Final score: NJ 0 Ott 2

Ottawa leads best-of-seven series 2-1.

There really isn’t a whole lot that can be said about this game. Part of the reason was the goalies. In particular Martin Brodeur, who was utterly brilliant in the opening period in stopping all 11 shots he saw. Without him, his team wouldn’t have stood a chance in a contest which went scoreless the first 40 minutes.

The three-time Stanley Cup winner did his part as Ottawa came out with fire attacking a flat New Jersey squad at will. The Sens generated plenty of great scoring chances at even strength. The problem was Brodeur wouldn’t allow them to get on the board early, making a few great stops including a stone job on 50-goal sniper Dany Heatley in front.

If the Devils netminder was razor sharp in that period, then his younger counterpart was jittery. Ray Emery did stop all seven his way but let out several bad rebounds which could’ve been costly. The Devils didn’t take advantage because they couldn’t. They were on their heels most of that period. That was too bad for them because the second-year goalie finally settled down in a stronger second, making a few huge stops to bail out his teammates.

The Senators got sloppy with the puck in the latter stages of it and only Emery allowed them to get to the locker room unscathed by turning aside all nine shots including a point blank opportunity for dangerous Devils sniper Zach Parise.

Through two, each goalie had made their case and that’s why it was scoreless.

The way this one was being played, you knew it was going to take a funny bounce or play for someone to score. Almost as if foreshadowing that in Brodeur’s end, the Ottawa ice twice came into play in odd fashion deflecting wide harmless dump-ins almost into a vacated net. The fact it happened so close apart made me believe maybe it was just a replay and not real. Couldn’t be? Oddly enough, after they got the lead, a similar thing almost resulted in a New Jersey tally later on.

The one goal which proved to be plenty in this chess match was scored by Ottawa defenseman Tom Preissing. Mike Comrie, who had struggled earlier in the series was flying all night. Skating with authority, the much maligned forward finally made his impact known by deliberately shooting a puck wide of Brodeur off the right wall. Working as a perfect pass, Preissing looked off the goalie and then fired a high shot by him to give the Sens the lead with 15:14 remaining.

But there was more to this play than how it looked. As Preissing was firing the seeing eye shot, underrated gritty center Mike Fisher was skating by Brodeur just outside the crease. They were so close that the incidental contact Fisher’s skate made with the two-time Vezina winner’s was inevitable. Naturally, Brodeur protested to the refs as soon as the goal was scored.

So, was it goalie interference or not? Much like myself, Versus analyst Brian Engblom concluded that it wasn’t because when the contact happened, Brodeur’s skate was outside the crease. If you watch the replay very closely, you’ll notice that the Devil goalie was on top of it leaving his feet outside when Fisher skated by. The other thing that was evident was that the Sens forward wasn’t even looking at him. The contact was skate on skate and clearly seemed accidental.

Controversial? If you’re Brodeur and the Devils, sure. It threw his timing off. So you could definitely see why they were visibly upset. At the same time, I can’t help remembering what Ottawa coach Bryan Murray was aggravated over after Game Two. Replays showed that on Sergei Brylin’s goal which made it 2-0 beating the buzzer to end the first period, the clock didn’t start on time. So there was controversy entering tonight’s game.

Now it’s the other way. And you can bet the Devils will be in the league’s ear about what happened in Canada.

The way we see it, the breaks evened out. Now, it’s up to the Devils to find a way to play better in Game Four because whether they want to admit it or not, they were stifled for the rest of the third and did very little despite a couple of power plays with less than 10 minutes left.

The Devils would pull Brodeur with about 90 seconds left for an extra attacker but couldn’t get anything. Jason Spezza sealed the Ottawa victory by taking a Daniel Alfredsson pass and shooting into an open net with 56 seconds to go.

A few quick thoughts:

1.The Devils didn’t attack enough in this one. They’ll need to be better in Game 4.
2.The Senators pounded the Devils at every turn outhitting them 26-17. In particular, Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips delivered a couple of bone crushers to the Egg line. Chris Neil also had a huge hit as well.

3.Colin White was the Devils’ best defenseman. He was a physical presence in delivering a game high six crunching hits including a clean shoulder which bloodied a Sen.

4.The Devils power play failed big time in this one going 0-for-5. While Ottawa’s was no better (0-for-4), they forced Brodeur to make big saves. New Jersey overpassed and was too predictable.

5.The Sens did a great job getting into shooting lanes finishing with 18 blocked shots. Eight came from Volchenkov, who was a shot blocking machine in this one.

6.Ottawa won more draws going 30-24. Antoine Vermette was 11-for-17.

7.The Egg line was good in this one, generating several chances. But they just couldn’t break through.

8.The dangerous trio of Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson all played over 21:00 combining for 14 shots.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Ray Emery (25 saves, 2nd career playoff shutout)

2nd star- Martin Brodeur (32 saves)

1st star- Mike Comrie (assist, 3 SOG, 2 hits in 12:40)

Sometimes, a picture is all you need to see because it can tell you so much. Our moment of silence for Josh Hancock:

Versus is airing an exciting Eastern Conference Semifinal Game Three between the Devils and Senators. So during their second seg, what do they show to capitivate the miniscule audience they get? America’s Cup highlights.

That’s right! Boating is how they’re going to keep viewers tuned in.

I understand they air it but come on. There’s a reason this network continues to be a laughingstock.

It’s bad enough most people can’t even find the station.

And with that my friend Rob from New Jersey suggested something interesting during a chat:

Power walking! Now there’s an intense competition sure to gain ratings.

Get psyched for the 2008 Olympics!

A little late with this. So we’ll just provide some quick info and stuff:

HE SAID IT

“I don’t do a whole lot of moves on breakaways. I don’t want to confuse myself.â€? — Devils forward Jamie Langenbrunner.

FROM THE STAT WIZARDS AT ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU
Brian Gionta has scored a goal in five straight games, a Devils playoff record. Over the last 10 years, only one NHL player scored a goal in six straight playoff games: Martin Havlat, who had a six-game streak for Ottawa last year.

There was a multiple-overtime game each of the last three days: Vancouver over Anaheim (Friday), New Jersey over Ottawa (Saturday) and Rangers over Buffalo (Sunday). It was the first time in NHL history that a multiple-overtime game was played on each of three consecutive days in one playoff year.

NHL TODAY NEWS AND NOTES

MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Wild has nine players participating in the 2007 World Hockey Championships: D Nick Schultz (Canada), C Mikko Koivu and D Petteri Nummelin (Finland), C Pavol Demitra, RW Marian Gaborik, and RW Branko Radivojevic (Slovakia) and RW Adam Hall (United States). Nummelin is making his 13th consecutive appearance for Finland and Hall is making his fifth straight appearance for the United States in the tournament. Draft picks Morten Madsen (Denmark) and Julien Sprunger (Switzerland) are also playing in the tournament. NEW YORK ISLANDERS — Islanders general manager Garth Snow today announced the promotion of Jack Capuano as head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate. Returning with Capuano for the 2007-08 AHL season is assistant coach Bernie Cassell. A second assistant coach will be introduced later this off-season. NEW YORK RANGERS — Sunday’s 2-1 victory was the longest game for the Rangers since Pete Stemkowski beat Chicago 36 years earlier to the day, 1:29 into triple-overtime at MSG (Apr. 29, 1971 - NYR 3, CHI 2) . . . It was also the seventh-longest game in team history . . . The game also marked the first time the Rangers have won a postseason game in overtime since May 11, 1997 (NYR 2, NJD 1 - Adam Graves, 14:08 of overtime) . . . The Rangers and San Jose are the only teams that are undefeated at home in the 2007 playoffs (NYR 3-0, SJS 2-0) . . . LW Martin Straka enters Tuesday’s game riding a four-game point scoring streak in the playoffs (1-3–4); This matches his longest career point scoring streak in the postseason (Two goals and five assists from May 8 - 15, 2001) . . . Among all NHL rookies in the playoffs, RW Ryan Callahan ranks first with 22 shots on goal and 20 hits . . . D Dan Girardi ranks second among all NHL rookies in average ice-time (21:07) in the postseason . . . In the first three games of this series, the Rangers have tallied three goals in 15 power play opportunities (20.0%) and have surrendered three goals in 21 times shorthanded (85.7%). OTTAWA added two assists to help Team Russia last week. — Ottawa’s loss to New Jersey in Game 2 (April 28) was its first road loss of the 2007 playoffs (3-1) . . . LW Dany Heatley leads all point-getters in the Eastern Conference semifinal with five points (2-3–5). PHILADELPHIA — RW Mike Knuble continues rehab after surgery on Thursday, April 26 to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder . . . This week the Flyers Fan Development staff makes six stops in the community, teaching the values of T.E.A.M. (Teamwork, Education, Attitude and Motivation) to five separate schools and then leading a hockey clinic to get young children “Hooked on Hockey.â€? PITTSBURGH — The Penguins continue to watch their players in the World Championships. C Evgeni Malkin has scored a goal and D Sergei Gonchar added two assists to help Team Russia last week. SAN JOSE — C Joe Thornton has a point on three out of the Sharks’ four goals against Detroit (1-2–3). He has averaged a point a game in his playoff career with the Sharks (3-15–18, 18 GP). The 18 points are already eighth-best in the history of the franchise . . . With eight assists this postseason, Thornton is closing in on Igor Larionov’s franchise mark of 13 in 1993-94. Thornton’s assist output is tied for the third-best in franchise history as Sandis Ozolinsh posted 10 in 1994-95 . . . RW Mike Grier is looking to eclipse his personal best for postseason goals. He tied his career high by scoring his third goal of the playoffs on Thursday in Detroit. He posted three goals with Edmonton in his rookie season of 1995-96 and again last season with Buffalo . . . RW Milan Michalek matched his five points in the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Playoffs by adding his first assist of the postseason on Saturday at Detroit. Last season, he posted one goal and four assists. This season, he has four goals and one assist. VANCOUVER — C Trevor Linden currently shares the team scoring lead with LW Taylor Pyatt, having earned six points (2-4–6) in 10 games played this postseason. Linden scored his second playoff goal in Game 7 of the Conference Quarter Final versus Dallas to tie the all-time franchise record with 34 career playoff goals, originally held by Pavel Bure. Both of Linden’s goals this postseason have been game-winners and in four of Vancouver’s five playoff wins, Linden has either scored or assisted on the game-winner . . . Vancouver currently leads the league with three OT wins this postseason. The Canucks have played a combined 124:26 of overtime in the Playoffs.

RED WINGS’ CHELIOS CONTINUES TO IMPRESS
Eric Duhatschek writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “(Chris) Chelios achieved a rare milestone on Saturday when he played in the second game of the San Jose Sharks’ playoff series, a 3-2 Red Wings victory, in which he started the play that led to the game-winning goal. It was the 236th playoff game of his career, tying him with Mark Messier for second on the list of career games played. Tonight, the third game of the San Jose-Detroit series will move Chelios past Messier, and depending on how deep the Red Wings go into the playoffs, he could pass the leader, Patrick Roy with 247.”

PERRY’S HOCKEY SENSE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Helene Elliott writes in the LOS ANGELES TIMES, “Corey Perry isn’t the swiftest of skaters. The 21-year-old winger carries about 200 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, so he’s not the brawniest guy who ever patrolled the right side in an NHL rink. What he has, in abundance, is skill. And that hard-to-define but unmistakable gift called hockey sense, which he displayed to its finest advantage on Sunday…Perry made the difference Sunday on the Ducks’ first goal. He anticipated Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo’s clearing pass up the boards, intercepted it and spied linemate Dustin Penner heading for the net. That was Perry’s hockey sense at work, a glimpse of the instincts that persuaded the Ducks to select him in the first round, 28th overall, in the 2003 entry draft.”

ROZSIVAL RALLIES RANGERS
Lynn Zinser writes in the NEW YORK TIMES, “After nearly 97 minutes of hockey yesterday, the Rangers player who should have been feeling the worst stared at the puck bouncing in front of him as he wound up for the game’s most important shot. Defenseman Michal Rozsival, playing deep into the second overtime on a left leg that had been injured twice in the two previous playoff games against Buffalo, said all he could do was focus on the puck. He did not look up. He did not see where it went. The roar that the Madison Square Garden crowd unleashed and the teammates who mobbed him told him what he needed to know.”

THE BEST THEATRE OFF BROADWAY
Dave Anderson writes in the NEW YORK TIMES, “For the Rangers, these were the desperate hours of why hockey people consider sudden-death Stanley Cup overtime to be sport’s best theater…No other event can match it. Not the Super Bowl, which has never had an overtime game. Not the World Series, where there is no time element. Not the N.B.A. playoffs, which has complete overtime periods. Not soccer’s World Cup, which can dissolve into a penalty-kick shootout. But when the score of an N.H.L. playoff game is tied at the end of the regulation 60 minutes, the teams keep playing until somebody scores. It’s always theater and it’s often history…Everybody loves overtime hockey in the Stanley Cup playoffs — the best theater in any sport.”

SERIES TURNING INTO A GOALTENDER DUEL
David Shoalts writes in the GLOBE AND MAIL, “Martin Brodeur made one thing clear the other night - the playoff series between his New Jersey Devils and the Ottawa Senators will be settled by goaltending. For three of the four-and-a-bit periods played on Saturday, the Senators were the better team. But that was not enough to prevent the Devils from tying the National Hockey League Eastern Conference semi-final 1-1. The difference was Brodeur, whose work in stopping 43 shots was responsible for the Devils being in position to win 3-2 in double overtime. If the Senators are to prevail, then their goaltender, Ray Emery, has to outduel Brodeur over what promises to be a seven-game series.”

FOR THE TROOPS
Mike Zeisberger writes in the TORONTO SUN, “Former NHL tough guys Tiger Williams, Bob Probert and Kevin Maguire played in some hostile venues over the years, but none like this. The three ex-NHLers are part of a entourage that left Canada yesterday for a week-long tour of Afghanistan, a trip that is scheduled to feature a ball-hockey game versus the troops. The group of 32 also includes NHL alumni Mark Napier, Stew Gavin, Ron Tugnutt, Lou Franceschetti, Ric Seiling and Dan Daoust; Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment; a representative of the Vancouver Canucks ownership group; and veteran broadcaster Brian Williams, now with TSN. The endeavour has the blessing of the NHL. ‘We thought it would be a great way to show our appreciation for all they do for us every day to protect our freedoms and safeguard our way of life,’ NHL vice president Bill Daly said.”

Final score: Ana 3 Van 2

Anaheim leads best-of-seven series 2-1.

Since it’s already the next day with Devils and Senators Game 3 about to faceoff up in Ottawa, we’ll just make an abbreviated entry on this penalty filled game in VanCity.

It was a back and forth affair in which each team traded the first four goals. The Ducks went in front when rookie Dustin Penner took advantage of a Roberto Luongo giveaway and put the puck into a vacated net at 3:08.

But before the end of the stanza, the Canucks had tied it on a power play thanks to captain Markus Naslund, who put home a Mattias Ohlund rebound with only 48 seconds left.

A Ducks power play would help give them the lead again when defenseman Francois Beauchemin got to a loose puck in front and stuffed a Chris Kunitz shot in via a four-on-three nearly halfway through the contest.

Just like the first period, the Canucks cameback to tie it at two on a great shift from the Sedins and linemate Taylor Pyatt. Daniel Sedin put in a rebound which was created from Pyatt to send the game deadlocked into the final 20.

In it, a disturbing trend seen also at MSG yesterday took place as the refs called everything sending legions of players to the box. The Ducks were forced to kill off an early two-man advantage and also killed off another thanks to a superb PK unit and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

They would get their own PP and cash it in quickly when Corey Perry took a Chris Pronger pass on the left wing and rifled one through traffic past Luongo. It might’ve deflected off someone in front. Kunitz provided a good screen. The goal came with 12:09 remaining and proved to be the difference to give the Ducks back home ice.

The reason the game didn’t need sudden death a la Game Two was because Giguere atoned for the bad goal he allowed to Jeff Cowan for the double OT winner. With Luongo to the bench for an extra attacker, the Canucks came very close twice to knotting it. But Giguere made two clutch stops from in close as the buzzer sounded to give his team the victory.

Our three stars from last night:

3rd star- Daniel Sedin (goal)
2nd star- Jean-Sebastien Giguere (24 saves)
1st star- Corey Perry (GW PPG)

Yesterday was an extremely sad day for sports. In particular, the St. Louis Cardinals organization who once again lost a pitcher to death.

Five years removed from Darryl Kile’s stunning death, they were hit hard again when reliever Josh Hancock perished during a car accident Sunday morning in which his sports utility vehicle slammed into a tow truck helping out another motorist.

Hancock was just 29. The tragic news struck his Cardinal teammates hard along with manager Tony La Russa.

Here were some former teammates’ thoughts courtesy of an AP article via Yahoo:

“He was quiet, kind of soft-spoken, but definitely a good guy,” said Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan, the NL championship series MVP with St. Louis last year. “It’s a sad day. Your feelings go out toward his family and his teammates now.”

Atlanta Braves ace Tim Hudson played with Hancock at Auburn. They helped lead the school to the 1997 College World Series.

“It feels like being punched in the stomach right now,” Hudson said. “Josh was such a good person. I saw him a few times a year going back to Auburn for football games. It’s really a shock.“

The awful news forced St. Louis to postpone their Sunday Night baseball game against the Cubs. They will wear No.32 patches in tribute to their fallen pitcher the rest of the year and also honor him by planning a memorial in the bullpen, which already includes one to Kile.

Anytime you hear or read news such as this, it really makes you think about how precious life is. Our prayers and thoughts go out to the Hancock family.

It comes via Golden State’s huge Game Four win over the top seeded Mavericks to go up 3-1 in the first round series. Who else but their best player Baron Davis:

Quick thought: What in the hell did the Hornets get back for this guy? What were they thinking?!?!?!?!?!

A huge story is developing and it’s taking place in Golden State where the eighth seeded Warriors before a frenzied crowd are about to go 3-1 up on the top seeded Mavericks.

Dallas had the NBA’s best regular season record finishing 67-15. None of that matters now as they have fallen to the Warriors 103-99 and are now a game away from a shocking first round elimination of epic proportions.

So how did a game they seemed to have under control up 88-81 at one point in the fourth quarter fall apart? The Warriors’ shooting was unreal down the stretch. They made big shots from the outside and stepped up their defensive intensity to stifle their heavy favorite opponents.

Now it should be noted that the Warriors did go undefeated (3-0) against the Mavericks during the regular season- meaning Dallas only lost 12 other times during what was a great year.

But if they don’t show character and a little effort, this will turn into one of the most disappointing seasons in team history. I knew this series would be a difficult match-up due to the Warriors’ team speed, athleticism and explosive scoring particularly in transition and from the outside. However, like many experts, I believed the Mavs’ experience and defensive fortitude would be the difference along with their size. It hasn’t panned out yet. There’s still time but they’ll now have to win three straight just to see Round 2.

So why is this upset a possibility? Because Baron Davis has been the best player in the series thus far. He destroyed the Mavs in Game One and once again took them apart tonight- finishing with a game high 33 on an efficient 12-of-17 shooting including three-for-four from downtown along with eight boards and four assists in 44 minutes.

It’s also because his supporting cast has also stepped up. Tonight, it was Jason Richardson adding 22 (7-for-15 FG) and Stephen Jackson chipping in 19 including three treys. But as J-Rich pointed out during a postgame interview courtesy of TNT, without the contributions of Mickael Pietrus, who came off the bench to chip in 16 including some big buckets down the stretch. Loved that dunk he had which put his team up three and energized one of the louder NBA crowds we’ve seen even further!

Though the Mavs hung around in the final minute, the proverbial final nail in the coffin was cast by one-time Knick Matt Barnes, who drained a wide open three from the right wing to put the Warriors up six.

Dirk Nowitzki would hit two late three’s but it was too little too late. I know he’s a great player but 23 and 15 while solid is just not enough in that kind of game. Especially when he only took 19 shots. Dirk’s a great player and will always be in the MVP discussion. But when is he going to take his team on his back and carry them? The time is now!

The Mavs had four players in double digits but their execution down the stretch was lackluster. Where was the desperation? When the Warriors made that 15-2 run, there should’ve been more focus. Instead, you saw their offense come unraveled with forced outside shots and lazy turnovers.

If you want a good stat from this game, here it is:

Turnovers: Dal- 16 GS- 10

On paper, it might not seem like much. But when you factor in that four Mavs turned it over at least three times while no Warrior did so more than twice, it’s bigger than you think. Especially when it’s key players such as Dirk, Devin Harris, Jason Terry and Stackhouse. Those guys were all on the court in crunch time and didn’t execute.

It’s very surprising to this writer how little poise Dallas showed. This was their game to win or lose. They fell apart. That’s it in a nutshell.

So will ex-Mavs coach Don Nelson get the ultimate revenge? I still believe it’s up to the Mavericks. They can play a lot better than what they’ve shown so far in this series. But if you think the Warriors don’t believe they can win, you’re sadly mistaken.

In the other Sunday NBA games, the Bulls made it a clean sweep of the defending champion Heat- beating them 92-79. Sharpshooters Luol Deng and Ben Gordon combined for 46 while Ben Wallace went for a double double (13 and 11). He also limited Shaq to 16 and 7 in just 30 minutes.

Impressive stuff from the Bulls here. Maybe it’s true that last year’s Finals MVP Dwyane Wade wasn’t close to 100 percent. But regardless, they wiped out a defending champ to advance to the second round where they’ll now meet Big Ben’s former team Detroit in what promises to be a great match-up.

It will be the Bulls’ perimeter execution and speed against the defensive fortitude and experience of the Pistons. This could go the distance.

Meanwhile in The Swamp, the Nets won their second straight in impressive fashion over the Raptors 102-81 to pull 3-1 up on their lesser experienced opponents. That seems to be the difference in this series. But also, if you fall down by as many as Toronto did after one quarter (32-15), you aren’t giving yourselves much of a chance on the road.

Coming off a triple double, Jason Kidd hit for five-of-six treys, finishing with 17 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Is there anything he can’t do? He was supposed to be a question mark for what turned out to be a Game Three blowout and then dished out 19 assists along with 16 and 16. He’s an amazing player. End of discussion.

For the second straight game away from his former home in Canada, Vince Carter torched his ex-team with 27 on an efficient 9-of-15 from the floor including five-for-eight from beyond the arc. Vincesanity also got seven boards and seven dimes. Richard Jefferson added 23 (8-of-15 FG).

What’s happened to the Raptors’ inside scoring advantage? Well for one thing, Chris Bosh hasn’t exactly distinguished himself. Yesterday, the All Star only had 13 and 10, taking just 12 shots. The former Georgia Tech standout has sick game and is his team’s best player capable of carrying them. He needs to be more assertive. It would also help if his teammates stopped chucking from the outside. That doesn’t win you many playoff series.

Out in Hollywood, the Suns rebounded well from a Game Three loss to defeat the Lakers 113-100 at Staples Center putting their inferior opponents on the brink. Nothing against Kobe and Co. But he can’t do it by himself. Bryant finished with a respectable 31 (12-of-25 FG) along with nine assists and seven rebounds. So he did get his teammates involved.

They did have five guys in double figures but if you can’t contain Steve Nash (23 assists, 17 points), you’re screwed. Especially when the rating two-time MVP finished one off the NBA playoff assist record and had two more assists than the entire Lakers combined.

What’s more? The Suns got a huge performance from big man Amare Stoudemire (27 and 21) and Shawn Marion rebounded from a dreadful Game 3 to finish with 22 and 11. You really couldn’t expect The Matrix to have two ineffective games in a row. He’s too good.

Valuable sixth man Leandro Barbosa chipped in 16 (8-of-8 FT) off the bench.

In a losing effort for LA, former Christ The King product Lamar Odom finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. He and Kobe just didn’t get enough help.

And so, the Suns are now in the same position LA was a year ago in the same round- up 3-1. But it’s a little different because they have two more home games including Game Five in the desert. To say this is an uphill climb for the Lakers would be an understatement.

Final thoughts from the night:

Watching TNT’s Charles Barkley take it on the chin for his Mavs in 5 prediction after the Warriors took Game One was hilarious. From the funny computerized images the TNT crew used to other assorted things. It was just great stuff. No postgame show and crew has as much fun as them.

That last segment where the Chuckster was blindfolded and accurately guessed which donut was a Krispy Kreme was gold. To which he replied, “We got a winner.”

Best part is it originated in San Francisco. It’s been a tough week for him.

The straws segment featuring injured Wizards star Caron Butler was interesting. He chews on over 1,000 straws during games while watching. He was able to detect which one was the McDonalds one. I’m not sure if this is good or not but it sure was funny.

Later tonight, three games are on tap. The Cavs go for a sweep in D.C. while the Spurs look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in Colorado. Also on tap is a pivotal Game Five between Utah and Houston. The Jazz have rallied from 0-2 down to even this best-of-seven series. Can a Tracy McGrady team make it out of the first round or will they choke yet again? He said if they don’t get out, it’s on him. It’s time!

Final score: Buf 1 NYR 2 (2 OTs)

Buffalo leads best-of-seven series 2-1.

Few diehards would argue that being in the building to see your team pull out a playoff game in sudden death is just awesome. That’s exactly what happened earlier today at a packed Madison Square Garden as the Rangers overcame plenty in pulling out a well earned 2-1 Game Three double overtime victory over the Sabres- pulling within one of Buffalo with a huge Game Four set for Tuesday night.

To be in attendance for something like this was unbelievable. I’ve only gotten to see the Rangers in the postseason two years. And they’d already supplied myself and family plenty of excitement with how they swept Atlanta the previous week to advance to this much more challenging round.

There were many questions entering this game after a gutwrenching Game Two one-goal loss upstate in which the team fought hard and might’ve deserved a different fate.

Would that kind of defeat take the wind out of their sails? How would this team respond to such adversity? Would they melt away like last year? As this intensely fought game went forward, the resounding answers this fan wanted to see were right there on the ice as Tom Renney’s club laid it all out there and sent the message to Lindy Ruff’s team that the might’ve been down two but were not out for the count.
I’ll be honest and say that I expected this club to come out and play well much like the last game giving themselves a chance to win it and get back in the series. However, I also wasn’t certain if they’d prevail because the Sabres are that good. Their mixture of talent, skill, grit and speed can be a royal pain in the ass for any team that’s left in this tournament. To put it bluntly, going up against them is no picnic.

This was a game the Blueshirts could’ve prevailed in regulation as they were that detail oriented despite a penalty fest which drew plenty of ire and the usual, “These refs suck” chants from legions who protested how onesided the second and third periods were called. If you were there, you know. If you watched on TV, you know it too.

Apparently, Ruff was aggravated at the end of Game 2 probably by that cheesy ‘cross checking’ call on his captain Daniel Briere, which gave the Rangers a golden opportunity to force sudden death. He ripped into the officials and was fined despite his team prevailing. After hearing that via the postgame courtesy of ESPN Radio’s Don LaGreca, I can’t say I’m surprised that Buffalo got so many calls while the zebras just turned the blind eye to what his team got away with.

It was maddening. I don’t think I can ever recall one team getting so many calls in a row while getting away with similar infractions. I believe at one point spanning the second to a portion of the first OT, Buffalo had six consecutive power plays. They needed as many as they could get just to tie it and force sudden death when Briere’s seeing eye slapper went off Henrik Lundqvist and in.

Now, I’m going to make a point right now about the officiating before anyone gets upset. I don’t have a big issue with what was called. As long as they’re consistent, I’ll never go nuts over this. For a large portion of this game, that wasn’t the case as refs Paul Devorski and Dennis LaRue became an easy MSG target. Maybe they were ticked at the reaction they got? I don’t know. But when I finally concluded that my team wouldn’t get any calls for the final 40 of regulation, I didn’t waste my energy on them.

The Rangers would just have to overcome their ineptitude to get a big ‘W’ and get themselves back in the series. That along with some of their undisciplined penalties (many warranted) was why this game required two OTs. That and the replay booth or whoever (I’m told NBC’s Brett Hull actually thought so- same guy who had a Cup winner for having a foot in the crease) decided that Karel Rachunek intentionally kicked in that puck when a Sabre had hooked him from behind. Isn’t that a penalty?!?!?!?!?!

When Rachunek’s play which btw was ruled a goal on the ice went upstairs, I quickly hopped out of my seats in the second to last row and watched the NBC replay and knew they’d rule against it because of how his skate was directed towards the net. But there’s no way anyone from the league can tell me that it was intentional. He wasn’t even looking at the puck because he couldn’t. When you had a Versus team of broadcasters confirming that it was a bad call, you know something’s wrong.
Regardless, it didn’t matter because in the end justice was served unless you’re an Islander fan.

After an up and down opening period, Rangers’ captain Jaromir Jagr put home his own rebound to give his team the lead 33 seconds into the second. Off kind of a broken play, No.68 fired a routine wrister from the left circle which gave Ryan Miller trouble. JJ was able to find a juicy rebound for his third (1st of series) to send the place in a frenzy.

Before all the penalties in the stanza, the Blueshirts seemed to have all the momentum and a nice advantage in SOG. But all the Buffalo power plays gave the Sabres a chance to get into the period and change the momentum. They tried but just couldn’t find a way to beat a very sharp Lundqvist or get through a penalty killing unit which had Jed Ortmeyer back and was on its way to killing eight of nine.

The most remarkable aspect was that at one point, the Sabres got three consecutive man-advantages but still the Rangers PK didn’t crack. Usually, that’s when an opponent will usually get one.

In the third, after failing early, the Sabres finally made it work when Brendan Shanahan went to the box for a cross check with under nine minutes left. Instead of trying for the perfect play, they worked the puck to Briere and their leading scorer drove one through Lundqvist to knot it with 7:46 remaining. Of course, there were loud boos but truth be told, that was a legit call on Shanny and a silly penalty to take. They got burned.

When nothing was decided at the end of regulation, one could only wonder who would have the advantage in sudden death. I figured it would go to the younger legs of the Sabres. A team with four lines that can score and a more active D which made life difficult at times just for the Rangers to get the puck out.

So, I feared the worst. It might explain why it was my first playoff OT game and I wasn’t nervous at all. My only thought at that point was that I didn’t want to see it taken away from my team when they had fought so valiantly all day.

As had been the case throughout, the refs didn’t put away their whistles opting to call penalties on each side. First, it was the Rangers who killed off a Marek Malik hook. Then the Sabres were finally forced to kill two straight near the end of the first OT including five seconds of three-on-five. How pathetic was the Ranger PP? Maybe because they hadn’t had one since the first but they couldn’t generate anything and made it so easy for their opponents that they nearly got burned shorthanded.

When Derek Roy one-timed one off the far post, from our vantage point up in 411, the game was over. It didn’t make the usual sound you hear when it’s a post/crossbar. So we were thinking the worst. Amazingly enough, time ran out before they could review it. But as NBC’s replay confirmed, the Rangers caught a huge break as it hit the far post and just stayed out, meaning another session of sudden death was required.
I should also point out that that wasn’t the only post as Marcel Hossa also drew iron in close off a mad scramble.
Neither team could cash in on their power plays in period No.5 which meant that as I had wished, even strength would decide it. For much of the OTs, it seemed to many that Jagr and top pivot Michael Nylander were running on empty. They had no legs on shifts and were being taken off the puck more. What looked like a bad sign was a false alarm as they would help spring the winner.

But not before a crazy sequence (can’t remember when) where the Sabres had Lundqvist down and out of the net but couldn’t get to the loose puck to put it in. Before I discuss the winner, there were several chances where a Buffalo player seemed to be ready to win this game in the high slot but a hustling Ranger either got in the path of the shot or backchecked at the last possible second. It’s a big reason why they won. The commitment to team defense was extraordinary given the pressure packed circumstances.

Now to the winner. As my mind was thinking, ‘Could this possibly be one of those games that goes 4 OTs and never feels like it’s going to end,’ the Jagr line put together its best OT shift. After Jagr nearly setup Nylander for the winner, he recovered the puck and worked it to Hossa, who then fed Nylander along the left wall. All during their OT shifts, Buffalo was collapsing everyone down low to thwart their cycle game. This meant that the point was open. And when Nylander threaded the needled to a wide open pinching Michal Rozsival at the right point, the underrated defenseman didn’t miss burying the shot top shelf to send everyone into bedlum. Our row basically all jumped on each other.

It was pretty crazy. Rozsival’s winning tally came with 3:17 remaining in the second OT or was scored at 36:43 in NHL playoff terms.

Already in this series, the quiet Czech who logs more ice-time than anyone else on that blueline has been run at twice by Sabres along the boards injuring his knee. When he limped off in Game One, the team fell apart afterwards. Rozy has played with pain in the last two and acquitted himself well. He logged the most ice-time (38:16) in the big win, got the exciting deciding goal and blocked a game high eight shots- also delivering three hits. This guy was steady all game and made some great defensive plays with it on the line.

He and partner Marek Malik (more so because of what happened in Game 2) have taken it on the chin this year unfairly at times. While it’s true both can drive fans nuts at times with their slow precise decision making and penchant for getting taken off the puck in corners, they log more ice than the other four D. So there’s plenty of pressure which comes with it.

Sometimes, your key defenders are going to screw up. How many times have we seen Brian Rafalski giveaway a puck leading to a goal against? Yet if you took him away from his team, they’d be defensively challenged. When you log more minutes, it will happen. The key is how you bounceback. They got it done as did the tandems of Fedor Tyutin (34:01, 7 hits), rookie Daniel Girardi (33:01, 7 hits, 3 blocked shots), Paul Mara (27:05) and Rachunek (23:07). Malik btw logged 29:54 finishing with an assist, plus-two rating and two blocked shots.

A few quick hits:

1.Sean Avery was a beast in this game. Only Miller prevented him from scoring a couple of times. He was great shorthanded and much more actively involved than the first two games (both losses).

2.Rookie Ryan Callahan continued to impress with some very strong shifts. In 20-plus minutes, the gritty Rochester native registered three shots, blocked three shots and delivered six hits. It seems like whenever he’s on the ice, something positive happens.

3.Briere scored the only Buffalo goal which wasn’t a coincidence as he was much much better in this one and dangerous for many OT shifts.

4.Maxim Afinogenov was demoted to the fourth line. The struggling Russian who hasn’t been the same player since returning from injury only received 18:39 TOI and got only two SOG. He just hasn’t looked all that comfortable.

5.Both goalies were terrific in this one with Lundqvist making 38 saves while Miller turned aside 44 of 46. The two young netminders is part of what makes this series appealing because they’re two of the better goalies in the game.

6.Shifts at even strength were a battle for territory. Each team had plenty of opportunities to end it earlier but both teams collapsed down low and did a solid defensive job. Part of the reason goals were tough to come by.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Ryan Miller (44 saves)

2nd star- Henrik Lundqvist (38 saves)

1st star- Michal Rozsival (GW 2 OT goal)

They’re headed to a second overtime at East Rutherford in Game Two of this best-of-seven series.

Ottawa took Game One by a 5-4 score. Tonight, they have rallied from two first period goals down to tie this hotly contested playoff game.

New Jersey defenseman Richard Matvichuk promised a different team tonight. He was proven right as his team came out very strong in the opening stanza in getting two power play tallies to take a two-goal lead to the locker room.

The first goal came off the stick of Brian Gionta, who took a Scott Gomez pass in stride and fired a wrister past Ray Emery just 1:43 in for his seventh (2nd of series).

The Devils continued to take the play to their opponents who looked lost early on. Not surprisingly, Ottawa took six undisciplined penalties. It would prove costly. The Devils managed to also score on a 5-on-3 in odd fashion- doing so off a last second draw with Sergei Brylin just beating the buzzer for a 2-0 lead. Unbelievable stuff.

You would’ve thought it would demoralize the Sens but not this team. Their team captain Daniel Alfredsson took advantage of a Jim Dowd penalty by wristing one past Martin Brodeur 4:23 into the second period.

They dominated the period outshooting the Devs 14-4. Only Brodeur allowed his team to escape still with a lead. If this was the theme for that 20, it’s worth repeating for period three.

I’ve watched Brodeur a long time and the third was one of the best he’s ever played. Dating back to that classic 1994 ECF series which featured OTs, that’s how special the three-time Cup winner was in this stanza.

His team sat back way too much. But Brodeur continued to keep them ahead with remarkable glove saves and sliding pad stops which defied logic. When he stoned Tom Preissing late off a nice Alfredsson setup, it looked like it wasn’t Ottawa’s night.

But they never gave up. Pulling Emery for an extra attacker, they recovered a dump-in and then Spezza threaded the needle somehow through a diagonal maze to a left alone Heatley, who buried the tying marker with 28.6 to go in regulation.

The first OT was seesaw with each team seeing PP time but unable to convert. The second OT starts now.

If it concludes, we’ll have a final score and our three stars and analysis.

And it’s all over at The Swamp. Jamie Langenbrunner wins it on a breakaway 1:55 into double overtime.

The Sens got caught on a bit of a bad break. After Chris Neil’s dump off the boards was intercepted by rookie Travis Zajac, an on-rushing Langenbrunner got a lucky bounce as Joe Corvo misplayed the puck off his skate- allowing the underrated Devil to spring away. The two-time Cup winner beat Emery on a forehand deke just getting the puck inside the near post.

It was a brilliant move which evened the series.

Some quick thoughts:

1.Sudden death was about as exciting as it gets as neither team sat back. They went for it which was what allowed for a breakaway to win it. Something that’s rare in the playoffs.

2.The intensity was great as the teams battled for every space on the ice. Offensive chances were a plenty but also the team defense and goaltending was fantastic on both sides. Otherwise, it never reaches sudden death.

3.Ottawa pounded the Devils in the corners at every turn outhitting them 46-32. Tampa tried this same strategy in the last series without the ultimate result. We’ll see if it pays off for the deeper Sens.

4.The Devils do not win this game without Brodeur. They were lucky to even reach OT. Their two-time Vezina winner bailed them out a lot. It ranks as one of his best games.

5.Playoff OT has never been great to the Devils but they improved to 2-0 this postseason, invoking memories of 2000 against Dallas and 2003 against Tampa Bay. Both times they were successful and won the Cup.

6.The top unit of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson was dominant in this game. They were in on both their goals and probably could’ve had a few more. They were dangerous.

7.Ottawa coach Bryan Murray contended that the clock didn’t start right away on Brylin’s goal which was scored at the end of the first.
8.Devils’ captain Patrik Elias returned from a cold and notched an assist to increase his club playoff record to 102 career points.

9.In a losing effort, Emery finished with 30 saves. He was good but his counterpart was just a little better in this one.

Our three stars:

3rd star- Jason Spezza (2 assists, 7 SOG)

2nd star- Jamie Langenbrunner (GW 2 OT goal at 21:55)

1st star- Martin Brodeur (43 saves with many great stops)