Versus will likely handle the weekday games, while coverage switches to NBC on weekends until the finals start. Lead man and local New Jersey Devils announcer Doc Emrick will handle play-by-play duties, with anyone from Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, John Vanbiesbrouck, Pierre McGuire, and the ever-so masculine Christine Simpson handling the colour. Too bad “Pub Night: Snooker and Darts” is also in its playoffs, as U.S. viewers will be drawn to the latter’s coverage.

TSN:

TSN’s schtick includes its patented “between the glass” broadcasting style with the colour guy stuck in between the two benches, Maggie The Monkey providing her playoff pick analysis, McGuire’s Monster, and Glenn Healy’s Loch Ness Monster. Unfortunately TSN doesn’t have the rights to cover any Canadian match-ups until next season, so look for them to cover the Pens first round series or the Sharks’ match-up, providing they don’t play a Canadian opponent. Both provide intriguing story lines, with the possibility of Crosby/Malkin vs. Ovechkin being a huge draw. Combos will include Gord Miller and Pierre McGuire, Chris Cuthbert and Glenn Healy, with Dave Randorf waiting in the bull-pen. The NHL Network’s Dave Reid will also likely be available should the apocalypse occur.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Sean Avery likes to pay for it.
2. Dan Boyle should avoid all sharp objects.
3. Spector expects many changes to the Wild's roster for next season.
4. The NHL will experiment with virtual ads during the playoffs.
5. The NHL did not break any anti-competition laws when it stymied Balsillie's attempt to purchase the Penguins.
6. Ian Mendes reflects on his prediction that the Penguins will miss the playoffs.
7. An entertaining column on the use of ice level analysts for hockey broadcasts, including a tidbit about Pierre McGuire apologizing to his bff, Sidney Crosby.
8. Larry Brooks with his thoughts on the Rangers loss to Pittsburgh, including a mention of Jaromir Jagr meeting with the Omsk GM.
9. Richard Peddie needs a Xanax. Cheer up buddy! You will still sell out for the foreseeable future.
10. All Things Avs is not especially happy with the return of Peter Forsberg.
11. The Blueshirts Blog wonders why referees get fooled by dives and embellishment.
12. Does any rookie get more press than Milan Lucic?
13. The NHL Playoffs from a European perspective.
14. Paul Kukla hopes to see some consistent officiating in the playoffs.
15. Bob Nicholson would like to see fewer fights in the CHL, which is reducing rosters from 23 to 21 in the hopes of curbing fighting.
16. Ken Campbell discusses the rankings of the NHL General Managers.
17. Adam Proteau with his thoughts on the NHL.
18. Pierre Lebrun discusses the winning ways of the Detroit Red Wings.
19. Need a laugh? Check this out.
20. The field for the Frozen Four is set.
21. The new coach of the Canadian Women's hockey team will accept no excuses for losing.
22. Scott Burnside with his Monday rant.
23. The Puck Stops Here discusses the restoration of hope in Oilerville.
24. Kyle Rogers has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
25. To end the day off right, check out these quotes from the Penguins play by play guy and the Tampa mascot terrorizing people on the beach.

Visitor's Territory

At Illegal Curve, we’re all hockey fans. But a number of us are also law students, or at least have had brushes with the law. So when news comes down from the legal community concerning NHL-related issues, we pay attention.

As reported in Monday’s National Post, (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=412677), Canada’s Competition Authority (Antitrust Authority, for IC American readers) has decided against taking action directed at the NHL regarding the League’s relocation policies.

The issue rose to the forefront when Canadian blackberry billionaire Jim Balsille of Research in Motion attempted, without success, to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins, and later, the Nashville Predators, in hopes of relocating a team to Hamilton, Ontario, which is a short jaunt from Toronto, home to the Maple Leafs.

NHL rules stipulate that any plan for the placement of a new franchise within 80 miles of the “home territory” of an existing franchise first requires the consent of the existing NHL team. And since most clubs wouldn’t want to risk the loss of market share that could result from the entry of a new franchise and would therefore never approve the proposal, the rule effectively functions as a barrier to entry.

The investigation by the competition authority concluded that the home territory rules did not violate the Canadian Competition Act provisions related to market restrictions since they do not inhibit competition.

There’s a number of arguments for and against the home territory provisions, but the most simple justification for the rules is that the home territory rules are necessary to make franchises valuable, since a purchaser would be less willing to invest in a franchise if they could not be assured that the league wouldn’t then turn around and approve of another franchise to set up nearby, thus drawing away fans, television revenue, and the like.

That said, it is certain that a compendious amount of cash was spent on legal fees during the Balsille ordeal. And it’s equally certain that many a creative proposal must have been brought forward in hopes of circumventing, or at least working within the existing rules to nevertheless facilitate the proposed relocation. But one wonders if every plausible option was put on the table to get around the rules……..like this one:

What if the NHL relocated a team to Hamilton, but the team would only play playoff games? That way, the Hamilton team would not be competing within 80 miles of another team’s territory at the time, since the Toronto Maple Leafs would have missed the playoffs by then?

I’d forward that suggestion to Balsille, but according to the Post, he could not be reached for comment.

Someone needs to get that guy a blackberry.


For Illegal Curve, I’m Steve Werier.

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Monday Edition)

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• On Gordie Howe day at the Joe Louis Arena, Johan Franzen broke one of Howe's records to lead the Wings to a 1-0 overtime victory over Nashville. On the injury front, the Wings are expecting Tomas Holmstrom to return to the line up later this week.
• The Predators got an important point in Detroit yesterday, but John Glennon of the Tennessean wonders if it will end up being enough.
• The Blue Jackets had yesterday's game until Kris Russell lost an edge and the Blackhawks tied it up; the Hawks eventually went on to win in a shootout. The Jackets may be out of the playoff race in the NHL but the team's AHL affiliate in Syracuse is tearing it up.
• "We talked after the second period, and we said if we lose that our season was over," said Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp after his team's come-from-behind 5-4 shootout victory Columbus.

**There are were no St. Louis Blues articles today**

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• After last night's 6-2 debacle in Vancouver, the Flames have left themselves basically no chance at winning the Northwest Division. The Flames lost Daymond Langkow prior to puck drop and Craig Conroy only minutes after, writes Randy Sportak.
• The veteran leaders took the bull by the horns last night in Vancouver's win over Calgary, writes Jason Botchford. Brad Zeimer of the Vancouver Sun says hope is back after last night's big win.
• The Wild beat the Avalanche in overtime on Sunday, which moved them closer to the Northwest Division title. Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has an interesting piece on Mikko Koivu's face-off strategy.
• "If they get in, they're going to be a tough opponent," said Wings GM Ken Holland about the prospect of facing the Oilers in the first round of the playoffs. Here are the results the Oilers fans are hoping for come Tuesday.
• The Avalanche, sans Peter Forsberg, was happy to at least earn one point in the team's 3-2 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Jordan Leopold was also a scratch for last night's contest.

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• Ryan Clowe's return ended in a 3-1 victory for the Sharks, writes David Pollak. With the Sharks having sewn up second place in the Western Conference, coach Ron Wilson has decided to spread out the ice time a little more between all four lines.
• The Stars lost 3-2 in a shootout yesterday to the Ducks and, as a result, backed up into a playoff spot.
• The Ducks defeated Dallas last night and moved to within two points of clinching home-ice in the first round of the playoffs, writes Dan Wood.

**There were no L.A. Kings or Phoenix Coyotes articles this morning**

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Gordie Howe just turned 80 year old and the Globe & Mail put together a picture compilation commemorating this fine day.
• The Habs are starting to get injured at the wrong time, writes David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has a terrific article about what made Gordie Howe so great.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Bruins were happy to salvage a point last night versus the Sabres, writes Fluto Shinwaza. There is only one week remaining in the regular season, yet there are still so many possibilities, writes Kevin Paul Dupont. In a nice story, Jeff Hogan was ecstatic to make his NHL debut last night at the age of 30.
• The Sabres avoided elimination last night by defeating the Bruins 2-1 in overtime. Much of the Sabres success can be attributed to the play of the team's rookie defense tandem.
• It appears that Pavel Kubina has played well enough that Cliff Fletcher no longer wants him traded. Kubina wants to remain a Leaf too.
• Bruce Garrioch tells readers that it is still possible for the Senators to miss the playoffs. Since the team's hot start to begin the season, the Senators are a .500 squad.
• Mike Komisarek guarantees that he will be in the Habs line up for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Canadiens may be without Saku Koivu for the beginning of the playoffs.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• Kevin Weekes was the Devils' number one goaltender for one day, writes Colin Stephenson.
• The Islanders are letting their young players play and are still staying fairly competitive.
• The Rangers had way too many passengers yesterday afternoon, writes Larry Brooks. Meanwhile, John Dellapina of the NY Daily News questioned some of the officials' calls on Sunday.
• While the team won't come out and say it, the Flyers are attempting to move up to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference so as to play a weaker first round opponent, writes Tim Panaccio.
• Petr Sykora compared yesterday's Penguins/Rangers tilt to a playoff game, which made the Penguins' 3-1 victory that much more sweet. Evgeni Malkin had a close call with a skate to the face last night.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• According to Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Thrashers rookie Boris Valabik won over his teammates on Saturday.
• Michel Ouellet has played a lot better since the trade of Brad Richards, but he does not know why, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• "We have to show our fans and ourselves how much it means to us to put the Panther jersey on, play with pride and finish the season strong," said Panthers captain Olli Jokinen. The Panthers may not be winning on the ice, but they are making winning contributions off of it.

**There were no Carolina Hurricanes or Washington Capitals articles this morning**

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted around 11:15 CST.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• As a reward for winning the Pacific Division on Friday, Sharks coach Ron Wilson cancelled practice on Saturday. The Sharks get back on the ice today when they face the Coyotes at the HP Pavilion.
• In Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Stars, the Kings tied an NHL record by playing their seventh goaltender of the season.
• Ryan Getzlaf and J.S. Giguere feel they are healthy enough to play but the final decision lies with the coaching staff, writes Damien Dottore.
• When you have a six goal lead, late-game goals don't really hurt as much, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Coyotes are not going to make the playoffs, so the team's focus is on finishing the season strong, writes Jim Gintonio.

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• "We played a good game, but we didn't play with an edge, and that's what it took tonight," said Flames coach Mike Keenan after his team's 2-1 home loss to the Oilers. Off the ice, Robyn Regehr is going to take a trip to Africa to see what he has been reading about.
• "We have four games left. We have them all at home. We have to take all four," said Canucks winger Daniel Sedin. Meanwhile, Alexander Burrows escaped without suspension for his apparent spear on Pierre-Marc Bouchard on Friday night.
• The Wild was thoroughly entertained when Pierre-Marc Bouchard dropped his gloves for his first career NHL fight on Friday. Here is Michael Russo's final Q and A of the season.
• The Oilers pulled out yesterday's must-win contest versus the Flames last night, writes Joanne Ireland. The Oilers just don't know how to quit, writes Terry Jones.
• Peter Forsberg apparently ran "out of gas" on Friday night versus the Oilers and that is why he did not play in overtime or the shootout. Here are the opinions of the Denver Post writers about the Avalanche.

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• If the Wings clinch the President's Trophy today, Mike Babcock says he will rest his star players for the playoffs. Dominik Hasek is expected to get the start in net today for the Wings.
• If the Predators want to defeat the Red Wings today, they are going to have to stay out of the box, writes John Glennon. In injury news, the Predators will be without enforcer Darcy Hordichuk for at least the next two games with sprained MCL.
• Ken Hitchcock is having a difficult time dealing with missing the playoffs, writes Tom Reed.
• It was a physical game as fans expected but the Blues continued their losing ways last versus Chicago.
• The Blackhawks defeated the Blues last night and kept their very slim playoff hopes alive.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• The Hurricanes lost last night to the Lightning, making Tuesday's showdown versus Washington that much more important. With Bret Hedican ailing, Canes defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was happy to get back into the line up. Meanwhile, it looks like two of the Staal brothers could very well be meeting in the first round of the playoffs.
• "We can only do what we can do. But if we keep winning, something good is going to happen. If we continue to play like we're playing, someone is going to falter once, and we're going to be there to jump on it," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after his team's 3-0 victory over the Panthers on Saturday.
• Karri Ramo was terrific last night as he turned aside 38 shots and led the Lightning to defeat the Hurricanes 2-1.
• The Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night but, as evidenced by their play, the Panthers had accepted their fate prior to last night's game. Off the ice, Steve Mondator's contract is over at season's end but the versatile defenseman wants to return to the Panthers next season.

**There were no Atlanta Thrashers articles this morning**

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• The Flyers were admittedly scoreboard watching last night and understood that they needed to beat the Islanders to keep a small playoff cushion, writes Tim Panaccio. Also in this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer, Panaccio takes a look around the NHL.
• Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tells readers that some Penguins believe Sergei Gonchar is the team's MVP. In positive news, Marian Hossa's injuries are not serious and he will be in the line up this afternoon versus the Rangers.
• If today is Jaromir Jagr's last game in Pittsburgh, he sure does not seem overly emotional, writes Larry Brooks. If you think that Sean Avery's reported off-ice exploits are going to distract the Rangers, the players say it won't.
• A couple of Islanders players were playing their fourth game in four nights on Saturday, writes Greg Logan.
• The Devils were given the weekend off by coach Brent Sutter, writes Rich Chere.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• After yesterday's embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Bruins, the Senators held a fifteen minute players-only meeting. "We haven't played well for some time here," said Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson after yesterday's game.
• The Canadiens not only lost the game last night to Toronto, but they may also have lost captain Saku Koivu for an extended period of time, writes Pat Hickey. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Ryan O'Byrne wants to do his best to become very much like Mike Komisarek.
• Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star was happy to see the youngest members of the Leafs come to play last night. While Damien Cox of the Star wonders if the Leafs' whole GM search is just a PR stunt.
• Even though the Sabres have a "must-win" game today, for all intents and purposes the team cannot make the playoffs. At least there is some positive news around the Sabres as Teppo Numminen is scheduled to return to the line up for the final week of the season.
• With the absence of Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins have extremely impressed with the play of David Krejci. Here is Kevin Paul Dupont's weekly Sunday article.

The Western Conference morning papers are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve appears Saturdays on Illegalcurve.com, and chronicles the latest international hockey news.

So Czech superstar -and New York Rangers veteran- Jaromir Jagr is rumoured to be the most recent hockey player considering a move from the National Hockey League to Russia. Ho-hum.

According to an article in yesterday's National Post, and citing references from the Bergen Record, Jagr has already began preliminary discussions with representatives from Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League. The eccentric mega-millionaire will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and it has been said that the Rangers aren't necessarily prepared to offer Jagr another multi-year deal.

Based on Jagr's career numbers and improved defensive play, you have to think that he would command an average yearly salary of somewhere in the neighbourhood of $7-$9 million dollars. After averaging 110 points over the past two seasons, Jagr has struggled offensively in 2007'08 (77 games played, 20 goals, 43 assists). Because of Jagr's performance-dependant contract, he must score 84 points this season (impossible) or lead the Rangers past the first round of the playoffs (more likely) for his status as an unrestricted free agent to be changed.

There are a few factors which will determine whether or not Jagr boards a plane for the Evil Empire. Firstly, how the Rangers perform in the playoffs will have a massive impact on whether Jagr stays in the NHL or decides to finish off his career in Europe. The Rangers have an excellent team this year, a equal mix of speed, skill and grit. As is the case with the fortunes of many other playoff-contending teams, New York will sink or swim with starting goaltender Henrink Lundqvist. Jagr, Shanahan, Straka,Drury and Gomez et al. form one of the most dangerous forward units in the entire NHL and unless they all come to the first round of the playoffs with hangovers, will get their fair share of goals. Obviously, who the Rangers draw in the first round will be huge (The Devils love playing the Rangers in the playoffs, please see four game sweep in 2005'06 playoffs).

The second factor which will affect Jagr's decision is the type of contract that Avangard Omsk offers him. Remember, Jagr played for Avangard Omsk during the 2004'05 lockout season and was paid handsomely for his efforts. It is quite possible that Jagr would rather collect a one-year, $6 million tax free cheque in Russia than accept a reduced multi-year offer from an NHL club. Regardless, Jagr is not going to have to worry about missing his Lamborghini or Ferrari payments anytime soon.

So if Jammy moves to Russia, what kind of precedent will this set in North America? Will thirty-something NHLers follow suit and finish their careers in Europe because of the more desirable contract offers? Will we see Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin, Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov, Martin Straka, Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev in the same situation at this time next year? Probably not. These players are paid well and want to win the Stanley Cup. The elite leagues of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland may attract a few NHLers looking to prolong a fleeting career but for the most part, this will not create a negative spin-off.

As the Russian Super League continues to pursue talented players like Andrei Kostitsyn and Nikita Filitov, North American hockey pundits can take solace in the fact that hockey players still consider the National Hockey League the greatest stage for hockey in the world, which will keep most players coming back.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Saturday Edition)

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• After last night's embarrassing 4-0 loss at Minnesota, the Canucks find themselves in ninth place in the Western Conference. Even after taking a huge hit from Derek Boogard on Friday, Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa still expects to be in the line up on Sunday.


• Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune thinks that the Wild is peaking at just the right time. The Wild are going to remove one stressor from Kurtis Foster's life, as GM Doug Risebrough has said that he will qualify the defenseman in the off-season. (Writer's note: Classy move by Risebrough.)


• Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun calls out the Flames brass on their mismanagement of the Kristian Huselius situation. Moving closer to the playoffs, the Flames are hoping to make the Saddledome an extremely hard place to play.


• The Oilers lost a heartbreaker last night in Colorado, however, the team thinks it may actually help to get right back to business tonight in Calgary, writes Joanne Ireland. "We could have used the second one but it's over with," said Jarret Stoll after the contest. Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal wonders how good Ales Hemsky can become.


• Joe Sakic has not lost any of his magic, writes Rick Sadowski. "So-so, I think. I don't think we played as good as we wanted. Their skilled forwards had a little too much time, I think, and got to do a little too many moves. But we battled and we came back. We came back a couple times; we tied it up 3-3 and 4-4, so just overall it's a great win for us," said Peter Forsberg after last night's huge victory.

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• The Ducks lost the game, the division and a ten game home winning streak last night versus the Sharks, writes Dan Wood.


• "It's obviously a good feeling, but I think it's the first step in the process that we have in our minds right now," said Jeremy Roenick after his Sharks clinched the Pacific Division title on Friday night.


• Kings coach Marc Crawford has more than just today's game versus Dallas to worry about, writes Eric Stephens and Lisa Dillman.


• The Stars understand the importance of today's afternoon tilt with the Kings, writes Mike Heika.

**There were no Phoenix Coyotes articles this morning**

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• Mike Babcock made the sentimental decision of putting the Grind Line out to start yesterday's game versus St. Louis, writes Helene St. James. Chris Osgood proves that he is the ultimate team guy by telling reporters that Dominik Hasek is the number one in Motown.


• The Predators defeated the Blue Jackets 2-0 last night and now control their own destiny, writes John Glennon. And to think Dan Ellis' job was in jeopardy only days ago.


• Jared Boll more than proved his worth as a teammate last night, writes Tom Reed. In light of last night's adventures, Predators enforcer Darcy Hordichuk said the Blue Jackets need a tough guy.


• The Blues won their first game in overtime on Friday night when Brad Boyes popped his 40th marker of the season past Chris Osgood. Off the ice, the Blues have had an extremely successful season at the box office.


• After Denis Savard's comments earlier this week about the Blues, you can expect a heated rematch today, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail has an interesting article on NHL awards and the process involved with it.
• William Houston tells readers that Pierre Lebrun and Don Cherry are on opposite sides of the Jonathan Roy argument.
• The Leafs need to be overhauled, writes David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today says that Team USA may have a very talented squad at this year's World Hockey Championships.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• They almost blew it, but the Devils ended the team's five-game losing streak last night with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers. Although he is usually not a fighter, defenseman Mike Mottau still stood up for his netminder on Friday night by dropping the gloves, writes Rich Chere.
• The Islanders have sent Jeff Tambellini back to Bridgeport of the AHL for the remainder of the season, writes Erik Boland.
• While first place in the Atlantic Division is a little far-fetched, if the Rangers play good hockey, they have a very good chance at gaining home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Off the ice, the NY Daily News is reporting that Sean Avery's name was found in a prostitute's black book. (Writer's note: Rumors persist that if Avery is suspended by the NHL for this finding that Elliot Spitzer will replace him in the Rangers line up.)
• The Flyers may have lost for the twelfth straight game at New Jersey, but they did earn a valuable point in the process, writes Ray Parrillo. "We're playing with a lot of confidence right now. It's still disappointing the way the game ended. You wish with such an effort you get two points. But we'll definitely take the point," said Daniel Briere after Friday's contest.
• Even with all their offense, the key to a Penguins playoff run is Marc-Andre Fleury. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks that Marian Hossa will be ready to play on Sunday versus the Rangers.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has officially been shut down for the rest of the regular season. With the prospect of facing the Habs or Penguins in the first round, the Bruins have their sites set on the sixth seed and a first round match up with the Hurricanes.
• Jerry Sullivan does not hold back in his analysis of the Sabres in this morning's Buffalo News. The Sabres continued to blow late-game leads last night as they lost 4-3 in overtime to Les Habitants, writes John Vogl.
• "If we were good with the leads, we'd be a .700 team. We blow those leads and that's why we're playing like a .500 hockey team right now," said Senators forward Jason Spezza about his team's recent propensity for blowing leads. On the injury front, the Senators will be without Cory Stillman (leg) for today's game versus Boston.
• Friday night's come from behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Sabres moved the Habs back into first place in the Eastern Conference. Meantime, Red Fisher acknowledges the Canadiens surprisingly successful season thus far, but warns fans that the playoffs are a whole new ballgame.
• Damien Cox thinks the Leafs are going to try a one-year turnaround in the standings and that they will fail in that attempt. As for the off-season, Mats Sundin has stated that he wants to retire a Maple Leaf, but the Leafs captain is unsure of what the future will bring.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Vincent Lecavalier made a boy's dream come true yesterday at practice, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• "I haven't probably been as good a leader as people expect. I haven't played the level I am capable of playing every single game," said Panthers star Olli Jokinen about his recent poor play.
• The Hurricanes thoroughly dominated Atlanta last night and, as a result, came closer to winning the Southeast Division crown. Chad Larose returned to the Canes' line up last night after having been sidelined for seven weeks with a leg injury.
• The Thrashers took way too many penalties last night, writes Craig Custance. Apparently Don Waddell is encouraging his players to take part in the World Hockey Championships. (Writer's note: It would be even better if he encouraged his players to actually try during games for the remainder of the season.)
• Sergei Fedorov is determined to get his new team into the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference.

The Western Conference morning papers are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Pre-Game Report

Here are some news and notes heading into tonight's games:

• Here are the Hurricanes' projected lines for tonight's game versus Atlanta.
• Jared Boll (hip) is going to dress for tonight's game against Nashville.
• Jay McKee will be in the line up tonight for the Blues.
• Mikael Samuelsson (groin) will miss tonight's game for Detroit.
• Valtteri Filppula (groin) is going to play tonight.
• James Sheppard, Mark Parrish, Matt Foy and Petteri Nummelin are all scratches for tonight's game versus Vancouver.
• J.S. Gigure will start against the Sharks at home.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Bertuzzi v. Crawford, 1 TSN. 2d 123, (2008). Lame law school joke...
2. TSN is reporting that Roberto Luongo is back with the Canucks after the birth of his baby.
3. Bob Mckenzie isn't losing any sleep over fighting in junior hockey.
4. James Duthie introduces us to Middle Standings Syndrome.
5. Dan Pollard stands behind Luongo's decision to leave the team to be with his family.
6. Brian Duff points out that home ice isn't always an advantage.
7. The Hockey News ranks the GM's on their Trade Deadline performance.
8. Milan Lucic is a fan favourite in Boston.
9. Adam Proteau updates us on the status of the playoff bubble teams.
10. Pierre Lebrun writes that there are no quick fixes available for the Maple Leafs.
11. Sean McCormick makes the case for Sam Gagner for the Calder.
12. Mike Fisher has his own song.
13. Looking back at Rick St. Croix.
14. Everything you ever wanted to know about Mike Cammalleri.
15. Having solved the language debate, the Quebec government gets involved in junior hockey.
16. Mike Toth wonders why so many "fighting experts" come out of the woodwork after high profile brawls.
17. Former NHL'er Dave Gagner has been arrested for impaired driving.
18. The Canadian Women's Hockey team tries to separate politics from sport as they travel to China for the World Championships. Maybe they should tell Jean Charest...
19. Kelly Hrudey says that scouting is becoming extremely important in the NHL.
20. The Kingman Miner (?????) gives us its thoughts on how to change the game.
21. In the best article I have seen this week, Loose Change tells nerds to leave hockey alone. Suck it nerds. Go back to the basement and read Moneyball.
22. Want more moaning and wailing but are too cheap to rent a porno? Read about hockey fights instead!
23. Here are the Odds on the NCAA Tournament.
24. Interesting story on the world of scouting from the National Post.
25. How to build the perfect NHL'er.

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Friday Edition)

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• As if there was not enough bad blood between the two teams, the Sharks may be looking for revenge tonight in Anahiem for a hit that Chris Kunitz put on Jonathan Cheechoo last week.
• Joe Thornton earned his big salary last night with an impressive display of offense and defense, writes David Pollak. In injury news, Ryan Clowe is expected to return to the Sharks line up next week.
• Last night the Kings played about as complete of a game as they have in a while and recorded a 4-0 victory over the Coyotes, writes Dan Arritt.
• The Stars lost 3-2 in overtime at San Jose last night, but there were a lot of positives to take from Thursday's game, writes Mike Heika. In roster news, the Stars got Phillipe Boucher back in the team's line up last night.

**There were no Coyotes articles this morning**

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• The Predators made two under-the-radar moves at the trade deadline and both moves have helped the team's playoff push, writes Jessica Hopp. Meanwhile, Dan Ellis is hoping he can avoid having IV fluids put into his body between periods.
• Here is a quick preview of the Blues/Wings game tonight courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• Expect Darren McCarty to play the same way he has always played when he starts his second tour of duty with the Wings tonight. Here is an injury update from Wings camp.
• The Blue Jackets are very much looking forward to taking on Jordin Tootoo and the Predators tonight, writes Tom Reed. Meantime, with the Jackets playing out the string, former Ducks prospect Clay Wilson is excited to be finally getting an opportunity at the NHL level. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's game versus Nashville.
• Chris Kuc makes a compelling argument for Patrick Sharp winning the Selke Trophy.

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• The Wild's push for first place in the Northwest has seen the team receive production from unexpected sources, writes Kent Youngblood.
• Jim Vandermeer is making a lot of friends on the Flames bench with his willingness to do anything for the team. Recent healthy scratch Kristian Huselius does not know when he will be back in the team's line up.
• Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has issued a challenge to his team's veteran players and Ben Kuzma is looking forward to finding out whether Markus Naslund is up to the task.
• Dwayne Roloson gets the call in net tonight for the Oilers as they visit Denver. The Edmonton Journal tells Oilers fans which teams to hope for tonight.
• The Avalanche will be getting Adam Foote back in the line up tonight when they face the Oilers, writes Adrian Dater.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• There are reasons to be tense in every Canadian market right now, writes Roy MacGregor of the Globe & Mail.
• William Houston provides readers with Don Cherry's perspective on the Jonathan Roy incident in the QMJHL.
• Mark Spector of the National Post has an interesting article on fighting; in terms of who wants to keep it in the game and who does not.
• USA Today previews the important games upcoming over the weekend.
• Not only have the Sharks been good this year,
• Not only have the Sharks been good this year, but they have been good with the 27th ranked payroll in the NHL, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Leafs are finally out of contention for a playoff spot after last night's 4-2 loss at Boston. GM Cliff Fletcher is already looking to improving the team for next season, writes Kevin McGran.
• Bryan Murray was not happy after his team blew a third period lead to the Sabres and ended up losing 4-3 in a shootout. Mike Fisher is not only one of the Senators' top scorers, but he also a Christian rock song written just for him.
• Habs winger Tom Kostopoulos cannot wait to get his first taste of playoff action in about two weeks, writes Herb Zurkowsky.
• The Bruins did not have a good second period last night, but they weathered the storm and played a strong third period to defeat the Leafs 4-2 at the Banknorth Garden. Peter Schaeffer scored one goal and added an assist last night, which is pretty impressive considering he was not even planning on being in the line up.
• The Sabres' playoff hopes are faint, however, they could have completely ended last night had it not been for a late third period goal by Paul Gaustad. If you have not noticed, Ryan Miller has been a horse all season long, and he has now played more games in one season than any other Sabres netminder.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• Scott Gomez unexpectedly suited up for the Rangers last night and helped his team defeat the Devils for the seventh time in seven chances this season. Meanwhile, John Dellapina floats the possibility that Jaromir Jagr may leave to play in Russia next season.
• The Flyers will be looking to exorcise their Jersey demons tonight, writes Ed Moran. Apparently Derian Hatcher will only return this season if the Flyers advance two rounds in the playoffs.
• The Penguins did not even need scoring from Crosby, Malkin or Hossa last night, writes Dave Molinari. "It's not like we lost confidence in him," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien about his decision to move Ryan Whitney up to forward for the time being.
• To say the Islanders' line up is depleted would be an understatement, writes Greg Logan.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger thinks the Rangers were lucky to come away with a victory against the Devils last night. In injury news, the Devils may have lost defenseman Bryce Salvador for the remainder of the season.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Forget the game, Dan Boyle was more worried about his life last night, writes Erik Erlendsson. While the Bolts season is ending in less than two weeks, John Tortorella's season will continue as he is reportedly going to be the head coach for Team USA at the World Championships.
• The Panthers needed to win last night to keep their slight playoff hopes alive, but they lost 3-2 to the lowly Thrashers and can now start setting their tee times. In an interesting development, Jacques Martin called out Olli Jokinen on his recent poor play.
• The Thrashers remembered that you are allowed to win on the road last night, as they defeated the Panthers 3-2 in South Florida.
• The Hurricanes have not been giving Cam Ward any rest, writes Luke Decock.
• The Capitals got a huge overtime goal from Tomas Fleischmann last night, to remain only two points out of a playoff spot.

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted soon...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com