On the Forecheck: All Posts by Dirk Hoag

2013 IIHF World Hockey Championships: Roman Josi Named MVP; USA Wins Bronze

2013-05-19T21:28:05Z

The Nashville Predators were well represented at the 2013 IIHF World Hockey Championships, as defenseman Roman Josi was the standout of the tournament. He took home Best Defenseman & MVP honors, leading Switzerland to a Silver Medal (they lost today's final match 5-1 to the champs, Sweden).

Roman Josi

#59 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 192

Born: Jun 01, 1990

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Roman Josi	48	5	13	18	-7	8	1	0	1		96	5.2

From the IIHF's site:

Josi became the first Swiss player ever to earn MVP honours and an award at an IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. He led all defencemen in scoring with four goals and five assists in ten games. He's joined on the defence of the All-Star Team by fellow countryman Julien Vauclair.

America Wins Bronze Medal

Team USA fared well, taking home the bronze medal by topping Finland 3-2 earlier today. Preds forwards Bobby Butler and Craig Smith both contributed to the cause, with Smith turning heads (as he did in 2011) by scoring 4 goals and adding 10 assists in ten games, putting him just one point behind Paul Stastny as America's top scorer in the tournament.

Craig Smith

#15 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 202

Born: Sep 05, 1989

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Craig Smith	44	4	8	12	-11	20	2	0	0		83	4.8

It's hoped that a productive showing like this might help Smith rebound from, well, a disastrous 2013 NHL season.

The 2013 Alternative NHL Awards: Celebrating Hockey's Anti-Heroes

2013-05-19T14:50:50Z

The Designated Sitter

These valiant souls sit in the penalty box to serve out the sentences dished out to their teammates, whether a belligerent goaltender or a skater who racked up a roster of crimes and can't serve all the penalties himself. Quite often, coaches have their go-to guy for such a job, due to a combination of offensive ability (maybe he'll get a breakaway coming out of the box) and poor defensive skills (there's no way they want him out there killing the penalty).

This season, we had a four-way tie for the lead in penalties served on behalf of others, with Toronto's Clarke MacArthur, Montreal's Alex Galchenyuk, Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau and Minnesota's Pierre-Marc Bouchard all sitting in the box 10 extra times.

Goaltender Interference

We've all heard the maxim that goal scorers prosper when they drive persistently to the "hard areas" of the ice, but sometimes you end up with a runaway train that collides with the poor, defenseless goaltender. This season, Philadelphia's Wayne Simmonds and Montreal's Rene Bourque tied for the league lead with 3 Goaltender Interference calls each.

Diving

In early March, Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien ripped the Montreal Canadiens for diving, one of the great sins against manly hockey culture. While getting swept out of the first round by San Jose, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieka leveled the same charge against the Sharks' Logan Couture and Joe Thornton, implying that they were somehow less-Canadian for flopping to the ice in order to draw a call.

Were these guys on to something, or just whining?

At least in Julien's case, the referees agreed, as the Canadiens were called for 5 Diving penalties this season, the most in the league. Phoenix came in next with three such violations.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

We could call this one the "He Ain't No Lady" Byng Award, and in this case we have a runaway winner, with Steve Ott of the Buffalo Sabres collecting six Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties this season, twice as many as his nearest competition (a four-way tie with 3 apiece).

Steve Ott

#9 / Forward / Buffalo Sabres

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Born: Aug 19, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Steve Ott	48	9	15	24	+3	93	2	0	3		73	12.3

Too Many Men

Which bench bosses have their act together, and which need an abacus to keep track of how many players should be on the ice? The Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars all took 8 Too Many Men penalties this season, while the Vancouver Canucks were the NHL's best counters by only getting penalized once.

Icing on the Power Play

Is there anything more depressing to fans than seeing their team's power play scramble under pressure by their shorthanded foes, and forced to take an icing call? Sure, some of these happen because a stretch pass gets missed, but the St. Louis Blues short-circuited their own power play the most with 7 Icings as they held the man advantage, followed by Vancouver with 6 and a host of teams tied with 5 apiece.

The only team in the NHL not to take an icing on the power play? The Washington Capitals...

Penalties in the Offensive Zone

There are good penalties (those which must be taken to prevent a scoring chance) and bad penalties, and one way to identify a bad penalty is to isolate those taken in the offensive zone. Sure, there may be exceptional circumstances where you need to trip or interfere with an opponent to prevent a breakaway, but taking a penalty in the offensive end is one of those things that takes a year or two off a head coach's life.

This season, Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane was the runaway winner, with 20(!) penalties taken in the offensive zone, boasting a diverse assortment including Concealing the Puck, Elbowing, Tripping, Slashing, and more. Kane was well ahead of Detroit's Dan Cleary and the dynamic duo of David Perron & David Backes in St. Louis, who all had 16 each.

Evander Kane

#9 / Left Wing / Winnipeg Jets

Height: 6-2

Weight: 195

Born: Aug 02, 1991

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Evander Kane	48	17	16	33	-3	80	2	0	4		190	8.9

Masters of Swordplay

A hockey stick can be a dangerous weapon, and some guys lay the lumber out with disturbing frequency. If we bundle together Cross Checking, Hi-Sticking, Slashing & Spearing, then Philadelphia's Scott Hartnell stands out with eight such penalties in total.

Scott Hartnell

#19 / Left Wing / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 18, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Scott Hartnell	32	8	3	11	-5	70	4	0	1		74	10.8

By the way, isn't it funny that the league calls it "Hi-Sticking", and not "High-Sticking"? It just seems cheerier that way, I suppose.

Dirty Hitters

Rough play is a part of the game, that's well understood, but sometimes a hard hit crosses the line into dangerous territory, so to identify the NHL's dirtiest hitters we've lumped together Boarding, Charging, Checking From Behind, Clipping, Elbowing, Illegal Checks to the Head, and Kneeing calls. Should we call this the Ulf Samuellson Memorial Trophy? Anyways, your winner is...

David Backes

#42 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 221

Born: May 01, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - David Backes	48	6	22	28	5	62	1	0	1		100	6.0

Backes had 5 such calls this season, followed by a quintet of villains with four each (Chris Neil of Ottawa, Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo, Colorado's Patrick Bordeleau, Eric Nystrom of Dallas, and Nashville's Rich Clune).

Rough Stuff, Junior Varsity Edition

Skirmishes between the teams after a whistle blows are a hallowed hockey tradition, and usually as long as the gloves stay on nothing more than a Roughing minor is handed out. This season, Ottawa's Chris Neil led the way with 14 Roughing calls, followed by Vancouver's Alex Burrows and Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf with 9.

Chris Neil

#25 / Right Wing / Ottawa Senators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 215

Born: Jun 18, 1979

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Chris Neil	48	4	8	12	0	144	0	0	3		87	4.5

Rough Stuff, Varsity Edition

When the nastiness really boils over, however, the gloves come off and Fighting majors ensue. There are some guys in the league who stake their reputation on racking up a high number of bouts, hoping to earn steady work as a team's enforcer. This season, Toronto's Colton Orr took home the honors with 13 Fighting penalties, winning a close race with Tampa Bay's B.J. Crombeen, Jared Boll of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville's Rich Clune with 12 each.

Colton Orr

#28 / Right Wing / Toronto Maple Leafs

Height: 6-3

Weight: 222

Born: Mar 03, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Colton Orr	44	1	3	4	4	155	0	0	0		13	7.6

But that's not all, folks - stay tuned for the highest honor in our 2013 Alternative NHL Awards, the Least Valuable Player Trophy, coming soon...

OTF Photo Caption Contest: May 17, 2013

2013-05-17T13:00:23Z

So Darth Vader shows up at a Maple Leafs game...

It's your job to fill in the punchline. And, go!

2013 NHL Playoffs: New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins Preview

2013-05-16T16:20:36Z

The Stats

	New York Rangers		Boston Bruins
Record	26-18-4	12th	28-14-6	5th
GF/Game	2.62	15th	2.65	13th
GA/Game	2.25	4th	2.21	3rd
5-on-5 SF/60	31.3	4th	32.5	2nd
5-on-5 SA/60	26.9	6th	28.3	13th
Fenwick Close	53.88	7th	54.35	4th
5-on-5 Save %	.930	3rd	.928	4th
5-on-4 GF/60	4.8	26th	5.1	21st
# of PP's/Gm	3.19	21st	2.54	30th
4-on-5 GA/60	7.4	26th	4.3	3rd
# of PK's/Gm	3.08	8th	3.40	17th

Statistically these two teams are almost mirror images of each other. They dominate puck possession, score at a decent rate and are suffocating defensively, backed by strong goaltending. The Achilles Heel for the Bruins is their rough play, which lands them in the penalty box more often than their opponents. If the Rangers can capitalize on those extra power play chances, that could tip the scales in New York's favor.

The SB Nation Blogs

Blueshirt Banter vs Stanley Cup of Chowder

New York Rangers

Over at Blueshirt Banter, they're grateful to have made it through the first round, especially considering the lack of production (two assists) from Rick Nash, who was outstanding during the regular season:

So consider Thursday the beginning of Nash's second chance. I think a lot of the reactions to Nash's first round performance aren't exactly fair. Yes, he's the guy who is supposed to be scoring goals, so some blame has to fall on his shoulders. But Arron Asham scored as many goals as Ryan Callahan, Nash and Alex Ovechkin combined in the first round. It wasn't just Nash who wasn't scoring. And it certianly wasn't just Nash's fault that the power play was an incredible 2-for-27 in the series.

Remember, Nash was an animal in Game 1 (he had eight shots on goal), he hit the post with nine minutes left in Game 2, he recorded an assist in Game 3 and he came alive in Games 6 and 7. There are a lot of "what ifs" when it comes to Nash's first seven playoff games as a Ranger. Those get erased too if he can find his game in the second round.

The Rangers made serious strides to get out of the first round after going down 0-2 in the series. Brassard and Zuccarello were a huge part of the offensive outburst to get the Rangers over the hump. Moore stepped up in a big way with Marc Staal out. The Rangers as a whole came together. Henrik Lundqvist was Henrik Lundqvist.

Now it's Nash's turn to find himself in the playoffs. This is his second chance.

It's time to use it.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins may have a tough job bouncing back after their historic comeback in Game 7 against Toronto - after all, how do you top the emotional high of scoring twice in the final two minutes of regulation of an elimination game, then score the overtime winner?

While Zdeno Chara will be in the spotlight as he tries to contain the Rangers' Nash (and boy should that be a treat to watch), the hot hand for Boston up front belongs to David Krejci, who leads all playoff scorers with five goals and eight assists through seven games.

New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins TV schedule

Date	Time (CTL)	Location	TV
Thursday, May 16	6:30 p.m.	Boston	NBCSN, TSN, RDS
Sunday, May 19	2:00 p.m.	Boston	NBC, TSN, RDS
Tuesday, May 21	6:30 p.m.	New York	NBCSN, TSN, RDS
Thursday, May 23	6:00 p.m.	New York	CNBC, TSN, RDS
* Saturday, May 25	TBD	Boston	TSN, RDS, TBD
* Monday, May 27	TBD	New York	TSN, RDS, TBD
* Wednesday, May 29	TBD	Boston	TSN, RDS, TBD

OTF Staff Picks

Picks	Winner	Comment
Dirk	Boston	This might be the closest matchup of the second round, and Rick Nash vs. Zdeno Chara has "War of the Gargantuas" written all over it. I like the Bruins in a squeaker.
Jonathan	Boston	Richards is playing on the 4th line, Nash can't finish, Girardi and McDonagh aren't going to have legs soon. Neither team played their best last round, but the Bruins overcame more and come in as the better team. They are also perfectly built to get in Lundqvists face and throw him off his game. Hank's been doing most of the heavy lifting this series and he'll continue to do so until the Bruins win in Game 6.
Chris	Boston	What a finish to a great series last night in Boston. The Bruins were able to take their game to a whole other level and steal a victory from the jaws of defeat. Boston Strong indeed. Patrice Bergeron proved why he is one of the most underrated players in the league. Of course, the Rangers aren't going to be push overs. They showed their own gumption by beating the red hot Caps. This one has instant classic written all over it. I am going Boston in 7. This series is one you will not want to miss.
George	New York	I picked the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup in my preseason predictions, and then picked the Capitals in the last round. Shows what I know! The Rangers gave up some important depth in acquiring Rick Nash, but then got it back in the Gaborik trade. The Bruins are a more well-rounded team, and both squads carry huge momentum into the second round after important Game 7s in the first. King Henrik will be a difference maker in this series. Rangers in 6.
Jason	Boston	So excited these Boston and New York teams are enjoying some sporting success. After decades without a championship in any sport, these East Coast teams are finally getting some national coverage. Good for them.

Poll

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks Preview

2013-05-15T23:18:52Z

The Stats

	Detroit Red Wings		Chicago Blackhawks
Record	24-16-8	13th	36-7-5	1st
GF/Game	2.54	19th	3.10	2nd
GA/Game	2.29	5th	2.02	1st
5-on-5 SF/60	29.9	11th	30.6	6th
5-on-5 SA/60	27.7	11th	25.2	4th
Fenwick Close	53.92	5th	55.80	2nd
5-on-5 Save %	.932	2nd	.927	8th
5-on-4 GF/60	6.4	14th	4.6	27th
# of PP's/Gm	3.85	2nd	3.12	23rd
4-on-5 GA/60	6.4	15th	4.7	4th
# of PK's/Gm	3.42	19th	2.94	4th

There's good reason why the Blackhawks ran away with the best record in the league this season, as they're getting the job done at both ends of the ice. Their special teams haven't been amazing, but they tend to keep the game played at 5-on-5 more than other teams.

The Blackhawks took all four matchups against the Red Wings this season, by a total combined score of 14-5 (although two of those wins were by shootout, and another was in overtime).

The SB Nation Blogs

Winging It In Motown vs Second City Hockey

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings came out on top of a tense 7-game battle with the Anaheim Ducks, and one has to think that all the pressure is now off this team. They proved doubters wrong just by making the post-season in the wake of Nicklas Lidstrom's retirement, and pulled off an upset in a hard-fought playoff series. Anything they achieve in Round 2 is pretty much gravy at this point.

Chicago Blackhawks

It's "so far, so good" for the Hawks, who cruised through the regular season and then defeated the Minnesota Wild in five games to start their playoff run.

Despite their stellar record and absurd depth up front, not all is well in Chicagoland, and the story heading into this series is that sniper Viktor Stalberg has been benched, for Game One at least, by head coach Joel Quenneville.

Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings TV schedule

Date	Time (CTL)	Location	TV
Wednesday, May 15	7:00 p.m.	Chicago	NBCSN, CBC
Saturday, May 18	Noon	Chicago	NBC, CBC
Monday, May 20	6:30 p.m.	Detroit	NBCSN, CBC
Thursday, May 23	7:00 p.m.	Detroit	NBCSN, CBC
* Saturday, May 25	TBD	Chicago	CBC, TBD
* Monday, May 27	TBD	Detroit	CBC, TBD
* Wednesday, May 29	TBD	Chicago	CBC, TBD

OTF Staff Picks

Picks	Winner	Comment
Dirk	Chicago	This will be a much tougher matchup for Detroit due to the greater depth the Blackhawks have relative to Anaheim. Chicago wins pretty handily.
Jonathan	Chicago	Chicago did exactly what a Presidents' Trophy winner is supposed to do in the first round and neither Kane or Toews are firing on all cylinders. That could be potentially scary for them as they move on, or even scarier for the Red Wings. In the regular season, all but one game was decided in OT/SO, and I don't see that changing in the series more than maybe once. The Wings are rolling and Howard is the better goalie, but Chicago hasn't done anything to disprove they are the favorite in the Conference. Hawks in 6.
Chris	Chicago	Chicago proved they are the best team in the NHL against a dynamic Minnesota team. I don't see the Redwings getting to six games. Hawks in five.
George	Chicago	Henrik Zetterberg finally stepped up and did what a captain is supposed to do, leading the Wings to victory over the Ducks, and even Jimmy Howard put up an uncharacteristically consistent performance between the pipes. But Joel Quenneville's Blackhawks are a more gifted, more well-coached squad than Bruce Boudreau's Ducks. Chicago takes this one in 6.
Jason	Chicago	I don't think I'll watch one game of this series. Hawks in 6.

Poll

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings Preview

2013-05-15T00:48:19Z

The Stats

	San Jose Sharks		Los Angeles Kings
Record	25-16-7	11th	27-16-5	7th
GF/Game	2.42	24th	2.73	10th
GA/Game	2.33	6th	2.38	7th
5-on-5 SF/60	30.1	9th	30.0	10th
5-on-5 SA/60	28.0	12th	24.7	3rd
Fenwick Close	52.41	9th	57.35	1st
5-on-5 Save %	.927	8th	.912	19th
5-on-4 GF/60	6.6	13th	7.3	6th
# of PP's/Gm	3.52	7th	3.45	10th
4-on-5 GA/60	5.1	6th	5.4	8th
# of PK's/Gm	3.06	7th	3.35	14th

These are two high-quality teams, and the goaltending edge may provide San Jose's best hope for success. Both squads are used to dictating the flow of play, so keep an eye on how the battle for puck possession plays out.

The SB Nation Blogs

Fear the Fin vs Jewels From the Crown

For additional snarky commentary, make sure to swing by Battle of California. They're pretty proud of how their state is being represented these days:

Regardless of how this series turns out, California will send a team to the Western Conference Finals for the sixth time in the past eight seasons. That's an impressive run for the Golden State, and a testament to the quality of California's only two hockey teams: the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks

After feasting on the Vancouver Canucks to the tune of a four-game sweep, the Sharks are hoping to go on another deep run in the playoffs, having made it to the Western Conference Final in three of the last eight seasons. Patrick at Fear the Fin doesn't appear to be intimidated by this matchup:

Sharks will win this series because they are a completely different team from years past and have finally found their grit. Well, except that their core team of Marleau, Thornton, Boyle, Vlasic, Couture, Pavelski... Ah wait...$%!&... This team hasn't reinvented itself. They are using the same formula that they were using that lead to a lot of success in the 2010-2011 season. Lots of forward depth through center, and putting pucks on net. Shocking.
Anything can happen over a small number games, but one thing is for sure that this playoff matchup will be entertaining. This isn't the same Kings the sharks faced a couple years ago in the first round. Despite a lot of the stats blogosphere gushing over the kings regular season performance, they collapsed a bit down to earth, thanks in part to some questionable GM moves.

The guy who's driving the bus right now for San Jose is Joe Pavelski, who lit up the scoreboard in the first round with four goals and four assists in four games:

Joe Pavelski

#8 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Height: 5-11

Weight: 195

Born: Jul 11, 1984

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Joe Pavelski	48	16	15	31	+2	10	5	0	5		130	12.3

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings' series against St. Louis was one of the more entertaining of the opening round, with many observers regretting the fact that one of the two teams had to be eliminated so early. What remains to be seen is whether that series took some starch out of the Kings, or served as the figurative whiff of smelling salts that launches a spirited title defense by the reigning Stanley Cup champions.

At JFTC, they're musing about the possible matchups on defense and how that might tip the series:

Each team uses their defensive corps in different ways. The Sharks have rolled their defense evenly across the Kings forward units and in general Marc-Edouard Vlasic (1st pair) and Brad Stuart (3rd pair) get the most defensive zone starts. The Kings, on the other hand, heavily shelter their 3rd pair and charge Doughty with keeping the Thornton line at bay.

Doughty has found a lot of success against Thornton, as evidenced by his +18 shot attempt differential against him over the past two seasons. If that is indeed the route Sutter takes, then it could leave the Kings' 2nd pair exposed against Logan Couture. Couture has had Slava Voynov's number over the past two seasons. If Voynov can find a way to close that gap in these possession numbers, that would go a long way in helping the Kings take the series.

Slava Voynov

#26 / Defenseman / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 5-11

Weight: 199

Born: Jan 15, 1990

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Slava Voynov	48	6	19	25	+5	14	1	0	2		79	7.6

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings TV schedule

Date	Time (CTL)	Location	TV
Tuesday, May 14	9:00 p.m.	Los Angeles	NBCSN, TSN
Thursday, May 16	9:00 p.m.	Los Angeles	NBCSN, TSN
Saturday, May 18	8:00 p.m.	San Jose	NBCSN, TSN
Tuesday, May 21	9:00 p.m.	San Jose	NBCSN, TSN
* Thursday, May 23	TBD	Los Angeles	NBCSN, TSN
* Sunday, May 26	TBD	San Jose	TBD
* Tuesday, May 28	TBD	Los Angeles	TBD

OTF Staff Picks

Picks	Winner	Comment
Dirk	Los Angeles	The Kings are downright dreamy, and they'll put the Sharks to sleep.
Jonathan	Los Angeles	Both teams earned their first round wins, but San Jose was greatly helped by the trainwreck that was Vancouver. Goaltending won't be an issue in this series, it will come down to the best players being the best players and the other guys stepping up after that. The Kings are already adept at that and, while these games will be tight and hard fought, eventually the Champs most recent experience is going to prevail. Kings in 6.
Chris	Los Angeles.	Kings are proving to be more intractable than everyone thought. Thought their top players did struggle at times, the Kings finally seem to be back on track. I expect to see these guys in the conference finals and are the only guys that could potentially beat the Hawks. Kings in 6
George	San Jose	Patrick Marleau has been the big game player of late that the organization always hoped he would be, and the Sharks are hungry to shake off bad performances in previous playoffs. The Kings had a better goals per game than the Sharks did during the regular season, but the Sharks have better special teams, and Vezina nominee Antti Niemi, who will steal a couple of games for them. San Jose in 7.
Jason	San Jose	I don't know what some of you guys are thinking. Stone cold lock.

Poll

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview

2013-05-14T15:00:05Z

The Stats

	Ottawa Senators		Pittsburgh Penguins
Record	25-17-6	14th	36-12-0	2nd
GF/Game	2.33	27th	3.38	1st
GA/Game	2.08	2nd	2.48	12th
5-on-5 SF/60	32.8	1st	29.5	13th
5-on-5 SA/60	29.9	21st	29.7	17th
Fenwick Close	52.05	10th	49.87	15th
5-on-5 Save %	.934	1st	.928	4th
5-on-4 GF/60	5.4	19th	8.6	2nd
# of PP's/Gm	3.27	17th	3.54	6th
4-on-5 GA/60	4.2	2nd	6.9	21st
# of PK's/Gm	3.48	20th	3.48	20th

This series presents a fascinating contrast in styles, as the high-flying Penguins will face a tough defensive opponent in Ottawa. That contrast will show up both in even-strength and special teams, where Pittsburgh's top-notch power play will have to break through against one of the stingiest penalty killing units in the NHL. A key to success for the Senators will be to minimize the number of times they have to fight that battle, by staying out of the penalty box as much as they can.

The SB Nation Blogs

Silver Seven vs. Pensburgh

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens got quite a scare from the New York Islanders, and have an important question to address in goal. Do they stick with Tomas Vokoun, who led them to victory in Games 5 & 6 to finish off New York, or do they go back to their "#1" netminder Marc-Andre Fleury? I suspect that even if Fleury gets the chance to start again, he will be on the proverbial "short leash" and Vokoun needs to be ready for duty (to the delight of Preds fans).

Marc-Andre Fleury

#29 / Goalie / Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180

Born: Nov 28, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2012 - Marc-Andre Fleury	33	1858	23	8	0	74	2.39	881	807	.916	1

Over at Pensburgh, they are relishing the chance for Pittsburgh to become a stronger team after their first-round test:

The day after the Game 4 loss, Iginla told the media, "This could be great for us." That really struck a chord with me. It was such an unexpected thing to say especially all things considered, but we can now look back at that line and see exactly what it meant.

This was great for the Pens who are now moving forward to face the Ottawa Senators in a few days. They understand they need more urgency each game and that they need to put in more effort than simply showing up as a talent team. The Pens benefited more coming out of a tough series with a few painful lessons learned as opposed to a clean sweep with no new insight to bring to the next round. Though as they're about to face a physically intimidating Senators team, having a few more days off would've been nice.

Ottawa Senators

The Sens are the surprise hit of the season, considering the major injury issues they've had to work through just to make the playoffs, let alone beat Montreal in the first round. Getting back Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson at the tail end of the regular season provided a , but now it sounds like star center Jason Spezza is due to return soon as well, giving the gang at Silver Seven reason for hope:

Spezza practiced with the team on Sunday. It's still unclear when he might return to the lineup, but if he can make it back before the end of Round Two, it'll be big for the Sens' offence. The first concern will be Spezza's health and whether there's a serious risk of re-aggravating the injury he's currently trying to return from, but if soreness and/or fitness is all that's holding him back, his return will be huge. Even if Spezza himself isn't able to produce, he'll draw some of the Penguin's top defenders away from guys like Turris and Mika Zibanejad, giving those two a bit more room to work. We'll see if anything happens here, but Spezza's return would be huge.

The guy who will be in the spotlight most often, however, will be goaltender Craig Anderson, who had a stellar regular season and appears to be in the game-stealing mode that he showed previously in Florida & Colorado. Can he slow down Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin, who put up just shy of two points per game against the Islanders?

Craig Anderson

#41 / Goalie / Ottawa Senators

Height: 6-2

Weight: 183

Born: May 21, 1981

	GP	MIN	W	L	OTL	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2012 - Craig Anderson	24	1421	12	9	2	40	1.69	677	637	.941	3

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators TV Schedule

Date	Time (CTL)	Location	TV
Tuesday, May 14	6:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh	NBCSN, CBC, RDS
Friday, May 17	6:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh	NBCSN, CBC
Sunday, May 19	6:30 p.m.	Ottawa	CBC, RDS, NBCSN
Wednesday, May 22	6:30 p.m.	Ottawa	CBC, RDS, NBCSN
* Friday, May 24	6:30 p.m.	Pittsburgh	NBCSN, CBC, RDS
* Sunday, May 26	TBD	Ottawa	RDS, TBD
* Tuesday, May 28	TBD	Pittsburgh	RDS, TBD

OTF Staff Picks

Picks	Winner	Comment
Dirk	Pittsburgh	This should be a doozy, as Ottawa could have an important edge in goal if the Pens feel the need to get Marc-Andre Fleury back in there. In the end, however, I like the Penguins to move on.
Jonathan	Pittsburgh	The Penguins had a bit of a scare last round when the Islanders challenged them more than I think they were ready for. Now that their Fleury problem out of the way, they can work on being better defensively. The problem that arises is Anderson is worlds better than Nabokov. Ottawa can't match the Pens firepower, but they can definitely stifle them defensively. This one is going to go 7, and I can definitely see an upset. But at the end of the day, the Penguins are going to score more than the Senators.
Chris	Ottawa	My heart says Ottawa, but my brain says Pittsburgh. While the brain usually wins over the heart, it's the playoffs. Anything can happen right now and I will take Anderson over either of Pittsburgh's net minders. Ottawa in 7.
George	Ottawa	Ray Shero should win GM of the Year for going out and getting the half dozen pieces he got to make a run at this year's Stanley Cup (and probably next year's, too). But Marc Andre Fleury is on another planet, and not in a good way. Tomas Vokoun has been good in relief, but can he hold up against the relentless Ottawa squad? The Sens PK was as close to perfect as anyone got during the regular season. Ottawa in 7.
Jason	Ottawa	Pittsburgh doesn't look so good to me after the Islanders series. Senators in 6.

Poll

Who wins this series?

Mike Fisher Season Review: How Much Grit Is Left?

2013-05-14T01:24:38Z

Gritty play, moderate offensive production and a few lost games to injury combined for a pretty typical Mike Fisher season...

Mike Fisher

#12 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 208

Born: Jun 05, 1980

1st Half Grade: B-

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG		SOG	PCT
2012 - Mike Fisher	38	10	11	21	+6	27	1	0	0		68	14.7

Fancy Stats

5-on-5 Usage
EV TOI/Gm		OZ %	QoT	QoC
15:17		39.7	+1.06	+1.57
Individual			Team Metrics
5-5 Shots/60		5-5 Pts/60	Corsi On	Corsi Rel
5.94		1.49	-4.46	+1.40
Power Play			Penalty Kill
PP TOI/Gm	5-4 GF On/60	5-4 Pts/60	PK TOI/Gm	4-5 GA On/60
2:36	7.06	3.21	1:33	10.59
Penalty Plus/Minus		Favor of the Hockey Gods
Taken	Drawn	On-Ice Sht%	On-Ice Sv%	PDO
0.5	0.8	8.88	929	1018

His overall advanced numbers are decent, if not inspiring. He's pretty average in terms of the possession metrics, and doesn't put many shots on net himself.

Once again, Fish ranked among the league's leading forwards in Blocked Shots, a tribute to his on-ice leadership. His defensive game has never been in doubt, but as Nashville's reputed #1 center, the Predators could use more offensive punch up front. At least the production started to come during the second half of the season, as he put up 13 points in his final 15 games.

My Grade: B+

Outlook

Locked in for two more seasons at $4.2 million apiece, Fisher appears set as Nashville's #1 center for the foreseeable future. Even if the Preds draft a center at #4 this summer, it will be a while before that player would be ready to take the mantel of leadership from Fisher's shoulders. The interesting prospect for 2013-2014 is whether a younger winger like Taylor Beck or Filip Forsberg might get an opportunity on Fish's line.

On the downside? One has to wonder about a decline in production as Fisher approaches his mid-30's and continues playing his grueling physical style.

2013 Highlight

Fish isn't typically thought of as a dynamic offensive player, but this goal against the Stars was pretty nifty, as he carried the puck into the zone & split the Dallas defense:

Poll

On the Forecheck: All Posts by Dirk Hoag

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#59 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

America Wins Bronze Medal

#15 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

The 2013 Alternative NHL Awards: Celebrating Hockey's Anti-Heroes

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Diving

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Too Many Men

Icing on the Power Play

Penalties in the Offensive Zone

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Masters of Swordplay

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Dirty Hitters

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Rough Stuff, Junior Varsity Edition

#25 / Right Wing / Ottawa Senators

Rough Stuff, Varsity Edition

#28 / Right Wing / Toronto Maple Leafs

OTF Photo Caption Contest: May 17, 2013

2013 NHL Playoffs: New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins Preview

The Stats

The SB Nation Blogs

New York Rangers

Boston Bruins

New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins TV schedule

OTF Staff Picks

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: Detroit Red Wings vs Chicago Blackhawks Preview

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The SB Nation Blogs

Detroit Red Wings

Chicago Blackhawks

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OTF Staff Picks

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings Preview

The Stats

The SB Nation Blogs

San Jose Sharks

#8 / Center / San Jose Sharks

Los Angeles Kings

#26 / Defenseman / Los Angeles Kings

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings TV schedule

OTF Staff Picks

Who wins this series?

2013 NHL Playoffs: Ottawa Senators vs Pittsburgh Penguins Preview

The Stats

The SB Nation Blogs

Pittsburgh Penguins

#29 / Goalie / Pittsburgh Penguins

Ottawa Senators

#41 / Goalie / Ottawa Senators

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Ottawa Senators TV Schedule

OTF Staff Picks

Who wins this series?

Mike Fisher Season Review: How Much Grit Is Left?

#12 / Center / Nashville Predators

Fancy Stats

Outlook

2013 Highlight

What grade would you give Mike Fisher's season?