In typical Philadelphia hard-nosed hockey style, the Flyers managed to claw out a win at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Philadelphia Flyers avoided elimination, scoring three times in the first period in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final at the Wachovia Center.

Pittsburgh spotted Philly a 3-0 lead that lasted until the third period when Jordan Staal and his Easton Stealth S17 took over! Staal managed to pot two goals in the final frame, both assisted by linemates Tyler Kennedy and Max Talbot, but it was too little too late for the Penguins. This was a gutsy performance turned in by Staal, who just returned from Thunder Bay after attending funeral services for his grandfather.

Where Were Crosby and Malkin?

Evgeni Malkin was a dominate force early in the series, but if you watched game four with your television muted, you would swear Malkin was in the press box with Gary Roberts and his flu bug!

Sidney Crosby had a decent game, but was mentally beaten by Mike Richards, who was successful in agitating Crosby almost from the drop of the puck. It was clear that Sid had lost his focus and was unable to dominate the play as he had in game three. A prudent fan will also notice that Crosby tends to whine to the officials more often and will get involved in unnecessary shoving matches after the whistle when he is mentally off of his game. There is no better evidence of this fact than watching the tape of last night’s game four.

Here is what Sidney had to say following the game:

“We really believed we’d come back here tonight,” said Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who was held pointless. “We came up a little short. But you never want to put yourself behind the eight ball like that.

Richards Plays Both Sides

I have been extremely impressed with the play adn the character of Mike Richards throughout these playoffs. He has had some very clutch performances offensively and game four proves that he can play just as well in a defensive role. What a great all around player!

Here is what fuels the fire for Richards:

“It is frustrating to hear Pittsburgh this and Pittsburgh that,” said Flyers captain Mike Richards. “We have a good team in here and we wanted to come out and prove it tonight.”

A class act and a great player.

Looking to Game Five

It will be interesting to see if the young Penguins can find their killer instinct and finish off the Flyers in game five, or if this was just the momentum boost that the Flyers needed to start a rally in this series.

I’m not going to sit here and proclaim that after one victory, the Dallas Stars are back in the series with the Detroit Red Wings, but the Stars’ “stars” finally showed up.

I’d like to introduce Detroit fans to a few of the Dallas players that they had not seen in the first three games of this series.

Red Wings, I’d like you to meet my good friends Mike Modano, Brendan Morrow and Marty Turco - glad you could join us fellas!

I believe that prior to Game #4, Dalls Observer scribe Richie Witt said it best:

Admit it. The Stars are out of ideas, out of gas and out of the series.

Morrow hasn’t been a factor, Modano’s been a ghost, defenseman Matt Niskanen has coughed up a couple of costly gaffes and, most damaging, Turco has been average. When the Stars have needed him to stand on his head, he’s again fallen on his face against Detroit.

I’m certainly glad that Dallas decided to make an effort to win one game, otherwise my prediction that this series would go seven games would have looked foolish. At least if the Wings finish the Stars off in five games, I won’t have quite as much egg to wipe from my face.

Marty Turco has to be perfect for the Dallas Stars to have a chance at beating the Detroit Red Wings, that is no secret. However, Dallas is behind the 8-ball and it may be a case of too little too late for the fledgling Texas team.

Noteworthy News

• Team Switzerland forward Paul DiPietro, a former member of the Montreal Canadiens, has five points thus far at the 2008 World Championships.

• If you are looking for some great new hockey gear this summer, check out the best hockey stick reviews and hockey skate reviews on the internet.

• Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn could be cleared to play Game 4 of the NHL Eastern Conference final Thursday after a puck nearly hit his eye on Sunday.

• Sami Lepisto’s goal at 3:59 of overtime led Finland to a 3-2 victory over the United States in the world hockey quarterfinals. IN other news, Derek Roy exploded for three goals and added an assist to propel Canada past Norway 8-2 in the quarterfinals. Canada will face Sweden in the semifinals Friday in Quebec City.

• Scott Mellanby, who played more than 1,400 games with five NHL teams, has been hired as a consultant to rookie Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis.

• One win away from their first Stanley Cup final berth in 16 years, the Pittsburgh Penguins are far removed from Michel Therrien’s famous tirade just two and a half seasons ago. For those of you unfamiliar with Therrien’s remarks, let me refresh your memory:

“It’s a pathetic performance,” Therrien said in a post-game clip that ran all over North American television for days and weeks. “Half of the team doesn’t care. That defensive squad — I am really starting to believe their goal is to be the worst defensive squad in the league. They are doing such a great job to be the worst defensive squad in the league. They turn the puck over. They have no vision. They are soft. I have never seen a bunch of defencemen as soft as this…We should take 50 per cent of their salaries because they play only 50 per cent of the time.”

On that note…enjoy Game #4!

Pittsburgh Versus Philadelphia

Marian Hossa scored twice as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final on Tuesday.

The Flyers, missing two of their best defensemen, were helpless against the speed and skill of the Penguins offensive attack.  To make matters worse on the night, Philadelphia managed just 8 shots over the first two periods.  I’m not sure if they were attempting to lull Marc-Andre Fleury to sleep, but it certainly didn’t work as Fleury stood tall in the third period to secure the win for the Penguins.

1984 Entry Draft Connections

Troy Crosby, Sid’s dad, shared the private box with Mario Lemieux on the night.  Interestingly enough, Lemieux (1st) and Mr. Crosby were both selected in the 1984 NHL Entry draft. The elder Crosby, a goaltender, was selected 240th overall by the Montreal Canadiens.  The Hockey Night in Canada broadcast also mentioned that Gary Roberts (12th), who sat out Game 3 due to illness, and Flyers coach John Stevens (47th) were both selected in the 1984 entry draft as well…small world!

My favorite tidbit about the 1984 draft is the fact that  All-Star Major League pitcher Tom Glavine was selected 69th overall by Los Angeles, five rounds before the Kings picked up ‘Lucky’ Luc Robitaille (171st)!

The Calgary flames also took a chance drafting a “plump” Brett Hull out of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League with their 6th round pick (117th), while the Montreal Canadiens made the best and worst ever draft picks back to back drafting Patrick Roy with the 51st pick followed up by Graeme Bonar with the 54th pick.

Hockey News Briefs

• Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal left Team Canada at the world hockey championship Tuesday following the death of his grandfather.  We wish the Staal family all the best in the coming days as they deal with this tragic loss.

• The NHL’s decision not to suspend Detroit goalie Chris Osgood and Dallas forward Mike Ribeiro was the right move, commissioner Gary Bettman told Hockey Night in Canada Radio on Monday.  Sources say that Bettman was, yet again, oblivious to what was going on and simply agreed in order to keep his job.  Nothing new here.

• The Boston Bruins signed forward Chuck Kobasew to a multi-year contract extension after his highest scoring season in five years in the NHL.  Regardless of this contract, the Bruins best player is still Milan Lucic.

• The San Jose Sharks fired head coach Ron Wilson, and began an immediate search for his new replacement.  I’d like to see Pat Burns get the nod for this job now that he has battled his way back from Cancer.  he’s got some great experience and is currently sharpening his skills with Team Canada.

• The Leafs aren’t the only team interested Nonis, as he continues to be wooed by the Atlanta Thrashers and an unidentified third NHL team that still has a general manager in place. The third team is believed to be the St. Louis Blues.  When are standout minor league managers like Kevin Cheveldayoff from the American Hockey League going to get  a chance? I’d love to see a competent young GM, especially in St. Louis or Phoenix!

Shane Giroux presents his thoughts:

The speculation began even before Quenneville was let go. With Patrick Roy having begun a coaching career, everyone wondered if Roy would ever coach the Colorado Avalanche.

Now that Quenneville is gone, the speculationstartsin earnest as the two most common names being bandied about are renowned 3-time Jack Adams award winning and Stanley Cup winning coach Pat Burns along with one of the most famous - or infamous - goaltenders of all time, Patrick Roy.

Intensity or Illness?

But not only did St. Patrick grow infamous as a goaltender with a penchant for the dramatic and the ability to get in players heads, he has grown infamous behind the bench of the Quebec Remparts.

In his first year coaching the Remparts, Roy led the team to a Memorial Cup championship. It was only the 7th time that a rookie coach has won the Memorial Cup. I was in Quebec the day the team paraded down the streets and you could feel a sense of aura around the team and Patrick. It’s an aura that seems to follow him around like a shadow.

However that aura quickly turned dark the following year as Roy was involved in two incidents which reminded everyone of his quick and fiery temper. Following a game against rival Chicoutimi, a group of Chicoutimi fans swarmed the Remparts bus. Roy got out and in the scuffle was alleged to have struck Chicoutimi co-owner Pierre Cardinal.

Engage The Rage!

Roy stayed on as coach, the media firestorm subsided and the Remparts marched on to the playoffs. Then during a 10-1 beat down at the hands of Chicoutimi, a brawl broke out which saw goaltender Jonathon Roy, Patrick’s son, fly down the ice and attack Chicoutimi’s goaltender, who was not even close to a willing participant. Shortly after the scuffle was broken up, Jonathon flipped off the Chicoutimi crowd.

Why does this reflect poorly on Patrick? Well, it would appear he urged his son on. Watch closely after the ref initially restrains Roy and you’ll see Patrick make a gesture to the effect of “Get the F@*& down there!” The result was a 5-game suspension for the elder Roy and 7 games for junior.

Roy May Be Too Hot To Handle!

Francois Giguere has gone on the record stating the next coach for the Avalanche must be willing to play a high-tempo, puck possession game. It will also need to be someone who will hold players accountable for mistakes and not be so easy-going.*

He has said nothing to the effect of wanting a hot-tempered coach that will need to be handled with kid gloves lest he destroy another office.

*That last part was stated on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada last night and I couldn’t find a clip to share.

What do you think?  Should Patrick Roy be considered for coaching positions  in the National Hockey? League

The CCM Vector U+ Stick is the follow-up to the highly touted CCM U+ Skates and the latest release from the research and design team at CCM. The CCM U+ is the most well balanced composite stick ever produced by the company and features a host of innovative features.

Blade Construction

The newly designed carbon blade is very rigid and yet super light, which makes for an extremely great feel for the puck. The shaft features a 24” taper that increases the ability to “load” energy into the stick, while the hollowpoint system energy transfer sends energy to the player’s hands for increased control.
This technology is what most players are interested in and is identifiable by the partially hollowed out heel of the blade that is colored in white.

Durability

It will be interesting to note how the hollow affects the durability of the stick over the long-term. This technology will lead to just as many, if not more, questions about durability than the holes in the shaft of the RBK 9K O-Tech.

Shaft Features

The shaft also features a new contour that is shaped like the letter “C”. This contour is ergonomically correct, providing better comfort and enhanced stick control. The carbon fibre composite shaft construction is balanced for performance and durability, including a 360 degree woven wrap to increase strength and durability.

Although the CCM U+ stick is lighter and more durable than their previous models, Mission’s use of titanium in their new Ti-Pro stick allows it great durability at under 420 grams.

The CCM U+ stick is also available in a Grip version for those of you who prefer more control. It will ultimately come down to personal preference when comparing CCM U+ Grip to the likes of the Warrior Kronik Nipple Grip or the Vapor XXXX stick.

Where To Buy The CCM U+ Stick

Buy The CCM U+ Stick at Total Hockey.net and get FREE shipping!

For those of you who took in the Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia game on CBC last night, you may have seen an interview of Bobby Clarke during the intermission.

I, for one,  found this interview rather fascinating.  Although I was not totally surprised by Clarke’s candor, I was surprised at some of his answers - particularly with regard to the Toronto General Manager’s job.

Clarke on Game One

“We (Philadelphia) always start a series a little ragged and I think Pittsburgh is ragged too…this is not the type of hockey that will be played throughout this series”

Clarke on Containing Malkin

“You have to get him along the boards and keep him there…if you run at him, you’re going to pay the price”

Clarke on Containing Crosby

“The same thing (as Malkin), he is a guy with a lot of skill that can burn you”

“He seems to like the battles along the boards, he keeps his feet moving”

“He’s a tank, you’re not going to knock him on his rear end”

Clarke on Coaching in The NHL

“You need a different coach in Montreal than you do in Toronto…In Toronto you better be a guy with experience. Montreal is so technically skilled, Carbonneau does a good job”.

“Same thing in Philly, you better be tough because that’s what the people expect”

Clarke on The Maple Leafs General Management Position

“I’d have to talk with Holmgren (et.al), but I’d talk to them”

“I don’t know…you’ve got Cliff Fletcher right there, why not look at Hextall or Nieuwendyk…the young guys who are going to be great General Managers in this league”?

Hextall certainly fits the bill as the tough, no-nonsense, personality required to withstand the scrutiny of the Toronto media spotlight.  He is currently serving as the General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate, Manchester Monarchs, so he does have some experience at the professional level.

Your Take

What do you think?

Is Ron Hextall the upstart General manager that the Maple Leafs need to turn their franchise around?

Or, Do the Leafs need someone with more experience?