Ladies & Gentleman, We Have A Series

Well this certainly got interesting.

On Wednesday night the Los Angeles Kings were in position to capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a win over the New Jersey Devils.

Four days later the Kings are still waiting to claim the Stanley Cup while New Jersey won games four and five to force a game six and makes what looked to be a sweep into an intriguing series.

Game five had the best start to any of the previous games in the series as both teams looked to established the tempo and control the pace of the game.

Just as they did in game four it was New Jersey scoring the first goal of the game. Jonathan Quick had trouble handling the puck in front of his net and Devils captain Zach Parise took advantage of the situation.

That play right there is a prime example of why Parise will be the most sought after forward on the free agent market this summer.

The power play goal was Parise first point in the series and it gave the Devils a 1-0 lead. It also was New Jersey's first power play goal in 16 chances against Los Angeles in this series.

That lead would last until just over three minutes into the 2nd period when Kings forward Justin Williams got Los Angeles on the board with a wrist shot.

Williams hit the post with a shot earlier in the game. Watching him skate you just felt that he was due for a goal in this game.

The tie would last until just after the nine minute mark of the 2nd period when a shot by New Jersey defenseman Bryce Salvador would take a Devils bounce and get by Quick, giving them the lead.

The puck deflected off the shoulder of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. It's the second time in this series a puck has deflected off of Voynov resulting in a New Jersey goal.

With the Devils in the lead it was time for goaltender Martin Brodeur to take control of the game and that's exactly what he did. Brodeur had 25 saves with his best being this stop on Kings forward Jarrett Stoll.

That right there is vintage Brodeur.

New Jersey would hold on to win 2-1, forcing a game six back in Los Angeles Monday night.

If you are a Kings fan it's too early to panic as Los Angeles is still in control of the series and can win the cup Monday night on home ice. If you presented that scenario to any Kings player before the series started they would take it.

However it looks like New Jersey has found a way to overcome the Kings forecheck that was suffocating them early in the series. More importantly the Devils are finding ways to get the puck by Quick.

New Jersey isn't putting many pucks past Quick but when you have Brodeur in net you only need to score a couple to have a chance to win.

Going into game five I thought the Devils had a puncher's chance in the series. They are still throwing punches and they are now landing them. If Los Angeles is to win the cup they better do it on Monday night.

The last thing the Kings want to do is travel to Newark on Wednesday for a game seven.

Devils Survive, Force Game Five.

On June 4th, 1967 the Los Angeles Kings selected the first player in franchise history in the expansion draft. 45 years to the day the Kings had the chance to win their first Stanley Cup.

That wait will have to last until at least Saturday.

In a game they needed to win the New Jersey Devils were able to force a game five with a 3-1 win last night at Staples Center.

New Jersey started strong like they did in games two and three but couldn't solve Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. As the second period went along it felt like it was only a matter of time before Los Angeles scored the first goal of the game.

Thanks to Martin Brodeur the game was scoreless until the 3rd period where New Jersey was finally able to get one past Quick.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. That goal by Elias gave the Devils their first lead in the series. The lead would only last for one minute as David Clarkson would take a questionable boarding penalty.

That would put Los Angeles on the power play where Drew Doughty would score to tie the game.

Mark my words, Doughty will be the best defenseman in the NHL within the next three years.

With that goal it looked like the Kings were ready to take charge of the game and the celebration would begin with the next goal. The next goal never came for Los Angeles. Instead it came from the stick of Devils rookie Adam Henrique.

Only 22 years old and the kid is pure money.

New Jersey would add an empty net goal to clinch a 3-1 victory and send the finals back to Newark for a game five Saturday night.

Now if you are a Kings fan you are disappointed Los Angeles wasn't able to close the series out on home ice but you are confident going into game five.

The Kings have played in two games five this post-season after being up 3-0. They won both of those in overtime to close out the series. If the trend holds true then tomorrow night Los Angeles fans should be able to celebrate.

However one thing to keep in mind about New Jersey is they are 9-1 this post-season in games four through seven. And while the chances of coming back to win the series after losing the first three games is pretty slim there is one player on the Devils roster that has done it.

That would be Henrique who was on the Windsor Spitfires when they came back from 3-0 down in the OHL playoffs to win their series against Kitchner en route to winning the 2010 Memorial Cup.

Now granted coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the OHL is different than doing it in the NHL but it only has to happen once for players to believe it can happen again. If New Jersey needs any more inspiration to rally and win the series all they have to do is look across the Kings bench.

Simon Gagne, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were all on the 2010 Philadelphia Flyer team that rallied from 3-0 down to win their playoff series against Boston.

The Devils proved on Wednesday they won't go down without a fight. Everything was against them going into game four and they found a way to win. The scenario will be the same for game five with the only thing different being the venue.

Tomorrow night a win by Los Angeles gives them the Stanley Cup. A win by New Jersey however gives them another game to play this season.

After being down 3-0 in the series I think all Devils fans would take that scenario if presented to them.

One Win From The Cup.

Going into game three one thing was certain, The New Jersey Devils had to win.

It didn't matter how many goals they scored or how much they won by. New Jersey just had to find a way to win the game or else they would be facing certain elimination.

In the 1st period of game three the Devils had a jump in their skates similar to game two where they had quality scoring chances. Much like game two New Jersey was unable to get any pucks past goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Watching this game unfold it felt like whoever scored the first goal was going to win game three. Cue Los Angeles defenseman Alec Martinez.

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur argued the play should have been whistled dead because he had the puck covered. Referee Dan O'Halloran never lost sight of the puck allowing the play to continue. The end result a 1-0 lead for the Kings.

While I felt the first goal was important the next goal was just as critical. If New Jersey got it we have a tie game and the possibility of overtime playing out like it did in the first two games.

If Los Angeles scores then it's a two goal lead and they are in complete control of the game. Cue Kings forward Anze Kopitar.

Just think, The Minnesota Wild passed on Kopitar for Benoit Pouliot.

Now I know a two goal lead is referred to as the most dangerous lead in hockey. However with the way Los Angeles has played the last two months this game was all but wrapped up. The only thing missing was an insurance goal. Cue Kings forward Jeff Carter.

Seeing Carter succeed in the finals has to drive fans in Philadelphia and Columbus nuts.

Well on their way to victory Los Angeles would add another power play goal by Justin Williams to make it 4-0.

I honestly thought New Jersey would put up a better fight in this series. While they had a chance to win both games in Newark the Devils have been outplayed by the Kings throughout all three games.

At this point the only question isn't whose going to win the cup, it's how many games will it take. History favors the Kings. Being up 3-0 I don't see anyway Los Angeles loses this series.

This is the fourth series this post-season where the Kings have had a 3-0 lead. Two of those series have went five games while one went four. If that trend holds this series should be over no later than Saturday.

Whether this series ends in a sweep or New Jersey forces a game five remains to be seen but there is one thing I know for sure.

On Wednesday night the cup will be in the building.

Carter, Richards Paying Off For Los Angeles

Last June the Philadelphia Flyers made two separate trades that caught the hockey world by surprise.

Determined to upgrade their goaltending the Flyers signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine year contract worth $51 million dollars. As a result two trades were made to make room for Bryzgalov's contract under the salary cap.

The first deal was Philadelphia sending forward Jeff Carter to Columbus for forward Jakub Voracek, a 1st round pick, who ended up being forward Sean Couturier, and a 3rd round pick.

The second deal was the Flyers sending captain Mike Richards to Los Angeles for forwards Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and a 2nd round pick.

Those two trades would end up making an impact in the Stanley Cup Finals but not in a way any hockey fan would expect.

Philadelphia would reach the 2nd round of the playoffs where they would win one game before being eliminated by New Jersey. It's one game better than the previous season with the result being the same.

Columbus would start the season by losing their first eight games. The Blue Jackets struggles would result in Carter being traded for the second time in eight months as he would go to Los Angeles for defenseman Jack Johnson and a 1st round draft pick.

As for the Kings, the acquisitions Richards last June followed by reuniting him with Carter in February have Los Angeles two wins away from their first Stanley Cup.

Carter has five goals this post-season which is tied with Dwight King for second on the team. His latest goal just happened to be a game winner in overtime.

You have to admire the skill and patience by Carter to circle around and maintain possession of the puck as he waits for his shot.

Richards is tied for the on the Kings in scoring with 11 points (4G, 7A) More importantly his two way play and ability to forecheck is frustrating the Devils forward and making New Jersey's top two lines non-existent.

Watching Richards play in the playoffs two years ago I thought he was the best penalty killer on the planet. Watching him this post-season I think he might be the best two way forward in the game.

There are plenty of reasons why Los Angeles is two wins away from their first Stanley Cup. Carter and Richards are just two of them. However without those two, I don't think there would be a hockey game in June tomorrow night at Staples Center.

The Best Defenseman Of My Lifetime.

It takes a big story in the hockey world to put the Stanley Cup Finals on the back page.

Yesterday one of those stories happened.

A day that every Detroit Red Wings fan has been dreading for the last few years finally came when defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom called it a career.

Referred to many as "The Perfect Human" Lidstrom was drafted by Detroit in the 3rd round of the 1989 NHL Draft. He would join the Red Wings in 1991. In his twenty year career he would never miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In fact there were only three playoff series in his career where Detroit didn't win a game.

Lidstrom's statement for deciding to retire after 20 years went as followed.

 "At some point in time, it catches up to everyone, it diminishes their ability to perform some things you love and care about passionately. It comes to an end sooner than what you would have liked. The last few years, I waited until after the season was over to assess my ability to play another year. I need to let a few weeks go by to get a reading on my body’s ability to recover from the grind of an NHL season. Sadly, this year it’s painfully obvious to me that my strength and energy levels are not rebounding enough for me to continue to play. My drive and motivation are not where they need to be to play at this level. That’s why I feel like it’s time to retire." 

As for his career Lidstrom retires with Seven Norris Trophies, Four Stanley Cups, One Conn Smythe Award and an Olympic Gold Medal. He is a lock for the Hockey Hall Of Fame three years from now.

When asked about my favorite memory of Lidstrom the first thing that always comes to mind is the goal he scored in game four of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.

 

That goal gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead. Detroit would never trail in the game as they went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years.

The other memory of Lidstrom that would stand out in my mind is in 2008. In a salary cap era where many thought Detroit would be at a disadvantage, the Red Wings defeated Pittsburgh in six games to win their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 years. Lidstrom was the captain of that team and would become the first European player to captain his team to a Stanley Cup.

A friend asked me yesterday how are the Red Wings going to replace Lidstrom. My answer was they aren't. He was the best in the world at what he did. I have said for the last few years if I could clone one athlete it would be Nicklas Lidstrom.

As to where he ranks among the great defenseman in our game it depends who you ask.

Most people in the hockey world who I respect say Bobby Orr is the greatest defenseman of all time. Having never seen Orr play I won't say they are wrong.

I did have the privilege of watch Lidstrom play for 20 years. To me he is the greatest defenseman in my lifetime and I have a hard time thinking I will see anyone as good or better than him again as long as I watch hockey.

As a long time Red Wings fan all I can say is thank you number five. It was a pleasure watching you play.

Kings Take Game One

Going into game one of the Stanley Cup Finals one concern was would a long lay off hurt the Los Angeles Kings?

Los Angeles came into the finals with a 12-2 record and have looked more like a dominant number one seed instead of a number eight seed that clinched a playoff spot on the last weekend of the season.

However the Kings hadn't played since eliminating Phoenix eight days ago. There was speculation that the layoff could kill any momentum Los Angeles had.

Judging by the first 30 minutes of game one New Jersey looked like the team that hadn't played in eight days.

The Kings forecheck controlled the tempo of the game from the start with Colin Fraser getting the first goal, giving Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.

Through two periods the Devils only mustered eight shots on goal and were lucky to only be trailing 1-0. New Jersey needed a spark and they finally got one late in the 2nd period when Zach Parise got tangled up with goaltender Jonathan Quick in the Kings net.

While nothing came of the incident it did seem to wake up the Devils as Anton Volchenkov scored to tie the game at one going into the 2nd intermission.

From the start of the 3rd it looked like a totally different game than it did through the first two periods.

Los Angeles was playing like "We are the better team here. Let's put these guys away." while New Jersey started playing like "We have been outplayed for two periods and yet we have a chance to win this game."

Both teams had their chances in the 3rd to take the lead. At the ten minute mark New Jersey defenseman Mark Fayne had a wide open net to shoot at only to have the shot go wide.

I now know why he is a defenseman and not a forward.

The best chance for Los Angeles came three minutes later when Dustin Penner and Drew Doughty had an opportunity to score only to have Martin Brodeur stack the pads, denying the Kings the lead.

Game one would go to overtime and it would only take eight minutes before Anze Kopitar would win it for the Kings.

That breakaway was a thing of beauty.

The win gives Los Angeles a record of 9-0 on the road. More importantly the Kings are only three wins away from their first Stanley Cup.

As for New Jersey I'm not ready to write them off yet. Their game wasn't as sharp last night as it was in the previous round. Despite that the Devils had a chance to steal game one. With game two not until Saturday New Jersey will have some time to make whatever adjustments they need.

I expect the Devils to be much better on Saturday and even the series. If they aren't this could be done in four games.

Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Raise your hand if when the NHL season started you had the Los Angeles Kings playing the New Jersey Devils for the Stanley Cup.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Back in October Los Angeles was thought to be at most the 5th best team in a loaded Western Conference while New Jersey was just coming off missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

But it's been a long journey from October to now and as it stands one of these two teams will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. So who has the edge? There is only one way to break this down.

Let's go to the tale of the tape. 

Forwards: 

One reason why both of these teams are in the Stanley Cup Finals is because they can roll out four lines throughout an entire game no matter what the situation is.

The best forwards for Los Angeles have been Dustin Brown (7G, 9A) and Anze Kopitar (6G, 9A). Both players are a +13 on the ice which is the best for either team.

The Kings have also received nice contributions this post-season from Mike Richards (4G, 7A) Justin Williams (2G, 9A) and Dustin Penner (3G, 7A)

As for the 3rd and 4th lines for Los Angeles, they have been used in more of a shut down role where their forecheck smothers the opposition as they try to move the puck up the ice. They have provided quality minutes allowing the top two lines for the Kings to be productive when on the ice.

New Jersey's top forwards have been just as good as the Kings forwards. Ilya Kovalchuk leads all scorers in the playoffs with 18 points (7G, 11A) while Zach Parise and Travis Zajac are tied with Kovalchuk for the team lead in goals with seven.

Rookie Adam Henrique to me may be the most impressive forward in this series. He has three goals and eight assist with two of those goals being overtime game winners. He is a +9 on the ice which is the best among all Devils forwards.

The difference between the forwards for Los Angeles and New Jersey is while the Kings 3rd and 4th lines can forecheck the Devils 3rd and 4th lines can forecheck and score.

Against the Rangers the line of Ryan Carter, Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta had four goals, five assists and were a +9 on the ice. That's pretty good production from a 4th line.

In fact you could make the case New Jersey really has two 3rd lines. Because of their bottom six I give the Devils the edge at forward.

Advantage: New Jersey. 

Defenseman: 

Let's start this by acknowledging that Los Angeles has the best defenseman in the series in Drew Doughty and it isn't even close.

This spring Doughty has two goals, eight assists and is a +10 on the ice. He is playing like a defenseman who will win numerous Norris Trophies before his career is over.

As for the rest of the Kings blueline, they have been pretty good too.

Los Angeles defenseman are a combined +36. The Kings worst defenseman from a statistical standpoint is Alec Matinez who has one assist and is a +2 on ice.

As for New Jersey they have actually received nice production from their blueline.

Bryce Salvador leads all defenseman in this series with 11 points (3G, 8A). That's pretty good for a guy who in the regular season had zero goals and nine assists in 82 games.

Marek Zidlicky has rejuvenated his career since joining New Jersey back in February. In the playoffs he has eight points (1G, 7A) and is a +1 on the ice. Not bad considering he only had 14 points with Minnesota and was a -6 on ice before being traded.

The rest of the Devils defense is a +30 combined on the ice. Both teams seem pretty similar here but I'll give the edge to Los Angeles because of Drew Doughty. New Jersey doesn't have anyone on their blueline that is nearly as good as him. 

Advantage: Los Angeles 

Goaltending: 

The Los Angeles Kings wouldn't even be in the playoffs let alone the Stanley Cup Finals if not for the play of Jonathan Quick in net.

In the regular season Quick had the best GAA with 1.95 and his save percentage was .929, which was second among goaltenders who played in 60 plus games.

In the playoffs Quick leads all goaltenders with a GAA of 1.54 and a save percentage of .946. He also has two shutouts. In my mind Quick right now is the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Award.

And then there is Martin Brodeur.

At 40 years old many thought his best days were behind him. All he has done this post-season is be solid in net when New Jersey has needed him to allowing the Devils to reach their 5th Stanley Cup Finals.

Brodeur this post-season has a GAA of 2.04 and a save percentage of .923 both of which are slightly up from his career average of a 2.01 GAA and a save percentage of .919.

From a stats standpoint the edge would have to go to Quick since he has played better in net. However when you factor in the intangibles I still like Brodeur.

I know a lot of people say that Brodeur isn't has sharp as he was ten years ago. Not many people are

However if Brodeur had lost a step like people say he has then he wouldn't have been able to outlast Florida in seven games, he wouldn't have been able to handle the Flyers offense and he wouldn't have been able to out duel Henrik Lundqvist.

Brodeur has answered every challenge he has faced this season. Quick is good but until he out duels Brodeur I have to give the edge here to Marty. 

Advantage: New Jersey 

Power Play: 

The Devils are 12 for 66 with the man advantage this post-season. Their power play percentage is 18.2 which is 4th best among playoff teams.

The Kings are 6 for 74 with the man advantage. Their power play percentage is 8.1. Only the Chicago Blackhawks were worse this post-season.

Los Angeles fans will tell me that Boston won the cup last year with a bad power play. To me that is the exception and not the norm.

The Kings need more production with the man advantage. The edge here goes to New Jersey and it isn't even close. 

Advantage: New Jersey 

Penalty Kill: 

Los Angeles has only given up five short-handed goals in 57 opportunities this post-season. More impressively the Kings have scored five times while a man down. Their PK percentage is 91.2, second best in the playoffs.

New Jersey has allowed 16 power play goals in 62 chances this post-season. Their PK percentage is 74.2 which is 13th among playoff teams. The Devils also have one short-handed goal to their credit.

I have to give the edge to Los Angeles here. Their five short-handed goals are the most a playoff team has scored since Detroit scored six back in 2008. 

Advantage: Los Angeles 

Coaching: 

Both Pete DeBoer and Darryl Sutter have done a remarkable job getting their teams to the finals. What's more remarkable is where each one was when the season started.

DeBoer had been let go by Florida as head coach and wasn't even on anybody's radar when he was hired by New Jersey back in July.

This season New Jersey finished with 102 points in the Atlantic, which is arguably the best division in the NHL, leading the Devils back to the playoffs after missing them the previous season.

In the playoffs his combination of a relentless forecheck and the ability to mix and match lines is why New Jersey is making their 5th appearance in the finals.

Sutter's job was a little more challenging since he took over in the middle of the season. Los Angeles was 15-14-4 before Sutter was hired as head coach just before Christmas. The Kings went 25-13-11 after he took over.

While Los Angeles didn't secure a playoff spot until the final days of the regular season the Kings have been on fire in the playoffs with a 12-2 record including a 9-0 record on the road.

Watching Los Angeles in the playoffs I see a lot of similarities between them and the 2004 Calgary Flames who were also coached by Sutter.

I'll give the edge here to Sutter only because he has accomplished more with the Kings in a shorter amount of time. 

Advantage: Los Angeles 

X-Factors: 

Los Angeles forward Simon Gagne has been out of the lineup since right after Christmas due to a concussion. He has been cleared to resume skating and could play at some point in the finals.

Gagne has reached the 20 goals mark seven times in his twelve year career. His possible inclusion in the lineup would give the Kings 3rd line a scoring spark they could use against New Jersey.

For the Devils I think rookie defenseman Adam Larsson could play a big role in the finals.

Larsson has only played in five playoff games scoring a goal against Philadelphia and has been a +3 on the ice. Larsson is 6'3, 220 pounds. His size could be used to try and neutralize the Kings forwards. 

Obscure Stanley Cup Fact: 

This will be the first finals under the current playoff format, which started in 1994, that neither finalist will have had home ice before the finals.

In fact only one team under the current format has ever won the Stanley Cup without having home ice in the playoffs. That would be the 1995 New Jersey Devils who did it in a 48 game season.

As a Red Wings fan I hope that is the last time I have to mention this series. Sadly I'm sure I'll refer to it a few more times before the playoffs are over. 

Previous meetings: 

These two teams played twice back in October. The Devils won a shootout in New Jersey 2-1 back on October 13th. Two weeks later the Devils won in Los Angeles by a score of 3-0.

It must be noted that Brodeur left the first meeting with a shoulder injury while both Brodeur and Quick did not play in goal in the second meeting. 

Prediction: 

Both teams have had a remarkable run to the finals. While according to seeding they are underdogs Los Angeles and New Jersey are nowhere close to that.

The Kings have been on one of the most impressive runs I have seen a team have. It reminds me of a combination of Anaheim in 2003 and Calgary in 2004.

Yet as good as Los Angeles has been in the playoffs I keep coming back to one thing I wrote back in my preview of the Devils series against Philadelphia in regards to New Jersey GM Lou Lamariello. 

"At the trade deadline the Devils GM had to make a decision, trade Zach Parise and get something in return for next season or keep Parise and try to make a run at the Stanley Cup.

One thing you need to understand about Lamariello, no GM has a better pulse of what his team is capable of.

The fact that he decided to keep Parise tells me he thinks the Devils can make a cup run." 

Well New Jersey has done just that. Because of this and the fact I like Brodeur in net better than Quick I'm predicting Devils fans will be fist pumping in Newark and all across the Garden State as New Jersey wins their 4th Stanley Cup in franchise history. 

Devils in 5.

Thanks For Playing: New York Rangers

Each spring 16 NHL teams play for Lord Stanley's Cup. At the end one team is left holding the cup while the other 15 teams can only think of what might have been.

This is about one of the 15 teams who wasn't so lucky.

How They Finished: 

51-24-7   109 points  1st in Atlantic Division, 1st in Eastern Conference. Lost in Conference Finals in six games 

What Went Wrong: 

The best forwards the entire season for New York were not their best forwards in the series against New Jersey.

When I say best forwards I'm referring to center Brad Richards and right wing Marian Gaborik.

Richards finished the playoffs as the points leader for the Rangers with 15 (6G, 9A). However in the series against the Devils he had zero goals, four assists and finished a -2 on the ice. If you are paying a guy $6.7 million for nine years a couple goals in this series would have been nice.

Speaking of goals that brings me to Marian Gaborik. Unlike Richards, Gaborik was able to find the back of the net in game five. That would be his only goal of the series.

In twenty playoff games this spring Gaborik only scored five goals. When you are making $7.5 million a year you aren't being paid to average a goal every four games.

New York is a team built around goaltending and defense. Their style is to play with the lead not come from behind. It's no coincidence that going back to game seven against Ottawa the Rangers won every game when they scored first and lost every game when they gave up the first goal.

New York needed more than what they got from Richards and Gaborik against New Jersey. I'm not placing all the blame on them for the Rangers losing the series. I'm just saying a little more production and this could have been New York winning in six games.

Where Do They Go From Here: 

The last time New York came this close to playing for the Stanley Cup was 1997. That year the Rangers lost in five games in the Conference Finals to Philadelphia.

It would be another seven seasons before New York would return to the playoffs. That won't be the case this time.

The projected cap space for the Rangers is just over $16 million for next season. The main free agent on their roster they have to worry about is defenseman Michael Del Zotto who is restricted. I have to think both sides will have no problem working out a deal.

As for the rest of the roster I felt all season New York was one forward short of being a legit Stanley Cup contender. The Rangers may have found that forward this post-season in Chris Kreider.

In 18 playoff games Krieder finished with 5 goals and 2 assists. Not bad for a kid that was winning a national championship two months ago for Boston College. I expect him to have a bigger role next season for the Rangers.

Of course there are a couple other options on the table for New York.

One they could resume pursuit of Columbus forward Rick Nash. The Rangers were one of many teams linked to Nash at the trade deadline. No deal was made however as the price was too steep.

If New York does decide to pursue Nash the price will still be steep but it will be a lot easier to remake your roster in the off-season than it would be with six weeks to play in the regular season.

The other thing the Rangers could do is go after Zach Parise. Parise is scheduled to become a free agent this summer and New York is one of the teams frequently mentioned as a landing spot should he leave New Jersey.

Signing Parise would mean the Rangers wouldn't have to move a player like Krieder or Brandon Dubinsky, both of whom have been mentioned in any deal involving Nash.

New York hasn't been this close to a Stanley Cup since 1994. Their window is wide open right now and I expect whatever moves they make this summer will be only made with winning the cup in mind.

I expect the Rangers to be one of the best teams in the NHL next year. And I won't be surprised if they are raising Lord Stanley next June.

Deja Vu? Guaranteed.

Tonight in New Jersey the Devils have the opportunity to eliminate the New York Rangers in six games and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Sound Familiar?

It does if you are a fan of either of these two teams as exactly eighteen years ago to the day the situation was exactly the same as it is tonight.

Back in 1994 the New York Rangers were facing elimination when captain Mark Messier made a bold prediction saying the Rangers would win game six in New Jersey.

Messier was true to his words as he would score a hat trick in the Rangers 4-2 win over the Devils forcing game seven two nights later in Madison Square Garden.

Rangers fans are hoping history repeats itself while Devils fan would just prefer to end this series in six games and any parallels between this playoff match-up and the one back in 1994.

However there are no guarantees going into tonight's game as each team as tried to distanced itself as far away from the playoffs series in 1994.

On Thursday Rangers center Brad Richards said "No disrespect to history, but we're worried about ourselves,We want to create our own story and that's what we're here to do." 

Devils coach Pete DeBoer added "I don't even think about '94, In '94 I still had hair. It was that long ago. That plays no part in what we're doing." 

In fact there is only one player on each roster that has played in this series and the one in 1994, Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Back in 1994 Brodeur was in his first season as the starting goaltender for New Jersey. Eighteen years later he has won three Stanley Cups, four Vezina trophies and has the most wins of any goaltender in NHL history.

In 29 other NHL building Brodeur will arguably go down as the greatest goaltender in NHL history. In Madison Square Garden though he will always be remembered for Matteau, Matteau, Matteau. 

Brodeur won't come out and say it but I have to believe that part of him wants to win this series for no other reason than to put to rest what happened back in 1994.

Yes New Jersey has won three Stanley Cups since then but a win tonight would not only send the Devils back to the Finals it would finally give New Jersey bragging rights over their neighbors across the Hudson River.

When Messier made his prediction back in 1994 the whole hockey world took notice as he delivered. Current Rangers captain Ryan Callahan hasn't made any predictions on tonight's game as that isn't his style. He prefers to lead with actions not words.

Since he won't make a prediction I will.

If New Jersey is to win this series they better do it tonight in Newark. The last thing they want to do is give a talented team like New York one more chance to win the series in a game seven in Madison Square Garden.

They had an opportunity eighteen years ago to close out the series and they failed to do so. Eighteen years later I'm predicting history repeats itself.

New York wins tonight guaranteeing a game seven Sunday evening.

Thanks For Playing: Phoenix Coyotes

Each spring 16 NHL teams play for Lord Stanley's Cup. At the end one team is left holding the cup while the other 15 teams can only think of what might have been.

This is about one of the 15 teams who wasn't so lucky. 

How They Finished: 

42-27-13   92 points  Won Pacific Division, Finished 3rd in Western Conference. Lost in Conference Finals to Los Angeles.

What Went Wrong: 

Simply put the Los Angeles Kings were a better team.

That statement seems obvious when you lose a series in five games but if you took the time to watch both teams in this series it wasn't even close.

From the outset of game one the Kings used their relentless forecheck to smother Phoenix whenever they had the puck. Because of this the Coyotes had few chances offensively to score. When Jonathan Quick is the opposing goaltender you need all the chances you can get.

Speaking of Quick, that's another reason Phoenix's season has come to an end. Quick was better in net that his counterpart Coyotes goalie Mike Smith.

In my last blog I praised Smith for the job he had done in the playoffs for Phoenix. However he had to be the best player in the series if the Coyotes were to advance.

I thought Smith played well in two of the five games of the series. He was the best player on the ice in game four and he was very goo in game three in Los Angeles.

In the games in Phoenix I thought Smith was average at best. Being average in net wasn't going to be good enough for Phoenix to advance.

 Where Do They Go From Here: 

This is a very tricky question because of the perspectives of which it is asked.

From a team standpoint things look good. Phoenix has a projected cap space of just over $29 million for next season. More importantly the top players who produced this post-season for the Coyotes are all under contract for next year with the exception of Shane Doan and Ray Whitney.

I expect Doan to re-sign with Phoenix this off-season. He has been with the franchise since they moved from Winnipeg in 1996 and has become the face of the franchise in the desert.

Yes there will be a market for him if he isn't signed by July 1st but Doan was productive this season (22G, 28A) for the Coyotes. It would be a PR disaster if they let him leave as a free agent.

Whitney I'm not so sure about. He just turned 40 earlier this month. While he was the leading scorer this season for Phoenix (24G, 53A) there is always the possibility he may call it a career.

If Whitney does choose to play  I'm sure he will be in high demand after the season he had. If it was any other team Whitney would probably have been re-signed already. Being that it's Phoenix though that isn't the case.

And that brings me to the other part of this question, where DO they go from here.

The Coyotes are still without an owner. Former San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison is now the front-runner to buy the hockey club. By my count this is the 4th person/group to attempt to buy the club since it was put on the market four seasons ago.

The problem isn't so much finding an owner as it is getting through all the bureaucratic tape involving the city of Glendale to operate the hockey club.

I know the NHL is very adamant about making this work in Phoenix but at some point they have to say enough is enough. The NHL can't be happy about putting money into a club year after year with nothing to show for it.

There are a couple cities in North America (Quebec City, Seattle) that I think would love to have an NHL franchise. I don't see this situation like the one in Atlanta last year where the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg because there is a prospective buyer who wants to keep the Coyotes in Arizona.

However if Jamison's group can't work around the bond issue that has plagued the sale of this club I can easily see him walking away from buying the team. If he walks away I can see the NHL selling the Coyotes to the highest bidder with the franchise relocating somewhere else.

In the meantime while ownership remains in limbo it effects any personnel moves the franchise can make.

GM Don Maloney has done a terrific job with this roster the last three seasons. This year Phoenix finally broke through and won their first playoff series in 25 years en route to the Western Conference Finals.

While I'm skeptical of the Coyotes doing it again next year I have learned not to doubt coach Dave Tippett and his coaching staff. Phoenix can't control what happens off the ice they can only control what happens on the ice.

Under Tippett and Maloney that should be enough for them to contend for a playoff spot once again.