Thoughts From The First Weekend Of Playoff Action

• If Ovechkin really want to have an impact these playoffs, he needs to go to the net more. His attempts to shoot the puck past everyone from beyond the faceoff circles isn't working and it probably won't do him any good any time soon, especially on a goalie like King Henrik. If he is going to end up on the scoreboard, he is going to have to crash the net with more regularity like he did in Game 1 and when he deflected a goal in during Game 3. Teams have learned to get in the way of his shots, limiting his effectiveness. He needs to start scoring goals from 3-5 feet from the net or the Caps are going to underacheive again.
• Martin St-Louis, despite his 5-foot-8 and 176 pound frame, easily one of the toughest and strongest players in the league. He's the first player this year to show why hockey players are the toughest, especially come playoff time. After taking a stick to the face from Pittsburgh's Zbynek Michalek, he underwent a double root canal and played two nights later. He didn't hold back either as he led the charge for the Lightning, ending the night with a goal and two points, both of which came on the power play. In true hockey player form, he played down his effort in the post-game interview, saying he was more motivated by being down by a game than trying to avenge his injury on which there was no penalty called. 
• Seven inches taller and 46 pounds heavier than St-Louis, Detroit's Johan Franzen took a hit from Shane Doan in the first period of their Game 2 matchup and went headfirst into the boards and opening a cut that took 23 stitches to close. The crowd showed their appreciation when he came back with a bandage on his forehead and a bloody nose and took a brief skate just to stretch out a little. They roared again when he led a rush a few minutes later. Later, he took a facewash from Doan and didn't even flinch as he crashed the net like usual. 
• Speaking of Doan, I really wish he played in a market where more people could watch him. I haven't seen him too often myself; I have read plenty of good things about him, but it wasn't until Game 2 that I realized just how good he is. He played a tremendous physical game and nearly single-handedly brought the Coyotes back when they were down four goals, registering two goals and three points before their comeback attempt fell short. He deserves to play somewhere more than 12,208 people can appreciate what he can do. Some place like, say, I don't know...Winnipeg.
• After losing John Madden, Adam Burish, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager, many thought the Blackhawks would be able to overcome their sudden loss of depth. After all, they have one of the best cores in the NHL with Jonathan Toews, Patricks Kane and Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The Canucks have been exposing the rest of the Hawks, flying all over the ice and causing last year's champs to run around, often looking lost. They 14 players signed for next season and only $8.4 million to sign the rest, so they will have the same issues next season. One place they really needs to spend money on though is a goalie not named Marty Turco. I have a hard time beleiving they won't keep Corey Crawford, but they need a reliable veteran to give him a break. He started 27 consecutive games down the stretch as they didn't trust Turco and his .897 save percentage, but now he looks tired and is not inspiring the confidence in the team Antti Niemi did last season.
• Brent Seabrook took two hits worthy of following the NHL's new concussion protocol and spending 15 minutes in a quiet room for diagnosis. He didn't go after the first one and you could clearly see him and one of the officials talking about the hit on the ice. One of the criticisms of the rule was what would happen in the playoffs when a team's best player may have to be out at a critical moment of a game. I'm sure Canucks management were upset to see Seabrook out there but that is what happens when you have a subjective rule like that. However, it is great to see some progression and even if the rule needs some tweaks, they are certainly going in the right direction.
• Lastly, here is a quote from Flyers coach Peter Laviolette after Game 2 against Buffalo. I believe it sums up the playoffs perfectly. "As far as that emotion and intensity you're talking about, it's called the Stanley Cup. And it's worth fighting for."

Playoff Implication Trends-Western Conference

I did the Eastern Conference yesterday, here is the Western Conference. Same thing, who is getting hot and who is slowing down and what that may mean for the playoffs.

Trending Up

Jonathan Toews: At the midpoint of the season, it looked as though the summer salary purge had crippled the Chicago Blackhawks. Their goaltending was inconsistent without Antti Niemi and the teams lacked the character and grit that took them to the Stanley Cup last season. They appeared ready to become just the third team since 1995 to win the Cup and miss the playoffs the next season until Toews decided to go on a tear. In the 20 games since Feb. 1, Captain Serious has 13 goals, 18 assists and 31 points and has played to a +18 over that span, leading them to a 12-4-4 record. They are now in sixth place in the Western Conference, just one point out of fourth where I predicted them to finish in the summer. The 22-year-old, who has already won the Conn Smyth Trophy as playoff MVP and named the top forward after winning the gold medal at the Olympics, has entered the Hart Trophy debate as well. With Toews playing so well and Corey Crawford settling in as the team’s netminder, a third consecutive trip to the Western Conference final could be in the cards.

Vancouver Canucks: It’s a scary idea that the best team in the league is actually getting hotter, but such is the reality in southern British Colombia. An 8-2-0 record in their past 10, the Cancuks have an 11 point lead over the Detroit Red Wings in the West and an eight point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in the race for the Presidents Trophy. Whether or not that ends up being a good thing remains to be seen, but Roberto Luongo is having his best season, Ryan Kesler is getting hot again and their secondary scoring is giving support to the Sedins. Defencemen Kevin Bieksa, Andrew Alberts and Alex Edler could all be back by the playoffs, making the league’s top defensive team even better. The past two Presidents Trophy winners have lost in the first round, but I feel this Canucks team is deep enough and has all the right pieces to become the eighth team since 1989-90 to reach the Stanley Cup final after recording the best regular season record and not one of the fie teams to go out in the first round.

Trending Down

Henrik Zetterberg/Johan Franzen: Zetterberg’s production has come to a near halt recently. One goal and four points in his past ten games and zero points in the past six, the usually defensively responsible Zetterberg has also played to a -10 over that span. Franzen scored five goals against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 2 and has just one since then. The Mule has started picking up points recently, but needs to return to the form that has seen him go through stretches as one of the top goal-scorers in the league. His points-per-game is much higher in the playoffs (59 points in 51 games, 1.16 PPG) than the regular season (118 in 170, .69 PPG) the past three seasons, so maybe the Wings just need to wait until the end of April rolls around before he really catches fire. Detroit is just 4-4-2 recently while giving up 30 goals and are now just six points above the surging Blackhawks for the Central Division lead. Going into any sort of slump can cause a team to fall fast in the ultra-tight Western Conference, so Zetterberg and Franzen need to regain their form before the Red Wings squander their home-ice position.

Nashville Predators: This is a scrappy team that always seems to over-achieve, but if they keep going the way they are now, they may miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They are one of the best defensive teams in the NHL and have been for years. They have three wins this month, two by shutout and one against the Colorado Avalanche, and four in the past 12 games. Five of the eight losses in that stretch have come by one goal. They need more goal support as Pekka Rinne can’t brig them to the playoffs by himself. In the past 10 games, Sergei Kostitsyn has one assist, Patric Hornqvist, David Legwand and J.P. Dumont have one goal each and Colin Wilson has two points for a team that is already ranked 26th in offense. Missing out on the playoffs may also make it tougher to re-sign stud defenseman, franchise player and captain Shea Weber who is an RFA at the end of this season. Unless he signs before July 1, it is a safe bet one team will get his signature on an offer sheet at a price the Preds may be unable to match.