"We had to play desperate," said Shaw to NBC Sports Network's Pierre McGuire afterward.

Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader cancelled out a power play opportunity after retaliating on Dave Bolland early in the second period. Detroit was able keep Chicago off the board during that 4-on-4 time, but later in the period, he was back in the box after cross-checking Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks would make him pay with their third goal of the game, coming off the stick of captain Toews:

The goal was Toews' first of the playoffs and a nice comeback from his Game 5 meltdown where he took three consecutive penalties in a 5:34 span. That was part of a bigger storyline of the Blackhawks' getting frustrated by not only the Red Wings, but by some of the calls on the ice.

"You can't change a call when it happens," Shaw said. "You have to move forward. Our PK (4-for-4 in Game 5) has been unbelievable, they've been helping up out all series. [The coaching staff] let us know if we stay out of the box we'll get more offensive chances and we created the win here."

Aside from getting the captain going, the Blackhawks were able to solve Jimmy Howard, who allowed only two goals in Detroit's three straight wins leading up to Game 5. Head coach Joel Quenneville also reunited Brent Seabrook with Duncan Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya on the blue line. Toews skated with Patricks Kane and Sharp. The moves paid off.

It was a shakeup within the Blackhawks' roster that needed to happen. It woke them up for one game. What about for Game 6?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Joining Krug on the unsung heroes list for the Bruins were Shawn Thornton, Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille, better known as the "Merlot Line" for the jersey color they wear at practice. The trio that makeup the Bruins' fourth line contributed to what ended up as the winning goal 13:41 into the second period when Rangers defenseman Roman Hamrlik had two turnovers in a matter of moments, leading to Campbell pouncing on a look puck in front of Henrik Lundqvist:

"We learned two years ago that depth comes into play," Campbell told NBC Sport Network's Brian Engblom afterward. "And the further you go into the playoffs, the better the teams are and the higher the level the teams, the more you have to rely on everybody."

Campbell would add his second of the night with an empty net tally with 51 seconds to go in the game.

Ten points from the fourth line. Four goals from a rookie defenseman. Contributions from everyone. That's why the Bruins are set to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final beginning sometime next week.

Now, after the trade deadline when both teams made moves to improve their rosters, we have the Conference Final many expected.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

A long, long time ago, in the halcyon days of 2010 (when the planet Jupiter was destroyed due to international tensions, according to the film, 2010, which I assume is a historical documentary), the Boston Bruins took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 2 of the NHL playoffs.

But then they lost Game 4. And Game 5. Game 6? Oh, you'd better believe they lost it.

And then, just when the Bruins thought they couldn't lose any more games, they remembered there was a Game 7 -- but by then it was too late, and they had lost it. With that, the Bruins became just the third team to drop a series after winning the first three games.

You probably remember this story, either because it was just three years ago or because it's been coming up a lot this week, what with Boston having taken another commanding 3-0 series lead, this time over the New York Rangers, and then losing Game 4.

Frankly, with 2010 in mind, losing this series seems even more impossible now. These collapses happen about once every 30 years. I think of it like being hit by lightning or bird poop. It's unlikely to happen a first time, let alone a second time so soon after, at that. Once you've been struck, be it by bird excrement or a massive electrical discharge from the sky, that has to be it, no? Consider yourself scratched off the universe's hit list.

But on the other hand, as unlikely as it is to happen, this one time, it happened. And now, every time the Bruins take a 3-0 series lead, they'll be haunted by the ghosts of 2010, at least in media reports, until they close this thing out.

Considering the Rangers are the ones with their backs against the wall, you'd have to think they're going to be the more motivated team in Game 5, and Game 6, if it comes to that. But the Bruins have only to look to 2010 for extra motivation, and really, they don't have to look at all, since reporters will bring 2010 to them. The longer they let the Rangers hang around in this series, the longer they'll have to hear about that unfortunate event.

The Stanley Cup is motivation enough, of course, but if they need any more, it's this: a loss in Game 5 means two extra days and perhaps more, of talking about a moment they'd rather not relive.

Want everyone to shut up about it? Win on Saturday.

By Andrew Berkshire and Mike Obrand

Hello and welcome as we bid adieu to the most blissfully unaware and naval-gazing organization in pro sports, the 2012-13 Ottawa Shenatorsh.

The reaction around most of the NHL when the news came out that the Sens were eliminated was a mildly confused “There’s a team in Ottawa?”

Yes, my friends, there is a team there, although Canada’s Phoenix Coyotes aren’t really located in Ottawa, they play in Kanata, which is actually quite far away from Ottawa.

When awarded an expansion NHL franchise on Dec. 6, 1990, the Senators faced an extreme uphill battle to create a fanbase in an area dominated by both Leafs and Habs fans. 20 years after their first NHL season in 1992-93, Ottawa remains a city dominated by Habs and Leafs fans. Perhaps that’s why the franchise and fanbase has such a hilarious inferiority complex.

To make matters worse for the desperately reaching fanbase, the Senators have completely failed to create a team identity outside of being generally boring to watch for their entire history. This is especially troublesome when their division has four other teams with strong identities.

The Montreal Canadiens: Small and skilled

The Boston Bruins: Big and physical

The Toronto Maple Leafs: Terrible at hockey

The Buffalo Sabres: Annoying cheap shot artists

The Senators had an opportunity to give themselves an identity early on in their history, with five straight top-three picks, which netted them the most hated player in franchise history, the most well-known bust in NHL history, another huge bust with a mullet, a player who’s best known for having his eye carved out by another Ottawa Senator, and Chris Phillips.

Not exactly a glorious start to a franchise, and probably why one of the most notable players in the team’s history is Chris Neil.

Neil is the gum in your hair of the NHL, a player every team has, but no one cares about. A player like that being the second most well-known face in your team’s history would be like the Habs (or three other teams he played for) lionizing Todd Ewen.

You’re probably thinking “who the hell is Todd Ewen?” and that’s exactly the point. Todd Ewen is a real person who played NHL hockey but you had to Google him to find out who he was… That’s exactly what you’re going to be doing with Chris Neil in a few years. And besides, players of note don’t wear their children’s helmets.

Neil at his most recent contract signing looking suspiciously like Adebesi from HBO’s "Oz."

Even though they spent the first half of their existence rolling around in the sewage of the NHL, the Senators did find one diamond in the rough to make up for all the garbage they drafted when diamonds were available yearly on silver platters. That player is Daniel Alfredsson, who might have a shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In fact, Alfredsson is so synonymous with the Senators that he was the only player Senators fans named to their “Mount Puckmore” for Puck Daddy that wasn’t a complete embarrassment to the franchise.

Alfredsson is pretty much the only superstar who hasn’t left Ottawa for greener pastures, yet for some odd reason, Senators fans have never warmed up to “Alfie,” and became especially critical of him since he was named team captain. Alfredsson is regularly booed at home games, especially when the Leafs are in town, as Sens fans show their displeasure with him always failing against Toronto in the playoffs.

That dissatisfaction with Alfredsson reached a boiling point when Ottawa hosted the 2012 NHL All-Star game and he was booed both when he was introduced as team captain, and when he scored.

But upon further review, maybe Sens fans are on to something when they boo Alfredsson, as it turns out he’s a bit of a clown.

Alfredsson looked broken and defeated after the Penguins took a 3-1 series lead this week, when asked whether the Sens could come back and win the series, he answered “Probably not."

As it turned out, it was the only time Alfredsson has ever backed up a prediction.

A guy who was nominated for the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2013 gave up on his team before they had faced a single elimination game. Then again, considering the other two guys nominated for the award are Dustin “Brad Marchand West” Brown and Jonathan “Choker” Toews, maybe Messier’s picks are the problem.

Will Alfredsson win a Cup with the Senators? “Probably not.”

But fear not Sens fans, there are plenty of ways Alfie could win a cup when he demands a trade next year.

Terrible Photoshops for a terrible player.

To make up for the inevitable end of the Alfredsson era, like a family buying a puppy when the old dog is a month from being put down, Sens fans have a new star player to latch on to for no reason: Recent Norris Trophy winner (because Zdeno Chara was somehow ignored) Erik Karlsson.

Sens fans love Karlsson so much, that they’ve transferred all of their inherent insecurities as hockey fans onto him and him alone. If you so much as question the idea that Karlsson is the “best defenseman in the NHL and it’s not even close” you will nearly drown in the tears shed by offended preteens.

But last time I checked, great defensemen don’t do this. But then again, maybe he just learned a little bit too much from teammate Chris Phillips. As we all know, that was the Stanley Cup winning goal for the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, awarded to Travis Moen for a harmless dump in.

But never mind that Karlsson was never really (and still isn’t) as good as advertised, there’s been an even bigger problem. It’s one thing to be great but not the greatest, but since he’s returned from an unfortunate injury, well…

Here’s how the news was broken to Chief Inspector Eugene Melnyk:

In all honesty, Karlsson’s miraculous recovery from a partially severed Achilles tendon was the most entertaining thing to happen in Ottawa in years. But that’s pretty easy since Ottawa is objectively the most boring city in the country.

But back to the pathetically unaware team that is the Ottawa Senators. This is a team lacking self awareness so badly that their head coach made fun of P.K. Subban for “locking himself out” for six games while negotiating a contract, with Kyle Turris in the locker room behind him, a guy who held out for more than a third of last season before forcing a trade to the Sens.

And we haven’t even started in on the fanbase yet. A fanbase so desperate for something to hold onto, that they’ve embraced the hashtag #lalala that Erik Karlsson tweeted, without having any idea what it means.

A fanbase that spent an entire series complaining about how dirty the Habs were this year. The Habs were so incredibly dirty against the Sens that they left their first round win with a whopping zero injuries.

A fanbase so sad and pathetic, that the best adjective they could come up with for their team making the playoffs in spite of a couple injuries was “pesky.” No, not resilient, that sounds too good. These Sens are pesky, like a mosquito in your bedroom as you’re trying to sleep.

But the Sens sure weren’t pesky in the end. Say what you will about the 2010 Montreal Canadiens -- they were lucky as it gets and rode a hot goaltender to success, but when they had their backs against the wall, they played their best.

When facing elimination, they won five straight before finally succumbing to the Flyers in the conference finals. The “Pesky Sens” folded up their tent at the first sign of adversity, outscored 13-5 in the final two games.

In the end though, the saddest thing about the Senators is that this eulogy is the most time any one has ever spent thinking about their team.

He plays about eight minutes a night, yet his impact is more palpable than players with twice his ice time. He’s the most physically intimidating player on the Boston Bruins not named Zdeno Chara. Once in a while, he even gets offensive.

He’s Shawn Thornton, and together with Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell he’s playing on the most underrated line in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They skate hard, hit harder and possess the puck in the offensive zone better than some of their opponents’ top lines do.

They’re the “Merlot Line”, because of “the cranberry Bruins jerseys they don in practice,” according to Joe Haggerty.

Both Paille and Campbell have been seen as something more than fourth liners in their careers, but Thornton’s had to work hard to break the stigma that he’s just a brawler who barely warrants a roster spot.

“He’s not a high-end skill player,” Coach Claude Julien told the Boston Globe. “But he still has enough skill so you can use him and play him. That’s the thing that, as a coach, I’ve always liked of our enforcer. He’s one of those guys who can settle things down when things get out of hand, but he’s able to play. I don’t like having a guy sit on the bench playing 2-3 minutes and just utilizing him in those [fighting] situations. Thorny’s fit the bill extremely well.”

Although the bar is set low for his offensive contributions, Thornton comes through in some key spots. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Thornton took an offensive zone faceoff after Gregory Campbell was tossed from the circle. He won it back to Johnny Boychuk, whose blast beat Henrik Lundqvist. Later, his tipped shot went off of Lundqvist’s mask to set up Paille’s game-winner.

Offensive output aside, Thornton’s still at this best when he’s sticking for his teammates – like when Derek Dorsett of the Rangers started taking shots at Brad Marchand, and Thornton indicated he was ready to fight Dorsett. As he told WEEI:

“I don’t know how to say this without sounding cocky: If I’m asking to fight, it’s not going to be an easy fight for him, either. Not that I’m saying I could beat him up. I’m just saying it won’t be an easy fight, and that might have taken the life out of everyone, too. Or it might have gotten my team going even more. I don’t know. You can never I guess speculate on what was going to happen in different situations.”

One things for sure: With his fists or with his line’s tenacious fore-checking, Thornton makes a difference in his limited minutes.

Add in his quirky personality – please recall his dressing down of a Vancouver columnist – and he’s a fan favorite for the B’s.

No. 1 Star: James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins

It was epic Neal time in Pittsburgh as the winger scored thrice in the Penguins' 6-2 rout of the Senators, leading his club into the third round of the 2013 postseason. Enjoy this clip of all three goals, unless you're a Senators fan, in which case, maybe just skip ahead:

No. 2 Star: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang was all over the ice, setting up the Penguins' second goal from behind the net, scoring the eventual game-winner, and adding another assist on Neal's hat trick goal. With three points on the night, Letang finished the series with 10 points. He's a defenceman.

No. 3 Star: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

Malkin was his usual, ho-hum, game-breaking self, with a quiet two points in the win.

Honourable mention: In the end, it didn't mean much, but Jason Spezza's pass to Milan Michalek for this goal was pretty nifty:

... Sidney Crosby won 21 of 31 faceoffs in this game... and finally, here's your handshake line:

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 2. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 4. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks; 5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 7. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings; 8. Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins; 9. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 10. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings.

Dishonourable mention: After allowing six goals in an elimination loss, the entire Senators roster goes here.

Canada, you may want to sit down.

The Pittsburgh Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference finals Friday, eliminating the Ottawa Senators -- the last remaining Canadian team -- with a decisive 6-2 victory in Game 5.

With that, an American club will win the Stanley Cup for the 19th straight season. Now comes the annual Canadian tradition where the country shifts from counting Canadian teams in contention to Canadian players on American teams.

The Senators made a slight improvement in Game 5, holding the Penguins to fewer goals than in their previous game. Unfortunately, it was just one fewer, and that's not nearly enough when they allowed 7 the last time around.

This game was a lot like Game 4, come to think of it: All Pittsburgh, and not all that close.

The Penguins got on the board early, opening the scoring when Brenden Morrow redirected a Mark Eaton pass into the goal with his skate.

It was reviewed, but the officials ruled that there had been no distinct kicking motion (or at least not as much of one as when Mika Zibanejad scored a goal similarly in Round 1).

Pittsburgh doubled the lead on a second period powerplay, when Kris Letang threw a puck into the goal mouth, Craig Anderson lost it in his equipment, and James Neal was the first to find it.

Ottawa would never get any closer. Letang scored what would turn out to be the game-winner five minutes later, and after a Milan Michalek goal brought them back within two, Neal and Evgeni Malkin would force a turnover and connect on a late, second-period dagger:

In the third, Neal went off, adding two more of his own for a hat trick as the Penguins closed out the series.

The Penguins were so explosive in this game, they added another goal in the handshake line.

Said Paul MacLean after the rout: "I hope they don't bill us for the clinic." That guy is the best and now we won't get another press conference from him until next year. In a way, we all lost tonight.

The Penguins outscored the Senators 26-11 in this series, and if you're looking for the reason the Senators are heading home and the Penguins are heading to the Eastern Conference finals, I'd start there. Ottawa simply couldn't handle the Penguins' attack. Like, at all.

Can Pittsburgh's next opponent? The Penguins had a much easier time with the Senators than the Islanders, and one wonders if Ottawa was simply an inferior opponent, or if Pittsburgh has found their legs. The latter idea is a scary thought. Sidney Crosby scored just once in the final two games of this series. Pittsburgh still scored 13 times. The Boston Bruins (or New York Rangers, I guess) have to be hoping that was Ottawa's fault.

But it wasn't all sunshine and roses for the Penguins. With the win, the conditional draft pick they traded for Douglas Murray officially became a second 2nd-rounder. Ray Shero is probably okay with that, though.

As for the Senators, it wasn't a great way to go out, but they still have to be proud of what they accomplished this season. Many hockey fans wrote them off months ago, but they're only finished now. Plus, they look to have a promising future.

Whether captain Daniel Alfredsson is a part of it remains to be seen. Does he have one more year left in him?

The Phoenix Coyotes are used to difficult offseasons, but this one looked even trickier. On top of looking for an owner, as usual, the club ran the risk of looking for a new General Manager and head coach as well, as the contracts of both Dave Tippett and Don Maloney were set to expire on June 30.

There was some talk that neither would receive a new deal until the Coyotes had found an owner. But with the draft and free agency coming up, and Maloney being exactly the sort of guy you want to have around for that stuff, the NHL did what a good ownership group does, and took the steps to retain their guy.

On Friday, the Coyotes announced a long-term contract extension with Maloney. From their release:

"We are very pleased that Don has agreed to sign a long-term contract extension with the Coyotes," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. "Since joining the team in 2007, Don has done an outstanding job managing his team and building a competitive roster that has produced on the ice, even given less than ideal circumstances off the ice. The NHL remains committed to securing the Coyotes' future in Glendale under new ownership, and we believe Don's long-term agreement evidences that he is equally committed."

[...] "I am grateful to continue working for this franchise," said Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney. "We have a strong core of talented people, both on and off the ice, who are committed to building a championship team and a first class organization. I would like to thank NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly for their tremendous support these past few years."

So weird to see Bettman and Daly in this release. This situation is ridiculous.

That part aside, it's tough to disagree with the move. As James Mirtle points out, over the last four years, the Coyotes' record of 156-96-42 makes them the eighth-best team in the NHL. That's definitely extension-worthy, especially under the circumstances.

Maloney is basically a wartime GM. He's acquitted himself nicely and done his part to keep Phoenix competitive in a dire, dire situation. And really, he was the best candidate for Phoenix anyway, since he's the only guy with four years experience GMing a team without an owner.

"I'm aware," Bylsma told reporters Friday about that little blip on his NHL resume.

Since Bylsma replaced Michel Therrien in Feb. 2009, the Penguins have had six chances to initiate a handshake line on the ice at Mellon Arena and CONSOL Energy Center, and six times they've failed. Up 3-1 in their series versus the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins are also a win away from advancing past the second round for the first time since that 2008-09 season; one that ended with the franchise's third Stanley Cup.

"Our team knows exactly how important this opportunity is to get the fourth win and try to do that here as soon as possible and not look at this being three more games," said Bylsma after Friday's morning skate. "We have one game right in front of us and it's important to have that mentality and mindset for us tonight."

But as Senators head coach Paul MacLean declared during his only post-Game 4 statement, his team is going to Pittsburgh and coming to play. And like the New York Rangers, Ottawa can only follow the cliche and take it one game at a time.

The Senators won't be able to force a Game 6 if they let the high-powered Pittsburgh offense run wild like Hulkamania again. Offense is obviously the Penguins' biggest strength, having scored 16 times through the first four games. That's where Craig Anderson comes in; but he's been pulled twice in three games after having gone 43 starts, dating back to March 2012, without getting the hook. Any Ottawa comeback starts with Anderson.

"We haven't played very well," said Anderson. "You don't give up seven goals by playing well, I'll tell you that right now.

"I think we have to get back to what gives us success and that's hardnosed hockey, taking away space and figuring out how to win games 2-0 or 2-1. That's how we've had success all year and that's our blueprint for winning."

Beating the Penguins 2-0 or 2-1 is hard enough, but with Anderson in net, the Senators can pull it off. His 49-save performance in Game 3 gave Ottawa the chance to tie the score late in regulation and eventually win it in double overtime. They won't win any game that turns into a shootout, they know that, and slowing Pittsburgh's offense for three straight games in a tall task. But a goaltender getting hot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs isn't a rare sighting.

It's just a matter of how high the desperation level is on the Ottawa side of the ice.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

• Detroit Lions' defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh discovers the difference between the NHL and the NFL in his fair city., At football games, people throw flags. At hockey games, they throw cephalopods.

• Don Cherry stands up for maligned realist Daniel Alfredsson. [Ottawa Sun]

• Cam Charron on why it would be unwise to write off the Chicago Blackhawks just yet. I haven't read it or anything, but I'll just assume it says, "because they're really good and stuff." [Backhand Shelf]

• Jonathan Toews after Game 4. "Eventually, something's got to give. We're too good a team. We've got too much talent. For as hard as we're working, something's got to go our way." [MLive]

• An interactive visualization of the NHL drafts of yore. This is very, very cool stuff from Sarah Connors. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

• The last time the Penguins had a chance to close out an opponent in a Game 5 at home, in 2011, they lost big, both in the game and, eventually, the series. What can they learn from that fiasco, besides "don't let this happen again"? [Post-Gazette]

• Logan Couture, on whether he's talked to good buddy Drew Doughty. "“No nothing, nothing. I’ve just talked to our friends. We have a group of mutual friends, about five to six guys, so I’ve texted them. But, I haven’t talked to Drew at all. It’s probably going to hold that way for another week.” [Mayor's Manor]

• The San Jose Sharks would prefer that their series with the Los Angeles Kings goes seven games. One suspects they didn't prefer that when the series began, but here we are. [Mercury News]

• So the Bruins lost one game. Big deal. Don't panic. It's not like they're going to lose the next three. When has that ever happened before? [CSNNE]

• "Eighteen Russians, in Amish country, with a high-octane American trainer." Cool story on Lokomotiv Yaroslavl working out in Pennsylvania. [ESPN]

• John Scott could help the Buffalo Sabres' powerplay. You know, because he's big. [Rant Sports]

• Can Patrick Roy, one of the game's greatest goalies, handle Semyon Varlamov being, uh, not quite that good? [Denver Post]

• The Pittsburgh Penguins might get Brenden Morrow back for Game 5. [NHL]

• Who are the Edmonton Oilers' best scouts? [NHL Numbers]

• The Coyotes are nearing an extension for GM Don Maloney. [FS Arizona]

• Looking at how attendance has rebounded in Tampa Bay since the arrival of Jeff Vinik. [Raw Charge]

• How a fan and is friends turned an Ottawa Senators' third-period goal into free Big Macs for the homeless. [HuffPo]

• Hey, remember Marc-Andre Fleury? When will he play again? [The Hockey Writers]

• A high school in Nova Scotia has created an all-hockey curriculum, because Canada. [CBC]

• Henrik Lundqvist is beloved in New York. What other goaltender gets chants of supports from the home crowd after giving up this goal?

For example: Liz Habib is a sports reporter for FOX 11 in Los Angeles. She occasionally does LA Kings highlights. In the playoffs, they tend to go horribly, horribly wrong.

So with 10 minutes left in the third period of Game 4, Willie Mitchell scored for the Los Angeles Kings to cut the San Jose Sharks’ lead to 2-1.

Except it wasn’t Willie Mitchell, who has three career playoff goals in 71 games. It was Mike Richards, who has 22 in 94 games.

Because Willie Mitchell wasn’t playing in Game 4.

Because Willie Mitchell hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

Because Willie Mitchell’s knee is so [expletived] that he’ll likely miss parts of the 2013-14 season.

But we do appreciate Liz’s mathematical explanation concerning what happens when a team in a 2-2 series wins Game 5.

If Liz Habib’s name rings a bell, perhaps the name “Brad Doty” rings one. Yes, she was the sportscaster behind the Greatest Highlights Train Wreck of the 2013 Playoffs.

Please advance, LA Kings. YouTube needs you.

It's a (gettin' down on) Friday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Star: Adrian Dater of the Denver Post talks Patrick Roy to the Avalanche and the NHL Playoffs.

• The Red Wings defeat the Blackhawks again; can the best team in the NHL rally from 3-1 down?

• Brad Richards, John Tortorella and a squirmy situation.

• GAME SHOW FRIDAY

• Previewing the weekend's games.

Question of the Day: How would you have handed out the NHL awards? Email puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or hit us on Twitter with the hashtag #MvsW to @wyshynski or @jeffmarek.

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

The question was “what is 9 times 9?”

The answer? Marian Hossa, a.k.a. No. 81 for the Blackhawks.

As you can see, her teacher was baffled at first ...

We know what you’re thinking: Did she get credit for what was, in a roundabout way, a correct answer?

Justin Breen of DNAinfo Chicago had this whimsical hockey story, and spoke with Maggie’s teacher. While she didn't quite get what the answer meant at first, Maggie clarified it for her:

Her teacher, Christine Mech, circled the answer and wrote "What is this?" in red pen. When Maggie explained her response, Mech gave her credit, and she received an A+.

"Maggie is a very clever little girl," said Mech, who's a Hawks fan and knew what Maggie was up to. "I love the way Maggie has a sense of humor. She did get her 100 percent on the quiz, and we had a little bit of a laugh afterward."

Maggie's mother, Diane, posted a photo of the exam Wednesday afternoon, and it already has more than 1,300 "Likes" on Facebook. It even has appeared on the Blackhawks official Facebook page.

Hopefully this ushers in a new era in Chicago area schools when it comes to math. After all: Duncan Keith times Duncan Keith equals Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Niklas Hjalmarsson times Niklas Hjalmarsson equals Marcus Kruger, and …

Further proof that no matter what the question is, hockey is the answer.

s/t Deadspin

By Dmitry Chesnokov

Sergei Bobrovsky is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy. His 2.00 GAA and .932 save percentage season nearly led the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for only the second time in team history. He may be the cover model for NHL 14.

Ah, yes: He’s a restricted free agent this summer. Translation: Sergei Bobrovsky is going to get paid.

The question is: Who’s paying him?

Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen said the two sides haven’t made any progress on a new contract. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets will extend a qualifying offer to Bobrovsky by the end of June to retain his rights. After that, he would be open to an offer sheet from another NHL team.

But there’s another suitor.

Some time in April, SKA St. Petersburg decided to go after Bobrovsky. I was told the money they are willing to offer is very good.

SKA wanted to get Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov a couple of years ago. This time they want Bobrovsky.

They also know him well because he played for the club during the lockout. After the lockout was over, Bobrovsky mentioned in a number of interviews that he was following how SKA was doing in the KHL playoffs.

Bobrovsky was snubbed by the Russian national team and didn't make the roster. Signing with SKA would virtually guarantee he'll be in Sochi.

However, this option is by far not the most attractive to him. Bobrovsky wants to play in the NHL

Wonder no more, fare citizens: The NHL announced on Friday that in lieu of an off-season spectacle in Las Vegas to celebrate the best of the best of the truncated season, the NHL Awards will be handed out during the Stanley Cup Final on two made-for-TV specials featuring the League’s game analysts.

Which sounds like there will be a distinct lack of Chaka Khan, Def Leppard, Nickelback and the Real Housewives of Orange County. Which makes us sad.

From the NHL:

The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association, in collaboration with national television partners NBC Sports Group, CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada and NHL Network, and NHL.com, will celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the top players, coaches and executives of the 2012-13 NHL season during two television specials at the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.

At 7 p.m. ET as a lead-in to Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, NBC and CBC will co-produce and co-host a program announcing the winners of the Calder Memorial Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, James Norris Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and Vezina Trophy.

Originating from the location of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, the hour-long program will be televised on NBC Sports Network in the U.S. and in Canada by CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada and will feature the hosts and hockey analysts from both networks. The program also will be streamed live online at cbcsports.ca.

At 5 p.m. ET the previous evening, the day prior to Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, NHL Network in the U.S. and Canada will televise and NHL.com will stream live the announcement of the winners of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Frank J. Selke Trophy, Jack Adams Award, King Clancy Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone, NHL Foundation Player Award and the NHL General Manager of the Year Award.

The program will be hosted by NHL Network personalities and produced from the NHL Network set on location at the Stanley Cup Final.

NHL.com will continue to provide full coverage of the NHL Awards including live updates of each award, an interactive chat with fans during both television specials, video features and reaction from the winners.

So the awards will be announced on-site with the fanfare of the NHL Draft Lottery.

OK, perhaps not even that much fanfare: Will the winners even be present? Doesn't sound like it. Maybe Ryan Suter can Skype in from his ranch in Wisconsin to accept the Norris.

Will there be proxies? Can Ovechkin send a Russian model named Olga to pick up his Hart?

Finally: Is it wrong to think this is just the Hockey Gods dropping trou and defecating on the Columbus Blue Jackets yet again? Bob wins the Vezina, and doesn’t even have a reason to wear a tux?

So Thursday night after the New York Rangers’ thrilling Game 4 OT victory to stay alive against the Boston Bruins – a game for which Richards was a healthy scratch, after being benched as a fourth-liner in Game 3 – Tortorella offered a defense of his fallen star:

Said Torts:

“Brad Richards is a hell of a hockey player. He has had struggles here. It continues. Me putting him in that role does not help him. So I’d rather have him out and identify how we’re going to run our fourth line.

“So none of ya’s, don’t put words in my mouth, it’s not blaming Brad Richards. I’ve already heard enough of that crap already, as far as this is concerned. He’s a hell of a hockey player that’s having a hell of a time. So I need to make decisions for what I feel is right for this team to win tonight’s game, and that’s why I made that decision.

“This is a Conn Smythe winner. A guy I’ve grown up with. A guy I love as a person and a player, but I have to make that decision regarding this. So kiss my ass if you want to write something different. It’s not about blaming that guy. I don’t want anybody to pile on him. This is my decision and I make it for the hockey club.”

Obviously, you feel for Torts, having to make these decisions on a player with whom he won a Stanley Cup and a player that chose the Rangers as a free agent because Tortorella was there. They have a long relationship as player and coach. Neither imagined this day would come.

But they were the right decisions: Richards had one point in 10 games, was terrible on the power play and clearly didn’t fit on the Rangers’ fourth line. Richards goes out, the Rangers score on the power play and the fourth line played great in limited minutes. This is not a coincidence.

Hearing Tortorella defend Richards as “a hell of a hockey player that’s having a hell of a time” makes you wonder: If he’s still the coach in 2013-14, might Richards get another chance to turn this around before a buy-out, or is he a goner?

Trending Topics is a column that looks at the week in hockey, occasionally according to Twitter. If you're only going to comment to say how stupid Twitter is, why not just go have a good cry for the slow, sad death of your dear internet instead?

Management positions in the National Hockey League, or any professional sport, boil down to a fairly complex relationship between tools and practitioners.

For instance, an owner gives a general manager the tools of money with which to construct his team, and the surrounding personnel and authority to pursue those ends as he sees fit.

Obviously, this takes place to varying degrees. Some owners, like Charles Wang, are stingy with money and overly involved in the day-to-day operations of the team he owns. That's his right, of course, since he's the one signing checks for everyone from the team president to the assistant equipment managers, but that doesn't make it easy for Garth Snow to do his job.

At the other end of the spectrum, though, are larger-market teams, ones that draw crowds and generate significant revenues and for which the owners have little interest in telling the hockey people they're paying to run a hockey team what they should be doing in the running of it. It leads one to wonder why Wang, or any other meddlesome owner, doesn't just make himself the GM, cut out the middle man and save a million bucks a year.

The point, though, is that from the above relationship springs another, similar one. Just as the GM can only do so much with the tools he's given by his owner, so too can the coach only do the best he can with the tools his boss gives him.

This was the problem Alain Vigneault faced this year, and what ultimately led to his being fired despite the fact that he is far and away the best and most successful coach in franchise history by just about any metric.

Mike Gillis, it should be said, probably didn't feel to great about having to fire Vigneault after the team he put together crashed out of the first round in spectacularly embarrassing fashion for the second straight season, after that time they lost in the Stanley Cup Final to a juggernaut.

Not that he didn't feel good out of any great loyalty to his longtime coach — hockey is business, after all, and business isn't personal — but more because the firing was the last bullet in his gun that he had to save himself, and might consequently find himself in a similar position if his new hire doesn't work out posthaste. The tools Gillis gave Vigneault, and will soon give someone new, are woefully inadequate in achieving the results the GM so desperately believes the team should produce.

Let's be honest: It's tough to foresee whoever succeeds Vigneault as the Canucks' bench boss working out any time soon because it's hard to make sand go back up into the top of the hourglass.

Vigneault's biggest mistake this year was not winning that Game 7 two years ago. That was always going to characterize his time in Vancouver, because his team straight-up got its lunch bagged up and handed to it by the Bruins on its home ice.

But ironically, it was that Cup run that also married Gillis to the idea of what this team could be in theory.

Much like the Calgary Flames in the post-2004 Red Mile delirium, Gillis determined not to look for meaningful ways to improve his team this year by making real changes after that five-game pantsing by Los Angeles last time around, but rather to more or less stand pat and hope everything worked out for the best with an aging, oft-injured core.

Of course, the biggest mistake Gillis made this summer, as everyone with half a brain understands, is that he didn't find someone — literally anyone — to take Roberto Luongo off his hands. The reason for this is obvious: He dramatically overplayed his hand, thinking there'd be a line around the block for a goaltender who was by that point 33 and now a full year older than that and whose contract, by his own admission, is borderline untradeable.

Trying to hold him for a ransom of picks and prospects and roster players despite the fact that only one team seemed even especially interested was foolish, and probably what ultimately doomed the Canucks this year. Whatever the package might have been last summer, you can bet the market this time around (if there is one) dictates the return for Luongo is significantly diminished, but the good news is the turnip that looks kind of like Nazem Kadri when viewed at a certain angle won't carry much of a cap hit.

That Gillis had the temerity to sit there in his press conference announcing the coaching change and say goaltending wasn't an issue is ludicrous, and untrue, and disingenuous.

Vigneault is just the latest victim of a GM who couldn't figure out what the hell was going on in the NHL in 2013.

Joe Sacco got fired because, since making the playoffs in a total freak accident two years ago as a rookie head coach, Greg Sherman did absolutely nothing at all to make his team even remotely better in the interim. If anything, things have gotten worse; the Ryan O'Reilly saga was an embarrassment, and he hasn't made a trade for even one roster player with anyone, to my knowledge, in more than a year (unless you want to count Tomas Vincour's two games with the Avs this year, in which case he's wheeling and dealing). The same is true of Glen Gulutzan getting canned in Dallas after Joe Nieuwendyk drove that team into the ground and had to be replaced. Guy Boucher is out in Tampa because Steve Yzerman is a very assured rookie general manager who tasted success too early and now thinks himself infallible, though he's proven time and again to be anything but.

The trend isn't new, but it does seem to be getting sillier.

Not that you can ever expect GMs to fire themselves, and yes it's true that sometimes coaches aren't right for their jobs given how things with a given team are going, but Gillis especially seems like an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of an organization unsure of the direction in which it wants to go. The time to fire him, if you were looking for one, which you shouldn't have been, was last year. Not this year.

Yeah, a sweep is bad, obviously, but what was he supposed to do? The team was so thin on the blue line that Andrew Alberts got four games in the playoffs. He didn't have his starting goaltender for half the series. And when he did his starting goaltender played like anything but.

There's a cloud hanging over the Canucks franchise right now because the guy running it lost whatever magic he used to get all the guys under the vaguely affordable contracts to which they are signed. The Sedins will be 33 by the time next season starts. Alex Burrows, who led the team in playoff scoring, a surprising 32. Ryan Kesler is 29 and maybe never reliably healthy again.

It's no mystery why this team lost ground in the Western Conference this season after winning two straight Presidents Trophies. It was because, in much the same way the Capitals' success was probably only ever the result of a bad Southeast, the now-dearly-departed Northwest actually improved over the summer. The Wild got better. The Oilers got better. The 24 easy divisional games a season the Canucks were able to count on got just a little bit harder, and a combination of that fact plus Gillis' inability to adapt is, ultimately, what got Vigneault pink-slipped.

I found it interesting that Gillis, in his presser, said, "We're in a results-oriented business and if you look at the last two playoffs we've been in, we were the higher-seeded team but lost. There comes a point in time where the message has to change and we have to be better. We simply didn't get the result that we expected, and in this business you have to get results."

Right, and that indicates that he finds himself to be in no way culpable. He blamed the shortened season for his not being able to improve the roster, but not the fact that Vigneault couldn't guide the team Gillis put together to better results. Even if, in saying that, he tacitly acknowledges it was at least in some way flawed. That takes a peculiar type of cognitive dissonance, doesn't it? The ability to say, "I was not able to put together the best team I could," while also saying, "This coach was not able to do what I wanted him to with that team," is one that must be inherent to general managers of professional sports teams.

Because anyone on the outside sees that type of logic as being so full of holes that it could have substituted passably for Cory Schneider in these playoffs. Not living up to unreasonable expectations is a crime now? Put Schneider on the trade block, then.

Gillis also blamed the persecution of the local media for making his and Vigneault's jobs harder the last two years, so maybe the necessity to change the message doesn't reach as far as his desk.

Another thing Gillis said: "I think we're well-positioned to continue to improve and get better and I'm excited about where we're going to go from this point forward."

This is what I'm talking about when I say he has unreasonable expectations. In what way are the Canucks well-positioned to improve? He cratered Luongo's trade value, so the team's not going to improve there. He tied an anchor around his own neck with a payroll that's already above the cap for next season — already-filled-out compliance buyout paperwork for David Booth and Keith Ballard notwithstanding — and a bunch of roster holes to fill. His best players are too old to be relied upon for more than one or two more years. He has one of the weakest prospect pools in the league. And he's moving into a division next season in which at least two and maybe even three of the teams contained therein (depending upon how legitimate you feel the Ducks' success this year to be) are better than his.

Oh, but I guess he's got a great solution for all those problems tucked into a desk drawer, and he's only waited on for the purposes of dramatic tensions.

All brilliant GMs do. Now he just needs a coach to sort it all out.

If you’ve got something for Trending Topics, holla at Lambert on Twitter or via e-mail. He’ll even credit you so you get a thousand followers in one day and you’ll become the most popular person on the Internet! You can also visit his blog if you’re so inclined.

On Thursday, Stars fans began reporting on a new addition to the team’s iPhone wallpaper selections on its official app.

The speculation is that the circle logo on the left will be a shoulder patch on the new sweaters, with the ‘D Star’ logo as the new primary one for Dallas. But there's also a chance the Stars will follow in the tradition of the Wild, Blues and Panthers and do a traditional circular crest with the logo inside of it; a.k.a. the logo above ...

... which bears a passing resemblance to this. Will Starbucks be to the Stars' logo as Fishsticks were to the Islanders?

Via the HF Boards, a larger image of that potential primary logo:

Out with the yellow, in with the silver. Somewhere, Goldmember weeps ...

The logo incorporates the star from the team’s current logo – the one that loves inside the ‘A’ – but places a large silver ‘D’ inside of it.

What’s been reported about the new uniforms: The primary color for the new home sweaters will be green. As for the logo, Gaglardi told Defending Big D:

"What I wanted for this franchise was a logo and a look and a crest that when you look at it has timeless, original-six, vintage, classic qualities to it, and that's been the theme of what we've been pursuing," Gaglardi told us in January. I then asked if that was to say that he hoped this new jersey would be one that would stick around for the long-haul and he answered simply "Yes."

This logo would seem to fit that design. It’s a more classic looking crest than the current logo, and an attempt to create something iconic and identifiable.

If this is indeed the new logo, what do you think? And by that we mean: Better or worse than the Stars’ other clear option, which was resurrecting the Mooterus?

No. 1 Star: Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings goalie made 28 saves for his second career shutout, as Detroit won Game 4 over the Chicago Blackhawks, 2-0. He was especially good in the third period as the Blackhawks turned on the offense. Detroit leads the series, 3-1.

No. 2 Star: Derek Stepan, New York Rangers

The Rangers needed someone to make a play. Stepan did, twice. He stripped Zdeno Chara of the puck and scored to tie the Boston Bruins in the third period, 2-2. After Tyler Seguin’s goal gave Boston the lead again, Stepan set up Brian Boyle for another tying goal on the power play, where the Rangers were the worst team left in the postseason. New York won Game 4, 4-3 in overtime, on a Chris Kreider goal. Here’s the Stepan strip-and-score, helping the Rangers stay alive in the postseason.

No. 3 Star: Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings

Quick shut the door on the San Jose Sharks in Game 5, making 24 saves as the Kings won, 3-0. It was his seventh career shutout. His best work came when the Sharks pulled Antti Niemi with over 2 minutes left in the third, trailing by two goals. The Kings took a 3-2 series lead.

Honorable mention: Anze Kopitar, Slava Voynov and Jeff Carter had the Kings goals. … Jakub Kindl and Dan Cleary had the Wings goals. … Carl Hagelin had the Rangers’ other goal, while Nathan Horton and Torey Krug (his third) had the Bruins tallies. … Niemi (26 saves) and Corey Crawford (25 saves) had strong games in defeat.

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 2. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 3. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 4. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks; 5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 7. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators; 8. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings; 9. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 10. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings.

Dishonorable mention: The Blackhawks saw their perfect penalty killing run end with the Kindl goal. … Jonathan Toews took three consecutive minor penalties in the second period, one of them leading to the Kindl goal. … This Tuukka Rask banana peel moment led to a Rangers goal. … Both Quick and Joe Thornton had their moments of embellishment in Game 5.

“It gave us some life," said Rangers head coach John Tortorella. "It’s funny how it works, huh?”

From that moment on, the Rangers played inspired hockey and woke up a Madison Square Garden crowd who grew restless after the Bruins took a 2-0 lead 7:41 into the second period. The energized arena reached its peak 7:03 into overtime when Chris Kreider redirected a Rick Nash pass to give the Rangers a 4-3 win, staving off elimination yet again:

The Rangers fought off elimination for a third time this postseason and will attempt to do so again on Saturday in Boston facing a 3-1 deficit.

Like Thursday night, Game 5 for the Rangers will be pressure-free. The expectations surrounding this team have changed drastically since January, and after digging themselves an 0-3 hole, handshakes were expected on the MSG ice Thursday night. That hockey tradition will be delayed for at least one more game.

“We’re breathing. We have a long road to go," said Tortorella. "We just need to think about one more game and that’s in Boston.”

It's way too early to start talking about the 2010 Bruins team that blew a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers. Many of the 2013 Bruins were on that team and remember full well how that series slowly began to slip away. Bruins head coach Claude Julien will certainly examine the failings in Game 4 to ensure that there is a handshake line takes place after Game 5.

Everything the Bruins did successfully through the first three games didn't work in Game 4. Boston allowed New York to score their first power play goal since Game 4 against the Washington Capitals in the opening round. And after holding the Rangers to only one goal in third periods all series, Thursday night the Bruins allowed two. Both were game-tying.

"There is no panic here," said Julien. "Had we been outworked and not been there at all, we would be talking differently here. But we didn't get outworked, and all it was, as a team, was we didn't execute as well as we have been. Our work ethic was there, but the things that we did extremely well [before] weren't that easy [tonight]."

No panic in Boston. No pressure in New York. One game to win for the Bruins. One big challenge for the Rangers.

“We should have some fun with this and don’t think about what you have to climb, think about the next game," said Tortorella.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

The Detroit Red Wings won Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, 2-0, to take a 3-1 lead and push the Hawks to an elimination game back in Chicago on Saturday.

The unraveling of the Blackhawks continued in Game 4.

Suddenly, captain Jonathan Toews isn’t just failing to score goals – he was a complete liability, taking three straight minor penalties in the second period. On the second one, the Red Wings finally solved the Chicago penalty kill, as Jakub Kindl scored with one second left on the man advantage.

The Blackhawks had killed the first 30 power plays they had faced in the postseason, and tied an NHL record for not allowing a power-play goal for their first eight games of the postseason.

Coach Joel Quenneville scrambled his lines before Game 4, putting Toews with Patrick Kane. The results didn’t arrive: Howard earned his second career shutout with 28 saves. Chicago brought the heat in the third period, but couldn’t break through before Dan Cleary’s empty netter iced it.

So the captain couldn’t stay out of the sin bin, the penalty kill failed and the coach as yet again out-coached by his adversary on the other bench.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are looking more and more like their vintage playoff selves with each victory. Despite the inexperience on the roster, especially the blue line, the Wings have frustrated the Stanley Cup favorites to the brink of elimination.

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That must have been some lonely feeling for Rask as he watched that puck glide by him in the crease and into the net.

Afteward, Rask explained: "I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something. My skate dug in, that's what it felt like. I lost my balance and the rest is history.

"It happens to me twice a year in practice, maybe. [I've] got to me more focused, I think. Just a tough mistake, it looks pretty bad on TV, I guess."

The final 11:21 of the second period went uneventful for Rask, despite the goal inspiring the Rangers' play a bit. With Rask being known as a guy with a bit of a temper, it was nice to see nothing was harmed in the aftermath of that blunder. Though, with the Rangers coming out on top 4-3 in overtime thanks to a Chris Kreider goal, we don't know what kind of damage was done in the locker room.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

By Chuck and Pants from What's Up, Ya Sieve?

Never in considering playoff beards or writing this informative and newsworthy weekly feature did we expect to find that so many people share our affinity for ginger beards. You’re all into hockey, that’s enough to make us friends. This common captivation with facial hair takes our relationship to the next level.

Since we’ve made ginger beards a thing, it’s time to give them their due. Last week, we mentioned Daniel Alfredsson and Brian Bickell’s impressive contributions. Here are the rest of The Best 2013 Ginger Beards, from rusty to rosy and everything in between.

Dougie Hamilton, Boston Bruins - GBR (Ginger Beard Rookie)

Sure, Dougie is a rookie, and he looks a bit like Beaker from “The Muppet Show,” but his ginger beard is not to be ignored. The 19-year-old Bruins defenseman comes to his first playoff run with the beginning of a epic, day-glo scruff. Somewhere on a golf course, Claude Giroux is wicked jealous.

We’re counting on Dougie to represent the Animal/Elmo beard that few true redheads last long enough in the playoffs to achieve. Should the Bruins make it to the Finals, this beard might require us to invest in new sunglasses. We wouldn’t want to burn out our corneas.

P.S. Imagine if he had the beard PLUS this haircut? Just a suggestion, DH. There’s a BeardWatch Award for this.

Martin Havlat, San Jose Sharks - AYB (All-Year Beard)

Who says that the Irish do ginger best? This Czech winger is not only an originator of the MGB (Mysteriously Ginger Beard), but his copper-colored facial accoutrement has a brogue so thick we have absolutely no idea what it’s saying. This beard has a pint of Guinness and a full Irish Breakfast, complete with blood pudding, before hitting the ice.

This beard’s favorite band? U2.

This beard’s favorite actor? Liam Neeson. This beard has 11 brothers - Patty, Marky, Nicky, Andy, Danny, Joey, Timmy, Tommy, Matty, Scotty...and Brent.

Sure he wears this beard year-round, but Havlat’s been in and out of the lineup with a recurring injury, so we’ll give him a pass.

Dan Cleary, Detroit Red Wings - Red Storm Rising

Red and orange fall next to each other in the rainbow, and Dan Cleary is sporting every shade in between to demonstrate the true nature of ginger. A little bit orange, a little bit rock and roll, this beard has not backed down in the face of the #1 seed. It’s gunning for an upset in the Western Conference.

For once we can see when Pierre wants to stand so close - look at all the pretty colors.

James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins - #Gingerbeard

Our favorite (and oft-cited) beard, we’ve been referring to Neal simply as #Gingerbeard since the playoffs started. We were hoping that saying it three times in the mirror could make it magically appear on the scoresheet (instead of in the penalty box). Last night, we got our wish. Neal had two goals - and zero penalties.

We also uncovered a conspiracy between Neal’s interviews on Root Sports (US) and CBC (Canada). Look at this beard:

WHAT?! It’s ginger either way, but Canada’s RGB - I mean the color model, but this could also stand for Ridiculously Ginger Beard - is cranked all the way up. American TV lighting dims the #Gingerbeard while Canada shines it so brightly you could stick a maple leaf on it and wave it with pride. Are our neighbors to the north intentionally making ginger beards appear even more ginger?

Canada, you’re doing it right.

Matt Greene, Los Angeles Kings - The Once and Future Beard

An honorable mention of sorts, Matt Greene returned to the Kings lineup in Game 4 after missing almost a month of play due to injury. He didn’t spend that hiatus cheating on his beard either. Last year, his red-blond beard was a glorious Game of Thrones tribute by the Final. If LA can bounce back against the Sharks, it shouldn’t take Matt too long to return to his ruddy form. Like an iron heating up, the farther the Kings go, the redder this beard gets.

Patrick Roy is the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

But that's not all! He's also been named a vice president of hockey operations, just like Joe Sakic! They'll be leading the hockey team together! (Also Greg Sherman will be there, hanging around, occasionally saying things, apparently.)

From the Avalanche press release, which is 625 words long, and none of those words are "Greg" or "Sherman", which seems unusual:

“This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization’s history,” said Avalanche President Josh Kroenke. “Patrick’s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships.”

“All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer,” said Sakic. “Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow.”

“This is an unbelievable day for me,” said Roy. “It’s a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. I would like to thank Stan and Josh Kroenke for this opportunity as well as Joe Sakic for the trust they are putting in me. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am.”

The jury's still out on whether Sakic and Roy can do what they did for the Avalanche a decade ago from the front office. There's a nostalgia element that's very cool, but may not necessarily turn the franchise around. That said, it would be tough for the Avalanche to take a step backwards, and Roy's junior resume speaks for itself. This isn't a hire based on what he did during his days as a player. It's based on what he's done since.

Plus, if it's a personality transplant the Avalanche needed, and they did, boy oh boy, did they just get one.

Back in Round 1, Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks took a moment to suggest that the San Jose Sharks occasionally dabbled in embellishment. It was a fairly transparent bit of gamesmanship, and even moreso after he gave a second performance of the monologue, this time with props.

It didn't work, either. Thereafter, the Canucks won zero games.

But that didn't discourage San Jose Sharks' winger T.J. Galiardi from trying out the tactic himself. On Thursday, Galiardi had a few words to say about LA Kings' goaltender Jonathan Quick.

He's Quick on the ice and quick to the ice, if you catch my meaning. From the Mercury News:

Galiardi is speaking, as you'd expect, from experience. He was sent to the box for goaltender interference in the second period of Game 4, and he was almost sent again for the same infraction before he could even get back to the bench. After the Sharks killed off his penalty, he chased Slava Voynov into the LA end on the San Jose's final zone clear, and as he skated by the goal, he clipped Quick's skate.

The goaltender dropped.

But, just like on the ice, the Kings stand up for their goaltender. It was Drew Doughty who rushed to Quick's defense this time around, and he took about the same approach to dismissing Galiardi's observations that the Sharks took in dismissing Kevin Bieksa's: no, you are.

From the LA Times:

“It’s not even playoff talk,” Doughty told The Times after Thursday’s morning skate before Game 5. “It’s just funny to even hear that from a guy who is the biggest diver on their team. Like it’s just ridiculous he can even say that, to be honest.

“But I don’t want to get involved in that stuff. I don’t think you have to watch many (Sharks’ games). You can just watch three of his shifts and you’ll see how many times he dives. There’s been times where even the refs are telling him, just get up, because he’s diving so often.”

I have to take issue with Doughty's counterpoint. It's not even playoff talk? Really? Because it seems to me that complaining about your opponent's embellishment is pretty much a staple of playoff talk at this point.

Heck, even Galiardi knows that much. "It's the playoffs," he said, immediately after taking his shot at Quick, "Everyone's trying to draw a penalty. Whatever."

Yeah, pretty much.

It's the playoffs. That glorious time of year when the officials let the players play by swallowing their whistles, and the players, finding it easier to score big goals when their opponent can ice fewer guys, try to sell every hook, grab and hold in the hopes of coaxing the whistles back up the esophagi of said officials.

Then, of course, if one of your opponents is proving to be really good at it, you draw attention to it in the hopes of swaying the officials. In this way, it's exactly like diving.

And thus concludes another episode of Diving Divers and the Dives they Did. Game 5 goes Thursday night.

Welcome once again to hockey hugs, the Puck Daddy feature that's all about the love.

We're into the second round of the playoffs, and it's a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the hugs just keep getting more and more meaningful the further into the postseason you go. On the other hand, the variety is beginning to dwindle.

Fortunately, many of the teams remaining have characters you can't help but chuckle at. The San Jose Sharks, for instance, have the Wookiee Brent Burns. What's he howling? Why, he's swearing a life-debt to Marc-Edouard Vlasic, just like Chewbacca!

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are led by, basically, the Iron Giant in a spoked B, so they're going to produce a lot of great big-guy-little-guy shots. Case in point, this photo, where Brad Marchand looks less like a teammate and more like a troll that rides around on his back.

Coming up: more hugs, unsurprisingly. We've been doing this awhile now. You know how it works.

No. 5, Chicago Blackhawks

Patricks Sharp and Kane enact their plan to get under Jimmy Howard's skin by smiling menacingly at him from afar.

"Kaner, he's looking. Creepy smiles. Just like we practiced."

"Rawr!"

"What, no roaring. What are you doing?"

"Meow!"

"That's worse!"

No. 4, Team Switzerland

The Swiss may not have won gold, but they did produce the best hug at the World Championships. In this photo, Julian Walker stares blissfully and deeply into a teammate's eyes, and tells him the thing he's been wanting to tell him for so long.

"I've never liked you."

No. 3, Boston Bruins

Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron celebrate their overtime winner versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, and take a moment to rub it in a little.

"Knock knock, Patrice!"

"Who's there, Big Z?!"

"Kessel!"

"Kessel who!?"

"Kessel's go get the golf clubs!!!!!

"Ahahahaha! You're so bad, Big Z!"

No. 2, Chicago Blackhawks

Marian Hossa receives a hug from Patrick Sharp, and takes a moment to gloat to all the women in Chicago.

"Oh wooooow what a hug from Patrick Sharp! This Patrick Sharp fellow's quite something! Sorry, ladies!"

"Marian, knock it off."

"What's that, Patrick? Marian is best? How kind of you to say! Sorry, ladies!"

No. 1, Boston Bruins

Coming this fall to NBC: It's "Marchie and Z", the tale of Zdeno, a man trying to juggle being the captain of the Boston Bruins and a single dad to a mischievous little son Marchie. In this episode, Marchie somehow gets into a uniform and -- oh no! -- gets out onto the ice!

"Daddy, Marchie wanna play! Marchie wanna help!"

"Marchie, no! How did you get out here? I thought Mr. Jacobs was watching you!

"He was, but then he got into a fight with a baby."

*canned laughter*

• The Dallas Stars won't be the only ones revealing new jerseys on June 4. That same day the Carolina Hurricanes will unveil their new home and road looks. Their logo and colors will remain the same. [Hurricanes]

• Meanwhile, the Texas Stars showed off their new jerseys on Thursday. Could these be a hint as to what the Dallas Stars' new look will be? In a word, no. [Stars Inside Edge]

• As the Boston Bruins go for the sweep tonight, it appears as if they'll ice the same lineup from Game 3, meaning Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden will be spectators. Redden and Brad Richards in a press box together? Glen Sather must be proud. [CSNNE]

• Remember Brian Boyle's giant family from 24/7? Well, residing from outside Boston, their custom-made t-shirts reveal who they're supporting in the series: “Bruins? Rangers? We’re rooting for Boyle.” [Boston Globe]

• Jimmy Howard on how his nap went during Wednesday's full day off for the Detroit Red Wings: “It was great. I think I had a little dream, too, so it was a bonus.” [Free Press]

• San Jose Sharks forward T.J. Galiardi on Jonathan Quick: "What kind of bugs me about him, I don't know if I should say it, but a little embellishment every now and then. You skate by and you don't even touch him or you barely even touch him and he's throwing his hands in the air. So that's one of those things." [Mercury News]

• Vezina Trophy finalist and Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. At the moment, there has been no progress in contract talks between both sides. What is he worth? And how soon until Paul Holmgren throws him an offer sheet to get him back? [Columbus Dispatch]

• Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis on the firing on Alain Vigneault: “We've lost consecutive games in the last two playoff years and there comes a point in time where the message has to change and we have to be better. We didn't get the results we expected and, in this business, you have to get results.” [Vancouver Sun]

• Bourne on the feeling inside a locker room after elimination. [Backhand Shelf]

• How Phil Housley's hiring as an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators could be beneficial for Ryan Ellis. [Smashville 24/7]

• Somehow, this high hit by Dalton Thrower during the Memorial Cup went unpenalized Wednesday night. [Buzzing the Net]

• But there is a chance Thrower gets punished. From Sunaya Sapurji: "The Canadian Hockey League uses the NHL’s hockey operations department – which is off-site -- as both a review and disciplinary body. Despite the fact that no penalty was assessed to Thrower for the hit, the NHL group can review any incident that results in an injury." [Y!]

UPDATE: Thrower has been suspended for the rest of the tournament.

• He wasn't nominated, but here's the case for Garth Snow as General Manager of the Year. [Lighthouse Hockey]

• Should Ryan Miller move on from the Buffalo Sabres, Jhonas Enroth is more than capable of replacing him full-time. [Rant Sports]

• The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will play a preseason game in Oklahoma City on September 27. [News OK]

• The "Huge Specimen" Hugh Jessiman has signed with the KHL's newest team, Medvescak Zagreb. [KHL]

• Don't expect NHL 14 on the new XBOX One when it debuts later this year. [IGN]

• Finally, via Reddit, here's a mock ESPN 30 for 30 trailer on the legendary Gordon Bombay:

It's a Thursday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Star: Ken Daniels of the Red Wings broadcast team joins us.

• Daniel Alfredsson's 'probably not' problem.

• The Canucks' coaching change.

• Brad Richards gets scratched.

• Previewing tonight's games.

Question of the Day: What's the last thing you want to hear from your captain? Email puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or hit us on Twitter with the hashtag #MvsW to @wyshynski or @jeffmarek.

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

Granted, it’s a fourth-liner signed through 2021, whose contract was valued at $60 million when he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent.

Granted, he was their No. 1 center to start the season.

Granted, he’s a former Conn Smythe winner who is now a healthy scratch in his team’s most important playoff game of the season.

Such is the disastrous season for Brad Richards of the New York Rangers.

From Rangers Rants on Thursday:

“I’m surprised, I guess,” said Richards, who turned 33 on May 2 and is still owed $36 million through 2020. “I’m disappointed.”

… Richards said Tortorella called him this morning at home with the news. “Nothing’s over,” Richards said. “Work harder and try my best to never let it happen again.”

It's the beginning of the end, according to Rick Carpiniello:

The next step is then obvious. The Rangers will use their one remaining compliance buyout within the new CBA to end Richards’ relationship with the team this summer. Richards, who received $12 million in 2011-12 and most of his $12 million for the lockout 2013 season, will get a $24 million going-away present this summer (spread out over twice the remaining seven years), removing his contract from the books and his salary from the decreasing salary cap.

Richards will then be an unrestricted free agent, able to strike a deal with any of the other 29 teams, but not with the Rangers. And he surely will resurface after a summer of conditioning, and sign somewhere at a much smaller salary.

Torts has handled the rapid decline in Richards’ game with kid gloves, never torching his former No. 1 center publicly.

The demotion couldn’t have been easy for the Rangers coach, who won a Cup with Richards as his playoff MVP in Tampa Bay. To scratch Richards shows what a non-factor he’s become in the semifinals, skating 8:10 in Game 3 and getting benched in the third period.

Richards came to the Rangers because the money was right and he felt they could challenge for the Cup. But he also signed because of Tortorella. He believed in Torts; and Torts believed in Richards as a veteran leader in that room who could act as his proxy.

Now, Richards is scratched in what could be Tortorella’s last game as Rangers coach.

Jonathan Toews has no goals in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, through eight games. He had two last postseason, through seven games. He had one in seven games against Vancouver in 2011. In 2010, when the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, Toews had one goal in the final 11 games of their run to the championship. It was still good enough for the Conn Smythe.

We’re no math majors, but Toews has four goals in his last 33 playoff games.

During that span, defenseman Brent Seabrook has three goals. For context’s sake.

Reader ‘Hollis 22’ is wondering why Toews doesn’t take flack for this drought:

“If Alex Ovechkin was in that kind of drought, the hockey media would be in his face with torches and pitchforks. In contrast, Joe Thornton has 5 goals in his last 27 playoff tilts, yet he and Patrick Marleau are viewed as guys that crumble in the playoffs.

“Why this stat hasn't made its way to the forefront of the Chicago-Detroit series is mind-boggling to me.”

The line of Toews, Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad has two points in three games against the Detroit Red Wings, who lead their series 2-1. That came on a Marian Hossa power-play goal in Game 1, on which Toews earned an assist.

Otherwise, they’ve watched Henrik Zetterberg’s line do to them what they did to Zach Parise’s line in the Minnesota Wild series: Shut them down, while generating their own offense on the counterattack.

Which is why criticism of Toews’s postseason offense can be sort of tricky.

You could argue that Toews’s primary responsibility in the playoffs isn’t to score goals, and that thesis could be supported by the evidence in Joel Quenneville’s line matching over the years. The Toews Line vs. The Sedins. The Toews Line vs. Joe Thornton (and in one memorable case, Toews vs. Thornton in a fist fight). The Toews Line vs. Briere and Hartnell. The Toews Line vs. Parise and Koivu.

In each case, neutralizing the opposition was as important to the Hawks’ chances as potting their own goals. It’s like when one network puts a popular program in the same time slot as a competitor’s ratings juggernaut: You’re not always trying to win the night; sometimes, you’re just looking to undermine their best offering.

So, in that sense, Toews is a supremely talented defensive centerman when the playoffs roll around: Taking on the other guy’s top talent, winning faceoffs, playing a complete game.

It’s a role he shares with fellow Canadian Olympian and Selke darling Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, who has 7 goals in his last 33 playoff games.

But two of those goals came in the most important game of the Bruins’ season: Game 7 vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs, rallying Boston to an overtime win and sending them to Round 2, where they’re one win away from a sweep of the Rangers.

Chicago is waiting for Toews to have that moment. So is Toews. Via the Chicago Tribune:

''I always do,'' he said. ''Maybe a little added pressure given the situation. Right now I'm just not letting it build up too much in my own mind. Sometimes you start squeezing the stick and the rest of your game goes down hill. I'm not letting that happen. But I know that sooner or later something's got to give. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to contribute in a big way for my team.''

''You gotta keep working and try to keep the puck as much as you can,'' Toews said. ''The more you have it the more opportunities you're going to get to score. Eventually something's gotta go in. Once they do, whether it's myself or Sodder or Hoss, I think confidence will come rushing back that we can keep scoring on a regular basis. We're confident that's going to happen.''

Toews avoids the heat because he does everything else that doesn’t involve putting the puck in the net so well. But eventually he has to put the puck in the net, because the Blackhawks usually win when he does. He has 41 goals in their last 68 regular-season victories; he has just 11 in their last 38 losses.

To win this series, they need Toews to do what so many other couldn’t do vs. Toews: Break through against a tenacious defensive center, who is currently frustrating the hell out of the Blackhawks captain.

Perhaps it’s time for some double-shifting of No. 19, coach.

Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators has, for the most part, achieved Beloved Player status in the National Hockey League: a veteran whose work ethic, results and dedication to the only franchise he’s played for makes him exempt from most criticism.

So imagine, if you will, if Alex Ovechkin or Joe Thornton or Henrik Sedin or another captain who carries less respect than Alfredsson uttered the following when asked if it was feasible his team could win three in a row against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Wednesday's 7-3 Game 4 thumping:

"Probably not.”

Oh captain.

My, captain.

Here’s the video:

The full quote, via Erin Nicks of NHL.com, after Alfredsson was asked if it was feasible his team could win three in a row:

"Probably not," Alfredsson said. "[Pittsburgh's] depth and our play right now … it doesn't look too good.

"When you look at what we did, it wasn't good enough. Does that mean [Pittsburgh] was good? Did we make them good? Who really cares? From our point of view, we didn't manage the puck [well], we didn't execute our passes, and subsequently, we got punished in the neutral zone. We turned way too many pucks over and gave them some freebies. It would have been nice to have the lead for a little bit longer, but now we're back on our heels again. We didn't shut them down when it matters."

From the ‘Alfie Does No Wrong’ crowd, the defense of his statement goes like this (in summary of everything I’ve seen since Wednesday night):

“Daniel Alfredsson was speaking from frustration because his team was embarrassed in Game 4. He’s also staring into the abyss of his career’s end – he retrieved the puck at the end of Game 4, claiming it was for his kids. He’s speaking from the heart and, frankly, speaking the truth, and isn’t that what we want from all athletes? His candor is refreshing!”

It’s not really a surprise to see Alfredsson get a pass in many places for these comments. Alfredsson has banked enough goodwill that he could strangle a kitten in a postgame press scrum and the media would laud him for inventing a new form of “extreme petting.”

But they're comments that indicate the Senators are an inferior team to the Penguins.

Comments that effectively raise the white flag on the season after four semifinal games.

Comments that would seem like the antithesis of what you’d want out of a captain.

Again: Had Alex Ovechkin said the Capitals would “probably not” rally to win a series, he would have been called everything from selfish to a cancer of negativity infecting the Washington locker room.

Not Alfie, despite one of the most defeatist quotes ever uttered by an NHL captain in the playoffs.

It’s May 23. Nineteen years ago today, Mark Messier and the New York Rangers were down 3-2 to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Final. He was asked if the team could win Game 6. He said the following.

“I know we're going to go in and win Game 6 and bring it back here (to the Garden) for Game 7 ... We have enough talent and experience to turn the tide. That's exactly what we're going to do in Game 6.... I've put my five Stanley Cup rings, my reputation and my neck on the chopping block, boys. Now save me."

Imagine how history would remember the Rangers and Messier had he answered “Probably Not.”

As Scott Dobby writes:

@wyshynski I guess that puts him out if the Messier Leadership Award race.

— Scott Dobby (@Scott_Dobby) May 23, 2013

He was the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs then. Now, he’s out of a GM gig; according to Sportsnet 590 in Toronto, that’s the reason he won’t be back in the same capacity for Team USA in Sochi 2014.

As reported on the “Brady and Lang” show by co-host Greg Brady, Burke will not be asked back as the team’s general manager. As Brady tweeted:

“Burke was told, as suspected, USA Hockey wants a current NHL GM. [Nashville GM David] Poile a strong candidate. Burke definitely wanted the job - obviously he made a huge commitment to after his son's tragic passing. Might be a mistake by USA Hockey.”

Burke’s son Brendan died in a car accident on Feb. 5, 2010; the Winter Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver began on Feb. 13, 2010. Burke worked through his personal tragedy, which served as an inspiration for the American players.

He also made some bold decisions at GM that helped Team USA earn silver: Most notably the addition of Chris Drury to the roster, as the veteran center had become a high-priced punchline for the New York Rangers. Drury was one of the team’s best players in the tournament, and rewrote the legacy of his latter years in the NHL.

The notion that a general manager needs to be currently employed in the NHL to take the reins of Team USA seems a bit odd.

First, because having an individual solely dedicated to building the roster without any distractions would seem like, you know, a good thing. Second, it’s not as if Brian Burke’s been out of the game for several years – and it’s certainly not like he isn’t familiar with many of the returning players for Team USA.

This seems – and one hates to say it – like an excuse not to hire Brian Burke again as GM.

Maybe they just don’t want to have that awkward discussion about Ron Wilson coming back to coach the team …

Who takes over Team USA? As Brady mentioned, Poile must be considered as a strong candidate, given his years of service. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero could be considered the front-runner, especially if his coach Dan Bylsma ends up behind the bench. Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi was an adviser for Team USA in 2010; he might be somewhat familiar with the team’s starting goalie in Sochi.

Oh yeah: There's been no official announcement about he NHL going to Sochi and blah blah bliggity blah blah of course they're going.

As part of their 7-3 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 4, Neal scored twice, including a power play tally, and assisted on an another as the Penguins took a 3-1 series lead. The goal were Neal's first since Game 4 against the New York Islanders.

No. 2 Star: Jarome Iginla, Pittsburgh Penguins

Iginla netted a pair, including one of Pittsburgh's two power play goals. He's now put up points in eight of the Penguins' 10 playoff games.

No. 3 Star: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang had a couple of bad turnovers, but did finish with four assists. He now leads all defenseman in scoring with 13 points.

Honorable mention: Chris Phillips made the save of the game, robbing Sidney Crosby with his toe:

Milan Michalek's shorthanded goal that opened the scoring was a beauty:

Pascal Dupuis and Crosby both finished with a goal and an assist ... The Penguins power play scored on two of their five opportunities. They lead all teams with 12 power play goals and a 28.6 percent success rate ... Pittsburgh scored goals 40 seconds and 31 seconds apart, the latter as part of a three-goal surge over 1:45 in the third period ... Daniel Alfredsson's goal was his 100th career playoff point ... Paul MacLean gave a great press conference afterward.

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 3. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks; 4. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; 5. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 6. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 7. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators; 8. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 9. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings; 10. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings.

Dishonorable mention: Craig Anderson was pulled for the second time in three games after allowing six goals on 32 shots.

After the game, there would be no questions for MacLean from the media. He apparently didn't feel the need to add to the story that the gamesheet told:

If only he had dropped the mic before he walked off...

As Matt Kassian told our own Nick Cotsonika, MacLean knows just how to get through to his players, whether it's slipping in a joke during meetings to lighten the mood or, well, holding 13 second press conferences with the stern look of a drill sergeant.

It's worked up to this point. Will it for Game 5?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

It started off just 2:29 into the game when Milan Michalek's shorthanded goal had Scotiabank Place buzzing. Later, after Kyle Turris pounced on a puck during a scramble in front of Tomas Vokoun's crease to give Ottawa a 2-1 lead -- and the Senators killed both power plays they handed the Penguins -- things were looking promising after one period. Craig Anderson was playing like he did in Game 3, making 15 saves in the first period to deny a flying Pittsburgh offense.

"We had to make sure we played the right way," said Kris Letang to NBC Sports Network's Brian Engblom about the Penguins' adjustments between periods. "We were a little on our heels ... We had to regroup."

Regroup they did, and in a matter of 40 seconds the game flipped on its head.

Chris Kunitz and Jarome Iginla scored 40 seconds apart early in the second period to kill any momentum the Senators thought they had after Turris' late first period goal. But the red light behind Anderson was just getting warmed up. The Penguins would add four more in the opening 9:53 of the third period, with James Neal and Iginla each finishing with a pair of goals, en route to a 7-3 victory and a 3-1 series lead.

Three of those four goals game in a 1:45 span, with Pascal Dupuis (shorthanded) and Sidney Crosby scoring scoring just 31 seconds apart:

Entering Game 4, Ottawa had outscored its opponents in the playoffs 14-1 in the third period. That offense shriveled up in the final 20 minutes and made way for the Penguins. And after Crosby's goal, Anderson was pulled for the second time in three games.

"[We tried to] put pucks at his feet and try to get the rebound, and it actually worked," Letang said.

Facing elimination Friday night in Pittsburgh, Game 4 might have been Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson's final home game. When the final buzzer sounded, he grabbed the puck and skated off the ice for possibly the final time in front of Senators fans.

"We don't have much going for us right now," said Alfredsson. "Maybe that's the way we like it." When asked if the Senators have a shot at coming back on the Penguins, Alfredsson said (via NHL.com's Erin Nicks), "Probably not. [Pittsburgh's] depth and our play right now … it doesn't look good," before adding the team doesn't plan on quitting.

The Senators have a shot, but only if Good Craig Anderson shows up. The Craig Anderson that helped carry them through the injuries and into the playoffs. The Craig Anderson that would have been a Vezina Trophy candidate had he not been injured. The Craig Anderson who was superb in Game 3, stopping 49 shots during a double overtime win.

That Craig Anderson.

So which one will we see in Game 5?

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

After a scoreless opening period, the Penguins dominated the second scoring four times and taking the wind out of the Bruins' sails. Providence was unable to solve Brad Thiessen as the Penguins goaltender recorded 34 saves for his second shutout in three games during the 5-0 Game 7 victory.

The Penguins became only the third team in AHL history to advance after being down 0-3 in a Calder Cup playoff series. The 1960 Rochester Americans and 1989 Adirondack Red Wings now have company. As does the Boston Bruins organization, who now have had teams blow 3-0 series leads at the NHL and AHL level, as Tim Rosenthal pointed out. (Wayne Whittaker also brings up the fact that poor Trent Whitfield was on the Bruins team that gave up a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.)

Games 1 and 2 were dominated by the Bruins, with 8-5 and 4-2 victories. They took Game 3 in overtime 2-1, but beginning with Game 4, it was Brad Thiessen time. The Penguins netminder took control and slowed the Bruins’ offense over the next three games making 31, 30 and 46 saves, respectively, forcing a seventh and deciding game, even after getting jumped by Graham Mink in Game 5 during a brawl.

Thiessen's shutout in Game 7 improved his already ridiculous stats. He leads all goaltenders with a 0.89 goals against average and a .970 save-percentage; he's also stopped 196 of 202 shots he's faced in seven starts. So, yeah, Thiessen's in some sort of zone right now.

The Penguins will now face the Syracuse Crunch in the Eastern Conference Final beginning Saturday night.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Via TSN’s SportsCentre, these were deemed the Top 10 Pavel Datsyuk goals of all-time, which is a bit like trying to narrow down the 10 best entrees ever served by Thomas Keller.

A few thoughts:

• Datsyuk owns the Nashville Predators. Just owns’em.

• We like to pretend that Datsyuk’s “change-up” goal in the shootout against Antti Niemi and the Chicago Blackhawks was a subversive satire about the shootout.

• We’re not sure what's more embarrassing for the goaltender on No. 1: that he got completely bamboozled, or that it happened in a Mooterus jersey.

• We’re sure that this video was in no way a response to Glenn Healy’s claim that Datsyuk doesn’t have “god-blessed talent” on rival CBC. Nope. No way.

"We’re going to have to reinvent ourselves and do things differently in order to be successful. The macro look at this team is that changes have to be made,” said Gillis.

On Wednesday, changes were made: According to Louis Jean of TVA, head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coaches Rick Bowness and Newell Brown were all fired by Gillis in a massive house cleaning for the franchise.

It was later confirmed by the Canucks:

“We have made the very difficult decision to relieve Alain Vigneault, Rick Bowness and Newell Brown of their coaching duties today,” said Canucks President and General Manager, Michael D. Gillis. “Alain, Rick and Newell worked tirelessly to lead this team to great on-ice success. I am personally grateful to each of them and their families for their commitment to the Canucks and the city of Vancouver and wish them continued success in future.”

Vigneault coached the Canucks from 2006-2013, winning 313 games. He captured the Jack Adams in 2006-07, and coached Vancouver to the playoffs in six of those seasons, including that Stanley Cup Final loss to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

But he guided the team to back-to-back first-round playoff losses over the last two seasons, as the Canucks were humbled by both the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Vancouver’s offense went stone cold in both series.

The Canucks were viewed as a Stanley Cup contender in both seasons; they didn’t come close either time, and Vigneault was reportedly shown the door.

There are likely as many fans who called for the head of Gillis as called for the head of AV. The notion of total regime change for Vancouver probably didn’t make sense to ownership, who see the window still open for this edition of the Canucks to win. But the mismanagement by Gills – being too focused on the blue line, adding offensive pieces that didn't pan out – is as much a factor in Vancouver’s underwhelming results as anything the coach did.

But it’s Vigneault who was always going to pay the price for that. He won’t be out of work long, with both the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche openings a possibility for his next move. And what about a Chicago Wolves reunion with Craig MacTavish in Edmonton, if the Oilers decided to make a change?

As for the Canucks: If they’re “win now,” and one assumes they are, could the next move be former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff? What about Toronto Marlies coach Dallas Eakins, who is now allowed to listen to offers with the AHL team’s season over? Would they turn to Guy Boucher, recently dropped by the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Here's an idea: Perhaps it's time to add the Canucks to the Dave Tippett Watch, if the veteran coach doesn't remain with the Phoenix Coyotes?

And hey, if the Canucks ever decide to upgrade the GM spot: Don Maloney. Just sayin'.

The bottom line: Roberto Luongo outlasted Alain Vigneault in Vancouver.

Who saw that coming?

• Alex Ovechkin got his KHL medal for Dynamo Moscow's Gagarin Cup win. And you said he never wins anything. Wait, what's that? He left the team before they won? Well. Still. [Dmitry Chesnokov]

• The NHL's most stylish men. Yes, Henrik Lundqvist is on the list. [Sharp]

• Sidney Crosby was nearly killed by a mozza stick. [Sportsnet]

• Nick Cotsonika on Paul MacLean's "fun" approach to coaching. [Yahoo!]

• Meet Tim Thompson, the guy who makes CBC's awesome playoff hockey montages. [National Post]

• Stephen Walkom, Game 3's referee, coached Mario Lemieux's daughter. Is this a conflict of interest? I highly doubt it. Have you ever coached a bunch of kids? By the end, you hate them all and you hate their parents for making them. Or maybe that was just my experience. [Senshot]

• Speaking of officiating conspiracies, the New York Rangers' last penalty call at home came in Game 4 versus the Washington Capitals. [CSNNE]

• Elliotte Friedman's 30 thoughts, which includes this wild notion: "Conspiracy Theory: Sharks GM Doug Wilson wasn't going to trade Dan Boyle at the April 3 deadline, but he wanted Boyle -- and his other veterans -- to think he might. There's been a lot written and said about Extreme Makeover: San Jose edition, but the more I look back at it, it's not just about increasing Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski's roles. He wanted Boyle and Joe Thornton, among others, to believe, 'If this doesn't work, I'm next.'" [CBC]

• Cory Conacher comes out for the Senators in Game 4, and Mark Stone draws in. [Senators Extra]

• Vancouver resident Jay Adams spends a year as a Florida Panthers season-ticket holder. Sounds, uh, great. [Cave Mag]

• The Vancouver Canucks have been awarded over $800,000 after winning a suit filed against Canon for a sponsorship deal gone awry. [Vancouver Sun]

• Speaking of the Canucks, three young forwards Thomas Drance thinks they should target. [Canucks Army]

• The AHL's Toronto Marlies, otherwise known as the baby Leafs, blew a 3-1 third period lead last night to be eliminated from the postseason. Solidarity. [AHL]

• The Chicago Blackhawks are making some friends at NBC with their ratings. [Sherman Report]

• Wherein Chris Neil and Brooks Orpik argue over a hit. [Ottawa Sun]

• Would the Dallas Stars consider trading Loui Eriksson? [Defending Big D]

• Might Ray Emery get a start soon? [Blackhawk Up]

• The Nashville Predators have hired Phil Housley as an assistant coach. [Smashville 24/7]

• Analyzing Sean Couturier's offensive woes in 2013. [Broad Street Hockey]

• Finally, Colin McDonald boosts for teammate John Tavares for the NHL 14 cover, because his living situation depends on it:

“The goals they got were scramble goals,” he said after the 4-1 loss, in which the Penguins tallied two power-play goals. “We've got to be stronger in front of our net."

Stronger, the Senators have been: They’ve shut down the best power-play unit still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (27 percent conversion rate) to the tune of one goal in their last 12 chances. Ottawa's penalty kill went 6-for-6 in Game 3, and has gone 9-for-9 overall. That included a 5-on-3 kill against the Penguins in the second period, during which they only had two shots.

Oh, yeah: There was also the matter of that Daniel Alfredsson shorthanded goal that knotted Game 3 with 29 seconds left. That too.

Again, this is a Senators team stifling a Penguins power play that has slightly fewer stars than “This Is The End.” The kind of all-star unit you’d compile through trades, create-a-player and waiver wire chicanery on a hockey video game.

Can the Senators keep the kill going in Wednesday night’s Game 4?

Ottawa has the ninth best PK in the postseason (82.9 percent) after leading the NHL in shorthanded effectiveness in the regular season (88.0 percent on 167 times shorthanded).

The rocks defensively for the Ottawa shorthanded unit have been Marc Methot and Chris Phillips, the only two Sens averaging over 3 minutes per game on the PK.

But other than those two, the Sens share the wealth: They have nine players that are averaging over a minute per game on the penalty kill through eight games this postseason. Among them: Kyle Turris (2:11 on average) and Alfredsson (2:00).

Goalie Craig Anderson’s numbers shorthanded weren’t stellar in the regular season or through the seven games of the playoffs, but he did make 12 saves shorthanded in his 49-save series-salvaging victory in Game 3.

What’s been the key against an all-star Penguins power play that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Jarome Iginla, Kris Letang and Chris Kunitz, among others?

Via NHL.com, Methot said:

"We've struggled the last couple of games against them," Methot said. "We wanted to be a lot more aggressive, I don't know if we were, but it seemed like we had more success tonight.

"It discourages a team when they don't get things going early, especially when you have a talented group like that."

The Penguins, who would be up 3-0 right now had the power-play not failed them in Game 3, are expected to add Jussi Jokinen to the man advantage unit for Game 4. So there’s a new challenge for Ottawa.

But the most effective penalty kill is, of course, not having to kill a penalty. As Coach Paul MacLean said: “They have some very good players they can put out there. Taking six minor penalties in a game isn't going to be very successful for us.”

It's a Wednesday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Star: Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Harrison Mooney of Puck Daddy and Jesse Cohen of All The Kings Men, a Los Angeles Kings podcast, join Wysh as he rolls solo.

• Is this the end of John Tortorella?

• The Dustin Penner No-Goal in Game 4 for the Kings.

• The Kings Twitter feed fiasco.

• Previewing Game 4 between the Pens and Sens.

Question of the Day: It's GOING POSTAL! Ask us ... OK, ask Wysh anything. Email puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or hit us on Twitter with the hashtag #MvsW to @wyshynski

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

For his sake, it’s good to see that fortune has apparently extended to the offseason.

According to Sport.cz, Voracek “mishandled” his Ferrari on Wednesday morning in Kladno of his native Czech Republic and crashed into a tree.

According to Sporttovni Noviny, Voracek “was driving too fast for a truck that wanted to turn and did not stop in time” and that the “luxury car then crashed into the left side of the truck, drove off the road, where it hit a power line pole and tree."

Damage to the car is estimated at $147,715 US.

Voracek was given a breathalyzer test on-site, but told Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly:

"All good bud. No injuries, no alcohol."

Flyers GM Paul Holmgren released the following statement:

“I spoke with Jake this morning. He was involved in a car accident in the Czech Republic. Although his car did suffer damage, there were no injuries. Jake is fine.”

As The Phanatic notes, anytime you hear “car crash” and “Flyers” it immediately conjures some disturbing history. Glad to hear Jake is OK.

But c’mon, we all know the guy’s legacy as he announces his retirement on Wednesday. It’s two-fold. First, and perhaps foremost, it’s this indelible soundbyte in 2010 in which he questions a reporter about his expertise:

“Are you asking me or are you telling me?” and “So you’re an expert?” and “You saw the replay?” have entered into the NHL lexicon. It’s like the “Who’s on First?” for puckheads.

The other legacy: The suspensions, and his reaction to them.

Sutton was an early poster boy for Brendan Shanahan’s Department of Player Safety, getting suspended for 13 games total in Shanny’s first year as sheriff: Five for a headshot on Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche and eight for another hit to the head on Alexei Ponikarovsky of the Carolina Hurricanes.

He was also one of the first players to speak out against the NHL’s crackdown on certain types of hits. As he told the Edmonton Journal:

"This will be hard because my style of play is to be on my toes, playing physically," said Sutton. "You may see more hits with my back and my butt than my shoulders and my elbow. Seems to be the only way you're not suspended anymore."

"Those guys have to calm down, it's nuts. Everybody does. You can almost dissect every hit and see a guy leaving his feet or there's contact to the head. Guys are always leaning (with the puck). It can look like an elbow, but it's not. The media shows it 1,000 times."

After two seasons of the Department of Player Safety and Rule 48, do you read Sutton’s comments in a different light?

Here’s the full release from the NHLPA on Sutton’s retirement:

Andy Sutton officially announced his retirement from the National Hockey League (NHL) today, following a 15-year career.

As a result of the physical game he played as a defenceman, he endured 12 surgeries for various injuries that caused him to miss a number of games in his career. Notwithstanding, Sutton played in 676 NHL games for seven different NHL teams. He registered 1,134 hits, 1,164 blocked shots and 1,185 penalty minutes, while also scoring 38 goals and 112 assists for 150 points in his career.

“My NHL career enabled me to not only play the game I love, but to also be a part of something that so many kids dream about growing up,” said Andy Sutton. “Throughout my 15 years in the league, I have played for some exceptional hockey teams and have met quality people and friends along the way. None of what I accomplished on the ice would have been possible without the unwavering support of my family, friends, teammates and fans who made playing hockey even more enjoyable.”

He was always known for his resiliency, toughness and steady play. At 6’6”, 245 lbs., Sutton was a hulking, stay-at-home defenceman who was not afraid to sacrifice his body to make a play or save a goal. His dependable play was valued by each team he played for, evident in his average ice-time of 17:42 during the regular season in his career.

“Having played with Andy, I can say that his leadership and character both on the ice and in the dressing room were extremely valuable to me as a young a player in the league,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers centre. “He taught me a lot about what it takes to play at this level, and he was a great teammate.”

Sutton’s career in the NHL began with the San Jose Sharks in 1998-99, before he went on to play with the Minnesota Wild, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks and finally the Edmonton Oilers where he finished his career.

Prior to reaching the NHL, he played 121 games in four seasons with Michigan Tech, which included an outstanding senior season in 1997-98 when he scored 40 points in 38 games and was named to the All-WCHA Second Team. While developing his on-ice game in college, Sutton also earned a degree in engineering.

Sutton signed with the San Jose Sharks in 1998 and played in his first NHL game on October 20, 1998. After spending the following season with the Sharks, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild on June 11, 2000. Sutton played 69 games in 2000-01 in Minnesota, while leading the Wild in hits (123) and ranking second in penalty minutes (131). On January 22, 2002, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers where he played for the better part of the next five years.

In the 2003-04 season with the Thrashers, he set career highs in power play goals (7), shots (102) and average ice-time (23:34), while leading all Atlanta defencemen in goals (8) and accumulating a five-game points streak in March of that year. Sutton played for GCK and ZSC in Switzerland during the 2004-05 lockout. In the 2005-06 season, he led the team in penalty minutes (144) and blocked shots (195) – fourth most in the league – while tying a personal best in goals (8) and also registering career highs in games played (76) and points (25), along with plus-minus (+13) which was tops among all Thrashers defencemen. In 2006-07, as part of the first and only Thrashers team in franchise history to make the playoffs, Sutton ranked 19^th in the NHL in blocked shots (162) and he played in 55 regular season games and all four playoff games.

He played three seasons on Long Island after signing with the New York Islanders in the summer of 2007. In 2007-08, he finished second on the team in penalty minutes (86). In 2008-09, he played in his 500^th career game (November 17, 2008 vs. Vancouver). In the 2009-10 season, which he split between the Islanders and Ottawa Senators, he ranked second in the league in blocked shots (204) and eighth among all defenceman in hits (197). In the six playoff games he played for the Senators, he averaged more than 23 minutes of ice-time. In 2010-11, after signing as a free agent with the Anaheim Ducks, he finished fifth on the team in blocked shots (87) and first in plus-minus on the road (+6), and made another playoff appearance.

On July 1, 2011, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. Sutton was a solid contributor in Edmonton in 2011-12, registering 10 points, a plus-minus rating of +5, 112 hits, 95 blocked shots and 80 penalty minutes in 52 games. While under contract with the Oilers for 2012-13, he was forced to sit out the entire season due to a knee injury.

“I had the pleasure of working with Andy in Edmonton. In the season he played for us, not only did he accept his role on the team, but what he was doing in helping bring our young kids along, and the person he was, was really influential on our group. We’re grateful to Andy for that,” said Ralph Krueger, Edmonton Oilers head coach. “He always showed great character, stayed a gentleman in the process, and he gave us a good effort in his final season. We were sorry to lose him for this past season and it’s really too bad he couldn’t have played. I wish him all the best.”

Andy resides in California with his wife Natalie and daughter Kseniya. He is in the process of licensing the seven technology patents for bodily protection systems that he has been working on for the past few years.

At the time, I found the notion absurd: Two years removed from winning the Richards Derby, one year after he had 15 points in 20 playoff games for the Rangers, and a slow start means the Blueshirts jettison what was to be a major pillar of a championship foundation?

Then came Richards’ finish to the regular season: 11 points in 6 games, including a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres. I kept hearing terms like “empty points” to describe that effort, but on paper Richards looked like he was rounding into postseason form.

And then the postseason hit, and that paper was crumbled up and tossed in the trash.

As Rangers fans flail about trying to diagnose how this team could be down 0-3 to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Brad Richards’ name glows like a neon sign on Broadway. He’s arguably the biggest bust of the 2013 postseason on an individual basis; a pathetic shell of a formerly clutch player who’s been reduced to a $60-million fourth liner.

Turns out Larry Brooks’ speculation may become a necessity.

Remove that run at the end, and Richards’ regular season was just as dreary as his postseason: 23 points in 40 games for a 0.58 points per game average. Even factoring in those 11 points at season’s end, Richards finished with the lowest points per game average of his NHL career, spanning back to 2000-01.

The 33-year-old former Conn Smythe winner has one goal and zero assists in 10 games for the Rangers in the playoffs. Steve Eminger has outscored him. Dan Girardi has outscored him. Arron Asham had outscored him. His faceoffs are at 47.9 percent, which is down from last postseason as well.

The Rangers’ struggles on the power play are now legendary: 2 for 38, for a 5.3 percent conversion rate. And while you can’t pin those struggles on just one player, we submit the following for your disapproval: Brad Richards, second on the Rangers in power-play scoring in the regular season (9 points, tied with Rick Nash) hasn’t tallied a point on the man advantage in the postseason despite playing 3:47 per night, second only to Nash.

Richards is still seeing the ice on the power play. The rest of the game, not so much.

After skating 23 shifts and 18:23 in Game 5 against the Washington capitals, Richards’ ice time was sliced to 9:34 in Game 6; it was 11:12 in Game 7; in the first three games against the Bruins, Richards has played 12:57, 10:34 and then 8:10 in Game 3, when Coach John Tortorella had him benched in the third period.

Sixty-million dollars over nine years. Benched in the most important game of the Rangers’ season.

As Larry Brooks wrote on Sunday:

Tortorella said, “Yes,” the Rangers need more out of Richards and, “Yes,” Richards can provide that even in his unprecedented role as a fourth-line center making cameo appearances.

But probably not. Probably the only way for Richards to contribute is to be given a bigger role, but the cold, hard truth is he has done nothing to earn it this year. Tortorella gives credit where credit is due, but you can’t win games flashing credit cards.

So here we are, with Richards on the bench, his limited assignment by now almost an afterthought.

So what to do with that $60-million Fourth Liner? The structure of his 9-year deal would indicate the Rangers assumed he'd hit the wall around 2017, when his salary drops to $1 million. But this apparent decline is ahead of schedule.

Joe Delessio of Sports on Earth offered his assessment:

Richards isn't producing at an acceptable rate any longer. This isn't a judgment based on the small sample size of the 2013 playoffs, or even just the 2013 season. It's based on the unfortunate trend of the last few years. Some seasons may still be better than others for Richards, and a bounce-back year, under more standard circumstances than this shortened 2013 season, isn't out of the question. But there's no denying that Richards is heading in the wrong direction with seven years remaining on his contract. And seven years is an eternity in sports.

The Rangers have the option, if they can make it work under the cap, of postponing a decision on Richards until after the 2013-14 season, at which point they'd again be allowed to use the last of their so-called compliance buyouts. Doing so would give Richards a chance to bounce back from his ugly 2013 season -- but it'll take more than one year for Richards to prove that the last few seasons haven't been the beginning a downward trend. And the Rangers don't have that kind of time to evaluate him.

In fairness to Richards, there could be a reason why this season has gone off the rails: #LockoutProblems.

He didn’t play during the lockout, opting instead to take part in the CBA talks on behalf of the NHLPA and help to organize charity events to benefit those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Noble causes, both of them – but not exactly the kind of skills-honing that was going on for other veteran NHL players during the work stoppage.

He had a dismal stretch from mid-February into March, and the Rangers’ record during that stretch was just as underwhelming. While other struggling players who stayed home during the lockout eventually found their game – Milan Lucic of the Bruins, for example – Richards couldn’t find any consistency.

Who knows? Maybe with a proper offseason and a full training camp, Richards can return with some semblance of playing like Brad Richards again.

Or, perhaps, playing 8:10 in the season’s most important game is a sign that Richards’ time with the Rangers is also running short.

For Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night, the Kings had a guest-tweeter on the @LAKings feed in Kevin Ryder, one half of the Kevin and Bean morning show on KROQ in LA. He was snarky. He was sorta witty. But in one instance, he went too far for the Kings:

Yeah, sexual assault jokes aren’t everyone’s particular brand of whimsy.

David Rogers of Puck Drunk Love offered this indictment:

It's one thing to be snarky and a bit edgy. It's another to use what boils down to a rape joke on an NHL team's Twitter account. Though Ryder is responsible for the Tweet itself, those behind LA's account and marketing team are responsible for allowing him to use it in the first place. We're not sure who thought it was a good idea or how the idea was approved, but here we are. If you go and look through Ryder's work, this isn't exactly a surprising outcome.

The apologies and clarifications were fast and furious after the tweet.

The Kings hastily deleted the Ryder Tweet and wrote:

We apologize for the tweets that came from a guest of our organization. They were inappropriate and do not reflect the LA Kings.

— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 22, 2013

Ryder himself offered this on Tuesday night:

(1 of 2) My apology. I made a poor choice in the wording of my tweet. I wish I had used different words. If you were hurt by me, I'm sorry. — Kevin Ryder(@thekevinryder) May 22, 2013

(2 of 2) I get angry when groups like Deadspin see it as kindling to make a fire for themselves. That's worse than my choice of words.

— Kevin Ryder(@thekevinryder) May 22, 2013

Both Deadspin and The Sporting News characterized the tweet as a “rape joke”, which is why you saw the Kings apologize for the tweet within a half hour of its posting.

This is one of those times when context and delivery are essential for humor. Louis CK can talk about the most vile, repugnant aspects of the human condition on stage and it’s accepted because we expect to hear that on stage. Kevin Ryder tweets a sexual assault joke on the official feed of an NHL team during a playoff game and … well, you read the apologies.

You’ll hear worse in the cheap seats at a hockey game, but none of those adorable drunks were writing to 250,000 followers on a game night like Ryder was.

The Kings knew what they were getting into, however:

.@thekevinryder is taking over @lakings for the 2nd period.... we've made a huge mistake.

— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 22, 2013

s/t AJ Strong for the pix

No. 1 Star: Daniel Paille, Boston Bruins

The catalyst for the Bruins’ dominating fourth line in Game 3, Paille set up Johnny Boychuk for the tying goal and then scored the game-winner on a funky bounce to give Boston a 2-1 win over the Rangers and a 3-0 series lead.

No. 2 Star: Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks

The Sharks goalie stopped 22 shots, including 13 in the third period, to backstop San Jose to a 2-1 Game 4 win and a 2-2 series split with the Los Angeles Kings.

No. 3 Star: Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks

The Sharks forward scored the game-winning goal on a tip-in of a Dan Boyle shot, his fifth of the playoffs. Couture scored consecutive game-winning power-play goals vs. the Kings.

Honorable mention: Mike Richards had the Kings’ goal. Brent Burns scored for the Sharks in the first period. … Taylor Pyatt had the Rangers’ goal. Tuukka Rask made 23 saves for the Bruins. … Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves in the loss for New York. … Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings. ... This Burns hit on Brad Richardson was something to behold:

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 3. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks; 4. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 5. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 6. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; 7. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators. 8. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 9. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings; 10. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings.

Dishonorable mention: The Bruins didn’t receive a power play in Game 3, the second time a visiting team went a full game at MSG without earning one this postseason. … The Kings were burned by a quick whistle. … The Boston/New York game features several uncalled high-sticks, never more evident than on this “mutual high sticking” play.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Ouch. Tough break for the Kings there, especially with the Sharks holding a two-goal lead at that point.

Please join us next post for another Great Moment in 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs Officiating …

The trio factored in on both Bruins goals in their 2-1 Game 3 victory over the Rangers at MSG on Tuesday night, as Boston took a 3-0 lead in the series and can eliminate the Rangers on Thursday night.

"They were working hard, and they've scored some big goals for us in the playoffs. I have confidence in that line," said Coach Claude Julien. "You utilize them because they're good, not because you have to."

Entering the third period, Rangers held a 1-0 lead in the third period on a Taylor Pyatt goal at 3:53 of the second. But a Henrik Lundqvist turnover led to a few golden chances for the fourth line, until Paille found Johnny Boychuk for a blast just inside the blueline that beat Lundqvist and tied the game at 3:10.

Boston took the lead for good on a strange sequence later in the period.

After Thornton won an offensive zone faceoff, the Bruins fired two shots on the Rangers’ goal. A third shot from Campbell deflected off of bodies in front of Lundqvist, with the puck flying up and over the Rangers goalie onto the goal-line. It landed squarely and then rolled away from the goal, in one of the postseason’s oddest moments.

Lest one believe the Hockey Gods favored the Rangers on this play, Paille was able to skate around the cage unchecked and knock the loose puck in for the 2-1 lead. The Rangers pulled their goalie, but were unable to mount much against Tuukka Rask (23 saves).

Outside of his stick-handling blunder, Lundqvist was masterful in Game 3, stopping 32 shots. It’s his first loss in his last six Game 3s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Once again, it was the Rangers squandering a stellar effort from their netminder.

No points for Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin in a must-win Game 3. Brad Richards played 8 minutes and has 7 years left on his $60 million contract.

The insult to that injury for the Rangers: While their star players were silent, it was the blue-collar Bruins that led them to victory.

The fourth-liners. The grunts. The guys who sacrifice their body and do what it takes to win.

The guys John Tortorella loves to coach, whom he watched defeat the players he actually does coach, pushing this conference finalist in 2012 to the brink of elimination in 2013.

When Scuderi was with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he mistakenly told a reporter that he was “the piece of the puzzle” for the team.

Not “a piece,” but “THE piece.” Which obviously was a point of hilarity for a locker room that included Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

“The Piece” stuck as a nickname for Scuderi – along with the more hockey-linguistic “Scuds” – because he’s been an essential one for two Stanley Cup-winning teams. He logged big minutes and played stout defense for the 2009 Penguins; last season for the Kings, he played 30 shifts a game and finished with a plus-9 in 20 games en route to the Cup.

This season, Scuderi is second on the Kings in ice time (28:08 on average) to defensive partner Drew Doughty (28:08). He leads the team with 23 blocked shots – his forte – and had six in the Game 3 loss.

It’s what he does, and has been doing for years.

“I’ve been playing the same ugly but effective game since I was 18. If you pulled up college video of me, you’d be seeing me doing the same exact thing,” Scuderi, 34, told LAKings.com.

“Although I know I’m the oldest guy here, it’s not something I think about or dwell on. I just try to enjoy myself and play the game hard and try to be a good leader for everyone else.”

How’s his leadership? As captain Dustin Brown told LA Kings Insider:

“It’s all in the way he plays. He does all the right things at the right times. He sacrifices his body. It’s those types of things, and he’s never looking for any recognition. He just goes about his business, just kind of undercover…if you don’t notice him, he’s having a really good game.”

Scuderi becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, as his 4-year deal with the Kings ends. He’s a valuable piece to the Kings’ championship-caliber roster; but will someone else ante up more for “The Piece” in the offseason?

They were down 0-2 to the Washington Capitals this season and back in 2011. Last postseason, in their run to the conference finals, the Rangers were 1-1 against the Ottawa Senators, Capitals and New Jersey Devils heading into the third game.

What happened in Game 3 in each of those series?

Henrik Lundqvist happened, that’s what. The Rangers goalie is 5-0 in his last five Game 3 appearances, with the Rangers going on to win three of those series.

He’s the King of Thirds: Lundqvist has a 1.01 goals-against average in his last five Game 3’s with a .966 save percentage and two shutouts, facing 177 shots – much better than his career average playoff numbers.

So yeah, the Rangers are in good hands. But the question isn’t about Lundqvist’s hands entering Game 3.

He landed awkwardly when trying to cover a rebound of a Daniel Paille shot in the third period of Game 2, with word arriving after the game that Lundqvist injured his shoulder on the play.

From the Bergen Record, Hank provided an update:

Lundqvist’s shoulder did not appear to bother him at all during Monday’s practice. At one point, he stretched out and fully extended his left arm along the ice to make a save on Rick Nash.

He said skipping practice Monday was not an option he considered. "Everybody’s sore," Lundqvist said. "It’s the playoffs. You can’t just sit out [because] it’s hurting a little bit. It happens and you just have to make sure you do the right things to keep it good."

Lundqvist has been outplayed by Tuukka Rask in this series after having one of the best 7-game stretches of his career in the win against the Capitals. Game 3 has been very good to him, for sure; but can the Rangers generate enough offense so that another clutch effort from the King in a Game 3 isn’t squandered?

• Via Wayne B., here's how you take finger hockey to the next level. [Think Geek]

• If Patrick Roy is set to become the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, according to his brother, no deal is currently in place, writes Adrian Dater. [Denver Post]

• Joe Haggerty on why the Boston Bruins and Matt Bartkowski are happy that Jarome Iginla deal never worked out. [CSNNE]

• Why John Tortorella's words always have a deeper meaning behind them. "Remember the "shut yer yap" command to then-Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock when Tortorella's Lightning faced Philadelphia in the 2004 Eastern Conference final en route to that franchise's only Stanley Cup? The story around the NHL is that Tortorella walked into that news conference knowing he would say something of that ilk, regardless of the questioning." [Bergen Record]

• San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan hinted that he may opt to use seven defensemen in Game 4 Tuesday night. Jason Demers would sub in for an injured Martin Havlat. [Mercury News]

• Roy MacGregor on what Craig Anderson brings to the Senators. [The Globe & Mail]

• Darryl Sutter on why the LA Kings flew back home between Games 3 and 4: "Just our own practice facility. You know, what are we going to do up there for two days? Really? You know what, if we had all stayed up there for two days, we’d have been bored last night and today, right? Because you’re basically just sitting around the hotel and there’s nothing to do." [LA Kings Insider]

• Jarome Iginla has 10 points in 9 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins this postseason. But it's time to move him to right wing. [Tribune Review]

• On the Washington sports media's affinity for hating on the Capitals: "In the wake of yet another disappointing conclusion to the season, what we’re getting in the stead of honest assessments of the team from informed parties are sensationalist diatribes derived from the paltry nuggets of information that rise above the rest because of their headline value." [Japers Rink]

• The NBA and NHL playoffs are moving along. As we get closer to the Stanley Cup Final, who are the TV networks rooting for? [Wall Street Journal]

• The AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins stormed back from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7 with a 2-1 overtime win against the Providence Bruins Monday night. The Penguins will look to make history on Wednesday night. [Citizens' Voice]

• Jeff Angus ranks the top 50 players in terms of their trade value. Where do you think Alex Ovechkin landed? [Angus Certified]

• Which players from non-playoff teams should you keep an eye on for next season? [Dobber Hockey]

• Neat little site with various scoreboard drawings from NHL rinks. [Scoreboards, Ices & More]

• Finally, via Buzzing the Net, here's Max Domi pulling off a move his old man could only dream of doing:

It's a Monday edition of Marek vs. Wyshynski beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, and we're talking about the following and more:

Special Guest Star: Joe Haggerty of CSN New England joins us to talk Bruins vs. Rangers Game 3.

• Recapping the Red Wings' win over the Blackhawks.

• The Andrew Shaw no-goal and the tinfoil hat reaction from Red Wings fans.

• Should referees have to answer for their calls after a game?

• Previewing Game 4 between the Sharks and Kings.

Question of the Day: Who is the most paranoid fan base in the NHL and why? Email puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or hit us on Twitter with the hashtag #MvsW to @wyshynski and @jeffmarek.

Click here for the Sportsnet live stream or click the play button above! Click here to download podcasts from the show each day. Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Feedburner.

Pavel Datsyuk tries his darnedest to succeed despite his obvious shortcomings.

Survey 100 puckheads, Family Feud-style, about who the most talented hockey player on the planet is, and it's a safe bet that Pavel Datsyuk is going to be on the board. Hell, there's a pretty good chance that he'd be the number one answer.

The man is a wizard. There are wizards, I imagine, who see him do what he does and think, "Damn, that's some next-level crap."

In other words, it would be tough to look at a guy like Datsyuk and say the reason for his success is a work ethic that makes up up for a lack of talent.

Tough, but not impossible. Here's what CBC's Glenn Healy had to say Monday night:

"When you look at a guy like Datsyuk, not all the God-blessed talent in the world, but he is a hard worker..."

This is quite the thing to say.

Now, Healy is certainly correct that Datsyuk is a hard worker. But as for that first part... I, and we'll assume anybody else that has seen Pavel Datsyuk -- who spawned the adjective Datsyukian, basically defined as "insanely skilled", and scored this goal later that same evening -- would respectfully beg to differ.

Unless, perhaps, Healy simply sees the distribution of talent a little like the distribution of wealth. If so, I guess you could argue that Datsyuk is hockey's version of a fatcat. The 1%, as it were. He doesn't have all the God-blessed talent in the world -- just most of it. But there's still a pittance remaining for the rest of us.

Or maybe Healy thinks Pavel Datsyuk is Justin Abdelkader.

How does one come to a conclusion like this? I'll show you how.

Consider this goal, where Datsyuk slices through all five Nashville Predators. It's fine and all, but you know what I don't see here? A simple pass.

That's probably because Datsyuk isn't talented enough to make one. Luckily, he's able to overcome his ineptitude as a passer by working hard all the way up the ice. Thank goodness for his tireless ethic.

And here's a compilation of every Pavel Datsyuk shootout attempt for the last eight years:

I mean, yeah, he's all right, I guess, but he didn't score on all of them. Good thing he works so hard.

And speaking of not scoring, Datsyuk may have put Logan Couture on his ass with this dangle, but he didn't produce a goal.

Woe betide his lack of skill.

For further evidence, here's a lengthier compilation of Datsyuk's stickhandles. Note that not every one of them results in a goal.

If only God hadn't been so stingy with the talent.

Anyway. Join us tomorrow when Healy says Zdeno Chara may not have a lot of natural height...

Among the safe include members of the Edmonton Oilers' AHL club, the Oklahoma City Barons. The Barons practice facility is in Moore, where the damage destroyed two elementary schools and left a 20 mile-wide area of destruction. Most of the players, according to general manager Bill Scott, don't live near the area that was hit the hardest and the Barons' offices are downtown.

One player, however, who was nearest to those affected was Alex Plante, a defenseman who's been living with a family in Moore since suffering a broken jaw last month.

From Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun:

“I’d come downtown for a dentist appointment and the family I was staying with in Moore, who adopted three Downs Syndrome kids, managed to get the kids out of their school before the lockdowns.

“I told them to drive to our arena. That’s where we’re told to go. The underground parking garage at the Cox Convention Centre has a storm shelter.

...

"Our team has been fortunate that until now we’ve never had to experience a tornado. When you get here, you hear a lot about the one on May 3, 1999 in Moore. That was the big one. But they say this is three times that size.

“I haven’t seen anything yet,” Plante said of the devastation. “I don’t want to. Your heart just goes out to everybody.”

When Plante spoke with Jones, he and the family hadn't been able to get back to their house to see if there was any damage.

The Barons are currently waiting to see who they will play in the Western Conference Final, where they will host Games 3 and 4 tentatively scheduled for May 29 and 31.

If you'd like to help the people of Oklahoma, there are a number of places to go, including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Via reader Jenni comes this bro-tastic bro-dacious Jersey Bro, bro:

Seen at a Charlotte Checkers game, this guy was REALLY proud of his "BROVECHKIN" jersey, and asked me to take a picture of him (and the Nutcracker) with his own camera as well.

I can assure you, the Checkers were NOT playing the AHL affiliate of the Capitals... so that too, is a foul, in my opinion!

Your opinion is correct. This is a Russian nesting doll of Fouls.

(Also, it speaks to the power of the Foul that we didn’t even notice the albino cousin of Cookie Puss holding a bag of peanuts next to him.)

We were curious if “Brovechkin” was an actual thing, and not just Mike Green’s daily greeting to his captain. We discovered it has an Urban Dictionary entry:

“a bro who has dirty swag.”

That bro should probably find a Laundromat.

Anyhoo, there’s also “Brovechkin” gear available on sites like Bros Like These Shirts, in case you absolutely have the need to call attention to what a wide bro-cabulary you have. Vomit.

(Coming Up: A George Parros mustache Foul; a hideous Tampa sweater; Toronto Maple Leafs Tribute jersey; Detroit Red Wings hate Frankenjersey; another Caps Foul; Revisionist Sweaters; and a rather crude ‘69’ jersey.)

And here … we … go.

Vincent sends in this rather clever Anaheim Ducks Jersey Foul, as a fan simply placed a George Parros mustache where his nameplate would go.

This is actually a new category for us: The Symbolic Name Jersey.

We’re not sure whether to Pass of Fail it, to be honest, because it borders on being a Tribute Jersey to a beloved player. And we’re interested in seeing other symbols used for NHL players. Like a loaded slice of pizza for Brodeur. Or a severed head for Raffi Torres…

Via Habermac, this Chicago Blackhawks’ FrankenJersey is really atrocious, from the spacing of the words to the fact that it incorporates the black sweater rather than the Greatest Jersey In The History Of The NHL.

That said, we hope he enjoyed his flatbread grilled chicken sandwich at Wendy’s. A little hard to eat but mighty tasty, that one.

A New Jersey Devils fan cuts to the chase on former captain Zach Parise, and his decision to sign with the Minnesota Wild. Either that or he [expletive] hates Bobby Butler. Via Ron L.

Via Gray Wilcox, here’s a pre-trade deadline Foul from the Dallas Stars:

Ribeiro to Jagr? Points for creativity?

Totally. Turning the ‘63’ into a ‘68’ with tape? DIY goodness, and a nice Dead To Me Sweater as well.

Via Chris Gonsalves, this Toronto Maple Leafs Dead To Me Sweater turns a Luke Schenn relic into a James vanRiemsdyk tribute in a clunky, awkward, phonetically challenged way.

From the Capital of Jersey Fouls, Jesse Hightower writes:

Hate to rat out my own fanbase, but some are getting on my nerves lately for more than one reason.

The worst part about this Karl Alzner/John Carlson FrankenJersey is that the duo is no longer even paired together. They’ll need a “GREENZNER” jersey next season.

As you know, the Tampa Bay Lightning give their season ticket holders the customized jersey of their liking. This has led to some horrible decisions. Like this one, via Alexis Boucher of Sons of Andreychuk:

I was on the plaza before the Bolts/Hurricanes game on 3/16, enjoying a $2 beers when I saw this monstrosity. Her hair blocks it a bit, but the top reads "A Woman Divided". Then vertically has Pouliot 67 and Hedman 77. Blue name plates on the old black jersey. Vertical text. My head nearly exploded.

We can only assume the exploding head was a result of her retinas simultaneously being destroyed at nuclear meltdown temperatures.

These jerseys were worn by Boomer Esiason and his son to the New York Rangers’ Game 2 vs. the Boston Bruins. Before you get all nutty on the Foul stuff here, give a read:

Oops here are the jerseys for game 2 and beyond we'll auction them off at the end of the series for BostonStrong! twitter.com/7BOOMERESIASON…

— Boomer Esiason (@7BOOMERESIASON) May 18, 2013

OK, charity and a worthy cause trump the supreme Foul-ish nature of putting over Boston on a NY sweater.

Barely.

And finally …

Sigh. Via Kevin:

Check out this beauty of a sweater spotted at the Texas Brahmas v. Missouri Mavericks CHL game in Fort Worth.

Just in case you needed a reminder as to why the ‘69’ jersey is a cancerous lesion on the buttocks of hockey fandom …

It appears the next Avalanche coach might be born out of that same nostalgia.

Patrick Roy, the co-owner/GM/head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, will be the next coach of the Avalanche, as his brother told Adrian Dater of the Denver Post on Monday.

Via Dater:

"They're discussing the final details of an arrangement. Colorado is going to be very happy. Patrick is looking for a new challenge," said Stephane Roy, the younger brother of his famous sibling.

The Avalanche would not confirm a deal is in place. Patrick Roy could not be reached for comment, and neither could Avalanche vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic.

Stephane Roy, who played briefly in the NHL, posted on his Facebook page Monday night, "For all my friends I'd like you to know before the official news spreads that my older brother will be the new coach of the Colorado Avalanch(sic)."

Patrick Roy was traded to the Avalanche in 1995 after a contentious split from the Montreal Canadiens. He would win 262 games from 1995-2003, along with two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe in 2001.

He was previously offered the head coaching gig for the Avalanche in 2009, before the team fired Tony Granato and hired Joe Sacco. He turned down the job, citing “family reasons.”

Sakic wouldn’t confirm nor deny Roy was a candidate this week in a radio interview with 104.3 The Fan, but said:

“I love Patrick. He was probably the greatest goalie that ever played. There’s a guy who was a winner. That’s all he wanted to do. I know he’s done a tremendous job with his junior team in Quebec and for sure he’s a guy that you would consider, yeah.”

Is he the right man for the Avs?

Some will see this as another shameless nostalgia trip by a franchise that needs to recapture the confidence and excitement of the fans. But Roy is a well-respected junior coach -- albeit a controversial one -- with no less than Scotty Bowman having endorsed him as a future NHL coach.

If nothing else, the Avalanche would have an immediate personality transplant.

It used to be “Patrick Roy and the Avs”; it would be again.

For the second straight game, Howard was able to withstand the Chicago Blackhawks' attack, though he was a little busier in Game 3. Making 39 saves, Howard backstopped the Red Wings to a 3-1 victory to take a 2-1 series lead. One of his biggest saves was early in the third period when Patrick Sharp came in on a breakaway:

No. 2 Star: Drew Miller, Detroit Red Wings

Miller was part of the 1-2 punch Detroit gave Chicago in the second period as his goal put the Red Wings up 2-0 and came 31 second after Gustav Nyquist opened the scoring. Miller was also credited with four blocked shots.

No. 3 Star: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings

Datsyuk's goal gave Detroit a 3-1 lead and came two minutes after Patrick Kane cut the lead to one and a minute after Andrew Shaw's goal was waived off.

Detroit has won nine straight games in which Datsyuk has scored a goal.

Honorable mention: The Blackhawks killed off all five Detroit power plays. They've yet to allow a power play goal through their first eight playoff games ... Detroit won 37 of 66 faceoffs.

Did You Know? "Mike Babcock won his 77th postseason game, matching Quenneville for the most among active coaches and trailing Pat Burns by one victory for 8th place on the NHL's all-time list." (AP)

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins; 2. David Krejci, Boston Bruins; 3. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; 4. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; 6. Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators. 7. Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks; 8. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers; 9. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings; 10. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings.

Dishonorable mention: Corey Crawford has allowed seven goals his last two starts. He'd allowed eight total in his last six starts entering Game 3 ... Should Andrew Shaw's goal have counted?

First, it was the referees. Now, it's the play of the Detroit Red Wings, who took a 2-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory Monday night. Just take a look at the penalties called in the third period -- all five on Chicago. Detroit did their part, killing off four Blackhawks power plays and putting the game out of reach in the second period.

The Red Wings took the game by the neck midway through the second period and never let go. Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart to give Detroit a 2-0 lead. Nyquist's goal was a thing of beauty:

In the third period, the Blackhawks woke up after a questionable hit from behind by Niklas Hjalmarsson left Johan Franzen down on the ice, and Patrick Kane scored on the ensuing rush. Just over a minute later, Andrew Shaw's goal was waived off for goaltender interference and the momentum swung back in the Red Wings' favor for good.

Jimmy Howard (39 saves) was again solid and the Red Wings continued to receive contributions from their depth, a reason why teams succeed this time of year.

While the Blackhawks will need to quickly move past Game 3, the Red Wings -- halfway to the Western Conference Final -- know there's still work to be done and their next two wins will be the toughest to come by.

"We won tonight, but we've got to be back at it on Thursday," Patrick Eaves told NBCSN's Pierre McGuire afterward.

"Let's be honest, we haven't done anything yet," said Mike Babcock.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

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Andrew Shaw thought the Blackhawks had knotted the game, moments after Patrick Kane scored to cut the Detroit Red Wings’ lead to 2-1. But a split-second after the puck bounced past Jimmy Howard and over the goal line, referee Brad Watson waived off the score on account of goalie interference.

Watch it again. If there’s any interference, it’s minimal, and occurs after Jakub Kindl bumps Shaw deeper into the crease. It’s close to being a complete phantom call, wiping away a goal and changing the momentum in the game – Pavel Datsyuk made it 3-1 Detroit just over a minute later.

The rule, via the NHL rule book:

69.1 Interference on the Goalkeeper - This rule is based on the premise that an attacking player’s position, whether inside or outside the crease, should not, by itself, determine whether a goal should be allowed or disallowed. In other words, goals scored while attacking players are standing in the crease may, in appropriate circumstances be allowed. Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or (2) an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgment of the Referee(s), and not by means of video replay or review.

... If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

What made the call even a bit more specious: The Kane goal was scored with Johan Franzen down in the Wings’ attacking zone after a cross-check from behind by Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, which was un-penalized. Was this a makeup call? Hooray for "game management!"

We’ve banged this drum more frequently and fervently than Dave Grohl recording “Nevermind”, but once more with feeling: There’s absolutely no reason why goalie interference isn’t a reviewable play via a coaches’ challenge.

Unless your reason is that referees’ blown calls will be made more obvious through this check and balance from the War Room. Because they would be, and rightfully so, because sometimes they steal goals from a team due to their incompetence. Whether that's the case here is your call.