We’ve Been Here Before

It’s a familiar situation for the Montreal Canadiens who enter tonight’s must win to stave off elimination game five from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA.

They’ve been down but not out two times already in these 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It all starts win one man.

For as good as Jaroslav Halak was during the quarter and semi-final rounds, he has to be better. A repeat performance from game three is in order, and tonight might have to be even better.

For as gritty and feisty the team was during games three and four in this series, they have to fuel that fire and ignite the flame higher.

The Philadelphia Flyers have one player capable of being a fire extinguisher: Chris Pronger.

You saw during the course of game three that when the big barbarian blueliner is off, and looking more like a gigantic pylon, the Flyers do not seem to be able to transition their game to step up a level to correct Pronger’s hiccups.

Pronger has been the catalyst, along with Matt Carle, Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen, of the Flyers defensive group keeping the Habs speedy offense from generating any quality chances.

The Habs have matched the Flyers style already in this series and in doing so they have the ability to create confusion within the opposition.

It helps the team get under the skin of the Flyers players causing them to take penalties due to frustration.

Hal Gill, Maxim Lapierre, Travis Moen and P.K. Subban all have different quality traits as players who can play a big roll as agitators. That will be the type of game the Habs will need to execute in order to obtain offensive chances.  For every Flyers player taken out of the play is one more chance for Montreal to cause a problem.

Tonight, Philadelphia has all the pressure. Winning a close out game, especially on home ice, is no easy task.

Michael Cammalleri, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta, five of the Habs top six forwards need to take their game above and beyond tonight.  For after tonight, if the results are negative, there is no tomorrow.

Well there is, but who really wants tomorrow to come when it could potentially be clean out your locker day.

The plan has been set, now it is up for Montreal to execute the game plan to the best of their ability.

New Jersey Devils Playoff Report Card

Friend of The Hockey Guys, Chris Wassel of The Program, breaks down the New Jersey Devils playoff performances and gives his player report card.

by Chris Wassel

We decided to dress this up a little different and go based straight on the playoffs.  After all kids, would you expect anything less from a certified crazy Devils fan?  I did not think so.  Here is what we are going to do.  Being fair and balanced as much as we can with our usual drop the haymaker style, we will not grade every single player.  It would be unethical to do so.  Instead we give you the key vital players you need to form the world’s most obvious opinion of a team that vastly underachieved in the playoffs again.

Now from the home office somewhere in a stuffy cubicle in New Jersey, here is your New Jersey Devils Playoff Report Card.

2009-10 Devils Playoff Report Card
Ilya Kovalchuk (LW) — I still maintain Kovalchuk, at times, seemed to be the only player genuinely concerned with winning out there.  The only one not rattled by the weird and curious officiating all series against Philly.  Not surprisingly, Kovalchuk let the Devils with 6 points in 5 games and was the main catalyst in their Game 2 win against Philadelphia.  The problem became when Jacques Lemaire went public and made the mistake of chastising the Russian forward.  That is NOT what you do to someone with limited playoff experience.  Kovalchuk was not quite the same player after and some will say that is why the Devils went out so meekly in five but the left winger still showed heart, effort, and a two way game that surprised many.  The Devils best player on a team of many disappointments.  GRADE:  B+

Brian Rolston (LW) — I am one of the few that thought Rolston’s contributions were more than valuable.  Yes all of his points (3) were scored via the man advantage but he played harder than he did in last year’s playoffs and that is progress.  His two way play was solid for the most part and if a few of those bombs had found their target, maybe it would have been a different series.  Who knows.  Either way, Rolston had a better second year in his second stint than most thought and maybe this is a springboard depending on what shakes this summer.  He was probably the second best player on the ice for New Jersey though some will debate that vociferously.  GRADE:  B

Patrik Elias (LW,C) — For all the great passing, Elias is at his best when the shots hit the net and the twine behind the goalie.  I am not a kind grader in the least so my wrath is universal here.  Four points, all assists, in five games is not bad but there is a reason why the Devils did not get it done.  That is because Elias was not scoring on the man advantage like he normally does.  Remember that sweep against the Rangers?  It seemed Elias was a man possessed that round finding open players and potting some goals.  That did not happen in this postseason.  The bottom line is Elias is not getting any younger at 34 and there are concerns his age and disease are catching up to him.  Both of those are not very good signs.  GRADE:  B-

Andy Greene (D) — I expected a bit more from Greene as he had a stretch in the middle of the season that made you think the Devils found their offensive defensemen but maybe it was just too much to ask.  Greene did have a goal and assist in the playoffs.  However, he had a rather disappointing 8 shots on goal.  I kind of expected a bit more.  He is still young and expect as he gets more experience with some old vets being put out to pasture, that the poise and ability will grow.  These experiences are ones you build from and not cower away from.  Andy Greene will likely be a top pairing d-man or a 3 next year in New Jersey.  He has that kind of potential   GRADE:  B-

Zach Parise (C) — This is where it starts hurting.  Parise was snakebitten most of this series and it really could not have come at a worse time.  Yes he had four points but only one goal and well the Devils needed goals and not assists.  Nine goals in five games is horrid especially when you score five in one game.  Parise did have 20 shots on goal but that 5% shooting percentage is well below career averages.  You do not get contract extensions with playoff performances like this.  Parise will have to play better next year or that golden pot may not come anytime soon.  GRADE:  C+

Travis Zajac (C,LW) — Another disappointment amongst many.  Only two points in the series for Travis and really he was a non-factor throughout.  With another solid season, you would have expected a carryover but that was not the case.  The Flyers forwards neutralized Zajac quite well and he really was never allowed to get in the game so to speak.  Chris Pronger practically took his head off a few times as well.  One time in particular in Game 3 and literally Zajac vanished before our eyes.  He was pretty good up until then too which was a shame.  He could have been useful.  GRADE:  C

Rob Niedermayer (C) — It just gets ugly but Niedermayer did do his job for the most part as the checking line player.  The problem is hardly anyone else did theirs.  He was brought in to slow down the other team’s best players and for awhile that happened.  Then it all fell apart and sadly every Devil looked like he had lost a step including Niedermayer.  The passion seemed to wane by Game 5 though a brave fight was put up.  Niedermayer is one of those players that you need on a team and sure it would have been nice if one of those glorious chances went in but let’s not be picky here.  GRADE:  C

David Clarkson (RW) — This one HURT.  Clarkson was expected to be the wildcard and get some points in this series but instead David went backwards and just took a bunch of penalties.  No points will do that and 22 PIMS.  When you expect more shots on net and they do not come, that hurts too.  But Clarkson did TRY and maybe too hard at that.  Sometimes pressing just leads to more mistakes and clearly Clarkson was just giving it all without thought.  Call it a lesson learned and maybe next year he figures out less is more in the playoffs because the Devils are going to need him.  GRADE:  C-

Paul Martin (D) — I thought maybe Martin would save his season (injury plagued I know) in the playoffs but he did not.  Some will say you have to resign Martin at a higher salary.  I almost say he should be thankful if he takes a slight cut for a year to prove himself again.  He did NOTHING during the playoffs and I mean no points and five shots.  That is not good enough for a supposedly top defenseman.  Sorry Devil fans but injury or no injury, Martin was a dud in the playoffs and the Devils are not feared from the blue line.  GRADE: D

After this it got real ugly….and maybe unfairly so……..

Colin White, Mike Mottau, Bryce Salvador, and Martin Skoula (D) — All defensemen who just are not good enough to be in the NHL at this point.  White scored a fluky goal in the playoffs but blocked two for NJ in Game 5 because “Big Bird” can’t see well enough.  He should not be playing.  Salvador has lost too many steps.  Mottau cannot pass the puck to save his life and Skoula well we will blame Jacques Lemaire.  It all adds up to a defensive corps that is about as useful as rotted rat excrement.  Simply put, failure is personified here.  GRADE:  F

Jamie Langenbrunner (RW) — Simply the captain failed his team and that is all I will say about that!  GRADE: F(ail)-U

The rest of the roster shall get incompletes as it was unfair to assess their playoff performance from limited duty.

Chris Wassel is the director of The Hockey Program. You can check out his “hockey program” Sunday and Wednesday night’s on Blog Talk Radio by visiting The Hockey Program BTR.

Stuff of Legends: The Plagers

Friend to The Hockey Guys, Laura Astorian, gives a fantastic guest writing piece on the NHL’s band of brothers, the Plagers.

by Laura Astorian

“Before expansion none of them would have made it to the NHL. Bob was the only Plager fighter I considered to be a legitimate tough guy, but they got into their share of scraps and between the two of them, Barclay and Bob turned the Blues into the first fighting expansion club.”

– John Ferguson, Thunder and Lightning

Many a Blues fan from the early days of the team have fond memories of the Plager Brothers – Bob, Barclay, and later Bill – roughing up opponents on the ice, starting brawls with fans, dropping witticisms in the press, and giving the new expansion Blues a shot of character on their way to a NHL record setting three consecutive Cup Finals run by a team in their first three seasons.  Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante might have been considered by hockey purists the reason for the Blues’ success, but while you might hear a mention or two of a great save by them, or them being nuts enough to play maskless once in a while, the big stories come via the Plagers.

Rough and tumble Barclay Plager came to the Blues via the 1967 NHL expansion draft.  Bob Plager was supposed to be the muscle for the Rangers, but for whatever reason, that plan fell short – though he did fill the role of wise-cracking bruiser quite well.  Barclay was playing under Eddie Shore in Springfield, where the concept of “old time hockey” was driving the team there nuts – so much so that they mutinied and got Shore to quit running the team. He was lucky enough to be shipped to St. Louis along with Red Berenson later that year, giving the Blues two of their most beloved players in one fell swoop.  Billy Plager, the baby of the group in age and stature only, came along to the Blues organization later in 1968, but went back and forth between the big club and the minors.

While Billy was getting experience in the minors, Bob and Barclay were busy being the cause of sellouts – both at home and in other cities.  “Barclay and I are hated everywhere,” Bob says. “People buy tickets just to see if the Plagers will get theirs. Hey, we even sold out Pittsburgh. Barclay and I had a brawl with a dozen Pittsburgh guys and Barclay had his nose broken. Of course, it took three of them to break it. The next time we went into Pittsburgh they had a sellout, the first one ever.”

The brawling brothers’ reputation followed them directly into Philadelphia.  On January 6th, 1972, the Blues defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 at home in the Spectrum.  This was in the pre-Broad Street Bullies days, but it was the game that inspired the Flyers’ GM at the time Keith Allen to beef his team and their style up.  There were a few fights that game, but the real problems began at the end of the second period.  A Flyers fan decided to dump a beer onto Blues coach Al Arbour, and the team took exception to that. Led by Bob Plager and Phil Roberto, a gaggle of Blues players that included Barclay went into the stands to find the offending fan.  If this sounds familiar to anyone who isn’t a Blues fan, pop in a copy of Slap Shot for a refresher.  This scene, along with the Plager Brothers in general, was the inspiration for the Hanson Bros. in the movie.  Much like some of the Chiefs wound up having to be bailed out later that night, so did some of the Blues.

Barclay resigned as captain of the Blues in 1976, and went on to coach their farm team in Kansas City later that season.  Bob Plager was given the coaching position of the team after Brian Sutter left in 1993, and has been a member of the Blues organization in some way since.  Bill Plager was drafted by Atlanta at the during 1971-1972 season’s expansion draft.  All three brothers left a mark.  Bob’s number 5 was honored by the Blues and he is currently the VP of player development.

The Blues retired Barclay Plager’s number 8 in 1981, and after being named interim head coach in 1983, he maintained the position as head coach until 1988.  In 1987, though, it was discovered that he was suffering from a brain tumor, and despite many rounds of treatment, succumbed to cancer on February 6th, 1988.  The four-time All Star was both the most offensively gifted (44-187-231 in 614 games) of the brothers as well as possibly the most offensive in general – his 1115 penalty minutes in 614 career games comes out to at least a minor penalty a game.

The Plagers are still beloved by the city of St. Louis, a town known for holding on to its sports heroes – players who also are known for holding on to the town.  Al MacInnis, Bernie Ferderko, and soon Brett Hull have bronze statues in front of the Scottrade Center, but the Plagers – numbers 5, 8, and 2 in the program – will always be number one in the hearts of Blues fans.

Laura Astorian is a St. Louis native by heart now succumbed to the southern hospitality of Atlanta. She writes for both teams on her personal blog “Thrashing the Blues” and for NHLHotStove.com.

You can reach Laura anytime via e-mail at: lastorian@nhlhotstove.com
Be sure to follow Laura on Twitter: @hildymac

Making it Interesting

Empowered with emotion generating from the vibe of the home crowd to the team on the ice, the Montreal Canadiens found out how to skate with the Philadelphia Flyers.

With the series shifting back up north of the border, it seemed to take the frigid North East atmosphere with it.

Why you ask?  I’ll answer that for you.

It’s because the Canadiens were cold and angry last night.

Something that they were unable to do in the previous two games, the Habs, with the white towels waiving ferociously behind them, came out and earned the first goal of the game and it came early.

This fired the crowd up to a level that would have been thought to be nearly impossible, considering the start to this series.

Michael Cammalleri powered a fluky bounce which careened off the boards behind the night passed Flyers netminder Michael Leighton, breaking his shutout streak which went a total of 172 minutes and 55 seconds.

Queue the flood gates.

Montreal built massive momentum from earning the nights first goal and it turned them into an absolute different team from what was witnessed during games one and two.

Enter Tom Pyatt.

Last night Pyatt extended a helping hand for the Habs in defeating the Philadelphia Flyers with force.

Ex-GM Bob Gainey must have known something Glen Sather and the New York Rangers didn’t.

Pyatt, who was traded from the New York Rangers to Montreal on June 30th, 2009, along with Scott Gomez as a salary dump in order to open enough room to acquire star sniper Marian Gaborik, was the story of the show in Montreal.

The Canadiens bottom six forward took 23 shifts for a total of 15:53 ice time. However, the stats that truly stand out were his one goal, one assist and plus-1 rating. His first period tally would prove to be the eventual game winning goal.

He along with agitating bottom six forward Maxim Lapierre combined for three of the fifteen points earned on the night by Canadiens skaters.

Injury replacement for Andrei Markov, young and promising P.K. Subban, collected three assists on the evening to lead all Habs skaters in points for the game.

Not only did Subban and Lapierre contribute on the score sheet, but they played as solid of a game as anyone.  Getting under the skin of the Flyers skaters was mission accomplished for both.

Anyone catch Subban stand right up and into the face of Flyers blueline barbarian Chris Pronger?  Not a bad way to create an extended welcome for yourself to the league, eh P.K.?

The home crowd loved it.

But all that was put aside when the three stars of the night were announced. Pyatt, who has been playing and is known for a more defensive type game, earned his second goal of these 2010 Playoffs . His solid performance was worthy of getting the nod as one of the three stars of the game.

Dominic Moore, Brian Gionta and Marc-Andre Bergeron were the other players adding tallies on the evening.

What look like it was going to be a dump and chase play turned into a pretty goal being scored.

Gionta found a puck bounce at his feet over a leaping Flyers defender. Patience with the puck as he broke in from right above the circles on a partial breakaway was the key factor leading to his goal.

Constant Conn Smythe mention Jaroslav Halak ended the night with 25 saves en route to Montreals 5-1 victory. Simon Gagne broke his shutout bid at 8:22 of the third period.

Not bad for a nights work, eh?

Game four goes tomorrow at 3 p.m. EST from Montreal.

Sharks in Dangerous Waters

Home ice advantage proved to be no advantage for the San Jose Sharks. The Chicago Blackhawks did what they’ve done all postseason long, continuing their road dominance.

The ‘Hawks record now stands at 7-1, away from the United Center. Now down 0-2, the Sharks are hoping to seize the day in Chicago’s home barn, where they are a modest 3-3 thus far.

Not that the boys by the ‘Bay are any better playing away from HP Pavilion, winning three and losing two. This has to change in order for the top seeded Sharks to get back into this series though.

It’s not impossible, as we have seen in several series throughout these playoffs, to come back from seemingly insurmountable deficits. The Blackhawks are well aware of that though and they are a team that is starting to flex their pre-season expectation muscles.

See many thought this Original Six franchise from the proverbial Windy City was primed and ready to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup for the first time in over 40 years. For much of the season they looked like the team to beat out west.

The Sharks, to their credit, got back into the contenders discussion during the season, despite the first round disaster from last season and promptly took the top seed away from the Hawks. Unfortunately, the men in black…and teal are looking fairly inferior to the pre-season media darlings.

In Game 1, Antti Niemi absolutely stole the show, making 45 saves and many of them the highlight reel kind. Dustin Byfuglien, someone who I will mention in a little while as well, broke the tie with a bullet from the high slot that Evgeni Nabokov simply couldn’t track.

Nabokov was sharp, outside of letting in a weak goal by…Sharp, Patrick Sharp. His wrister from just inside the blueline is something that simply a tight game like this one was shaping up to be allowed. But it did and it gave way to the hulking power forwards game winner.

So, it was onto Game 2 and the Sharks feeling confident, despite being down early in the series. The great whites on the team were looking to have big games and get their team in the win column.

It was not to be on this night.

Instead, it was Chicago’s big chiefs who took control for these newly found road warriors and have now put San Jose in a precarious predicament, to say the least.

Led by “Captain Serious” Jonathan Toews and that Byfuglien guy again, the ‘Hawks seized a three goal lead, a little less than the midpoint of the contest. Andrew Ladd also helped build this stout lead and Niemi was able to hold the fort, just enough.

Patrick Marleau did score two goals, albeit one of them during garbage time. Joe squared have been quiet so far. Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski haven’t been a factor thus far in this series…unless you count impressive two-handed Paul Bunion-like chops.

Luckily Dave Bolland didn’t suffer anything significant as far as injuries are concerned. Joe Thornton avoided a potential suspension due to Bolland being unharmed, more or less.

Frustration or not, a leader like Thornton needs to set a better tone than trying to hurt someone late in a game that was already well in-hand for the visitors.

Instead of using your stick as a weapon, Thornton, why don’t you attempt to do the other sort of damage with your hockey stick and put up some points?

Chicago will definitely not forget that, but they will attempt to take care of business before they take care of business. Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski, Dany Heatley, Ryane Clowe and the rest of these Sharks need to follow Chicago’s lead and try to cut their lead in half tomorrow night.

If they fall down 0-3 in this series, it will most likely spell T-H-E E-N-D. And these aren’t the Boston Bruins they will be trying to make history on if this scenario plays out the way I’ve suggested.

Chicago is battle tested, talented and most importantly has been here before.

The Sharks have too, but not with this group. Back in 2004, the last time this franchise made it this far, the core was significantly different. Only Nabokov was here when they fell to the hands of the Calgary Flames.

Different team, similar result? We’ll know more tomorrow evening.

Why The Flyers Are Leights Out

Michael Leighton recorded his second straight shutout and made 30 saves as the Flyers abused the Canadiens 3-0 in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final series Tuesday night at the Wachovia Center.

I’ll change this one up a bit, after the Flyers manhandled the Canadiens 6-0 in Game 1 and shut out the Habs again in Game 2, I have done lots of research and have read lots of surprising and unbelievable stats; so here they are.

Conn Smythe wannabe Jaroslav Halak has given up seven goals on 36 Flyers’ shots.

Montreal is now 0-7 in the playoffs when their opposition records fewer than 31 shots.

The Canadiens power-play is 0-for-8 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Philadelphia has out hit Montreal 54-41 through the first two games.

Philadelphia is 16-0 all-time when going up 2-0 in a series and the Flyers have made the Eastern Conference Finals 16 times. They’ve had a 2-0 series lead three times; 1974, 1975 and 2010.

The Flyers are outscoring their opponents 13-0 since Peter Laviolette called ‘The Timeout’ in the first period of game seven against Boston after the Bruins went up 3-0, a franchise record.

Philadelphia has now won six consecutive playoff games for the first time since 1995.

The Flyers are 6-1 at home in these playoffs.

The Flyers power-play in the first two games is a staggering 4-for-10 and the Flyers have scored two goals a second after PP time has expired.

Today is not only the anniversary of the Flyers first Stanley cup, but it is also Michael Leighton’s 29th birthday.

Michael Leighton is 4-0 in the playoffs and owns a 0.87 goals-against average, .969 save percentage with two and a half shutouts.

His shutout streak is at 165:50 (eight-plus period of shutout hockey) is the second-longest in team history behind Brian Boucher’s 184:45 and he’s stopped all 70 shots he has faced since ‘The Timeout’.

Leighton has stopped all 58 shots Montreal has fired his way.

Leighton becomes the first goalie to post back-to-back shutouts for the Flyers since Bernie Parent in 1975.

Leighton is the first goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts vs. the Canadiens in the playoffs since Sabres’ keeper Bob Sauve did it in 1983 in Montreal, and is the last goalie to post back-to-back playoff shutouts against Montreal on home ice since Terry Sawchuck in 1952.

Ville Leino – 6 goals and 5 assists for 11 points in 55 regular season games; 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 10 playoff games.

Michael Leighton and Ville Leino were both acquired by General Manager Paul Holmgren during the regular season.

Danny Briere sits only behind Ken Linseman and Eric Lindros for most points per game in the Playoffs in a Flyers uniform. In 37 post-season games for the Orange-and-Black Briere has 38 points.

Briere leads the Flyers in post-season scoring with 9 goals and 9 assists in 14 games. He has a six-game point streak and 19 points in his last 11 games (five points in his last three games).

Briere leads the NHL with game-winning-goals in these playoffs and 7 of his 8 goals have won, or tied the game for the Flyers.

For his playoff career Briere has 32 goals, 43 assists for75 points in 77 games.

The Flyers are 9-1 with Simon Gagne in the line-up in these playoffs.

Six goals for Gagne in six games since his return from his toe injury; six Flyers wins.

This post-season, Mike Richards has 18 points in 14 games, Claude Giroux has 14 points in 14 games, Chris Pronger has 12 points in 14 games, Gagne has 9 points in 10 games, Matt Carle has nine points in 14 games, Scott Hartnell has eight points in 14 games and Kimmo Timonen has six points in 14 games.

The last two teams Pronger has played on, has made a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers are two wins away.

The Flyers are 84-22-4 when Kate Smith/Lauren Hart sing God Bless America before home games.

NOTES: Jeff Carter and Ian Laperriere have both been cleared to practice and to hit but neither are ready to return yet. Game 3 will be Thursday night in Montreal at 7 p.m.

Le Bleu, Blanc et Blanked

Although they came out like a team on fire, the opposition was there to extinguish the attack.

The Montreal Canadiens have skated 120 minutes of straight hockey without being able to get one puck passed Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton.

Yes, you read that correctly, Michael Leighton has shut out the Habs in back to back Eastern Conference Finals playoff games. One-hundred and twenty minutes of straight scoreless hockey.

Where in lies the problem?

During the first period of game two from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA, the Canadiens fired sixteen shots on goal and out-shot the Flyers by ten total at periods end.

For much of the first period the Canadiens controlled the tempo of the game, with offensive zone puck possession and a well played forecheck game.

However, it was 1-0 Flyers as the Habs skated away from the first period trying to find positives from being down.

Nothing.

And with that first period goal by Daniel Briere, it was all the Flyers would need.

Netminder Jaroslav Halak, who was the story and highly favored front runner for the Conn Smythe has been a different goaltender altogether in these first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After stellar performances in the Washington and Pittsburgh series’, he has been unable to duplicate a game similar to those that helped propel his Canadiens into these Conference finals.

However, aside from the first period last night, the Canadiens offense has been unable to break through the gritty defense of the Flyers. And for that matter, unable to squeak anything into the back of the net the Flyers defend.

With this series now shifting homes, heading to Montreal, can the Habs find the game that made their fan base so proud through two grueling seven game series in the initial first two rounds of these 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

It comes almost as a must win game three for the Habs.

Home ice with the seventh man, also known as the home crowd, has not been pleasant to home teams throughout most of these playoffs.  For Montreal, the desire and need to be victorious in game three, like stated above, is a must.

The bigger story from last night was special teams.  Or lack there of from Montreal.

The Canadiens were set to go up on the man advantage after a Lukas Krajicek slash was called. However, Scott Gomez was called for hooking with less than one minute burnt on the power play. As the Krajicek call came to a close, the Flyers then shifted to the powerplay where Danny Briere would score what went on to be the game winning goal.

From that point forward, the Flyers powerplay would go two for four on the night, a solid 50% while the Habs went scoreless on all occasions again.

We know the Flyers club has issues with being responsible, and will always provide their opposition with the man advantage.  For a lethal powerplay throughout the regular season, and even some in these playoffs, is it only a matter of time before the Canadiens use the special teams to their advantage?

Game three goes Wednesday night.  Will the real Montreal Canadiens please stand up.

Underrated Nation: Charlie Simmer

Normally someone who has 711 points in 712 career games, would be considered a star player. Normally.

However, when it comes to the career of Charlie Simmer this adage does not seem to apply. You see, he spent an amazing career in the NHL, amassing almost a point per game pace for his career, played on one of the most productive lines in NHL history, and garnered accolades every year for his play.

To this day, Simmer holds a record in the NHL. He has the highest scoring percentage of any player who has played 700 or more games.

Charlie Simmer was more than just a good player, he was a great player who somehow got lost in the shuffle. If you mention his name today, some have heard of him, some have not, but he will forever be remembered for his contributions while playing on the great “Triple Crown Line” of the Los Angeles Kings.

Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Simmer dominated the league for many years, with Simmer being a huge part of that.

Charles Robert Simmer was born March 20 1954 in Terrace Bay, Ontario, Canada. As a junior player he dominated in his one season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He had 99 points in that one season and it was enough for scouts to take notice. He would soon be living the dream.

In the 1974 NHL entry draft Simmer would be chosen 39th overall by the California Golden Seals.

Simmer soon went to work with the Seals farm club the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the old CHL. He was a dominant player in the minors, having 41 points in 47 games his first season. He would also get a taste of NHL action that year playing in 35 games with the Seals, and earning a respectable 21 points for a rookie.

The following season Simmer would appeared in 21 NHL games but would only earn two points (1 goal and 1 assist), yet he was tearing it up in the minors with Salt Lake earning 39 points in 42 games. There was becoming a wide discrepancy between his NHL and CHL numbers, and it was disturbing to the organization who had had high hopes for Simmer. Not to mention the team was in dire straits of losing the team altogether.

Unfortunately, with the team in financial disarray they would be relocated in the 1976-77 season to Cleveland and were renamed the Barons. Simmer went along with them, but still had their affiliate in Salt Lake City, so Simmer really didn’t have far to move.

Once again Simmer found himself buried in the minors, for the most part. He played 24 games for Cleveland but only scored two goals. It was becoming more and more apparent that Charlie Simmer was a much better performer in the minor leagues than he was in the pros. He recorded an amazing 62 points in only 51 games for the Golden Eagles and was named an all star that year.

Things were looking up for Chrlie Simmer, but not for the Cleveland franchise as it was losing more money than its predecessor in Oakland. Simmer felt his prospects of making it in this organization were slim so in the summer of 1977 he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings.

Though he spent his first season with the organizations minor league affiliate, the Springfield Indians, he felt that this was a better place to seek promotion. The Kings were treating him well, and said they had high hopes for him. They were not kidding.

That season Simmer saw NHL ice for three games with LA, but they were fairly uneventful.  On the flip side, 83 points in 77 games in Springfield was impressive, so much so in fact that the Kings wanted Simmer on the big club the following season. He would begin 1978-79 back in Springfield due to an overload at the forward position for the Kings.

Again in the minors, Simmer registered 36 points in 39 games, and was flying with the Indians. Halfway through that season, Simmer was promoted to the Kings. It would be the last time he would ever play a game in the minors.

Simmer recorded 48 points in 37 NHL games and was placed on a line with Taylor and future Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, simply on a hunch. That hunch paid off in spades. The Triple Crown Line, as they became dubbed, was one of the most productive and feared lines of that era.

The following season, 1979-80, would be Simmers first complete season in the NHL and what a season it was. Simmer scored 56 goals, added 45 assists for a grand total of 101 points. His minor league talent had finally caught up to his NHL talent and the line was giving other teams fits. They seemed to score at will, and Charlie Simmer had become a key component of that freewheeling style.

One of the Kings greatest accomplishment came during the 1981-82 season. The Edmonton Oilers were beginning their dominance in the league and lead by young stars like Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier were running roughshod over anyone in their path. During this particular playoff year, the Kings put up a great fight and managed to defeat the heavily favored Oilers, knocking them out of the playoffs. One of the games in that series even ended with a final score of 10-8! Thus, proving that the Kings could compete with the best.

Simmer had a downer of a regular season that year as injuries hampered his play. He had finished 1980-81 with another 56 goal performance, and even scored goals in 13 consecutive games that season, which still holds as a modern era record. Yet, 1981-82  would prove to be the way of things to come.

Simmer would be dogged by injuries his whole career and this was something he was going to have to get used to. However, after the defeat of the Oilers during the playoffs, which became known as the “Miracle on Manchester” ( referencing the name of the street the Kings arena was on) Simmer was very productive, recording 11 points in 10 playoff contests, showing that he was always up for the big game.

Charlie Simmer would play two more productive years with the Kings recording 80 and 92 points respectively, and was an integral piece of the Kings puzzle for all of the years he was part of the organization.

But the team failed to make the playoffs even with all their first line talent, and management felt that Simmer was beginning to slow down, especially with his injuries,  despite his numbers.

At the start of the 1984-85 season Simmer looked unhappy. His numbers declined in the pre-season and once the regular season hit, he was not playing as consistently as he once had. The Kings even moved him off the Triple Crown Line to see if that made a difference, but the Kings and Simmer could see that change was imminent. After only five games in 1984-85, Charlie Simmer was dealt to the Boston Bruins for their first round pick in that years upcoming draft. The Kings ended up selecting a player named Dan Gratton who never had more than a cup of coffee in the NHL, meanwhile Simmer would go on to produce for the Bruins.

In his first season with Boston, Simmer played in 63 games and recorded exactly the same amount of points. He also had four points in five playoff games that year, the first time he had competed in the post season since 1981-82. Though still battling the injury bug, Simmer seemed much happier and more composed. He was amazed at the talent the young Bruins had, especially a young defenseman by the name of Ray Bourque, who he was more than happy to be on the ice with in key situations.

In 1985-86 Simmer would earn 60 points in 55 games, but it was evident the injuries were catching up with him. He would play one more season in Boston before the Bruins too felt he was slowing down and placed Simmer on waivers.

He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and spent his final NHL season there, but this time as a role player. For the first time in his life he was a healthy scratch and his 28 points in 50 games was a far cry from the man who once scored 50 goals in 51 games.

Feeling the strain of the NHL game and the amount of games they play, Simmer decided to leave the NHL and headed off to Germany for the 1988-89 season. He still possessed the passion to play the game, just not the amount of games required for the professional style of the NHL.

Eintracht Frankfurt allowed him to still make a living off the game he loved, yet play at a much more suitable pace for his tired, battered body. He was also able to do this in relative obscurity as not many folks in Germany new who Charlie Simmer was.

He played one season for Frankfurt and put up impressive numbers of 51 points in 36 games. The following season he retired having accomplished amazing things in an eventful career.

He attempted new things starting in 1989 and was loving his life away from the game. However, as always, the itch needed to be scratched. In 1990-91 Simmer came out of retirement to become a player coach for the San Diego Gulls of the IHL. The season was not a productive one for either himself or the team as they missed the playoffs.

Simmer would only suit up for one game the following year and became a full time coach the rest of that season.  However, the coaches life was not something that greeted Simmer with success.

After this he retired for good, being the last player from the California/Cleveland franchise to play professional hockey.

Simmer was never fortunate enough to win a Stanley Cup in his career, or even make it past the second round of the playoffs. He competed in numerous all star games, was named the winner of the Bill Masterton trophy in 1986, and was even married to Terri Welles, a former Playboy Playmate at one time, but none of this seemed to matter.

Charlie Simmer had lived his dream by playing in the NHL. He had accomplished what he set out to do so many years previous.

Today he spends his days as a part time colour analyst for the Calgary Flames, and is loving every minute of it.

In the end, it’s not the accolades that will keep Charlie Simmer in our memories. It’s his perserverence through the early years in California/Cleveland where no one belived in him. It’s the desire he showed in battling back from injuries. It’s the passion he played with every single season, no matter the league.

Charlie Simmer would finish his pro career one point shy of being a point per game player. That in itself is an accomplishment, and one that Charlie Simmer will forever be proud of.

Still there is always the “what ifs”. What if California had had more faith in him and given him more ice time? What if he hadn’t been injured all the time? What if the LA Kings were more than a one line team?

None of these questions will ever be answered, but one thing we do,is that Charlie Simmer was an amazing player who is truly deserving of recognition, especially in Underrated Nation.

Monarchs Making Magic

The Hershey Bears 2-0 series lead is now a thing of the past.

Manchester goalie Jonathan Bernier made 18 saves and Game 3 overtime hero Dwight King scored the lone goal as the Monarchs tied their best-of-seven series with Hershey 2-2, following a 1-0 victory over the Bears in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Eastern Conference finals at Verizon Wireless Arena Tuesday night.

After winning the first two games of the series at Giant Center, the Bears have dropped two straight games heading to Thursday’s critical Game 5 at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.

It is now a best-of-three series and the first team to two wins, represents the Eastern Conference in the Calder Cup Finals.

It was a quiet night offensively for both teams at the start, with the game scoreless after one.

Manchester broke onto the scoreboard in the second period at the 9:11 mark when King redirected a Bud Holloway shot past Bears’ goalie Michal Neuvirth. The goal was King’s second of the playoffs, and it gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead that would eventually be all that Bernier needed. Holloway continues to pace the Monarchs with 12 points (6-6-12) in 14 playoff games.

Manchester is 6-1 on home ice to this point in the Playoffs. The Bears have now gone five straight periods without registering double digit shots against Bernier and the Monarchs.

Bernier, the Baz Bastien Memorial Award winner, presented annually to the American Hockey League’s best goaltender, has been nothing short of spectacular this season for Manchester.

Following a regular season where his goals-against average stood at 2.03 with a .936 save percentage and nine shutouts, his post season has been even better.

Through 14 post-season games, Bernier, one of the NHL’s top-prospects, owns a 1.68 goals-against average and .943 save percentage with an AHL-leading three shutouts.

The Monarchs are a staggering  10-0 when Bernier allows two or fewer goals, and 0-4 when he surrenders three or more.

Neuvirth suffered his second defeat of the postseason, making 26 saves and  is 8-2 in the playoffs with a 2.21 goals against average and save percentage of .912.

Hershey is now 3-3 on the road in the playoffs and a perfect 7-0 at home, where they have won 36 of their last 37 games at Giant Center. The series is now guaranteed to return to Giant Center in Hershey for Game 6 on Saturday. If needed, Game 7 would be in Hershey on Sunday.

Hershey’s  Stefan Della Rovere made his AHL debut in the game and Hershey played its second straight game without the services of Andrew Gordon, sidelined with a lower body injury.

Dustin Leed is a journalist for the Lancester Intellegencer Joural which can be found online at LancasterOnline.com along with this article.

Follow Dustin on Twitter: @HockeyGuy_DLEED

ORANGE CRUSHed

What happens when your two Conn Smyth trophy leading candidates – players who have carried your team on their backs in the first two rounds of the NHL Playoffs – don’t come to play?

You get embarrassed by a complete, real, team.

I wasn’t sure where to go with this story following the Philadelphia Flyers 6-0 schalaking of the Montreal Canadiens in Game One of their Eastern Conference Finals match-up. Maybe Chris Pronger and his amazing leadership matched with Norris Trophy type play, Michael Leighton establishing himself as a proven NHL goaltender night after night, or the inability to stop the Cookie Monster, Danny Briere in any playoff game, how about Claude Giroux becoming more and more of a superstar game after game or maybe even Simon Gagne and his superhuman acts.

So instead of picking one of those things, I’ll mix them all up, throw in some grit, secondary scoring and unsung blue line heroes along with the most important ingredient – togetherness.

There’s a quote in big block letter hanging on the wall when you enter the Flyers’ locker room.

It reads: You Play For The Crest On The Front Not The Name On The Back. And over the last week, could the Flyers play anymore ‘together’?

The total team-effort that the Flyers have been playing with in a system that makes you shake your head and wonder where it’s been – fans aren’t used to seeing a team play so together, with this much urgency, this much dedication, this much fight. It’s a team who counts on not just one or two individuals, but all 20 players on its active roster to get the job done – playing as one. It’s a team who has been battle tested through last October and has survival instincts through and through, able to overcome nearly anything. These Flyers are honoring the crest on the front of their sweaters; enough to make even the baddest Broad Street Bully proud.

Right now, the Philadelphia Flyers will be the Montreal Canadiens toughest opponent of these 2010 Playoffs.

The Flyers game-plan entering game one against the Canadiens was to get in the face of Jaroslav Halak with plenty of traffic, score dirty goals, and don’t let him get comfortable.

Halak didn’t even make it out of the second period and surrendered four goals on just 13 shots.

Defenseman Braydon Coburn, who has been a pleasant surprise in these 2010 Playoffs, got the scoring started after a scrum in front of Halak. Coburn is the third Flyers defenseman to open Philadelphia’s scoring in a series. Ryan Parent did it vs. New Jersey and Chris Pronger scored the first for the Flyers against Boston.

It was a total team effort Sunday night in South Philadelphia. Following Coburn’s PP marker, James van Riemsdyk scored off of a sick set-play on the face-off from Claude Giroux. With a two-goal lead, Danny Briere added to his Playoff domination, ripping a shot over Halak’s left shoulder to make it 3-0, then at the 9:53 mark, Simon Gagne added another power-play goal giving the Flyers a 4-0 lead.

How well did the Flyers execute the game-plan? There was a Flyer within a stick length of Halak on all four of the Flyers goals.

After Halak was chased and the ‘Ole’ chants started to pour down from the Wachovia Center faithful in a sarcastic mockery of Montreal, the Flyers added two more goals by Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux.

Six Flyers’ goals; six different goal scorers; the ultimate indication of a team.

Montreal’s point of view; sure, they’ve seen this before… or so they think.

In game one of the Pittsburgh series, the Habs surrendered four power-play goals, Halak was pulled after he allowed five goals on 20 shots and the Penguins rolled to a 6-3 win.

If you want to use the excuse and say the Canadiens have looked like this in the past, don’t let me hear it.

Montreal at least put up a fight in that game, they tried to battle the Penguins, last night, the Canadiens didn’t even give themselves a chance. They were dominated in every way possible. And the wave after wave of orange jerseys will continue. Sure, Montreal will be better in game two, but don’t think this Flyers team can’t get better as well. They were lucky to get out of the first period with a one-goal lead.

Goaltender Michael Leighton (3-0) kept the Flyers in the game and made strong saves throughout including the first period when the Canadiens outshot the Flyers 13-6.

In four games this postseason, Leighton has stopped 94-of the-98 shots he’s faced. He has compiled a .959 save percentage, 1.12 goals against and has one and a half playoff shutouts. He has a shutout streak of over 100:00 minutes.

And even more importantly, Leighton looks like a seasoned-veteran in net, cool, calm and relaxed. It’s obvious to see, he is an understudy of Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

The Flyers will look to continue to their improbable postseason run Tuesday night when they host the Canadiens. I am sure the fans of Philadelphia will see a better effort from Montreal, and let’s hope so. There were points in the second and third period that the Flyers were so dominant and efficient that the Eastern Conference Finals became a bit boring.

NOTES: Flyers leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter, who they’ve been without since round one, skated today at practice. He is still considered a stretch according to Paul Holmgren to play in the Series, but on the flip, tough guy and total team player Ian Laperriere will return in the series and most likely replace rookie Andres Nodl, a HUGE boost for the Flyers. Why the USA chants? The Flyers are 83-22-4 when Kate Smith sings God Bless America before home games and if those Habs fans continue to boo during it, expect to hear more of those chants.