MacK_Attack

I hope Columbus beats Chicago it OT.

A loss to Boston tomorrow night will officially eliminate the Leafs.

Ty Conklin's resurgence was fairly unexpected. Brad Boyes was given up for dead by San Jose and Boston.

He just came back from an MCL injury that he sustained in his first game as a Penguin. His Pens stats are one goal and five assists in six games.

Steve Rucchin, played CIAU/CIS hockey. That's about as rare as it gets for late bloomers. Also, Steve Thomas was undrafted.

I can't see the Caps making the playoffs, or Pittsburgh getting the #1 seed.

Tlusty was drafted by the Leafs, and then made a CHL Import Draft selection by Sault Ste. Marie. However, the Leafs decided it was in his best interest to go to the Soo for a year to learn under Hartsberg (also, the Soo already had a Czech player, so the he had somebody there that could relate to him). Tlusty played briefly for the Marlies at the start of the 2006/07 season before being assigned to Sault Ste. Marie.

They were rolling along until Emery started pulling his various stunts. I think it divided them (some took Emery's side, some took Paddock's/Murray's) and they haven't really recovered. Puts a smile on my face to see them self-destruct again.

The only restriction is that if a European player is selected in the CHL Import Draft BEFORE he is selected in the NHL Entry Draft, then that player follows the same demotion rules as North American CHL players. However, if a European player is drafted into the NHL, then selected in the CHL Import Draft, that player can play in the AHL at the age of 18.

What probably happened is that when the Kitchener Rangers finished their 2005/06 season, Kindl would've been signed to a PTO (Professional Tryout Contract) so that he could finish the year with the AHL Griffins. He then returned to Kitchener for the 2007/08 season, once again joining the Griffins when Kitchener was eliminated from the playoffs. OHL/WHL/QMJHL players can't join AHL teams until their junior club's season ends. Then they can join an AHL team via PTO, AHL SPC (Standard Player Contract, for undrafted players) or via NHL entry-level contract. They must also be 18 years of age as of Sept. 15th. However, if a junior-aged player signed to an NHL entry-level contract joins either an NHL or AHL team at the end of the season and plays 10 games or more, it counts as a year on that entry-level deal. Junior aged players can be recalled to the NHL at anytime during the season, but only on an emergency basis (Shawn Mattias & Steve Mason are examples of this).

They're a team that lacks chemistry in a big way. The Emery sideshow really de-railed them.

At least they're screwing Anaheim out of a top draft pick.

The way they've played the last few months, they'll be out in 5 games.

I know a few chicks who can grow a mean playoff beard......Unfortunately.

Wendel Clark & Marty McSorley in the 1993 playoffs after McSorley elbowed Gilmour. This was the same incident that caused Pat Burns to try and get at Barry Melrose. Clark/McSorley wasn't the best fight you'll ever see, but given the raw emotion of the playoffs and the cheap shot by McSorley, it's just a great fight.

Sykora and Malone are playing the way they are because of Malkin. They were iffy all year until they got saddled with Malkin when Crosby went down, and I can't say I've been impressed AT ALL with how Whitney has played. Their defence is by far the weakest link on that team. Fleury has been decent and Sabourin and Conklin held down the fort when M.A. was hurt, but that team wouldn't have done ANYTHING without Malkin. He carried them. I also think there's something to be said for Malkin not only propping the team up without Crosby, but boosting it into contendership for the conference title. To say AO is alone is a bit ludicrous. Guys like Viktor Kozlov, Alex Semin, Nick Backstrom, Mike Green etc. are not slouches, and they did have Nylander until he got hurt. Ovechkin is obviously far and away the best player on that team, but it's not like it's him and a bunch of fourth liners. I think the quality of the Washington team gets downplayed more than it should because some people are so quick to put Ovechkin up on a pedestal.

Carcillo saved my hockey pool. I'm basically guaranteed the PIMs category every week. Nice that he chips in points, too.

I'm inclined to give the nod to Malkin because he's carried the Pens to an elite level, while Ovechkin, as great as he has been, has only been able to muster up short stretches of success for the Caps. As far as I'm concerned, when voting for an MVP, you have to take team success into account before individual success. Give the Hart to Malkin, because he's the sole reason why the Pens are not down where the Caps are.

He'll be applauded for helping the Leafs get higher in the draft lottery.

Raycroft, absolutely. Toskala, probably not.

John Pohl's brother, Tom. Anyways, as for the Leafs/Isles game, Vesa Toskala just put Dan Cloutier to shame by giving up a shorthanded goal from 175 feet away.

I would be terrified of running into him. He's been hot and cold all year, but if he hits a hot streak just in time for the playoffs, he's quite simply not going to lose.

God bless knee-jerk fantasy players. Picked up Carcillo the other day.

I'd rather the Coyotes win, I don't want the Leafs catching more teams (not that it will happen with Sundin & Antropov out).

It's usually around 92-95 points.