Isles on deadline day: Rolston/Mottau to BOS for Riendeau/Cantin

Let's call it a case of addition by subtraction.

On a generally quiet deadline day for the league as a whole, Garth Snow found a way to get two of the biggest albatrosses on the team off of the books and away from the organization. Rolston, who had been putting up abysmal numbers this year and at many points seemed to not care, cleared waivers yesterday. Teams had been showing interest, but nobody picked up the tab. However, close to the 3:00 deadline, Garth Snow managed to finagle a deal out of the defending Cup champions, and sent both Rolston and Mike Mottau to Massachusetts. The Islanders received some much needed AHL depth to their team in return in forward Yannick Riendeau and defenseman Marc Cantin. Both undrafted players playing in Boston's ECHL and AHL affiliates this season, they will undoubtedly help provide some jump to the Sound Tigers' playoff run this year. Riendeau tore up the QMJHL in his last year of juniors but never really found his way into the NHL, and Cantin has spent time before with former Casey Cizikas on the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. The bottom line of this trade was getting rid of two players who were bringing down the team with their less than adequate play. While there's not much positive one can say about Rolston, best wishes to Mike Mottau to finding a role in his home state of Massachusetts. By all accounts, Mike is a wonderful person to be around and a great human being. Best wishes on helping Boston raise the Stanley Cup again.

Surprisingly, P.A. Parenteau was not moved and most rumblings seem to indicate he will eventually re-sign with the Islanders. He may have been shopped, but clearly the return was not high enough to justify a trade. Evgeni Nabokov was also thought by many to be on his way out but seems to still be working on a possible deal with the Islanders to stay.

In addition, this deal also saves the Islanders $1.2m in cap space, not that it was needed. The Islanders are firmly planted at the bottom of the pack in terms of salary. This should leave absolutely no excuse for Snow not to re-sign P.A. Parenteau. Nabokov, should he choose to stay, should also make a decent payday with this removal of salary which was coming this offseason regardless.

Of all the impending free agents people thought the Islanders would move including Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton, the least expected were. Clearly, the asking price for these players was not high enough for Snow's liking, and he declined the deals presented to him.

Game Recap: Boston Bruins 6, New York Islanders 2

The Boston Bruins (6-7-0) defeated the New York Islanders (4-6-2) by a score of 6 to 2 at the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston on Monday night in front of a crowd of 17,565.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 0, BOS: 1 - Benoit Pouliot (1); Jordan Caron (1)

NYI: 1, BOS: 1 - Matt Moulson (3); Steve Staios (3), Michael Grabner (1)

NYI: 1, BOS: 2 - Nathan Horton (PP - 3); Zdeno Chara (8), David Krejci (3)

NYI: 1, BOS: 3 - Tyler Seguin (8); Patrice Bergeron (8), Brad Marchand (5)

NYI: 2, BOS: 3 - Michael Grabner (4); John Tavares (5), Matt Moulson (4)

2nd Period:

None

3rd Period:

NYI: 2, BOS: 4 - Milan Lucic (7); Nathan Horton (4), David Krejci (4)

NYI: 2, BOS: 5 - Nathan Horton (4); Joe Corvo (4), Dennis Seidenberg (3)

NYI: 2, BOS: 6 - David Krejci (3); Zdeno Chara (9), Milan Lucic (6)

Goaltending:

Evgeni Nabokov - 9 saves on 12 shots, .750 SV PCT

Al Montoya - 22 saves on 24 shots, .917 SV PCT

Tuukka Rask - 24 saves on 26 shots, .924 SV PCT

Final Score: 6-2 BOS

Attendance: 17,565

Notables:

- In what most view as as a "showcase" start so to speak, Evgeni Nabokov was given the nod to start tonight and looked absolutely abysmal. Poor positioning on the first goal and just generally poor play during his entire stint. He was pulled near the end of the 1st period after letting up two somewhat stoppable Boston goals and just did not look very good. Not to say his defense couldn't have helped him out on all 3, but this wasn't a great night for Nabby.

- In relief, Al Montoya shook off any rust he may have accumulated and went right back to the stellar form we'd seen from him earlier in the season. He was making some absolutely ridiculous saves, was showing some pure athleticism even when he had taken an accidental fall on the ice and managed to get his glove on a quick shot, and once again proved himself as the best goaltender in the organization right now. If he does not get the start on Wednesday, it will be very surprising.

- The Isles first line of Michael Grabner, John Tavares and Matt Moulson was really clicking tonight. Moulson had a beautiful redirection on a Staios slapshot to tie the game in the first, and John Tavares and Michael Grabner were making sweet music on a nice tic tac toe-esque play to make the game 3-2. This line is doing pretty well right now, and should stay together for the time being. On a minus, Moulson was completely outgunned by David Krejci with the empty net, leading to the 6th goal. Not good.

- Brian Rolston, after having a somewhat solid game against Washington, is back to being useless. He can be repped all day long for his shot, but when the rest of his play is just flat out bad, he needs to be moved to the 4th line or scratched. Simple as that. And why on Earth would Jack Capuano put him out as the extra attacker is absolutely mind numbing. More on that in a bit.

- Where in the world is Kyle Okposo? Once again, completely invisible on the play and doing nothing to contribute offensively. For a former 50 point player, it's almost terrifying to see him become a shade of what he used to be. Not sure what happened this offseason to create this, but it's troubling.

- While I've been generally fond of him this season, and nice shot on the first goal aside, Steve Staios was terrible defensively tonight. His big defensive breakdowns were happening pretty consistently, and one breakdown on the Bruins blueline led to an odd man rush that made the game 4-2. He was moved down to the third pairing with Eaton at the end of the game, and rightly so.

- Mark Streit also had a bad game defensively. Some bad turnovers on the blue line led to some big Bruins chances.

- The defense as a whole just played a terrible, terrible game. They'd been serviceable so far, but this was no excuse. Horton and Seguin undefended in front is absolutely inexcusable. 

- I understand it would be frustrating going with a 3rd coach in 2 years, but I am losing a lot of faith in Jack Capuano's abilities to make smart decisions. Between the consistent benching of our obvious best goaltender, to putting Rolston out as the extra man, to taking forever to switch up the lines, to bad matchups against opponents (like putting Eaton out against Ovechkin the other night), to pulling the goalie tonight with over 3 minutes left and 3 goals down... it's becoming very hard to continue to be a fan of Capuano.

Thoughts:

AT: After playing pretty well as a team through 40, I'm not really sure what happened in the third period. Everything fell apart. Or, perhaps, the Isles mistakes finally caught up to them. Everything I've addressed in the notables applies to the whole game, but the Isles caught a lot of lucky breaks and still managed to generate a decent amount of chances. In the 3rd, everything went away and all the luck they'd been getting ran out. I think it's safe to say now that this team is beginning to show that they are just not very well put together. The lack of a 4th top 4 d-man is showing, the lack of more than 4 top 6 forwards is showing, and the coaching staff's inability to see who the real #1 goaltender is, as everyone knows, is most certainly showing. It's not time to start looking at the top 5 picks for the draft next year, but it is time for this team to wake up.

Next game: The Islanders will face off against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Game time is 9PM on MSG+.

Recap: Isles Rookies - 7, Bruins Rookies - 2

The Islanders and Bruins completed their two game mini-series tonight at the Nassau Coliseum, with each team winning one game. The Isles rebounded strongly after Monday night's defeat with a dominant 7-2 performance over the Bruins. 

Boxscore (Incomplete)

NYI 1:0 - McNeely (1); Niederreiter (1), Donovan (1)
NYI 2:0 - Strome (1); McNeely (2), Kichton (1)
NYI 3:0 - Strome (2); McNeely (3), Niederreiter (2)
NYI 4:0 - Cizikas (1); Kabanov (2), Ness (2)
NYI 5:0 - Niederreiter (3); Strome (2), Ness (3)
NYI 6:0 - DiBenedetto (1)
NYI 7:0 - Cizikas (2)
BOS 7:1 - Cunningham (1)
BOS 7:2 - Cunningham (2)

The Good

- Have to start here with the outstanding play of goaltender Anders Nilsson. From start to finish, Nilsson was magnificent and was the best Islander out there - despite the score. He made approximately 35 saves in the victory, including a showstopper on a 5-on-3 going lateral from side to side and a nice glove save on Ryan Spooner. He was technically sound with good rebound control. No question Nilsson's potential is sky high.

- The chemistry that Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome are forming cannot be ignored. They completely feed off each other. For Niederreiter, he was all over the ice engaging and initiating the play. We got a good taste of the blistering shot that Strome has on his two goals. They were complemented by an under the radar player, Tyler McNeely, who added two goals of his own. McNeely will really be a player to watch for the Sound Tigers this season.

- Speaking of chemistry, it looks like prospects Casey Cizikas and Kirill Kabanov have formed a little of their own. Cizikas is all over the ice at all times, is incredibly solid defensively and really showed his skills off tonight. And while were on skillful players, Kabanov really has a boatload of it. But the play that defined Kabanov's night was using his speed to beat two Bruins players for an icing, circling the net and finding Cizikas wide open who finished the play. These two guys, originally drafted as projects, could really be coming into their own.

- On the defense side, Andrei Pedan had a strong first period. Though he faded throughout the game (including getting beat bad on the second Boston goal), the potential he has is obvious. Very solid in all three zones tonight, especially on that 5-on-3.

- You can see the potential that David Ullstrom has. He is responsible in his own zone, is skilled with the puck, and has great hockey sense overall. He just needs to put it together, but plays like where he drove the net in the third period are what makes me excited about this kid. Compared from yesterday to today, he was much better.

- Very fun start to the game with Benn Olson, Brett Gallant, and Art Bidlevskii all getting into fights in the first three seconds of the game tonight. No question it was retribution for the hit on Rhett Rakhshani last night.Things calmed down a little after that, but it was certainly a fun start to the game.

- On a personal note, it was a very fun two nights at the Nassau Coliseum. Tonight was a lot cleaner than Monday, but overall the young Isles looked good out there (they won the aggregate 12-9). Looking forward to the pre-season game, and then the regular season. It's our first season writing about the team and we could not be more excited about it.

The Bad

- While he did rack up a few assists tonight, it seems that Aaron Ness is still off his game. He made a lot of risky plays, including getting beat on the first Boston goal. When the puck is on his stick, he is calm and collected, but otherwise he seems panicky. No question that he is a project and will require a lot of seasoning at the AHL level - much like Mark Katic.

- John Persson never really got it going tonight, even though he had a strong game on Monday. Disappointing, especially because his linemates (Kabanov/Cizikas) played outstanding tonight. Nothing too terrible from him, just extremely invisible.

- It's not fair to call him a lost cause, but Long Island native Tony Romano did not look very good again. He looked slow and tentative, and given his "veteran" status of the team should have been better. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in the main camp and when he is ultimately sent down.

The Ugly

- Another game, another injury (or two). This time, Mark Katic left the game hunched over in the first period. Turns out Katic suffered a dislocated shoulder, which should keep him out for a little bit. He'll be re-evaluated on Friday, so hopefully it was just something they needed to pop in. But the Isles really need to find a way to avoid the injury bug. That's two of Bridgeport's better players down with injuries in the first two rookie games of the season.

Final Thoughts

CH: The Isles, as a whole, were dominant tonight. They played hard for each other, pressured the Bruins in their own zone, and played like they wanted a victory. It showed on the scoreboard. To me, however, the most important aspect is that the Isles top players played like their top players. Guys like Strome and Niederreiter were dominant, and given their skill level - they should have been. These guys are maturing very quickly, which will certainly make for interesting training camp competitions over the next few years. Even though last night was a loss, these two games showed how good the potential of this team can be. But potential is just a word. Now it's time to move on - training camp starts Friday.

AT:

From the get go (including the 3 fights in 5 seconds!), the Islanders were flat out the better team. No doubt about it. Boston had some impressive players (their goalie DeMichiel really stood out with some of his saves) and some really great chances, but in the end the Islanders totally overpowered them. For me, a few players really stood out. One was Ryan Strome. This kid looks like he is beyond his years x10. His outlet passing, ability to read the direction a D-man will be taking, and his general speed and accuracy are absolutely mind boggling. His one goal which came on a 3 on 2 where he just sniped it into the top right corner was absolutely phenomenal. Another player was Nino Niederreiter, who was looking incredibly strong and set up some great plays for Ryan Strome and Tyler McNeely, even though his goal scoring prowess is usually what he is noted for. Finally, Kirill Kabanov although invisible at times was hustling all game, and had one great play where he beat out the icing and fed the puck to Cizikas in a phenomenal show of chemistry. Honorable mentions include Andrey Pedan who was throwing some big hits and playing great D and Tyler McNeely who was almost always involved in the play.

However, the one player who was the absolute MVP in my opinion was Anders Nilsson. What a game this kid had. Perhaps it's due to playing with older players in the SEL, but he looks like he's ready for the pros with his play. For his size and style, the athleticism he shows is a great indication of the future. I can not wait to see him play in Bridgeport.

Overall, a very fun game that I was very happy to be able to go to (thanks again Carey!). Can't wait for training camp to officially start!

Next Game

Training camp for the Islanders officially starts Friday with player physicals (among other things). The Isles first pre-season game of the year is scheduled for next Friday, September 23 against the same Bruins in Boston.

Rookie Game 2 Preview: Bruins Rookies vs. Islanders Rookies

BOSTON BRUINS (1-0) vs. NY ISLANDERS (0-1)

The Essentials

September 13, 2011 - 7:05 PM

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY

TV: Islanders Web Site

The Season Series

9/12/11 - BOS 8, NYI 5

The Goalies

BOS: Michael Hutchinson

NYI: Anders Nilsson

The Rosters

Boston Bruins

FORWARDS: Anthony Camara, Carter Camper, Craig Cunningham, Dylan Hood, Alexander Khokhlachev, Jared Knight, Kyle MacKinnon, Adam Presizniuk, Tyler Randell, Calle Ridderwall, Yannick Riendeau, Ryan Spooner, Conor Stokes.

DEFENSEMEN: Ryan Button, Marc Cantin, Charlie Dodero, Dougie Hamilton, Zach McKelvie, Kevan Miller, David Warsofsky.

New York Islanders

David Ullstrom - Justin DiBenedetto

Nino Niederreiter - Ryan Strome - Tyler McNeely

Kirill Kabanov - Casey Cizikas - John Persson

Brett Gallant - Tony Romano - Mitchell Theoret

Mark Katic - Calvin de Haan

Matt Donovan - Aaron Ness

Andrey Pedan - Art Bidlveskii

Brenden Kichton - Benn Olson

Recap: Bruins Rookies - 8, Isles Rookies - 5

Tonight at the Nassau Coliseum, the 2011-12 rookie pre-season began with the Boston Bruins rookies defeating the Islanders by a score of 8-5. 

Boxscore

BOS 1:0 - Spooner (1); Randell (1)

NYI 1:1 - Niederreiter (1); Strome (1), de Haan (1)

BOS 2:1 - Hood (1); Spooner (1), Cantin (1)

NYI 2:2 - Persson (1); Kabanov (1)

NYI 2:3 - Kabanov (1); Ness (1), Cizikas (1)

BOS 3:3 - Spooner (2); Warsofsky (1), Riendeau (1)

BOS 4:3 - Knight (1); Cunningham (1)

BOS 5:3 - Warsofsky (1); Hood (1), Cunningham (1)

BOS 6:3 - Riendeau (1); Spooner (2)

NYI 6:4 - de Haan (1); Cizikas (2), Theoret (1)

NYI 6:5 - Niederreiter (2); McNeely (1), de Haan (2)

BOS 7:5 - Camper (1)

BOS 8:5 - Knight (2) EN

The Good

- Nino Niederreiter was engaged physically and mentally, and had an outstanding game with and without the puck. His two goals are absolutely indicative of his play.

- Ryan Strome played the best of any draft year first rounder as an Islander that I have seen. He is fast, smart, and skillful - the complete package. His dish to Niederreiter on the first Islander goal was a thing of beauty. On a side note, Tyler McNeely was a nice complement on that line. Do not count McNeely out as a darkhorse to do some damage at Bridgeport this season.

- Speaking of darkhorses, Casey Cizikas was outstanding on the PK tonight. But we knew that already. What we may not have known is how skilled he is with the pick. Two assists tonight, including a couple of beautiful passes to John Persson.

- Kirill Kabanov showed the immense amount of skill that he has, but I would like to see him acclimate himself more physically. That said, he stood his ground in front of the net and in the corners, which led to a very nice deflection goal. Going into those dirty areas is what will get him into the NHL.

- On the defensive side, Calvin de Haan played a magnificent game. He was a tad rusty without the puck, especially in odd-man rushes, but with the puck he is smart, quick, decisive, and a perfect candidate to lead the team to transition up the ice. There is no question the talent is there, but he definitely needs to start the season in the AHL.

- Finally, Justin DiBenedetto was a sparkplug tonight. The guy was all over the ice forechecking and backchecking. In fact, the team took on that type of personality as a whole. They play very hard for each other, which is what you want to see from a group of guys who are growing up together.

- I should mention on the Bruins side - Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Spooner were incredibly impressive tonight.

The Bad

- Let's start with the defense where Aaron Ness and Mark Katic had some issues back there tonight. Katic was a little better, but was caught out of position a few times and did not make great decisions on the powerplay. Ness, on the other hand, looked more nervous than anything. I'm interested to see how Ness responds tomorrow in front of a bigger crowd, especially since he was able to get that first shift out of the way.

- David Ullstrom was very inconsistent tonight. He had some good shifts, including a beautiful rush to the net. But then he had some not so good shifts. Turnovers, trying to do too much, bad passes etc. He was very physical tonight, which is a good sign and what he needs to do to make a difference. No question he has potential, so he's another one I am looking to watch tomorrow night.

- Brett Gallant and Tony Romano two-thirds of the fourth line just did not cut it tonight. Romano looked slow and tentative, where he should be making quick decisions at this point of his career. Gallant took some really dumb penalties and played like the tryout that he is on.

The Ugly

- Tough moment in the first period when Rhett Rakhshani was hit up high along the boards. Turns out that Rakhshani suffered a concussion on the hit, which means he will be out until his symptoms subside. You hate to see his happen in the first period of the season. We should find out more info on Rakhshani's condition going forward sometime tomorrow, but do not expect him to be anywhere near the lineup for the game tomorrow.

- As a whole, the defense coverage in the slot needs to be a lot better. Sure, some of the goals that went in could (or even should) have been saved, but overall the Isles were sloppy in the D zone. While they had good transition, there were sequences where it bit them in the behind. That needs to be corrected going forward - tomorrow would be a good start.

The Very Ugly

- Few words can describe how shaky Mikko Koskinen was tonight. His positioning was off, his rebound control was worse, and the results were the worst. I realize this is the first game back after a long summer, so in a sense it is only fair to cut Koskinen some slack - but the numbers do not lie. Koskinen gave up 7 goals against on 14 shots against. A 50% save percentage. Maybe Koskinen will get another shot, but as it stands he is certainly number six out of six on the depth cart.

Next Game

The Islander Rookies and Bruin Rookies will face off again tomorrow night in the second half of this mini-series. Game time is 7:00 PM at the Nassau Coliseum. This game IS open to the public.

Rookie Game 1 Preview: Bruins Rookies vs. Islanders Rookies

BOSTON BRUINS (0-0) vs. NY ISLANDERS (0-0)

The Essentials

September 12, 2011 - 7:05 PM

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY

TV: Islanders Web Site

*THIS GAME IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC*

The Goalies

BOS: Michael Hutchinson 

NYI: Mikko Koskinen 

The Rosters

Boston Bruins

FORWARDS: Anthony Camara, Carter Camper, Craig Cunningham, Dylan Hood, Alexander Khokhlachev, Jared Knight, Kyle MacKinnon, Adam Presizniuk, Tyler Randell, Calle Ridderwall, Yannick Riendeau, Ryan Spooner, Conor Stokes.

DEFENSEMEN: Ryan Button, Marc Cantin, Charlie Dodero, Dougie Hamilton, Zach McKelvie, Kevan Miller, David Warsofsky.

 

New York Islanders

Rhett Rakhshani - David Ullstrom - Justin DiBenedetto

Nino Niederreiter - Ryan Strome - Tyler McNeely

Kirill Kabanov - Casey Cizikas - John Persson

Brett Gallant - Tony Romano - Mitchell Theoret

Mark Katic - Calvin de Haan

Matt Donovan - Aaron Ness

Andrey Pedan - Art Bidlveskii

Brenden Kichton - Benn Olson

Around the NHL: Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, a new Stanley Cup champion crowned

In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins defeated Vancouver 4-0 in a generally one-sided game. Tim Thomas won the Conn Smythe trophy and the Bruins' victory was met afterwards by widespread rioting throughout the city of Vancouver. You can find the full recap on TSN here.

AP

AT: Just another extremely powerful showing by this Boston team. What an impressive group of players. They've been without their #1 center Marc Savard for most of the season, but everyone else stepped it up big time. Especially Marchand. What an incredible ride it's been for this kid. I'm sure as a 3rd round pick he wasn't thinking he'd be hoisting the cup in his first full year in the NHL, let alone being second on his team in goals and scoring with 2 of them in the most important game. Outstanding effort from him and I'm sure his stock for next season has risen like a balloon. Then there's Tim Thomas. What can you say about him? At 37 he still has the reflexes of a cat, was clutch through the entire game stopping around 37 shots. Thomas didn't have a completely spectacular playoffs until the SCFs. He was decent in the Montreal series, good in the Philly series and pulled a Jekyll and Hyde thing in the Tampa series. In finals, he came up as clutch as ever. He was the main reason this Boston team was able to do what they did, and he deserves all the credit in the world. Mark Recchi just put another ring on what's been an amazing career. Also very happy for Chara, the former Islander. Congrats to the 2010-2011 Boston Bruins. You guys deserve it.

CH: Tons of things to like here as a hockey fan. You have the incredible story of Tim Thomas, which you touched on. There was no doubt he was the clear Conn Smythe winner. Well deserved. You have the story of Patrice Bergeron, who almost had his career taken from him on a careless hit by Randy Jones. You have Mark Recchi winning his third Stanley Cup, going out on top at the ripe age of 43. It's well deserved - they were the better team over the seven games series and I'm very happy for them.

The Cup presentation as a whole never gets old. I smile every time I see it. When I saw Zdeno Chara take the Cup from Gary Bettman, I thought back to his rookie year as an Islander and smiled. What an incredible accomplishment for him. The whole thing is outstanding - especially the fact the players get to hold the trophy first and not the suits.

Kudos to both teams, who clearly hate each other, for being very classy in the handshake line. This was probably one of the tougher Cup finals I can remember, and to still have the class and respect to shake hands was fantastic. Great job there.

AT: For Vancouver, well...it's the same ol' story, same ol' song and dance. They once again falter in the Finals Game 7 and everyone scratches their heads at how such a powerful team could be so invisible. The Sedins were non-existent, Luongo let up several soft goals once again and we once again saw the dirty play of the Canucks continue with Jannik Hansen's blindside hit on Andrew Ference in the third period. This Canucks team was a great team, but they just could not come up when it mattered most. They created plenty of scoring opportunities, but you really felt like the momentum was in Boston's hands the entire game.

CH: Have to agree with all of that. I've made it well known I was rooting for Vancouver and it was very disappointing to see them crumble like that. The Sedins had to be better, plain and simple. Ryan Kesler, the guy operating under 50%, had one of the best games for the Canucks last night. In a way, that's how it should be. Kesler is one of the team's best players, but the healthier guys (there's no one healthy now) on the team needed to come through. That includes the Sedins, Burrows, Luongo etc.

As far as Luongo goes, he's going to take a lot of deserved slack from this, but at the same time his team did not score a goal for him last night. They weren't even in the battle. The game felt like it was over at 1-0. For the team that won the President's Trophy, that's unacceptable. Even if Tim Thomas was playing out of his mind. The Canucks have now lost 3 Cup Finals, and two of them in Game 7. Ouch.

AT: Then there's the 800 pound gorilla in the room. What an absolute disgrace shown by Vancouver fans. I know rioting is nothing new in sports, but with reports of 4 stabbings, widespread looting, scenes of battered Bruins' fans lying on the ground and fires throughout the city, it's just disgusting to see. There's bowing out gracefully and then there's this. I realize not every Vancouver fan was involved with this, but those who were should be ashamed of themselves. Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and to put a shame on its name like this is horrendous.

CH: This was utterly disgraceful. No other way to put it. Just an awful job by select Vancouver residents. Its now very hard to maintain the level of respect for the city after seeing that. Apparently it was worse than the 1994 riot after they lost to the Rangers. Ugh.

AP

 Overall, congrats to the 2010-2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins. Well deserved.

Around The NHL: Stanley Cup Finals Game 6, McLean

Last night, the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 5-2, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The series is now tied 3-3 and will head back to Vancouver for Game 7 on Wednesday. You can find the game recap on TSN here. 

Getty Images

CH: I absolutely did not see this coming. I thought Vancouver would really take it to Boston in this game, but just the opposite happened. Tim Thomas was outstanding again and probably locked in the Conn Smythe Trophy regardless of if Boston wins the Stanley Cup or not. It would be well deserved. As far as the other side goes, I don't understand Roberto Luongo. He's put together three magnificent games at home and three absolutely atrocious games on the road. He was downright terrible last night and should have had at least two of the goals he gave up. Major props should be given to Cory Schneider, who came into the game and kept Vancouver in a game they were far out of, even after giving up an early goal. But regardless, there is no controversy. Roberto Luongo is the goalie for Game 7 without any doubt.

AT: Luongo just can't handle this kind of pressure in an opposing arena I suppose. It's one thing to be great in San Jose when it's the conference finals, but when it's the Stanley Cup finals, it's really hard not to realize the pressure's getting to him. I really hope he can rebound and shake this stigma. And yes, Luongo as game 7's starter. No question in my mind.

CH: Two other Vancouver storylines to touch on here: Mason Raymond and the Sedin line. Starting with Raymond, you have to feel absolutely terrible for this kid. Vancouver was incensed that Boston did not get a penalty on that play, and they were right. The puck was nowhere near Raymond. Reports are now coming out that Raymond has a fractured vertebrae and will miss not only Game 7, but up to 6 months. That's already half of the 2011-12 season. It's the same situation with Horton - they wait their whole lives for this moment and to go out with a major injury - its heartbreaking.

AT: Just awful for Raymond. Such an awful injury to go through that could mess with his career in a serious way. Just as with Horton, you can only hope for the best and that they can rebound next season when they return. Just awful to leave a Cup final game like this. This series troubles me.

CH: Secondly, it was nice to see Henrik Sedin wake up with his first point of the finals last night. Granted, it was a 4-0 game but if that's what gets him going the Canucks will be in much better shape. I realize going up against Zdeno Chara is no picnic, but that line needs to be better. Guys like Max Lapierre and Chris Higgins have been more noticeable and that cannot happen in the Stanley Cup Finals. If that line has a big game on Wednesday, I believe the Canucks will win. If not, it could really go either way. I do know that Wednesday will be a fantastic hockey game.

AT: I feel so bad for the Vancouver police officers taking their shift around the time that game will end. It's going to be nuts. The Sedins definitely need to wake up and the 'Nucks need to show the world that they're the team that powered through the regular season and the 2nd and 3rd rounds, not a bunch of chokers.

According to TSN, the Ottawa Senators are calling an 11:00 AM press conference today to announce Paul McLean as their new head coach. McLean has spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach on Mike Babcock's staff with the Detroit Red Wings.

NHL.com

CH: This is somewhat shocking to me. I thought Dave Cameron from Mississauga would be the choice seeing as Eugene Melnyk owns both the Senators and the Mississauga OHL team. Cameron was considered a real up-and-comer as he coached the World Juniors team as well. That said, McLean has certainly paid his dues with Detroit. He won a Stanley Cup with the team in 2008 and went to two more Cup finals in 2009 and 2003 (with Anaheim) as an assistant coach. His transition should be an interesting one. The Sens are going with inexperience here, which may turn out okay since they traded a ton of their veterans at the deadline last year. Good luck to McLean.

Around The NHL: Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 Thoughts

Friday night, The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 1-0. Vancouver takes a 3-2 lead in the series, needing just one win to become Stanley Cup Champions with Game 6 coming Monday night in Boston. Roberto Luongo made 31 saves to record the shutout, and Max Lapierre scored his second goal of the playoffs to give the Canucks the lead (and win). 

You can find the Game 5 recap on TSN here:

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CH: This was a fantastic game from start to finish. Lots of mini-storylines in this game with the constant momentum switches. The Canucks broke through on a quirky goal, with Lapierre shooting from almost directly to the side of the net and Tim Thomas out of position. The puck went off Thomas and into the net to give the Canucks the lead. That said, Thomas was absolutely brilliant again tonight. He kept the Bruins in the game with some incredible saves, but it just wasn't enough as Roberto Luongo was outstanding as well. The Canucks played great team defense tonight, but when that wasn't there Luongo was there to back them up. A far cry from Games 3 and 4, and an ovation well deserved from the Vancouver crowd.

AT: I couldn't even tell if it was a real setup or just a missed shot, but knowing Bieksa it was a great way to set Lapierre up for the goal. Great way to beat the seemingly impenetrable Thomas.  You have to hand it to Lou. He deserved some (very well deserved) criticism after games 3 and 4 and he comes back home and throws up a shutout. The goalies have made this series as exciting as it is.

The one disappointing thing from this game was the constant flopping by guys like Alex Burrows and Max Lapierre. There is no doubt this series has been intense, and that's an understatement. Vancouver had 33 hits in the first 35 minutes of the game. Still, after every whistle if someone even breathed on Burrows he flopped down like a dying fish. It's unacceptable. The worst part is that on plays like the Milan Lucic slewfoot, Burrows didn't have to embellish it at all. It was a clear penalty, but he hurt himself and his team. The irony of it all was watching Chris Higgins falling on a legitimate tripping penalty, and then getting reprimanded on his bench for diving. That's the reputation the Canucks have set for themselves.

AT: They really need to leave stuff like that to soccer. This is the Stanley Cup finals.. play like it is.

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Previewing Game 6 would really just state the obvious. It will be a complete battle out there. I do have to say though, I'd like to see the Cup awarded at home for the first time since 2007. So I'll be rooting for Vancouver in a seventh game, but there's no question Game 6 will be a great one no matter the outcome.

Later today we'll have our next draft prospect preview up.

Around the NHL: SC Finals Game 4 Thoughts, Reimer, Drury

The Boston Bruins once again routed the Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 4-0 to tie the series up at 2 with the teams now heading back to Vancouver for Game 5.

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AT: Another day, another Bruins rout at home. That Horton hit has changed the dynamics of this Boston team in ways one can only imagine. Yes, without Horton there is a gaping hole in the roster, but this team is playing some inspired hockey right now. Vancouver simply looked lethargic. The game started off pretty even, but once more the Bruins just turned on the gas and drove Luongo out. I never thought I'd see the series this close. On paper, Vancouver is the superior team. Faster, more skilled and more chemistry. But you have to give credit to Boston and especially Tim Thomas. He has been the reason this series isn't over right now.

CH: When the Rome/Horton incident happened, I really thought it would be a game changer for Boston and nothing else. I don't believe that much in momentum within a series, though I do believe there are extenuating circumstances where that can happen. I didn't think that was the case here, but I don't think it could even be argued that it wasn't a factor in Game 4. It just wasn't close. The biggest thing that Boston will take into Game 5 - the Tim Thomas/Alex Burrows altercation at the end of the 3rd period. When your goalie, who is pitching a shutout, stands up for himself like that and stands up for the crest on his jersey, it says a ton. Obviously, Game 5 is a huge game, but unlike going into Game 3 where the pressure was on Boston, the pressure is all on Vancouver. Should be a great game, but I think Vancouver pulls out Game 5.

According to TSN.ca, The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up goaltender James Reimer to a 3 year contract for $5.4 million with a cap hit of $1.8 million each year.

Photo credit: Bridget Samuels

AT: No brainer move for Toronto. Reimer put up spectacular numbers as just a 23 year old on a subpar Toronto team. He finished the season with a 20-10-5 record and a very, very respectable .921% save percentage. Good for Reimer. It looks like the Maple Leafs may have finally found a franchise goaltender after signing JS Giguere didn't turn out as expected and the Jonas Gustavsson experiment seems to be on the decline.

CH: Three years might be a lot for him after only one year, but that's par for the course right now. For example, the Islanders gave Grabner, Okposo, MacDonald, and Nielsen long-term deals after one season. Reimer had a very good rookie season for Toronto and could be a big part of their future. The Leafs are going to be on the rise shortly.

According to the New York Daily News, the remainder of Rangers captain Chris Drury's contract will be bought out by the team. This will incur a a $3.3m cap hit against the team. The team also plans on buying out the remainer of Wojtek Wolski's contract, incurring a $666,667 charge against the cap.

AT: I had a feeling this was coming to be quite honest. I know many Ranger fans who were upset with the play of Drury this year and the year past. Especially with his severely time limiting injuries, I can see why Sather wants him out. This clears up a bit of cap space for the Rangers, however they still need to sign or trade RFAs Brandon Dubinsky (who is reportedly asking for $4.5m), Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Matt Gilroy,  Chad Johnson, Mike Sauer and also have Ruslan Fedotenko, Steve Eminger, Bryan McCabe Vinny Prospal and Alex Frolov (who I doubt gets resigned). The constantly heard rumor is that the Rangers are in hot pursuit of the unanimous #1 UFA this offseason, Brad Richards. I really question if they will be able to fit him under the cap if the $7m+ that Richards is supposedly asking for is what he's sticking to.

CH: Fact of the matter is that Drury was not producing for the Rangers and you can't keep a $7m+ liability on your fourth line. This will help the Rangers, but the guy is still going to cost them $3.3 million on the cap this year and $1.6 million next year. Alex outlined the Rangers cap situation above, so I'll fuel some speculation on Drury and the Islanders. I don't think it happens unless Drury takes a salary under $1m to play on the fourth line. And even that, would that be worth it? Drury played 24 games this past season and scored one goal. To me, the Islanders can't afford that. There are plenty of durable fourth line centers available for them to look at in UFA who can provide what Drury is projected to next season. More on the Islanders fourth line later today.

As far as Wolski, Larry Brooks just came out and said the Rangers are now not planning on buying him out, which means his $3.8 million contract will remain on the cap. With Drury's buyout and all the FAs they need to sign, I'm not so sure they'll be able to make Brad Richards work as of right now.

Around The NHL: SC Finals Game 3 Thoughts

The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 8-1 tonight. The Bruins cut the Canucks' series lead in half, as Vancouver leads 2-1 going into Game 4 Wednesday night in Boston. 

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CH: I needed to get my thoughts together before I wrote this post because there were so many storylines to this game. Let's start with the Aaron Rome hit on Nathan Horton. What an absolute disgrace that was. I was completely speechless when I saw the hit. It was unnecessary, reckless, harmful, and with a total lack of respect for the opponent. Rome, in my opinion, should be suspended for 5 games. He should not have the privilege of potentially raising the Stanley Cup with his teammates on the ice. Mike Murphy will certainly have his hands full with this one.

Moving onto the Recchi and Lucic taunts: I have to admit I laughed, but realistically there is no place for that within the context of the game. You can't say that you're over the biting incident and then go and mock the Canucks about it. This should have been dead and buried after the NHL opted not to suspend Alex Burrows. It needs to be completely dead now.

As far as the play on the ice, it was a complete domination. I felt the Canucks had a chance to steal the game after the Bruins did not score on their major powerplay, but that never happened. Boston just took it to Vancouver, even though the Canucks did have 40+ shots. Roberto Luongo should have been pulled after the fifth goal, but Alain Vigneault gave Luongo the option to stay in. That's a point where the coach  needs to take control and pull the goalie for the sake of his confidence. However, on the flip side, Tim Thomas was outstanding tonight.

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Without saying much else other than the fact Boston put up an 8-spot in the Stanley Cup Finals, it's time to look ahead to Game 4. Vancouver has a ton to prove here. Roberto Luongo has a ton to prove here. However, this is not a terribly pivotal game. Vancouver has the chance to take a commanding series lead, but they will still hold home ice advantage regardless. I believe the Canucks will recover nicely and win Game 4, but no matter what this series has taken on a whole new landscape after Game 3.

AT: Man, what I would've done to be a fly on the wall in the Bruins locker room after the first period. I can only imagine what Julien said to this team. Obviously, it created a whole new perspective for the players and he encouraged them to play their hearts out the entire game and take it to them until the final buzzer. As the final score shows, they certainly did.

The taunts need to end. Okay, it's the Stanley Cup finals, but I fear it's going to turn into something a lot worse if the NHL doesn't put an end to it. As for the hit, absolutely disgusting. There was no chance for Horton to react to that. A shoulder to the head is never, ever acceptable.