Stamkos Has Awesome Hand-Eye Coordination

((HT: Sportsnet))

Just watch what he was able to do last night in putting the puck in the net against Ottawa...

More than anything, the HQ is impressed that he was able to choke up on the bat and make contact...

Nicely done...

Montreal-Ottawa Was One Of The Year's Best... And That's Just In The Stands...

((HT: Sportsnet))

It was, probably, one of the best games of the year to date in the National Hockey League- and it, pretty much, featured everything. Long runs, lead changes, own goals, nationalism, and the fans getting involved...

For those not familiar with the geography of the situation, the nation's capital of Canada is on the riverside of the border of Ontario and Quebec province. And that river separates English-speaking majority from Quebec and their French-speaking nationalists on the other bank.

And the HQ would love to know how Habs fans bought seats in the lower bowl at Ottawa last night...

But, here's what happened on the ice...
((HT: RDS/TSN))


And it even carried over into the stands in the battle of French and English-speaking Canada...


Here's the Sportsnet version...

Bobby Ryan Is Not A Fan Of Brian Burke

((HT: Sportsnet))

Brian Burke took over the front office duties in Calgary recently after the beginning of their season was nothing short of awful...

The US and Canada five-ringed squads were announced recently and some folks were left off of them (ex.- Keith Yandle) that maybe, just maybe, should not have been left off the rosters...and, by Team USA's admission, the 25 men were picked best to give the country a chance to win, not necessarily the "best 25."

Burke also, and more importantly for context, is also the Director of Player Personnel for Team USA made some comments about Ryan inside an all-access piece on ESPN.com that were less than flattering- including that Ryan is "passive." This "passivity" led to Burke taking Jack Johnson instead:

“He is not intense. That word is not in his vocabulary,” Burke said during a USA personnel meeting. “It’s never going to be in his vocabulary. He can’t spell intense.”

“He’s a passive guy.”

Ryan was less than pleased...

Here's Ryan...
Also, in the Jeff Simmons piece, came this bit of thought from Team USA: Ryan said he received a missed call from Burke when the U.S. team was announced, but learned about his omission from TV. According to ESPN, the USA brass felt that if Ryan was not going to play on the team’s top two lines, he would be a poor fit on the third or fourth line due to his lack of speed and defensive prowess.

Pens Take Care Of Sens: Wait For Bruins-Rangers

((HT: NHL/NBCSN))

With Tomas Vokoun in goal, there has been a feeling that the Pittsburgh Penguins would make a point- to outscore everyone if they needed to for a win, to protect their back-up goaltender, and to tell their starting goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, that all you have to be is hot to make a run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs...

It takes effort from everyone every night, sometimes it's someone you don't expect- and that's what it takes in addition to those who are expected to do their jobs (aka the "stars...") to win a title...

And last night, it was James Neal...

Here's the highlights- most of them are Pittsburgh

it's the first time the Pens are in the Eastern Conference finals since 2009- the year they won a Cup title...

When Morning Shows Break Into Patriotic Song

((HT: CTV Ottawa Morning Live/Puck Daddy))

All the HQ can say is "Oh, Good Lord..."
The morning show people in Ottawa decided to try and taunt the Pittsburgh Penguins through song...

And a coach doppleganger...

Be very afraid...


Frankly, we're too stunned to say what we think...

Game 3: Sens-Habs Degrades Into Line Brawls

((HT: CBC/NHL))

Not that there was anything wrong with it for the sake of television, rivalry, and the post-season...

But after Ottawa took a 4-1 lead in the third, the game completely went sideways...
((HT: HockeyVideoHD))


That particular fight had 152 minutes in penalties doled out and sent 9 guys to the dressing room...
The third period, on it's own, had another 58 minutes put on top of it.
210 minutes, one period, ten misconducts...
236 minutes total in penalties...

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the local kid, gets his first career hat trick...

Andrei Markov made a point to tell the Sens that they were full of s*** after the whistle since Ottawa made a point to call a time out and run a power play in the final minute up 6-1. Before the game went final, Josh Gorges fired the puck at Kyle Turris after the time out in protest.

And we have all that to look forward to for Game 4 as the Sens have a 2-1 series lead at present...

Paul MacLean Is Husky, Not Fat...

((HT: Sportsnet))

Leave it to the Canadiens-Sens series to have all the barbs you need to move the storyline along...

The Habs Brandon Prust claimed that the Senators head coach reminded him of a "fat, bug-eyed walrus."

Today was MacLean's response...

When the HQ thinks of "husky" all we think of are those jeans that we got from Wrangler when we were growing up...

Man, they were thick and we weren't fat, either...
At least, as far as you know...

Habs Eller Under Observation After Gryba Hit (UPDATED TWICE)

((HT: CBC/NHL))

First, we'll just show you the hit...
Eric Gryba on Lars Eller...
Gryba ended up with an interference penalty and a game misconduct... Eller bled like a stuck pig, was taken to hospital where CBC's Cassie Campbell-Pascall relayed that Eller has both face and neck injuries, but is under observation where he'll stay for the night... And, probably, longer... FRIDAY UPDATE: via Twitter and Dr_Habs Quote from Olaf Eller (Lars' father) "The results of the scanning shows not bleeding inside the brain and their is no jaw fracture there might be some small fractures on the cheekbone, teeth lost and a broken nose. So he got away with it with a fair amount of luck" Eller has been released from hospital after what the NHL's Darryl Haberman lists on his Twitter as "sustaining concussion, facial fractures, losing consciousness and teeth last night."

Your Wednesday Night Knockout In The NHL

((HT: TSN/Fred Murtz))

It's no secret that the Leafs and Sens don't like each other...

In Wednesday night's game, there were 20 minutes in penaties called in the first five minutes- most courtesy to Colton Orr squaring off against Chris Neil and Frazer McLaren taking on Dave Dziurzynsky...

In the first 26 seconds of the game...
But not without a KO by McLaren


Inasmuch as the code says you need to go off without medical attention, the HQ would have not adhered to such a code...

Oh...

The Leafs won...

Ain't Nuthin' Better Than A Game 7

Unless it's two Game 7's- spaced about 90 minutes apart for the sake of television...

The last two Eastern Conference spots were locked up with the following wins...
The New York Rangers held on in a 2-1 win over Ottawa...
The last 10 minutes of regulation were must-see TV, and with Doc Emrick calling it the game was what it was...
Electric...
Marc Staal and Dan Girardi scored for the Broadway Blues... and the HQ doubts anyone had them in the pool...
((HT: NHL on NBC))


The other game would have given the Florida Panthers their first series win since their Stanley Cup run in 1996... didn't happen, but the game went into the fifth period before a winner was decided. It was a busy night for Adam Henrique...
((HT: CNBC/NHL Network/NHL))


This sets up the semi-finals with the 5,6, and 7 seeds advancing out of the East with the 8th seeded LA Kings making it from the West first round...

By the way, lower level tickets for the Round 2 opener at MSG are going from $108-$420 per seat... just so ya know...

We asked...