Red Light District Hockey

RLD has reached its final stop

2012-06-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

After four-plus years of the site’s existence, today marks the end of the Red Light District Hockey blog.

I never hoped this day would come. And at the same time, I never thought RLD Hockey would live to see this day.

When I started this blog in 2008 I was a senior in high school looking for a place to share my thoughts and predictions on the NHL and game of hockey. I thought I’d keep it for a month or two. Upwards of 3,500 posts later, here we are…

At no point did I ever believe RLD Hockey would become what it is today. In June of 2010, RLD Hockey was credentialed for the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, the first of five league-wide events (including the last two Winter Classics) I was fortunate enough to cover for the site. On top of that, the site was credentialed by the Nashville Predators for the past two seasons. As a result to that access I gained with the Predators, I started a team-centric site called Smashville 24/7.

Throughout the course of this past season, I found myself enjoying covering the Predators more than the daily grind of RLD Hockey. Running two sites at once on a daily basis became a hassle, which is the main reason why RLD Hockey is closing up shop today.

From this point forward I will be focusing full-time on the Predators at Smashville 24/7 and a new role at Sportsnet, which will allow me more free time to enjoy the game of hockey (and other things) instead of writing about it non-stop.

Over the last two years, I was lucky enough to be able to add some talented writers to the staff here at RLD Hockey. I would like to thank each and every one of them for helping keep RLD Hockey afloat until now:

Christian Arnold

Tab Bamford

Dan Berlin

Carolyn Christians

Anthony Curatolo

Patrick Hoffman

Brian Huddle

Alexander Monaghan

Jackson Oakes

Michael Perkins

Bryan Reynolds

Christina Roberts

Erika Schnure

Michael Smith

David Strehle

Chris Tremulis

Chris Wassel

Bill Whitehead

There are also a few people I’d like to individually thank:

Patrick Hoffman & Alexander Monaghan… When either things got hectic for me at Smashville 24/7 or when I was on vacation, these two did all of the behind-the-scenes work to keep this site going. I can’t thank them enough.

Buddy Oakes… Buddy, from Preds On The Glass, didn’t write one word for RLD over the years, but he was an inspiration. He convinced me to join Twitter to branch out in social media. He also convinced me to keep at it when I wanted to give up blogging altogether. Buddy and I also co-hosted over 70 shows on our podcast, ‘RLD Hockey Talk’.

NHL / Predators PR… Thanks to the NHL and Nashville Predators PR for not only believing in RLD Hockey, but bloggers as a whole. They have both embraced bloggers/online media, and they helped this site grow into a bigger entity.

Chris Wassel… In the early days when 5-10 people came to the site every day, Chris was one of the handful of people that visited RLD Hockey. He endlessly promoted the site pre-social media and is a big reason why I even kept it going after a few months.

It was a fun ride, but now it’s time for RLD Hockey to come to an end. Thanks to our readers, thanks to everyone for your hard work, and we’ll see you around the NHL blogosphere soon enough!

Sincerely,

Ryan Porth

Managing Editor and Founder, RLD Hockey

Kings’ stunning postseason won’t be forgotten

2012-06-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hours after the Kings won their 16th game of these playoffs, forward Anze Kopitar, in the midst of the euphoria, tweeted: “Top of the world!!!!!”

Indeed.

With each passing goal in a decisive 6-1 victory over the Devils in Game 6, it became more and more evident that it was happening – the Kings were going to win their first Stanley Cup.

They started with a bang, scoring three times on a boarding major assessed to New Jersey’s Steve Bernier. As electrifying as Staples Center was in the first period, it was pure pandemonium as the final minutes, seconds ticked down.

Jonathan Quick, the deserved Conn Smythe Trophy recipient, threw his stick up in the air. His teammates joyously joined him. Dustin Brown then collected hockey’s ultimate prize at center ice, setting off a celebration Los Angeles has never seen for its Kings in the franchise’s 45-year history.

The dominance the Kings displayed throughout the last two months was as magnificent as it was surprising.

Before the season commenced, this was a team that many experts picked to not only win the Pacific Division but the Western Conference and Stanley Cup as well. By mid-December, GM Dean Lombardi had fired head coach Terry Murray, appointed John Stevens the interim, then hired Darryl Sutter to take over.

The switch to Sutter didn’t pay immediate dividends. From Dec. 22 through the end of the regular season, the Kings went 25-13-11 to recover from an early-season slump and sneak into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. Aside from a six-game win streak in March, they never truly caught fire until the playoffs.

From there on, the Kings’ run to the Stanley Cup was stunningly flawless.

They breezed through the Western Conference’s trio of division winners. It only took them five games, against Vancouver, to become the 10th No. 8 seed in history to knock off a No. 1 seed in the first round. In a series that was supposed to go the distance, the Kings swept mirror-image St. Louis in Round 2. Phoenix put up a fight in the conference final, but Sutter’s gang advanced after five contests.

It wasn’t easy against New Jersey in the Stanley Cup Final. The first two wins came in overtime. After a 4-0 Kings win in Game 3, the Devils showed signs of life with back-to-back wins to force a Game 6. The Kings quickly nullified all talk of a comeback with their blowout victory to close out the series and their first title.

When you put the Kings’ postseason run in perspective, it’s quite amazing what they accomplished.

Before this spring, no other team had ever won their first 10 road games of a postseason. The Kings lost just once away from home (Game 5 in New Jersey), going 10-1 overall, and took a 2-0 series lead on the road to start every one of their four series. Amazing.

Before this spring, no other No. 8 seed had won the Cup. In fact, the Kings became just the second to make the Cup Final. Edmonton came close to winning the Cup in 2006 before falling Carolina in Game 7. Only the record books will show the Kings were a No. 8 seed, because they sure didn’t look like it.

Quick played every second of the postseason and posted a 1.41 goals-against average with a .946 save percentage in 20 games. He was the clear-cut MVP of the Kings’ Cup run and one-upped Tim Thomas’ miraculous postseason from a year ago. And like Thomas, Quick could win the Cup, Conn Smythe and Vezina in the same season.

The Kings, who were at one point the league's lowest-scoring team, justified the popular sentiment that all you have to do is get in to the playoffs and anything can happen thereafter. They clinched their playoff berth on Apr. 5 – two days before the regular season ended, two weeks after Vancouver clinched. And yet, the Kings were the ones that looked like the Presidents’ Trophy winner when it mattered most.

This team had unsung heroes throughout the lineup, but the stars shined the brightest in the big moments. Quick made one clutch save after another. Brown, the captain and unquestioned leader, set the tone night after night. Kopitar showed why he’s not just a great player, but an elite player. Drew Doughty was undoubtedly the top defenseman of the playoffs.

Even with this Stanley Cup victory so fresh, you can’t help but gaze at a future that is awfully promising in Los Angeles. The entire core is 27 years old or younger. They are all experienced, especially after this Cup run. Dynasties no longer exist in sports, but these Kings could easily win one or two more titles if this core remains intact.

But for the rest of this summer (and perhaps longer), they are going to enjoy what they just accomplished. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in sports, and the Kings won it in a fashion that we may not see for a long, long time.

Until this fall, the Kings are on top of the world. The view must be pretty sweet.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 12

2012-06-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

The Morning After:

Yesterday’s results:

Kings 6, Devils 1

RLD 3 stars of the night:

1. Dustin Brown, LA (1 goal, 2 assists)

2. Jeff Carter, LA (2 goals)

3. Drew Doughty, LA (2 assists)

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Videos of the day:

*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey

Kings capture their first Stanley Cup

2012-06-11T22:11:00.001-05:00

The saying goes that there is a first time for everything.

Tonight, the Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history by defeating the New Jersey Devils by a score of 6-1 in Game 6 to take the series 4-2.

After not playing "their" game in Games 4 and 5, the Kings found their style of play early and often tonight in Game 6. The Kings came out hard, forechecked early and often and put plenty of pressure on Devils' netminder Martin Brodeur.

Unlike Games 4 and 5, however, the Kings were able to find the back of the net on a more consistent basis. One reason the team was able to do that was because of their power play.

The Devils took some untimely penalties in the first period and it ended up costing them the hockey game. The Kings scored three power play goals in the first period as Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Trevor Lewis all beat Brodeur within a span of four minutes.

The Kings also did a much better job of creating sustainable pressure on Brodeur. In the first period, the Kings out shot the Devils 13-4 and were able to keep the puck deep in the Devils' zone for large stretches of the period.

This was also the case for the Kings in the third period as they went on to score two more goals in their final period of the season. Both Lewis (EN) and defenseman Matt Greene found the back if the net en route to the team's 6-1 victory.

Forward Jeff Carter had perhaps his best game as a King tonight. He scored two goals, created a ton of scoring opportunities and was the offensive player that the Kings knew they were getting when they traded for him.

Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Jonathan Quick, did not have to be spectacular but he got the job done. He stopped 15 of 16 shots and allowed just 7 goals in the whole series.

At the other end, the Devils look exhausted. The team clearly emptied out their tank in Games 4 and 5 to get to tonight's Game 6 and simply did not have anything left to counter the Kings' high-octane attack in the first period, which turned out to be the undoing and the end of the series for the Devils.

It may have taken 45 years but the Kings were able to capture their first Cup and they did so in a fine and convincing fashion by dominating the Devils in Game 6 to close out the series.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Stuart's intangibles could fill much needed role in San Jose

2012-06-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

“When we signed Rob Blake, we wanted Rob Blake to be Rob Blake. We didn’t need him to be a mentor or a king for all the young princes. We needed him to be Rob Blake. That’s all we wanted.”- Todd McLellan

Two years and two days ago, the San Jose Sharks lost veteran Rob Blake to retirement. Blake played a bulky role on the team's blue line, and his absence left a gaping hole.

Although the Sharks replaced Blake statistically-- they maintained a solid goals against average over the last two seasons-- they missed icing a legitimate minute-eating, two-way defender. However, GM Doug Wilson recently took strides in filling that gap by acquiring the rights to impending unrestricted free agent Brad Stuart.

During the regular season, Stuart announced that he would likely leave Detroit and finish off his career closer to his family in San Jose. Even though Stuart grew up in Alberta, he made his home in Northern California after spending his first six seasons in black and teal.

Ideally, he wanted to play on the West Coast for a Stanley Cup contender. Hopefully with him patrolling the blue line, the Sharks can return to those ranks.

"It's nice to know they're excited to have a chance to get me back,'' Stuart said in his post-trade conference call. ''I feel the same way. Hopefully we can work it out."

Adding Stuart to the blue line would certainly bolster the Sharks' chances of contending. Three of their important defenders Dan Boyle, Douglas Murray, and Brent Burns struggled last season for a multitude of reasons. Boyle played through broken appendages, Murray missed 22 games with a concussion, and Burns experienced growing pains in a new system. But with Stuart back in the mix, those players would have less responsibility.

With 13 professional seasons under his belt, Stuart has some tread on his blades. He won't score double digit goals or approach 40 points. He might not even get power play time for that matter. He will, however, bring experience, grit, and reliability to a core that sorely needs those intangibles.

Both parties signing on the bottom line seems inevitable, as does a return to respectability. The Sharks failed to win the Pacific Division for the first time since 2006-2007 and saw both the Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings succeed after their first round exit. Opposed to sitting back and hoping for internal improvement, Wilson was both aggressive and proactive. The last thing they wanted was to see a player like Stuart sign in LA, Arizona or Anaheim.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 11

2012-06-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings

Stanley Cup Final, Game 6

8:00 ET… TV: NBC, CBC

Players to watch:
NJ- Anton Volchenkov

Volchenkov really had an impactful game on Saturday, dishing out four hits and blocking four shots. What the Devils lack in skill on the back end they make up for it in grit and hard work. They need a similar effort from Volchenkov and company to stay alive.

LA- Anze Kopitar

The Kings need their best players to be their best players in tonight’s game, and it starts with Kopitar. He has four points in this series and was great in Game 3, but hasn’t been the same player in the last two contests.

Projected starting goaltenders:

NJ- Martin Brodeur (Playoff stats: 14-8, 2.00 GAA)

LA- Jonathan Quick (Playoff stats: 15-4, 1.43 GAA)

Three things to watch:

1. For the third time now: Is tonight the night?

For the last two games, the Stanley Cup has been taken out of its case to be shined in front of millions of viewers. Brodeur and company forced the keepers of the Cup to put Lord Stanley back in its case both times. Is tonight the night it’s presented at center ice? The Kings seem to be on their heels a bit, unable to close out an experienced Devils group that is halfway to history.

2. Do the Devils have enough in the tank to force Game 7?

The Devils have worked their way back into this series with a lot of hard work on both ends of the ice. Do they have enough gas in the tank to win another one? Ilya Kovalchuk is visibly playing hurt and Zach Parise isn’t himself. They’ll need some other unsung heroes – like Adam Henrique and Bryce Salvador did in Games 4 and 5 – to step up tonight with those two not playing at 100%.

3. The game’s first goal

The first goal has been important in each game this series. In fact, the team that has scored first has won all five games. Especially in the last two games, the Devils have really fed off scoring first. So did the Kings in Games 1, 2 and 3. With the stakes high tonight, look for each team to come flying out of the gates in the first 5-10 minutes to try to take an early lead.

Final thoughts:

It was ‘destiny’ for the Kings to complete the sweep in Game 4 – didn’t happen. The Kings winning the Cup on the road, completing a perfect 11-0 road record, was ‘meant to be’ – didn’t happen. This will be the Kings’ true test. Their scoring chances have been limited in the last two games, as Peter DeBoer has made some strong adjustments. Can the Kings generate more offense in this one?

The Devils may have the Kings right where they want them. The pressure tonight fully lies on the Kings’ shoulders. If they can’t get it done tonight, at home, the writing is on the wall for the Devils to complete the dramatic comeback Wednesday night in Game 7. You’ll be able to cut the Staples Center tension with a knife, especially if the Devils score first.

In the end, the pick remains the same. My pick before the series was Kings in six and I’m sticking by it. However, there’s something eerie about this series right now. On the strength of the veterans, the Devils are making this interesting. Game 6 should be a barnburner!

Prediction: Kings 3, Devils 2

Video of the day:

*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey

Devils halfway to historic comeback

2012-06-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

In retrospect the NHL probably should have stuck with its’ old Stanley Cup Final campaign, “history will be made,” because the New Jersey Devils are on the verge of doing just that.

After going down 3-0 in the series to the Los Angeles Kings, the Devils have made a triumphant comeback to cut the series lead to just one game and put the brakes on what seemed to be an all but guaranteed L.A. championship.

Last night the Devils not only continued their quest to do something that has been done since 1942 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they ended what was one of the best road playoff streaks in pro sports.

And New Jersey did all of this when they, admittedly, didn’t play their best game of the series.

“I thought we survived out there,” Martin Brodeur, who made 25 saves for Devils, said after the game. “I don't think we played our greatest game, but we found a way to win.”

“I thought they controlled the first period. They were the better team in the first period, which was a little surprising. I don't know whether it was nerves for us or what. But they controlled the period,” Devils head coach Peter DeBoer added.

DeBoer was quick to credit Brodeur as well saying that he “made some big saves.” The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has made big saves throughout this Stanley Cup Final series against the Kings. It’s just that he could never get the offense to back up his effort because Jonathan Quick has seemed unbeatable.

But with their backs against the wall it seems as though the Devils have found a way to turn the man who seemed superhuman back to a mere mortal. Though, that’s not to say Quick has turned into a dud, but rather New Jersey has found ways to force him to make mistakes and finish on their scoring chances.

The most blaring example of this would be Zach Parise’s goal in the first period of last night's Game 5, in which he scored off a bad giveaway behind the net by Quick. Instead of wrapping the puck around the boards, it bounced off the boards and was cut off by Parise, who was able to bury the puck in the virtually empty net.

It is those types of breaks that the Devils need to continue to take advantage of going forward.

It doesn’t hurt either that the Devils top players are finally finding ways to put the puck in the net. Albeit Ilya Kovalchuk’s goal in Game 4 was an empty netter and Parise’s was an easy one as well, New Jersey still needs those guys to score if they expect to comeback.

“It's always nice to contribute,” Parise explained. “I still think that our line was playing fine. We were getting a lot of great chances. It wasn't going in for us. Tonight we get lucky, and that's the difference.”

It was the difference, indeed, and the Devils will need to duplicate it when the puck drops for Game 6 in Los Angeles. If they do, the Devils will be one step closer to making history.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 10

2012-06-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

The Morning After:

Yesterday’s results:

Devils 2, Kings 1

RLD 3 stars of the night:

1. Martin Brodeur, NJ (25 saves)

2. Bryce Salvador, NJ (1 goal)

3. Anton Volchenkov, NJ (19:25 TOI, 4 BS)

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Video of the day:

*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey

Devils win Game 5, make it a series

2012-06-09T22:45:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of ‘firsts’ that came from tonight’s 2-1 Game 5 win for the New Jersey Devils. Most importantly, for the first time this postseason the Kings looked outside of their element and have watched the Devils inch back into the series.

For the first time since 1945, a team trailing 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final has forced a Game 6. How did the Devils do it tonight?

It started with Zach Parise’s fluke goal in the first period. Parise entered the game with zero points in the series, leading some to believe that he is playing hurt. He may be, but he didn’t show it when he pounced on a bad turnover from Jonathan Quick behind the Kings’ net. Parise stuffed in the loose puck to score his first goal since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.

That goal, their first via the power play this series, really seemed to set the tempo in the Devils’ favor. In the initial 10 minutes of the opening frame, both teams were getting chances. The Devils got a confidence boost after Parise scored and were winning one-on-one battles all over the ice.

The defining moment for the Devils came in the second period when Martin Brodeur stacked the pads to stone Kings forward Jarret Stoll on a breakaway attempt. At the time of Brodeur’s save, Justin Williams had just tied the game at 1-1 for the Kings and they seemed to have grasped the momentum. All of that disappeared when Brodeur made the big stop on Stoll to prevent the Kings from taking the lead.

A few minutes after Brodeur’s save, Bryce Salvador caught a break when his shot from the point caromed past Quick and into the Kings’ net. The Devils went up 2-1 with 10:55 remaining in the second period and never looked back.

For the first time in these playoffs, the Kings lost on the road. Their pursuit of a perfect road record, 11-0, went up in smoke with tonight’s loss. There were times where they put pressure on Brodeur. They got some good looks early in the game and occasionally during the second, but couldn’t generate much in the third. Mike Richards had a pair of quality chances in the waning seconds, both one-timers from the faceoff dot that couldn’t find a way past Brodeur.

The Kings weren’t in control of the game like they have been all spring.

They were chasing a Devils team that had more energy playing in front of their home fans than in Games 1 and 2. Despite being credited with nine third-period shots, the Kings were bottled up for most of the final frame. In crunch-time, their stars didn’t rise to the occasion. Quick, for the first time, looked rattled and was fighting the puck at times.

Now the Devils are halfway to history. There’s no guarantee that they can complete or comeback or even force a Game 7, but you can’t win four in a row without winning the first two. Brodeur has been stellar in the last two games, out-dueling Quick between the pipes.

On the other side of the coin, the Kings need to regain their ‘mojo’ quickly. Darryl Sutter, who is now 0-4 in Stanley Cup close-out games, needs to settle the troops down after arguably their two worst games of these playoffs.

Because for the first time this postseason, the Kings will be playing in a Game 6. Coming into this series, pundits were quick to point out that the Kings hadn’t overcome adversity all spring, while the Devils thrived with their backs against the wall in the first three rounds.

So for the first time this postseason, the Kings are facing adversity. Will they finally lift the Cup on Monday night, or will the Holy Grail be locked up in its case to flown across country again for a Game 7?

Photo credit: Getty Images

Saturday Faceoff: Biggest playoff disappointment?

2012-06-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

It has certainly been a weird postseason. Not only are a No. 6 and 8 seed battling in the Stanley Cup Final – first time in current playoff format two non-division winners have met in the Final – but there have been a lot of teams and individuals that have disappointed along the way. Who has been the biggest disappointment this spring? Tab and I debate…

High-profile goaltenders

By Tab Bamford

In spite of the incredible performances of Jonathan Quick and Martin Brodeur, this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs haven’t been kind to many goaltenders.

One of last year’s finalists left his organization with questions to answer. Roberto Luongo only started the first two games of the Canucks’ attempt to defend their Western Conference championship. He allowed seven goals in those two games, and his .891 save percentage has opened the organization to the idea of making a permanent change. (Whether or not they can find a new home for Luongo, and his contract, will be something to keep an eye on this summer.)

For Pittsburgh, expectations entering the postseason were sky-high. With a healthy Sidney Crosby, many thought the Penguins were a lock to win the Eastern Conference. But six games into their postseason, they were scheduling tee times. Marc-Andre Fleury had a shockingly mediocre postseason, allowing 26 goals in six games and struggling to a .834 save percentage in Pittsburgh’s first-round loss to the Flyers. Coming from a former champion, Fleury’s performance was stunning.

The biggest free agent “prize” of last summer’s free agent market, Ilya Bryzgalov, may have escaped the first round (thanks, in large part, to Fleury), but he was not able to hide from his underwhelming postseason. He allowed 37 goals in 11 games, and his .887 save percentage wasn’t what Paul Holmgren and company were imagining when they handed him a nine-year, $51 million deal.

Last year, Chicago’s Corey Crawford earned a lot of praise (and a new contract) for his play against the Canucks. But a first round highlighted by a couple soft overtime goals on Crawford has given way to Chicago management asking for better than an .893 postseason save percentage from their starter.

Similarly, Detroit’s Jimmy Howard left a great deal to be desired in the Red Wings’ first-round loss. In five games against Nashville, Howard posted a pedestrian .888 save percentage. With Nicklas Lidstrom retiring, the Wings will look to fill an enormous void – both in skill and leadership – on their blue-line this summer. But expectations for Howard were not fulfilled.

While a great deal of attention has rightfully been given to the exceptional play between the pipes for the two teams doing battle in the Final, many of the teams that qualified for this year’s postseason didn’t enjoy the same experience.

With a number of goalies on the free agent market this summer, and some others available via trade, an area of focus before the 2012-13 season begins will be improved play between the pipes around the league.

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Nashville Predators

By Ryan Porth

A handful of great teams were unexpectedly knocked out in the first round, but the biggest disappointment of this postseason actually went farther than Vancouver, Pittsburgh and Boston.

On the surface, the Nashville Predators’ second-round loss to Phoenix may not look so bad, but it was the way they went out that makes them this postseason’s biggest disappointment.

The Predators entered the ‘second season’ with sky-high aspirations with only one thing in mind: the Stanley Cup. It was a realistic goal, considering GM David Poile had gone ‘all-in’ to acquire Hal Gill, Paul Gaustad and Andrei Kostitsyn, to bring back Alexander Radulov.

They lived up to the hype in the first round, swiftly dropping rival Detroit in five games. It seemed as if the Predators had turned the corner and that the stars were aligning for a deep run. Top-seeded Vancouver had been eliminated, so had Chicago and San Jose. All four Western Conference clubs to get put out in Round 1 had previously beaten the Predators in past postseasons.

Predators head coach Barry Trotz is one to tell you that you have to be lucky to win 16 playoff games. Luck wasn’t on their side in the second round.

A lot of times the playoffs are all about matchups, and the Predators ran into the league’s hottest goaltender (at that time) in Mike Smith. Nashville’s Pekka Rinne was great against Detroit, but Smith had been white-hot since mid-March. The Predators also ran into a team that was playing sound defensive hockey in front of Smith, so the Coyotes, from the start, were a bad matchup.

However, the disappointment of the Predators’ five-game exit in this series surrounded Game 2 in the desert. Forty-eight hours after an overtime loss in Game 1, the Predators played one of their worst games of the entire season in a numbing 5-3 loss. It was a complete, utter disaster.

In the days following the loss, the hockey world learned that Radulov and Kostitsyn, two of the team’s late-season acquisitions, broke team curfew the night before Game 2. They were suspended for Game 3 and didn’t play in Game 4 (which triggered harsh backlash towards Trotz for sitting them in Game 4). After the series, their teammates admitted the entire situation was a distraction in the locker room.

After that Game 2 loss, the Predators never really covered. They convincingly won Game 3, 2-0, but were shut out in Game 4. The Coyotes finished off the series in Game 5.

It was supposed to be the Predators’ time to shine. Two weeks after their momentous series win against Detroit, one that appeared to be a launching point for something special, they were packing up for the summer.

With clouds of uncertainty looming this off-season, the Predators had to go deep this spring. They didn’t, and they didn’t go deep in such a way that will sting for some time to come.

Photos credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 9

2012-06-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Los Angeles Kings @ New Jersey Devils

Stanley Cup Final, Game 5

8:00 ET… TV: NBC, CBC

Players to watch:
LA- Dustin Brown

Captain Brown has struggled a bit of late, collecting just two points in the last six games. However, his best work this postseason has come on the road and the Kings can taste the Holy Grail. Look for a strong game from Brown tonight.

NJ- Ryan Carter

The Devils’ fourth line was a sparkplug in the third round, but thus far it’s been fairly quiet in this series. A big effort out of Carter, Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier would be a big boost to the Devils.

Projected starting goaltenders:

LA- Jonathan Quick (Playoff stats: 15-3, 1.39 GAA)

NJ- Martin Brodeur (Playoff stats: 13-8, 2.04 GAA)

Three things to watch:

1. Can the Kings complete their road perfection in style?

Darryl Sutter’s Kings have stunned everyone with their work away from home, as their record in road games this postseason is 10-0. They have won road games every way possible thus far – overtime, holding onto to late leads, blowing out the opposition; the last three wins have come in overtime. Wouldn’t it be icing on the cake for the Kings to complete a perfect postseason away from home by raising Lord Stanley at night’s end?

2. Can the Devils make this interesting?

On the other side of things, Peter DeBoer’s Devils are behind the eight ball. They managed to squeak out a Game 4 win in Los Angeles and seem to have gained some confidence from that victory. They will have their home fans behind them tonight with the season on the line. Led Martin Brodeur, this is an experienced group with a lot of pride. Because of that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them force a Game 6 back in Tinseltown.

3. Quick vs. Brodeur

Aside from a 4-0 Kings win in Game 3, each one of these games have been close and decided by one fluke goal here or there. Twice in those situations, Brodeur has blinked first; on Wednesday, Quick did. Neither goalie has had to come up with a heroic effort this series, but they have both made some key saves to keep their teams in it. Tonight’s game should be close, which means the goaltending battle will have a big say in the outcome.

Final thoughts:

The Devils are saying, “Why not us?” The Kings know what’s at stake. If they lose this game, the Devils’ confidence can only snowball going into Game 6. Sutter’s gang wants to close it out tonight, and they are 2-0 in close-out games on the road this postseason. The Kings’ power play has come alive in the last two games. If it’s effective tonight, it could be a difference-maker.

In the end, I see the Kings winning this game; if they don’t, things will get very interesting. Winning the Cup on the road would be a perfect ending to the Kings’ dominant playoff run. It’s not to say the Devils can’t win this game, because it should be a close one. Quick makes one more save than Brodeur, Brown scores a big goal and the Kings celebrate their first title tonight.

Prediction: Kings 2, Devils 1 (OT)

Video of the day:

*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey

Can Tambellini finish what he started?

2012-06-08T11:15:00.000-05:00

This week, the Edmonton Oilers made a bold move and extended oft-criticized GM Steve Tambellini to a multi-year pact. Tambellini, hired almost four years ago as the successor to Oilers legend Kevin Lowe, has yet to prove himself as a league general manager, but his legacy is only beginning.

If you ask Oilers fans if they agree with the signing, chances are they do not. Late in the season, when it became apparent that the team would miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, popular team blogger Tyler Dellow chose to morph a picture of Tambellini and revolutionary icon Che Guevara and famously declare 'la reconstrucion es permanente', or in English: permanent rebuild. The fan base, as committed as they may be, are hoping for a contender.

And, to a degree, they deserve it.

The 2006 squad found a way to gain a playoff berth and almost became the first team to win the Stanley Cup as a No. 8 seed -- a feat, coincidentally, the Los Angeles Kings strive to achieve here in the next few days. Core players like Ales Hemsky and Shawn Horcoff were extended to multi-year deals while the team tried to maintain their core. However, injuries and underachievement, combined with the forced exodus of Chris Pronger, led to a yard sale of any valuable asset following a few down seasons.

Trading Pronger essentially changed the organizational outlook. They went from a contender to a young team with some potential, and from that to a team that needed a new core.

So when Tambellini took over the team in 2008, the rebuild was already under way. The fans expected him to use his options to create a winner, but all he's done is help the team attain higher draft picks. Skaters like Jeff Petry and Jordan Eberle were already in the system, but remained a while away from making an impact at the professional level. Tambellini's idea was to build on that pipeline and assemble a team in the image of the lauded championship years.

Four years later, Tambellini knows it's time for those kids to take the next step and lead this club back to the postseason.

"We should be talking about winning more hockey games, that's what we're paid to do," Tambellini announced at his press conference. "We've had a couple of years with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle now, and Jeff Petry is getting more comfortable."

Those high-potential players along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Magnus Paajarvi create an enviable core. And coupled with veterans like Horcoff, Hemsky and Sam Gagner (a veteran at 22 years old), the Oilers have the potential to put lightning in a bottle with a nice mix of youth and experience. Tambellini is hoping these players can reach their potential under his watch, but his mark on the organization will remain for years.

Tambellini lightly joked that his deal is for multiple seasons, which gives him some room to be creative for his decision making. This contract is, simply put, his chance to see his hard work pay off. Whether his decisions ultimately proves to be for the greater good of the organization is a completely different animal. Only time will tell, as the rest of Oiler Nation impatiently tap their collective feet.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Scariest part of suddenly-dominant Kings

2012-06-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

When the Los Angeles Kings take the ice Saturday night in Newark for Game 5, they have a chance to win their first ever Stanley Cup. If they can’t wrap it up then, they’ll have two more cracks at it. As a No. 8 seed, some may say the Kings are a fluke. They aren’t – far from it. In fact, this could be the start of something special for years to come.

Since the salary cap was instituted in 2005, the word ‘dynasty’ hasn’t been relevant in the NHL. You could say that there really hasn’t been anything that equates to a dynasty since the 1980’s Edmonton Oilers teams that featured the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

This is not to say these Kings, who boast an impressive 15-3 playoff record, are going to become a dynasty. When the Pittsburgh Penguins made back-to-back Cup Final appearances in 2008 and 2009, there was talk of a dynasty then. Injuries and bad luck have kept the Penguins from advancing past the second round in the three postseasons since.

The same could happen to the Kings in the coming years. The future is impossible to predict. Yet, they have many building blocks in place that could make them a contender for a very long time.

Before we look at some of the moves GM Dean Lombardi has made, remember that most of the Kings’ current core was built through the draft. Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Jonathan Quick and Drew Doughty – four current Conn Smythe Trophy candidates – were all drafted by the Kings. They all broke into the NHL at different times, yet they’ve grown together on the ice in recent years.

The scariest part is that they are all still young and have yet to reach their prime.

Brown is 27 years old, Quick is 26, Kopitar is 24 and Doughty is 22. Kopitar and Doughty are signed for the long haul, while Quick will earn a raise next summer. As for Brown: there were trade rumors in February, but if the captain continues to play like he has over the last two months, there’s no reason for the Kings not to keep him in the fold.

In total, 12 players on the current Kings roster were drafted by them; other than Brown, all of them are 26 years old or younger.

Aside from those that started their careers with the Kings, Lombardi has done a fantastic job of bringing in even more young talent from the outside.

Less than eight months apart, Lombardi boldly parted with a lot of assets to acquire Philadelphia castoffs (and friends) Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Though they have yet to have a big impact production wise as Kings, they will be stars in Los Angeles like they were with the Flyers. Both are 27 years old and under contract through at least 2020. They currently make up two-thirds of the best second line hockey has to offer right now.

To reiterate: this Kings core is young, maturing and locked up for the foreseen future.

Wait, there’s more.

The Kings have received important contributions from their role players all postseason long. Guys like Dwight King, Slava Voynov and Trevor Lewis have all been able to make a name for themselves – and they are all 25 or younger.

When you look at the backup to Quick, Jonathan Bernier is also young. Bernier, 24 and roadblocked by a Vezina Trophy finalist, won’t be staying around in Los Angeles much longer. However, that’s not to say Lombardi can’t absorb another future asset in exchange for Bernier this off-season.

Also, prospects Andrei Loktionov, Tyler Toffoli and Derek Forbort are all expected to make an impact at the NHL level at some point in the not-too-distant future.

According to Cap Geek, the Kings have $54.2 million tied up in 20 players next season. If the salary cap rises to nearly $70 million, Lombardi will have a lot of cap room to work with and could be active in the free agent market (if he feels there’s a need).

Lombardi hasn’t received many breaks over the years. He had an up-and-down tenure in San Jose and was assumedly on the hot seat in Los Angeles before a second-half surge acted as a prelude to this remarkable postseason run that has them one win from the Stanley Cup.

Since taking over in 2006, perhaps the wisest thing Lombardi has done with the Kings is hiring Darryl Sutter to replace Terry Murray back in December.

Sutter, who was with Lombardi in San Jose, has fit like a glove with the Kings. The team is fully bought-in to Sutter’s system, which didn’t seem to be the case before where they never lived up to their potential under Murray. Further, the Kings have exhibited Sutter’s laid-back demeanor on the ice en route to beating all three Western Conference division winners semi-effortlessly before facing New Jersey in the Cup Final.

The Kings only have four unrestricted free agents this summer. Jarret Stoll and Dustin Penner are among them and would be attractive on the open market; Scott Parse and Colin Fraser, if unsigned, are replaceable.

But it’s not like these Kings are anything like the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks, who had to blow up their Cup-winning roster just days after snapping their 49-year title drought.

San Jose is on their way down, Anaheim is annually inconsistent and Phoenix’s future is in doubt. The Pacific Division (scratch that, Western Conference!) could belong to the Kings for a long time, just like it has to the Sharks over the past decade.

The Kings have something special going on right now that should be able to continue in the future.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Conn Smythe Trophy Watch

2012-06-07T18:15:00.000-05:00

Through four games of the Stanley Cup Final, here are the top contenders for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is given annually to the NHL’s postseason MVP.

1. Jonathan Quick, Kings

If the Kings win the Stanley Cup (it’s more of a formality than a question mark), you can look back to Games 2 and 3 when Quick won himself the Conn Smythe. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar have been lurking in the Conn Smythe race, and Drew Doughty deserves some recognition – but Quick has separated himself here in the Cup Final.

Through four games he has given up four goals. Thanks to a shutout and a pair of overtime wins, Quick’s goals-against average for the playoffs has shrunk to 1.39. His save percentage, you ask? .948. But here in the Final, Quick has been the best player on the ice. Neither team has brought their A-game consistently, but Quick has. He’s stopped 91 of the 95 shots that have come his way, playing a big role in the Kings killing off 15 Devils power plays thus far.

Conn Smythe voters tend to favor goaltenders. Not only has Quick been the best goaltender in these playoffs, but he’s been the best player – which is why the Conn Smythe will be his if (or when) the Kings close out New Jersey.

2. Anze Kopitar, Kings

Every Conn Smythe winner has their moment in which they shine. Kopitar has had a few of those this postseason, including in Game 1 of the Final when he scored the overtime winner on a clean breakaway. Further, in Game 2 at St. Louis he scored a pair of goals in a first period that set the tone for the rest of the series that ended in a Kings sweep. A series later, Kopitar scored a big momentum goal to help the Kings take a 3-0 series advantage over Phoenix.

Beyond the offense, Kopitar has left his mark on these playoffs with his two-way excellence. He has been dominant on both sides of the puck and boasts a plus-14 rating; he has only recorded a minus rating in two games this postseason.

Overall, he has 19 points in 18 games, tied with New Jersey’s Ilya Kovalchuk for tops in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the process, Kopitar has gone from a great to an elite player.

3. Drew Doughty, Kings

As much recognition as Quick, Kopitar and Dustin Brown have received throughout the playoffs, it’s blatantly obvious that Doughty has been the top defenseman all spring. As a result, he should be considered for the Conn Smythe, as well.

Doughty has 14 points and a plus-12 rating, which leads all defensemen in the playoffs. He scored a stunning coast-to-coast goal in Game 2 in New Jersey. He’s also averaging 26:05 of ice time per game, tops amongst remaining players. Ever since being a Norris Trophy finalist in 2010, Doughty has had some ups and downs. However, he’s fulfilling his $56 million contract with a clutch playoff performance that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

4. Martin Brodeur, Devils

Going into the Stanley Cup Final, some believed Brodeur should be up there with Quick as one of the top Conn Smythe contenders. Though the 40-year-old Devils netminder has been solid (especially against New York in the conference final), he’s had a few clunkers in the playoffs; Brodeur has given up three goals or more six times, compared to Quick’s three. Brodeur also has a .921 save percentage compared to Quick’s .948.

Brodeur hasn’t been entirely sharp against Los Angeles. He was cleanly beat on both overtime winners in Games 1 and 2, and failed to make that clutch stop, contrary to what Quick has been able to do, until his 21-save performance in Game 4.

5. Dustin Brown, Kings

Many times throughout the first three rounds, between the clutch goals, big hits and great defensive play, Brown has been the Kings’ top performer. He, along with linemates Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams, have been dominant in all three zones.

Brown is tied for third in the NHL in playoff points. Three of his seven goals have been of the game-winning variety. Brown has especially been a physical force in these playoffs, recording a team-high 74 hits in 16 games and getting under the skin of his opponents. However, his offensive drought (two points in the last six games) and Kopitar’s emergence have hurt Brown’s Conn Smythe stock.

Photo credit: Getty Images

A look at off-season defense market

2012-06-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

Less than a month from today, the free agent frenzy will commence; it will be here before we know it! Where will Ryan Suter land? Who will ‘replace’ Nicklas Lidstrom in Detroit? Here’s a quick look at the market for defensemen this summer…

Teams potentially looking for an impact defenseman:

Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, NY Islanders, Philadelphia, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Washington

Unrestricted free agents to watch:

- Ryan Suter, NSH… Whether he was coming off his best NHL season (a career-high 46 points in 2011-12) or a down year, it wouldn’t matter: Suter is going to get paid like a No. 1 defenseman this off-season. Once the Predators were eliminated by Phoenix, rumors of his departure picked up. They only gained steam when Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement, as Detroit is thought to be one of the main suitors for Suter.

Suter has had to play in Shea Weber’s shadow throughout their time in Nashville. If Suter signs elsewhere, he can be the bonafide No. 1 rearguard and compete againstWeber for the annual accolades of being an All-Star and Norris Trophy finalist. If Suter re-signs with the Predators, which is still a possibility, he’ll continue to be the Robin to Weber’s Batman – which may be the best thing for the soft-spoken Suter.

- Matt Carle, PHI… Carle isn’t anywhere near Suter when it comes to being a complete defenseman, but the 27-year-old plays a solid two-way game on most nights. Carle averaged nearly 38 points in each of his three seasons with the Flyers and only missed a total of two games. He’s durable, can move the puck and be reliable in his own end. Yeah, he’ll get paid this summer.

- Jason Garrison, FLA… Garrison is an intriguing option on the blue-line for teams that miss out on Suter. Garrison, 27, has been a bit of a late bloomer for the Panthers after going undrafted. His breakout year came this past season, in which he notched 16 goals and 33 points. His big shot from the point will be sought after if he doesn’t re-sign in Florida.

Others to keep an eye on:

- Erik Karlsson, OTT… The top restricted free agent blue-liner this summer is Karlsson, a first-time Norris Trophy finalist. Given his unbelievable breakout campaign at 22 years old, it will be interesting to see what kind of contract he receives from the Senators. If it’s a big one it could be a benchmark for other young defensemen for the next number of years. And Karlsson deserves a hefty payday after impressively leading NHL defensemen with 78 points in 81 games.

- Jay Bouwmeester, CGY… After the Flames hired Bob Hartley, it was revealed that the organization no longer wants to spend to the salary cap ceiling. They reportedly want to cut nearly $10 million of salary going into 2012-13. If they hold on to veterans Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, it could only mean that Bouwmeester will be dealt. His contract is an albatross (two years, $13.2 million remaining), so the Flames will be hard-pressed to get any value in return. Bouwmeester has been a disappointment in Calgary, but perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good.

Teams to watch:

- Detroit Red Wings… Lidstrom’s retirement means the Red Wings have some big skates to fill on the back end. They will never fully replace Lidstrom, but GM Ken Holland could make a couple signings to help soften the blow. They are believed to be the favorite to land Suter on July 1st; if they can’t get him, Holland could go the trade route. Free agent Brad Stuart is likely leaving Detroit, too.

- Philadelphia Flyers… A lot of this depends on the future of captain Chris Pronger, which doesn’t look good right now. He’s still experiencing concussion symptoms and his career is at risk. If he can’t come back, that leaves a major void on the Flyers’ back end. Their inability to fill that void this season was evident in the playoffs when the Devils’ offense made it look way too easy against them. Could GM Paul Holmgren pursue Suter to beef up the blue-line?

- Washington Capitals… Capitals GM George McPhee has some decisions to make on defense. First of all, he needs to get RFA John Carlson re-signed. However, Mike Green is also a RFA and his price tag could be a lot more than he’s worth. If that’s the case, a trade isn’t out of the question. Also, All-Star Dennis Wideman is an unrestricted free agent.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Devils stave off elimination in Game 4

2012-06-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

It wasn’t an overtime winner, but it sure felt like it.

Adam Henrique’s game-winning goal in the latter stages of Game 4 lifted the Devils to a 3-1 win that saved the team’s season and forced a Game 5 back in Newark on Saturday.

The first two periods were a back-and-forth chess match with neither team able to strike first and get on the board. The third period, however, featured more scoring in a single period than we’ve seen in this Stanley Cup Final.

Patrik Elias got the Devils on the board midway through the final frame when he poked home a rebound past a sprawling Jonathan Quick. The 1-0 lead didn’t last long for the Devils, as Drew Doughty’s rocket from the blue line beat Martin Brodeur five-hole to knot the game at 1-1 with 11:04 remaining.

As the third period wound down, it felt more and more like overtime. That’s when the Devils found their hero – the same one that has stepped up this postseason.

Henrique scored the series-clinching overtime goals in the first and third rounds, knocking out Florida and rival New York in the process. His overtime heroics had made up for two of his three playoff goals heading into Wednesday’s Game 4.

With 4:31 remaining in regulation, Henrique took a cross-ice pass from David Clarkson and buried a wrist shot short-side on Quick, who is still the current frontrunner for the Conn Smythe despite a rare loss on Wednesday.

Henrique’s goal took the air out of a raucous home crowd in Los Angeles that had expectations of partying through the night. Instead, both teams will board a plane back across the country to play in Saturday’s Game 5.

After this game, the Kings have now lost just three games all postseason – all of which were in a Game 4. Leading 3-1 in the series, they now have the chance to complete win an NHL-record 11 road games and win their first ever Stanley Cup in the same game. Given their perfection on the road this spring, it would only be fitting for the Kings to win the Cup away from home.

But as Game 4 proved, the Devils, who still have never been swept in a playoff series, are not going to go away quietly. They have a lot of veteran leadership in that locker room that can carry them in tough moments.

It was only one win, but the Devils now feel they will be back in this series if they capture a win in Game 5. However, they’ll have to do it against a Kings team that can’t lose on the road.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 7

2012-06-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

The Morning After:

Yesterday’s results:

Devils 3, Kings 1

RLD 3 stars of the night:

1. Martin Brodeur, NJ (21 saves)

2. Adam Henrique, NJ (1 goal)

3. Drew Doughty, LA (1 goal)

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Devils will need offense to force Game 5

2012-06-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Things are looking quite bleak with the New Jersey Devils down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings. But if New Jersey is looking for any hope in extending the series at least another game, their offense will need to show up when the puck drops at Staple Center tonight.

In Game 3, the Devils could not find a way to put one in the net as Jonathan Quick was perfect, stopping all 22 shots he saw.

“I think last game we played pretty well offensively,” Alexei Ponikarovsky said during Tuesday's off day interviews. “We kept in the zone for long periods of time. We just have to get more pucks in the net and get the rebounds.”

Over the course of the series, New Jersey has only managed to score two goals in the first three games. In comparison, in the first two rounds of the playoffs the Devils had scored eight goals in the first three games and, although a drop-off, they had three goals in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

A lot of the focus has been on players like Ilya Kovalchuck and Zach Parise for their lack of production in the Stanley Cup Final. The pair lead their team in playoff goals this year, with seven each, yet neither have scored against Los Angeles.

“When the offense struggles, you look at certain individuals,” Parise said when asked about being pressured to produce. “I get it. Yeah, we got to do a better job of scoring some goals, getting some more opportunities.”

“They're playing a really good defensive game, not giving us a lot of room, not giving us a lot of chances. But they are there. The chances are there. You're not going to get a lot of them against these guys, but you have to make them count. So far we haven't been able to do that.”

There has been some speculation that Kovalchuk and several other players are playing hurt. Devils head coach Peter DeBoer believes that everybody is playing injured one way or another, but doesn’t think that the blame should be placed on the shoulders of just a few individuals.

“You guys want somebody to blame for the situation we're in,” DeBoer said. “It's not like that, you know. We're working hard. We're doing a lot of good things. Hasn't gone our way yet. We've got to keep going.”

Tonight is New Jersey’s last chance to extend the series one more game and it will take a maximum offensive effort to do so.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Wings have a need at forward

2012-06-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Detroit Red Wings have more money than they're used to playing around with for July 1. Aside from the top defenseman (or two) they desperately need, the Red Wings are looking to add another power forward.

Currently, the team relies heavily on Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to carry the large bulk of the offense, with players like Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, and Jiri Hudler being several of the key "fallback" guys who can, theoretically, capitalize when Datsyuk or Zetterberg are struggling. During the regular season, this setup worked fairly well until the last 25 games of the season, which saw Franzen drop off the radar and Filppula struggle to make the score sheet over the final 15 games.

The only contract up this off-season, however, is Hudler's. It's been speculated that the team should think about letting the Czech player go and test the free agency market. While Hudler had the most goals for the Red Wings this past season, fans have had a love/hate relationship since he took the team to arbitration, then left for the KHL for a year three seasons ago. Upon his return season, his numbers were lackluster compared to before; his saving grace was his ability in the shootout.

With how much output Hudler had this past season, he could easily put on a price tag of about $4 million, which is more than what the Red Wings may want to sign him for.

So what are other options for the Red Wings? Alexander Semin and Zach Parise are probably the two biggest forwards available this offseason.

Semin probably will not stay with the Washington Capitals, especially with all of the bad press he's been getting. His price tag right now with the Capitals is $6.7 million, but would he be willing to sign for more around $5 million to play wearing a Winged Wheel on his chest? The only concern Red Wings fans would have with Semin is his motivation.

In Washington, Semin has been reported as a relatively lazy player; he could be up at the top of the league for points year after year, but he lacks the work ethic. Coming to a team with a stable head coach and a consistent lineup, would he shake that habit and be able to produce? Mike Babcock has been ranked as one of the most demanding coaches in the NHL - if anyone could make sure Semin stays on task, it would be him.

The biggest question for Parise is whether the New Jersey Devils will re-sign their captain or not. If they win the Stanley Cup, it doesn't seem likely that they would be willing to part with him. His cap hit is $6 million, nowhere near the price of Hudler, but his output is phenomenal, and fairly consistent from year-to-year. Could Holland pull another Marian Hossa-like deal? Anything is possible.

But will the draw of always looking like a Cup contender year in and year out be enough for any bigger-name players to take a bit of a pay cut when there is no more legendary blue liner on the roster? Nicklas Lidstrom's absence may cause some players to be a little less trusting, but leave it to Ken Holland to work his magic.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 6

2012-06-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings

Stanley Cup Final, Game 4

8:00 ET… TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC

Players to watch:
NJ- Ilya Kovalchuk

Kovalchuk could be battling an injury, but he has still been silent through the three most important games of his career. Facing elimination, can ‘Kovy’ bust out and get on the scoresheet? Or will he fade off into the summer with the rest of the team?

LA- Matt Greene

The Kings have had numerous unsung heroes this spring, but one of them has been Greene. His work on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone has been superb, especially in Monday’s Game 3.

Projected starting goaltenders:

NJ- Martin Brodeur (Playoff stats: 12-8, 2.09 GAA)

LA- Jonathan Quick (Playoff stats: 15-2, 1.36 GAA)

Three things to watch:

1. Can the Kings complete the sweep?

Judging by how Game 3 played out, the odds are in the Kings’ favor to complete the sweep tonight to claim their first Stanley Cup in their 45-year franchise history. The Devils had their chances to make this a series early on in Game 3, but the Kings showed a killer instinct and determination level that couldn’t be matched. If the Kings win tonight, it’d be the first Cup Final sweep since Detroit did it in 1998.

2. The first 20 minutes

If the Devils have anything left for this season, it will be poured out in the first period. If they come out flat and the Kings capitalize, there will be handshakes and a celebration tonight. Peter DeBoer’s club has to come out like gangbusters and gain some momentum in the first 10 minutes or so in their effort to stave off elimination.

3. Parise’s last stand with the Devils?

As much as the Devils’ run to the Cup Final has been impressive, there is the chance that this could be Zach Parise’s final game in a Devils uniform. It’s certainly not on his mind, nor should it be; but it’s the elephant in the room, as Parise is one of the top free agents available in the looming off-season. He has done a lot for the Devils over the years. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs here in Game 4 with his team’s backs against the wall.

Final thoughts:

The only thing stopping the Kings tonight would be their inability to win a Game 4 in two of the three previous series. With 3-0 series leads, they failed to clinch on home ice against Vancouver and Phoenix. However, they did sweep away St. Louis and New Jersey isn’t providing much hope to extend this series to a fifth game. It’s a formality that Dustin Brown will be meeting Gary Bettman at center ice to raise the Cup. And that moment could very well happen tonight. Quick, again, is the difference maker and wins the Conn Smythe unanimously.

Prediction: Kings 3, Devils 1

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Tim Thomas: A goalie without a home

2012-06-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, Boston Bruins starting goalie Tim Thomas dropped the bombshell that he will, indeed, take the 2012-2013 season off. As TSN's Bob McKenzie reported, via Twitter, no matter if Thomas is suspended, or on mars, his cap hit will remained tethered to the Bs list of salaries.

Thomas is taking the season off for a smattering of reasons. For one, his no-trade clause expires very shortly, which could make him trade bait. His 38-year-old body also might not be suited for the rigors of an 82-game season plus a hopefully lengthy playoff run. But more importantly, he knows that his relationship with his fan base, and more likely his current organization, just isn't the same.

During his impressive Stanley Cup run, the Bruins could not be happier with Thomas. He stood on his head following a down season and propelled them into a Northeast Division title and a red-hot postseason. The marriage looked like it would never end as Thomas rode his hot streak through the beginning of the regular season before eventually getting derailed by his political views.

Thomas refused to show up to The White House celebration, choosing to, instead, make his political beliefs public. Several other sports personalities have spurned Presidential visits in the past, but Thomas caught the ire of the media, and vicariously, the rest of the league.

The Boston media particularly lambasted Thomas for his decision. His absence from the proceedings led to rumors of locker room animosity and Thomas's selfish attitude among his teammates. All of a sudden, a cohesive team was torn apart by differing personalities.

But the issues just did not rest. After playing over 100 games last season, and 82 more in the regular season, the Bruins looked gassed in their first round loss to the Washington Capitals. The Caps played tough with tight defensive play, and the Bruins just could not get any breaks.

If there needs to be a scapegoat for their first round loss, it's Thomas. His 'selfish' behavior separated himself from the rest of the team, stopping the momentum of a team that won based off chemistry, trust, and hard work. Thomas was notably not himself. In fact, some argued that White House-gate was the impetus for his, and the team's struggles.

From CSNNE.com:

He had a 2.69 goals against average and a .903 save percentage in the 26 games after skipping the photo op with President Obama.

The Bruins had always intended on keeping the option open to trade Thomas in the final year of his four-year contract. Once the White House situation dropped in late January, though, things got pretty strained between the team and player.

The possibility he’d be traded after July 1 got a lot stronger, and so did the possibility that Thomas would walk away.

It became a near certainty when the B’s bowed out in the first round, and neither Thomas nor his teammates could recreate the kind of magic that was sprinkled all over them during their run to the Stanley Cup.

Haggerty is partially right in his assessment-- Thomas has been in trade rumors for the better part of his contract. Rumors swirled around a possible move to the Philadelphia Flyers a few seasons ago, among others. He just turned 38, Tuukka Rask is 25; how long could Thomas conceivably play better than his younger counterpart?

By that same token, the strain between player and team was much publicized, although without any direct fact or proof. No players or team personnel personally spoke out about Thomas. How could they? The Bruins had just won their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, in part due to Thomas having one of the best regular seasons's in the history of his position. Certainly Thomas has his own agenda, and took action on it, but he was still, unequivocally, the starter in Boston.

Following the first round loss, the semantics of Thomas' break-up interviews were even under the microscope. Haggerty went as far as to count the number of times Thomas said 'we' opposed to 'they'. And under the daunting spotlight of scrutiny and disappointment, Thomas must have decided he had enough.

However, the one thing you can derive from the Thomas is his insistence on following his own path.

Haggerty noted that his family was uprooted during the regular season, leaving Boston for Colorado, an odd move for a player with a season left on his contract. Was the media too much to handle in Boston? Furthermore, was the sensationalism created by his staunch views a deal breaker for both sides?

It looked like the Bruins knew the situation would be tricky, and maybe there still can be a happy medium. GM Peter Chiarelli could chose to send his expiring contract to a team like the Phoenix Coyotes or the New York Islanders, who might struggle to hit the salary cap floor and need to fill some dead space. Rumors are also swirling around that Toronto and a few other clubs might still pursue the Vezina and Conn Smythe winner.

For now, Thomas is at home with his family, starting his season of three Fs. But as far as the NHL is concerned, he has no home.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

A look at off-season forward market

2012-06-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Less than a month from today, the free agent frenzy will commence; it will be here before we know it! Where will Zach Parise land? With the lack of talent in free agency, will there be more trades? Here’s a quick look at the market for forwards this summer…

Teams potentially looking for a top-six forward:

Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Columbus, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Ottawa, San Jose, Toronto, Washington

Unrestricted free agents to watch:

- Zach Parise, NJ… This upcoming off-season has primarily centered around the pending free agent statuses of Parise and Nashville’s Ryan Suter. Parise, a year removed from knee surgery, is easily the top forward available this summer. He’s an elite winger and will be paid like one this summer

Parise has proven time and time again that he is a bonafide top-line winger in this league. In his seven seasons he has reached the 30-goal plateau five times. He had seasons of 94 and 82 points before tearing up his knee last year. He’s been a big factor for the Devils this postseason. There really hasn’t been any other free agent forward like him, heading into his prime, other than Devils teammate Ilya Kovalchuk back in 2010.

- Alexander Semin, WSH… Semin is a true wild card. His talent is tangible. When he breaks out his wrist shot in the slot, no one’s is better – not Stamkos’s, not Ovechkin’s. Over the last six seasons, Semin has averaged 31 goals and 64 points a year. The problem is his inconsistency, questionable commitment and injury history. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a GM that is willing to give Semin a contract worth $7 million for any length of time. Will that result in Semin heading back home to Russia and the KHL?

- Jaromir Jagr, PHI… As Semin may go to the KHL, Jagr’s return from that league was a successful one. Under a one-year deal with the Flyers, Jagr collected 54 points in 73 games – not great, but better than the majority’s expectations. He also expressed a sincere desire to stay in the NHL next year. Will he stay in Philadelphia or take his 40-year-old talents elsewhere? He’ll be an intriguing name to keep an eye on this off-season.

Others to keep an eye on:

- Rick Nash, CBJ… The writing is on the wall: Nash, the captain of Columbus, will be traded this summer. It would take a lot for it not to happen, especially after he requested a trade out of Columbus this past season. Nash has scored 30-plus in seven of his nine NHL seasons, one of the big reasons why the power forward will be coveted by a limited list of teams (upon his request) as the draft approaches. The Rangers, Bruins and Maple Leafs are thought to be contenders to land the star winger.

- Jordan Staal, PIT… Another individual whose name is constantly found in the rumor mill is Jordan Staal’s. He has insisted that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, and GM Ray Shero has echoed those sentiments in keeping him. But that won’t stop the rumors, and it certainly won’t stop teams from calling Shero. Center is a major weakness in this year’s free agent class, which only increases Staal’s value. The Penguins would be crazy not to at least listen to other teams’ offers for the 23-year-old center.

Teams to watch:

- New York Rangers… Marian Gaborik’s shoulder injury that will cause him to miss the start of the 2012-13 season throws a wrench into things for GM Glen Sather and company. There were already heavily involved in the Nash sweepstakes at the trade deadline and that probably won’t change now. Then came the recent report that the Rangers are interested in Nashville’s Alexander Radulov, an RFA this summer. Something is up in New York.

- Anaheim Ducks… Last December, it looked like Bobby Ryan was on his way out of Anaheim with the team struggling mightily. Ryan stuck around as the Ducks opted to make a coaching change instead, but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the woods. In fact, it will be interesting to see what GM Bob Murray does with Ryan and/or Ryan Getzlaf; both could be used as trade bait to become a deeper team. Teemu Selanne’s decision on his future will be a factor as well.

- San Jose Sharks… San Jose went away quietly in the first round, which means changes should be in store in the Bay Area. The question is: who’s coming and who’s going? At the trade deadline, Ryane Clowe and Joe Pavelski were supposedly the centerpiece of a trade to pry Nash out of Columbus. Patrick Marleau’s playoff performance suggests his days could be numbered in San Jose. The Sharks will look to shake things up, particularly offensively.

Photos credit: Getty Images

Two NHL coaching jobs remain open

2012-06-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

Now that the Calgary Flames inked Bob Hartley and Montreal hired Michel Therrien, there are only two current NHL openings. Let's take a look at the needs of those two and the possible candidates to fill the vacancy...

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers may be the trickiest scenario to gauge as they sit somewhere between developing future stars and attempting to win. Their incumbent head coach, Tom Renney, was let go after two poor seasons where he managed a 57-85 record. Renney might have been a good candidate to succeed with the team as he mastered the rebuild on the fly in New York, however, ownership clearly felt there were better options to mentor and develop their wealth of young talent.

According to Jim Matheson of The Edmonton Journal, the list of likely candidates extends to several names, but probably not former Calgary Flames bench boss Brent Sutter. From The Edmonton Journal:

The list of candidates, though, could run the gamut from Oilers associate coach Ralph Krueger, whom Renney said “is definitely ready to be an NHL head coach,” to former big-league head men such as Sutter (Calgary and New Jersey), Paul Maurice (Carolina, taking the Hurricanes to the Cup final against Detroit in 2002, and Toronto), TSN commentator Marc Crawford (Colorado, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Dallas) who was interviewed in 2009 when Craig MacTavish left, John Stevens (former Flyers’ coach now assistant in LA), Ron Wilson (Toronto, San Jose, Anaheim, Washington), Mike Sullivan (ex Bruins coach, now Rangers associate coach who is very much in the mix in Calgary.)

Hotshot AHL coaches such Dallas Eakins (Toronto Marlies), Jon Cooper (Norfolk Admirals) and Oilers farm guy Todd Nelson also should be on the Edmonton radar.

Considering Stevens and other possible candidates like Eakins, Cooper, and Adam Oates are all still coaching their current club, there really is no rush to find Renney's replacement. But finding a coach before the Oilers step up to the podium on June 22nd should be a necessity. Considering the Oilers have that aforementioned wealth of talent up front, the new head coach should have a say as to whether they roll the dice on a defenseman with the first overall pick.

If Renney wasn't the right man for the job, the next head coach would likely be the antithesis of his predecessor. Therefore, a taskmaster like Wilson or Crawford would make sense if we follow that blue print. Then again, the Los Angeles Kings hired Darryl Sutter, who replaced a similarly defensive-minded Terry Murray.

It all comes down to the Oilers finding their identity and giving their kids the right mentor; not exactly a cut-and-dry scenario.

Washington Capitals

Following the abrupt end of Dale Hunter's tenure with the Caps, GM George McPhee is once again searching for a new coach. After several seasons of excellent regular seasons followed by mediocre postseasons, the Caps once again found themselves eliminated in the second round. But due to the manner in which they succeeded, Hunter's term was deemed a success as he got 100 percent out of the team's enigmatic star players.

And while it is a safe assumption that the Caps want another gritty, defensive-minded coach, they are in no rush to find that guy. From Capitals Watch:

George McPhee reiterated Wednesday at the NHL's general managers meeting that he's in no rush to get a new coach to replace Dale Hunter. It might not happen before the draft, which is June 22 and 23, or by the start of free agency July 1.

“I don't know whether it'll be done in a few weeks or six weeks,” McPhee said. “We'll take our time and try to do it right.”

Rumor has it McPhee doesn't want another high-profile coach. TSN reported last week current assistant coaches Jim Johnson and Dean Evanson are very much in the mix. Both would be lesser-known candidates, as would Oates and Philadelphia Flyers assistant Craig Berube.

But again, the Caps really are in no rush to hire their head coach. They have decisions to make on unrestricted free agents like Alexander Semin, Dennis Wideman and Mike Knuble, and have less options after top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov recently re-signed with the KHL.

As has been the case since Alex Ovechkin came to D.C., there won't be a dull moment in the US capitol.

Photos Credit: Getty Images

Morning Skate: June 5

2012-06-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

The Morning After:

Yesterday’s results:

Kings 4, Devils 0

RLD 3 stars of the night:

1. Jonathan Quick, LA (22 saves, shutout)

2. Anze Kopitar, LA (1 goal, 1 assist)

3. Dustin Brown, LA (1 assist)

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Video of the day:

*Follow us on Twitter – @RLDhockey

Kings kill off Devils’ Cup hopes

2012-06-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Stick a fork in the Devils. This series is over.

Well, not yet. There’s still at least one more game to play. But the Kings’ decisive Game 3 victory over the Devils was a clear signal that their first Stanley Cup win is awfully imminent.

The Devils will say they had their share of scoring chances – and they’re right. They had six power plays in the game. As it turned out, just like the first two games of this series, the Devils would have been better off just declining the power play (if that was allowed).

Los Angeles, up 2-0 in the series going into tonight’s contest, won Game 3 in the first period when their penalty kill stepped up.

The Devils had a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage late in the first that was killed off thanks to the stellar goaltending of Jonathan Quick, who made 22 saves tonight for his third shutout of the playoffs. The Devils had three more power play opportunities in the second period, all of which went by the wayside.

Just as the Devils saw their opportunities come and go, the Kings pounced on theirs and took a stranglehold on the series in the second period.

Former Miami Redhawk Alec Martinez led off the scoring for the Kings when he jammed a loose puck past Martin Brodeur. Later on in the second period, Anze Kopitar buried a beautiful feed from Dustin Brown to put the Kings up 2-0.

They weren’t done.

In the third period the Kings showed the Devils what a successful power play looks like. Jeff Carter and Justin Williams each scored with the man advantage, less than three minutes apart, to give the Kings a 4-0 lead early in the final frame. They kept their foot on the pedal and displayed something that they hadn’t yet showed this series – a killer instinct.

Even though Games 1 and 2 were decided in overtime, the Kings have had more of a will to win than the Devils throughout this series. Not to say the Devils don’t want to win the Cup, but Darryl Sutter’s club is doing all of the necessary things to get to Win No. 16.

Game 3 didn’t need overtime. The Kings were dominant and they got better as the game went on. The Devils? Well, they failed to show any sort of resiliency that they’ve had most of this postseason. Now their hopes of winning a fourth Stanley Cup are all but history.

Meanwhile, the Kings are on the verge of clinching their first Stanley Cup. When you watch them, it’s hard to believe that they are a No. 8 seed and barely made the playoffs. Right now they look like a No. 1 seed that won a Presidents’ Trophy.

They have a 15-2 playoff record and are 60 minutes away from raising hockey’s Holy Grail.

Photo credit: Getty Images