ROUND 1 GAME 1 - Tampa @ Ottawa - 4.21.2006

Both Photos: (AP Photo/Patrick Doyle,CP)

The sleeping giant has awakened.

The Balance in the Bank:

Final Score: Ottawa wins 4-1
Ottawa goals: Havlat (1, pp) on a deke down low that only he could pull off, Spezza (1, pp) on one of his nicest wrist shots of the season picking the short side top corner, Fisher (1, sh) icing the game on a two-on-one break on Schaefer’s saucer pass, Alfredsson (1, en) with an empty netter at the 18:58 mark that still winds up in the scoresheet.
Making Sens(e): Emery, Redden, Havlat
Not much Sens(e): All forwards were sleepy through 40 minutes, especially four names that made it right – Havlat, Spezza, Fisher , and Alfie were noticeably weak through two periods. Funny what a goal can do to one’s opinion of a player.
It was over when: Dare I say, even Havlat’s goal to tie it up in the third drove the crowd crazy and woke the team up for good.
It was definitely over when: With the score 2-1, Fisher put in a shortie that just sent the arena into hysterics.
Message in a Molson bottle: Watching the first two periods, we all knew that it was just a matter of time before the boys took over – we just hoped it was sometime in Game 1 that they did this and not Game 3 or 4! This game was eerily familiar to the very first game of the regular season where the fans sat around for 40 minutes wondering why we were losing 1-0 to an inferior team. But just like they did in October, the better team took over – and this one didn’t require overtime! Defence did a solid job shutting down their forwards and our powerplay took a few tries to get going but was eventually the difference maker. Our first PP unit is just gross to watch with Havlat joining the bunch. Let's eat ribs to celebrate this occasion!
1st Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore?gid=2006042114
2nd Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260421014

Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:

1st period – Championship teams start from the goalie out – and so does this report
Simply outstanding. If Emery had butterflies going into the game, he certainly found a way to turn them into great positive energy because he played exactly like we needed him to play. We don’t necessarily need Rayzor to steal games throughout the tournament, we just need him to not lose any. Tonight, Emery was making the saves he needed to make and it kept us in the game while the forwards continued their pre-game nap through the first two periods. Emery did his job for 60 minutes and it earned us the win. If he keeps this up, maybe all the pessimists will find something else to dwell on.

2nd Period – How Gary Bettman touched this game
Referees are expected to call penalties like they were in October. Says the former assistant commissioner of the NBA, “if the referees put the whistles away, we’ll put the referees away.” As a result, tonight’s game featured a combined 15 penalties (9 for them), leading to four special team goals out of the five (and that fifth was an empty netter). While our powerplay finally came alive in the third with the Havlat and Spezza goals, let’s keep in mind that Richards on the point of Tampa Bay’s powerplay is why they are the defending champs. If we want to make quick work of this series, we need to get our sticks down again and out of the Lightning armpits. Heatley took two lazy penalties that, while they may not have been called down the stretch of the regular season, are still enough to be called now – and all he was doing was sticking his blade into the opponent’s armpit. Unless we want to have a 33% powerplay all series, let’s not let special teams take over this series because Tampa has enough shooters to put a few in on their own.

3rd Period – Was this a must-win game?
I think you can argue either side here, but I’m going to explain why the answer is yes. Tampa Bay and their Fonz-like coach conveniently labeled themselves as the underdogs that aren’t even supposed to be in the playoffs. As the experts have said (Williams and I), the pressure on Ottawa will DECREASE with every win. If we had lost this game, the depressed Ottawa fans would have found a way to blame the loss on Emery, blast Alfredsson, and cancel their season tickets in the first few minutes after the final horn. Furthermore, it gives Tampa Bay just a bit more hope in hanging around in this series. Tampa is not good enough to make this into a long series and if we had given them the chance to do that, it would just lead to more games. By taking this first game, we remind the Lightning that we have dominated them over the past four years and that will remain in the heads through next week. Too many people in the city would give up on this team if we had lost, and so many people will jump back on the bandwagon because we won. And now Emery just has 15 more to win!

Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
1. I’m still predicting a first-round sweep, by the way.
2. First period – our best line was Vermette, Neil, and Varada. Tons of hitting and energy from this hodge podge group. I don’t even know what they’re supposed to do out there – hit people, shoot, or just kill time. They did all three.
3. Tough night for Tampa when Richards and Lecavlier went a combined 10 of 29 (34%) in the faceoff circle.
4. Only Meszaros and Pothier DIDN’T have a shot on goal. That’s good. Early on, though, we weren’t doing a great job of moving around the blocking forward and instead just fired pucks into their legs.
5. One of the highlights of my night is seeing Martin Havlat’s excitement after his game-tying goal. I don’t like to think that there is truth to the theory that Europeans don’t care about the Cup, but it is still nice to see them so passionate.
6. Don’t forget to check this site daily – http://www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com/.

New for the Playoffs: THE MAN WE COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Ray Emery. If he doesn't make key saves in the first period, we don't have as quick a comeback in the third period. Cheers, Ray!

Upcoming Games
Sunday vs. Tampa Bay 6:00
Tuesday @ Tampa Bay, 7:00Thursday @ Tampa Bay,

Between the Lines - 4.19.2006

Photo: http://images.ewoss.com/MSimages/FXC10412180151.jpg

Here are some sub-stories to follow in Round 1 for Ottawa:

Zdeno Chara vs. Vincent Lecavalier
Here's where home ice will show its biggest advantage - with the last line change, there will rarely be a moment in this entire series when Chara isn't on the ice shadowing Lecavalier. Zee showed off his style in the final regular season game when he went as far as to chase Jagr all around the Ottawa zone, even out to the blue line. How Chara and Lecavalier perform in this battle will go a long way to determining the outcome of the series. Follow this closely.

Is Chris Phillips ready?
It has been said by most that Phillips has been our most consistent defencemen over the past two or three playoffs. He hasn't played since March and rumours have him possibly coming back on Friday night. Paired with Chara, he'll have increased responsibility in front of the net as his partner chases Lecavalier around the rink. If he comes back too soon, we'll know it pretty quickly by the gaping hole in front of Emery.

When will Martin Havlat score?
He was absolutely flying in his second game back in New York on Tuesday. However, a lot of his scoring chances were either self-produced or coming off a feed from the blueline. He will need to reestablish his amazing chemistry with Schaefer that we saw in October and November. If the Pizza Line stays split up, then having Havlat in the lineup and flying gives us three different lines that have gamebreakers in them. Havlat scoring early will open floodgates beyond the imagination as Tampa Bay has to come up with three defensive pairings in shut down mode.

Dany Heatley's first playoff game
The X-factor in the trade last summer was that Heaters looks gritty. We are thrilled that he had such an amazing freshman year in Ottawa and popped in his 50th, but now it is time to end the comparisons for good. Heatley has an opportunity to earn the love of Hockey Nation forever by putting up numbers in the playoffs. Let's watch and see if he and Spezza continue their scoring in Round 1. They both enter the playoffs on a tear.

Mike Fisher the leader
Okay, so this is Spezza's breakout year, right? Well, right behind that is Mike Fisher's breakout season as the clear #2 centre. With Arnason in the pressbox and Smolinski seen as more of a two-way guy, this is Fisher's opportunity to convince management (although he already has, in my opinion) that it is HE that will line up for the faceoff on the second line. He is also showing a ton of leadership and grit and if he isn't Murray's favourite player yet, he oughta be after the postseason.

Who is the new rival this year?
Tampa Bay is our expansion cousin and beat us in the race to the Cup. But does this series have enough legs to become a real rivalry? Will we get the Habs in the second round for a new divisional rivalry? Can we get a crack at revenge against the Devils? And when did Darcy Tucker become a model? http://server.ready-to-ware.com/searchgoddess/images/LeafsFan.jpg

Sens Game Report - OTT@NYR - 4.18.06

What cheers up the Spartan Spirit gang? The perfect road game!

The Balance in the Bank:

Final Score: Ottawa wins 5-1
Ottawa goals: Eaves (20) on a lightning fast give-and-go with Alfie, Alfredsson (43, pp) picking the top corner on a rebound from Redden’s point shot, Meszaros (10) in four-on-four play after Heaters gave him a great backhanded saucer pass, Fisher (22, sh) in a goal that you must see a replay of during this shorthanded 3-on-4, Heatley (50, pp) after the whole gang started zoning in on him to watch him drop a blast from just inside the blue line – Havlat retrieved the puck out of the net as Heaters is the first 50-goal scorer in team history.
Making Sens(e): The names you want to see here – Alredsson, Heatley, Redden, Meszaros, Havlat, Fisher, Eaves, Emery
Not much Sens(e): Can’t think of anyone
It was over when: Meszaros opened the third period and restored our two-goal lead with what can be considered by some to be a weak goal on Lundqvist.
It was definitely over when: Fisher pulled two amazing moves while battling shorthanded and wrapped it around Lundvist to ice this game for good. Heatley’s Hammer was just icing on the cake.
Message in a Molson bottle: Everything that we wanted to have happen tonight, happened tonight. Emery played solid in nets, our stars were stars, our role players were role players, and we didn’t allow a single odd-man rush shot. That is because our defencemen pinched perfectly and our forwards backchecked consistently. Before the game, Hockey Nation in Ottawa was ready to blow up the team and fire the front office. After the game, we’re the Eastern Conference regular season champs and host the Lightning to start the second season. Cheers, boys!
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260418013

Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:

1st period – Um, hi. Does that captain come in blonde and curly?
He’s back and he’s ready to go. Daniel Alfredsson played probably his best game since the Olympics in putting up three points and breaking up so many Rangers rushes that he might as well have been playing on defence. Alfie did tonight what captains do in the crucial games – he led his team to victory. And no better time to do that than the 82nd game of the season going into the playoffs with his top-shelf performance in tact. Without getting a haircut since September and no guarantees made in two years, Alfie has the table set to be the first European-born captain to win a Stanley Cup. Will he sit down to eat? Get your tickets now.

2nd Period – Winning on the road is fun
The Sens played the perfect road game tonight, barring Straka’s quick goal in the second. The first period was played patiently without many turnovers, sending a couple of guys in to forecheck and waiting for the Rangers to turn the puck over. After a scoreless first, the Rangers started to grip their sticks a little tighter and the Sens started to pick up the tempo even higher than its playoff-like first period. Each Ranger turnover now became a better scoring chance. And then those scoring chances became goals. All the while, we kept our defencemen back and a forward within reach to thwart any opposition attacks before they even started. This performance is exactly what will be needed in every third, fourth, and possibly sixth game of the first three rounds of the playoffs if we want to see the fourth round. If there was ever a shot that Emery didn’t see, it was because there were two Sens players blocking it. It brings a smile to your face.

3rd Period – And then there were 16…
So we wanted to win the conference and play against the eight seed. Let’s stop talking about it there. Watch carefully how none of the Sens will say a thing about how they were hoping to play the Lightning (4-0 against them this year, outscoring them 16-6) instead of Montreal, who has a hot goalie and would present us with a much more passionate series. The players won’t say a thing about it because from now on, each quote from one day becomes a locker room posting the next. The Sens know what is at stake here and don’t need to acknowledge pressure, expectations, past playoffs, or available tee times. Leave the taunting to Andrew Peters and the Sabres – we’ve got a job to do now and we’ll watch quietly as we go out about our business. Phillips might play in Game 1, Hasek probably will not. Chara will sit quietly in a booth at the back corner of Baton Ridge and peacefully taste the sauce on the house recipe ribs. Make no mistake – the boys are ready.

Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
1. Looks like my first guarantee might be wrong already – I said Varada would be the odd man out in Game 1 but Arnason has been benched the last two games. This might change since the Lightning are more of a speed team and less of a physical team. In other words, maybe Murray will see something in Arnason this week that makes it more useful in this type of series than Varada.
2. Kelly was on the top line with Spezz and Heaters; Fisher centered Schaefer and Havlat; Smoke was in between Eaves and Alfie; the pot-pourri line was Neil, Varada, and Vermette.
3. Poor Vermie – his ice time will see a big hit with Havlat back in the lineup.
4. Have we seen the last of McGrattan? Here’s why we hope so – the only way he gets back in the lineup is three injuries to forwards (Arnie and Schubert will be brought in as replacement forwards first).
5. Havlat was flying tonight. He couldn’t have played a better game without scoring a goal than he did tonight. He also rang a breakaway shot off the post in the first 30 seconds of the game.
6. Smolinski and Spezza sucked in the faceoff circle and that has to change.
7. Don’t forget to check this site daily – www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com.

Upcoming Games
Probably:
Friday vs. Tampa Bay
Sunday vs. Tampa Bay

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Sens Game Report - OTT@TOR - 4.15.2006

(AP Photo/Ryan Jackson,CP)
Alfie, what up?

The Balance in the Bank:

Final Score: Toronto wins 5-1
Ottawa goals: Heatley (49) on a gift-wrapped pass from Alfie in the third, cutting the deficit to four goals.
Making Sens(e): Arnason, who didn’t spill his coke in the press box
Not much Sens(e): Most others
It was over when: Stajan opened the second period with another powerplay goal and put us down two with no effort in sight.
It was definitely over when: Antropov scored the fifth at the end of the second and we were officially hoping Tampa would finish off what we didn’t really even start. (Tampa Bay’s win in overtime officially eliminated Toronto from the playoffs.
Message in a Molson bottle: You know, this could have been seen as a meaningless game by some, but that is looking past what we could have accomplished. We had an opportunity to put Toronto out of the playoffs ourselves and instead, most players stayed behind at Baton Rouge or something.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/boxscore?gameId=260415021

Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:

1st period – I’ll have a large Pizza Line, hold the heart and sense of urgency
Sure, we didn’t want to get injured, but there was enough at stake tonight for the boys to at least show up tonight and put forth a half decent effort. First off, the fans in Ottawa still have not had the satisfaction of putting Toronto out of the playoffs. Perhaps it is just me, but I’m tremendously upset by this. Second, we have all but given away the Conference title, now trailing Carolina by one point and needing a win in New York and a Hurricanes regulation loss to take it back. Third, this was our first game with ALL of our forwards in the lineup since November and all we can muster up is one goal against one of the worst defences in the league? It will take Havlat more than one game to get his timing back, but where the other dudes that used to put up an 8-spot on these jokers? While our biggest concern going into the postseason is our goaltending situation, I would think our lack of consistency lately should be a close second at this point.

2nd Period – And starting in goal for your Ottawa Senators…
Peter Sidorkiewicz! Seriously here folks, let’s discuss our goaltending situation for a moment. Dominik Hasek said that he was in Ottawa to win a Stanley Cup and managed to injure his groin (adductor, whatever) in a tournament that had nothing to do with Ottawa winning a Stanley Cup. Ray Emery is starting the postseason (not counting Tuesday’s NYR game) on a five-game losing streak, more losses than his downtime in January that had fans begging Muckler to bring in a legitimate backup. Mike Morrison, now not fresh off of waivers, has started two games and looked less than playoff-ready. Now I’m an optimist and think that this will all be sorted in out in the next five days and Dom will be ready, but is it almost time to worry that we might be playing the red-hot Habs without a solid goaltender of our own? Did you know that in the last 11 years (odd number, I know…) the #2 vs. #7 has seen the underdog win MORE series than the favourites? Are we comfortable going into a 2 vs. 7 series against Montreal (if the Habs hang onto that position) as we back into Game 1?

3rd Period – Line Up and Be Ready
So how will our lines shake out come this weekend? First off, I really think the Pizza Line will be strong and solid and a force to be reckoned with. Will the Smolinski/Schaefer/Havlat line hold up? If it doesn’t show at least some signs of dominance Tuesday, it might be time to consider someone like Vermette or Fisher playing in the middle so that it becomes a legitimate scoring line instead of having a setup man, a scorer, and a two-way forward that comes around from time to time. And what about Tyler Arnason? Coach Murray has said Arnie will have a talk with the coaching staff and it sounds like he’ll have to talk his way back into the lineup. If he pulls it off and decides to start scoring again, then perhaps he is the formidable choice to centre between Schaefer and Havlat. That line could be dangerous if they can click. That would leave Fisher to play with Eaves and Neil and Smolinski to line up between Vermette and Kelly. That fourth line is sort of a mix and match but it matches up some great pairs of chemistry. What do you think?

Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
1. Darcy Tucker, how do you have a job? Was he honestly looking for revenge for Alfie’s hit four years ago when he jumped him late in the third? The only thing that separates Darcy Tucker from Sean Avery (former Kings superpest) is that Tucker thinks he’s respected. What a clown.
2. Heatley’s defence might be closer to Spezza’s than we thought. Backchecking is supposed to last until the puck is on its way out of the zone, not into our net. The kid still scored his 49th and might be our first player to hit 50 after being the first player to get 100 points. Not bad for a comeback season, eh?
3. Thanks to Pynch for some excellent written descriptions of the game.
4. On the bright side, perhaps some of the Toronto brass will think this near-miss of the postseason is a sign that nothing is wrong with the team but a few small tinkerings. Looking forward to embarrassing this team for years to come.
5. Most expect the first two games of our Round One series will be on Friday and Sunday at the Palladium/Corel Centre/Scotiabank Place. Get your tickets.
6. Don’t forget to check this site daily – www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com.

Upcoming Games
Tuesday, 7:00 @ NY Rangers

R.I.P. Toronto Maple Leafs – 2005 - 2006

As I awoke and turned on the radio this morning I was serenaded with the lovely voices of the Toronto Media explaining that the Leafs are still in it and had a good chance at getting into the playoffs. Furthermore, the common thought around here is that if they snuck in to the post-season they would surely beat Ottawa and could make a real run – Are you kidding me?

This has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Not only have the Leafs had no pressure since getting wiped by the Habs a few weeks ago, they have also essentially been eliminated from the playoffs since the return from Torino. All the Leafs have managed to do is shoot themselves in the foot. Not only has this winning streak lost them the chance at getting a good player in the draft, but more importantly it has given this team a sense of belief that it can compete next year with a few extra pieces. News Flash – it will take a complete re-build for this team to become a contender. Something that should have started at the Trade deadline.
The common thought around here is that Chara, Elias and Weeks will sign here on July 1st. I would certainly agree that there is a chance – a 1-30 chance. Everyone will try to land those guys and Toronto fans need to take the blinders off and realize that they are not the number one destination for anyone but soon to be retirees hoping for a swan song in their home town.

Let's face it Leaf fans - You have absolutly nothing to look forward to in the next five years. Now move on.

Sens Game Report - BOS@OTT - 4.11.06

Photo: (AP Photo/CP, Jonathan Hayward), espn.com

Let the reunion begin

The Balance in the Bank:

Final Score: Ottawa finally wins, 4-3 in overtime
Ottawa goals: Vermette (21) banging one in the rebound after Schubert’s hard work, Chara (15, pp) sitting in front on the 5-on-3 and popping in the idle puck, Kelly (10) with a half open net after Varada’s ‘how’s-she-going’ on an unsuspecting Bruins d-man, Chara (16, GWG) wraps the puck around the net in overtime and it finds its way over top of Thomas for the win
Making Sens(e): Chara, Alfredsson, Varada, Fisher, Redden just for being there
Not much Sens(e): Heatley (-2), Smolinski wasn’t strong
It was over when: Regulation ended and we realized that we had five minutes to score or we’d lose in a shootout.
It was definitely over when: We held the puck on our sticks for the entire 40 seconds of overtime before Chara put it in with a goal almost reminiscent of the tying goal against Toronto in Game 6 two years ago, although this time he stuck with the backhand.
Message in a Molson bottle: This just in – we get a lot of shots on net. This time we peppered Thomas for 44 of them and really need to find a way to make more than four of those get through, especially against a weak team with a goaltender that has been sent to so many places that he makes Willy Loman look like a stay-at-home dad.
Courtesy Boxscore: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore?gid=2006041114

Grab a Timmy’s double-double and listen to what really happened:

1st period – And we’re baaaaaaaaack
Well, we’ve been saying for two weeks that we never would have given up that goal or lost that game if Chara and Redden were in the lineup. Tonight, they were in the lineup and it took us until overtime, along with the help of one of the returning d-men, to put away a team that has been morally eliminated from the playoffs since early November. While the scoresheet may not look the way we (at least I) expected it to, we were really in front of the Bruins the entire game. It is somewhat alarming that the return of Redden’s outlet passes and Chara’s physical presence were so badly needed to beat the Bruins just in overtime – what would have happened if Brad Norton was still getting 10 minutes of ice time? But guess what? Norton didn’t get ice time, Chara played 30 minutes and Redden nearly 26, and we won. To say it is great to see these two back in uniform is the understatement of the month thus far.

2nd Period – Goaltending controversy?
To be honest, that title was just to grab your attention. Our goalie situation isn’t so much a controversy as it is a bit of a problem. Hasek is still new to practice, Emery is banged up and tired, and Morrison looked like a guy recently claimed off waivers. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be put onto home ice after not playing consistently in the past 6 weeks, but Morrison’s three goals would all have been stopped by Emery (which means Hasek, too). So if you are Coach Murray, what do you do? We need these last three wins to clinch the conference (and yes, we want to clinch the conference), but you have a tired goalie, a shaky goalie, and a 42-year old goalie to choose from (can you guess which ones are which?). This is why I’m glad I’m not the coach. In a perfect world, you could shut Emery down until needed again, let Morrison play against an inferior Panthers team Thursday, and have the Dominator in nets in T-O. In a realistic world, Emery pronounces himself ready and plays out the season and lets Hasek start Game 1 as his rehab stint.

3rd Period – Where do all the good shots go? when will they ever learn…
Four goals tonight and all of them were from within ten feet of the net. The reason that we are always pushing passes back to the point is so that the defencemen fire a shot with eyes. There are quite a few different things that can happen as a result of that point shot: a) it goes straight in, b) it is tipped and goes in, c) it bounces off the goalie for a rebound, d) it is blocked by an opposing defenceman, or e) the goalie saves it and hangs on. By my count, three of those results are good things. The fact that we had 44 shots on net tonight would lead you to believe that we are getting pucks through from the point and that we are also getting rebound shots. You’d be right. This trend MUST continue for another two months if we are to be true to our goal. It is important to note that all of our defencemen have become much smarter when taking these shots, as well. Unlike during the middle of the season, our point shots aren’t taken carelessly with an opposing forward lined up for a block and potentially a breakaway the other way. We now know that our job is to do everything we can to make sure that puck gets as far through the traffic as possible and either tip it in or be ready to pounce on a rebound. Hey, it led to four tonight. Snazzy goals and playoff hockey aren’t necessarily like spaghetti and meatballs (or for Eastern Europeans, like lamb and tuna fish). Dirty bounces and hard-earned goals separate the hockey players from the golfers from now on.

Loblaws Express Lane – 10 items or less
1. Hi, I’m Tyler Arnason, have we met? No? Well, I’m a great skater but would rather stand around and see what Alfie is gonna do next. To give you an idea of where Murray sees Arnason, only Varada and Schubert had less time among forwards (add Novak from the defencemen).
2. Meszaros back in the running for plus/minus title with a +2 effort tonight. This should be something that all of you keep an eye on through the weekend as our beloved rookie tries to make history.
3. Carolina gets one point for the overtime and so were are up a mere single point in the Eastern Conference standings, each of us with three games to play. We have Florida, Toronto, and the Rangers while they have a home and home against desperate Tampa Bay and then Buffalo. If we don’t win the conference, it is our own fault. Did you know that Tampa has dubbed itself Hockey Bay, Florida? I hope that creative thinking can find a way to get fans to come back after a pretty poor follow up year to the Cup winning season.
4. Havlat officially in for Saturday. Rumour has it that the final tests he underwent today involved Chara beating him senselessly with oversized barbecue ribs in his shoulder in front of a panel of doctors. While Havlat cried from flying bbq sauce in the eyes, his shoulder was still good to go. Thanks, Zee. Here’s your bib.
5. Boston’s first goal was a result of a Heatley turnover on our powerplay on the Boston blue line. I understand that Heaters has a heavy shot, but there was always a sense of comfort when we stuck Alfie on the point as he could stickhandle well, pass well, and defend well. At the same time, Heaters is the king of getting goals on the doorstep, so why have we switched these two guys?
6. Varada visits NxNE.com. After I had declared him to be unfit for playoff hockey, he puts in arguably his best performance of the season, even earning Murray’s confidence to be on the ice with 1:30 left and a one goal lead.
7. Cash this one in – we WILL have the opportunity to mathematically eliminate the Laughs on Saturday night in the Big Smoke. Will Darcy Tucker fall down? Probably. I know we didn’t play them tonight, but is Tucker the biggest diver in the league or the worst skater in the league? The correct answer – both.
8. Don’t forget to check this site daily – http://www.northeasthockey.blogspot.com/.

Upcoming Games
Thursday, 7:30 vs. Florida
Saturday, 7:00 @ Toronto
Tuesday, 7:00 @ NY Rangers