Glendale Arena Losing Money

The Phoenix Coyotes and the city of Glendale saw the first year of their 15-year deal end with a $2.4 million shortfall from projected Jobing.com Arena revenues. According to AZCentral.com, the city expected “$6.8 million this year from sources that include ticket sales, parking receipts and naming rights for the arena.” Instead, that figure is going to be around $4.4 million. The deal allows the city to access an escrow fund to make up the shortfall, but even then the deficit will be $1.5 million. At this point all of Canada and parts of Seattle are probably rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of the Coyotes demise, but this shortfall, surprisingly, doesn’t appear to be their fault. The Coyotes saw attendance increase; but the arena simply didn't have enough non-hockey events that generated revenue.

From Caitlin McGlade:

Despite increased ticket prices and new parking fees, average attendance at games was 13,776, up by more than 1,300 more fans from its last full season. The team had seven sellouts and even broke the single-game record for revenue three times. That put Glendale on target for money coming from ticket surcharges at hockey games. But the dearth of non-hockey events meant that, overall, the city has collected about $1.4 million less in ticket surcharges than was expected. Parking revenue was a significant problem. Parking revenue at hockey events came far closer to the target but the overall total came up short. Leaders had expected to collect $2.2 million in a full year, but the total is about $1.3 million short of that, not counting revenue from the final few games.

An interesting note about the parking situation at Coyotes games: There seems to be some friction between the team and the Arizona Cardinals. The NFL team opens lots at University of Phoenix Stadium during arena events and charges half as much as the Coyotes do for parking, which attracts roughly 300 cars for a weekend game, for example. This would seem to be a problem that’s on Glendale to fix; but then again, we’ve seen how that circus works.

Soccer From Across the Pond

With the FIFA 2014 Football World Cup due to start in Brazil, two weeks today, and the Hockey season coming to a close, I thought it a perfect time to write a few posts throughout the tournament. Firstly, this will in no way effect my usual Hockey coverage, the Football post will be an added bonus. Secondly, unlike the Hockey posts, I will not be making game-by-game reviews or post match analysis during Brazil 2014. Instead it will be more of a reflection of my thoughts and memories from past World Cup tournaments.

At the tender age of 12, the first World Cup I watched avidly was USA 1994. It was a tournament that I will never forget. Brazil were worthy champions and Italy, led by Roberto Baggio deservedly made the final. However it was two un-fancied sides from the Balkans that lit up the tournament.

Romania, with Gheorghe Hagi in the form of his life, surprised both Colombia and Argentina as they made their way to the quarter finals. While, neighbours Bulgaria, had the tournament joint-leading goal scorer Hristo Stoichkov, who helped eliminate Germany before losing to Italy in the semi-finals.

There were many more memories throughout and over the next few weeks I will be sharing many of them. It's hard to believe that was twenty years ago now.

Four years later, I was studying for my GCSE exams but instead of revising, I was spending all my time watching France 1998. It was billed as the biggest and best World Cup before a ball had even been kicked, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Although the hosts winning did spoil it some what for me, what went on in the four weeks before the final was possibly football at its best.

As each year goes on, the more I fall out of love with football. Such is the amount of money involved now, the sport has become a much more results-driven entity and therefore instead of playing to win, teams are playing not to get beat. Back in the 1990s teams would line up in a standard 4-4-2 formation. That often meant teams played with two wingers, an attacking midfielder, two strikers and only one holding/defensive midfielder! scoring goals for fun and entertaining us with the style of football as they did it. Now teams play more negative in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It means two holding midfielders and only one forward, meaning less goals and more boredom. Whenever I see teams lining up this way I instantly want to switch to another channel and not watch the game as you know its going to terrible to watch. So with that in mind I can re-live the 'good old days' when football was well, football and enjoy the memories.

Playoff Results - Wed, May 28, 2014

Los Angeles @ Chicago 4-5 2OT - Kings Lead Series 3-2

The 2013 Western Conference Final ended in five games and in grand fashion, with Patrick Kane completing a hat trick in double overtime to send the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup Final. Kane had been scuffling during this spring's rematch with the Kings, but some new linemates helped him bust out of a slump in a big way Wednesday with another wonderful Game 5 performance. The circumstances were a little different, but Kane had four assists, including one on Michal Handzus' winner in double overtime that enabled the defending champions to avoid elimination with a 5-4 victory at United Center. Quenneville placed Kane, who had one assist in the first four games, on a line with Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw, and it proved to be the best trio in a fabulous game. The Blackhawks had fewer than 50 percent of the shot attempts at even strength with Kane on the ice through four games, but 63.6 percent in Game 5. Kane, Saad and Shaw combined for nine points and 15 of Chicago's 45 shots on goal, and the Blackhawks in an incredibly even contest had more than 62 percent of the shot attempts with them on the ice. Handzus was the team's second-line center during the 2013 Cup run, and he scored the tying goal in a comeback victory 366 days before this, in Game 6 of the second round against the Detroit Red Wings. He hasn't played as well in this postseason, and the Blackhawks have struggled to match the Kings' depth, particularly at center. But he replaced Shaw for a faceoff early in the second overtime and ended up with the Game 6-forcing goal. Handzus helped break up a play in the neutral zone, and Kane carried the puck toward the offensive zone. He sent a pass to his right to Saad, who found Handzus alone cutting toward the net. The Kings still lead the series 3-2 and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final by winning Game 6 on Friday at Staples Center (9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). Los Angeles started slowly, but erased a 3-1 deficit and was 20 minutes from advancing to the Final before yielding a goal early in the third period. Chicago forward Ben Smith tied the game at 4-4. Saad put a shot on goal from near the left point during a rush; Smith reached the rebound and put it in before falling to the ice at 1:17 of the third period. The first overtime was tremendous, 20 minutes of nearly non-stop action and pace. Each team had great chances. After some earlier missteps, each goaltender was solid. It was the best period of hockey in this series, with the past two Stanley Cup champions playing at a tremendously high level. After Saad scored 11:06 into the first period to push Chicago's lead to 3-1, Marian Gaborik answered 2:10 later with his League-leading 11th goal of the postseason. Quick stopped Jonathan Toews on a great chance at one end, and on the return rush Gaborik scored on a one-timer from Anze Kopitar that trickled through Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, capping a wild, five-goal opening period. Dustin Brown tied the score 3-3 with a rebound goal at 11:08 of the second period. Brent Seabrook blocked the original shot, but was unable to get back and prevent Brown from scoring on the third try from in close after Gaborik had two chances. Tanner Pearson gave Los Angeles its first lead of the game exactly two minutes later. Pearson and Jeff Carter created a turnover in the neutral zone, and the Kings rookie snapped a shot from the right circle through a screen that beat Crawford high to the far side. Seabrook put Chicago in front 73 seconds into the first period with a power-play goal from the top of the offensive zone. Oduya made it 2-0 at 3:40. Kane carried the puck into the offensive zone and, after some nifty stickhandling to keep control while waiting for others to join him, put a shot on net from the right circle that Quick failed to handle. Oduya, who had pinched in, was able to tuck home the rebound. Jarret Stoll scored on a scramble in front of the Chicago net to make it a 2-1 game at 9:49. The puck was laying in the crease for several seconds as a collection of players tried to get a handle on it, but Stoll was able to punch a shot into the top right corner before Crawford could react. Chicago won Game 1 of this series and scored the first two goals of Game 2 before Los Angeles got rolling. The Kings scored 14 of the next 17 goals to claim Games 2 and 3 and take a commanding 4-0 lead en route to a 5-2 victory in Game 4. Los Angeles still has two more chances to knock out the defending champs, but the Blackhawks showed it might take something special to do so. The Kings should know: It took Kane's hat trick in Game 5 last spring to end their title defense.

Joel Quenneville said of Kane: "He's a special player. They've been tight on him. They got a tight gap. It's tough to get through that neutral zone with possession. ... Read off his new linemates there, figured things out quickly. He anticipates as good as any player. Patience level with the puck is as good as anyone. Nice to see him get a big night like that. I've seen a lot of games, been involved in a lot of games. That might have been the greatest overtime I've seen."

Kane: "It was a fun game playing with them. They're extremely hard workers. Personally, I thought [Saad] was the best player on the ice tonight. He was bringing so much speed and puck protection. He was awesome."
Handzus, whose perfect backhander beat Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick cleanly for the win: "I wasn't very happy with my play. I'm glad that I came through. It's one game only. I know I got to get better. Hopefully it helps me."
Drew Doughty: "It was a good hockey game, but not a hockey game we want to lose. It's going to hurt a little bit tonight. Tomorrow is a new day."
Justin Williams: "We came back, showed some character. [We] just couldn't find a way to get the winner. It's not easy, it's never going to be easy, especially against the defending champions and a team that's won and knows how to win. No one said it would be easy."

NHL News - New Signings

St Louis - The Blues on Wednesday signed veteran forward Joakim Lindstrom to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford reports it's a one-way, $700,000 contract. Lindstrom has spent parts of the past three seasons with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League, and in 55 games this season he had 23 goals and 63 points. He also had a team-high 11 points in nine games for Sweden at the 2014 IIHF World Championship. The 30-year-old most recently played in the NHL during the 2011-12 season, totaling two goals and five points in 16 games with the Colorado Avalanche. A second-round pick (No. 41) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2002 NHL Draft, he also has played for the Blue Jackets and Phoenix Coyotes. He has 15 goals and 33 points in 97 NHL games.
"He's a player that's been to North America, gone back and really reinvented his game," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong told the Post-Dispatch. "He came over probably too young and went back (to Sweden). He wants to come back (to the NHL). I know there were a few teams that were trying to get him to come back to North America."

Uniondale - Defenseman Ville Pokka, a second-round pick (No. 34) of the New York Islanders in 2012, agreed to terms Wednesday on a three-year, entry-level contract. Pokka, 19, scored six goals and 27 points (six goals, 21 assists) in 54 games with Karpat during his third full season in the Liiga (Finland). The Tornio, Finland, native was named one of three finalists for the top defenseman in the league. Pokka added two goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games to help lead Karpat to the 2014 Liiga Championship. Pokka has 42 points (12 goals, 30 assists) in 138 career regular season games with Karpat. On the international stage, Pokka represented Finland at the 2012, 2013 and 2014 World Junior Championships, winning gold in 2014. He also played for Team Finland at the 2011 and 2012 Under-18 World Championships and the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Ottawa - Max McCormick, a 2012 sixth-round pick of the Senators (No. 171), signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the team Wednesday. Financial terms of the contract were not released. In 37 games at Ohio State University this season, McCormick had 11 goals and 35 points.


Nashville - Defenseman Johan Alm signed a two-year, entry-level contract Wednesday. Financial terms of the contract were not released. Alm, 22, has spent the past four seasons in the Skelleftea organization, winning back-to-back Swedish League titles in 2013 and 2014, and earning silver medals in 2011 and 2012. He is expected to play his first season in North America in 2014-15. In 135 SHL games with Skelleftea and Frolunda since 2009-10, the 6-2, 209-pound Alm has four goals, 22 points, 72 penalty minutes and a plus-24 rating. The native of Skelleftea played six games for Sweden at the 2010 Under-18 World Championships, helping his nation to a silver medal.

Playoff Results - Tue, May 27, 2014

NY Rangers @ Montreal 4-7 - Rangers Lead Series 3-2

The Montreal Canadiens needed all of Rene Bourque's hat trick plus a couple more goals Tuesday to stay alive in the Eastern Conference Final. Now they're one win away from hosting a Game 7 for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Final. The Canadiens chased New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the second period and won a wild Game 5, 7-4 at Bell Centre. Bourque scored two of Montreal's three second-period goals and their first in the third. The Rangers lead the best-of-7 series 3-2 with Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). Game 7 would be Saturday at Bell Centre. New York has not won a Stanley Cup Playoff series in fewer than seven games since the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (five games against the New Jersey Devils). Montreal has twice come back to win a series after trailing 3-1; the last time was the 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Washington Capitals. Bourque, who had one goal in his previous 10 games, bracketed his two goals in the second period around the Rangers' three in a span of 4:24. Bourque scored the game-winning goal with a blocker-side shot past Rangers goalie Cam Talbot at 15:10 of the second, 58 seconds after New York erased Montreal's 4-1 lead with a goal by Chris Kreider. Bourque scored his hat trick goal at 6:33 of the third, putting Montreal ahead 6-4. It was the first hat trick by a Canadiens player in a conference final since Guy Lafleur on May 1, 1975 against the Buffalo Sabres. Montreal had not scored seven goals in a playoff game since defeating the Hartford Whalers 7-4 on April 27, 1992. Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Kreider scored consecutive goals for the Rangers after coach Alain Vigneault replaced Lundqvist (four goals allowed on 18 shots against) with Talbot 8:58 into the second period. Vigneault said he didn't consider putting Lundqvist back in the game for the start of the third period with the Rangers trailing 5-4. Afterward, Lundqvist sounded like he didn't want to go in. Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec and David Desharnais scored for the Canadiens, who built a 4-1 lead by 6:54 of the second period. Andrei Markov chipped in with three assists, and Dale Weise and Lars Eller each had two. Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski stopped 23 of 27 shots. Stepan scored two goals after missing Game 4 with a broken jaw. He played with a plastic guard attached to his helmet to protect his injury. Kreider had a goal and three assists, Nash had a goal and an assist, and Ryan McDonagh had two assists. The Canadiens never panicked or appeared rattled when the Rangers rallied in the second period. They did so without Therrien using his timeout following Kreider's game-tying power-play goal at 14:12 of the second period, which came with Tomas Plekanec in the penalty box for embellishment. Therrien said he could sense "the attitude on the bench was good," and Canadiens defenseman Mike Weaver said the team was calm. Gallagher made perhaps the play of the night with his assist on Pacioretty's goal. Gallagher was falling as he made a spin-o-rama move to get himself away from Rangers defenseman Marc Staal on the left-wing half-wall, but managed to make a tape-to-tape backhand pass across the zone to Pacioretty, who scored 3:44 into the second period for a 3-1 lead. Any potential third-period comeback by the Rangers was hindered with 9:39 remaining, when defenseman John Moore leveled Weise with an illegal hit. Weise's helmet popped off and he had to be held up by Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban. Moore received a match penalty, which carries a five-minute penalty and an automatic suspension from further competition until Commissioner Gary Bettman rules on the issue, according to Rule 21 of the NHL Rulebook. Moore has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head. Weise left briefly, but Therrien said he was cleared by the medical staff so he returned and finished the game.

Dan Girardi: "Obviously they're going to have life after a win like that. It was kind of like Game 1 for us, we had a lot of life going into the next game. We have to find a way to hopefully have a great start at home in Game 6. Hopefully we'll have a chance to wrap it up at home."

Lundqvist: "The battle level has to be a little bit better. I have to be quicker. I was a little slow. But I think as a group we have to come back with a better performance. Yeah, I know there's a lot of focus on me, but I think we all have to step up here. It was better to keep Talbot in there, for me to get a little break there and start thinking about the next one. Of course I was hoping for us to get back in the game, and we got close, but now we're going home for a Game 6 and it's going to be exciting and a great challenge for us. I was just not good enough. It's hard to analyze it this quickly, but it was a combination of a couple of things. We start the game with taking a penalty and it kind of puts us on our heels a little bit. Just bottom line all of us need to be better, starting with me. It was better to keep Talbot in there, for me to get a little break there and start thinking about the next one. Of course I was hoping for us to get back in the game, and we got close, but now we're going home for a Game 6 and it's going to be exciting and a great challenge for us."
Brad Richards: "We're not even worried about that stuff. We'll try to win it at home. [The Canadiens] probably got a little bit of hope, I would imagine, but it doesn't change how we think. We have to worry about ourselves and our game plan. We don't play like that and we won't play like that next game. Great situation coming home. We've won two of three here [in Montreal]; sometimes they're bound to get some bounces and they created them. It's a tough building to win three in a row in. So we'll go home and be a lot better structurally and detailed-wise in our building."
Bourque: "It's just nice. I think most importantly, obviously, was to extend the series and get a win for our team, and I was just happy to have a good game. It was just nice to get that lead again. We worked hard to get the 4-1 lead and they played well, they came back ... and that was an important goal for our team."
Brendan Gallagher: "He loves this time of year. He comes out and he's a competitor. He's enjoying the opportunity we have. And he's a leader. He's leading by example out there to score not only three goals, but very timely goals. It was big. The composure level that we had, and just the leadership we have in this locker room, nothing really needed to be said. We understood why it was happening. We weren't playing very good hockey. We got away from our game plan. We tried too many hope plays and it cost us. They took advantage of it. We just needed to get back to doing what made us successful earlier in the game."
Michel Therrien said of Bourque: "He was a force out there. On the forecheck, he took the man. He was moving his feet. He was going hard to the net. He's a very good scorer, so definitely that was a great performance by him."
Pacioretty: "We showed our resilience."
Vigneault: "John is definitely not the type of player to try to hurt someone, but it was a late hit and it was the right call on the ice."



The players, coaches and systems change, but the New York Rangers continue to make their lives difficult in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Holding a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Final with a chance to close out the Montreal Canadiens and book their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 20 years, the Rangers did not show up in Game 5 on Tuesday until they were down 4-1. Though they managed to tie the game during a wild second period when the teams combined to score six times on the first 15 shots, the Rangers' poor start is what ultimately did them in. The 7-4 loss puts the Rangers in a situation where if they lose Game 6 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), they will be forced to come back to Bell Centre and attempt to win Game 7 for a third time this postseason. The Rangers have not won a series in fewer than seven games since defeating the New Jersey Devils in five games in the first round of the 2008 playoffs. Though New York has won each of the past five Game 7's they've played, the Rangers will desperately want to avoid going for six in a row. If the pressure was on the Canadiens to keep their season alive Tuesday, it could be argued it is squarely on the Rangers to prevent a return visit by winning Thursday. One of the big storylines entering the series was Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's poor history at Bell Centre. It was something he addressed by shining in the first two games of the series, stealing Game 2 with a 40-save masterpiece that seemingly put his demons in this building to bed. But Lundqvist was not good Tuesday when it mattered most, though he was far from the only one in a Rangers uniform who could say that. Lundqvist allowed four goals on 19 shots in a little under 30 minutes before Rangers coach Alain Vigneault replaced him with Cam Talbot in an attempt to give his team a wake-up call. It worked; the Rangers scored three times to tie it before going into the second intermission down 5-4. Rene Bourque's second goal of the game was scored 58 seconds after Chris Kreider tied the game on the power play. Down a goal with 20 minutes to play, Vigneault said he never considered putting Lundqvist back in the game with the Cup Final within reach. Lundqvist agreed with his decision. Lundqvist might have mentally checked out of the game, but the Rangers needed their backbone and leader in this situation. The chance to clinch a trip to the Final does not come along every year. In fact, it has not come along for the Rangers in exactly 20 years, ever since Stephane Matteau scored in overtime of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to eliminate the New Jersey Devils on May 27, 1994. The Rangers had a chance to mark that anniversary in a very special way Tuesday. Instead, they find themselves in what could be seen as a must-win Game 6 on home ice Thursday to avoid a return engagement in front of the rabid fans in Montreal. If they don't, the Rangers might find themselves with plenty of reasons to worry.

NHL News

Colorado - Avalanche goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere is expected to announce his retirement in mid-June, the Toronto Sun reported Monday. Giguere was 11-6-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .913 save percentage this season as the backup to Semyon Varlamov. Giguere, 37, was the 13th pick of the 1995 NHL Draft by the Hartford Whalers. In 17 seasons with the Whalers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Sucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Avalanche, he was 262-216-64 (with 25 ties), a 2.53 GAA and .913 save percentage. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2003 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Ducks lost the Final to the New Jersey Devils in seven games. He won the championship with the Ducks in 2007, when they defeated the Ottawa Senators in five games. He was 33-17 with a 2.08 GAA and .925 save percentage in 52 playoff games, all with the Ducks.

"I do not see a reason to remain in the League," Giguere said "I just want to be sure to do it right, to meet my agent Bob Sauve and talk to the Players' Association."

St Louis - The Blues on Tuesday named Jim Corsi as goaltending coach. Corsi, 59, spent the past 16 seasons as goaltending coach for the Buffalo Sabres, working with Vezina Trophy winners Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller, among others. Corsi has more than 20 years of hockey experience, including time as a player, coach, manager and analyst. He is also responsible for developing the "Corsi rating," an advanced metric which calculates the number of shots directed toward the offensive goal versus the number of shots directed toward the defensive goal while in 5-on-5 situations. Corsi played in 26 NHL games for the Edmonton Oilers during the 1979-80 season and also played for the Quebec Nordiques during their days in the World Hockey Association. In addition, he played internationally in Europe, Russia and China from 1980-92, and represented Italy in eight World Championships and the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.
Washington - The Crapitals on Tuesday introduced new coach Barry Trotz and new general manager Brian MacLellan during a press conference at Verizon Center. Trotz replaces coach Adam Oates, who was fired April 25. MacLellan replaces George McPhee, who did not have his contract renewed. The Capitals were 38-30-14, ninth in the Eastern Conference, and did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2006-07. Trotz, 51, becomes the 17th coach in Capitals history after spending 15 seasons as coach of the Nashville Predators. He was the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and the only coach in Predators history. Trotz ranks third in games coached (1,196) and wins (557) with a single franchise. He ranks 15th on the NHL coaching victories list and fourth among active coaches behind Joel Quenneville (Chicago Blackhawks; 706), Ken Hitchcock (St. Louis Blues; 657) and Lindy Ruff (Dallas Stars; 611). Trotz inherits a team that ranked 13th in goals per game this season but 21st in goals-against average, and a superstar in Alex Ovechkin who reached 50 goals for the fifth time in his career but was also minus-35. Prior to joining the Predators, Trotz spent five seasons (1992-97) as coach of the Capitals' affiliate in the American Hockey League. He was named coach of the Baltimore Skipjacks in 1992 after one season as an assistant coach. Following a relocation to Portland, Maine, in 1993, he coached the Portland Pirates to two Calder Cup Final appearances during the next four seasons. In 1994-95, Trotz coached Portland to a Calder Cup championship and a league-best 43-27-10 record; he was named AHL Coach of the Year. MacLellan, 55, becomes the sixth general manager in Capitals history after spending the past 13 seasons with Washington, seven as assistant general manager, player personnel. In his previous role, MacLellan oversaw the professional scouting staff and worked closely with the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hershey Bears, who won the Calder Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010. MacLellan served as a pro scout for the Capitals from 2000-03 and was promoted to director of player personnel, assisting and advising the general manager in all player-related matters. MacLellan won a Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and had a 10-year NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings. A forward who played 606 NHL games, MacLellan had 172 goals and 413 points. Trotz, who was the only coach interviewed for the job.

"I liked every single thing I heard," Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said "Lots of other teams wanted him."

"The team takes on the identity of their top players," Trotz said. "I don't want to take anything away from the Washington Capitals offensively."
"One thing I like about Barry's style of coaching, it's a consistent, discipline style every game for 82 games a year," MacLellan said.

Playoff Results - Mon, May 26, 2014

Chicago @ Los Angeles 2-5 - Kings Lead Series 3-1

The Kings have put together two dominant Game 7s in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They scored six straight goals in a game in this series. What transpired Monday at Staples Center was not the best performance by the Kings during this deep postseason run, but it might have been the most surprising. The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks were desperate to even the Western Conference Final, and the Kings blew them out. The Kings scored the first four goals, including two on the power play, and defeated the Blackhawks 5-2 to move to within one victory of the Stanley Cup Final. Los Angeles leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and will have three chances to win the conference championship for the second time in three seasons. The first attempt will come Wednesday at United Center (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). The Blackhawks led the series 1-0 and seemed to have Game 2 in control, leading 2-0 late in the second period, before the Kings started rolling. After taking a 4-0 lead Monday, Los Angeles had scored 14 of the past 17 goals. Chicago has won seven straight series that were 2-2 after four games, but the Blackhawks couldn't get themselves into that position. They did rally from a 3-1 deficit last season to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Muzzin put the Kings in front 9:00 into the first period on the power play. Tyler Toffoli got the puck to Drew Doughty along the left wall, and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews slipped after trying to defend Toffoli. Doughty sent it to Muzzin at the top of the zone, and he had time to inch closer to the net and pick a corner with his shot while Jeff Carter provided a screen in front of goalie Corey Crawford. Marian Gaborik made it 2-0 2:13 later. Muzzin broke up a cross-ice pass intended for Kane, who might have had a clear path to the net, then Gaborik nutmegged Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell in the neutral zone to help the Kings gain entry to the offensive zone. The puck came to Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith in the corner, and he gave it away to Anze Kopitar. The leading point man in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs wheeled away from Keith and sent a pass to the leading goal-scorer, and Gaborik deflected it past goaltender Corey Crawford for his 10th of the playoffs at 11:13. Los Angeles scored another power-play goal at 15:56. Justin Williams kept possession of the puck along the wall and left it for Mike Richards. After a pass to Muzzin at the left point, Williams circled into an open spot in the Chicago defense and directed a pass from Muzzin to Dustin Brown near the left post, where he shoveled an easy one into the net with Crawford out of position. The Kings scored 12 power-play goals in 20 games en route to the Stanley Cup in 2012, and have converted 16 of 56 opportunities (28.6 percent) since Game 3 of the first round this postseason. Doughty made it 4-0 at 12:43 of the second period. Kopitar tried to shoot and was able to corral the blocked attempt and keep possession near the top of the offensive zone. He left it for Doughty, whose wrist shot off his back foot from the right point made it past three bodies in front and fooled Crawford. The assist was Kopitar's 17th (22nd point) of the playoffs. Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks 80 seconds later. Michal Rozsival intercepted a clearing attempt by Kings defenseman Alec Martinez. Rozsival hit Saad near the inside of the right circle, and the Chicago forward snapped a backhand just below the crossbar over goalie Jonathan Quick. Bryan Bickell cut the lead to 4-2 9:29 into the third period. Toews flubbed a shot with a wide-open net. Doughty got his stick on the second chance, but Bickell was able to steer the third try past Quick. The Blackhawks won Game 1 at United Center 3-1 and led Game 2 before the Kings scored five times in the third period of a 6-2 victory. Carter had three goals and an assist in the period, then had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 victory in Game 3 at Staples Center. Kings coach Darryl Sutter said he wasn't happy with how they played at even strength. Five-on-five play has been the staple of Los Angeles' success for the past three seasons, but the Kings are winning this series on special teams. Some of Chicago's success at even strength was undoubtedly a result of score effects (every NHL team pushes back when facing a large deficit), but the Kings want to improve after a dominant opening 30 minutes against the Blackhawks.

Jake Muzzin: "It was good Kings hockey. We gained some momentum off our penalty kill and were kind of limiting their chances and getting pucks in. We capitalized on a couple of power plays. It kind of set us up for the rest of the game. It was nice."

Patrick Kane: "It's not a good position to be in. I think coming into this series you'd be lying if we thought we'd be in this position, but it happens, and we've got no one to blame but ourselves. We're the only ones that are going to get ourselves out of it, so might as well start with Game 5 in Chicago."

Gaborik: "Coming into every game, to have that confidence, to have that mojo, that we can win every game, that's the difference with these guys. They won the Cup a couple of years ago. They've been in the conference finals the past three years. It definitely helps to come to this team and be part of the winning culture."

Doughty: "We're trying to simplify it a little bit. We're just trying to get pucks up to the D-men, trying to get shots that way. My mentality on the first one, just kind of get a shot off, a one-timer, no matter what it was. If it hits the guy, it hits the guy. Just want to get that in their heads that we're going to be shooting pucks. The more you shoot, the more other things open up. We took advantage of those things."

Toews: "Here we are. We've got to give it everything and nothing less. Credit that team, they're a good team, but we know we've got more. We know that there's something else we can bring to the table. We've just got to do some little things here and there to make ourselves feel good and get that confidence, get that swagger back to our game."

Sutter: "Have to play a [heck] of a lot better than we did [Monday]. I think our 5-on-5 play ... certainly we can certainly do better on. I know we're better at it than we were [Monday]."

Playoff Results - Sun, May 25, 2014

Montreal @ NY Rangers 2-3 OT - Rangers Lead Series 3-1
New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis parked himself in the right circle, exactly where he parks himself before and after every practice to work on his shot. The area might as well be called his office. There he was Sunday night, in overtime of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, waiting for the puck, a chance to be the hero with a shot that would shorten the distance between the Rangers and the Stanley Cup Final to one win. He got the puck and delivered, putting the Rangers closer to their first trip to the Cup Final in 20 years. St. Louis lifted New York to a 3-2 overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden with the winner 6:02 into the extra session on a shot from the right circle that snuggly fit below the crossbar and above goalie Dustin Tokarski's glove. The Rangers leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday at Bell Centre (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, RDS), where they are 2-0 in the series and have outscored Montreal 10-3. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves, including arguably his most important of the night on Montreal forward Alex Galchenyuk with 3:15 remaining in regulation. The puck hit Lundqvist in the right shoulder and clanged off the crossbar, falling in front of the goal line. The win was the 41st of Lundqvist's career in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, tying him with Mike Richter for the most in franchise history. He did, just as the Rangers did enough on special teams despite giving Montreal eight power-play opportunities. Carl Hagelin scored a shorthanded goal off a breakaway in the first period. Derick Brassard scored on an even-strength breakaway in the second. P.K. Subban's power-play goal early in the third period tied the game at 2-2, Francis Bouillon scored for Montreal in his first game since May 3 and Tokarski made 26 saves. The Canadiens blamed their struggling power play for the loss Sunday. They were 1-for-8, including a failed opportunity early in overtime. They also gave up the shorthanded breakaway goal to Hagelin 7:18 into the first period. The Rangers credited their surging penalty kill for the win. They were guilty of six offensive-zone penalties, including a holding the stick infraction on Benoit Pouliot 30 seconds into overtime, but the Rangers allowed eight shots on goal while shorthanded. They blocked seven shots and had four shorthanded shots on goal. Subban's goal, which appeared to deflect in off of Brendan Gallagher, snapped New York's streak of 27 straight successful kills. There was no complaining about the calls either. There were three for high sticking, two for tripping and one each for interference, cross checking and holding the stick. Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said the penalty kill in overtime gave the Rangers momentum that led to St. Louis' winner. Montreal had multiple chances to clear the zone, but twice Rangers center Brad Richards kept the puck in at the left point. It eventually chipped to Hagelin, who said he saw St. Louis open in the right circle out of the corner of his eye, and he was surprised that nobody was near him. St. Louis had time to walk in on Tokarski to set up his shot. As he did, Staal said everyone on the Rangers bench stood up. St. Louis has scored twice in three games on Tokarski, but the rookie goalie has had his number on several other occasions, stopping point-blank shots from the right circle.

Alain Vigneault: "The goal [St. Louis] scored is exactly what you see him practice every time he's on the ice, like a hundred pucks. He's trying to put it right there. He made, obviously, a great shot on that goal. It was us. It was us. They were penalties. Can't do that."

Lundqvist said of Galchenyuk's shot: "Got a little lucky there. It hit my stick and then the crossbar. I wasn't sure if I got enough of the shot."
Brian Gionta: "This series isn't over. By no means are we counting ourselves out. It's a tough loss. It's a bitter loss. But at the end of the day we're still in this series."
Michel Therrien: "We had the opportunity on the power play and we didn't take advantage of it.Yes, we scored a goal. It was a timely goal. But we gave up one, and that was the [difference] in the game. Our power play has to be better."
Hagelin: "It's pretty good to be even on the PK on a night like this. Right when I got it, I just saw their 'D' in front of me and I saw him chilling there on the right side. He walked in and ripped it top cheese."
Staal: "We just kind of had a feeling that it was going to go in. The puck slides over to him and he's got all that time, so you're anticipating it. He makes no mistake, goes bar down. That's a beautiful shot."
St Louis: "I tried to trust what I saw. Obviously I've gone to that side quite a bit the last few games and he's made some good saves on me. Sometimes you just have to keep trusting what you see and I was fortunate to get it by him."
Tokarski: "But he beat me. It's not a great feeling right now, but we need to get it out of our system and get back to work [Monday]. We have to win a hockey game."

Playoff Results - Sat, May 24, 2014

Chicago @ Los Angeles 3-4 - Kings Lead Series 2-1

The Kings' line of Jeff Carter flanked by rookies Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli has been instrumental in helping erase deficits late in each of the first two rounds of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They haven't waited nearly that long to have a dramatic impact on the Western Conference Final. Carter had a goal and two primary assists to help the Kings defeat the Blackhawks 4-3 in Game 3 at Staples Center on Saturday. Pearson had the lone assist on Carter's goal and Toffoli scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves, defensemen Slava Voynov and Drew Doughty also scored goals and the Kings have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. Game 4 is here Monday night (9 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, RDS). Jonathan Toews had two early goals for the Blackhawks, and Patrick Sharp scored in the final seconds. Chicago is 2-5 away from United Center during this postseason, and the Blackhawks have lost the first road game of 10 straight playoff series, a streak that dates back to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Carter had four points in the third period of Game 2 and seven in a span of 52:54, including this game. He is second in the League this spring with 19 points, one behind teammate Anze Kopitar. Pearson and Toffoli each have points in four straight games, and are tied with Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon and Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug for the most points by a rookie in this postseason. Carter, Pearson and Toffoli have combined for nine goals and 19 points in the Kings' past four games. After Toews scored twice in the first period, Carter got the Kings even at 2-2 thanks to a fortuitous break. Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya tried to get the puck out of danger by slapping it around the boards from behind his own net. But the puck hit an official; Pearson was able to corral it and find Carter in front for quick one-timer at 8:08 of the second period. It was Carter's eighth goal of this postseason and 22nd since the start of the 2012 playoffs. That's five more than any other player; Chicago's Bryan Bickell is second with 17. Toffoli put Los Angeles in front for the first time at 14:19. Shortly after the Kings killed off a penalty, Carter deflected the puck in the neutral zone and it proved to be a perfect pass to spring Toffoli past the defense. He raced in alone on Corey Crawford and slipped the puck under the goaltender's left pad for his sixth goal of the postseason. The Kings dominated the third period and took a two-goal lead at 11:57, two seconds after a Chicago penalty expired. Jarret Stoll beat Toews on a left-circle faceoff in the offensive zone, and Justin Williams got the puck to the left point for Jake Muzzin. Doughty took a pass from Muzzin at the right point and bombed a shot through traffic for his second goal of the playoffs. Toews opened the scoring at 5:26 of the first period with a shorthanded goal. He knocked the puck away from Williams in the neutral zone, then raced past defenseman Alec Martinez to retrieve it. He faked a slap shot and hesitated before snapping a shot past Quick. Voynov scored 40 seconds later with the Kings still on the power play. Carter had the puck below the goal line and whipped a backhanded pass through traffic out to Voynov at the top of the circles. Voynov faked a shot to open a shooting lane, then fired from the edge of the left circle and didn't miss for his second goal of the postseason. Toews added his second of the night at 13:19. Defenseman Michal Rozsival made a nifty move to find some space after a pass from Marian Hossa, but his shot didn't reach Quick. Toews was able to outmuscle Muzzin and kick the loose puck to his stick at the side of the net and put it in for his team-leading eighth goal of the playoffs. That was it for the Chicago offense until Sharp scored with less than five seconds left in regulation. Hossa and Patrick Kane both had great chances when it was still 2-1 to extend the lead, but Quick was there. After Los Angeles took the lead, the Kings seemed to get stronger. After Chicago prevailed 3-1 in Game 1 of this series, Los Angeles has scored 10 goals in the past two. The Kings' top line, led by Kopitar and Marian Gaborik, led the offense in the first two rounds but has yet to score against the Blackhawks. That hasn't been a problem for the Kings, thanks in large part to the trio quickly gaining fame as "That 70's Line" because of their jersey numbers.

Carter: "[Pearson and Toffoli] are working and they're having fun. They use their speed and their skill to create opportunities. Kind of dragging me along with them, so it's been good."

Toews: "We know we can find ourselves out of this tough situation. It's not ideal, it's not exactly what we wanted, to go into a series looking to go down 2-1. It's a good team over there. We know what we have to do. We have our work cut out for us."
Pearson: "Jeff has established himself as a pure goal-scorer over the years and [Toffoli] can sure put it the back of the net. We're just trying to create offense. That's what we were brought here to do, and I think we're doing a good job of that so far and we just need to keep going."
Joel Quenneville: "We got to know the importance of every shift. They got some guys that can make plays. They don't need much of an opportunity to score on. We got to make sure that we give them nothing."
Dustin Brown: "I think it's exciting as a player who's been here for a long time to see guys come up and have really good success on the offensive side of the puck. Everyone talks about how we're not an offensive team and that's probably our M.O. because we are very good on the defensive side of the puck. But to see some of the plays that they're making it's exciting to be a teammate. I'm sure it's exciting to be a fan."

NHL News

New York - Rangers center Derek Stepan sustained a broken jaw in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday, coach Alain Vigneault said Friday. Stepan was having surgery when Vigneault spoke to the media shortly before 1 p.m. ET. Vigneault said he wouldn't know more about a timeframe for Stepan's return until Saturday. Stepan was injured when Montreal Canadiens forward Brandon Prust hit him 2:45 into the first period. Stepan left the game at the time, but returned during a television timeout at 8:15 of the first and resumed a normal shift. He played 17:24 and assisted on Chris Kreider's game-tying goal in the final seconds of the third period. Vigneault said he did not become aware of Stepan's injury until Friday morning. Stepan had X-rays on his jaw after the game Thursday, but further consultation with a specialist Friday morning revealed the fracture. Prust was not penalized for the hit on Stepan, but he is scheduled to have a phone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday because of what is being called interference on the play. Stepan is tied for second on the team in scoring in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 11 points in 17 games.
Montreal - Canadiens left wing Brandon Prust will have a phone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday afternoon for his hit on New York Rangers center Derek Stepan during the first period at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. No penalty was called on the play at 2:48 of the first period. Stepan briefly left the game before returning later in the first period. On Friday, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault announced Stepan would undergo surgery for a broken jaw and there was no timetable for his return. Montreal won Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final, 3-2, in overtime. The following grounds are being considered for supplemental discipline: Interference. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to the infraction upon review.
Uniondale - After trading for the rights of pending unrestricted free agent Jaroslav Halak on May 1, the Islanders locked up their new goalie Thursday with a four-year contract. For a team that hasn't had much stability at the position or success on the free-agent front in recent years, the signing is a major step in the right direction. Halak, a productive fantasy goalie behind a stingy defense during his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, is one of four goalies with a 2.15 goals-against average and .920 save percentage or better over the past three regular seasons combined (minimum 100 outings). Cory Schneider, Tuukka Rask and Henrik Lundqvist are the others. He has never hit the 30-win mark in his NHL career, largely because of injuries and the goalie competition between him and Brian Elliott, but will have an opportunity to finally do so with the Islanders if he stays healthy. The closest he came to 30 wins was this past season, when he won 24 in 40 games with the Blues and five in 12 (2.31 GAA, .930 SV%) with the Washington Crapitals. He was traded from St. Louis to the Buffalo Sabres in the Ryan Miller deal on Feb. 28 and shipped to Washington on March 5. The Islanders have finished 21st or worse League-wide in team goals allowed per game in each of the past seven seasons. But in 2012-13 (48-game season), the Isles rode veteran Evgeni Nabokov to the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite pedestrian goals-against average (2.50) and save percentage (.910) totals. Rick DiPietro was the last goalie anywhere near Halak's caliber to play for the Islanders. But after injuries and struggles derailed DiPietro's career, New York used one of its compliance buyouts on his massive contract last summer. In 2013-14, Nabokov, 38, battled injury yet finished 15-14-8. The Islanders were competitive for the most part when he was in net despite a suspect defense corps. Mark Streit signed with the Philadelphia Flyers last summer. Lubomir Visnovsky (24 games played) and Travis Hamonic (69) missed time due to injuries and Andrew MacDonald was dealt to the Flyers prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. Kevin Poulin (28 games) and Anders Nilsson (19) each saw their share of playing time in 2013-14 but failed to seize the opportunity. Each had a goals-against average over 3.00 and a sub-.900 save percentage. If things are going to change on Long Island, those numbers are not going to cut it. With little depth on defense and in net compared to other teams around the League, as well as the impact of John Tavares' injury at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, it's not a surprise the Islanders finished among the League's bottom five. There have been many reasons why New York has finished that low in the standings in recent years, but the lack of a reliable franchise goaltender has topped the list. It's up for debate whether Halak will remain a top-15 fantasy goalie in the coming years, but there's no question he's a significant upgrade to his new team and should be targeted in the 15-20 range come fantasy draft day. He isn't worthy of being drafted over top-tier workhorses or even top 10-to-15 goalies (i.e. Schneider, John Gibson, Elliott, etc.) on paper, but the goalie landscape traditionally thins out in the 15-to-20 range. That's where Halak actually could prove to be worth your while if he falls that far. Halak's value will not be as high entering the 2014-15 season as it was entering any individual season he spent in St. Louis, but he will have every opportunity to start 60-plus games for the Islanders. If healthy, he could finally win 30-plus games and will almost certainly produce much better totals than any Islanders goalie has in quite some time. Halak's potential with the Islanders will be reevaluated as the offseason progresses. For a player who has missed time himself due to injury in recent seasons, it's important for the Islanders to not only address their thin defense but also secure an adequate NHL-level backup goalie to keep Halak's workload manageable. But, regardless of how the Islanders attack their offseason agenda, this signing is a win-win situation for New York and gives this 29-year-old goalie the opportunity to stay productive.

Habs Second Line Finally Gets Going

If ever one goal could give a line confidence and have a carryover effect in a series, it's the goal that Alex Galchenyuk scored in overtime Thursday night. A shot from Tomas Plekanec and a rebound off of Galchenyuk's arm that deflected past New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist was the difference in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-2 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers still have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series, and Game 4 is Sunday at the Garden (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS), where it will be interesting to see if Montreal's second line of Galchenyuk, Plekanec and Brian Gionta can build off of one lucky break that, for now at least, has turned the series on its ear. Galchenyuk, Plekanec and Gionta didn't do much of any of that in Game 3. Before the game-winning goal at 1:12 of OT, they had one shot on goal, from Plekanec, who lost 10 of his 19 faceoffs. Montreal coach Michel Therrien put Gionta on the line in place of Thomas Vanek for Game 3 after basically calling out the Plekanec line for its underwhelming performance in the first two games of the series. Plekanec was minus-3 with three shots on goal and eight shot attempts in the first two games. Galchenyuk, who returned to the lineup in Game 2 for the first time since April 9, was minus-1 with two shots on goal in Montreal's 3-1 loss at Bell Centre. Vanek, who was on the fourth line Thursday, was minus-3 with one shot on goal in Games 1 and 2. At least Gionta, who was playing on the third line with Lars Eller and Rene Bourque, had an assist in Game 1, but that was a 7-2 loss. He had four shots on goal in Game 2, but had nothing brewing in Game 3 until overtime. Gionta got the puck through the neutral zone to Plekanec, sending him into the offensive zone with speed. Plekanec put a shot on net, the second of the game for the line, and the rebound went in off of Galchenyuk. Now the Canadiens have to wait to see if that one goal is enough to ignite the line's confidence going forward. They need it to.

Gionta: "It gives you confidence. but at the same time we've gotta go back and try to figure out what we can do better to establish a better forecheck, to get on their D, force them to turn pucks over and come to the net with it."

Galchenyuk: "To be honest, it doesn't really matter. We won the game. We're going to take this right now, winning the game rather than generating a lot of chances and lose." You can see his point, but the goal doesn't erase how ineffective the line was through regulation. Galchenyuk knows that. "It's not like who cares, because obviously we want to create as many chances as we can, but sometimes it's tough with the chemistry. We didn't play together for a while. It's a new line. We're trying to adjust to each other. But we get the win and that's the most important thing."

Therrien: "I think for them it's going to be good for their confidence, and especially a young kid like Galchenyuk, who is 20 years old, scoring the goal in overtime. I'm sure that's a good feeling for him. He's going to feel good about himself, and that's going to be good for his confidence."

Daniel Briere: "Sometimes those are things that can send you on your way to have a few good games in a row. There are not a lot of games left anyway, so it could be a good omen for them."

Playoff Results - Thu, May 23, 2014

Montreal @ NY Rangers 3-2 OT - Rangers Lead Series 2-1

Moments before the Montreal Canadiens went back on the ice for the start of overtime, forward Daniel Briere delivered a speech to his teammates that carried a message they clearly understood: End the game quickly to crush any life that the New York Rangers might have gained from scoring late in regulation. Alex Galchenyuk scored off a rebound 1:12 into overtime of Game 3 on Thursday at Madison Square Garden to lift the Canadiens to a 3-2 victory against the Rangers, whose lead in the Eastern Conference Final was cut to 2-1. Game 4 of the best-of-7 series is Sunday at the Garden (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). In point of fact, goalie Dustin Tokarski put the Canadiens in position to win the hockey game. The rookie, who was making his second straight start after the right knee injury to Carey Price knocked Montreal's No. 1 goalie out of the series, gave the Canadiens the type of goaltending they typically get from Price. Tokarski made 35 saves, including 26 through two periods and 34 in regulation. The 24-year-old looked calm and composed in his first road game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also didn't even have time to show if he was rattled by Chris Kreider's game-tying goal at 19:31 of the third period. Kreider's deflection of Dan Girardi's shot from the right circle hit off Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin's right skate and went into the net. The Canadiens took the intermission after the third period to regroup and listen to Briere. They came out strong in overtime and Galchenyuk ended it 72 seconds in when the rebound of Tomas Plekanec's shot from the top of the left circle caromed off him and went into the net. Galchenyuk said he wasn't sure if the puck hit him or his stick. Replays showed it hit off his arm. Kreider's game-tying goal came 2:33 after Briere was credited with a goal that went in off of Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh's skate as he slid into the crease. Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who made 40 saves in Game 2, dealt with considerably less pressure Thursday. He faced 25 shots, stopping 22 of them. The Rangers had a 27-13 advantage in shots on goal entering the third period. It didn't matter. The game was tied at 1-1. Carl Hagelin gave New York a 1-0 lead at 15:18 of the first period. Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov tied the game with his first goal of the playoffs at 3:21 of the second. New York was plus-14 in shots on goal and plus-21 in shot attempts (52-31) through two periods, but Tokarski was excellent against some quality scoring chances and Montreal blocked 15 shots in front of him. Montreal coach Michel Therrien used the same word to describe Tokarski's performance in Game 3 that he used to describe Lundqvist's performance in Game 2, "Phenomenal." That description was especially accurate in the first period, when the Rangers jumped on the Canadiens not only with the first goal, but with more puck possession leading to a 14-4 edge in shots on goal and a 25-12 margin in shot attempts despite the fact that they won only seven of 24 faceoffs. The Rangers felt like they owed something different to Canadiens forward Brandon Prust after he leveled center Derek Stepan 2:55 into the first period. Stepan stayed down on the ice for several moments before he was escorted down the tunnel to the dressing room. Prust was not penalized for the hit, and Stepan returned to the bench during a television timeout at 8:15 of the first and resumed taking a regular shift. Prust had to answer for the hit on his next shift, when Rangers forward Derek Dorsett fought him. The fight happened after Daniel Carcillo charged into Prust from behind and into the end boards. Carcillo was being held back linesman Scott Driscoll as Dorsett and Prust were fighting. Carcillo physically attempted to get away from Driscoll, who was escorting him to the penalty box. He was assessed the minor for charging Prust and a game misconduct. The Rangers were still angry about Prust's hit on Stepan after the game.

PK Subban: "[Briere] spoke up right before we went out and he said, 'Listen, overtime, it's in their building, they're emotionally high, scored a big goal, we gotta be ready at the start because you know they're going to come out hard and try to end it early. We had to be ready right from the start and I thought our first couple shifts, our first two shifts, were great. We put ourselves in a good position to win the hockey game."

Galchenyuk: "I wasn't really happy with the way I played [Thursday night]. I was hoping I would get a bounce going my way and sure enough I did. I can't be more happy about it."

Lundqvist: "It's going to be tough for a couple of hours, but then you have to let [the loss] go. That's part of playing in the playoffs, short memory, and win or lose you have to move on. We did so many good things, but it's about winning, finding ways to win games."

Therrien: "Without Tokarski's performance probably the result would have been different"

Briere: "It could have very easily been 3-0 or 4-0 after the first. He gave us a chance to stay in the game, to tie it up and even take the lead. We felt like we owed him one [in overtime]."

Alain Vigneault: "He can't do, obviously, what he did there, but we'll let the League handle that," he said when asked if he's concerned about potential supplementary discipline for Carcillo. "I believe if a penalty would have been called on Prust, it probably wouldn't have happened, but there is nothing we can do about it."

Stepan: "I never saw him. Not from the time I got the puck to the time I moved it. I even got some strides in before I got hit and I still never saw him. The main focus is my head. It's the shoulder and there's a lunge there. We can pick it apart all we want, but at the end of the day we've got bigger things on our plate."

Tokarski: "Everything's on the line, so as a goaltender you have to keep playing your game and hope you get a break. And we did."

NHL News

Vancouver - The Canucks on Wednesday announced the hiring of Jim Benning as their general manager. He replaces Mike Gillis, who was let go last month after the Canucks were eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Canucks president Trevor Linden delivered the news to season-ticket members attending a Canucks Town Hall Meeting in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Benning, 51, who had been assistant general manager of the Boston Bruins, will be introduced Friday in a press conference at Rogers Arena as the 11th general manager in Canucks history. He joined the Bruins as director of player personnel in 2006 after 12 years with the Buffalo Sabres organization. The Canucks finished 12th in the Western Conference with a record of 36-35-11. Linden was named president in early April, and the Canucks fired coach John Tortorella on May 1.

"There were moments of clarity for me in speaking with Jim that we just really connected on a hockey level," Linden told the Canucks website. "Our beliefs on how success is built in the National Hockey League were very aligned."

Pittsburgh - Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta had surgery Thursday to repair a labral tear in his shoulder, the team announced. His recovery time is expected to last 4-6 months. Maatta was third among rookie defenseman this season with nine goals and 29 points in 78 games. He was a plus-8 while averaging 18:29 of ice time per game. The news of Maatta's surgery comes one day after the Penguins announced top defense prospect Derrick Pouliot will need 4-6 months to recover from surgery to repair a labral tear in his shoulder. In 70 games with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League, Pouliot 17 goals and 70 points. He also led all WHL defensemen in the playoffs with 32 points in 21 games. Pouliot (No. 8) and Maatta (No. 22) were taken by the Penguins in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Washington - Barry Trotz interviewed for the vacant coaching job with the Washington Crapitals on Tuesday, according to a TSN report Wednesday. Trotz reportedly met with president Dick Patrick and owner Ted Leonsis. Trotz was fired by the Nashville Predators on April 14 after 15 years. Trotz has history with the Crapitals organization. He was the coach of the Portland Pirates when they were the Crapitals' American Hockey League affiliate and was an assistant coach with the Baltimore Skipjacks when they were the Capitals' AHL team. The Crapitals are looking to replace coach Adam Oates and general manager George McPhee, who were fired April 26. CSNWashington.com reported Wednesday the Crapitals have interviewed Boston Bruins assistant general manager Don Sweeney and Nashville Predators assistant general manager Paul Fenton for the GM job, and might bring in former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero for an interview.

Los Angles Kings 'Second Line' Central to Game 2 Victory

Before Game 2 of this Western Conference Final at United Center, Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter dismissed a question about a line comprised of Jeff Carter, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli because he felt they weren't playing together as much as they seemed to be getting credit for. Sutter mixes and matches his lines a lot in certain situations. He gives and withdraws playing time from certain players based on how they are performing. It's not a perfect fit to say Carter and the two rookies make up Los Angeles' "second line" because Pearson and Toffoli typically end up near the bottom of time on ice among the forwards. All of that said, those three players had a huge impact on Game 2. Carter finished with a hat trick and four points, all in the third period, and that line accounted for two important insurance goals to put this one out of reach for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 6-2 victory Wednesday that evened the series at 1-1. Carter eventually ended up with the hat trick, though his first goal was actually awarded to him last. He tipped a shot from Drew Doughty with the Kings on the power play early in the third period to tie the score at 2-2. After another power-play goal gave Los Angeles the lead, Carter and the kids took over. A Blackhawks shot attempt was blocked in front of goaltender Jonathan Quick, and the puck came to Carter in the high slot. He skated with it out of danger and into the Blackhawks zone before firing a shot off goalie Corey Crawford. The puck bounded high into the air, and most of the players on the ice slowed down expecting it to hit the netting behind Crawford. Pearson kept skating, and collected it before finding Toffoli cutting to the net for a goal and a 4-2 lead. Pearson made another nice play on the next goal. He chipped it off the wall in his own zone to Carter, who was set free on a 2-on-1 with Toffoli. He opted not to pass and ripped a shot past Crawford to make it a 5-2 lead before later adding an empty-net goal as well. Carter had four points in a total of 14:52 in the third period. He tied an NHL playoff record for most points in a third period, and his three goals tied a Kings postseason record set by Tommy Williams on April 14, 1974, also against Chicago.

Carter said of his goals: "I didn't really have to do too much for them. Stood in front of them for the first one. [Matt Greene] and Tanner made a great play on the second one. It was a good period, but didn't really have to do too much. Their penalty killers do a great job of getting in lanes. Their 'D' front a lot of pucks. It's tough to get them through. We got two pucks [through] tonight all game and they both ended up in the net. It's still something we need to improve on, but it's a good start. It seemed like everybody kind of stopped. Tanner and Tyler made a great play to keep going. There was no whistle, so... It was definitely different [in the third period]. It seemed like they had us on our heels for pretty much the first two periods. I think that goal [late in the second] really got us going. You start to feel good about yourself, start to feel a little better."

Pearson: "I don't think they knew where it was. So I saw it, I knew [Toffoli] would be in the slot somewhere so I just passed it out there and fortunately he was there and put it in."