With the Stanley Cup playoffs now rolling, 16 teams are now battling it out to get to the next round of the playoffs. The current game results present a fairly clear idea regarding the depth, talent as well as the experience possessed by the clubs that are all vying for a spot in the finals this year. Only a balanced and goal-oriented team stands fair chances of winning the coveted and most prestigious award in all of hockey, the Stanley Cup. With special attention paid towards the on-ice concerns, only those clubs that have the heart to persevere and compete stand a good chance to reach the finals.

There are certain teams that have performed far beyond the odds and expectations, and have come out as a surprise to observers who already have their own sports betting strategies. On the other hand, there are some capable and talented teams that have disappointed their fans tremendously. This clearly substantiates the fact that the talent of a team is surely not what people will consider while putting an online wager. It might also be ruled out from the hockey betting strategy sports-books available at wageronsports.com. Here is a list of some top contenders that stand the chances of reaching the final rounds, or perhaps lifting the finals trophy. We are about to analyze which among these teams deserve the bet America will place to be their favorites for the Stanley Cup. The list of top favorites is purely based on their performance in the 2013 season and in the current playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks

Winners of the Stanley Cup three seasons before and probably the team with whom most will place their online best, the Chi-Town hawks are likely to lift the cup and bring it back home this year. After playing 48 games this season, the Chi-town boys ruled the points table with a total of 77 points, which is more than a good reason to be the best and the most potential trophy claimant in the league. Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews are looking strongly determined to reprise their 2010 championship chase this year. With a tremendously improved goaltending at the hands of Ray Emery and Corey Crawford, the only drawback of the team has also been rectified now, leaving no reason for them to drop the golden opportunity this year. Currently, they are playing against the Minnesota Wild in the playoffs and are playing strong and hungry for the title. Anyone placing a bet online may consider the Blackhawks as the best choice for wagering in the playoffs. With or without the advantage of power plays, this team is a solid challenger for any other team in the NHL.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are locking horns with the Toronto Maple Leafs for their first round playoffs clash. The race to cement a spot in the conference semifinals is giving way to an exciting battle between these 2 teams in the Eastern Conference. Winning 28 games in the regular season, the Bruins have decent sports odds to reach the finals and lift the Stanley Cup trophy. This, however, is not an easy task, with the Maple Leafs proving to be a tough matchup for this Boston squad. If the Bruins want to secure a spot in the conference semifinals and reach the finals, they should capitalize and use to their advantage the power of left-winger Brad Marchand, centre spinner David Krejci and the net-keeper Tuukka Rask.

Anaheim Ducks

The ice ducks finished awfully in the last year’s Stanley installment and ended on the 13th spot in the Western Conference. However, the scene is pretty different this year. The Ducks have got themselves a good number of amazing victories and have clinched the second spot in the western wing. The team started off really well and eventually climbed up the points tally to reach the second spot. The gruelling core of 3 amazing offensive players (Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry), excellent output of the team veterans (Saku Koviu and Teemu Selanne) and the stellar abilities of the rookie net-keeper (Viktor Fasth) have led the team so far, and are very effective in battling the Detroit Red Wings. The Ducks should play on a high level both on the offensive and defensive ends, if they want to get past the gritty Detroit Red Wings.

With these three being the top favorites heading down the road to Stanley Cup, the excellent gameplay of some other teams cannot be overlooked. With Detroit Red Wings being able to enter the the playoffs continuously for the past 21 years, their previous low ranking in the points table cannot be simply enough to believe their dismissal from the finals this year. One just need to see how the Red Wings are giving Anaheim a run for its money in their playoff clash in the west. Now, with the playoffs rolling, the finals appears closer everyday. It would be interesting to see whether the aforementioned hot favorites will make their way to the final conference semifinals or not.

By Alexander Monaghan

Photo Credit: Michael Nugent / Flickr

Coming out of the lockout of 2004-2005, the Buffalo Sabres were not followers, they were leaders. Their young, exuberant team — led by spark-plugs Daniel Briere and Chris Drury — came out of the gate with a bang, racing past the competition in their most dominant display of their 42-year history. Those teams won 52 and 53 games, respectively, as the world lauded both GM Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff for both their blueprint and essentially their foresight.

If you dust off a few old tapes of the Sabres it was, simply put, hard to root against them. They were fast, dynamic, and chock-full of talent. Their veteran core knew how to help mentor youngsters like Jason Pominville and Paul Gaustad, and in turn those players absorbed all of it. It seemed like every other minute there was a highlight-reel goal.

But as is the case with most great teams, not everyone could be kept.

Briere and Drury cashed in on their league-wide demand, while Thomas Vanek put the team in financial restraints by signing an enormous seven-year offer sheet worth $50 million. Even J.P. Dumont, a four-year veteran of the team, priced himself out of ‘The Queen City’ after taking the team to arbitration. And those members of the core who decided to stay — Tim Connolly, Maxim Afinogenov, Ales Kotalik, and to a lesser extent, Jochen Hecht — all struggled to either stay healthy or produce at their accelerated level over the remainder of their stay. In short, the team fell apart, and outside of their Northeast Division title in 2009-2010, has struggled to regain that momentum.

Last season was no different for the Sabres, who missed the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons. However, this offseason was different as Regier chose to revamp his team.

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In year’s past the club revolved around somewhat smaller players with tons of skill and energy. Captain Pominville stands at a generous 6’0″, but the club features a few mighty mites like Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe. These diminutive skaters aided in Ruff’s forechecking system in the past, but one has to wonder whether that high-octane style of play can still be executed with confidence. One could argue that it puts too much pressure on franchise starting goalie Ryan Miller, who in tandem with Jhonas Enroth faced 2571 shots last season– tied for fourth in the league.

Photo Credit: flickr / kicksave2930

Certainly if the Sabres are to return to their winning ways consistently, the blueprint would have to change. They remain solid in nets with both Miller and Enroth, but as we witnessed in the Milan Lucic incident, there was no one protecting them. Therefore, their face-lift in both offseason moves and drafting could go a long way into making this club a contender once again.

When a team takes an organizational shift, it typically begins with trading away the players who don’t quite fit, or those who could give them additional assets. Trading away Gaustad and Zach Kassian during the trade deadline provided the team with a potential top-line center in Cody Hodgson and a very decent first round pick. And by trading away Derek Roy a few weeks ago, the Sabres not only allow Hodgson and Luke Adam to play valuable minutes this upcoming season, they also bring in a versatile player — a type of player they did not already have in their system — in Steve Ott.

On the draft front, however, Regier likely started his redux years ago. Since 2008, the Sabres have drafted mostly players with size and have been rewarded with very useful players. In ’07 they found Corey Tropp and T.J. Brennan despite not owning a first-round pick. They then took the hulking behemoth Tyler Myers as well as a skilled center with size in Adam back in ’08. The following season they brought Kassian, Marcus Foligno, and Brayden McNabb to upstate New York. And in the first round of the next three drafts they took nothing but size and skill with Mark Pysyk, Joel Armia, Zemgus Girgensons, and Mikhail Grigorenko (Yes, they sprinkled in pure-skill picks like Ennis, the focus has been primarily on both size and skill).

The next wave of talent looks firmly ingrained into the system; now the question becomes can they carry out the system. Or will the system change for them?

In those two dynastic seasons, the Sabres emphasized forechecking. Relentless forechecking. However, you might notice that neither of those teams were overly physical. Their main asset was speed, and boy did they have speed to burn. Many of the players recently selected are known typically more for their skill-set than their overall skating, but most of them have glowing reports as excellent on their skates.

As these players develop under the tutelage of Ruff and company, it will be interesting to see how this franchise evolves. They have very little to worry about with Buffalo millionaire Terry Pegula in as the owner, this team simply needs to make their city once again proud. Regardless of how the situation turns out, it should be a very exciting season as they try to unseat the Boston Bruins in the Northeast.

By Alexander Monaghan

Everyone is doing it, so I thought: why not? Peer pressure or not, below is my third annual mock draft of the first round. Some of the picks were made due to reading the opinions of beat writers and supposed rumors/rumblings, but most of it is educated guesswork.

Obviously some picks will be moved around, making these guesses even more off-kilter. Regardless, feel free to lambaste my picks after they are all wrong on Friday. Otherwise, enjoy.

	Nail Yakupov – W – Sarnia Sting (OHL) The Oilers take Yakupov as the best player available, despite their glaring need on the blue line. In Yakupov, they add yet another lethal weapon who should play wing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and/or Jordan Eberle.
	Alex Galchenyuk – C – Sarnia Sting (OHL) Even though this draft class is top heavy on defense, the Blue Jackets select a potentially elite center in Galchenyuk. With the team dangling captain Rick Nash, it only makes sense to take a forward who can be built around.
	Mikhail Grigorenko – C – Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) Rumor has it that Grigorenko might slip further into the first round due to his questionable drive. However, with Patrick Roy as his head coach for at least one more season, the Habs take the highly-skilled center.
	Teuvo Teravainen – W – Jokerit (Finland) The Isles stick to the plan by taking yet another highly-regarded forward. Teravainen has a nose for the net with a natural ability to score; he could easily contribute in the next year or two. Furthermore, the Finnish winger certainly would not be around come the seventh or eighth pick.
	Filip Forsberg – F – Leksands IF (Sweden-1) Forsberg is a slam-dunk pick for the Leafs, who desperately need a blue-chip forward prospect. The Swedish standout can play either forward or wing which gives Toronto some added flexibility up front.
	Ryan Murray – D – Everett Silvertips Unsurprisingly, Murray is the first defenseman to be selected. Surprisingly, it took six picks to get him off the board. The Ducks are thrilled to add Murray to their blue line with the inevitable loss of prospect Justin Schultz to free agency.
	Jacob Trouba – D – USNTDP The Wild take Trouba, a Minnesota native, as their top selection. The youngster has the option of playing for the Kitchener Rangers or University of Michigan — two can’t-miss development options. With stud forwards like Mikael Granlund, Zack Phillips, and Charlie Coyle already in the system, Trouba adds another element to an already deep group of players.
	Radek Faksa – C – Kitchener Rangers Faksa has size and great instincts which makes him a great pick for the Canes. GM Jim Rutherford already has a great stable of potential blue liners in Ryan Murphy, Brian Dumoulin, Justin Faulk, and Jamie McBain, giving him the flexibility to reach for Faksa. Just two seasons ago, Carolina drafted another Kitchener product– Jeff Skinner — to great results.
	Morgan Rielly – D – Moose Jaw Warriors Reilly is yet another stud blueliner, and should fit right in with the Jets. An offensive defender with a heavily-improved defensive game, Reilly should be able to step onto the big team in 2-3 years.
	Olli Maatta – D- London Knights Following an excellent campaign under the Hunters in London, Maatta finds his way onto the top 10. The Capitals holding the next pick combined with the Bolts already rostering Vladislav Namestnikov make this pick a nice fit, and a necessity at 10.
	Mathew Dumba – D – Red Deer Rebels (WHL) Dumba, like most d-men, slips slightly but has a nice fit with the Capitals. The two-way defender with size has the luxury of developing at his own leisure since the Caps already have a veteran blue line.
	Griffin Reinhart – D – Edmonton Oil Kings Reinhart, of the WHL Championship Oil Kings, is a very safe pick at 12. Additionally, the Sabres also roster teammate Mark Pysyk, which could lead to added chemistry within the system.
	Sebastian Collberg - W – Vastra Frolunda HC (SEL Collberg is underrated in the sense that he has less buzz than Forsberg. However, his skill should be a great fit in Dallas, who already roster one of the more skilled Swedes in Loui Eriksson. Expect Collberg to develop under the wing of his countrymate.
	Derrick Pouliot – D – Portland Winterhawks The Flames reach a bit for Pouliot, but for good reason. He fills their gap in needing an offensive defender, and he already knows future stud Sven Bartschi. For an organization looking for more skill at all positions, Pouliot is a great boom-or-bust pick.
	Codi Ceci – D – Ottawa 67s Already playing in Canada’s capitol, Ceci knows what it is like to play in a hockey-obsessed environment. After the Sens traded away David Rundblad, they needed another bona fide d-man to take his spot in the system. Ceci fills all of those needs.
	Zemgus Girgensons – C - Dubuque (USHL) The tall pivot is a bit of a wild card. On one hand, Girgensons could be a perfect checking-line center; on the other, he could fill the need as a scoring forward. Not only does the Latvian forward have a high ceiling, he also has the potential to slot back in roles, making him an incredibly safe pick at 16.
	Brendan Gaunce – C – Belleville Bulls (OHL) The Sharks boast a unique array of veteran and youth up front. Following years of domination, their core of elite forwards fell back to earth, finishing 2nd in the Pacific Division for the first time in years. Selecting a large center like Gaunce should reap benefits for San Jose as they try to add depth in their system.
	Jake Paterson – G – Saginaw Spirit (OHL) While watching top prospect Brandon Saad this past season, the Blackhawks saw a great deal of Paterson. GM Stan Bowman and company go slightly off the board with this selection in hopes that he represents Team Canada during the upcoming U-20 WJHC in January.
	Tomas Hertl – C/LW - Slavia Praha HC (Czech) Hertl is a high-risk, high-reward pick — a selection the Lightning can afford to make. The Bolts select a player they feel will eventually make the top-6, and he should fit right in alongside Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone, and Steven Stamkos.
	Tom Wilson – RW – Plymouth Whalers (OHL) Gritty forward with size? The Flyers are easily a perfect match for the hulking Wilson.
	Malcolm Subban – G – Belleville Bulls (OHL) Subban was expected to be the top netminder in the draft, but will have to settle for number two. Ryan Miller’s consistency has waned over the last two seasons which makes Subban a great option to have in the system.
	Henrik Samuelsson  - W – Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) The Pens already selected Henrik’s brother Phillip so selecting his younger sibling is no surprise. Samuelsson’s draft stock rose dramatically with the successful Oil Kings, but he still has some of father Ulf’s snare (and nastiness).
	Dalton Thrower – D – Saskatoon Blades (WHL) Since GM Dale Tallon took over the Panthers he has made nothing but safe picks. What is safer than another defenseman from the Dub? Thrower seems like a perfect match for the Panthers, who saw Erik Gudbranson make the jump to the big club last season.
	Slater Koekkoek – D- Peterborough Petes (OHL) Koekkoek slips a bit into the 20s but the Bruins are certainly not complaining. Another product of the OHL, the offensively-skilled defenseman should fit right into the Bs’ hard-working agenda.
	Hampus Lindholm – D – Rogle BK (Sweden-1) Lindholm could have gone anywhere from 10 to 30, making the Blues selection at 25 a welcome sight. Expect the young defender to make the jump to the SEL next season and represent Team Sweden in the upcoming U-20 WJHC.
	Stefan Matteau – F – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL) The Canucks’ drafting over the years has been hit-or-miss which is why they are taking a very safe pick in Matteau. The second-generation forward has more skill than his father but could also slot into a similar third-line role at the NHL level.
	Matt Finn – D – Guelph Storm (OHL) Due to their defensive strategy, it makes almost no sense for the Coyotes to draft an enigmatic or undeveloped forward. Therefore, taking an all-around blue liner like Finn makes sense for GM Don Maloney. In fact, Finn might challenge for an open roster spot as soon as next season due to a few expected vacancies.
	Nicolas Kerdiles – F – USNTDP (Juniors) Kerdiles fits the mold of recent Ranger selections as a hard-working, blue-collar forward with upside. In addition, he committed to the University of Wisconsin, who also developed current core players Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh.
	Oscar Dansk – G - Brynas IF Gavle (SEL) Martin Brodeur’s retirement is a foregone conclusion, so now is the time to start looking for goalie prospects. Dansk represents a player the Devils don’t currently have in their system– a raw, athletic netminder.
	Martin Frk – W – Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) The Kings won’t have their first rounder next season as they traded it away in the Jeff Carter trade, so it makes sense to swing for the fences with their top pick this year. Frk plays with future top pick Nathan MacKinnon, which can only help develop the young Czech and make him a safe pick for next season.

Make sure to check out the 2012 NHL Mock Draft Database for more mocks.

By Alexander Monaghan

By 5of7 (Rick Nash) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

Following the New York Rangers’ demoralizing Eastern Conference Finals loss, the team’s president and general manager remained true to the cause. His team finished the season with 12 homegrown studs and an average age of 28. If he stays the course, his Rangers should be a contender for years.

However, making it to within six games of the Stanley Cup placed the Holy Grail in most fans’ eyes. The fans saw how close they could be with a little extra scoring; A messiah like Zach Parise, Rick Nash, Evander Kane, or any other forward that can pot 30 goals would push them over the top and into the Promised Land.

The once monumental price for Nash – believed to include Kreider, Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, as well as Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin, and an assortment of picks and prospects – remains just that: monumental. But the price tag fans are willing to pay certainly increased as they desperately long for the first Stanley Cup since 1994. Brandon Dubinsky might as well hold his bags at John F. Kennedy Airport if fans get their way; other promising kids like J.T. Miller, Dylan McIlrath, and Tim Erixon are considered good as gone in the mind of the armchair GM, especially since they’ve either barely played or haven’t played in the big leagues.

If Sather is willing to part with all of these assets, why is Nash not currently in Ranger blue? Over his tenure, Sather could be considered many things but most of all he’s mastered the art of the trade. He can simultaneously be the frontrunner for Nash while pursuing Parise (come July 1^st; no tampering), Kane, or whatever other forward is widely available. Furthermore, the decision to trade young assets will be weighed by not only Sather and assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld but also the coaching staff that needed these players during the regular season. If John Tortorella can’t part with Hagelin or Kreider, the Rangers, simply put, won’t.

By that same token, the price for Nash legitimately went up since February’s trade deadline. The Rangers can part with more players now and simply plug holes via free agency. Sather also could use more scoring with the inopportune injury to Marian Gaborik, which could keep him out for up to three months. The team’s presence in a sere solely relies on scoring more than they did during last year’s playoffs. Or at least that is the current outlook.

Additionally, the age of his more established players like Brad Richards, Henrik Lundqvist, Dan Girardi, and Gaborik greatly exceed the average age of the homegrown kids. So is Sather building for the future, or now?

The price in both dollars and players should, and likely will, remain steep if the Rangers want to make headlines and acquire Nash. Whether the Rangers want to win now or in the future is also a big question, and one that doesn’t necessarily need to be answered right now.

After all of their success over the last two seasons, Sather needs to find a way to keep the core mentality in check. He shouldn’t trade for Nash if, in turn, his roster turns into that of the Columbus Blue Jackets. By that same token, is adding a secondary guy like Jiri Hudler or Alexander Semin enough to push this team over the top? These questions, and more, should be answered in this year’s edition of NHL Offseason.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

Starting Goalies:

MTL- Carey Price confirmed [@NHLBruins]
BOS- Tim Thomas confirmed [Fluto Shinzawa]

Lineups:

MTL

Michael Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec, Michael Blunden
Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais, Erik Cole
Travis Moen, Lars Eller, Andrei Kostitsyn
Mathieu Darche, Petteri Nokelainen, Yannick Weber

Josh Gorges, PK Subban
Hal Gill, Rafael Diaz
Alexei Emelin, Tomas Kaberle

PP1: Cammalleri, Plekanec, Kostitsyn, Weber, Kaberle
PP2: Pacioretty, Desharnais, Cole, Diaz, Subban

BOS

Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
Benoit Pouliot, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin
Jordan Caron, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg, Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference, Adam McQuaid

PP1: Lucic, Krejci, Horton, Chara, Peverley
PP2: Pouliot, Bergeron, Seguin, Seidenberg, Corvo

Injuries

MTL- Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Ryan White, Andrei Markov
BOS- Marc Savard, Brad Marchand (suspended)

Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers

Starting Goalies:

OTT- Craig Anderson confirmed [Senators Extra]
NYR- Henrik Lundqvist confirmed [Andrew Gross]

Lineups:

OTT

Colin Greening, Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek
Erik Condra, Kyle Turris, Daniel Alfredsson
Nick Foligno, Zack Smith, Chris Neil
Kaspars Daugavins, Zenon Konopka, Bobby Butler

Erik Karlsson, Filip Kuba
Jared Cowen, Sergei Gonchar
Brian Lee, Chris Phillips

PP1: Greening, Spezza, Michalek, Karlsson, Gonchar
PP2: Foligno, Turris, Alfredsson, Cowen, Kuba

NYR

Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan, Marian Gaborik
Wojtek Wolski, Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan
Carl Hagelin, Brian Boyle, Ruslan Fedotenko
John Mitchell, Mike Rupp, Brandon Prust

Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi
Michael Del Zotto, Anton Stralman
Marc Staal, Stu Bickel

PP1: Callahan, Stepan, Gaborik, Del Zotto, Richards
PP2: Anisimov, Boyle, Wolski, McDonagh, Girardi

Injuries

OTT- Peter Regin, Jesse Winchester
NYR- Michael Sauer, Steve Eminger, Brandon Dubinsky (confirmed out)

Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders

Starting Goalies:

PHI- Sergei Bobrovsky confirmed [@NHLFlyers]
NYI- Evgeni Nabokov confirmed [@NYIslanders]

Lineups:

PHI

Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, Jaromir Jagr
Max Talbot, Daniel Briere, Jakub Voracek
James van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds
Harry Zolnierczyk, Sean Couturier, Matt Read

Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn
Marc-Andre Bourdon, Matt Carle
Andreas Lilja, Andrej Meszaros

PP1: Simmonds, Giroux, Jagr, Timonen, Voracek
PP2: Hartnell, Briere, Read, van Riemsdyk, Carle

NYI

Matt Moulson, John Tavares, Kyle Okposo
Brian Rolston, Frans Nielsen, PA Parenteau
Matt Martin, Josh Bailey, Michael Grabner
Tim Wallace, Jay Pandolfo, Nino Niederreiter

Mark Streit, Steve Staios
Travis Hamonic, Andrew MacDonald
Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina

PP1: Moulson, Tavares, Parenteau, Streit, Nielsen
PP2: Grabner, Bailey, Okposo, MacDonald, Jurcina

Injuries

PHI- Chris Pronger
NYI- Al Montoya, Rick DiPietro, Mike Mottau, Marty Reasoner

Phoenix Coyotes vs. Detroit Red Wings

Starting Goalies:
PHO- Mike Smith confirmed [PhoenixCoyotes.com]
DET- Jimmy Howard confirmed [Mlive.com]

Lineups:

PHO

Mikkel Boedker, Daymond Langkow, Shane Doan
Ray Whitney, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Radim Vrbata
Taylor Pyatt, Kyle Chipchura, Lauri Korpikoski
Raffi Torres, Boyd Gordon, Gilbert Brule

Keith Yandle, Derek Morris
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, David Rundblad
Rostislav Klesla, Michal Rozsival

DET

Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk, Todd Bertuzzi
Valtteri Filppula, Henrik Zetterberg, Jiri Hudler
Drew Miller, Darren Helm, Danny Cleary
Cory Emmerton, Justin Abdelkader, Tomas Holmstrom

Nicklas Lidstrom, Ian White
Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson
Jakub Kindl, Brad Stuart

Injuries

PHO- Martin Hanzal, David Schlemko
DET- Patrick Eaves

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Starting Goalies:
CAR- Cam Ward confirmed [Canes Country]
TBL- Mathieu Garon confirmed [Erik Erlendsson]

Lineups:

CAR

Jiri Tlusty, Eric Staal, Tuomo Ruutu
Patrick Dwyer, Brandon Sutter, Andreas Nodl
Jerome Samson, Jussi Jokinen, Alexei Ponikarovsky
Anthony Stewart, Tim Brent, Brett Sutter*

Tim Gleason, Bryan Allen
Jay Harrison, Justin Faulk
Jaroslav Spacek, Jamie McBain

TBL

Steve Downie, Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis
Dominic Moore, Vincent Lecavalier, Brett Connolly
Ryan Malone, Teddy Purcell
Tom Pyatt, Nate Thompson, Dana Tyrell

Eric Brewer, Pavol Kubina
Brett Clark, Matt Gilroy
Brendan Mikkelson, Marc-Andre Bergeron
Bruno Gervais

Injuries

CAR- Jeff Skinner, Chad LaRose, Joni Pitkanen, Brian Boucher
TBL- Mattias Ohlund, Ryan Shannon, JT Wyman, Adam Hall, Victor Hedman

*According to Bob Wage of Canes Country, there is a possibility Derek Joslin is dressed as a seventh defenseman.

Vancouver Canucks vs. St. Louis Blues

Starting Goalies:
VAN- Roberto Luongo confirmed [Dan Murphy]
STL- Brian Elliott confirmed [In the Slot]

Lineups:

VAN

Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
Mason Raymond, Ryan Kesler, Jannik Hansen
Christopher Higgins, Maxim Lapierre, Cody Hodgson
Mike Duco, Manny Malhotra, Dale Weise

Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa
Alexander Edler, Alexander Sulzer
Andrew Alberts, Aaron Rome

STL

David Perron, David Backes, Chris Stewart
Matt D’Agostini, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie
Vladimir Sobotka, Jason Arnott, Jamie Langenbrunner
Ryan Reaves, Scott Nichol, B.J. Crombeen

Carlo Colaiacovo, Alex Pietrangelo
Ian Cole, Kevin Shattenkirk
Cade Fairchild, Roman Polak

Injuries

VAN- Sami Salo, David Booth
STL- Alex Steen, Kris Russell, Kent Huskins, Andy McDonald

Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators

Starting Goalies:
COL- Jean-Sebastien Giguere confirmed [Denver Post]
NAS- Pekka Rinne confirmed [Smashville 24/7]

Lineups:

COL

TJ Galiardi, Paul Stastny, Peter Mueller
Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan O’Reilly, Milan Hejduk
Daniel Winnik, Jay McClement, Chuck Kobasew
Cody McLeod, David Van der Gulik, Brandon Yip

Ryan O’Byrne, Jan Hejda
Kyle Quincey, Ryan Wilson
Stefan Elliott, Erik Johnson

NAS

Colin Wilson, David Legwand, Patric Hornqvist
Sergei Kostitsyn, Mike Fisher, Martin Erat
Gabriel Bourque, Nick Spaling, Jordin Tootoo
Matt Halischuk, Craig Smith, Brian McGrattan

Ryan Suter, Shea Weber
Kevin Klein, Roman Josi
Francis Bouillon, Ryan Ellis

Injuries

COL- Matt Duchene, Shane O’Brien
NAS- Jerred Smithson

Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Starting Goalies:
MIN- Josh Harding confirmed [MinnesotaWild.com]
CHI- Ray Emery confirmed [Tim Sassone]

Lineups:

MIN

Devin Setoguchi, Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley
Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Cullen, Casey Wellman
Nick Johnson, Kyle Brodziak, Darrol Powe
David McIntyre, Warren Peters, Brad Staubitz

Nick Schultz, Justin Falk
Greg Zanon, Marek Zidlicky
Clayton Stoner, Jared Spurgeon

CHI

Viktor Stalberg, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane
Jimmy Hayes, Dave Bolland, Marian Hossa
Andrew Brunette, Michael Frolik, Andrew Shaw
Bryan Bickell, Jamal Mayers, Ben Smith

Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson, Nick Leddy
Steve Montador, Sean O’Donnell

Injuries

MIN- Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Guillaume Latendresse, Colton Gillies, Jarrod Palmer
CHI- Patrick Sharp, Marcus Kruger, Dan Carcillo

San Jose Sharks vs. Winnipeg Jets

Starting Goalies:
SJS- Antti Niemi confirmed [CSN Bay Area]
WIN- Ondrej Pavelec confirmed [Ken Wiebe]

Lineups:

SJS

Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski
Ryane Clowe, Logan Couture, Benn Ferreiro
Jamie McGinn, Michal Handzus, Torrey Mitchell
Brad Winchester, Andrew Desjardins, Tommy Wingels

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Dan Boyle
Jason Demers, Brad Burns
Douglas Murray, Justin Braun

WIN

Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler
Evander Kane, Tim Stapleton, Nik Antropov
Eric Fehr, Antti Miettinen, Kyle Wellwood
Tanner Glass*, Jim Slater, Chris Thorburn

Ron Hainsey, Tobias Enstrom
Mark Flood, Johnny Oduya
Mark Stuart, Randy Jones

Injuries

SJS- Martin Havlat, Colin White, Jim Vandermeer
WIN- Dustin Byfuglien, Derek Meech

*Tanner Glass and Alex Burmistrov are both game-time decisions. If neither plays, expect Patrice Cormier to draw in.

Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames

Starting Goalies:
ANA- Jeff Deslauriers confirmed [Eric Stephens]
CAL- Mikka Kiprusoff confirmed [Flames Nation]

Lineups:

ANA

Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry
Niklas Hagman, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne
Jason Blake, Nick Bonino, Andrew Cogliano
Matt Beleskey, Rod Pelley, Kyle Palmieri

Francois Beauchemin, Cam Fowler
Luca Sbisa, Lubomir Visnovsky
Toni Lydman, Sheldon Broobank

CAL

Curtis Glencross, Olli Jokinen, Jarome Iginla
Lance Bouma, Mikael Backlund, Lee Stempniak
Blake Comeau, Blair Jones, Paul Byron
Tom Kostopoulos, Roman Horak, Tim Jackman

Jay Bouwmeester, Chris Butler
Mark Giordano, Cory Sarich
T.J. Brodie, Anton Babchuk

Injuries

ANA- George Parros, Devante Smith-Pelly, Jonas Hiller
CAL- Alex Tanguay, Matt Stajan, Brendan Morrison, Derek Smith, Scott Hannan, David Moss, Henrik Karlsson

Dallas Stars vs. Los Angeles Kings

Starting Goalies:
DAL- Kari Lehtonen confirmed [Mike Heika]
LA- Jonathan Quick confirmed [LA Kings Insider]

Lineups:

DAL

Steve Ott, Jamie Benn, Michael Ryder
Brendan Morrow, Tom Wandell, Loui Eriksson
Eric Nystrom, Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak
Toby Petersen, Jake Dowell, Adam Burish

Alex Goligoski, Stephane Robidas
Nicklas Grossman, Trevor Daley
Sheldon Souray, Mark Fistric

LA

Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams
Dustin Penner, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll
Kyle Clifford, Colin Fraser, Trent Hunter
Brad Richardson, Andrei Loktionov, Trevor Lewis

Rob Scuderi, Drew Doughty
Jack Johnson, Slava Voynov
Willie Mitchell, Matt Greene

Injuries

DAL- Philip Larsen, Mike Ribeiro, Tomas Vincour
LA- Simon Gagne, Scott Parse

Today is a sad day at NHL Hot Stove as we close up shop.

I would like to thank every one who has ever contributed, commented and read our site. It was a fantastic ride which unfortunately we can no longer keep up.

Myself and David Strehle are taking on bigger roles at RLDHockey.net while Dustin Leed and The Hockey Guys has been generous enough to give a home to our other excellent contributors. Please be kind enough to give both sites a read.

By Patrick Powell

2000 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7. The very mention of the game creates an uneasy feeling in the minds of Flyers’ fans. Not only did the Flyers miss an opportunity to go to the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars, but then maligned superstar, Eric Lindros, suffered a concussion on a questionable (but deemed legal by the on-ice officials) hit by Devils’ defenseman Scott Stevens. Following a messy divorce filled with lawsuits and mudslinging from the Lindros camp as well as from the Flyers’ staff, particularly then General Manager, Bob Clarke, the Philadelphia faithful took sides. Some fans believed that Clarke and the Flyers rushed Lindros back too quickly from prior concussions, and their medical staff was negligent, as alleged by Lindros and his father/agent, Carl Lindros. Others questioned Lindros’ manhood and maturity. Battle lines were drawn, and the conflict wages to this day. For Flyers’ fans, the side taken in that debate typically coincides with a Flyers’ fan’s position of whether or not Lindros should be elected in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

On September 27, 2008, the Flyers held an event to commemorate the closing of The Spectrum, the arena where Lindros played his home games at the outset of his career with the Flyers. The Flyers had invited all prior captains to attend the ceremony. Lindros was a conspicuous absence, but he did send a video in which he explained that he would be unable to attend due to the passing of the mother of a friend. Some Flyers’ fans questioned Lindros’ sincerity in the video and speculated that the relationship with the Flyers was still icy.

On October 17, 2011, the first step of the reconciliation between Lindros, the Flyers, and the Flyers’ faithful happened. The Hockey Guys’ Justin Johnson reported that Lindros had been asked by Flyers’ current General Manager, Paul Holmgren, to attend the Alumni Winter Classic on December 31st, and that Lindros was leaning towards accepting the invitation.

Shortly thereafter, Lindros made his intentions clear in a radio interview with 590 The Fan in Toronto, “Paul Holmgren gave me a shout about a month and a half ago, and we talked back and forth for a bit, and I was real happy to hear his voice and get the invitation. I told him a while back that I would fly down and have some fun.” Holmgren echoed the positive sentiments in a recent interview with ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, “Eric had a tremendous career for the Flyers. I’m looking forward to seeing Eric and a lot of these other guys. It’s going to be nice.”

Lindros’ pleasantries continued as he praised the Flyers’ faithful to LeBrun, “The fans in Philly are great. They’re real supportive; they know the game and they’re passionate about it. I played in four cities. Toronto is obviously right up there in terms of intensity, but Philly is there, too. That’s a great sports town.” Lindros has been practicing with a stick adorned with a picture of the Philadelphia skyline, and fans have been cheering him.

While in Philadelphia, Lindros and former “Legion of Doom” linemate, John LeClair, have volunteered their time at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The status of the third member of the trio, Mikael Renberg, is still in doubt. Renberg has obligations as color commentator for Team Sweden for the World Junior Championship, which is in progress in Alberta, Canada. Holmgren apprised LeBrun that Renberg would do his best to hop a flight to Philadelphia to play in the game, but he has not received an update from Renberg.

Despite the positive atmosphere that Lindros has been helping to create, the chilly relationship still clearly exists between Clarke and Lindros. Clarke had commented to ESPN.com on October 27th that he still took umbrage with the interference from Lindros’ parents. Lindros fired back the same day, defending how his representation, which just happened to be his parents, always prioritized his best interests. The two talked at practice on Friday, but there is no report of what was discussed.

Hopefully, Lindros and Clarke can reach a détente. The issue of the handling of concussions is certainly quite serious, as fans have witnessed this season. Lindros has offered advice and stories of his own recovery, and he will continue to support the NHL in its quest to treat concussions more appropriately.
The fans should be honored that Lindros has decided to don the orange and black again. If the reaction at the practice sessions is any indication, Lindros just may receive the loudest cheers from the Flyers’ faithful at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday.

Shamless self-plug: I will be attending Saturday’s Alumni Classic, and I will be reporting on the fans’ perspective of the game.

By Kathryn Uggerholt

The Edmonton Oilers have found themselves in a place they know all too familiar over the past few seasons — hovering around the bottom of the NHL standings. With only two wins in their last 10 games, the team has 33 points to place them 26th overall in the league, and 13th in the West. Their current placement in the standings is troubling after getting off to such a great start to the season.

The key to the Oilers offense has been their surprisingly successful power play. Surprising may not be the right word, but they did finish with the League’s 27th ranked power play (14.5%) last season, scoring only 44 power play goals. 

This year has been a different story, as only two teams have a better man-advantage percentage. Edmonton’s power play is ranked 3rd (20.7%), with only the Vancouver Canucks and the Nashville Predators succeeding on a more consistent basis. The Oilers are also third in power play goals scored with 30, the same amount as the Pittsburgh Penguins. The only teams ahead of them are the Canucks with 36 goals, and the Philadelphia Flyers with 32.

A fiery power play is due in part to the dynamic “Kid Line” of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Eberle. The trio, whose combined age is only 59, has combined for 16 of the club’s 30 power play goals.

Sophomore forward Eberle has scored the most man advantage goals of the three with seven, which also ranks him 5th in the league. He also has six assists on the power play to give him 13 points, or a third of his overall points, in his 3:40 average man advantage ice time per game. Eberle is also riding a six-game point streak, which dates back to the December 15th game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Prior to the current streak, Eberle had been on another six-game point streak that was snapped when the team was shut out by the Calgary Flames on December 9th. 

Hall is also in the NHL’s top 15 players in power play goals scored with six. The winger has actually recorded more power play goals than he has scored at even strength (four).

While his total of three power play goals doesn’t place him among the leaders, Nugent-Hopkins is second in the league in power play assists to Florida Panther’s defenseman Brian Campbell, and fourth in power play assists just behind the Sedin twins and Claude Giroux. The rookie has only three goals on the power play but 15 assists. Having logged an average of 3:39 of power play TOI per contest, Nugent-Hopkins has posted the team’s highest ratio of man advantage points at 51.4% (18/35).

The Oilers have many ingredients in place with which to win games, but they have not been successful as of late. The major difference in the team’s results has been the rise in goals-against average — from a microscopic 1.5 goals per game allowed over the first 14 games (21 goals), at which point they were 9-3-2, to the current 2.77 (100/36). That means over the course of the past 22 contests, Edmonton has yielded 79 goals, or an unacceptable 3.59 GAA. Not so coincidentally, the Oilers have gone 6-15-1 in the last 22 outings.

For Edmonton to get back on track, a more defensive-conscious effort is necessary, along with better play while five-on-five. Until those adjustments are made, one can only hope the power play continues to produce in the interim.

 David Strehle contributed to this story

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Two days ago, ESPN’s Alvin Chang released his ‘Biggest draft busts since 1990′. To no one’s surprise, the Ottawa Senators have a notorious draft selection by the name of Alexandre Daigle featured within it’s contents. Surprisingly, he’s only listed at number three while blue-line stalwart Chris Phillips is currently listed at number five.

Chang developed this list using a metric called Goals Versus Threshold (GVT). Developed by Tom Awad of Hockey Prospectus, GVT is an objective player evaluation method that combines all of a player’s statistics and calculates his contribution in 4 categories: offensive, defensive, goaltending and shootout. Awad’s metric determined that Daigle, and to a lesser degree Phillips, turned out to be busts based on a combination of their statistics and subsequent performance on the ice. What it tells us is that the Sens are simply not afraid to take risks throughout the entirety of their regime. Those risks made this organization make the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons and 12 out of their last 13 before missing last year’s postseason.

A similar type of decision making has been used over the last year as GM Bryan Murray tries to not only restock his cupboards but do so with high-end players.

In June, Murray took highly-skilled forward Mika Zibanejad with his first pick, taking a forward who was a relative unknown two months before the draft. The center burst his way into the top-10 mix after making Djurgardens IF Stockholm of the SEL before turning 18. With only nine points in his professional career, the Sens rolled the dice and took what they believed to be the player with the highest ceiling. Zibanejad would play nine games with the Sens before returning to the SEL for more seasoning.

The Sens then took Plymouth Whalers right wing Stefan Noesen, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in the OHL. However, coming into last season, the Plano, TX was a relative unknown, scoring three goals and eight points through 33 games on a stacked Whalers team. His pedigree was not as high as others still on the board like Brandon Saad, Ty Rattie or Zack Phillips but Murray felt Noesen would be a player at the next level. According to Hockey’s Future, Murray went so far as to compare Noesen to reigning MVP Corey Perry.

Three picks later, Murray took another gamble in selecting former OHL Rookie of the Year Matt Puempel. The Essex, Ont., native was not only a risky pick, he defines risk. After breaking out during his rookie year, Puempel regressed due to injury and inconsistency, only posting five more points in four less games — hardly meeting expectations of the Peterborough Petes. Instead of letting the left wing fall further down the ladder, Murray took the gamble by trading two second round picks — 35th overall (Tomas Jurco) and 48th overall (Xavier Ouellet) — for the 18-year-old.

The first round yielded a forward at each position. The center that projects to be a franchise player in Zibanejad. A right wing that could hurt you physically and in the box score. The wild card sniper who could turn out the best of the three. Zibanejad signed almost immediately while Noesen and Puempel inked entry-level deals this afternoon according to Chris Johnston of The Canadian Press, via Twitter.

MEDIACRAT [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Filatov would once again prove to be a bust in North America, becoming a healthy scratch on many occasions before leaving for Russia. During this stint he only mustered an assist over nine games but Murray did not think the risk was a poor decision. Instead, he explained that the winger needed to get stronger in order to compete in North America and that his demotion was just a hitch in his development. The Senators still believe that he will return to the NHL and be a player; the onus is now on Filatov to prove he wants to play in America opposed to his birthplace.

Letting Filatov leave was a luxury that the team can afford due to their influx of homegrown talent in the NHL and in the minors.

In fact, while much of the focus remained on Filatov and his travels around the globe, the organization went out and acquired another fallen talent in center Kyle Turris. Turris was the 3rd overall pick back in 2007 and also made his way onto Chang’s bust list. However, the Sens were banking on the New Westminster, British Columbia native to thrive under a less taxing coach as he finally gets his chance in an offensive system. Unsurprisingly, Turris has done just that with three assists in his first four games.

More importantly, he has filled the hole vacated by Zibanejad after his nine-game stint passed. The hole that was covered up with a piece of scotch tape when the team tried out centers Peter Regin and Stefan Da Costa and even winger Nick Foligno. In trading for a legitimate pivot, and one with talent oozing out of his pores, they reinforce one of their most consistent strengths in the center position.

Ringo Calamity / Flickr

Former 2nd overall pick Jason Spezza has been the team’s top line center since 2002-2003. The slick, playmaking pivot from Mississauga, Ontario is one of the brightest stars in team history after eclipsing the 85-point barrier three times in his career. He, along with team captain Daniel Alfredsson, have led the Senators by example while showing young players how they can adapt to the big leagues.

That quality has been important during this season — one that was defined as a rebuilding year. Not including Spezza and Alfredsson, 10 of the Sens draftees are regulars in the lineup from All-Star defender Erik Karlsson to fourth line grinders Kaspars Daugavins and Erik Condra. Five other homegrown players have been in the lineup as well.

Instead of actually rebuilding, however, the Sens have stayed in the big picture, sitting in the 9th seed with one more game played than 8th seed Winnipeg. If they continue their feisty play, they could just wind up in the playoff picture and gain some extra revenue in what was supposed to be a lost season. Nevertheless, their identity, or proclivity, in making risky moves has helped them earn everything they now possess.

Since the beginning of the franchise, they have not been afraid to make big moves and a big splash. Because of that they have busts like Daigle (who was projected to be the lovechild of Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux). Similarly, they have 12 homegrown players on their roster because of their drafting strategy in addition to several others who can step right into the lineup when healthy.

We could be seeing yet another incarnation of a Senators dynasty within the upcoming years. We may see a team that blows away its predecessors due to Murray and company staying true to the organization’s history and finding the best talent they possibly could.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Managing Editor

The old saying “You can never go home again” may just apply to Philadelphia Flyers’ forwards Jaromir Jagr and Max Talbot as the team heads to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins tonight at CONSOL Energy Center.

Both Jagr and Talbot have experienced the biggest successes in their respective NHL careers in the ‘Burgh, each having been a part of a Stanley Cup championship Pens squad. The pair were key pieces in all three Penguins’ Cup victories over two different generations — – Jagr in both 1991 and 1992, and Talbot in 2009 — but both will likely feel the unbridled wrath of the Pittsburgh faithful, beginning when they come out to take part in the pre-game skate.

Al Bello / Getty Images

Jagr had actually been courted by GM Ray Shero and the Pens early in the summer, and a possible return to the scene of his greatest triumphs seemed all but a foregone conclusion for the future first ballot Hall-of-Famer, who had spent the past three seasons playing in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

After both Jagr and Talbot signed with the Flyers as unrestricted free agents on July 1st, outraged Penguins’ fans voiced their obvious displeasure all across every social media platform available over what they felt were acts of traitors.

“When I was making the decision, I never thought that Pittsburgh fans would want me back,” Jagr said in a September conference call with the media. ”Every time I played there, they were booing me every time I touched the puck. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal that I didn’t sign with Pittsburgh.”

The connection to the Penguins is not nearly as fresh for Jagr as it is for Talbot, who played in Pittsburgh through last season. Jagr last played for the Pens more than a decade ago, with the 2000-01 campaign being his last with the organization. His status as the second best player ever to don the Black-and-Gold is still intact, as he is still the runner-up in every significant offensive category to the undisputed greatest Penguin of them all, Mario Lemieux.

As stated above in his own words, Jagr has heard the boos before, when he returned to the Civic / Mellon Arena as a member of the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. He is expecting much of the same in his first visit to the CONSOL Energy Center, especially wearing the colors of one of Pittsburgh’s most hated rivals.

In fact, it’s likely going to sound a lot like when playing the Chexx dome hockey arcade game, when your opponent hits the ‘boo’ button. It’s pretty much the same noise as anytime a Canadiens’ player falls to the ice at Bell Centre, or each time a visiting captain touches the puck at MTS Centre in Winnipeg. Just imagine that sound magnified 18,600 times, each and every time Jagr or Talbot touch the puck. That’s probably a pretty fair assessment of how tonight will be in Pittsburgh.

Jagr has been an important cog in the Philadelphia offensive machine this season, anchoring the right side of a line with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell. With 11 goals and 30 points in 31 games, the 39-year-old Jagr is still averaging nearly a point per game. He may have lost some of his explosiveness, but he is always a threat to score when on the ice.

At the tail end of Jagr’s September conference call, he tried to soften the blow for those hockey diehards who live on the western side of Pennsylvania.

”I had a chance to do what I thought was best for me. If I hurt anybody, I apologize, because I didn’t want to, but on the other side, I just don’t understand why people can be that mad about my decision.”

It’s a fairly safe assumption to say that Pens’ fans will attempt to make Jagr see their reasoning, and in an extremely vocal manner, tonight in Pittsburgh.

Even though he didn’t play nearly the all-encompassing role with the team as Jagr had during his time there, the very fact that Talbot inked a pact with the Penguins’ cross-state rivals still wreaked of treachery in Steel Town.

Photo credit: Paul Bereswill / Getty Images

The agitator had shifted momentum in meetings with Philadelphia in Pittsburgh’s favor through the years, none as evident as his fight with Dan Carcillo during Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. On the ensuing faceoff after Danny Briere scored to give the Orange-and-Black a commanding 3-0 lead and a Game 7 began to appear on the horizon, Talbot challenged Carcillo to a fight. “Mad Max” was beaten badly, but gave the half-delirious Philly fans the now infamous ”Shhhh” with index finger raised to his lips on the way to the penalty box. Ex-Flyer Ruslan Fedetenko scored just 14 seconds later, and the ice tilted in Pittsburgh’s favor the rest of the way en route to a 5-3, series clinching victory.

The Pens went on to win the Stanley Cup less than two months later.

That’s the type of player Talbot has been, one who will do anything to help his team win, and that endeared him all the more to Penguins’ fans.

Talbot has brought some of the grit and veteran presence that was lost in making the forwards corp a much younger group. He adds some of what had been missing since winger Ian Laperriere was lost with a skull fracture and severe concussion.

He has also thrown in some unexpected offense, having already surpassed his entire 2010-11 goal total – nine this year in 35 games, eight in 82 contests last year. On a club that came into the season with many question marks as to where the goals would come from after trading away Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, the importance of this kind of production cannot be stressed enough. 

Even though he had left, nothing could prepare supporters of the Pens for what Talbot said shortly after becoming a Flyer.

“It’s nice to be on the right side this time,” Talbot said via Flyers On The Fly on the club’s official site, regarding the ongoing bitter rivalry in the affectionately monikered ”Keystone Klash”. That’s right, apparently he now bleeds Orange-and-Black, also.

And don’t think for a second that the CONSOL Energy crowd will forget that, either.

Some have said the reason Pittsburgh is spelled with an “h” at the end is because it stands for ”home”. For Jagr and Talbot, two players who called Pittsburgh their home for so long, we shall see if that, indeed, holds true tonight.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle