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| Martin Biron has stopped 133 of the last 143 shots thrown his way, a .930 save percentage, and is ready for the challenge of taking on the Penguins in Round 3, according to Rototimes.com. |
Our View: Biron is likely the second best goalie in this match up, but he was the main reason that the team is still playing as he was spectacular in the final four games against the Penguins.
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| Marc-Andre Fleury has been on quite a role since the end of the regular season and he heads into the third round of the playoffs as a goalie to watch, according to Rototimes.com. |
Our View: Fleury is 18-3-1 in his last 22 decisions, and he is sporting an 8-1 record with a sterling 1.76 GAA. He will give the Flyers all they can handle.
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| Tomas Holmstrom is a pain in the rear end to deal with, especially on the power-play, and he will look to bring that style to the ice against the Stars in the third round, according to the Detroit Free Press. |
Our View: Holmstrom had an up and down season, mostly because of injury, as he was held to just 59 games scoring 20 times. In these playoffs he has two goals in 10 games, but that doesn't mean he won't be found anywhere but right in front of the goalie on almost every shift.
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| Stu Barnes (concussion) hasn't yet ruled out being ready to go for Game 1 against the Wings, according to the Dallas Morning News. "I'm better today than I was yesterday; I was better yesterday than the day before," Barnes said. "I just have to come in every day and see where it's at." |
Our View: Barnes is a "glue guy" who offers much more to his team than the points he puts up on the scoreboard making him just the type of player that is needed in the playoffs.
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| Philippe Boucher returned to the ice on Monday for the first time since suffering a hip injury against the Ducks in Game 3 of the first round, according to the Dallas Morning News. "I have more work to do before I'm ready to play," Boucher said. "I did a little more today in practice, but I wasn't out there very long. I'm moving well. I'm ahead of where I thought I would be right now." |
Our View: Boucher may or may not be able to play in the third round series against the Wings, but at least he is getting closer each day which is uplifting from the Stars point of view.
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| Updating an earlier report, Jeff Halpern has a ruptured ACL, suffered at the IIHF World Hockey Championships, and injury that will keep him out of action for at least six to eight months, according to NHL.com. Halpern also suffered a Grade 3 sprain of his MCL and a slight tear to his lateral meniscus. |
Our View: Terrible news for Halpern who really found his game with the Bolts. This injury likely means he won't be back to full health until somewhere around New Years.
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| Tim Thomas injured his groin while playing at the Worlds for the United States and has been sent home, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: No details on the extent of the injury have been given, but the obvious good news is that Thomas has a long while to get back into game shape with the Bruins season over.
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| Chris Osgood went 27-9-4 in the regular season and he is 6-01 in the playoffs as Detroit's unsung hero, according to TSN. |
Our View: Not many goalies would post a 2.09 GAA during the regular season and enter the playoffs as a backup, but once Dominik Hasek struggled, Osgood moved right in and started keeping the puck out of the net like he has done all season. Look for that to continue against the Stars.
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| Jeremy Roenick will return to play in San Jose next season to give it one more shot at getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, according to TSN. "The media is going to say the coach needs to be fired, players need to be traded, but I think within this organization, within these walls, we're very confident in where we are." |
Our View: Roenick scored 14 goals this year with a massive 10 game-winners, giving him some fantasy value. Still, at this point of his career he is likely best left on waivers to see what line he ends up on.
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| Brendan Shanahan may or may not play next season, but if he does return his first choice would be to play with the Rangers, according to Newsday. "I definitely know that I can still be a productive player in the NHL...If I decided to play, this [New York] would be my first choice ... I just know it's not an answer that I'll have for awhile." |
Our View: Shanahan is no longer the player he once was, but there is no shame in that. He still scored 23 times, including 11 times on the power-play, so he can be productive in the right role. If that means a return to NY, he would likely have to accept a reduced role.
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| Maxime Talbot hopes that he will be able to return from his broken foot in time to suit up for Game 1 against the Flyers, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I'll probably play," he said. "That's the plan. It feels better and better every day." |
Our View: The team isn't clear about whether or not Talbot truly is ready to return, but he is keeping a happy face about it. His inclusion in the lineup will be a game-time decision.
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| The Maple Leafs have decided to fire HC Paul Maurice, according to TSN. "Since the season ended we've spent considerable time evaluating our organization and how best to move it forward," new GM Cliff Fletcher said. "Paul has been in a difficult position for several months. Making this decision now also provides the best opportunity for Paul to pursue all options potentially open to him." |
Our View: The Leafs went 76-66-22 in his two years at the helm, but Maurice's inability to get the team to the playoffs this past season signaled a deathblow to his wish to stay with the team. This will be an off-season of tremendous change in Toronto.
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| Cristobal Huet, a free-agent, was tremendous down the stretch going 11-2 with a 1.63 GAA for the Capitals, and he would be open to returning to the team next season, according to the Washington Post. |
Our View: Olaf Kolzig is reported to be have been very displeased with the team's acquisition of Huet at the deadline, and he hasn't had any contact with the team since the end of the playoffs. The Caps need to keep Huet in the fold, so look for them to make a strong offer, one well in excess of the $2.875 million he made last year.
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| Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern (USA) suffered a torn ACL on a hit by Minnesota Wild defenseman Brent Burns (Canada) during Tuesday game. |
Our View: Halpern finished the NHL season red-hot, with 18 points in 19 games, after being traded from the Dallas Stars. Halpern's 10 goals with the Lightning matched the number he had posted in the previous 64 games with the Stars.
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| In what was likely a preview of a World championship semifinal game, Canada defeated the United States 5-4 Tuesday afternoon. Dany Heatley scored with less than a minute left, his second of the game, to propel Canada to victory. The line of Heatley, Rick Nash and Ryan Getzlaf have combined for 22 points in three games. |
Our View: Dustin Brown and Patrick Kane continued to lead the way for the Americans, each with five points thus far in the tourney.
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