Our winner is Lonnie:

"You suck Jackman. And the guy with the mullet yelling from 324 thinks so too." ~ Lonnie (Caption the Photo Winner 2-5-12)

As this week’s winner, Lonnie will receive a pack of Promotional Blues Trading Cards (Set 1) that were given away at the February 3, 2012 game.  This is the first of 3 promotional sets of cards the Blues plan on giving away.

Congratulations to our winner, and we can’t wait to see the next round of captions starting this Sunday!

**Winning Captions Do Not Reflect the Opinions of BlueNoteZone**

What will the winner of this contest get?? Each week’s winner will get their caption put *permanently* in the photo’s description.  The winner will also receive a small Blues themed gift.  In future weeks, the prize will be listed with the photo, but we’re not quite prepared for this inaugural post.

 Contest Dates: Sunday February 5th 10:00 am (CST) through Wednesday February 8th 5:00 pm (CST)

CONTEST RULES: Comment on the contest post to enter (Facebook comments and Twitter replies will not be entered into the contest).  Give us your best caption; it can be as short or long as you would like.  You can include as many lines as you want pertaining to as many aspects of the photo that you would like.  Keep your captions clean! Major profanity (ie “the F bomb”) will not be accepted in this contest.  Any comments that do not follow our guidelines will be deleted.

Prize: TBD (~$5 value Blues item)

Photo:  Give us your best caption for this shot from the Blues vs Kings game on February 3rd!

The LA Kings are one such team searching for a live preserver with a 30 point effort after 29 games. Their 13-12-4 mark puts them 4th in the Pacific Division and 12th in the conference. Far behind league consensus expectations after a whirlwind summer of acquisitions meant to push them over the top. From just a playoff team to a Cup contender.

Big expectations brings largely than life responsibilities through the organization. Coaches must coax every ounce of skill, talent and will from the players. The General Manager has to make sure the right personnel are on ice level. Both on and behind the bench. Rarely will either sit idle as their season slips in to mediocrity.

It appears their head coach may be out of tinker time. At least according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.

Kings executives are poised to dismiss Coach Terry Murray this week, hoping to halt a string of disappointing performances and revive an offense that has produced a league-low 2.24 goals per game despite a beefed-up payroll that puts the team near the salary-cap limit for the first time.

People familiar with the situation but not authorized to comment publicly said a candidate has not been found to replace Murray, who took over before the 2008-09 season. Murray installed a solid defensive foundation but has not been able to take the team to the next level and capitalize on resources enhanced by the off-season additions of skilled forwards Mike Richards and Simon Gagne.

If the report holds true and the Kings’ brass axes Murray, he’ll become the fifth coach fired the last six weeks. He would be preceded by Davis Payne (St. Louis), Bruce Boudreau (Washington), Paul Maurice (Carolina) and Randy Carlyle (Anaheim).

The obvious intent would be to send a message to the locker room that they need to shape up or be shipped out because one way or another the “problem will be fixed”. So far that has been the actual outcome only in St. Louis. The desired effect has not taken hold in the other three instances.

Could one of the dismissed be a potential replacement, as Boudreau was for Carlyle? Not likely. Payne will finish out his contract with the Blues as a pro scout. It’s doubtful the Blues will block Payne from taking a new job, but he is very reserved. A quality some believe is the issue with Murray and his teams response to adversity this season. Elliott adds in her report that the Kings are not believed to be interested in Carlyle.

Josh Rimmer, NHL Home Ice Producer, suggests via Twitter that another former head coach could be an option.

So If Terry Murray is indeed fired this week, look for LA Kings to name assistant coach John Stevens their new coach.

Stevens took over in Philadelphia following the departure of current Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. From 2006-07 through his firing in 2009-10 he coached 263 games earning a 120-109-34 mark. Twice taking the Flyers to the playoffs.

Whatever the outcome, a weaker Kings team is good news for the boys in blue. The So Cal based club has really owned the Blues this season. Winners in both chippy games to date. The two teams do not play again till February 3rd. The fourth and final meeting is on March 22nd. Whatever shakeup happens in LA will come to pass long before the Blues can even up the season series.

Needless to say there is little to no direct impact on the Blues. Sure, another team could be powering up the standings if the Kings react to their new boss as the Blues did to Hitch, but being chased in the standings in December is nothing new for teams in the Western Conference.

-

Update: Kings make it official today. Murray has been relived of head coaching duties and Stevens takes over.

(10-8-2)

vs

Pittsburgh Penguins

(12-6-3)

at

Consol Energy Center 

Game Time 6pm CDT

TV- FSMW(HD) Radio- KMOX

Blues Team Recap- The Blues are coming off a regulation loss to the LA Kings last night at the Scott Trade Center. With a few botched plays from defenseman Barret Jackman and a couple of undisciplined minors later the Kings skated out of the Lou with two more points handing Ken Hitchcock his first regulation loss since taking over as head coach. Emotions were high in last nights game and none was more evident then a very dirty cross check from behind laid down by Kings defensmen Drew Doughty on Blues forward TJ Oshie. The hit sent Oshie head first  the boards who had no idea Doughty was going to check him from behind. Leave it to the good ole NHL officials to only call a 2 minute minor cross checking penalty. Another awesome development this morning would be the NHL sheriff Brendan Shanahan only fining Doughty 2,500 bucks for the hit and rendering no suspension. Just last week the front office Lawmaker laid out a 3 game suspension to Chris Stewart for a VERY identical hit on Redwings player Nikolas Kronwall. Shanny is not doing himself any favors by giving punishment that is not equal for hits that the NHL and the NHPLA want to remove from the game. I find it completely absurd that Shanahan delved out the punishment that he did and I feel disrespected and slapped in the face. If you can’t handle disciplining big name athletes from big name teams but you can hand out huge fines and games missed to the smaller ones you have no business being in control.  Do I think Stewart deserved the suspension that he received? You bet your sweet ass I think he deserved it. Stop giving Blues fans reasons to doubt and hold grudges against the people at the top.

Blues Keys To The Game- Score goals. Gee Tony, Isn’t the goal of every game? Yes, Yes it is but the blues have not done a good job of tallying marks against their opponents in the last several games. The power play has once again regressed and gone of for o well hell you get the idea. Scoring chances are coming the Blues way but they have not been able to finish on those chances like their opponents have. If you can’t finish on your chances you wont go very far in this league. Crash the net.. This is the bread and butter of this teams offensive ability and it seems they have lost touch once again with this idea. Shots are coming through but the opposing goal tender is able to see the puck thus making an easy stop from perimeter shots. A few lucky bounces is all the Blues need to get back to the winning ways that they have become accustom to under Hitch. Play hard, choral the Kid and fore check them into next week and the Blues should have a good night in P-Town. O by the way.. STAY OUT OF THE PENALTY BOX!

Pens Team Recap- After missing the last 10 months due to a concussion Pens center-man Sidney Crosby returned to the line up against the New York Islanders a few nights ago. It did not take Sid long to find his touch. Crosby went on to polish off 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points on the night. The only place the Penguins are headed from here is a steady climb upward in the Eastern Conference. Look for the polar aquatic birds to make a big splash come playoff time if this roster of offensive giants can remain healthy.

Pens Keys To The Game- Get the Blues to take bad penalties and score power play goals. This should be every teams MO from here on out against this team. The Blues have been very undisciplined over their last three match ups and have taken penalties that have lead either directly or indirectly to their demise. With a mediocre PK unit and a terrible Power Play the Pens could dominate this game if they keep possession of the puck time way up and force the stingy defensive Blues to play in their own end. The Blues will make mistakes and it is how the Pens react to those mistakes that will ultimately define this match up. Can Sid the Kid and company capitalize on some mistakes by a young team? Or will the Pens take a lazy approach to a very good team and get shown some humble pie? The puck is in the Pens court and it is up to them whether or not they dominate St. Louis or cough up two points.

Blues News- David Perron continues to skate with the team in full contact practices. No time table has been officially set for his return but all indications point to him being just a few weeks away from his 2011-2012 debut with the Blues. Andy McDonald remains on IR with a concussion and no time table for return at this point. Kent Huskins remains out on IR with a ankle fracture. BJ Crombeen is sidelined with a fractured shoulder blade and is expected to return some time in early January. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo was placed on IR with a hamstring injury. Cade Faichild has been recalled from Peoria to be the Blues 7th Defenseman.

I again as a Blues fan shake my head at the decision making of the disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. When you let hits like this go you set a precedence that top teams and top players will get a free pass but those who are lower on the popularity pole will get crucified and made an example of. Shame on you Shanaban, Shame shame shame….

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

It’s important to note that the officials, Frederick L’Ecuyer and Chris Rooney, did not see this hit in such a light that warranted a call more than a two minute minor. Obviously, Blues fans (and likely the Blues as a team) don’t agree. Honestly, what everyone else thinks is asinine. What matters is what Brendan Shanahan’s interpretation.

After watching the hit several times on the video replay in the NHL on NBC Overtime coverage, I’ve come to two conclusions.

1. The hit itself was not extremely dangerous.
2. Given the context of the game, the intent of the hit is questionable.

Oshie is not known for being a great skater. Few doubt his deft hands, but his feet clod around the ice like Clydesdale circling the field at Busch Stadium. It’s certainly possible that as Oshie came in to the corner he wasn’t exactly on stable footing (remember, bad late third period ice) and he toppled over with not much ability to keep up right.

That said, why is Doughty even taking the chance?

As one of the best defensemen of his generation and a Norris finalist in only his second pro season, Doughty certainly reads and understands situations well. To say he knew how much time was left and knew how to close off Oshie otherwise is a fair assumption. I’m sure he’s seen the Shanahan video explaining the correct plays to make along the boards. With barely enough time to get a pass off, let alone of shot that can best Jonathan Bernier, why not just wrap him up and pin him to the boards as the video shows Kris Letang doing in a preseason game against Chicago? He had support overloaded on his half of the zone, why did he need to separate the man from the puck as if in a one on one situation? Doughty could have easily tied up Oshie and allowed the clock to expire.

The answer is simple. Doughty clearly had ulterior motives beyond prenvting one last attempt for a game tying goal.

The two clubs really don’t get along. Which is odd because they haven’t met in the playoffs in forever, but dislike remains nonetheless. Looking for a little payback for the 5-0 thrashing they were given in October, the Blues set out to make the entire 60 minute affair as tight and chippy as possible (without crossing the proverbial line).

The style of game was a total 180 degree flip from the Islanders & Penguins game show on Versus the night before. If Tuesday’s game was like the trench warfare of WWI then Monday’s was Blitzkrieg.

If all’s fair in war, did Doughty not care that he was taking a risk to send a message? “You can’t beat us and to rub it in even more, eat boards and Plexiglas…”? If that’s not the case, then the hit walks like a duck, quack like a duck, but is actually a chicken.

Yeah, I don’t buy that. I doubt Shanahan will either.

If this hit was made in the first or second period, nothing likely comes of the play other than a phone call talking to. Maybe a fine for risky behavior. But with the game basically decided it’s a perilous hit that shouldn’t be made. Those are one of many that the league wants out of the game.

Given Chris Stewart’s suspension as a first time offender whose dangerous hit didn’t lead to injury, Doughty should expect missing the next 2-3 games. Then again, Stewart was given strict punishment by the officials; a 5 minute major and a 10 minute misconduct. The initial response does carry weight.

Agree or disagree? Put your Shanaban predictions in the comments.

Update: The NHL has fined Doughty $2,500 for the hit on Oshie. No suspension.

Jaroslav Halak gets the nod against the LA Kings Tuesday night.

Bluenotes is a (sometimes daily) dose of news and views from around St. Louis Blues Nation and the NHL beyond.

- – -

Blues News

According to Tom Casey of 101 ESPN Radio, Jaroslav Halak will start in goal for the Blues tonight. He adds that TJ Oshie (wrist) will play and Carlo Colaiacovo (hamstring) will not.

Lou Korac tweets Jonathan Bernier will start for the Kings.

Belleville News-Democrat scribe Norm Sanders talks David Perron and full contact practices.

Forward Alex Steen joined The Morning After crew on Fan 590 AM today for some puck talk in segment 5.

Joe Yerdon of NBC Sports’ Pro Hockey Talk previews tonight’s game on Versus which happens to be the Kings against the Blues. Remember: Game time is 6:30 pm Central, not 7:00pm. Coverage is on Versus, not Fox Sports Midwest.

Head coach Ken Hitchcock talks to the media after this morning’s optional pre-game skate. Topics include Perron, Sidney Crosby, Colaiacovo, Andy McDonald, Alex Steen and Halak. Hitch also talks about coaching against LA bench boss Terry Murray.

Rivermen News

Rivs play by play voice Brenden Burke tweets that who will be the player guest on the next edition of RadioActive.

Just confirmed that Jonathan Cheechoo will be our guest on Rivermen #RadioActive tomorrow at Generations in Canton. @icetimecleve

An interesting stat tweet from Peoria Jounral-Star beat writer Dave Eminian…

Rivermen’s Hensick, Sterling 1-2 in AHL scoring race. First time PEO has held top two spots in its 30-year franchise history

NHL News

Friend of the blog, Brian Metzer, has an excellent writeup on the return of Sid the Kid. [From the Point] Metzer will also make an appearance on the RLD Hockey Talk podcast which records today at 1pm. [@RLDHockey]

Want to know more about the Washington Capitals. Read this. [View From My Seats]

It’s garbage antics like this that remind me why I will not take my daughter to a Blues/Blackhawks game any time soon.

In case you missed it last night, Carolina Hurricanes phenom Jeff Skinner netted an amazing goal on the Philadelphia Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov last night.

VS

(2-2-0)

AT

Game Time 9:30 Central Time

Media Coverage: RADIO- KMOX 1120 AM

TV- FSMW

 Team Recap - The rain is steadily falling here in St. Louis. One could almost discern a correlation between today’s gloominess and the feelings that some Blues fans are already having this season. Coming out of the gate at 2-3-0 with some very sloppy and bottom of the barrel special teams play has left some of us scratching our heads. Poor zone clearing on the PK and an inability to put pucks in the net on what has been many PP chances thus far in the season are a few things that Davis Payne has made clear this week that MUST improve and in a hurry. With Andy Mcdonald now headed to the IR(Blues on the IR) after suffering a concussion in the game against Dallas, this week the Blues are counting on some of the depth they added this off season to pull them through an already injury riddled first 5 games of the season. It will be a test to see if Blues GM Doug Armstrong has put together a unit that can withstand some tests in the early going and get the necessary wins to see them through until all the troops come back healthy.

Chris Stewart- TSN Photography

Blues Keys to the Game- The St. Louis Blues will come into LA looking to get their power play jump-started. The Blue Note will need a solid contribution from the man advantage this season to help them to beat their opponents when they make mistakes. If you can not convert your PP you will have a tough time in the new NHL winning games. With teams like Detroit and Chicago in your division, it’s easy to see why a PP problem becomes such a large issue. The Blues need to get the big bodies of Chris Stewart, Jason Arnott, and David Backes in front of Jonathan Quick tonight and take away his ability to see the shots coming in. The physical presence in front of the net has thus far been absent in the play this season. It is time to get back to basic, simple hockey. This team needs to be physical and dominate the opponent with size and tip ins to be effective. The Blues need the “dirty goals” more than ever as their ability to dangle is not seen throughout the entire line up as consistently as some of the highly skilled offenses in the league. With a PK that is dead last in the NHL, the Blues need some serious love and attention in this area. The guys in front of Halak are doing a abysmal job of clearing pucks away from the crease and an even more atrocious job at getting the puck out of the zone. I can’t tell you how many goals have been scored this season against the boys in the Blue Note this year due to lack of clearing pucks. Tonight the Blues will look to put up early goals on Quick and get him out of his rhythm. If Jonathan Quick finds his game early it may be hard for the blues to solve him.

Tonight’s Lines/Defensive Pairings:

According to Jeremy Rutherford, we can expect to see the following lines tonight:

Forward Lines:

Steen-Backes-Langenbrunner

Oshie-Berglund-Stewart

Sobotka-Arnott-D’Agostini

Grachev-Nichol-Porter

Defensive Pairings:

Huskins-Pietrangelo

Jackman-Shattenkirk

Nikitin-Polak

Starting Goaltender:

Halak

LA Kings Team Recap- The LA Kings started this season in Europe with a game against the New York Rangers where the Kings beat the BlueCoats in a hard fought game 3-2. The following night the Buffalo Sabers took it to the Kings pouncing on them for 4 goals in a 4-2 win. Coming back to the states, the Kings dropped an overtime game to the New Jersey Devils. Finally, in their last game defeated Philly 3-2 in regulation. Highly touted defenseman Drew Doughty left the game against the Flyer’s in the first period with an upper body injury. The Kings official web site is reporting that Doughty has been placed on IR and no time table for return has yet to be given.

LA Kings Keys to the Game- It is fairly simple for LA tonight. Get traffic in front of Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak and take as many shots as you can. LA will also look to capitalize on the weak PK of the Blues tonight. The Kings will need to stay disciplined though. The Blues might be a team in a bit of a confused state at this point. That being said, when they do figure it out and start to click on all cylinders they will be a team that is very hard to contain due to their size and physical work ethic. Look for LA to make a big attempt to get ahead of the Blues early tonight with a lot of offensive zone pressure.

This game should be fast paced and full of a lot of fun play making. The Blues need to step it up tonight and bring home a win tonight to improve their record to 3-3-0. Here in St. Louis, we can hardly afford to let points slip away early in the season causing us a mad dash for a final play off spot at the end. Grab your drinks, pull up a seat, and cheer on our Blues to a face stomping victory tonight!

- – -

Finishing first in the Pacific and second in the Western conference, the San Jose Sharks look like a promising team as they have the past few seasons. The Sharks had some of the more surprising off season moves of the summer in hopes that they can get over that final hill to win it all.

Two big trades with the Minnesota Wild sent Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley packing for returns of Brent Burns and Martin Havlat. With Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton still leading the offense, Havlat will be a nice compliment. Along with Joe Pavelski and rookie of the year nominee, Logan Couture, the Sharks should have little trouble finding the back of the net.

Burns will bolster the blue line for San Jose providing more points from the back. Along with Burns, fellow defenseman Dan Boyle is also capable of contributing. The tandem in net of Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki can suffice for this high powered offense.

Finishing second in the Pacific division and fourth in the Western conference, the Anaheim Ducks were defeated by the Nashville Predators in the conference quarter finals. The 2011-2012 season could likely see another playoff berth for the Ducks.

Dressing one of the most prolific and explosive lines in the NHL, the Ducks are able to compete with any other team. Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan seem to score at will. This is an elite line that can go toe to toe with any other club’s top line. Trying to contain this trio is difficult at the best of times.

The key addition of Andrew Cogliano could be a difference maker. Acquired from Edmonton in a trade, Cogliano provides a scoring touch that Anaheim needs to have a successful season. This move is made even more important due to the unknowns surrounding Teemu Selane. If Selanne retires, there will be many goals left on the table that need to be picked up by someone else on the team. Aging Saku Koivu can help to carry the scoring load and Cogliano can contribute as well

On the blue line, the Ducks are hoping to avoid a sophomore slump from Cam Fowler. His ability to see the ice and set plays up for his offense will be necessary. Along with Fowler, Lubomir Visnovsky had a great season contributing offense from the back end.

Between the pipes, a bizarre vertigo affliction sidelined Jonas Hiller for the end of last season. If Hiller is ready to go the Ducks will win plenty of games. Backing him up is Dan Ellis who is more than a capable for that position but if Ellis is thrown in as a full timer the Ducks could struggle.

Finishing third in the Pacific and sixth in the Western conference, the Phoenix Coyotes may have a rougher season than they had in the 2010-2011 campaign. Almost perfecting the defensive approach has produced wins for this team in the past but that is likely to change.

The key to any defensive team is high quality goaltending. That key was traded away to the Philadelphia Flyers in the off season as one of the more dynamic trades of the summer. Ilya Bryzgalov was the cornerstone of the Coyotes and his departure put a gaping hole in this team’s lineup. His replacement, Mike Smith, is going to have to take his game up a few notches to fill those skates.

The free agent Raffi Torres signed with Phoenix and should fit into the team system well. The veteran presence of Shane Doan and Ray Whitney is strong and Keith Yandle is a young defenseman that is emerging into one the league’s best. However, for a team that will struggle to score goals they may have a new struggle of preventing goals. With the ownership saga continuing on, the Coyotes may be looking toward a long winter.

Finishing fourth in the Pacific and seventh in the Western conference, the Los Angeles Kings have a strong young core with complimenting veterans that could provide an exciting season.

Two of those young skaters are both defenseman. Jack Johnson Drew Doughty are holding down the blue line in LA with a force while putting in respectable points. Boosting these budding stars in the back end are veterans Rob Scuderi and Willie Mitchell who will balance out the defense. With strong net minding from Jonathan Quick, the Kings should be solid in their own end.

The downfall of last season may have came with the injury to one of the league’s more underrated stars. When Anze Kopitar went down with a leg injury the cup contenders quickly became playoff filler. But Kopitar has some help in the coming season with the off season trade for Mike Richards who can share the scoring load along with Dustin Brown. The Kings have lost a few goals by trading Ryan Smyth to Edmonton but free agent signing of Simon Gagne can fill in some of those gaps.

Finishing last in the Pacific and ninth in the Western conference, the Dallas Stars just missed the playoffs by a few points. They are hoping to turn a new leaf and make it into the postseason in 2011-2012.

Losing Brad Richards could be a tough shot for any team to take. But the Stars can overcome that loss with the acquisition of Stanley Cup champion Michael Ryder and the continued development of Jamie Benn who has two solid NHL seasons under his belt. Fellow forwards Loui Eriksson and Brendan Morrow have the scoring touch necessary to keep this team competitive but it may not be enough for the ultra competitive Western conference.

The Stars are relying on Alex Goligoski to produce on defense since they will get little offense from the other defenseman. Unless Sheldon Souray can help production, the Stars defense is not likely to provide too many points.

Kari Lehtonen will have to be as good if not better to for the Stars to break into the playoffs. Lehtonen posted 34 wins last season and if he can raise his save percentage Dallas will be in much better shape for the upcoming season.

Stay tuned for more divisional previews coming soon.

The NHL announced the 2011-12 season National TV schedule today.

Apparently the fuzzy attendance figures and surging local TV ratings were enough to overcome five finishes out of the playoff picture in the last six seasons and the lack of a marketable star player. The St. Louis Blues have been tapped for eight scheduled appearances on Versus and even a Sunday matchup on NBC.

Here’s the sked:
VS 11/22: LA @ St. Louis
VS 12/6: Detroit @ St. Louis
VS 12/26: Dallas @ St. Louis
VS 12/27: St. Louis @ Detroit
VS 1/16: Dallas @ St. Louis
VS 1/23: St. Louis @ Detroit
NBC 2/19: St. Louis @ Chicago
VS 4/4: Detroit @ St. Louis
VS 4/6: Phoenix @ St. Louis

At first glance it appears those outside the Midwest will see really get to see what the Central Division is all about.Five of the nine games are against long standing rivals. The Red Wings are on the docket four times and the Blackhawks once.

If that isn’t enough “Norris” for you, the Dallas Stars (once the Minnesota North Stars), are slated for two contests.

Tangent: I can see the tag line now… “Two Teams Battling…for an Owner”

LA and Phoenix are the odd balls. There is a Doughty v Pietrangelo storyline waiting to develop there. What about Phoenix? Maybe the draw will be “The desert dogs are on the move to Kansas City. The Rivalry starts tonight on the NBC Sports Network!”.

One positive… NO COLORADO!

(EDIT: Forgot to add March 17th, 2012 in Tampa on NHL Network.

There are also four Canadian national games: Nov. 10th vs. Toronto on TSN, Jan. 12th @ Montreal on RDS, Feb. 25th @ Winnipeg on CBC and Feb. 27th @ Calgary on TSN.)

—

On Tuesday over at the Asylum I posted a tweet from the LA Kings official feed about game time changes. After looking over the Blues schedule as the16th I postulated four games besides November 22nd against the Kings as potential national games.

Tues 12-6 vs Detroit
Mon 12-26 vs Dallas
Mon 1-16 vs Dallas
Wed 4-4 vs Detroit

Four for four ain’t too shabby.

In the thread fellow poster djm448 correctly predicted the NBC game. /sticktap

- – -

In Battle David vs. Goliath, David Draws First Blood

| Montreal Canadiens 2 | Boston Bruins 0 |
Montreal Lead 1-0

The last time the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins hooked up the deflated Habs were walloped 7-0 in Beantown. Montreal wouldn’t be fooled twice as they grind out a 2-0 victory.

Habs captain Brian Gionta scored both goals and was set up by Scott Gomez on both occasions. Netminder Carey Price did his best Jaroslav Halak impression and stopped all 31 Bruins shots. Rookie standout PK Subban logged 27:07 TOI, a game high. Ryan White lead all skaters with 7 hits in just 7:51 played.

For a team as physically dominating as the Bruins, they were not so much Thursday night. Only out hitting the Habs 29 to 28. Captain Zdeno Chara lead Boston with 25:06 TOI, but also coughed up two Turnovers. For the game Boston was Minus-12 in Turnover/Takeaway ratio (14 give to 12 take). Vezina candidate Tim Thomas was as good as he could be, stopping 18 of 20 Montreal shots. Boston just had no answer for Price.

The power play was a negative factor for the Bruins. Going 0-for-3 on the night. An area Tomas Kaberle was brought in at the deadline to provide a boost. His biggest impact was a Minus-2. The same can be said of Denis Siedenberg.

A Tale of Opposites Continues

| Buffalo Sabres 1 | Philadelphia Flyers 0 |
Buffalo Lead 1-0

The Buffalo Sabres surged in to the playoffs with an 8-1-1 record in the final 10 games of the regular season. The Philadelphia Flyers limped in with a record of 3-4-4 in their last 10. Both trends continued Thursday night.

US Olympic hero and Buffalo’s start player, Goaltender Ryan Miller, rose to the occasion. Stopping all 35 Flyers attempts on net. Besides Miller, not much else tilted in favor of the Sabres. They yielded 5 power plays, 13 giveaways, lost 30 of 26 draws, was out hit 40 to 36 and out shot 25 to 35. That said, they did kill off all five man advantages with Chris Butler and Paul Gaustad leading the way with a combined shorthanded TOI of 11:05. Butler lead all skaters in TOI with 26:04.

James van Riemsdyk lead the way for the Flyers and even without a point he was named the Star of the Game. In 18:29 TOI he registered 6 shots, 2 hits and a takeaway. Andrej Meszaros lead all Flyers skaters with 25:24 TOI. Captain Mike Ricahrds and sniper Jeff Cater combined for 8 shots on goal and 8 misses. Rookie netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 of 25 Sabres shots in his first career playoff appearance.

Another recurring trend, failure to score on the man advantage, cost the Flyers the game. The 19th rated power play unit in the regular season couldn’t muster a goal in 5 power play opportunities.

A Late Night in the Shark Tank

| LA Kings 2 | San Jose Sharks 3 | OT |
San Jose Lead 1-0

It took a foray in to extra periods to get a winner in San Jose, but the Sharks came out on top of the LA Kings 3-2 thanks to LITTLE Joe Pavelski. The US Olympians first of this post season at the 14:44 mark sent many puckheads of to bed a little later than normal.

Besides Pavelski, a couple other Sharks forwards got in on the action. Rookie sensation Logan Couture scored what was the go ahead goal at the 10:23 mark of the second period. Canadian Olympian and All Star Sniper Dany Heatley opened the scoring in the first period. Power Forward Ryane Clowe received an assist on all three tallies. Dan Boyle posted a game high 35:00 TOI with 4 shots, 4 blocks and two takeaways. Antti Niemi showed why he will prove this second season that his run in Chicago was no fluke. He stopped 33 of 35 Kings attempts on goal.

The Kings didn’t fall short due to not trying, but the inability to score more than two goals is a legitimate concern. Good news was their power play did strike in one of its three chances. Captain Dustin Brown started the scoring in the second period with a game tying PPG. Justin Williams had the second tying goal. Drew Doughty lead all Kings skaters with 30:27 TOI. Dustin Penner was a disappointing Minus-2 while skating in only 13:59 Even Strength TOI (15:46 total). Jonathan Quick stopped 42 of 25 Sharks shots.

The questionable play of the night falls on Jarret Stoll of the LA Kings. His blindside, head targeted hit on Sharks defenseman Ian White should leave no question of supplementary discipline. Stoll had a phone hearing with the NHL Friday and has been suspended for one game. Video below.