NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Monday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• It doesn't look likely that Patrice Bergeron will get the okay to suit up for the Bruins tonight, writes Pat Hickey. The pressure is on the Habs to prove they have the killer instinct tonight. The Canadiens are making their fans sweat this one out, writes Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette.
• Forget momentum, it is just a winner-take-all games tonight, writes Steve Conroy. The Bruins have been playing seventh games for a while now, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Even with all the competition going on between them, the Bruins have much respect for their opponent. In an unknown story, Tim Thomas overcame an annoying mask problem last game to lead the Bruins to victory.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Sergei Gonchar does not seem to think the Senators were as much of a push-over as everyone is making them out to be. The Penguins are still waiting on an opponent, however, that could be decided tonight if the Bruins upset the Habs.
• From yesterday's paper, here are Bruce Garrioch's ratings of each and every Senators player this season.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• Alexander Ovechkin is used to post-season play now and will be looking to be the difference when the Capitals vistit Philadelphia for Game 6 tonight. Bruce Boudreau's line changes have served the Capitals well, writes Corey Masisak.
• R.J. Umberger is going to try and pick up the slack for the injured Mike Knuble on the Flyers' power play. Knuble will be replaced by either Riley Cote or Steve Downie. The Flyers will be treating tonight's Game 6 at home as if it is a Game 7, writes Tim Panaccio.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• In yesterday's NY Post, Mark Everson suggests the Devils finally open their wallet and spend some money.
• Rangers coaches are pushing their players to attack so far this playoffs, writes Larry Brooks. Ryan Callahan has been a different player for the Rangers since his demotion to Hartford of the AHL at mid-season.

The morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups are soon to follow...


For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• The Canadiens rode the back of both their youngest player and oldest player last night in Boston, writes Pat Hickey. "He's in the zone," said Habs coach Guy Carbonneau about Carey Price. By keeping Patrice Brisebois in the line up, Guy Carbonneau ended up making the right roster decision.
• "We have to go to Montreal and play one game. You've got to think about winning the next game if you want to get back in the series. It's as simple as that. You don't look at the fact that you have to win three, because it's too big a picture," said Bruins coach Claude Julien after last night's tough 1-0 loss at home. Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe wonders if sitting Phil Kessel was a good idea. Glen Murray is the Bruins' best goal scorer, but he has been missing in action during the playoffs. Murray is not the only Bruins forward who can't score, writes Kevin Paul Dupont.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are trying to one-up each other and that only means problems for their opposition, writes Ron Cook. The Penguins want to make sure they finish off the Senators tonight. You should expect to see Ryan Malone dress tonight for Pittsburgh, but it looks like Gary Roberts will sit out his second game in a row.
• "We've put ourselves in a huge hole, but by no means do I think we're done," said Senators defenseman Mike Commodore. It is without question that Daniel Alfredsson is the emotional leader of the Senators. The Ottawa players had better not mail it in, as some of the Senators may be playing for jobs next year.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• Thom Loverro of the Washington Times thinks the Capitals need to get urgency back into their game after their 6-3 loss at Philadelphia last night. Meantime, Mike Wise of the Washington Post is not a fan of Philadelphia's style of play. Any thoughts of an Olaf Kolzig appearance were tossed out the window by coach Bruce Boudreau after last night's game.
• For those who questioned Martin Biron after Game 1, they don't have much to say now, after the goaltender has been terrific in the Flyers' past two contests. Ovechkin who? Daniel Briere has been that good for the Flyers, writes Tim Panaccio. In roster news, the Flyers got a huge boost last night when Derian Hatcher returned to the team's line up. However, the team did lose top defenseman Kimmo Timonen to an upper-body injury.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger wonders if the Devils have turned the series around. The Devils are not happy with the way they've let Jaromir Jagr get on the scoresheet. Jay Greenberg of the NY Post says it has been a while since Martin Brodeur has been great in the playoffs.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post is not in favor of the actions the league took after Sean Avery's antics on Sunday. If fans are wondering what Chris Drury was doing to Avery in front of the Devils net on Sunday, here is the story. Rangers coach Tom Renney wants the Rangers have to make sure they focus on the task at-hand.

The morning papers for 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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Monday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• With last night's overtime winner, Marc Savard turned the Bruins/Habs match up into a series, writes Pat Hickey. The Habs have now been outplayed in back-to-back games, writes Jack Todd. If the Habs get into must-win territory later in this series, expect Saku Koivu to try and suit up.
• With a delayed penalty being called, Peter Schaefer admitted that he had a chance to try a move he usually wouldn't and that move led to the game-winning goal. Marc Savard grew up in Ottawa with his dad always watching Habs games, so last night's goal was that much more special. Tim Thomas stole the show in overtime last night, writes Fluto Shinwaza.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• The Penguins are not going to take their 2-0 series lead for granted. The Penguins' goal is to take the Ottawa crowd out of the game early on, writes Dave Molinari. The Penguins wouldn't be surprised if Daniel Alfredsson returned for the Senators tonight.
• Jason Spezza has a leg injury but he is still expected to suit up tonight, writes Bruce Garrioch. As if the Penguins did not have enough motivation to beat the Senators, the Scotiabank Place has provided them with more motivation. Chris Kelly (foot) is about a week away from returning.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• The Capitals were outworked last night, writes Mike Wise. "He made some good saves; he stopped me in the first, and he stopped in the third," said Capitals winger Matt Cooke about Flyers netminder Martin Biron. Alexander Ovechkin played over 26 minutes in Sunday afternoon's game.
• The game plan did not change very much, just the execution of the Flyers did, writes Sam Donnellon. Martin Biron pitched a shutout and then had a child soon after, writes Rich Hofmann. The games won't be any easier at home, warns Kimmo Timonen.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• It is a good thing that John Madden watches television, writes Rich Chere. All three games have now been won by the road team. Martin Brodeur dislikes Sean Avery and his tactics.
• The Rangers are not going to let last night's tough bounce deflate them, writes Jay Greenberg. The Devils have finally joined the first round battle, writes Larry Brooks. Scott Gomez says Game 4 is the time for the Rangers to respond.

The morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Western Conference playoff matchups:

Detroit versus Nashville:

• The Wings have a number of injuries heading into their first round series with the Predators. According to USA Today, the Red Wings are heading into the playoffs with two of the top six clutch performers in the NHL.
• For the Predators, goaltending will be the key to any upset, writes John Glennon. It looks like David Legwand is not as far away from returning as once believed.

San Jose versus Calgary:

• The Sharks players are past the point of caring whether they are playing against some of their ex-teammates on the Flames. Hockey analysts across the continent like the Sharks to make a long run.
• George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has a feeling the Flames would have much preferred a series against the Wild instead of the Sharks. The Flames will need Robyn Regehr and Cory Sarich to shutdown big Joe Thornton. If Calgary wants to pull off the upset, the Flames will need Miikka Kiprusoff to be their best player, writes Randy Sportak.

Minnesota versus Colorado:

• The Wild's road to the second round got a lot tougher last night with word that Nick Schultz will miss the first round after undergoing an appendectomy. With Schultz's injury, shutting down Colorado's big forward lines will be that much harder. Here is some video of the Wild preparing for Game 1.
• Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei have made a huge difference for the Avalanche on the defensive end. Coach Joel Quenville would like more scoring from his third line.

Anaheim versus Dallas:

• Ducks coach Randy Carlyle is never satisfied, writes Eric Stephens of the L.A. Times. Doug Weight may see himself on the outside looking in of the Ducks lineup.
• The Stars are hoping Steve Ott agitates as many Ducks as he can, writes Mike Heika.

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff matchups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• Saku Koivu will be out until next week at the earliest, writes Pat Hickey. Hickey also provides an examination of the Habs and Bruins in all aspects of the game. Here is a Montreal Gazette playoff pool tips article.
• Patrice Bergeron may return to the Bruins lineup for Game 2. Bergeron isn't the only Bruins star forward who plans on returning to the lineup, as Marc Savard wants to be back for Game 1.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Marian Hossa is not thinking about past playoff failures and is looking to make a long playoff run with the Penguins, writes Shelly Anderson. Bryan Murray believes the Penguins tanked to face his Senators.
• The Senators are certainly not feared by the Penguins, writes Bruce Garrioch. "We've gotten a bad (reputation) here the last little while and everybody ousting us in the first round and not giving us much of a chance," said Senators star Jason Spezza. Meanwhile, the Senators are going to need Cristoph Schubert to be a physical force in this first round series.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• If the Capitals are going to make a playoff run, they will need to see the same goaltending from Cristobal Huet as they did at season's end.
• Flyers forward Daniel Briere says he will be in the lineup for Game 1 on Friday. With the Flyers opposing Alexander Ovechkin, this series will be the feature national series in the United States.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Martin Brodeur is ready for the usual harassment he will get from Rangers fans. Dainius Zubrus will be matched up all series against Jaromir Jagr.
• Larry Brooks speaks to the importance of a productive Sean Avery in the playoffs. Jaromir Jagr is ready to get the playoffs underway.

The non-playoff team morning papers are soon to follow...

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 takes a look at the difference between coaching in the regular season and in the playoffs.
• William Houston provides readers with all they need to know about television and the NHL playoffs.
• Cam Cole of the National Post wonders where the Canucks can go from here.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• The Rangers would have liked to defeat the Islanders last night, however, the team still controls its own fate in the standings, writes Larry Brooks.
• The Flyers defeated their arch-rival Devils and, in turn, clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was an extremely exciting night on the Philadelphia sports landscape, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Shelly Anderson has an interesting story about Penguins strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar. Meanwhile, the Penguins could be getting rugged winger Gary Roberts back for the regular season finale on Sunday.
• Greg Logan of Newsday recaps why the Islanders had such a tough year in the standings.
• Devils coach Brent Sutter thinks the Devils currently "lack professionalism."

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• The Hurricanes may have given away the Southeast Division title last night, writes Luke Decock. The writers surrounding the Hurricanes selected Eric Staal as the team's MVP this season.
• With just one point tonight against the Florida Panthers, the Capitals will walk away with the Southeast Division title.
• Kari Lehtonen says the Thrashers are not tanking it to improve their chances at getting a better selection in the upcoming draft. (Writer's note: Apparently he hasn't seen this team play the last three weeks)
• The Panthers are shooting to ruin the Capitals season tonight with a victory over Ovechkin and friends.
• The Lightning will play tonight's game against Atlanta without superstar Vincent Lecavalier.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Senators backed into a playoff spot last night, with a 2-1 home loss to the Bruins, writes Bruce Garrioch. Both Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher are out of the Senators line up for weeks.
• Forget a possible suspension for the Daniel Alfredsson hit, Mark Bell is going to jail after the season.
• Dave Stubbs profiles Mathieu Dandenault in this morning's Montreal Gazette. Dandenault's teammate Alexei Kovalev has his eyes on the Cup.
• Both Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek are having trouble accepting the Sabres' non-playoff season. In great news, the Sabres will welcome Teppo Numminen back to their line up for the season finale.
• Most people didn't predict this prior to the season, but the Bruins are heading to the playoffs after last night's win at Ottawa. Clinching a playoff spot last night allows for Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron to gear towards a return.

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

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• While they did lose Daniel Alfredsson to what looks to be a concussion, the Senators are at least scoring again as they defeated the Leafs 8-2 last night to move closer to securing a playoff spot.
• William Houston tells readers that the NHL and NBC are close to agreeing to a one-year contract extension.
• The Canucks finished their late season collapse last night with a 2-1 loss at home to Edmonton, writes Ben Kuzma of that National Post.
• Alexander Ovechkin is playing out of his mind, as Mike Brehm of USA Today writes.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today tells readers that teams which added defense at the deadline seem to have benefited the most.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Habs moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference and sent Buffalo home for the summer with their 3-1 win at the Bell Centre last night. Legendary writer Red Fisher believes Carey Price can lead the Habs to the promised land.
• The Senators were victorious last night over the Leafs, however coach Bryan Murray said that both Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher won't be ready for the first round of the playoffs. Off the ice, apparently the Senators will consider Bob Hartley a candidate for their head coaching position next season.
• Last night's loss to Ottawa was just another embarrassing defeat for the Leafs this season, writes Paul Hunter. The Leafs, in their current form, are a joke, opines Damien Cox.
• "We've got enough talent here and good players to make the playoffs. There's no excuse. We didn't do it," said Sabres defenseman Jaroslav Spacek after his team was eliminated from playoff contention with a 3-1 loss to the Habs last night. While the team had a disappointing season, they can take solace in the play of Daniel Paille.
• The Boston Globe has an interesting story about David Krejci's decision to play in the CHL. Stan Grossfiled of the Globe has an insightful article about Patrice Bergeron and his efforts to return from his concussion.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• "There's no great celebration in here about making the playoffs," said Rangers forward Scott Gomez after his team clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over the Islanders. The Rangers still have their sights on improving their playoff seed.
• Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News is not really sure whether John Stevens is a good coach or not. The Flyers are unsure of whether Daniel Briere will suit up tonight versus the Devils.
• Even prior to the season beginning, Sergei Gonchar knew the Penguins defense would be good, writes Dave Molinari. Meanwhile, Georges Laraque really respects Riley Cote.
• Mike Rupp has been really happy with his promotion to the Devils' third line, writes Colin Stephenson.
• "He looks like he has a good upside to him," said Islanders coach Ted Nolan about rookie Jack Hillen's NHL debut last night versus the Rangers.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• If the Hurricanes win tonight, they are the Southeast Division champions, but if they lose then they no longer control their own fate.
• When in doubt, jump on the back of the Ovechkin train and that is what the Capitals did last night, writes Tarik El-Bashir.
• With the off-season upcoming, the Thrashers have seven players up for free agency.
• Forget the game, the Lightning were furious about a cheap shot at Vincent Lecavalier which left the superstar with his arm in a sling.
• The Panthers are looking to play spoiler tonight versus the Hurricanes.

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

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Benoit Doucet is lighting up the ECHL and will be getting a look at the AHL.
2. The Kitchener Rangers have put up a 53 win season and are looking forward to the Memorial Cup.
3. An interview with Mark Recchi from the Kamloops Daily News.
4. A little more on the proposed Major Midget league in Canada.
5. Mirtle compiles a list of man games lost.
6. As a little shout out to our reader from Camp Liberty, here is story featuring a National Guard soldier who used to fantasize about hockey while she was in Iraq.
7. Just so we don't forget the Canadian troops in Afghanistan, former tough guys Chris Nilan and Bob Probert are visiting for a ball hockey rematch. I wonder if the Taliban will go into hiding with Knuckles' arrival?
8. Scott Burnside writes that it is time to clean house in Atlanta after another disappointing year.
9. Jeremy Roenick hopes this is the year he gets his name on the Stanley Cup.
10. The weekly Hot List from the NHL.
11. Introduce yourself to Lucio Topatigh.
12. Highly touted rookie Kyle Okposo made his NHL debut last night.
13. The new re-alignment in the QMJHL will help to rekindle some rivalries.
14. All Things Avs says that Forsberg needs to focus and play his own game.
15. Rick Dipietro will have season ending hip surgery for the 2nd year in a row. Only 13 more years of this...
16. Puck Stops Here wonders if the Stanley Cup will spend a 2nd year in the West.
17. Craig Simpson discusses the Oilers' youth movement.
18. Fantasy Spin from the Score.
19. Damien Cox writes that scouting for the Leafs isn't as fun as it sounds.
20. Alexander Mogilny 5 - Russian Criminals 3
21. Random thoughts from John Buccigross.
22. Need grooming tips? Ask Alexander Ovechkin.
23. 10 Players you may see in the NHL before the season is over.
24. The Sharks are quick to point to Nabokov when asked to explain their success.
25. Dan Barnes with an interesting article noting the lack of good goalies coming out of Russia.

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Leafs showed some resilience last night, as they came back from a brutal goal allowed by Vesa Toskala and defeated the Islanders 3-1. On the scouting side of things, Damien Cox says it isn't fun being a Leafs scout. Just when he thought he was going to play more than 20 games in a row, Leafs defenseman Carlo Coliacovo is back on the mend.
• According to Chris Stevenson (and the numbers), referee Bill McCreary does not like the Senators. Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen wonders when the real Senators team will stand up.
• The Blues decided Montreal was the perfect place to end their slide, writes Hurb Zerkowsky.
• Zdeno Chara continues to get better from his "upper-body injury", slowly but surely, writes Fluto Shinwaza. The Bruins are gearing up for their back-to-back match ups with Montreal over the weekend, writes Stephen Harris.
• Teppo Numminen wants to play for the Sabres, and they could sure use his talent on the back-end, writes John Vogl.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• The Rangers played last night's game against Pittsburgh like it was a playoff game, writes Larry Brooks. Meanwhile, Jay Greenberg of the NY Post hopes the Rangers aren't too young and too old at the same time.
• The Flyers need to regain their vision right now, opines Sam Donnellon.
• The Penguins were flawed in almost all aspects of the game last night, writes Dave Molinari. Molinari believes that the Penguins' depth may hinder Evgeni Malkin's ability to win the Art Ross Trophy.
• The announcement that Rick DiPietro is out for the season overshadowed his team's loss last night. Nonetheless, the game was still played and the Islanders put forth a poor performance in Kyle Okposo's NHL debut.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger explains how the Devils lay low, but yet always remain ahead of the Rangers.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Eric Staal is the prime reason for the Hurricanes' month-long surge, writes Luke Decock.
• "It's probably the most disappointing season in my career," said Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk after his team's 3-2 loss to Philadelphia last night. Things are so bad in Thrasher land that two teammates got into a fight during last night's game.
• Jacques Martin's future with the Panthers is up-in-the-air, writes Steve Gorten.
• New Tampa Bay netminder Mike Smith is a wizard with the puck, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• Alexander Ovechkin set a Capitals record and the Capitals continued their run for the playoffs, with a 4-2 road victory over Nashville.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• This year's version of the Leafs just makes too many excuses, writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• According to Allen Panzeri of the National Post, Martin Gerber appears to have a stranglehold on the number one goaltender spot for the Senators.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interesting piece on how the Lightning may be able to quickly replace Brad Richards.
• A.J. Perez of USA Today recaps the exciting Ovechkin/Crosby duel from Sunday afternoon.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers have been sitting Alexei Zhitnik and playing Joel Kwiatkowski, writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• The Bruins were playing their third game in four nights on Sunday, so they weren't displeased to earn a point in their 1-0 shootout loss at MSG. Bruins rookie David Krejci had two assists for his squad on Saturday but his performance came at the expense of his front teeth, writes Kevin Paul Dupont.
• Thomas Vanek has only one goal in his last thirteen games and will need to get going if the Sabres are going to make the playoffs. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News believes it is eighth place or bust for the Sabres.
• Nigel Dawes had the only shootout goal, and only goal of the game, in the Rangers' 1-0 shootout victory over the Bruins. Jaromir Jagr is at peace with his pending contract situation, writes Larry Brooks. Unhappy with a penalty call, Rangers forward Sean Avery took out his anger on a water bottle, which ended up spraying a couple of Rangers fans.
• The Flyers power play has been the team's strong point all year, so it's no surprise that the team relied on the man-advantage to get out of its slump.
• The Penguins got lucky yesterday, when Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom accidentally scored into his own net with less than a minute remaining in the game. The Penguins always seem to have the Capitals' number, writes Dave Molinari.
• "That was officially heartbreaking," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after yesterday's 4-2 home loss to the Pens.
• Mike Smith wasn't at his best on Sunday, as the Lightning were defeated by the Blue Jackets in Columbus. Former Bolt, Fredrik Modin has had a very frustrating season, writes Erik Erlendesson.
• The Leafs aren't giving up until they are mathematically eliminated, writes Mark Zwolinkski. The Flyers need to sweep their upcoming two-game series versus the Flyers, or their season is over, writes Lance Hornby.
• The Senators are back on the east coast and are looking to put the struggles from their recent road trip behind them, writes Bruce Garrioch.
• Rick DiPietro wasn't able to help his team in his return to the lineup, writes Greg Logan.
• The Devils feel like the team to beat down the stretch run in the Eastern Conference, writes Rich Chere.
• The Habs' laziness was their downfall in Anaheim last night, writes Pat Hickey.
• Wade Belak held a fighting lesson at practice yesterday, writes Steve Gorten.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Ryan Getzlaf knows he has to pick up the slack for injured teammate Corey Perry, and he got off to a good start last night, leading the Ducks to a 3-1 home victory over the Canadiens. Perry's replacement Bobby Ryan quietly did a solid job last night, writes Mark Whicker.
• Flames defenseman Corey Sarich is just excited to be playing in the lineup, after being a healthy scratch twice last week, writes Scott Cruickshank.
• The Blue Jackets recorded their first win at home yesterday since January 15th, writes Aaron Portzline. The highlight of yesterday's game was career minor-leaguer Derek MacKenzie's first NHL goal.
• The Stars came out with a more physical game in their rematch with the Avalanche and it paid off, as they went on to win 3-0 on home-ice.
• Nicklas Lidstrom proved how valuable he is to the Wings last night, as his return helped his team defeat the Predators 4-3 at the Joe Louis Arena. With Tomas Holmstrom out of the Wings lineup, Johan Franzen is doing his best to fill-in.
• Dean Lombardi took time yesterday to answer the questions of many of the club's season ticket holders; Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times has the story.
• The Wild lost 3-2 in a shootout yesterday, but were happy to at least earn a point after being down a goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation. The Wild's play is improving, at least according to coach Jacques Lemaire.
• Early penalties got the Predators in a whole that was just too deep to climb out of last night, as the team lost 4-3 at Detroit. Even after yesterday's loss, the Predators finished their road trip last night with a positive outlook on their chances for the playoffs, writes John Glennon.
• The Sharks made in nine victories in a row last night, with a 3-2 shootout victory at Minnesota.
• When the season ends, the Blues are going to take a very close look at why they can't score any goals, writes Jeremy Rutherford.
• Brendan Morrison is hoping he will be able to play on the Canucks' upcoming four-game road trip, writes Ben Kuzma.
• The future looks bright in Edmonton, especially after watching the kids dominate in Chicago yesterday, writes Jim Matheson.
• The Avalanche lost yesterday at Dallas, but the team has bigger concerns on the injury front, writes Adrian Dater.
• The Hawks recorded one point yesterday versus visiting Edmonton, but that just isn't enough at this juncture in the season, writes Chris Kuc.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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