Disallowed Goal Not Canucks Biggest Problem

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Written on 4/20/2010 by Jim Cerny

OK, let me get this out there right away. The Vancouver Canucks do not trail the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in their best-of-seven because Daniel Sedin had a goal waved off last night, video review from Toronto ruling he kicked the puck into the net.

Vancouver trails LA because their star goalie has not been good enough, the club as a whole has taken a bunch of undisciplined penalties, and the penalty kill has been strafed by the Kings power play.

One video review, as major a decision as it was, is not the difference here.

I know my friends in Vancouver, who loved me when I predicted a Canucks Cup right here back in early October, do not agree, nor do they love me any more. But if you watch these games objectively, as I do, you can't fail to see the Canucks shortcomings, so far.

For those of you who have yet to see it, here is the replay of the Sedin disallowed goal. That's a 50-50 call which likely could go either way. I think Mike Murphy in Toronto got it right disallowing the goal. Sedin is driving hard to the net, but it does seem like he is looking down to where puck and skates are going to meet, and clearly directs the puck in that way.

The thing is, slow motion shows you things more clearly, and leads you to believe Sedin knew what he was doing in directing the puck in with his skate. But in real-time, that play happens so fast, it's hard to imagine that the hard-driving Sedin could think and react so quickly. 50-50 call either way.

Nevertheless, the Canucks rebounded to score a bit more than a minute after the disallowed goal to pull within 4-3 of the Kings before eventually losing 5-3. Had Luongo not allowed 4 goals on 16 shots, nor had the Canucks not surrendered three goals on three power play chances for LA, things might have been different, and that's where Vancouver needs to focus heading into Game Four.

For the Canucks to win, Luongo needs to be much better, and Vancouver has to find a way to silence the Kings power play, which is now a whopping 7-12 in the series.

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Some other quick playoff thoughts:

I understood, and totally agreed with, Bruce Boudreau's decision to replace Jose Theodore in goal with Semyon Varlamov, and not just because the kid played so well last night, especially dazzling in the first period up in Montreal. Theodore was No. 1 much of this year by default because Varlamov was hurt much of the time. Switching from one to the other here, just like during the Caps first round series against the Rangers a year ago, is easy to digest on the ice and in the dressing room because neither goalie is the clear-cut No. 1.

However, I believe Montreal's Jacques Martin needs to go back to Jaroslav Halak in Game Four, despite pulling him during last night's loss in favor of Carey Price. At one point in time, Halak and Price were even on the depth chart, no clear-cut No. 1 like in Washington. But over the course of the year Halak claimed that top spot while Price, the favored son, did not. This is Halak's team now and he should be back in their starting Game 4 at the Bell Centre trying to even up that best-of-seven.

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By the way, how much fun to watch is that Caps-Canadiens series? Offense, offense, and more offense. Great skating, back-and-forth action, scintillating fun.

I'm not sure you win a Stanley Cup playing this way, but I know I am enjoying watching it!

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I think my favorite player to watch in this post-season is Phoenix captain Shane Doan. One of the nicest, most sincere, down-to-earth stars in this great game, Doan had played in only 32 playoff contests over the first 13 years of his NHL career, spent entirely with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise, and none since 2002. Seeing him back in the post-season, playing with a relish and exuberance second to none, has been a joy. Watching him score only the seventh playoff goal of his career in Game Two against the Red Wings was another true delight.

Unfortunately Doan is a no-go for this evening's huge Game Four in Detroit. Doan is out with an "upper body" injury, though coach Dave Tippett says it is a day-to-day injury and that this brief rest should have the captain back in there for Game 5 back home in Phoenix.

Hope so. Love watching Shane Doan getting a crack at skating in the NHL's post-season.

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Hand Out The Hardware

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Written on 4/19/2010 by Jim Cerny

Before the NHL actually begins announcing its three finalists for each of the major post-season awards this week, let me share my ballot for the five biggest awards: the Hart Trophy, Norris Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Calder Trophy, and Jack Adams Trophy. And let's see how much my opinion changed from mid-season "Halfway Home" Awards that I shared with you 40 or so games into the 2009-10 campaign.

Hart Trophy:

1) Henrik Sedin (Vancouver Canucks): He is the guy who fueled the top scoring team in the Western Conference. Sedin led the NHL with 112 points and did it with far less fanfare than players named Crosby and Ovechkin. A brilliant playmaker, Sedin led the NHL with a Gretzky-like 83 assists, 14 more than runner-up Joe Thornton.

2) Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins): He didn't make my Top Three at mid-season, but Sid the Kid turned in a fantastic year, including a career-high 51 goals which tied Steven Stamkos for the league-lead. His 109 points were tied for second most in the NHL, the second highest total of his five-year career to date. Quite simply, Crosby is the heart and soul of the defending champs, and proved it with Evgeni Malkin sidelined a fair amount this season.

3) Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals): My mid-season MVP faded after the Olympics, and earning another NHL suspension did not help his cause. Still you can't overlook his 50 goals, 109 points, 7 game-winners, and plus-45 over 72 games worth of action. Ovie would have led the league in scoring had he played every game like Sedin had. Ovie's true measure of greatness may lie, not only in his points production, but in how other Caps thrive because he attracts so much attention from the opposition (read: Nicklas Backstrom, another true Hart contender).

MIS-SEASON HART: Ovechkin, Sedin, Patrick Marleau/Joe Thornton

Norris Trophy:

1) Mike Green (Washington Capitals): My runner-up at mid-season, Green gets the nod over Duncan Keith because the numbers are just a bit better. Green led all NHL defensemen with 19 goals, 57 assists, and 76 points. He also recorded 10 power play goals and was 7th among all players with 35 power play points. In addition he logged big minutes and his defensive play is underrated.

2) Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks): We're plitting hairs here because Keith, my mid-season pick, could easily snag this award, too. He is the better defensive defenseman when compared to Green, leading one of the league's stingiest defensive teams, plus he was second among all NHL defensemen with 69 points. Perhaps the difference here is that Green is a dynamic power play performer and Keith is a very good one. Simply put, just a terrific all around year for Keith.

3) Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings): I didn't want to go 1-2-3 in my voting and have it match how these three defensemen were 1-2-3 in defensemen scoring, so I kept trying to find a reason why Doughty should not be a finalist for this award, and failed to come up with a legit one. The sophomore sensation recorded 59 points, scored nine goals on the power play, played 25 minutes a night, and was a plus-20 for a Kings squad that only had a plus-22 goal differential this season.

MID-SEASON NORRIS: Keith, Green, Chris Pronger

Vezina Trophy:

1) Ryan Miller (Buffalo Sabres): This has nothing to do with his great play in the Olympics. From start to finish this year, Miller (above photo) was the best goalie in the NHL, leading the Sabres back into the post-season and to a Northeast Division title. Among goalies who played at least 50 games this year, Miller was the leader in goals against average (2.22) and save percentage (.929), while ranking fourth with a career-high 41 victories. Focused, poised, and spectacular, Miller is the hands-down winner of this award.

2) Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes): There are many reason why the Coyotes are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2002, but none are bigger than the play of Bryzgalov, who set career-highs in games played (69), goals against average (2.29), wins (42), and shutouts (8). He gave this team its confidence with his spectacular early-season play and then showed tremendous consistency throughout the year.

3) Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils): Marty is just amazing, playing in a league-high 77 games at the age of 37 this year, while leading the Devils to the Atlantic Division crown. Brodeur surpassed 600 career wins, 1,000 games played, and set the all-time shutout record this season, while finishing with a terrific 2.24 goals against average. Brodeur led the league with 45 victories and 9 shutouts. The Hall-of-Fame can wait, though. Brodeur is far from finished.

MID-SEASON VEZINA: Miller, Brodeur, Craig Anderson

Calder Trophy:

1) Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres): Like teammate Ryan Miller and the Vezina Trophy, Myers was my mid-season Calder pick and he holds on for the top spot now, as well. The rookie defenseman played in all 82 games, averaged 23:44 of ice-time, faced the opposition's top line every night yet still was a plus-13, and finished with 48 points, 3rd most among all NHL rookies. Myers is a stud in all facets of the game, and his towering 6'8" frame and all-around game remind many of Boston's Zdeno Chara, who has been quick to point out that Myers is way more advanced at age 20 than he was at that age.

2) Jimmy Howard (Detroit Red Wings): I wrote a column during the season saying that the Red Wings needed to go out and find a veteran NHL goalie in order to make the playoffs because Howard was too inconsistent. Well, I was wrong. Howard grew stronger as the year progressed and turned in an impressive 37-win rookie campaign. He also posted an excellent 2.26 goals against average in 63 appearances, making me eat my words as the Wings once again reached the post-season. Shocker that Ken Holland and Mike Babcock were right and I was wrong.

3) Tuukka Rask (Boston Bruins): This one I got right. Coming out of the pre-season I truly believed that Rask would supplant Tim Thomas as the Bruins' No. 1 goalie during the season, and, though coach Claude Julien took some time before coming to the same realization, that is excatly what happened. Rask's final numbers (1.97 goals against, .931 save percentage, 5 shutouts, and 22 wins in 45 appearances) were outstanding.

MID-SEASON CALDER: Myers, John Tavares, Evander Kane

Jack Adams Trophy:

1) Dave Tippett (Phoenix Coyotes): This is a slam-dunk. Tippett took over the 'Yotes late in training camp, instilled his system quickly and decisively, and then guided the club to a 50-win season and the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. I thought he was an excellent coach in Dallas. I know he is an outstanding coach in Phoenix.

2) Joe Sacco (Colorado Avalanche): It was a bit of a struggle at the end, but Sacco, a rookie NHL head coach, was able to prod the Avs into the No. 8 seed out West after a great start to the season. Confidently and deftly using as many as five rookies in his every-day lineup, Sacco guided the Avs to a surprising 95-point season.

3) Cory Clouston (Ottawa Senators): I didn't think much of Ottawa's playoff chances this year, but perhaps I overlooked Clouston's 19-11-4 record after taking over the Sens with 34 games to play a year ago. They didn't make the playoffs last season, but the Sens made strides under Clouston. Ottawa followed up by battling Buffalo for the Northeast Division title, settling for a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and a 94-point finish.

MID-SEASON JACK ADAMS: Tippett, Sacco, Scott Gordon

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Philly-Rangers Final War & First Round Predictions

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Written on 4/13/2010 by Jim Cerny

Now that we have all sixteen teams set for the two-month journey in order to determine the next Stanley Cup champion, I will join the expanding list of so-called "experts" in providing my predictions.

But first I digress.....

I was at Madison Square Garden on Friday and down in Philly on Sunday as the Rangers and Flyers battled for the final one of those 16 playoff berths. And I know that both teams are extremely flawed, and would not have even qualified if they played in the Western Conference as opposed to the East, but what great theater those two rivals provided.

MSG was electric on Friday as the Rangers kept their season alive with a 4-3 victory that was chock-full of plot twists and momentum swings and huge plays both ways.

Not to be outdone, the Wachovia Center was even louder and more raucous than The Garden for Sunday's contest, with the home team even dusting off a video of Kate Smith circa the mid-'70's singing "God Bless America". Simply great stuff!

Then Henrik Lundqvist plays one of the truely great games in goal for the visitors and nearly steals a playoff spot for his completely-outplayed team of Rangers. But the Flyers finally break through early in the third period to tie the game 1-1, and win it in the shootout with Brian Boucher somehow besting an exhausted Lundqvist ("I was dead tired...didn't have a good feeling heading into the shootout") for a 2-1 Flyers win.

Philly secures a playoff spot, one point better than the Rangers, who head for an early summer vacation.

Great theater. Whoever put that NHL schedule together and had Rangers and Flyers home-and-home to close out the season, well, give 'em a raise, or at least a Molson!

OK, prediction time. Well, wait, a second, before I get to that let's revisit how my pre-season predictions went (not so great):

In the East I had had six of the eight teams correct, though I opted for Carolina and the Rangers over Buffalo and Ottawa. Plus I had Philly as a lock, not to mention my Stanley Cup representative from the East (Yikes!).

Out West, I only nailed five of eight, though am proud to say I got LA right when many people did not think they would make it. Calgary, Anaheim, and St. Louis were my misses as Nashville, Colorado, and Phoenix made me look bad. For what it's worth, I had Vancouver heading to The Finals. That's got a better shot of happening than the Flyers, at least!

So now here we go:

Eastern Conference:
(1) Caps over (8) Canadiens in five games
(2) Devils over (7) Flyers in seven games
(3) Sabres over (6) Bruins in six games
(4) Penguins over (5) Senators in four games

Western Conference:
(1) Sharks over (8) Avalanche in five games
(2) Blackhawks over (7) Predators in five games
(3) Canucks over (6) Kings in six games
(5) Red Wings over (4) Coyotes in five games

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Two Special Farewells

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Written on 4/09/2010 by Jim Cerny

There were two special goodbye celebrations, one planned and the other more spontaneous, last night in the National Hockey League.

In Pittsburgh the Penguins played their last regular season home game at Mellon Arena---aka The Igloo---their home since 1967. A trip down memory lane was part of an extended pre-game ceremony held by the Penguins, culminating in one of the coolest on-ice team photos ever as former Penguins and current Penguins gathered at center ice.

They were all there last night in Pittsburgh. Mario Lemieux, Craig Patrick, Bryan Trottier, Eddie Johnston, Phil Coffey, Sidney Crosby, Mike Lange, the great Voice of the Penguins. The late Bob Johnson was remembered and included. Classy night all around, celebrating my personal favorite arena in the NHL.

I'll miss the old barn; miss walking up the hill from downtown and seeing the glistening silver dome up ahead of me; miss getting lost time and again in the bowels of an arena I never could quite navigate perfectly; miss the distinct pipes of the PA announcer; miss the roar of the hometown fans.

Of course there is still more hockey, playoff hockey, to be played at The Igloo this spring before the barn gets razed. That's why the feel in Pittsburgh last night was one of pure celebration, because there was still the feel that another great memory or two lay right around the corner.

In Dallas, there was a different kind of celebration, one that was generated by true love of a city and a fan base for one special player, Mike Modano (above), who quite likely was playing his final home game before retirement beckons him.

It was an incredibly spontaneous and emotional three hours in Dallas last night, building from the roars during pre-game warmups all the way through Modano's selection as the game's First Star and ensuing twirl around the ice.

Modano was brought to tears more than once last night. With less than six minutes remaining in regulation, the Stars organization played a video tribute to Modano on the jumbotron. What followed was a long sustained outpouring of love as Modano received a deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Not only did his teammates join in standing and saluting the player who has been the face of the Stars franchise since it still played in Minnesota back in 1989, but so did the Anaheim Ducks' players---the Stars' opponents on this night---and the officials on the ice.

A player who personifies class, as well as world-class skill, it was no surprise to see opponents and officials join in the salute to the all-time U.S. born goals leader.

Somehow Modano was able to compose himself and score the tying goal on a deflection with 1:47 left to play. The great ones, even at the end of their illustrious careers, are able to script signature moments one more time, more often than not. And Modano delivered.

And then he delivered again. After being denied on a partial breakaway in overtime by Jonas Hiller, Modano scored the shootout deciding goal in a 3-2 Stars victory.

"It was tough to leave the ice (at the end of the game)," said Modano, who soaked in the cheers one last time after beind named First Star. "Not knowing what the future holds, whether this was it or wasn't. The fans were fantastic."

In typical deadpan manner, Modano concluded with the following comment:

"This is probably the end....but you never know, I may come down with a case of Favre-itis!"

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Revisiting the Brick City

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Written on 3/10/2010 by Jim Cerny

So driving to Newark---aka The Brick City---earlier today for the Rangers' and Devils' morning skates at The Prudential Center, my mind was not focused on the prospects of the Rangers making the playoffs, or on Marian Gaborik's health concenerns, or Martin Brodeur's mental well-being following his recent struggles during the Olympics and in the games following the Winter Games.

In fact, my mind was clear of any hockey-related thoughts really.

Instead I was thinking about baseball.

That's right, baseball.

A hint of spring in the air here in the northeast contributed to this thought process. But really there was something much more specific that made me think of baseball, and that was the city of Newark, The Brick City itself.

You see I spent seven springs/summers making this exact same 51-mile drive each way from my home in Westchester, NY to the city of Newak, NJ day-in and day-out, all because of baseball. And as I passed Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium off McCarter Highway the memories flooded back of my time working for the Newark Bears minor league baseball team.

I joined the Bears as the club's radio play-by-play broadcaster at the start of the 2003 season. Within a few weeks I added the duties of Media Relations Director. It was a special summer in Newark, what with future Hall-of-Famer Rickey Henderson plying his craft and sharing his unique wisdom while playing for the Bears before signing with the Dodgers and heading back to the majors where he still belonged. Rickey and I developed a friendship, one cemented with the special way he treated my son, Ryan.

Though still working in hockey---hosting NHL Live and covering the league for The New York Times---during the fall, winter, and early spring, I was also able to enjoy the daily 140-game routine of working with the Bears. That routine of being employed in the NHL and in minor league baseball continued through the 2004 baseball season, and included much juggling of my schedule when I covered the Tampa-Calgary Stanley Cup Finals that lasted more than two weeks and necessitated me being away from the Bears the entire time. All I can say is thank you to Kim, my assistsant in Media Relations, and Jared, my backup radio announcer, for covering for me so well!

The NHL lockout, which wiped out the entire 2004-05 hockey season, altered things for me, however. Faced with no income from hockey, I accepted a full-time position with the Bears, and eventually became the club's Assistant General Manager, in charge of everything from sponsorship sales to player procurement.

I greatly missed working in hockey. But at the same time---despite the 100-mile roundtrip every day---I was fortunate over the next several years to gather a great life experience, being part of the core group trying to build a successful baseball franchise in as difficult a market as you can imagine.

Our successes---increasing sponsorship revenues, winning the 2007 Atlantic League championship---were sweet and extremely hard-fought. It was with this great group of young, talented individuals in the front office that I was fortunate enough to spend my 15-hour days with. I will never forget what an amazing group of people worked there, the amount of zany antics and laughs we shared.

Most of all I will remember The Den, as the stadium is affectionately known, as a second home to Ryan, my son, and how many life-long memories he created there. From sitting with me in the broadcast booth during games, to hanging out in the clubhouse and manager's office before and after games, to father-son practice long after the crowds had gone home, to proudly taking his friends into empty suites for VIP access, to sharing the championship trophy for the team I helped build in '07, Ryan will have a flood of memories to look back on one day. For this I am grateful.

And as I drove past The Den earlier today I also remembered one of my other favorite things about that place. I used to love having the whole stadium to myself in the off-season, after everyone went home. As the sun set earlier in the fall and winter, I would change into workout gear, turn on the stadium's sound system, put on some Pearl Jam or Led Zeppelin, and run the steps inside the ballpark, as good a mental escape as it was a physical workout.

It all came to an end in the fall of 2008, and I returned full-time to hockey, where I was fortunate to land with the New York Rangers, writing for the team's web site, something I had done part-time even while still working for the Bears in 2007-08.

Hockey is where I want to be. But I am better in so many ways for the time I spent with the Bears, here in this city of Newark, where I now write this at The Prudential Center.

All that said, now it's time to shift attention back to the Rangers' pursuit of 8th place, Gaborik's groin, and Brodeur's lost game.

Three-and-a-half hours 'til they drop the puck.

Game On! 

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Gold Medal Regrouping

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Written on 3/02/2010 by Jim Cerny

I needed to sleep on Canada's scintillating Gold Medal-winning 3-2 overtime victory over the United States on Sunday before writing about what had happened.

Or maybe I just needed to sleep, because I found myself thoroughly exhausted afterwards.

But that's what a truly great sporting event does to you, right? It exhilerates you so much---starting with the tremendous buildup and following through each riveting minute of action---that when it eventually reaches a conclusion, the viewer is just drained.

That was the case with me by the time Sunday evening rolled around and Sidney Crosby had just set off, perhaps, the biggest party ever in Canada.

As a reporter I have to write my game story as it develops and deliver it right when the action concludes, then wade through the post-game locker rooms and add relevant quotes and facts to my game story. Sunday, aside from Tweeting updates over at the New York Rangers official Twitter during the game, I was not obligated to write a running game story. And it's funny that just watching the game probably wasted me more than if I was reporting on it simultaneously, as I believe I was much more caught up in the drama of the event.

So here I am more than 24 hours after this epic clash, which featured an intensity level that any Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 would be proud of, and I still do not believe I have the right words to convey what a thrilling contest this was.

What stands out to me the most: the intensity and passion that both teams played with---without a let-up---the entire match, as well as the resiliency both squads showed. It's obvious how resilient Canada was, bouncing back from allowing the tying goal with 24.4 seconds left in the third---thatclose to the Gold nad with an entire country breathing down their necks---and then controlling the overtime period until Crosby finally delivered the Gold. But what about Team USA?

The United States stared down a 2-0 deficit, stayed with the game plan, and pulled to within one on Ryan Kesler's second-period goal. Then with three players in behind the defense, they tied the game when Zach Parise banged in a rebound with less than a half-minute to play in the game.

Both teams deserve all the accolades that have been thrown at them. And so does Crosby, individually. No one player carried more pressure throughout this tournament than the annointed Golden Boy of Canadian Hockey. And while his numbers were not staggering great in the Olympics, Crosby did deliver a shootout game-winner earlier in the tourny and the ultimate game-winner in the Gold Medal game.

What does Sidney Crosby do now for an encore after he captained the Penguins to the Stanley Cup last spring and then delivered Gold when it was demanded by his country on home soil? TSN's Matt Burt provides some quality thoughts on all that Crosby, still a baby really at age 22, has accomplished.

I had an interesting chat with Rangers' center Erik Christensen, a former teammate of Sid's in Pittsburgh, yesterday after practice. You could see the relief that Christensen felt for Crosby because, as he explained, Sid the Kid would have been ripped to shreds in his native land if he had not scored in the final two Olympic games and Canada had lost the final to the dreaded United States, something that was oh-so-close to happening.

But Christensen said it would not have been fair. He explained how intelligent a player Crosby is and emphasized all that he does away from the puck, and how his mere presence on the ice draws consistent attention from opposing players, whether he is scoring or not. That opens up ice and opportunities for his teammates. Little things are big things, and Crosby was contributing every shift, noted Christensen.

Christensen thought long and hard trying to find a player to compare Crosby to, in all that Sid does out there on the ice.

"Not Ovechkin," said Christensen. "I don't think Ovechkin does nearly as much out there as Sid does. I'd say he's more like Pavel Datsyuk, because even when he is not scoring he is a force."

Very, very intriguing observation made by one of the more thoughtful players I have had the chance to spend time with in my career.

But bottom line, Crosby also DID score THE GOAL. He will be forever a national hero. Good for him.

And good for the other Team Canada players. And good for Team USA, which captured its nation's fancy over the past two weeks. And good for the game of hockey. The true winners on Sunday were the millions of hockey fans who watched and will tell their kids and grandkids about this match for years to come.

Following are my First Team and Second Team All Olympic Squads:

First Team:

G-Ryan Miller (USA)
D-Shea Weber (Canada), Brian Rafalski (USA)
F-Pavol Demitra (Slovakia), Zach Parise (USA), Rick Nash (Canada)

Second Team:

G-Jonas Hiller (Switzerland)
D-Ryan Suter (USA), Chris Pronger (Canada)
F-Corey Perry (Canada), Marian Gaborik (Slovakia), Ryan Kesler (USA)

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Wild Winter Wednesday at Olympics

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Written on 2/25/2010 by Jim Cerny

I know Gary Bettman has more things to consider than just the games themselves when he decides his stance on whether or not there will be NHL participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

But I'd be hard-pressed to say that what we saw yesterday on the ice---four exciting and truly compelling Quarterfinal ice hockey matches---can not be anything but good for the sport of hockey, in general, and the National Hockey League, in particular.

I will leave the business side to Mr. Bettman. He prefers it that way anyway. I'll focus on what I know better, and that is the game of hockey; and yesterday was a great day for the sport on the grand stage of the Winter Games.

Following are some notes and thoughts from each of yesterday's four Quarterfinal contests, or at least as best I remember them! My head is still somewhat numb from a day that included covering the Rangers return to practice at the MSG Training Center, Tweeting and reporting on all four Olympic games, writing a Rangers' feature on the team's official site, and having spirited back-and-forth about all things Olympic hockey with you great readers and Tweeps over at Twitter.

That's pretty much starting work Wednesday morning and plowing through non-stop until Slovakia (pictured above) finally ousted defending champion Sweden at around 2:30 Thursday morning! But you know what, I have always said this beats working a real job any day!

United States 2 - Switzerland 0 :

*Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller was best player on ice for either team, and he had a remarkable tournament
*Credit U.S. goalie Ryan Miller for remaining focused even with so little work in his end; when called upon, especially early in third period of scoreless game, he came up huge for the Americans
*It flashed through my head when the U.S. lost an apparent goal with 0.0 remaining on clock in second period that Hiller and the Swiss really could steal this game, and I thought back to the 1980 upset authored by the United States over Russia; this would not have been as big an upset, but would've been close
*Often times your best player needs to step forward and win a game for you; Zach Parise did just that for the U.S., scoring twice in the third period; many would say Patrick Kane or Phil Kessel might be the best player on Team USA; in my book it's Zach Parise
*Was so impressed with the qulity chances produced by U.S. captain Jamie Langenbrunner, who worked feverishly in offensive zone all night
*Ryan Suter has really emerged into an outstanding two-way defenseman; he has elevated his game on this grand stage
*We all wondered why Chris Drury, in the midst of another down year with the Rangers, was chosen to play for Team USA; watch the tape of yesterday's game again, Drury was out there in every key situation, excelling defensively and in winning one big faceoff after another; he blocked five or six shots, plus generated some offense; he has been terrific all throughout the tournament, among the best for Team USA

Canada 7 - Russia 3 :

*Shocked; I was utterly shocked watching this game unfold, not because Canada played so well and with so much passion---I expected them to be at their best---but moreso because Russia was so far from their best and didn't adjust at all, I thought, to Canada's aggressive play; plus Russia did not meet Canada's intensity and fire on any level whatsoever
*Many people are focusing on Canada's seven goals---and rightfully so, it was an explosion of offense against an elite opponent---but what caught my attention was how well Canada played defensively; they controlled the neutral zone and manned their blueline like a fortress; it was an impressive commitment by the whole team; they generated so much offense off Russian turnovers
*Canada was a beast on the forecheck, and I loved how physical a game they played; they also sent wave after wave of forwards to the net; it had to be dizzying for the Russian defense, which certainly played as if dazed and confused
*Not a second guess, I swear: I was very surprised that Evgeni Nabokov started the second period in goal for Russia after allowing a four-spot in the first; they weren't all his fault, but it looked clear that Nabby was not on top of his game; plus it was an elimination game AND you had Ilya Bryzgalov---in the midst of a career year with Phoenix---ready to replace Nabokov; poor coaching decision
*Corey Perry sort of flys under the radar for Team Canada; nice to see him break out with two-goal game against Russia
*I know he allowed three goals, but when he had to come up big, Roberto Luongo did just that; he really took the final life out of Russians in third period when he stoned Evgeni Malkin on a breakaway, and then moments later on the doorstep
*OK, the big late-game issue that Tweeps and I debated far into the night last night: I did not have a problem with Alexander Semin's crunching hit on Dan Boyle in the final minutes, but I had a huge problem with Boyle's retaliatory slew-foot; and c'mon JR on TV constantly saying "You just don't do that to Dan Boyle...he's too much a competitor"...he slew-footed him JR! That's not being a competitor, that's being downright dirty

Finland 2 Czech Republic 0 :

*Hmmmm, how can I say this? OK, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff...well, you get the idea; the Finnish goaltender was ridiculously outstanding---and had to be because his Czech counterpart, Tomas Vokoun, was simply terrifc yet again; I mean RIDICULOUSLY outstanding OK? I have said this for years, but when he is at his best, Kipper is the closest anyone comes to replicating Dominik Hasek with his Gumby-like saves
*If the Finns could just get their power play going, they'd have a much easier time of it; but even with their struggles on the PP, Finland is two wins from the Gold
*I'm sorry, facing one Ruutu is plenty, but having the snarling Jarrko and Tuomo in your face all night has got to be a bitch to play against
*Couldn't help but thinking when I saw Esa Tikkanen---an uber-pest, for sure, back in the day---on the TV screen that he must love the style his Finns play: nasty, gritty, in-your-face; trust me the Ruutus and their like only aspire to be like Tikk
*Great job by NBC getting the Canadian broadcast of this game; I just think Ray Ferraro is a great analyst, and he proved it when he immediately explained that Finland's first goal happened largely because Czech defenseman Pavel Kubina had to chase after his helmet---which had been knocked off---and put it on as per IIHF rules; Kubina thus was not in position to block the shot, whereas---as Ferraro pointed out---he would have been in an NHL game, which does not share this particular rule with the IIHF; great catch, and quick explanation
*Back when I first was covering hockey locker rooms, Ferraro was known as "Radio Ray" because he was always the go-to quote 
*Ferraro on Martin Havlat: "He's been a ghost throughout this tournament!" Great Stuff!
*Sad to see Jaromir Jagr go out there not nearly 100% healhty; he had very little to give the Czechs last night

Slovakia 4 - Sweden 3 :

*Fourth straight Olympics that defending champion has been eliminated in Quarterfinals
*Henrik Lundqvist establishes modern-day Olympic record for consecutive shutout minutes, then allows 2 goals in 37 seconds and four goals total as Sweden is sent home
*How about Sweden tying game with two goals of their own, also in 37-second span; and then in third period Slovakia scores and 38 seconds later Sweden nets one of their own?! Two goals in 37 seconds twice, and in 38 seconds once!! Odds on that were......
*Just when I thought I was going to write about the shame of Peter Forsberg being a shadow of his former self, he steps up big-time for Swedes
*Speaking of stepping up how about Marian Hossa's all-around effort for Slovakia, as well as Pavol Demitra's perfectly-placed---and incredibly timely---goal?
*Must admit, I kept thinking Swedes were going to come back, tie this one again, and somehow win it; that's not disrespecting Slovakia---who I believe has been vastly underrated---but more a credit to Sweden; but credit the Slovaks, they did not let it happen
*How about Jaroslav Halak proving himself big-time in nets for Slovakia? Carey Who in Montreal?
*Nice catch by cameras after game, Rangers' teammates Marian Gaborik of Slovakia and Sweden's Lundqvist in a sincere hug on the handshake line

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