Sea Dogs send rival Cataractes to tie-breaker in rough fashion
(Wed, 23 May 2012 23:15:53 PDT)
The Saint John Sea Dogs advance to the semifinal with win over host Cats

Rangers run out of playoff luck as Game 5 rally goes awry at the worst time
(Wed, 23 May 2012 23:06:27 PDT)
New York's resiliency and goalie Henrik Lundqvist's play have been exemplary throughout the 2012 postseason, but the breaks and bounces went against the Rangers when they could least afford it.

Devils outlast Rangers, 5-3, take 3-2 series lead (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 23:01:36 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The Devils turned a stellar first nine minutes and an opportunistic final five into a stirring victory over the Rangers that moved New Jersey within one win of a trip to the Stanley Cup finals.

Lundqvist struggles as Rangers lose Game 5, 5-3 (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 22:51:05 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Rangers played their best game of the postseason against the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, it was a night Henrik Lundqvist played his worst

Devils on brink of playing for Cup (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 22:40:09 PDT)
The Los Angeles Kings await. But the New Jersey Devils still have some work to do.

Rangers try to shake off demoralizing loss (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 22:20:12 PDT)
Sometimes it is just easier to take getting blown out by five goals than to lose the way the New York Rangers did Wednesday night.

Devils beat Rangers, on brink of Stanley Cup Finals
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:44:55 PDT)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New Jersey Devils let a three-goal lead slip away against the New York Rangers on Wednesday but scored twice late in the third period to claim a 5-3 win and move within touching distance of a place in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Devils blew three-goal lead but survive to take 3-2 series lead (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:30:16 PDT)
NEW YORK -- Seventeen seconds into the third period Wednesday night, the Madison Square Garden crowd was taunting New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur with its ubiquitous singsong chant after a rare miscue allowed the New York Rangers to tie a game they once trailed 3-0.

Wednesday’s Three Stars: Devils fourth line steps up; Watch Prust dive (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 21:17:11 PDT)
The New Jersey Devils, praying harder than John Tortorella. No. 1 Star: Stephen Gionta, New Jersey Devils Gionta led the way for the Devils in Game 5, opening the scoring just 2:43 into the game and then setting up Ryan Carter for the game-winning goal at 15:36 of the third period. And that, my friends, is how you make up for going 0-for-5 in the faceoff circle. No. 2 Star: Ryan Callahan, New York Rangers The Rangers' captain was a difference-maker Wednesday, playing 20 minutes, leading the way physically with a game-high 6 hits, hitting a post, and scoring early in the second period to cut the Devils' lead in half. But was his goal kicked in? No. 3 Star: Ryan Carter, New Jersey Devils Carter scored the winner and was a part of the Devils' fourth line that was the difference in Game 5. He, Gionta, and Steve Bernier all earned praise from Coach Peter DeBoer after the game.

Stephen Gionta leads Devils in Game 5 triumph over the New York Rangers (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:46:41 PDT)
Full disclosure: This entire post is just an excuse to show you this unbelievable photo by Bruce Bennett. The New York Rangers controlled Game 5 for 40 minutes, limiting the New Jersey Devils to just 10 shots during that stretch and outscoring them, 3-0. Unfortunately, these 40 minutes were bookended on either side by 10 minutes that they did not control. During those 20 minutes, the Devils scored 5 times on 7 shots, and that was all the offence they'd need in a 5-3 win. It was a strange Game 5 -- "An adventure," according to Devils coach Peter DeBoer -- with all sorts of unexpected offense and strange bounces. The Devils came out flying, beating Henrik Lundqvist twice in the first five minutes. Stephen Gionta opened the scoring after finding himself alone with a rebound in front of Henrik Lundqvist. Then, just two minutes later, Patrik Elias doubled the lead when an Adam Henrique point shot pinballed around like it was teaching children how to count to 12 before deflecting off the back of his leg and in. Five minutes later, Travis Zajac stunned the Madison Square crowd when he extended the lead with a perfectly-placed wrister off the rush. This put the Rangers in a tough spot. They had only reached four goals in a game once this poststeason -- in the playoff opener versus the Ottawa Senators in April 12. But they were undeterred by the daunting task, and they put their game into overdrive. Also they got some luck.

Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Bid Backed by Honest Philadelphia Flyers Supporters: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:40:00 PDT)
The Los Angeles Kings beat the Phoenix Coyotes in five games to earn the right to play for the Stanley Cup. The Philadelphia Flyers were convincingly pushed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New Jersey Devils.

New Jersey puts Rangers on the brink in NHL series
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:35:55 PDT)
Ryan Carter's third goal of the playoffs held up as the game winner as the New Jersey Devils held on to beat the New York Rangers 5-3 in game five of their Eastern Conference championship series.

Florida Everblades win ECHL's Kelly Cup (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 20:03:27 PDT)
ESTERO, Fla. (AP) Brandon MacLean scored 3:33 into overtime and the Florida Everblades won their first ECHL title, beating the Las Vegas Wranglers 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Kelly Cup finals.

Devils 5, Rangers 3 (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 19:50:09 PDT)
NEW YORK -- Seventeen seconds into the third period Wednesday night, the Madison Square Garden crowd was taunting New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur with its ubiquitous singsong chant, after a rare miscue allowed the New York Rangers to tie a game they once trailed 3-0.

Blues assistant Mellanby won't be back next season (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 19:06:19 PDT)
ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues say assistant coach Scott Mellanby won't be back next season.

Canucks extend contract Vigneault's contract (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 17:56:36 PDT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) The Vancouver Canucks signed coach Alain Vigneault to a contract extension, ending speculation that the team's playoff loss to Los Angeles might cost him the job.

Dubinsky, Prust back in Rangers lineup for Game 5 (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 17:02:00 PDT)
NEW YORK (AP) Brandon Dubinsky is back in the New York Rangers' lineup after missing 11 playoff games because of an injury to his right foot.

Canucks give coach Vigneault a contract extension (The SportsXchange)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:50:18 PDT)
Even though the Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round this season, they announced Wednesday that they have signed coach Alain Vigneault to a two-year contract extension.

Rangers, Devils back at MSG for pivotal Game 5; NHL 13 screenshots (Playoff Puck Previews) (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:14 PDT)
• Feast your eyes on some screengrabs from NHL 13. [ Operation Sports ] Preview: New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers, 8 p.m. ET Except to see a different Rangers team Wednesday, and not just because they'll be plugging two Brandons into the lineup, with Brandon Dubinsky making his series debut and Brandon Prust returning from his one-game suspension. The Rangers have played fabulously at Madison Square Garden this postseason, and it's hardly possible for them to be as poor as they were in the 4-1 Game 4 loss that evened this series at two games apiece. The Rangers desperately need to get their forwards going, as Chris Krieder is the only one with two goals. Might we see a more open game than we've grown accustomed to? Evening Reading • Cool post on Sidney Crosby's comic book death. [ The Hockey Writers ] • An open letter to Shane Doan from a Kings fan. Incredibly, it's nice. [ Nebulous Verbosity ] • Kirk McLean's entire career is up for auction, if that's what you're into. [ PITB ] • If the Devils and Rangers go to a Game 7, it will be shown on NBC Sports, not NBC. Why? The Senior PGA tour's got dibs. [ Newsday ] • The Oilers don't need a stud defenceman just yet. [ Oilers Nation ] Puck Buddy Comment of the Day: Luke, on the screenshot of the woman behind the Coyotes' bench Wednesday night : If you stare hard enough thru the picture like one of those Magic Eye books you CAN see Dave Tippett..... Uncanny. Bold Prediction: Brandon Dubinsky scores in his first game back.

LA Kings conquer West, await Cup final opponent (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:21:08 PDT)
LOS ANGELES (AP) The crowd was dozens deep and hundreds wide, screaming and chanting and surrounding the Los Angeles Kings' cars as they drove home after writing another improbable chapter in the big, mostly empty book that holds their franchise history.

Finnish star Granlund signs with Minnesota Wild (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 15:14:50 PDT)
Mikael Granlund's arrival in Minnesota has been eagerly awaited by frustrated Wild fans looking for more star power and offensive skill on a team stuck in mediocrity since entering the NHL 12 years ago.

CBC announces ‘While the Men Watch Hockey Night,’ sets off backlash over sexism (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 14:31:10 PDT)
"While the Men Watch" is a live, sports talk show for women. Hosted by Lena Sutherland and Jules Mancuso, the program follows the discussion of two women watching sports "from a woman's point of view including everything from interpreting the rules of the game to coaches in need of a makeover." Apparently, it's been called ESPN meets "Sex & The City ." And it's coming to CBC for the Stanley Cup Final, an announcement that has triggered some serious backlash in the hockey community, especially after an introductory post on the program at the CBC's website.  From the CBC : As two women married to sports fanatics, there was really no escaping hockey on TV - especially during playoffs.  As our men were glued to the game, we were on the phone talking to each other about what we saw on the ice in a way that was completely different than what our guys or the real announcers were saying.  Why were the players getting a seat and a drink in the penalty box if it's supposed to be a punishment?  And how exactly did that coach pick out a brown suit and tie combo four sizes too big? After rigging up an audio stream from our living rooms, we started broadcasting our "girl talk" version of commentary on all the finer points of hockey, football, baseball, basketball and yes - even golf. What the what? This is an absurdly poor idea. It's 2012. The hockey world is full of women who not only watch and understand hockey (Whoa! Just like men!), but do standout work reporting on hockey, from Katies Baker and Strang to Helene Elliott to Cassie Campbell and Andi Petrillo, who work for the same CBC that will be bringing us "While the Men Watch Hockey Night." Needless to say, the reaction to this has been harsh.

Canucks extend contract for coach Vigneault (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 14:10:03 PDT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) The Vancouver Canucks signed coach Alain Vigneault to a contract extension, ending speculation that the team's playoff loss to Los Angeles might cost him the job.

Canucks coach signs contract extension
(Wed, 23 May 2012 14:05:34 PDT)
Alain Vigneault has signed a contract extension to remain as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, the National Hockey League team announced on Wednesday.

Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 Phoenix Coyotes (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 13:58:32 PDT)
(Ed. Note: As the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, we're bound to lose some friends along the journey. We've asked for these losers, gone but not forgotten, to be eulogized by the people who knew the teams best: The fans who hated them the most . Here are Sam Fels and Matt McClure of Second City Hockey fondly recalling the 2011-12 Phoenix Coyotes. Again, this was not written by us ... OK, by all of us. Also: This is a roast and you will be offended by it , so don't take it so seriously.) By Sam Fels and Matt McClure of Second City Hockey Ladies and gentlemen, we've come here today to bury the Pho….wait a sec, are we sure they're dead? Sure they're not just lying about for effect? This is Mike Smith's and Michal Rozsival's team after all. Do we want to bring the doctors and trainers out, just to make a big show of it for effect? You're sure? Guess the game misconducts for losing classlessly indicate no pulse. What's funny about the fact that we've been brought here to eulogize the Phoenix Coyotes is that we were asked. Bloggers for a team that up until recently regarded the Yotes as nothing more than something to fill out the schedule four times a year, and will feel that way again next year. We have it on good authority that bloggers from all four division opponents on Phoenix were asked to do this, and they all responded with "Sure Wysh, we'd love to. Wait, for who? Sorry, doesn't ring a bell." But it all came to an end, as the Homer Simpson boxing approach to hockey finally ran out of luck when the Coyotes came up against the Drederick Tatum of the Western Conference in the Kings. The extra fluid padding the brain -- known as Mike Smith -- that let the rest of the Yotes pretty much get pummeled for large portions of the playoffs without a knockout finally succumbed. It was fascinating hockey for all. Or no one. Take your pick.

Blue Jackets sign RW Dorsett to 3-year deal (The Associated Press)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 13:55:32 PDT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed right wing Derek Dorsett to a three-year contract after his finest NHL season.

Alain Vigneault signs extension with Vancouver Canucks because he’s excellent (Puck Daddy)
(Wed, 23 May 2012 12:30:14 PDT)
When Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis signed his contract extension earlier this month, the conversation turned to the future of coach Alain Vigneault. His return was never a guarantee, given the team's President's Trophy-to-first-round-exit performance and the fact that Vingeault has been on and off the hot seat since 2008. But Gillis gave him an endorsement: "He has done an excellent job and I don't know why you wouldn't want somebody back who has done an excellent job and has the results to show for it," said the GM. On Wednesday, the Canucks made a most excellent decision: Signing Vigneault, 51 to a contract extension. From the Canucks: "Alain has established himself as one of the premiere coaches in the National Hockey League," said Gillis. "He has demonstrated a commitment to winning that has led to back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and we are confident his dedication and hard work will continue to yield positive results. Alain has built a foundation of winning with this franchise and I feel he can continue to build on that foundation to achieve our ultimate goal." "I am pleased to be signing this extension to continue as the Head Coach of such an outstanding organization," said Vigneault. "I look forward to taking the next step with this franchise in bringing the Stanley Cup to Vancouver. I feel fortunate to be able to work with such a dedicated group of management, coaches and players in this great city I love." Vigneault had one more season left on his current deal. Had the Canucks severed ties with him, heavy speculation had him potentially returning to the Montreal Canadiens to fill that vacancy.