No one at Rockford impressed me. Players with experience would play protected minutes if no other way. Latta is = Desjardins + more aggressive & descent face offs. Pokka looks polished but then he commits turnovers. Lundberg is difficult to judge as a defensive player on a bad team.....I didn't focus on him. Baun is an energy forward who started scoring some second half of season. Dowell is strictly AHL fodder.

Svedberg injured or scratched most of second half season. Gustafsson was their main guy but he remains a rag doll notorious for the turnover vs the Blues. Norell looks good in spurts but is least TOI usually. The player I like is Dahlgren. Smooth moving he gets involved in play whether unloading a shot, skating and making a play, or stepping in to break up a rush against. For a big man, however, he is too passive near his net. I foresee how a GM thinks, under rated better than you think third pair NHL. Maybe he gets there one day.

Snuggerud looks ok so far but as a small guy he must get time in AHL. Has a dangerous low slapshot. Pelletier = small, smart, some ability but strikes me as possible scoring center just AHL if he is signed. Difficult to show a lot when team is not good.

Goaltenders: Johnsson is ok, doesn't show as sure fire. Glass maybe could play as NHL back up. Carruth needs a couple years then evaluate

None of the newbie signees show me great potential. I see slow skating or big stride not aggressive Iocopala and Bondra. The former is just a shooter and the later hadn't TOI to show much. Louis looks like he is playing rat hockey. Fortin is the protypical wing and DeBrincat a skill guy who probably benefits some AHL to practice elusiveness so that he survives against big size men in the NHL. I am sure that fast OHL LW in camp last fall goes to Rockford - forgot his name.

51 of us in JJs HockeyBuzz Challenge... Nice!

https://bracketchallenge....gues/jjs-hockeybuzz-group

NHL Playoff hockey! So much fun! Unpredictable! From last night, 4 of the 5 favorites (higher seeds) are 0-1. Let's reverse that trend tonight!

NHL Playoff hockey! So much fun! Unpredictable! From last night, 4 of the 5 favorites (higher seeds) are 0-1. Let's reverse that trend tonight!
- Cmonalready

so called "home ice" is way over rated...

i think teams play a more disciplined and focused game on the road...

more distractions and hyped emotions starting at home

Vegas hires Gerard Gallant for it's first head coach. No surprise.
Much better choice than Dallas made.

so called "home ice" is way over rated...

i think teams play a more disciplined and focused game on the road...

more distractions and hyped emotions starting at home
- bogiedoc

Especially in games 1 - that seems (anecdotally) to be the hardest game for the higher seed / home team to win.

Vegas hires Gerard Gallant for it's first head coach. No surprise.
Much better choice than Dallas made.

- jt19

That is honestly a very good choice. Gallant was treated poorly in Florida, but he'll do well in Vegas (as good as anyone can do with an expansion team).

Agree 1000%! Get rid of the instigator rule and watch the game clean up. Real Fast! It's like a pitcher in the American league drilling guys because he can hide behind the DH. Make em bat and face pitching or his guys will get drilled, that cheap crap will stop real fast! Beatin a dead horse here anyway, Bettman is a P--sy, so talkin to the wall here! I agree, good hard legal checks were the norm back in the 80's . This is one that the players as a whole have to get together on and agree that those hard clean checks are what you signed up for, play on. Police the game when it gets cheap boys!
On to Rosy's sucker punch , if not him, someone on that team better pony up and make that little twit on the Ducks pay the next time they play! Phu ck the suspension and penalty crap, Someone beat Ritchie's ass the next time they play? No? Then go watch figure skating then! That burned me up just watching that cheap crap!
- wonthecup10

or enforce the rules like adults...

Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus
8m

#Blackhawks recall Jeff Glass to be their emergency goalie for the playoffs. Standard operating procedure.

Scott Powers @ByScottPowers
now

Marian Hossa's advice to Ryan Hartman in his first playoff game: "Just enjoy it, have fun and try to find me." theathletic.com/52176/2017/04/…

What a comeback by SJ and without Jumbo. EDM owned SJ the first 2 periods. Bracket is looking mighty fine thus far

Watching last night's games have to say the Wild missed so many quality chances

The Habs reminded me of the Hawks teams that couldn't sustain a net front presence even with Shaw in the line up.

The Oil are a one line team

Boy did the Jackets suck last night

watched a lot of hockey last night. Biggest thing I saw was the difference in officiating between the games. Some crews called it similar to the regular season, and some crews had jail rules going.
Big goaltending win for St. Louis, MN dominated the game.

Go Hawks!

watched a lot of hockey last night. Biggest thing I saw was the difference in officiating between the games. Some crews called it similar to the regular season, and some crews had jail rules going.
Big goaltending win for St. Louis, MN dominated the game.

Go Hawks!
- Boisy12

Wild Blues game 1st period Suter literally pitch forked Tarasenko the entire time he was in the offensive zone had to be 10 seconds, crickets