1) You have to think the Detroit Red Wings would represent an easy road to the Stanley Cup Finals for the Los Angeles Kings. After the war Detroit's been through, they won't have much to withstand the physicality the Kings bring every night.
That was a clutch performance last night for LA, and of course, a clutch player--one who struggled infinitely in the series--delivered the death blow to the Sharks.
Before the game started, Ray Ferarro pointed to Justin Williams and Patrick Marleau as guys that needed to step up. He could've pointed to any one of the Sharks not named Joe Thornton.
Williams has a history, and he added to it with his performance last night.
2) Another crushing blow to the Sharks. Where they go from here is uncharted water. They have to decide between keeping their core together, or blowing it up completely. I don't how they don't lean towards the latter after all these huge disappointments.
I can't see them moving Thornton after the way he played. And obviously, Logan Couture's a keeper. Who else is safe aside from Niemi?
3) No disrespect to the Wings above. They have been unbelievable to watch in these playoffs, from Jimmy Howard to Gustav Nyquist, skill prevails. Kronwall's been great, and it's truly amazing to see Detroit push Chicago to the brink.
Zetterberg will be a huge factor if the Wings pull off this monumental shocker tonight. But for me, these playoffs have been all about the skill on quite possibly the most skilled player of all time: Pavel Datsyuk.
There isn't a game that goes by that Datsyuk doesn't do something no one else in the world can do.
I'm still amazed by the play Datsyuk made in game six, when he motioned for Abdelkader to lob him the puck, and as it bounced off Duncan Keith, he went skate to stick and nearly scored the goal of the playoffs.
No big deal, this masterpiece by
Datsyuk already qualifies as the goal of the playoffs.
4) What a year for Alex Galchenyuk. Sarnia, World Junior Gold, making the Habs, being among the best rookies in the league, playoff experience and then World Championship Bronze.
Galchenyuk's development has been fast-tracked. Dramatically.
I wonder if anyone will say they rushed him if he goes through a tough time next season?
Personally, I think the kid's going to be considerably better next season. All those rushes that finished with missed nets... some of those are going to be popping water bottles next season.
5) I've spent a number of years reiterating what the scouts and GMs have all said about Carey Price. He's elite. He has all the ability to be the best goalie in the world, and has already proven to be among the best.
Price's comments after the season were dissected in every which way, and I don't think they were anything more than his honest observation about life in Montreal. I don't recall him saying that his lack of privacy is seriously impeding on his ability to be the best version of himself.
You'd rather hear that he loves the city and is married to it. I'm sure part of him really does, but he's a country boy far removed from the environment and lifestyle that suits him best. And yet, still, it doesn't change his potential to be that much better than he showed at times this season.
I don't think Price can easily resolve his discomfort with being so visible and vulnerable. And I don't believe that the source of his improvement is in resolving that.
Price's key to improvement is on the technical side. He needs to find a desperation in his game that he's yet to explore. Being laid back helps him deal with all the pressure he faces in Montreal, but unrelenting will and obsession with being the best will carry him to the next level. He should be watching Jonathan Quick right now and telling himself there's things to learn from how he approaches the game.
6) Can the Bruins score enough to beat the Penguins? It's going to take a major goaltending collapse for it to happen.
That said, the Bruins are much better defensively than the Penguins are.
The Penguins can win a track meet with any team in the league. If a team wants to open it up and try to score with them, well, that suits them just fine. And given the way they play and the depth that they have, their opponent is almost forced to open it up a bit at times to keep up.
We're going to see how quickly fragility can set back in with the Bruins.
I said before the first round, when the Bruins were playing worse hockey than just about anyone, the Leafs were the perfect opponent for them to work out the kinks.
The Rangers offered the Bruins another opportunity to gain confidence and momentum.
Has it built up enough for them to challenge the Penguins?
I'm not convinced.
7) If the Hawks lose tonight, they'll have no one to blame but themselves. They have a chance to take this series at home, and they were the most dominant team in the league this season.
Detroit--with it's veteran foundation--has to feel good about the pressure on their opponent to deliver. There's a lot of teams that have absolutely crumbled under those circumstances. If the Hawks are as good as they proved to be this year, there's no way they lose this game.
8) The prospect of an LA-PIT final, or CHI-PIT final is delicious.
9) Thought Danny Kristo fared well in the World Championships from what I saw. He's an energy player, and I think he's going to get a chance to show what he can do for a number of games at the NHL level next season.
Good that the Canadiens got Collberg and Nygren under contract. Time to get them into the North American system.
Good mix in Hamilton, and great development on the Canadiens blue line this season with Ellis, Tinordi, Beaulieu, Pateryn.
Dalton Thrower, Darren Dietz--they gained valuable experience this year in the Juniors.
Draft will be fun to focus on as we edge closer.
10) You probably already knew this, but I don't agree with Michel Therrien not getting nominated for the Jack Adams. There are notable omissions in every award category, every year. I think this one is glaring.
Onto another French Canadian coach, I think Alain Vigneault will land on his feet in the NHL pretty quickly. Maybe the Rangers will have an opening soon.
Oh yeah, and that other French Canadian coach making waves--you know, the guy they call "Saint Patrick" around here--I think he's going to be great.
When it comes to Roy, I always come back to the same thing: His coaches say he was the greatest competitor they've ever coached. His teammates say he was the greatest teammate they ever had. That alone commands the kind of respect that's so hard to earn at this level. Add in Roy's experience over the last six years and his enormous success, and I think he's more than ready to make waves in the NHL again.
And they have the right mix there. Sakic is a perfect balance to Roy. First pick overall is coming their way. The team is young, fast and ready to be molded.
If anything, it's going to be incredibly entertaining.
11) Thanks for your patience. I was away on my honeymoon over the last couple of weeks. It was tremendous.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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