With the first night of NHL Playoff games in the books our attention will be on a number of games tonight as the 2011 NHL Playoffs continue to evolve. The most anticipated matchup of the night should be the Boston Bruins battle with the Montreal Canadiens, as it already encompasses a number of juicy regular season story lines and one of the most storied rivalries in all of hockey. Let’s face it folks, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have a hate on for each other like few other rivalries, partially based on an early season brawl between the two sides and of course that “little” incident involving Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara and Montreal forward Max Pacioretty. History tells us that Montreal holds a 24-8 advantage in playoff series against the Bruins, but with playoff hockey, anything is possible. The

With my Eastern Conference playoff predictions out of the way, it’s time to set my sights on the Western Conference. Parity is alive and well throughout the NHL, but nowhere is it more apparent in the Western Conference where the difference between fifth and tenth place was just five points. Looking at the four Western Conference matchups there is not much to choose between most of the teams, that said, a few favorites should emerge, with the Vancouver Canucks and Detroit Red Wings garnering a lot of attention from poolies and fans alike. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the first round matchups and how it should all pan out. (1) Vancouver Canucks Vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks Given the fact that the Chicago Blackhawks have ended the Vancouver Canucks playoff drives in each of the past

(1) Washington Capitals Vs. (8) New York Rangers: Despite a very successful regular season in which the New York Rangers won three of four games against the Washington Capitals it is hard to believe that the Caps will be upset in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The Caps are a very different team from last season, choosing to concentrate on an all-round game, which includes an emphasis on defense and balanced scoring. The Caps won 16 of their final 20 games this season. Needless to say, it’s tough to get any hotter than that down the stretch, which should serve the Caps well in the playoffs. Despite not being known as an offensive juggernaut, the Rangers actually scored more goals than the Caps this season (233-224). The Capitals gave up one less goal on the season, but nobody

Its official. With the Toronto Maple leafs 4-3 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night our beloved Maple Leafs have now gone without a Stanley Cup victory for 44 years. While the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has had a number of bright spots along the way, the fact remains that, for the most part, the Maple Leafs have been an organization marred in mediocrity for over four decades. For many years the Blue and White ignored the NHL Entry Draft in favor of trading for grizzled veterans. Needless to say, given the lack of Stanley Cups, that philosophy never really worked, often leaving the team void of any homegrown star talent, which, in turn, was a major reason the organization has suffered for so long. Since his arrival Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has endured an

There have been a number of controversial NHL trades over the years. The deal that sent Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings immediately comes to everyone’s mind, while others remember the Joe Thornton trade that saw Jumbo Joe traded from the Boston Bruins to the San Jose Sharks. In their own way, each trade changed hockey. In Los Angeles, Gretzky put the Kings on the hockey map, while in San Jose, Thornton lifted the franchise from also-ran into perpetual Stanley Cup contender. While not on the same level, the deal that saw Phil Kessel traded from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs has also been deemed highly controversial—especially here in Toronto where, prior to this season, many Maple Leaf fans deemed the trade to be a disaster. On September 9th, 2009, Toronto Maple

With only a few more games to be played before the NHL starts it’s playoffs, there are a few teams that are emerging as the definitive favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Goaltending is often key to a teams playoffs success, that said, the Chicago Blackhawks took home Lord Stanley’s Cup last year—even with inconsistent goaltending from Antti Niemi. Power play and penalty kill success also comes into play, as does a teams ability to gel at the right time. With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the NHL’s eight most dangerous playoffs teams of 2010-11. Philadelphia Flyers: Key Stats: Current Record: 46-22-10 (102 points)—Second in Eastern Conference GF: 245 GA: 207 Diff: +38 PP: 16.4% (20th overall) PK: 83.8% (Ninth overall) Key Players: Mike Richards (F) Jeff Carter (F) Chris Pronger (D) Sergei Bobrovsky (G) The