As of October 28th, there have been 4 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the NHL. The Washington Capitals confirmed Wednesday that forward Quintin Laing is being treated for H1N1. Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ladislav Smid, Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj and New York Islanders forward Doug Weight have all been previously diagnosed as well.

Over the course of the last century, the NHL has had its share of battles with different ailments. Infections, Cancer (affecting some of the biggest names) and yes…you guessed it…the flu. The story of the flu and its impact on the NHL’s second year is actually quite interesting and tragic at the same time.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919 that ended up in the cancellation of the Stanley Cup Final…I’ll give you the short version;

Americans and Canadians were celebrating the end of World War I, but were growing more apprehensive about the influenza epidemic that had already ravaged Europe and seemed to be making its way to Canada. The Montreal Canadiens were taking the transcontinental train to the west coast to take on the Seattle Metropolitans for the Stanley Cup.

Upon arriving, there were some questions raised about having so many people in such a confined hockey arena. Large public gatherings were the breeding ground for the flu.

Game one went to Seattle, as they destroyed the Canadiens (feels good to write that!) by a score of 7-2. The Habs rebounded back in game 2 taking Seattle 4-2. The series was tied at one game each.

Game three was yet another pounding by Seattle as they beat Hall of Fame goalie, Georges Vezina 7 times for the second time in the series. It looked like the Metropolitans had Vezina figured out.

Game 4 was described by NHL historian Charles Coleman as “the greatest match ever played on the Pacific Coast”. The Canadiens “Bad” Joe Hall and Seattle’s tough guy Cully Wilson highlighted the night as the game ended in a 0-0 tie and 20 minutes of overtime settled nothing…a scoreless tie in the Stanley Cup final!!

In game 5, the Habs game back from a 3 goal deficit to tie the game. Two goals came courtesy of Newsy Lalonde and another by Jack McDonald. The game was sent to overtime where Montreal’s Odie Cleghorn beat Seattle’s net minder at 15:57 into the extra period to tie the series yet again.

Unfortunately, before the 5th game had ended, Montreal’s Joe Hall was rushed to the hospital with the flu. It hit the series hard with 4 additional players and Montreal manager George Kennedy all being bed-ridden by Spanish flu. Kennedy wanted to continue the series with substitute players from the Victoria team, as Montreal was unable to compete. Seattle opposed the suggestion.

Kennedy forfeited the Cup to Seattle coach Pete Muldoon, but he refused to accept it. The Stanley Cup was never awarded that year, but it will always be remembered for the spirited play and overwhelming sportsmanship of both teams. The Stanley Cup engraving reads as follows;
“1919: Montreal Canadiens, Seattle Metropolitans. Series Not Completed.”

Hall would never see his home arena again as he would die in hospital less than a week after being taken out of the game.

Joseph Henry Hall won two Stanley Cups in his career and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1961.

Posted By Pat Lynch

The scene at the Stanley Cup Finals after the game tends to be chaotic and this year was no different.

Pittsburgh Penguins team captain and superstar Sidney Crosby isn’t apologizing for an alleged snub of the Detroit Red Wings during the post-game celebration of Game 7 of the Finals. With some Red Wings leaving the ice before he joined the handshake line, it was interesting to note the backlash against Crosby coming from Red Wings forward Kris Draper.

“Nick (Lidstrom) was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn’t come over to shake his hand. That’s ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that!” Draper told the Associated Press.

During the post-game celebration, Crosby was ushered around to various media outlets and took part in celebrating the Stanley Cup victory with his teammates. He was also the last person to join the line, by which time many key Red Wings players, including Lidstrom and Draper, had already left the ice. Somehow, Crosby received the blame for not doing the honours.

“I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands,” Crosby said. “I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment. The guys I shook their hands with, they realized I made the attempt. If I could shake half their team’s hands, I’m sure the other half wasn’t too far behind. I don’t know what happened there. I have no regrets. I’ve been on both sides of it, and it’s not fun being on the losing end. But it doesn’t change anything. You still shake hands no matter what.”

The comment from Draper is, in my opinion, more than unreasonable. It’s downright petty and rude. The reaction of some of the Red Wings players to leave the ice before the handshakes were fully completed, even if Crosby was somewhat late in arriving, simply reflects a sort of “sore loser” mentality. It was a classless display and it was even more classless to somehow blame their exit on Crosby.

Crosby shook hands with more than half of the Red Wings roster, including coach Babcock and goalie Chris Osgood.

It is interesting to note the contrast between this incident and last year’s. The entire Penguins roster waited around for the Red Wings to finish celebrating and reach the handshake line, but this year the shoe was on the other foot and the Wings acted like spoiled children not getting their way. It’s a situation that probably would have been largely ignored were it not for Draper’s idiotic post-game comments.

Grow up.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

In true heart-pounding fashion, the Pittsburgh Penguins rose to the challenge and defeated the favourite Detroit Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. That they did so without the services of Sidney Crosby for more than half the game was remarkable, too, but for the most part this win was about character and heart.

Winning their third Cup in franchise history in Detroit’s building couldn’t have been an easy task for these young Pens and it almost didn’t happen. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made a critical save in the dying seconds of the game to keep his team’s 2-1 lead and Maxime Talbot provided both Pittsburgh goals.

In the end, it wound up being about depth and role players for the Penguins. They were able to get pucks deep and play hard along the boards against the veteran Wings, giving their team and their young players the extra boost over the edge necessary to get the better of the prepared, skilled Detroit team.

Evgeni Malkin earned the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring 36 points in the post-season. He is the first Russian-born player to win the award.

Crosby missed about half of the game after being clipped by Wings centre Johan Franzen along the boards in the second period. He returned for only one shift of the final period and had to sit on the bench while his team pulled off the victory. “I don’t recommend anyone trying watch the Stanley Cup final, Game 7 from the bench. It’s a tough situation,” Crosby said after raising the Cup as the youngest player to do so.

The Penguins also become the first road team since the ‘71 Habs to begin a Stanley Cup final down two games and yet still win it all in the seventh and deciding game away from home.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

A big money save from Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t have come at a better time as the Pittsburgh Penguins force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Fleury stoned Dan Cleary on a breakaway with just over a minute and a half remaining, sliding across after Cleary seemed poised to play hero for the Detroit Red Wings. Finishing with 26 saves with the world seemingly on his shoulders, the win has to feel absolutely amazing for the young Pittsburgh goalie.

Along with Fleury’s great save, it was the play of Jordan Staal and linemates Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke that really kept the Penguins in the game. While the Penguins’ star players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, were largely invisible, it was the play of the checking line that really brought things to a head.

Staal did everything asked of him, winning faceoffs and forcing chances while playing a desperate defensive game. He scored the game’s first goal, too, collecting his own rebound and popping the puck past Chris Osgood. Cooke’s physical play was outstanding, sending Detroit’s skilled forwards into overdrive and rattling a few cages. Kennedy was a big time player, too, scoring a goal and assisting on Staal’s goal.

Detroit frequently looked dangerous, however, and the Penguins were not in total control of the matchup. Bill Guerin looked wobbly and uncertain, taking an untimely penalty for a careless high-stick and generally looking lost with feeble attempts on goal from the outside when passing lanes were open.

Detroit was buzzing towards the end of the game despite being out-chanced. A key moment came near the conclusion of the game with a mad scramble in the crease, but Fleury was able to cover the puck before any damage could be done.

The series heads back to Detroit for the deciding game on Friday at 7:30 pm EST.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

After obliterating the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings enjoyed a day off on Sunday before getting back to it with a hard practice on Monday.

Chris Osgood was able to get caught up on his sleep, telling media that he was banking on some rest before heading off to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Tuesday. Osgood is a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate, for certain, as his performance in the post-season has been nothing short of spectacular.

Once practice rolled around, however, the Red Wings hit the ice on a mission and Osgood wasn’t napping any longer.

“We haven’t had a lot of practices like that the last couple months,” Brad Stuart said of the pace set at Monday’s practice. “It’s good to get out there to make sure your body is working.”

Pavel Datsyuk, by all accounts, looked pretty good during the skate as well. Any lingering effects from injury were either pushed below for the sake of getting on with it or were simply no longer there. Coach Babcock noted that the forward looked “really good” out there. That goes without saying, as Datsyuk’s incredible performance in Game 5 (two assists and great overall energy) gave testimony to his quality as a player.

With the Red Wings assembling every piece of their puzzle, the Penguins have an uphill climb set in front of them on Tuesday. Despite only being down a game, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins getting into this series to pull of a Stanley Cup win. At this point, it’s hard to imagine the young Penguins as being any other than true underdogs.

As noted by the CBC, “if the Red Wings win Game 6, they will hoist the Stanley Cup on the road and in the same building…for the second time in as many years, something unseen since the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden in 1977 and 1978.”

With the Red Wings more than comfortable on the road, they will have to undress a series trend that has found the home team winning each of the first five games in the series. Even if that trend stays alive, the Red Wings will be the series favourites.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The season is drawing to a close and we are now faced with the Stanley Cup Finals! This year’s matchup is a rematch from last year’s Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings matchup, marking the first time since 1984 with the Edmonton Oilers faced the New York Islanders a second time. The Oilers took the second meeting, kickstarting their dynasty and winning five championships over the next seven years.

Could the Pittsburgh Penguins accomplish the same feat? This series has a lot of similarities with that ‘84 series and should be incredibly exciting to watch. The NHL and NBC have bumped up the start of the series, so Game One gets underway Saturday.

The Stanley Cup Final matchup is:

Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: I had anticipated much, much longer rounds earlier in the playoffs and didn’t think we’d be here this quickly, but the Penguins and Wings are playing as though they are possessed. Both squads are ready, both squads want to win more than anything, and both feature players at the top of their respective games.

The Red Wings will down a few key players, such as Pavel Datsyuk. Word ’round the campfire is, however, that Datsyuk may be back in business before we know it. The Wings have experience on their side, too, but the Penguins have shown tenacity and are as deep a team as there is in the National Hockey League. They can also boast experience, having been to the dance before last year.

In goaltending, I think the Penguins come into the series with a slight edge. Fleury is an energetic goaltender, but he plays with remarkable poise in big game situations. Osgood, on the other hand, is a seasoned pro but can be prone to making big mistakes in costly situations.

When all is said and done, the series will hinge around whether or not the Penguins can crack the defensive shell of the Red Wings and break through to put some heat on Osgood. If they can do that and if Crosby and Malkin are flying like they have been all season long thus far, I don’t think the Red Wings can pull off a repeat win. The longer the series goes, the better things will begin to look for the Wings.

My Prediction: Penguins in 6.

Feel free to list your predictions below in the comments section.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Looks like I got at least one prediction exactly right during this year’s post-season!

The Red Wings have eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games, just like I predicted back on May 16. The Blackhawks gave the Wings a difficult fight, however, taking it overtime for three out of the last four games.

The Red Wings will now go on to meet the Penguins, who finished off a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday, and will face off against each other in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. It should be interesting to see how the two teams have grown over the year and it should be a very exciting, up-tempo series.

The series is set to start a full week ahead of schedule, as the NHL doesn’t want a long layoff to curb the excitement brought forth in the post-season. The Stanley Cup Finals begin Saturday night in Detroit and I will have my predictions up shortly.

Detroit has proven that they can still go with the best of them even when they’re down players, as the absence of both Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk left the Wings looking deep in the bench to polish off the Blackhawks. The scoring support came from players like Darren Helm and Dan Cleary, who proved that there’s a significant amount of depth on that Detroit squad.

Perhaps one of the most interesting components of the Stanley Cup Finals as they approach is the story of Marian Hossa. He finds himself on the Detroit Red Wings a year after heading to the Finals with the Penguins. Hossa was offered a long-term deal with the Penguins, but turned it down because he thought the Red Wings had a better chance at reaching the Cup. With both teams a heartbeat away from the ultimate prize, it looks like the series could be a matter of pride for Hossa.

The series marks the first Stanley Cup Finals rematch since 1984 when the Edmonton Oilers defeated the New York Islanders after losing to them the year prior.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Well, looks like I blew the prediction after all.

The Pittsburgh Penguins completed their sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The young Pens disposed of the Canes led by a driven and determine Sidney Crosby, unquestionably leading his team to the Promised Land again for a series that could very well be a rematch from last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.

It was a difficult series to pick, as the Hurricanes looked tough going in. They enjoyed considerable success blowing through New Jersey and the finalist favourite Boston Bruins. But Carolina struggled out of the gate against the Penguins and never came back, clearly winded from knocking off two superior teams in the opening rounds of the post-season.

It was tough to overcome Pittsburgh’s offensive weaponry, as one might expect. With Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the post-season scoring race, it’s not going to be easy to contain those two players. Carolina just wasn’t up for the task by the end of things and Pittsburgh’s great supporting cast made it look easy.

“Coming into the (post-season), these were the guys who scared us the most because of the way they played together,” Penguins forward Bill Guerin said of the Hurricanes.

The Penguins will now await the winner of the Detroit vs. Chicago series and they may not be waiting long, with the Red Wings in command of the series leading it 3-1.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Welcome to the Conference Finals, ladies and gentlemen! As always, I present my selections and others are encouraged to do the same. The more picks and discussion, the more fun this can be. Get your picks in and let’s see who earns the coveted bragging rights this year!

The matchup for the Western Conference Final is:

Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks: The Red Wings vs. Blackhawks matchup is an intriguing original six battle and it should be a good one. The speed and youthful energy of the Hawks will face off against the playoff experience of the Red Wings and it won’t be pretty. There’s really no question who the underdogs in this series are, as Chicago will have an uphill climb starting Sunday. With hockey being on the rise again in Chi-town, though, you can expect the youngsters to get an awful lot of home support. Still, the Red Wings are better in almost every single aspect of the game and it’s hard to bet against the wily veterans.

My Prediction: Red Wings in 5.

The matchup for the Eastern Conference Final is:

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Carolina Hurricanes: It’s Staal vs. Staal when the Pittsburgh vs. Carolina series gets underway on Monday night. Both teams have a lot in common beyond possessing a Staal, though, including the fact that both squads made late coaching changes that helped spark a turnaround in the regular season. Carolina has the recent upset of the Boston Bruins going for them and it will be difficult to run through their momentum. The Penguins are the most skilled team, but the Canes have proven that skill may not matter all that much as Cam Ward has defeated goaltenders far superior to his skill level in the past. Is it time to start taking Carolina seriously as a Stanley Cup contender, year after year? Probably.

My Prediction: Hurricanes in 7.

Feel free to list your predictions below in the comments section.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Going into the post-season, many sports blogs provided opinions that backed the Boston Bruins for winning it all and hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup at the end of the year. Those predictions have all been blown right out of the water by perhaps the most unlikely of teams in the Carolina Hurricanes. And now, as the Bruins pack up their stuff from the season, the Canes will advance to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday night.

It was Scott Walker who delivered the final blow four days after delivering a knockout blow of another kind to Aaron Ward. Walker scored his first playoff goal by flipping the puck over Tim Thomas almost 19 minutes into the extra frame.

“I just went to the net and whacked one in,” Walker said after his 25th career NHL playoff game. “Didn’t take much skill.”

Carolina defeated the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the post-season and have again knocked off the better team, using their grit and determination to pull through the tough spots. Carolina coach Paul Maurice knows that the secret to the Canes’ success lies not with trading offensive chances but rather with sharpening up the little things and winning puck battles.

“Just because we won these series doesn’t mean we are going to change our approach against Pittsburgh,” he said. “If we try to trade goals with them, it will be a short series.”

Of course, Boston was put in a tough spot in the series early on going down 3-1. It looks darn near impossible for a comeback, but credit must be given where it is due and the Bruins brought it down to the wire. They had the rescinded Walker suspension to deal with, so for that player to score the series-deciding goal had to feel like salt in the wounds.

And yet, that’s hockey.

The Bruins, going into the post-season as the top-seeded team, were simply outworked and scraped together enough energy to crawl back in the series. They also ran into the brick wall known only as Cam Ward. Ward, who also outmatched Martin Brodeur, may hoist another Stanley Cup and may even scoop yet another playoff MVP award if all goes well.

It will be tough for the Canes to go on under the radar now, however, as their seemingly “out of nowhere” style of play is starting to gain some much-needed attention. They are a dangerous franchise, to be sure, and Pittsburgh will have their hands full in the next round.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.