Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:19 PM

Canucks, Bruins at top of latest NHL odds

The conference finals are upon us as the chase for the 2011 Stanley Cup has been narrowed dow to four teams. Bodog.com is carrying a wide array of NHL prop odds for the third round of the postseason, and many of those are listed below.

Odds to win the 2011 Stanley Cup
Vancouver Canucks 17/10
Boston Bruins 5/2
San Jose Sharks 3/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 7/2

What will be the Matchup in the Stanley Cup Final?
Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks 9/5
Boston Bruins vs. San Jose Sharks 5/2
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Vancouver Canucks 5/2
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks 7/2

Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Series Price
Boston Bruins -140
Tampa Bay Lightning +120

Exact Series Result
Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 +1600
Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 +800
Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2 +425
Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 +550
Boston Bruins 4-0 +1150
Boston Bruins 4-1 +425
Boston Bruins 4-2 +450
Boston Bruins 4-3 +325

Alternate Series Price
Tampa Bay Lightning+1½ (-180)
Boston Bruins-1½ (+150)

Alternate Series Price
Tampa Bay Lightning-1½(+210)
Boston Bruins+1½ (-270)

Total Games Played In Series
Over Games O 5½ (-190)
Under Games U 5½ (+155)

Total Games Played In Series
4 +550
5 +240
6 +170
7 +165

David Krejci 3rd Round Points vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Over/ Under 4.5

Milan Lucic 3rd Round Points vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Over/ Under 4

Zdeno Chara 3rd Round Points vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
Over/ Under 3

Martin St Louis 3rd Round Points vs. Boston Bruins
Over/ Under 6

Steven Stamkos 3rd Round Points vs. Boston Bruins
Over/ Under 5

Vincent Lecavalier 3rd Round Points vs. Boston Bruins
Over/ Under 4.5

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks

Series Price
Vancouver Canucks -140
San Jose Sharks +120

Exact Series Result
San Jose Sharks 4-0 +1600
San Jose Sharks 4-1 +800
San Jose Sharks 4-2 +425
San Jose Sharks 4-3 +550
Vancouver Canucks 4-0 +1150
Vancouver Canucks 4-1 +425
Vancouver Canucks 4-2 +450
Vancouver Canucks 4-3 +325

Alternate Series Price
San Jose Sharks+1½ (-180)
Vancouver Canucks-1½ (+150)

Alternate Series Price
San Jose Sharks-1½(+210)
Vancouver Canucks+1½ (-270)

Total Games Played In Series
Over GamesO 5½ (-190)
Under Games U 5½ (+155)

Total Games Played In Series
4 +550
5 +240
6 +170
7 +165

Daniel Sedin 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over/ Under 6.5

Henrik Sedin 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over/ Under 6.5

Ryan Kesler 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over/ Under 5

Alexandre Burrows 3rd Round Points vs. San Jose Sharks
Over/ Under 3.5

Joe Thornton 3rd Round Points vs. Vancouver Canucks
Over/ Under 5

Patrick Marleau 3rd Round Points vs. Vancouver Canucks
Over/ Under 4.5

Joe Pavelski 3rd Round Points vs. Vancouver Canucks
Over/ Under 4.5

Dany Heatley 3rd Round Points vs. Vancouver Canucks
Over/ Under 4

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:21 PM

NHL Betting: San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver topped San Jose three times in four regular season meetings.
Unlike the Eastern Conference, the two best teams from the regular season will meet in the NHL’s Western Conference Finals. The series between the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks and second-seeded San Jose Sharks starts Sunday at Rogers Arena.

Game 1 will be aired on Versus at 5:00 p.m. (PT) with the Canucks -160 on the Don Best odds screen and 5½ for the total.

Vancouver and San Jose are both chasing their first Stanley Cup, with the Canucks the only one of the two to win a conference championship in 1982 and 1994. Both teams had been best known for past playoff failures heading into the postseason, and each had to avoid colossal collapses against opponents from the Central Division en route to the Western Conference Finals.

The Sharks looked like they were going to sweep the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year but found themselves fortunate enough to make it back to this round after winning Game 7 on Thursday, 3-2. Six of the seven games in their semifinal series were decided by one goal, and San Jose winger Patrick Marleau failed to register a point until he scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal at 12:13 of the third period in Game 7.

Marleau had tallied 37 points and 36 assists during the regular season and led the team with 73 points, but he struggled against the Red Wings and was even deemed “gutless” by television analyst and former teammate Jeremy Roenick due to his poor play. Roenick later praised Marleau for his Game 7 performance.

Ryane Clowe has stepped up for the Sharks in the playoffs with a team-high 13 points (four goals, nine assists) even though he missed Game 6 with an upper-body injury. Clowe ranked fifth on the team in points during the regular season with 62, behind Marleau, Joe Thornton (70), Joe Pavelski (66) and Dany Heatley (64).

Center Logan Couture has also done a nice job in the postseason with 12 points (tied for a team-high six goals with six assists), which is good for second on the team after finishing with the sixth-most points during the season (56).

The Canucks got their scare in the quarterfinals when the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks took them to overtime in Game 7 after trailing three games to none. Vancouver won the clincher against Chicago and then beat another Central Division team in the semifinals, knocking out the Nashville Predators in six games.

Center Ryan Kesler has been one of the top players in the playoffs for the Canucks, notching a team-high 15 points (five goals and 10 assists). Kesler scored game-winning goals in Games 4 and 5 against Nashville and ranked third in scoring during the regular season behind twin brothers Daniel (104 points) and Henrik (94) Sedin.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff has also provided a spark with nine points (two goals and seven assists), tied for third on the team in the postseason with Henrik and one behind Daniel. Ehrhoff was drafted by San Jose in 2001.

The goaltender matchup in this series is an intriguing one with Antti Niemi trying to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks after getting let go by the Blackhawks in the offseason. Niemi has been shaky at times but still has the experience of winning the Cup to draw on from last year.

Niemi faced 40 shots or more in four of the last five games against Detroit, but was officially 2-3 in that series.

Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo has been scrutinized in the past for not winning the big game or series, but this year has been a different story. After getting benched in Game 6 vs. Chicago, Luongo turned in a brilliant performance in Game 7 and carried that through against the Predators.

He allowed two goals or less in six of his last seven games but is 7-10-1-2 lifetime against San Jose with a 2.77 goals against average. Niemi owns a losing career record against the Canucks as well, going 2-4-0-1 in seven games with a 3.26 GAA.

The Sharks have won 11 of the last 16 meetings with Vancouver but lost three of four to the Canucks in the 2010-11 regular season. Three of the most recent meetings were decided by just one goal, including the past two in shootouts. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

The Canucks are the 150 favorites to win this series with the Sharks +135. Vancouver is favored to eventually lift the Cup on the newly-adjusted futures prices, the Canucks priced at +170 with San Jose +300.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:23 PM

Eastern Conference Final

May 10, 2011

No. 3 Boston Bruins vs. No. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning

Series Price: Boston -135, Tampa Bay +115

Series Format: Boston, 2-2-1-1-1

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISONS
TEAM SU PUCK LINE HOME AWAY OVER/UNDER
54-27-12 50-43 28-12-6 26-15-6 51-40-3
54-28-11 46-47 26-15-6 28-13-5 36-46-11

2010-11 Head to Head Meetings
Date Results Total
3/3/11 Tampa Bay 1 @ Boston 2 (-200) UNDER 5.5
12/28/10 Boston 4 (+105) @ Tampa Bay 3 OVER 5.5
12/2/10 Tampa Bay 1 @ Boston 8 (-155) OVER 5.5
11/22/10 Boston 1 @ Tampa Bay 3 (+115) UNDER 5.5

Skinny: There really can’t be too much surprise in that these two teams are in the Eastern Conference Final. What was a shock is how they ran roughshod through the second round of the playoffs.

I had Tampa Bay getting knocked out in five games against the Capitals, only to watch them sweep the Eastern Conference’s top see onto the golf course. And don’t make the mistake that this was a fluke finish as the Lightning dominated every aspect of this series. Hell, they trailed for just 26 minutes, 15 seconds to Washington in the second round.

What has helped the Lightning make it to their second Stanley Cup Semifinals appears is that they are getting offensive help from several players. They are the only team in the postseason that can boast four different skaters with double-digit points. Martin St. Louis is having his best playoff run since the championship run of 2004, scoring six goals and assisting on seven others. Vincent Lecavalier has also come up large with five goals and seven assists. Steven Stamkos (4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points) is performing well in his first playoff run. But the Conn Smythe candidate for Tampa Bay is Sean Bergenheim right now. Bergenheim has 14 goals during the regular season, but has exploded for seven lamp lighters in 11 playoff games.

Tampa Bay has been strong on the power play, converting 26.7 percent of the time in the playoffs. They’ve also been strong when killing penalties, giving up just three power play goals in 54 chances. A lot of that defensive success has to do with Dwayne Roloson coming up huge. The one-time Islander has the best goals against average (2.01) of any netminder in the playoffs and is the tops save percentage (.967) as well.

Boston knows a thing or two about exquisite goaltending with Tim Thomas roaming between the pipes. Thomas is rocking a 2.03 GAA and is stopping 94 percent of the shots on goal he has seen from the Habs and Flyers.

The Bruins’ offense is doing their level best in helping out Thomas by attacking with blind abandon. They’re second only to Tampa Bay with 37 goals in 11 postseason contests. Brad Marchand, David Krejci and Nathan Horton all have five goals so far. But there is a lot of concern with Patrice Bergeron going out for the first two games (and potentially longer) with a mild concussion. Losing Bergeron is a big deal because he has been dishing the puck to the tune of a team-high 10 assists.

One thing that Bergeron couldn’t help with while healthy was the woes the B’s have had on special teams…particularly on the advantage. Boston scored two power play goals against the Flyers, bringing its special teams up to 2-for-37 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Gambling Notes: Boston controlled the season series, going 3-1 in the four games. However, they only played once in 2011 with the B’s taking that game 2-1 on March 3. The home team has gone 7-3 straight up and on the puck line in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.

Tampa Bay has been a great road pup as of late, going 6-1 SU and PL in its last seven games in this role. The ‘over’ is 4-3 in that stretch. If you just search for the Lightning as road ‘dogs against Northeast Division foes, you’ll see that they’re on an 0-4 SU and 2-2 slide.

The B’s are almost automatic as home faves against Southeast Division clubs, evidenced by a 9-1 SU and 5-5 PL this season. The ‘under’ was a highly profitable 8-2 in those tests as well.

Outlook: These two teams have had a long time to get healthy for this series after their respective second round sweeps. This was huge for Boston in hopes of getting Bergeron for at least some of this series, but I’m not as optimistic as they are for a return to the ice. That will make life on the attack a little worse for the wear, and puts a lot more pressure on Tim Thomas. Although I do believe Thomas is one of the few goaltenders that welcome that type of challenge.

I figured that Tampa Bay would need to get contributions from more than just the usual suspects. Through two playoff series, the Lightning are getting exactly that. The depth at which they’re finding the back of the net will help negate a better defensive unit like the Bruins have at their disposal.

This will be a tough series between teams that both have legitimate championship chances. We’ve seen the Lightning take on a Washington side that dominated them in the regular season and tear them apart in four straight. I don’t see that happening here with the Bruins, but I do believe that Tampa Bay will continue to get the scoring help in this series. I also fully expect Roloson to match Thomas.

Boston may have the home ice advantage, but that has meant nothing in the playoffs. And we can ask the B’s how well it worked for them against the Habs. It’s not going to help here against the Lightning, who will win a spot in the Stanley Cup Final in six games.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:26 PM

Western Conference Final

May 13, 2011

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 2 San Jose Sharks

Series Price: Vancouver -145, San Jose +125

Series Format: Vancouver, 2-2-1-1-1

HEAD TO HEAD COMPARISONS
TEAM SU PUCK LINE HOME AWAY OVER/UNDER
54-30-9 53-42 29-14-5 27-16-4 48-42-5
62-22-11 44-51 31-11-6 31-11-5 39-51-4

2010-11 Head to Head Meetings
Date Results Total
3/1/11 Vancouver 5 (+110) @ San Jose 4 in SO OVER 5.5
1/20/11 San Jose 2 (+145) @ Vancouver 1 in SO UNDER 5.5
1/3/11 Vancouver 4 (+120) @ San Jose 3 OVER 5.5
11/26/10 San Jose 1 @ Vancouver 6 (-130) OVER 5.5

Skinny: One perennial choke artist is about to have a real shot at hockey’s Holy Grail. It’s just a matter of seeing San Jose or Vancouver taking claim of the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl.

The Sharks are making their second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Semifinals after getting past Los Angeles in the first round and surviving a late surge by Detroit in the second round. San Jose has been able to make it to this point because of a total team effort. Ryane Clowe (4 goals, 9 assists, 13 points) leads four skaters with double-digit points in the playoffs for the Sharks. And nine different players have found the back of the net at least twice against in 13 postseason matches, with Devin Setoguchi and Logan Couture both lighting the lamp six times.

San Jose has also been getting quality goaltending out of Antti Niemi in the playoffs. Niemi isn’t the sexiest goalie left playing for the Stanley Cup, but he is the only one that has never lost a postseason series. We can’t forget that he guided the Blackhawks to the championship last year, which included a second round triumph over Vancouver. Niemi has had to stand on his head at time during the playoffs (especially against the Red Wings), which has made his stats look a tad unsavory with a 3.01 goals against average and .910 save percentage.

The main sticking point for the Sharks in the playoffs is that they are not very good on special teams right now. San Jose converted 13.7 of its power plays into goals. However, they did go 5-for-28 against the normally defensively sound Red Wings.

Vancouver finds itself in the Western Conference Final for the first time since 1994. The road for the Canucks has not been paved with gold by getting fierce tests from Chicago in the opening round and Nashville in the conference semis.

The Canucks making it to this point is almost a surprise because Daniel and Henrik Sedin have looked more at home on a milk carton than the ice. The twins accounted for three goals and six assists in their first three playoff games. Since then, they’ve scored four goals and six helpers. Their disappearance has shown just how important was for Ryan Kesler to regain his scoring touch. And regain it he did against the Predators, lighting the lamp five times and helping out on six other goals.

The offensive play from Kesler is helping make Roberto Luongo look even better. Luongo has a 2.25 GAA and a .920 save percentage, which is great. But I can’t help but believe that those numbers were augmented by facing a Nashville side that has no scoring depth. That lack of scoring from the Preds extended to the penalty kill, allowing just one power play goal in their 21 tries in the second round.

Gambling Notes: One thing that caught gamblers that backed the Canucks off guard in the series with Nashville is that they couldn’t win at home. That shouldn’t surprise us too much right now as Vancouver is 2-3 in its last five playoff home games.

Why bring that sluggish play up at Rogers Arena? Because the head-to-head meetings between the Sharks and Canucks have seen the road team post a 3-1 record this season. Those three victories have come in 2011. The ‘over’ also went 3-1 in those tests as well.

While the Sharks had a tough time eliminating Detroit in the second round, they have a much better killer instinct than Vancouver. The Canucks have had six games in the playoffs this year to eliminate their opponents, they are 2-4 straight up and 0-6 on the puck line. So keep that in mind if Vancouver finds itself in a spot to clinch the series.

San Jose will most definitely be an underdog when they hit the road in this series. The Sharks are just 11-10 SU as road pups against Western Conference foes. They do cover the spread well though, evidenced by a 13-8 PL mark in those games. That includes by current 5-1 PL streak leading into the Western Conference Final.

The Canucks haven’t had many issues with teams out of the Pacific Division. Vancouver has gone 13-7 SU and 11-9 PL during the 2010-2011 campaign.

Outlook: It’s nice to see the cream of the crop make it to this level of the playoffs, but they’ve both nearly committed the ultimate choke job.

Vancouver was lucky enough to have its near collapse happen in the first round, while the Sharks are coming off of their own personal hell against Detroit in the conference semifinals.

I want to say that San Jose is going to get the win in this series, but that was a very tough series they just got through with the Red Wings. Now they’re taking on a Vancouver team that goes two lines deep in scoring. That’s a lot to ask of any team after such a second round battle.

The only thing I can say about the Canucks in this spot is that they lack the killer instinct that I’ve seen out of the other three teams remaining the hunt for the ultimate pimp chalice. Couple that with the lack of quality out of the Sedin twins and I’ve got some serious issues with Vancouver being able to make it through this round with just Kesler rolling.

Given all that information, I’m inclined to take the Sharks in making their first Stanley Cup Final in six games.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:28 PM

Playoff Results - Conference Finals

May 13, 2011

Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Saturday May 14, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Sunday May 15, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Tuesday May 17, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Wednesday May 18, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Thursday May 19, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Friday May 20, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Saturday May 21, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Sunday May 22, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Monday May 23, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Tuesday May 24, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Wednesday May 25, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Thursday May 26, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Friday May 27, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Saturday May 28, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Winners in BOLD

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:31 PM

Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Boston vs. Tampa Bay

BOSTON BRUINS (3rd seed, East)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 46-25-11

2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Montreal 4-3 in conference quarterfinals; defeated Philadelphia 4-0 in conference semifinals

(Sports Network) - With the worst playoff collapse in club history avenged, the Boston Bruins are now free to focus on winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship since 1972.

The Bruins have made it to the conference finals for the first time since 1992 after falling one win short of reaching this stage a year ago. Boston held a 3-0 lead in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia, but allowed the Flyers to win four straight games and become just the third team in NHL history to take a series after trailing three-games-to-none.

After getting payback for that bit of sordid postseason history with a sweep against the Flyers this spring, Boston will now face a team it has never battled before in the playoffs -- the Tampa Bay Lightning -- for the right to represent the East in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Boston washed away the bad taste from last spring's playoff exit by simply dominating Philly in the conference semis this time around, sweeping the Flyers in four games and outscoring them by a 20-7 margin over the course of the series.

Despite the short series against the Flyers, Bruins forward David Krejci still managed to record four goals and nine points in the four games. Boston would like its top centerman to be just as productive in this series, especially after fellow pivot Patrice Bergeron suffered what is being called a mild concussion in Game 4 against Philadelphia.

The 25-year-old Bergeron apparently sustained the damage when Flyers forward Claude Giroux hit him in open ice early in the third period of Boston's 5-1 series-clinching victory. Bergeron, who has a history of concussions, may not be ready to start this series and that could mean Tyler Seguin will make his NHL playoff debut in the conference finals.

Seguin was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft and had 11 goals and 11 assists in 74 games as a rookie this year. The 19-year-old has been a healthy scratch for all of Boston's 11 postseason games in 2011.

If Bergeron can't go in Game 1, Seguin is expected to fill the third centerman spot, while Chris Kelly will take over for Bergeron on the second line.

Bergeron is leading all Bruins with 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in this year's playoffs. Krejci, Brad Marchand and Nathan Horton are all tied for the club lead with five goals apiece.

Boston is averaging 3.36 goals per game in this year's playoffs, placing them third behind Tampa Bay and Detroit. The Bruins have also allowed just 24 goals in 11 games this postseason, tying them with the Lighting for the NHL lead with just 2.18 goals surrendered per game.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas has a lot to do with Boston's stingy play this postseason, as does the sturdy defensive corps, which is led by Norris Trophy finalist Zdeno Chara.

Thomas, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2009 and is a finalist for the award again this year, is 8-3 with a 2.03 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in 11 playoff games this spring. The 37-year-old set an NHL record with a .938 save percentage over 57 games during the regular season.

Chara, Boston's captain, is a mammoth weapon on the blue line for the Bruins and he is leading the club with a plus-11 rating this postseason. He also has two goals and two assists.

Johnny Boychuk also has two goals from the back end for Boston, while Dennis Seidenberg is leading the Bruins defensemen with six points on one goal and five assists. Andrew Ference also has one goal and four helpers.

Boston's biggest concern heading into the conference finals is the club's inability to score consistently on the power play. The Bruins are just 2- for-37 in the postseason with the man advantage, but both of those goals came in the final two games against Philadelphia.

The Bruins have been in the middle of the pack in terms of killing off penalties in these playoffs. Boston has yielded eight power-play goals on 41 chances (80.5 percent).

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (5th seed, East)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 46-25-11

2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Pittsburgh 4-3 in conference quarterfinals; defeated Washington 4-0 in conference semifinals

(Sports Network) - The only other time the Tampa Bay Lightning made it to the Eastern Conference finals they went on to win the franchise's only Stanley Cup title.

Guy Boucher is hoping he can repeat that pattern of success for the Bolts this spring.

Just by getting into the second round of the playoffs, Tampa Bay has ensured itself of its best playoff run since winning it all in 2004. After sweeping top-seeded Washington in Round 2, the 2011 Lightning have claimed at least the second-best postseason in club history.

Boucher, a rookie NHL coach, helped his troops frustrate Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in the conference semifinals. The Lightning made a habit out of taking the early lead and holding on for close wins in claiming all four meetings. Overall, Tampa outscored the Caps by a meager 16-10 margin over the four contests.

Of course, Tampa's loaded offensive attack is the club's strong suit, but Boucher also has his club playing excellent team defense, especially after they have taken the lead. Overall, the Bolts have surrendered 24 goals in 11 playoff games this spring.

The Lightning have also exploded for 38 goals in those 11 postseason tests, averaging a playoff-best 3.46 goals per game.

Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, who were both big parts of Tampa's championship team in 2004, have been Tampa's most lethal offensive weapons during the current playoff run.

St. Louis is tops on the team this spring with 13 points and is second in goals with six. Lecavalier has added five goals and seven assists

While the offensive production from St. Louis and Lecavalier is expected, Tampa is also getting scoring from some more unlikely sources on its third line. Sean Bergenheim is pacing the club with seven goals and his linemate Steve Downie is tied for second on the team with 12 points (2g, 10a). Third- line centerman Dominic Moore also has two goals and six assists.

Second-line centerman Steven Stamkos, however, has been somewhat of a disappointment so far in the playoffs. After finishing second in the NHL with 45 goals and fifth in the league with 91 points during the regular season, Stamkos has just six points (4g, 2a) in the playoffs.

Stamkos' linemate Teddy Purcell has one goal and 10 assists, while fellow winger Simon Gagne has two goals and five helpers. All of Gagne's point came in the first round win over Pittsburgh, as he suffered a concussion in Game 1 against Tampa and missed the remainder of the series.

Gagne hasn't played since April 29, but he is expected to be ready for the opener of the conference finals.

Outside of the club's loaded offensive arsenal, goaltender Dwayne Roloson has been Tampa's strongest asset in this postseason. The 41-year-old was acquired by Lightning GM Steve Yzerman in a trade with the New York Islanders in January and has paid dividends for his new club.

Roloson is 8-3 with a 2.01 GAA and a .941 save percentage in this postseason and has won seven straight decisions since Tampa fell behind three-games-to- one in the opening round against Pittsburgh.

Some of Yzerman's other key moves since taking over as GM last spring have come while tinkering with the defensive corps. The biggest addition has been Eric Brewer, who was acquired in a trade with St. Louis before the deadline in February. Brewer is leading all Tampa blueliners with six points on one goal and five assists.

Pavel Kubina, a member of the Lightning's lone championship team, signed a two-year deal to return to Tampa in the offseason and has two goals and one assist in eight postseason games this year. However, Kubina missed the final three tilts of the Washington series with a head injury and is questionable for the start of the conference finals.

Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund are minutes eaters for the Lightning and the defensemen have three and two points, respectively, in this postseason.

The Lightning have been deadly on the power play in the playoffs, scoring 12 times on 45 opportunities with the man advantage for a 26.7 percent success rate.

Tampa's success on special teams has also carried over to the penalty kill, stopping the opposition from scoring on the man advantage 51 out of 54 times (94.4 percent) this postseason.

MATCHUP

The Bruins have lost their last two trips to the conference finals since the club last made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1990. Tampa. meanwhile, won a title the only other time it made it past the second round.

Although these clubs have never met in the postseason, the Bruins did take three out of four from Tampa Bay this year and outscored the Lightning by a combined 15-8 margin. The Bolts' lone victory came in the season-series opener in Tampa on Nov. 22.

Thomas was 3-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .950 save percentage in three games against the Lightning this season. Roloson did not face the Bruins with either the Islanders or Lightning this year, but he is 5-2-2 with a 1.97 GAA and a .941 save percentage in nine career tests against them.

Both of these clubs are extremely hot entering this round. Boston has won eight of nine since falling behind 2-0 in the opening round against Montreal, while the Lightning have won seven straight.

Tampa has the edge on offense, while Boston boasts the stronger defensive corps and a slight advantage in goal. Although both clubs were able to make quick work of their opposition in Round 2 this series should give the Bruins and Lightning everything they can handle.

Expect Boston's experience to win out in the end as the B's use home-ice advantage to take what should be a tight series.

Sports Network predicted outcome: Bruins in 7

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:33 PM

Bruins shorthanded heading into East Final

Toronto, Canada (Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992, but they're preparing to face the Tampa Bay Lightning without one of their biggest stars.

Reports say Patrice Bergeron will likely miss Game 1 when it goes this Saturday in Boston because of a mild concussion suffered in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers. And while there's been no confirmation regarding his status for the rest of the series, considering the uncertain nature of concussion recovery, the Bruins are re- tooling the roster in preparation for life without their best face-off man.

Team doctors will continue to keep a close eye on the Bruins' post-season scoring leader, but he will have to remain symptom-free before he's given the final word on his status going forward. In the meantime, first-year center Tyler Seguin will replace Bergeron in the lineup.

After being a healthy scratch for the entire post-season, Seguin will make his NHL playoff debut on the third line, while Chris Kelly will move to Bergeron's second line between Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi.

It's an exciting time for Bruins fans as they will get to see what the second- overall pick in the 2010 draft can do in a high-pressure playoff atmosphere. The 19-year-old struggled to produce in the regular season and will need to step up in a big way if Boston plans on getting past the Lightning.

Shedding their underdog label by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay is favored by many to march all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. And with 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson looking like the same guy who led an unlikely Edmonton Oilers squad to the Finals in 2006, they have the goaltending to do it.

The Bruins may have taken the regular season series from the Lightning 3-1, but Roloson didn't play in any of those games. After General Manager Steve Yzerman picked up the veteran goaltender, to shore up a shaky tandem of Dan Ellis and Mike Smith, the Lightning have been a completely different team.

With role-players such as Sean Bergenheim, Dominic Moore and Steve Downie currently forming the most potent third line in hockey, Tampa has better scoring depth than the Bruins. Bergenheim leads the Bolts with seven goals, Downie is tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 points, and Moore has eight points.

The production has helped pick up the slack for Steven Stamkos and Ryan Malone who have been quiet, and also made the absence of the injured Simon Gagne less of an issue. Yzerman did say on Wednesday that Gagne could be back as early as Game 1 from an undisclosed injury and that would add yet another offensive weapon to the Bolts impressive attack that includes veterans Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier.

While the Bruins may not have the offensive horsepower to match the Lightning, they will bring a tougher defensive core and a goaltender capable of matching Roloson save for save. With Vezina nominee Tim Thomas between the pipes and Zdeno Chara clogging up prime real estate in front of the net, the Lightning forwards will not have it easy.

The Bruins are also the best 5-on-5 team in the playoffs, averaging 2.38 more even-strength goals than they are giving up. A statistic that could help balance out the special teams advantage held by Tampa Bay, which is chugging along with a 94.4% penalty kill and a 26.7% power play.

This will be a tight series, but the Lightning's blend of impressive youngsters and hardened veterans could tip the scales in their favor.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:35 PM

Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Vancouver vs. San Jose

VANCOUVER CANUCKS (1st seed, West)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 54-19-9

2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Chicago 4-3 in conference quarterfinals; defeated Nashville 4-2 in conference semifinals

(Sports Network) - It has been a long and trying road back to the conference finals for the Canucks franchise. Now that Vancouver has moved past the second round for the first time in 17 years, the club would like to make it a worthwhile trip.

The Canucks entered this postseason as the top seed in the West and also as winners of the Presidents' Trophy, but Vancouver almost didn't survive a big scare in the opening round. Alain Vigneault's team squandered a 3-0 series lead against Chicago in the Western Conference quarterfinals, but the Canucks were able to move onto Round 2 thanks to an overtime victory in a decisive Game 7.

The conference semifinals went a bit smoother for the Canucks, as they ousted Nashville in six games to move one step away from the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1994. Back in '94, Vancouver ousted Toronto for the Western Conference title before losing to the New York Rangers in seven games for the right to lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

Vancouver has been one of the best regular-season clubs for nearly a decade, so it is surprising that it's taken this long for the Canucks to reach the conference final stage for the third time in team history.

The Canucks have averaged slightly over 101 points a season from the 2002-03 campaign through this past year, but Vancouver was 4-5 in playoff series between 2003 and last spring.

Vancouver boasts a deep offense, but goals have not been easy to come by for the Canucks so far in this postseason. Vigneault's squad has recorded 30 goals in 13 games for a pedestrian average of 2.31 tallies per contest. Conversely, Vancouver has surrendered an average of 2.54 goals per game this postseason.

The Canucks best offensive player in Round 2 was Ryan Kesler, who torched the Predators for five goals, including two game-winners, and finished with 11 points over the six games.

Kesler is the spark on Vancouver's potent second line, which also features wingers Mason Raymond and Chris Higgins. The 27-year-old American centerman is leading all Canucks with 15 points (5 goals, 10 assists) in this postseason and is also tops on the team with a plus-six rating.

Raymond and Higgins have five and four points, respectively, in this year's playoffs.

While Kesler's line ended the last round firing on all cylinders, the Canucks' top unit, which features the Sedin twins and Alexandre Burrows, did not have a good series against Nashville. Henrik Sedin led the trio with one goal and three assists, while his brother Daniel and Burrows added three and two points, respectively.

The Sedins have been criticized over and over again for poor playoff performances in the past, but the identical twins could end that talk forever if they can lead the team to glory this spring.

Outside of the top two lines, the health of centerman Mikael Samuelsson is a concern for Vancouver in this series. Samuelsson sat out Game 6 against Nashville with a leg injury and is questionable for the start of the conference finals.

Although Samuelsson has been a disappointment this spring with just one goal and two assists he is still key to Vancouver's depth. He's also been a proven playoff performer in the past for both the Canucks and his former club the Red Wings, who he helped win a Stanley Cup title in 2008.

Vancouver also boasts considerable depth on defense and the club's goaltender Roberto Luongo is one of three finalists for this year's Vezina Trophy.

Vigneault has tons of confidence in his top four defensemen and each of those players is logging over 23 minutes of ice time per game. Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis are getting the most minutes out of that group and are also the steadiest all-around blueliners on the club. Christian Ehrhoff and Alexander Edler, meanwhile, have provided offensive punch from the back end.

Ehrhoff and Edler each have two goals and the former is also second only to Kesler on the team with seven assists this spring. Edler has added four helpers. However, Ehrhoff has a dreadful minus-seven rating this postseason, while Edler is minus-one.

Bieksa is leading Vancouver with 25 minutes, 57 seconds of ice time per game and is boasting a plus-five rating to go with his one goal and three assists. Hamhuis has two assists and a plus-three rating.

Sami Salo, Aaron Rome and Keith Ballard will also fight for time on Vancouver's blue line in this series.

Beside the Sedin twins, nobody in Vancouver has taken more heat for the Canucks' recent playoff disappointments than Luongo. However, the 32-year-old backstop was in good form in Round 2 against Nashville, stopping 153-of-164 shots sent his way for a strong .933 save percentage in the series.

Overall, Luongo is 8-5 with two shutouts and a 2.25 goals-against average in this postseason. He is 25-22 all-time in 47 career postseason contests -- all of which have come during his time in Vancouver.

The Canucks have done a solid job on special teams in the 2011 playoffs, scoring eight times on 36 chances with the man advantage (22.2 percent) and stopping the opposition from getting a goal on 43-of-50 opportunities with the power play.

SAN JOSE SHARKS (2nd seed, West)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD: 48-25-9

2011 PLAYOFFS: Defeated Los Angeles 4-2 in conference quarterfinals; defeated Detroit 4-3 in conference semifinals

(Sports Network) - It was anything but easy; nonetheless, the San Jose Sharks are in the Western Conference finals for a second straight year.

San Jose held a 3-0 lead in the conference semis against Detroit, but the Sharks wasted that cushion and -- just like Vancouver was in the opening round against Chicago -- were forced to take Game 7 against the visiting Red Wings on Thursday. The Sharks posted a 3-2 victory in the decisive contest to eliminate Detroit from the postseason for a second consecutive spring.

The Sharks have never made the Stanley Cup Finals before and they have a dismal 2-8 record in 10 all-time conference finals games. San Jose lost in six games to Calgary in the 2004 West finals and was swept last year by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

San Jose's scoring depth was not evident in last year's conference finals, as the Sharks managed just seven goals over the four losses. The Sharks are averaging 2.92 goals per game in this year's playoffs, recording 38 tallies in 13 tests.

Although the Sharks boast stars like Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau at their disposal, the two most productive forwards for Todd McLellan's club this spring have been the lesser known Ryane Clowe and rookie Logan Couture.

Clowe is a physical player in the power forward mold and he is leading the Sharks this postseason with 13 points on four goals and nine assists. The 28- year-old also has a plus-six rating and 18 penalty minutes in 12 playoff games.

Couture is a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie, but the 22-year-old is in his second NHL postseason. The ninth overall pick of the 2007 draft, Couture had four goals in last year's playoffs. He is second on the club with 12 points this spring and is tied for the team lead with six goals.

Of the stars mentioned above, Thornton is having the best 2011 postseason. San Jose's captain has 11 points and the world-class playmaker has a team-high nine assists. Both of Thornton's goals were game-winners.

Marleau posted the winning tally in Game 7 against Detroit, but that marked his only point of the series. He has three goals and three assists in 13 playoff games this year after notching eight tallies and 13 points over 14 tilts during the 2010 postseason.

Marleau led San Jose in goals (37) and points (73) during the regular season and getting him untracked offensively should be a priority for the Sharks against Vancouver.

Heatley has three goals and five assists this postseason and has yet to record more than one point in any single game. He was third on the team with 26 goals during the regular season.

Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski have been solid contributors this spring and production from them is essential to San Jose's scoring depth. Setoguchi has six goals and two assists in this year's playoffs, while Pavelski has seven points on five goals and two helpers.

The Sharks also boast one of the league's best offensive defenseman in Dan Boyle. The veteran blueliner has 11 points (2g, 9a) this postseason and he is not alone in providing offense from San Jose's back end. Ian White, who was acquired in a trade with Carolina in February, also has seven points on a goal and six assists and has a plus-five rating for the playoffs.

Jason Demers has two goals from the blue line and Niclas Wallin has chipped in one goal and three assists.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic has just one assist in the playoffs, but his shut-down role has led to him logging the second-most minutes on San Jose's blue line this spring. Boyle is first with 25 minutes, 55 seconds per game and Vlasic is next at 21:01.

Antti Niemi has had an up-and-down spring in net for San Jose, but the second- year backstop has still never lost an NHL playoff series. Niemi, who won a Stanley Cup as a rookie goaltender with Chicago last spring, is 6-0 lifetime in postseason series and has a 23-11 mark in playoff games.

The 27-year-old Finnish backstop did show a marked improvement in San Jose's last series after having a dismal showing in Round 1 against Los Angeles.

Niemi was 3-2 with a lofty 3.99 goals-against average and a simply awful .863 save percentage against the Kings and was pulled twice in that series. In seven games against the Red Wings, however, Niemi had a 2.43 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Also, unlike the first round, fellow Finnish netminder Antero Niittymaki did not need to relieve his countryman at any point in Round 2.

The good news for the Sharks is Niemi ended the Detroit series on a high note, stopping 80-of-84 shots over the final two games.

As a team, San Jose has allowed the same amount of goals as it has scored this postseason, yielding 38 in 13 games.

The Sharks also have room for improvement in both areas of special teams. San Jose's power play has scored seven times on 51 opportunities with the man advantage for a 13.7-percent clip. The Sharks had a 23.5-pecent success rate on the power play during the regular season.

San Jose has actually fared better on the penalty kill this postseason than it had in the regular season. The Sharks have killed off 82.7 percent (43-of-52) of the opposition's chances with the man advantage this spring after that number stood at 79.6 percent for the 2010-11 campaign.

MATCHUP

The Canucks and Sharks are similar teams. Both franchises boast talent-laded clubs that have had tons of regular-season success recently only to fall short of expectations come playoff time.

The winner of this series will at least by vindicated with a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. Canucks fans have been waiting 17 years for their club to make it back to the final stage, while San Jose supporters have been looking forward to playing for Lord Stanley's Cup ever since the franchise began play in the fall of 1991.

Of course, either one of these teams would have an excellent chance at winning their franchise's first Stanley Cup title once they've made it to the next round.

As the top overall seed in the NHL, Vancouver would seem to have an advantage in this conference finals encounter. However, as alluded to above, regular- season success has not carried much weight for either of these teams in recent playoff years and shouldn't be the main factor in this series either.

The Canucks did get the better of San Jose during the season, winning three out of four encounters and scoring 16 goals along the way.

Niemi was 1-2-1 with a 3.64 GAA against Vancouver this year. However, he was spectacular in the conference finals against the Sharks last year, stopping 129-of-136 shots (.949 save percentage) for Chicago in the sweep over San Jose.

Luongo played in just two games against San Jose this season and was 1-0-1 with a 0.96 GAA and .975 save percentage. All told, he stopped 77-of-79 shots thrown his way by the Sharks in 2010-11. but is 7-10-2 with a tie and a 2.77 GAA in 20 career tests against San Jose.

The Sharks and Canucks have never faced each other in the playoffs, but this first postseason encounters figures to be an evenly-matched affair. The clubs are built the same way, with star forwards and an overall balanced scoring attack counted as team strengths.

Vancouver has an edge in defensive depth and the Canucks also have the goaltender with the shinier pedigree in Luongo. However, Niemi has surpassed Luongo in postseason success in just two years as an NHLer and that closes any perceived edge for Vancouver in net.

Both clubs have been through a great deal of playoff adversity in recent seasons, but this year it's the Canucks who are better situated to represent the Western Conference in the Cup Finals.

Sports Network predicted outcome: Canucks in 7

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:39 PM

Preview: No. 3 Bruins vs. No. 5 Lightning

All the dramatics in the other conference have turned the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins into bystanders for more than a week. By the time the Eastern Conference Final begins at TD Garden on Saturday night, the Lightning will have had 10 days off and the Bruins idle for eight days after their second-round sweeps of the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers, respectively.

“It’s been the same for both teams,” Bruins forward David Krejci said on Friday. “Hopefully, there are not going to be excuses on either side.”

The time off has allowed both teams to heal from the nagging issues that crop up during 82 regular season games and a couple rounds of playoffs, but Tampa (defenseman Pavel Kubina) and Boston (forward Patrice Bergeron) will be without players -- at least to start the series --- due to concussion-like symptoms. Tampa will have Simon Gagne, who, like Kubina, suffered a concussion in Game 1 last round, back in the lineup.

Since it feels like these teams haven’t played since the All-Star break, there’s also the issue of carryover. Will there be any? Third-line Lightning forward Sean Bergenheim scored four goals last series and leads Tampa Bay with seven overall in the playoffs. Bruins forward Milan Lucic also broke out of a playoff slump by scoring his first two goals of the playoffs in Game 4 against the Flyers.

Bruins coach Claude Julien said he’s not overly concerned about the break. The Bruins had about a three-week break two years ago in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes and won Game 1, although the ‘Canes ultimately took the series.

“I think it's been a group effort that mentally we stayed on top of our game, on top of our focus,” he said. “At the same time, the physical part of it, I don't think too many players get out of shape at this time of year.“

Here’s the breakdown:

Forwards: The only two forwards left from the Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup-winning team of 2004 have played like they want another crack at it. Matrin St. Louis (six goals, seven assists) and Vincent Lecavalier (five goals, seven assists) lead the lightning in scoring. But it’s the secondary scoring that’s been most impressive. Steve Downie (two goals, 10 assists) and Bergenheim (seven goals, one assist) have each scored more than Steven Stamkos (four goals, two assists), Tampa’s top goal scorer during the regular season. The fact that Gagne is expected back in the lineup gives Tampa two high-powered top lines with one of the most (unexpectedly) potent third lines of the playoffs. The Bruins have their weapon even minus Bergeron, who absorbed a hit by Flyers Claude Girioux and suffered a “minor” concussion. Julien said Bergeron is “progressing” but reiterated that he doesn’t expect to have his services early in the series. Bergeron has not been cleared to take part in practice. Rookie Tyler Seguin will take Bergeron’s place in the lineup. Now, the Bruins need somebody to pick up some of Bergeron’s production. The top candidate would be Lucic, who has struggled mightily but also had points in back-to-back games as the Bruins closed out the Flyers. Pesky rookie Brad Marchand has done more than just been an agitator on the ice; he’s been the second most productive Bruin with 11 points.

Edge: Lightning

Defense: The Lightning may not have a 6-foot-9 blue liner on its roster --- the closest they will get on Saturday is 6-4 Mattias Ohlund --- but the Lightning’s defense has stood out anyway this postseason. While a lot of the credit will go to goalie Dwayne Roloson, only two Tampa players enter the series with a negative plus-minus. Ohlund, plus-6, leads in that category. Eric Brewer is tops in both ice time (26 minutes , nine seconds per game) and points (six) this postseason. Randy Jones, who missed a month with a high-ankle sprain, replaced Kubina in the lineup and has a point in three games. Chara has obviously recovered from the dehydration issue that kept him out a game in the first round. He’s tops in the playoffs in plus-minus (plus-11) and leading the Bruins in ice time again (28:41). In fact, all the Bruins defensemen have at least an even plus-minus rating. The Bruins should get Adam McQuaid, who suffered a neck injury in Game 2 last round, for Game 1 and Boston’s depth on the blue line will only get deeper now that Steven Kampher, who has been out since the closing days of the regular season with a knee injury, has returned to practice.

Edge: Bruins

Goalies: Lots will be made of the next few days about Tampa’s Roloson, 41, and his 37-year-old counterpart Tim Thomas. Along with New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur, they are the last of the old-school goalies who don’t depend purely on the cookie-cutter butterfly goalies that populate the NHL. Regardless of how they do, each has been successful this season. Both have nearly identical numbers in the postseason, although Thomas gets the nod during the regular season. Thomas has the highest save percentage (.938) since the stat began to be tracked 34 years ago. He was also tops in goals-against average (2.00) and second in shutouts (nine). Thomas, who didn’t even start in the playoffs a season ago, is a primary reason the Bruins have ventured into the conference finals for the first time since 1992.

Edge: Bruins

Special teams: Tampa Bay, successful in 26.7 percent of their opportunities, has the top power play among the four teams left in the playoffs. The Lightning also have the best penalty kill (94.4 percent), especially impressive when you factor in they had to contend with the high-powered Washington Capitals last round. The Bruins may have solved their power play issues. It took until the third game of the second round (0-for-30) before Boston scored on the man-advantage. But they closed out the final two games against the Flyers with a 2-for-7 mark. Boston has the lowest-ranked PK of the remaining playoff teams, 80.5 percent.

Edge: Lightning

Prediction: These two teams both had seven-game series in the first round followed by sweeps. I think this will be closer to the former. The Bruins are better defensively --- a nod to the blue line and Thomas --- but how they handle the Lightning’s potent offense will make interesting viewing. I think minus Bergeron, you have to give the benefit of the doubt to Tampa Bay. I’ll take the Lightning in seven games.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:43 PM

Malhotra skates with Canucks; won't play in West finals

CBSSports.com wire reports

May 13, 2011

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Even though Manny Malhotra still can't play for the Canucks, his surprise return to the ice Thursday provided a pick-me-up to his Vancouver teammates.

Out with a career-threatening eye injury since being hit by a deflected puck on March 16, Malhotra skated with the team for the first time since being hurt as the Canucks began to prepare for the Western Conference finals against the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose advanced Thursday night with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7.

Associate Coach Rick Bowness said there was "no chance" Malhotra, who already had at least two operations on his injured left eye, was coming back during these playoffs. Still, the Canucks were happy to see him.

"It was a thrill for all of us to see him on the ice," Bowness said. "Getting back in the room and getting ready for practice, there's always excitement back in the air -- we're getting back at, we're getting ready for the next round -- but when Manny walks in and goes on the ice with them ... it just gave everyone an extra boost and the guys really enjoyed having him on the ice with them."

Wearing a Canucks-colored tracksuit and full-face shield on his helmet, Malhotra skated around before practice. He even joined the team for warm-up drills and took part in few line rushes before returning to the bench after 15 minutes.

"Just a couple shifts, but it was nice to see him out," goalie Roberto Luongo said. "To be on the ice with the boys like that, it was really special."

It's not like Malhotra hasn't been around during the playoffs.

Named an assistant captain in the first season of a three-year, $7.5 million deal he signed as a free agent, the 12-year NHL veteran has become an extra coach during the playoffs.

He's in penalty kill meetings for a unit he helped lead the league in the regular season, and dishes advice on everything from shooting to faceoffs, which he was second in the NHL at 61.7 per cent.

Bowness compared it to seeing Pittsburgh superstar Sidney Crosby, out with a concussion, wearing a headset while watching the Penguins play in the playoffs.

"He's helping out a lot," added forward Daniel Sedin. "Everyone respects his opinion and he's been around this league for a long time so guys are going to listen when he talks. He's being a good, positive impact on a lot of guys."

Malhotra's advice could become more meaningful in the Western Conference finals -- Vancouver's first trip this deep into the playoffs since 1994 -- especially because the Canucks will open the series at home against San Jose on Sunday. Malhotra played last season for the Sharks.

"He gives tips on what's going on in the game," defenseman Sami Salo said. "He sees the game from upstairs and the TV so he has little inside scoops."

Malhotra, 30, still hasn't addressed the media other than releasing an April 6 statement thanking the surgeons, organization and fans for their support. His teammates are thankful for his support in the postseason.

"He's so positive every day even with what he's gone through," Salo said.

Salo knows better than most how hard that can be. He missed the first four and a half months of the season recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon suffered last summer, yet another injury in a career filled with injuries.

"It is tough, especially when the team is in the playoffs right now," Salo said, "but he's been really positive and supportive and it's been good to have him in the locker room. That shows you what kind of a great character he is."

And why he was such a good candidate to be an assistant captain so soon.

"Maybe he should have an A on his T-shirt right now," Salo said.

Bowness said Malhotra won't need the A for his jersey anytime soon. The team announced Malhotra's season was over just a few days after a hard pass glanced off a stick and struck him in the left eye, and that hasn't changed.

"Unless there is a complete miracle, no chance," Bowness said of a playoff return. "He's getting a little workout with the guys, it's a big thrill for all of us to see him back on the ice, but nothing has changed."

In terms of Malhotra's impact off the ice, that's a good thing.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:49 PM

Button handicaps unique Canucks-Sharks battleFriday,

There's no way around it now -- either the Vancouver Canucks or San Jose Sharks will be going to the Stanley Cup Final. In the vast array of storylines that exist going into the Western Conference Finals, the undeniable fact that the championship spell will be lifted off one of these snakebitten teams is perhaps the most interesting and the most telling of this matchup.

"One has to emerge," NHL Network analyst and former general manager Craig Button told NHL.com. "Even if it's accidental, one has to emerge."

Button was half-kidding, of course, but the first thing that most people will think of when it comes to this matchup is past playoff failures and the near misses for each squad this spring.

The top-seeded Canucks haven't been to the Western Conference Finals since 1994, yet they've lost in the semifinals five times in the last 16 years, including twice in a row and in three of the four seasons prior to this one.

›The second-seeded Sharks made it to the Western Conference Finals last season, but were swept out by Chicago and Antti Niemi, who, of course, is now their last line of defense. San Jose has won six division titles in the past decade, including four in a row, but has only won two of 10 conference final games they have played.

Both the Sharks and Canucks blew 3-0 leads in these playoffs only to survive by barely winning Game 7.

"What teams do when they blow 3-0 series leads is they expose their flaws," Button said. "Whose flaws are a little bit more obvious now? I think it would be San Jose's flaws just because it's recent and right there in the memory."

However, Button doesn't necessarily think that is true in net, where a major storyline exists.

Niemi outplayed Roberto Luongo in last year's Western Conference Semifinals when he was with the Blackhawks. He went on to win the Stanley Cup, something Luongo, with all of his pedigree and huge contract, has not sniffed until now. He has won six straight playoff series and is looking to become the first goalie since Harry Holmes in 1916-17 to win back-to-back Cups with different teams.

"The Canucks exorcised the Chicago Blackhawks' demon, and there standing in front of them now is Antti Niemi," Button said.

Niemi and Luongo both played well in the previous round, but the Sharks' goalie faced a much sterner test from the Red Wings and came away with a .931 save percentage and 2.36 goals-against average in the series despite facing nearly eight more shots per game (35.1) than Luongo did against Nashville (27.3).

"I've watched the San Jose Sharks and in the past I always looked at them and asked, 'Are they a team you can believe in? Can you get behind them?' I never could say that with much conviction," Button said. "I don't feel that way this year. I like Niemi and I think their team has a different strut about them, so to speak.

"I'm not going to be critical of Jimmy Howard, but the difference in that series was Antti Niemi. He wasn't leaky."

Button said Luongo has a tendency to be just that. For instance, there is the example of Nashville forward David Legwand's goal in Game 6, which came from a sharp angle to Luongo's left side and yet still managed to slither through the goalie's legs.

"Luongo has not shown me that he can close that door," Button said. "Whether it is the goal he gave up to (Jonathan) Toews late in Game 7 or some of the goals against Nashville, which isn't that good offensively -- that's what I get out of Roberto. They don't have as much room for error against San Jose as they did against Nashville, so he can't let in a goal like Legwand's against San Jose."

That being said, Button also believes that if the Sedin twins re-establish their regular-season form -- keeping the puck in the offensive zone and making plays with it there, something they were not able to do consistently against Nashville or in the later games against Chicago -- the advantage goes to the Canucks.

"Against players like the (Ian) Whites, (Jason) Demers and (Marc-Edouard) Vlasics, that's where they have to find a way to have success," he said. "First you're playing against (Brent) Seabrook and (Duncan) Keith, (Niklas) Hjalmarsson and (Brian) Campbell, and then you come against (Shea) Weber and (Ryan) Suter -- San Jose doesn't have that quality of defense. The Sedins have to get the puck in the offensive zone, hold it and play with it."

However, if the Sharks use their size up front to pound on the Canucks blueliners and get the puck in front of Luongo, then maybe what the Sedins do won't matter.

"San Jose made it really hard with their forward-size on the Detroit defense," Button said. "They're big, physical, heavy, and they have to do the same exact thing to (Dan) Hamhuis, (Alex) Edler, (Kevin) Bieksa and (Christian) Ehrhoff. They have to get in there and establish their size presence. They have to get low, and they'll get to the net. Where Nashville couldn't get to threaten, San Jose's forwards will."

Button listed seven Sharks forwards (Devin Setoguchi, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Ryane Clowe) that he believes are better than anyone Nashville had up front.

"This is exactly where San Jose has to take advantage," he said.

Button, though, also said the guy that Canucks truly want to focus on is defenseman Dan Boyle, because he's the one that makes it all happen by creating offense from the back end so the Sharks' elite forwards can get to the net and do the dirty work.

"If I'm Vancouver, I go into that series saying, 'That's the one guy that is not beating us,' " Button said of Boyle. "He makes too many things happen offensively and defensively."

The challenge should be on Ryan Kesler to "unsettle Boyle," Button said. Usually a Selke Trophy finalist like Kesler will be tasked with shutting down another forward line, but Canucks coach Alain Vigneault should "stick Kesler on Boyle to wear him down, make him play defense and really punish him.

"They have to make life really hard on Danny Boyle," Button added, "and Kesler can."

But can the Canucks make life difficult on Niemi? Will the Sharks befuddle the twins and manage to hold down Kesler, a.k.a. Superman? Is Luongo up for the task? What about Thornton, Marleau and Heatley?

"It's really interesting when we talk about it," Button said. "I really don't think (much separates the Canucks and Sharks), but one of these teams is going to compete for the Cup."

It's been a long time coming.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:53 PM

Best of the West ready for showdownFriday

05.13.2011 / 7:25 PM / Canucks v Sharks - 2011 Stanley Cup Conference

Two teams that have yet to win the Stanley Cup will face off in the Western Conference Finals for the chance to get to the Final and take a crack at ending their streak. Though the Vancouver Canucks are 20 years older than the San Jose Sharks, both are in the conference finals for the third time in their history – but unlike the Sharks, who’ve lost both trips, the Canucks are 2-0.

Both teams have played 13 of a possible 14 games in the opening two rounds, and each team survived a scare after taking a 3-0 series lead. Vancouver won the first three games in the opening round against Chicago, lost the next three but won Game 7 in overtime. The Canucks then beat Nashville in six games. San Jose won three overtime games on the way to a six-game victory against Los Angeles in the first round, then appeared to be ready to breeze past Detroit after winning the first three games. But the Red Wings won the next three to force a Game 7, and the Sharks had to fight to the last second before holding off Detroit 3-2 to win the series.

The teams have never met in the playoffs.

The Sharks have arguably the deepest group in the League, and their top-nine forwards feature seven players who scored at least 20 goals in the regular season. A big question entering the conference finals is the status of Ryane Clowe, who leads the Sharks with 13 points in 12 playoff games. Clowe missed Game 6 against the Red Wings due to an upper-body injury, but he was back for Game 7.

During the postseason, Joe Thornton and Logan Couture have been consistent and dynamic. Thornton has 2 goals and 9 assists; Couture has 6 goals and 6 assists, including goals in each of the last four games.

The third line of Kyle Wellwood, Joe Pavelski and Torrey Mitchell could provide matchup problems for the Canucks. The trio has combined for 7 goals and 12 assists in the playoffs.

Ryan Kesler
Center - VAN
GOALS: 5 | ASST: 10 | PTS: 15
SOG: 47 | +/-: 6Selke Trophy-finalist Ryan Kesler was easily the most dominant player on the ice against Nashville in the second round. He had a hand in 11 of Vancouver's 14 goals as well as leading a near-perfect penalty kill, which was 20-for-21. Kesler had 11 points, two game-winning goals, 24 shots, 16 hits, 12 takeaways and won 59 percent of his faceoffs. He was also magical with his defense in Round One, holding Chicago’s Jonathan Toews without an even-strength point. Kesler's linemates, Mason Raymond and Chris Higgins, essentially turned the Canucks' second line into their first line against the Predators.

While quiet by their high standards, Henrik and Daniel Sedin are, of course, always dangerous. They combined for just 7 points and a minus-10 rating against Nashville, but with Kesler they were in on the game-winning goal in Game 6. Vancouver also has a dangerous third line with Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen and Raffi Torres providing some offense and a lot of energy and physicality.

San Jose’s blue line corps was thought to be a weakness entering the postseason, but it's been anything but that through two rounds.

Dan Boyle has 2 goals and 9 points, with the latter tying him with Vancouver's Christian Ehrhoff in that category during the playoffs. Boyle and defense partner Douglas Murray have been matched up against the opposition's best forwards. Boyle is averaging 25:55 of ice time per game, about five minutes more than any other defenseman on the team.

Ian White is a threat offensively, while Niclas Wallin is more likely to sit back and handle business in his own end. Jason Demers, primarily a seventh defenseman during the playoffs last season, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic round out the corps.

The Canucks’ top four defensemen are logging a lot of ice time. Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis have been the top shutdown pair, and each are playing nearly 26 minutes per game. They were phenomenal in shutting down the Predators' best forwards in the previous round. Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff, a pair that was split up in Game 6 against Nashville, are each around 24 minutes per game. Ehrhoff leads Vancouver's defensemen with 9 points in the playoffs.

Sami Salo played with Edler in Game 6 and can be an anchor if he stays healthy. Salo missed four games bridging the first and second rounds, but he returned in Game 4 against Nashville and played 19 1/2minutes in Game 6. Aaron Rome played all six games against the Predators after seeing time in just two games against Chicago.

Antti Niemi
Goalie - SJS
RECORD: 7-5-0
GAA: 3.01 | SVP: 0.906Antti Niemi has been inconsistent in the playoffs, evidenced by his 3.01 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. At times against the Red Wings, he was brilliant. At other times, he allowed too many rebounds that resulted in goals. But Niemi, who has never lost a playoff series in six tries, was superb in Game 7, stopping 38 of 40 shots to enable the Sharks to move on.

Niemi is making his second straight trip to the Western Finals – he led Chicago to victory against San Jose last year on the way to the Cup. If McLellan should decide to go in a different direction, he has Antero Niittymaki at his disposal. Niittymaki has one win in the postseason. He earned it in relief of Niemi when the Sharks rallied from a four-goal deficit in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.

Roberto Luongo has done a good job of proving his bounce back ability and moxie through two rounds. He has eight wins, a 2.25 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts through two rounds. Luongo has been excellent since he relieved Cody Schneider early in the third period of Game 6 against Chicago. Since then he has won five of seven starts and allowed only 12 goals.

Schneider hasn't played since he cramped up directly following Michael Frolik's penalty shot goal in Game 6 of the first round. He has a 3.09 GAA and .878 save percentage in three appearances.

McLellan is back in the third round for a second straight year, and his team's depth allows him to balance his lines. He doesn't have to worry about mixing and matching his forward lines, as they are defensively responsible and strong down the middle. If Clowe remains out of the lineup, however, it will be interesting to see how he goes about juggling his lines against the equally deep Canucks.

Alain Vigneault gives his leadership core a great deal of responsibility to handle a lot of what goes on in the dressing room, and the players respect him for that. His in-game adjustments have been, for the most part, spot on. He could have been egged in Vancouver if the decision to start Schneider in Game 6 against Chicago wound up crushing the Canucks, but benching Luongo has actually refocused the franchise goalie, who you could argue has never been better. Vigneault has stayed fairly consistent with his message about this whole run being about the process. He has not shown much emotion despite some emotional wins and losses.

"I think you get in streaks and games when the pucks seems to magnetize to your stick. The past couple of games it has been doing that."
-- Canucks' forward Ryan Kesler
Both the power play and penalty kill have been below average for the Sharks. The power play showed improvement early against the Red Wings, going 4-for-15 during the first three games. But it faltered in the second half of the series, going 1-for-13 in the final four games. The penalty-killing unit is ranked seventh in the playoffs.

Vancouver's penalty kill was indeed special against the Predators. The Canucks killed off 20 of 21 power plays, including all five they faced in Game 6. They are 86 percent on the PK in the playoffs. Vancouver had the League's No. 1 power play in the regular season and it has been OK so far in the playoffs at 22.2 percent (8 for 36) -- just a shade off the regular season success rate of 24.3 percent. The Canucks connected for a power-play goal in Game 6 against Nashville and it proved to be the series-clinching goal. The problem is the Predators scored a pair of shorthanded goals, and Chicago also got one. Vancouver allowed only two shorthanded goals in the regular season.

Patrick Marleau, Sharks -- The Sharks were able to get by against the Red Wings without getting much of a contribution from their all-time leading scorer, but that will have to change against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks. Marleau needs to find the form that made him a 36-goal scorer during the regular season and helped him get 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games against the Kings during the first round. His game-winning goal in Game 7 could be the catalyst.

Ryan Kesler, Canucks-- It would simply be an injustice not to put Kesler in this spot. He was the Canucks’ best player in the second round, perhaps the best on any team, and will have to be just as big a factor if the Canucks are going to push through and make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

Sharks will win if ... Antti Niemi plays like he did in last year's West Final. The Canucks can score with any line and from anywhere on the ice. It may take Niemi standing on his head for the Sharks to reach their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.

Canucks will win if ... Luongo continues to be as good as he has been, their top four defensemen don't succumb to tired legs and they get more out of the Sedins. If you assume that the Sharks’ best forwards will ignite their offense, then the Canucks have to get the same from Henrik and Daniel, who have been hit or miss in the playoffs so far.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:55 PM

Bruins, Bolts set to battle for chance at the CupFriday,

05.13.2011 / 6:00 PM / Bruins v Lightning - 2011 Stanley Cup Conference Finals

Mark Recchi was four years old when the Boston Bruins last won the Stanley Cup. He had played with four NHL organizations when the Tampa Bay Lightning brought the Cup to Florida for the first time.

Boston is trying to claim the Cup for the first time in 39 years, and the Bruins are back in the conference finals for the first time since 1992. The next year was Tampa Bay's first in the NHL, and the Lightning are in the conference finals for the first time since winning the Cup in 2004.

The Bruins won the season series, taking three of the four games. None of those games came with Dwayne Roloson in net, and Tampa Bay's prized mid-season acquisition has made the Lightning a dangerous opponent.

The Lightning have won seven games in a row, rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Pittsburgh and then sweeping Washington. Tampa Bay has also won five straight road games in the postseason, while Boston dropped the first two at home against Montreal in the first round.

Both teams have key players who could miss time with injuries, while the series will feature a pair of famous college teammates -- Tim Thomas and Martin St. Louis both rose from obscurity to NHL stardom despite being largely overlooked after successful careers at the University of Vermont.

The Boston Bruins have shown incredible scoring depth in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

In Round 1, it was first-liner Nathan Horton and the third line of Rich Peverley, Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder that did the majority of the damage. In the second round, a stunning four-game sweep of Philadelphia, first-line center David Krejci was the star, scoring the game-winning goal in each of the first three games. Top-line winger Milan Lucic, showing signs of coming out of his playoff-long funk, had two goals Friday night, his first in 20 games dating back to regular season.

The Bruins forwards are also among the most responsible when it comes to defense. The third line, mentioned above, is particularly strong and can be used in a checking role when necessary. But, Boston coach Claude Julien prefers to go power against power, a philosophy that served him well in the Philadelphia series.

Boston does have a problem up front, however. No. 2 center Patrice Bergeron, who leads the team with 12 points, suffered a mild concussion in Game 4 against Philadelphia and will likely not be ready for the start of the series against Tampa Bay.

Sean Bergenheim
Left Wing - TBL
GOALS: 7 | ASST: 1 | PTS: 8
SOG: 36 | +/-: 4Tampa Bay's "Big Three" of Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier have done their part (Lecavalier was particularly impressive in the second round), but what has propelled the Lightning to unexpected heights is the depth up front. Sean Bergenheim leads the team with 7 goals, while Steve Downie and Teddy Purcell have been point-per-game guys in the playoffs after combining for a total of 83 in the regular season.

Toss in some solid work from Ryan Malone, Dominic Moore and Nate Thompson and the Lightning dominated the supposedly deeper and more talented Washington Capitals at this position. Simon Gagne was injured in the middle of the Washington series but could return to face the Bruins. The one guy who hasn't really performed up to expectations is Stamkos, but saying that a guy with 4 goals and 6 points in 11 games while still playing solid defense is underachieving is a pretty good barometer of how successful Tampa Bay has been.

Boston has slowly morphed into a four-man defensive rotation in these playoffs, especially after youngster Adam McQuaid suffered a neck injury in Game 2 against the Flyers.

Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, paired together after Game 2 of the Montreal series, have been utterly dominant since. Chara, who missed Game 2 of the first round with dehydration issues, is a whopping plus-11 and had two big goals in a Game 3 win against Philadelphia. Seidenberg is a plus-9, after starting with a minus-4 rating after two games of the playoffs, and has six points. Each player is averaging more than 28 minutes of ice per game.

The second pair has evolved into reliable veteran Andrew Ference and the up-and-coming Johnny Boychuk, who has been among the most physical of the Bruin defensemen. Boychuk also scored the winning goal in game 4 against Philadelphia.

In fact, Boston has used its defense to create offense all playoffs. In 11 games, Boston defensemen have 6 goals and 18 assists. Veteran Tomas Kaberle, obtained to help with the power play, does not see a regular shift at even strength anymore. Instead, he is spotted where play dictates. Shane Hnidy, McQuaid’s replacement, plays less than four minutes a game.

According to Boston coach Claude Julien, McQuaid is making significant improvement and could be ready to rejoin the lineup soon.

Coach Guy Boucher has decided to primarily go with seven defensemen and 11 forwards during this postseason. His top three defensemen -- Eric Brewer, Mattias Ohlund and Victor Hedman -- have been terrific. Brewer and Ohlund have formed Boucher's go-to pairing and did a great job of stifling Washington's top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Knuble.

Hedman also played well against the Capitals. Tampa Bay lost Pavel Kubina to an upper-body injury, and there is no timetable for his return. Brett Clark struggled in Game 1 against Washington but was better in the next three games. Marc-Andre Bergeron helps out on the power play, and Randy Jones looked pretty good after coming into the lineup when Kubina went out. He had just missed two months with an injury.

Tampa Bay could use Kubina back in the lineup, but the top four have been strong and Boucher has been able to spot the others effectively.

Tim Thomas
Goalie - BOS
RECORD: 8-3-0
GAA: 2.03 | SVP: 0.937Tim Thomas has been unbelievable. In the Philadelphia series, he stopped 142 of the 149 shots fired at him – and he made his biggest saves when they counted most. He almost singlehandedly stole the Game 2 victory against the Flyers, keeping the Bruins in a game in which they were badly outplayed before Krejci scored the overtime winner against the run of play.

For the playoffs, Thomas has a .937 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average. The veteran goalie allowed just 4 goals in the final three games of the series against Philadelphia. He has won eight of his past nine starts.

Not surprisingly, his teammates have complete faith in Thomas and, as a result, tend to be a bit more aggressive, knowing they have a goalie that can bail them out of a jam.

If Thomas hasn't been the best goaltender in the playoffs to this point, it is because Dwayne Roloson might edge him out for that distinction. Roloson leads the League with a .941 save percentage and a 2.01 goals against average. Putting up those numbers against Sidney Crobsy- and Evgeni Malkin-less Pittsburgh is one thing, but Roloson thwarted Washington's attack -- especially early in the series when the Capitals were controlling the play for most of the contests.

If there was any concern about rest for Roloson because he played seven games in 12 days, they have probably been eased thanks to the sweep. He will have had plenty of rest by the time the series with the Bruins begins. Boucher probably could have gone with backup Mike Smith in Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead and playing on back-to-back days, but the coach has plenty of trust in Roloson and said there will be time for him to rest in the offseason.

Claude Julien has shown his worth in each series. Against Montreal, he saved his team from going off the cliff after it fell behind 2-0 in the series to hated Montreal. His calm demeanor allowed the team to regroup. But, he also made some strategic decisions – uniting Chara and Seidenberg – to turn the tide in that series.

Against Philadelphia, he refused to buy into the revenge storyline the media was peddling and, as a result, his team was as business-like and focused as possible in a series that could have easily spiraled out of control given the recent history between these teams.

His in-game chops will be severely tested in this round, however, if Bergeron is on the shelf for an extended period.

Boucher has earned plenty of plaudits for helping this team to the conference finals, and deservedly so. His decision to stick with Roloson instead of offering rest looked like a good one -- the team earned its veteran goaltender plenty of rest by finishing the Capitals in four games.

He's been using 11 forwards and seven defensemen, and by doing so it allows him to be creative with his forward lines. No unit is set, though Boucher has some combinations that he likes (Purcell and Lecavalier, Bergenheim, Moore and Downie, the "Big Three" together). It gives him a lot of flexibility to mix and match.

Boucher's system has also received plenty of attention. His 1-3-1 has frustrated opponents, and it allows the Lightning to counterattack and create lots of odd-man rushes.

Simply, the Bruins were atrocious on the power play to start these playoffs. They didn’t score their first power-play goal until the dying seconds of game 3 against Philadelphia and that was on a 5-on-3 in a blowout. In fact, they are the only team in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to win a seven-game series (against Montreal) without the benefit of a power-play goal.

Boston scored a power-play goal to open Game 4 against Philadelphia and the unit has shown some signs of life, but it is still a brutal 2-for-37 with a shorthanded goal against. Fortunately, the penalty kill has been much better for Boston, killing a little more than 80 percent of its man-disadvantage situations. Boston’s PK seemed to get stronger as the Philadelphia series continued.

Tampa Bay's ability to kill penalties deserves to be level with Boucher's defensive system as the biggest reasons why the Lightning have been so tough to play against. They are 51 of 54 through two rounds, and the 94.4 percent success rate is tops among the eight clubs that advanced beyond the conference semifinals.

The Lightning's power play is also the best among the final eight teams in the tournament at 26.7 percent (12-for-45). St. Louis is the creator, while Stamkos and Lecavalier are dynamite shooters. Malone's presence is felt most here, given his ability to clog up space in front of the goaltender and also to win puck battles to keep the play alive.

Tyler Seguin, Bruins -- The prized rookie has not dressed yet for a playoff game, but will likely be inserted into the lineup if Bergeron is sidelined for Game 1 and beyond. Seguin has the raw skills to be a game-breaker, but has also struggled to perform in tight quarters and during highly physical play. He will run into plenty of both in this series. If he finds an answer, the Bruins shouldn’t miss a beat.

Steve Downie
Right Wing - TBL
GOALS: 2 | ASST: 10 | PTS: 12
SOG: 12 | +/-: 9Steve Downie, Lightning -- St. Louis was the star in Round One against Pittsburgh, and Bergenheim was the guy against Washington in Round Two, but Downie has been incredibly consistent for the Lightning. He was suspended for a game, but otherwise has been able to produce offensively while playing with both the team's stars and in a checking-line role. His agitation skills might come in handy against a Boston team that can try to get a little too physical at times.

Bruins will win if... their depth up front pays off. As good as Tampa Bay has been, the Lightning have not faced a team as deep as Boston up front. Boston goes three lines deep with scoring threats and presents numerous matchup difficulties for opposing teams. If all there lines continue to generate chances, Tampa Bay’s defense will be asked questions it has yet had to answer.

Lightning will win if ... Roloson doesn't wear down and the forwards keep scoring. Tampa Bay's top guys are better than Boston's, but the Lightning will need the role players to continue to chip in. Tampa Bay could dominate this series on special teams, so staying with Boston at even strength might be the key to returning to the Cup Final for the first time in seven years.
the man advantage.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-13-2011, 08:58 PM

Sharks turn their focus to VancouverFriday,

05.13.2011 / 7:50 PM / Canucks v Sharks - 2011 Stanley Cup Conference Finals

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks had to travel a tough, seven-game road to beat Detroit and reach the Western Conference Finals against Vancouver after blowing a 3-0 series lead.

But when you're trying to win a Stanley Cup, sometimes tougher is better, said Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle, who won a Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004.

"I think the seven-game series, although it was pretty stressful and not the way you want to win, I think that's something that's going to help us in the end," Boyle said Friday.

"Just adversity. You don't get to win a Stanley Cup without going through something. Personally, team-wise, you've got to go through something at some point. Had a little bit in the first round (against Los Angeles), obviously huge adversity in this last series here. Hopefully it gets guys to just come together. I think it was a good thing."

CANUCKS VS. SHARKS

SERIES STATUS: TIED, 0-0

GAME 1: SJS @ VAN, SUN, May 15, 8 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
GAME 2: SJS @ VAN, WED, May 18, 9 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
GAME 3: VAN @ SJS, FRI, May 20, 9 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
GAME 4: VAN @ SJS, SUN, May 22, 3 PM, NBC, CBC, RDS
*GAME 5: SJS @ VAN, TUE, May 24, 9 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
*GAME 6: VAN @ SJS, THU, May 26, 9 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
*GAME 7: SJS @ VAN, SAT, May 28, 8 PM, VS, CBC, RDS
* Denotes if necessary | All times Eastern

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SERIES ARCHIVE › COMPLETE PLAYOFF COVERAGE ›The Sharks were decompressing Friday, one day after their 3-2 high-wire Game 7 win against Detroit at HP Pavilion. A few Sharks took to the ice for an optional practice, but most used the day to rest and recuperate from what turned out to be a rugged series.

A year ago, the Sharks knocked off Detroit in five games to reach the conference finals against Chicago. They had a full week to prepare for the Blackhawks -- but lost four straight games. This year they'll have just two days to prepare for Sunday's opener at Vancouver, this season's Presidents' Trophy winner.

"We earned the right to play in it last year, and I thought we played hard last year," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We just ran into a team that was better than we were. The series against Chicago wasn't a lot different than the one we just played. They were one-goal games. They were very tight. All of them were contested for 60 minutes or more.

"I don't think that's going to change this year, but we talked about growth at the beginning of the year when we got together, and we've used that word all year. For us to have grown, we have to take this a lot further than we did last year."

If the Sharks are going to grow into a Stanley Cup finalist, they'll have to do it without the benefit of home-ice advantage.

The last time the Sharks opened a series on the road was 2007. In the conference quarterfinals that year, they beat Nashville 5-4 in overtime in Game 1 and went on to win the series 4-1. The Sharks opened their second-round series in 2007 with a 2-0 win at Detroit but wound up losing the series in six games.

Since 2000, the Sharks won four of seven series when they were the lower-seeded team, playing the first two games on the road. In six of those series they split their first two road games. In the other, they lost two to Dallas in a 2000 semifinals series and went on to lose 4-1.

"This is a different start for us as a team," Boyle said. "Everybody talks about you've got to win one on the road for the series to start, so we're in tough. (The Canucks) are there for a reason. They'll be energized and excited. They haven't been to this stage in a while. It's going to be pretty exciting for them. The crowd's going to be pretty pumped up. It will be fun."

"You go there to win Game 1, then you approach Game 2 and you come home," McLellan said. "You can't make any more out of it than that. We all understand at this time of the year the impact that home crowds have. All four teams that are left have great fans and their buildings are energized. It's nothing new, nothing we haven't experienced before. We'll be prepared for it."

The Sharks will also have to be prepared to face a Vancouver team packed with skill and star power, from the Sedin twins– Henrik and Daniel – to rugged Ryan Kesler and goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Joe Thornton
Center - SJS
GOALS: 2 | ASST: 9 | PTS: 11
SOG: 28 | +/-: -2"They're Presidents' Trophy winner for a reason," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "They have great goaltending. They've got probably the player who's going to win the MVP this year (Daniel Sedin) and the one that won it last year (Henrik Sedin). They're an all-around real good team. Good defense, good offense. Just, yeah, solid all around."

Sharks rookie Logan Couture sees this series as one more "opportunity ahead of us to grow" as a team.

"We have a great opponent," Couture said. "Vancouver has had a great year. They're first in almost everything. If you look at stats. It's going to be a great test for us and hopefully we can take a step in the right direction."

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