The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.

Stanley Cup Issue 2015

The Hockey News - Stanley Cup 2015

<div class="byline">ByMatt Larkin</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0216/73083-1-eng-US/f0038-022.jpg" title="f0038-02" width="685" height="922"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FIREPOWERED</b><i>Stamkos leads the league&rsquo;s most potent offense and top puck possession team</i> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0038-0125/73090-1-eng-US/f0038-012.jpg" title="f0038-01" width="225" height="215"></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>F</span>ORGIVE STEVE YZERMAN. HE&rsquo;S LESS</b> impressed by his Tampa Bay Lightning than the rest of the world is. It takes more than a healthy run at the Presidents&rsquo; Trophy to elevate this GM&rsquo;s heart rate. Call it the byproduct of three Stanley Cup rings, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Selke Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Award and three Olympic gold medals, one as a player and two as chief roster architect.</p><p>So when Yzerman learns in mid-March The Hockey News has chosen Tampa Bay as 2015 Stanley Cup champ, he doesn&rsquo;t flinch. Bigger things to worry about? More like smaller things. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re talking today, and we&rsquo;ve yet to clinch a playoff spot,&rdquo; Yzerman said. &ldquo;You might be thinking Stanley Cup. We&rsquo;re not. We&rsquo;re just trying to make the playoffs.&rdquo;</p><p>Yzerman has accomplished enough to never get ahead of himself, and the Bolts haven&rsquo;t done much yet under his watch. He was hired in 2010 and they reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final a year later, but that wasn&rsquo;t <i>his</i> team. He brought in aging goalie Dwayne Roloson for a Cinderella run, but most of the roster came from Jay Feaster and Brian Lawton.</p><p>The current Lightning incarnation is very much Yzerman&rsquo;s, aside from pillars Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman, and anyone would&rsquo;ve taken those two with the first- and second-overall picks in 2008 and 2009. The Yzerman regime drafted Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonathan Drouin, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov. It traded for Ben Bishop and Ryan Callahan. It discovered Tyler Johnson and signed Anton Stralman and Valtteri Filppula. Tampa is where it is today because of Yzerman&rsquo;s handiwork.</p><p>And Yzerman&rsquo;s Bolts aren&rsquo;t yet where he wants them to be, having lost to Montreal in four games last spring after Bishop dislocated his elbow days before the playoffs. But just because Yzerman thinks Cup talk is premature doesn&rsquo;t mean we have to agree. Instead we elect to accuse him of modesty &ndash; and build a case for Tampa Bay to win its second Stanley Cup.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">WE CAN BE BIGGER, WE CAN IMPROVE AND WE CAN BE A STRONGER DEFENSIVE TEAM &ndash; Steve Yzerman</blockquote><h2><b>SUPREME FORWARD DEPTH AND FIREPOWER</b></h2><p>The Lightning&rsquo;s 3.24 goals per game tops the NHL by a wide margin, with second-place Dallas at 3.08. Tampa has the luxury of two first lines. Stamkos and Callahan have spent almost the entire season together, usually with Filppula, and that trio has 74 combined goals. The &ldquo;second&rdquo; line of Johnson between Nikita Kucherov and Palat is arguably the best in the sport. They&rsquo;ve tallied 69 goals and, thanks to their tremendous speed and positioning, have been as much of a force defensively as offensively. That all-world prospect Jonathan Drouin has toiled on the third line most of the year speaks volumes about Tampa&rsquo;s depth. With nine games left, nine Lightning forwards had 12 goals or more.</p><h2><b>VASTLY IMPROVED DEFENSE</b></h2><p>Trading for Jason Garrison last June brought a booming point shot into the fray. Advanced stats darling Stralman has earned every cent of his five-year, $22.5-million deal so far. And a high-risk, high-reward deadline trade sent Radko Gudas, a first-round pick and a third-round pick to Philadelphia for minutes eater Braydon Coburn. &ldquo;Our goal at the start of the year was to improve our club defensively,&rdquo; Yzerman said. &ldquo;And for the most part, up until the trade deadline, our statistics proved we were improved defensively, but we still felt that, &lsquo;You know what? We can be bigger, and we can improve again, and we can be a stronger defensive team.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p><p>Once Coburn returns from his lower-body injury, he&rsquo;ll join a group led by Hedman, who has become the elite two-way force he was projected to be. Matthew Carle is an underrated rusher. The versatile blueline blends size and puck-moving ability. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Coburn is the third-biggest starter. Hedman clocks in at 6-foot-6 and 230. Andrej Sustr is Zdeno Chara Lite at 6-foot-7 and 220.</p><p>The Bolts got better defensively up front, too, by signing center Brian Boyle and veteran Brenden Morrow. Yzerman likes Boyle&rsquo;s 6-foot-7 frame, faceoff ability and penalty killing and said Morrow&rsquo;s leadership was a huge selling point. These Bolts are significantly tougher to play against, so much so that they resemble the Western Conference mold.</p><h2><b>ELITE ADVANCED STATISTICS</b></h2><p>The 2012 Cup champion Kings had the second-best Corsi Close in the NHL. The 2013 Hawks were second in Corsi Close behind L.A. The 2014 champion Kings? First. This season&rsquo;s top possession team? Tampa Bay.</p><p>The Stralman signing suggested the Bolts&rsquo; brass was attuned to the advanced stats movement, though Yzerman says it&rsquo;s not that simple. &ldquo;We keep our own advanced stats, if you want to call them that,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;And to really be honest with you, we&rsquo;re at a stage where we&rsquo;re trying to take all that information and figure out if it means anything. Basically, our coach has a philosophy that we&rsquo;d rather have the puck in our possession than the other team.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>BETTER GOALTENDING</b></h2><p>Tampa&rsquo;s netminders who struggled in last year&rsquo;s playoffs are history. Anders Lindback, now a Buffalo Sabre, and Kristers Gudlevskis, now the starter for AHL Syracuse, went 0-4 with a 3.91 goals-against average and .884 save percentage. This year Bishop enters the post-season healthy and will start. And if Bishop gets hurt, the best goaltending prospect in the game backs him up. Vasilevskiy is the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s answer to John Gibson. He and Bishop have no post-season experience at the highest level, but both have been outstanding in the regular season and offer no tangible reasons to expect failure.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0120/73076-1-eng-US/f0039-012.jpg" title="f0039-01" width="215" height="216"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0214/73069-1-eng-US/f0039-022.jpg" title="f0039-02" width="685" height="450"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>&lsquo;SECOND&rsquo; LINE</b><i>The Johnson, Kucherov, Palat unit is so good, it would be many other teams&rsquo; top trio.</i></figcaption></div><h2><b>DECEPTIVE EXPERIENCE</b></h2><p>It&rsquo;s true the Bolts have just one Stanley Cup ring among them. It belongs to Filppula, who earned it with Detroit in 2008. So the Bolts&rsquo; lack of championship experience is an obvious knock. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s nothing we can do about the fact we only have one player that&rsquo;s won the Stanley Cup,&rdquo; Yzerman said.</p><p>Every team has to start somewhere, however. The 2010 Hawks had one Cup champ on their roster: 36-year-old John Madden, who averaged 11 minutes per game. So maybe experience is overrated. And the Lightning have their own version of big-game mileage. Coach Jon Cooper guided Tampa&rsquo;s AHL affiliate, then the Norfolk Admirals, to a Calder Cup in 2012. They won 28 straight games that year. Current Bolts from that team: Johnson, Palat, Mark Barberio and Alexander Killorn.</p><p>Spread out all the evidence and the verdict points to Tampa Bay. The supreme depth says so. The obvious roster improvements say so. And this team equally satisfies the stat geeks who favor possession and the traditionalists who just care about goals. The Bolts have the NHL right where they want it, even if Stevie Y doesn&rsquo;t want anyone to know that.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0311/73062-1-eng-US/f0039-032.jpg" title="f0039-03" width="254" height="480"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>PUCK LUCK</b></h2><p><i>The Flames are this year&rsquo;s &ldquo;luckiest&rdquo; team, boasting the No. 2 shooting percentage in the league yet ranking near the bottom in Corsi Close. They generate few chances but score a lot anyway. The unlucky Kings get chances galore but struggle to score. The league&rsquo;s best shooting team? The Lightning. Not only do they create the most chances, they convert the most, too.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0039-0410/73055-1-eng-US/f0039-042.jpg" title="f0039-04" width="915" height="312"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0038-02

FEATURES

CASE CLOSED

<p class="dropcap"><span>I</span>t&rsquo;s not fair, really. Not only have the Montreal Canadiens had some of the most dynamic and offensively talented skaters in NHL history, they&rsquo;ve been blessed with some of the best goaltenders to ever strap on the pads. Here are eight of them who came before Carey Price, all of whom are either in the Hall of Fame or won the Hart Trophy, or, in the case of Jacques Plante, both. Will Price follow them to their lofty heights?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-0116/72791-1-eng-US/f0021-012.jpg" title="f0021-01" width="273" height="391"></div><h2><b>GEORGES VEZINA &ndash; 1910-26</b></h2><p>175-146-6, 3.28 GAA*, 2 Cups</p><p><i>The Canadiens discovered their first superstar goalie when they were on a barnstorming tour through Quebec in 1909. The Habs played Chicoutimi in an exhibition game and lost with Vezina, a leather tanner by trade, almost singlehandedly leading the Sagueneens to victory</i></p><p>(*NHL ONLY)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0021-029/72784-1-eng-US/f0021-022.jpg" title="f0021-02" width="216" height="389"></div><h2><b>GEORGE HAINSWORTH &ndash; 1926-33</b></h2><p>167-97-54, 1.75 GAA, 2 Cups</p><p><i>Hainsworth came from the Saskatoon Sheiks on the recommendation of Newsy Lalonde, who figured Hainsworth could replace Vezina, whose career and life were cut short by tuberculosis. Hainsworth, who won the first three trophies bearing Vezina&rsquo;s name, also met a tragic end, killed in a car accident.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-028/72777-1-eng-US/f0022-022.jpg" title="f0022-02" width="225" height="395"></div><h2><b>BILL DURNAN &ndash; 1943-50</b></h2><p>208-112-62, 2.36 GAA, 2 Cups</p><p><i>Durnan, originally property of the Leafs, had his early career derailed by injury. He eventually landed in Montreal as an accountant/goalie with the Montreal Royals. Durnan&rsquo;s boss was a director with the Habs and pressured him to sign with the Canadiens at age 27.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-036/72770-1-eng-US/f0022-032.jpg" title="f0022-03" width="216" height="344"></div><h2><b>JACQUES PLANTE &ndash; 1953-63</b></h2><p>312-134-108, 2.23 GAA, 6 Cups</p><p><i>Legendary coach Toe Blake couldn&rsquo;t stand Plante, largely because of Plante&rsquo;s insistence on doing things his own way. &ldquo;But as much as Toe disliked Plante,&rdquo; said former broadcaster Dick Irvin, &ldquo;he would always say Plante was the best goaltender in history.&rdquo;</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0022-045/72763-1-eng-US/f0022-042.jpg" title="f0022-04" width="163" height="393"></div><h2><b>GUMP WORSLEY &ndash; 1963-70</b></h2><p>92-44-25, 2.42 GAA, 4 Cups</p><p><i>became Montreal&rsquo;s No. 1 goalie, he had already played 10 seasons for the Rangers and the better part of two more in the minors. Historians have gone back and calculated save percentages and figured out Worsley led the league in that statistic almost every season he was with the toothless Rangers.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-0210/72756-1-eng-US/f0023-022.jpg" title="f0023-02" width="194" height="394"></div><h2><b>KEN DRYDEN &ndash; 1970-79</b></h2><p>258-57-74, 2.24 GAA, 6 Cups</p><p><i>The Bruins actually drafted Dryden 14th overall in 1964, but flipped him and another prospect to the Habs for two prospects. Nobody gave Dryden much thought until seven years later when he joined the Canadiens late in the season and led them to the Cup, including a shocking seven-game triumph over the B&rsquo;s in the first round.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-036/72749-1-eng-US/f0023-032.jpg" title="f0023-03" width="309" height="391"></div><h2><b>PATRICK ROY &ndash; 1985-95</b></h2><p>289-175-66, 2.77 GAA, 2 Cups</p><p><i>Roy waited until he turned pro to give an indication he&rsquo;d be a Hall of Fame player. In three seasons in the QMJHL with the Laval Voisins, Roy was 30 games under .500, had a goals-against average of 5.35 and won zero playoff games.</i></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0023-043/72742-1-eng-US/f0023-042.jpg" title="f0023-04" width="220" height="398"></div><h2><b>JOSE THEODORE &ndash; 1996-2006</b></h2><p>141-163-30, 2.62 GAA, 0 Cups</p><p><i>There are two Habs goalies with their names on the Vezina Trophy but not the Cup. Denis Herron is one, Theodore is the other. Theodore won both the Vezina and Hart in 2002, with both awards coming by the closest margin in NHL history.</i><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0021-01

DEPARTMENTS

BEASTS OF THE BLEU PAINT

<div class="byline">&#x2013; MATT LARKIN</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0212/72404-1-eng-US/f0011-022.jpg" title="f0011-02" width="508" height="516"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-0121/72411-1-eng-US/f0011-012.jpg" title="f0011-01" width="234" height="349"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(SMITH+MCSORLEY: GRAIG ABEL COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES; MESSIER: LINDA CATAFFO/NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><h2><b>5. STEVE SMITH&rsquo;S OWN GOAL</b></h2><p><b>(April 30, 1986)</b></p><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>he dynastic Edmonton Oilers seek a third straight Stanley Cup and are deadlocked with their bitter rivals, the Calgary Flames, in Game 7 of the Smythe Division final. With the score 2-2 and 14:48 remaining in the third period, Smith corrals the puck behind his net. He attempts a long breakout pass up the middle of the ice and through Grant Fuhr&rsquo;s crease. The puck banks into Edmonton&rsquo;s net off Fuhr&rsquo;s skate.</p><p>Smith falls to the ice and sobs. It&rsquo;s his 23rd birthday. It&rsquo;s the final goal of the game and eliminates the Oilers. Thankfully for Smith, he&rsquo;s part of two more Cups, including one the next year, after which captain Wayne Gretzky passes the Cup to Smith. Still, Smith&rsquo;s gaffe makes us wonder if Edmonton could&rsquo;ve won five straight titles.</p><h2><b>4. NICKLAS LIDSTROM BEATS DAN CLOUTIER FROM DOWNTOWN</b></h2><p><b>(April 21, 2002)</b></p><p>The 2002 Red Wings are among the most stacked teams ever: Dominik Hasek, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Brett Hull, Chris Chelios, Luc Robitaille, Igor Larionov, Pavel Datsyuk. But the powerhouse Wings start the 2002 post-season poorly, dropping consecutive home games to Vancouver. Then, it happens. With the score 1-1 in Game 3, late in the second period, Lidstrom takes a slapshot from center ice. It beats Canucks goalie Dan Cloutier. The air sucks out of GM Place. Detroit goes on to win 3-1 &ndash; and the next three games, ousting Vancouver and setting the stage for a Stanley Cup triumph.</p><h2><b>3. DON CHERRY&rsquo;S LINE CHANGE SNAFU</b></h2><p><b>(May 10, 1979)</b></p><p>The Boston Bruins have their boot on the Montreal Canadiens&rsquo; throat, hoping to end Montreal&rsquo;s Stanley Cup streak at four. Boston enters the third period of Game 7 up 3-1 at the Forum, but the Habs score twice to tie it 3-3. Boston&rsquo;s Rick Middleton then delivers what looks like a knockout blow, beating Ken Dryden with 3:59 left.</p><p>Then coach Don Cherry and the Bruins get confused. Some of the players mishear him and the Bruins end up with as many as eight men on the ice at once. Cherry pulls two back, but that still leaves six skaters. Boston takes a too-many-men penalty. Montreal&rsquo;s legendary power play unit of Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Jacques Lemaire, Larry Robinson and Serge Savard takes over. Lafleur ties the game on a big blast before Yvon Lambert wins it for Montreal in overtime.</p><h2><b>2. MARK MESSIER&rsquo;S GUARANTEE</b></h2><p><b>(May 24, 1994)</b></p><p>The New York Rangers have their best chance at a Stanley Cup in 54 years, but they trail 3-2 in the Eastern Conference final in an epic series with the New Jersey Devils. Then come the immortal words from Blueshirts captain Mark Messier: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to go in there and win Game 6.&rdquo;</p><p>The quote blows up in the headlines. Messier calls his shot like New York sports greats Babe Ruth and Joe Namath. Maybe it&rsquo;s self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe it&rsquo;s fluke or maybe Messier knows he and his team are that good. Whatever the driving force is, Messier delivers with a hat trick in Game 6. That sends the series back to New York, where the Rangers win a marathon Game 7. Eventually the Cup is theirs.</p><h2><b>1. THE MARTY McSORLEY STICK MEASUREMENT</b></h2><p><b>(June 2, 1993)</b></p><p>Gretzky&rsquo;s Kings are in the driver&rsquo;s seat as they attempt to bring the first Cup to California. They win Game 1 of the final against Montreal and, up 2-1 in the third period of Game 2, are about to take a stranglehold. Then Habs coach Jacques Demers throws up a prayer on Guy Carbonneau&rsquo;s hunch.</p><p>Carbonneau suggests Kings D-man Marty McSorley has an illegal curve on his stick. Referee Kerry Fraser rules the blade is indeed illegal, and Montreal earns a power play. Eric Desjardins&rsquo; second goal of the game ties it with 1:13 left, and he beats Kelly Hrudey a third time in the extra frame. Montreal doesn&rsquo;t lose another game and wins the series in five.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0011-038/72397-1-eng-US/f0011-032.jpg" title="f0011-03" width="237" height="301"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0011-02

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN?

<p><b>APRIL 15</b> First day of the STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS</p><p><b>JUNE 17</b> Last possible day of the STANLEY CUP FINAL</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0125/72368-1-eng-US/f0010-012.jpg" title="f0010-01" width="508" height="710"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-0211/72361-1-eng-US/f0010-022.jpg" title="f0010-02" width="706" height="500"></div><h2><b>TOP ACTIVE PLAYOFF SCORERS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-037/72354-1-eng-US/f0010-032.jpg" title="f0010-03" width="288" height="272"></div><h2><b>MOST ACTIVE PLAYOFF WINS</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0010-043/72347-1-eng-US/f0010-042.jpg" title="f0010-04" width="288" height="272"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0010-01

Playoff FORMAT

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0123/72147-1-eng-US/f0004-012.jpg" title="f0004-01" width="263" height="457"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>O</span><b>N THE DAY I MADE MY STANLEY CUP PREDICTION,</b> six teams were tied for first overall, four more were within striking distance and I identified 10 in total I wouldn&rsquo;t be surprised to see win it all &ndash; including one that, technically, wasn&rsquo;t in a playoff position. So how do you whittle it to The One with any confidence? You shut a bunch of hockey geeks in a windowless room, without sustenance, and give them one task: don&rsquo;t come out until you&rsquo;ve reached a consensus. When the ice chips settled, the chosen ones were the Tampa Bay Lightning (see pg. 38 for more), a selection we all stand behind even if it wasn&rsquo;t everyone&rsquo;s first pick. You win as a team and lose as a team. You play for the name on the front of the magazine, not the one on the front of the paystub. There&rsquo;s no &ldquo;I&rdquo; in The Hockey News. And so forth.</p><p>That said, like any good club, a media outlet needs a solid backup. Injuries to star players can change the outlook in a flash. For me, Plan B (or more accurately, Plan A1), is the Rangers. Here&rsquo;s why.</p><p>&bull; Goaltending. Pick your poison: Henrik Lundqvist has the pedigree, Cam Talbot has his back. It doesn&rsquo;t matter who the Blueshirts have in net &ndash; they have supreme confidence in him, and with good reason.</p><p>&bull; Team defense. Along with having the deepest blueline in the NHL, the Rangers are smothering and agile on &lsquo;D.&rsquo; And they&rsquo;re lights out at protecting leads &ndash; nearly perfect when leading after two periods.</p><p>&bull; Balanced scoring. New York challenged for the league lead in goals per game but didn&rsquo;t have anyone in contention for the Art Ross. Secondary offense is critical in the post-season.</p><p>&bull; Go-to sniper. Rick Nash is having a man-on-a-mission type of year. He was in the Rocket Richard hunt and among the league leaders in game-winning goals. He won&rsquo;t stumble in consecutive playoffs.</p><p>&bull; New York has a strong record versus Western foes, with just five regulation losses in 20 games, and they&rsquo;re the NHL&rsquo;s best road team.</p><p>&bull; Experience and hunger. With unfinished business, they&rsquo;re battletested, focused and just plain better in 2015.</p><p><b>IN MEMORIAM:</b> THN sends its deepest condolences to the families of Norm MacLean, a long time sportswriter and THN contributor, and Matthew Wuest, CapGeek founder. The two passed away within days of each other in March. For more on Wuest, see pg. 13.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0004-0223/72140-1-eng-US/f0004-022.jpg" title="f0004-02" width="213" height="112"></div><p><b>NEXT ISSUE</b> DRAFT PREVIEW 2015</p><p><b>CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TO SUBSCRIBE:</b><a href="http://THN.com">thn.com</a></p><p><b>CONTACT US:</b><a href="mailto:editorial@thehockeynews.com">editorial@thehockeynews.com</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0004-01

EVERYONE NEEDS A PLAN B

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-0125/72253-1-eng-US/f0006-012.jpg" title="f0006-01" width="594" height="344"></div><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon2.jpg" title="common" width="36" height="36"></span><p><b>@THEHOCKEYNEWS</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon012.jpg" title="common01" width="36" height="36"></span><p><b>/THEHOCKEYNEWS</b></p><span class="image-inline"><img src="mon022.jpg" title="common02" width="36" height="36"></span><p><b>/+THEHOCKEYNEWS</b></p><p class="dropcap"><i><span>I</span> read Ken Campbell&rsquo;s cover story on Phil Kessel (March 9) and had to laugh. Why is it when people in this article (and many others) have wonderful things to say about an individual they are identified? But when something negative is said they are almost always &ldquo;a former teammate who requested anonymity&rdquo; or &ldquo;a rival team executive&rdquo;? If they don&rsquo;t have the balls to put their name behind a quote, don&rsquo;t print it. Be accountable like Ron Wilson was.</i></p><p><b><i>Ed Nudge, Glendale, Ariz.</i></b></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-028/72225-1-eng-US/f0006-022.jpg" title="f0006-02" width="56" height="56"></div><p>LOVE OR HATE ONE OF OUR FEATURES/STORIES? LET US KNOW BY EMAILING US AT <a href="mailto:letters@thehockeynews.com">LETTERS@THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>MAN UP?</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon052.jpg" title="common05" width="71" height="45"></div><p>The Kessel story was very enlightening. Not so much about Kessel himself, but more about a certain kind of dinosaur that still roams the hockey world. It&rsquo;s 2015, spurting b.s. about alpha males is beyond ridiculous. Some of these guys need to grow up, and I&rsquo;m not talking about Phil Kessel.</p><p><b><i>Steve Montpetit, Montreal</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>WOMAN UP?</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon052.jpg" title="common05" width="71" height="45"></div><p>As a 13-year-old female rep hockey player, I know what it&rsquo;s like to be subjected to inappropriate comments and stereotypes and to be pushed down because you&rsquo;re a girl. I&rsquo;ve almost come to expect sexist comments from the boys in my class any time I bring up a &ldquo;manly&rdquo; subject, but I would never expect it to come from a grown man who is a professional hockey player. When I read the sexist comment Toronto Maple Leafs&rsquo; defenseman Morgan Rielly made earlier this season, I was very offended. He used &ldquo;girls&rdquo; as an adjective to describe a person who was lazy and didn&rsquo;t want to or didn&rsquo;t do his or her job correctly. That really hurt, not only as a female but as a female hockey player. While people might say I&rsquo;m overreacting, I know what it&rsquo;s like to be told I can&rsquo;t do something because I am a girl. When someone who I ultimately used to look up to says something that makes me feel worse about myself, it really hurts. I hope the next time people see a comment like this and are going to write it off as &ldquo;no big deal,&rdquo; they take a second to think about who it really affects.</p><p><b><i>Maeve Simon, Stouffville, Ont.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>VOID THE TRAPEZOID</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon052.jpg" title="common05" width="71" height="45"></div><p>Now that Martin Brodeur has retired, shouldn&rsquo;t the NHL do away with the trapezoid behind the net (a.k.a. the &ldquo;Brodeur&rsquo;s Lines&rdquo;) so goalies can once again roam free? The NCAA outlawed dunking in basketball after the 1967 season because UCLA&rsquo;s Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) had an &ldquo;unfair advantage.&rdquo; But in 1976 they reversed that rule to add excitement to the game. The NHL should use similar logic. Goalies playing the puck in the corner can be just as exciting as a basketball dunk.</p><p><b><i>Ray Couture, Bullhead City, Ariz.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>NEW DEPTHS</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon052.jpg" title="common05" width="71" height="45"></div><p>I&rsquo;m not a fan of the idea of 3-on-3 in overtime, as has been endorsedby the GMs. It will wear down the best players over the season and lead to injuries. Here&rsquo;s a solution that would save wear and tear on the stars and inject more strategy and more skill across the board: anything goes during 4-on-4, but once it&rsquo;s 3-on-3, a team has to glue its top two defenseman and top six forwards (based on time on ice during that game) to the bench. Now let&rsquo;s see what a team is made of &ldquo;top to bottom&rdquo; on the roster.</p><p><b><i>Mel Powell, Sherman Oaks, Calif.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>BLUNDER YEARS</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="mon052.jpg" title="common05" width="71" height="45"></div><p>In &ldquo;I&rsquo;m Leaving With A Smile,&rdquo; (March 9) Martin Broduer says he truly felt he became a Devil in the fall of 1996, when he took less money during a contract dispute so he could see the championship banner raised after having, &ldquo;just come off winning the Stanley Cup.&rdquo; Considering the Devils won in summer 1995, is Marty&rsquo;s memory a tad fuzzy, or was this just a typo? <i>(Editor&rsquo;s Note: This was a typo made by the editing team. We regret the error.)</i> Later in the issue, in &ldquo;Trade Deadline Rewind,&rdquo; Adam Proteau listed the 2000 Cup champions as the Dallas Stars, though, of course, it was the Devils.</p><p><b><i>Nick Konarowski, Oshawa, Ont.</i></b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-04/72183-1-eng-US/f0006-042.jpg" title="f0006-04" width="239" height="63"></div><h2><b>PUCKPOLL</b></h2><p>WHO WILL WIN THE 2015 STANLEY CUP?</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0006-037/72176-1-eng-US/f0006-032.jpg" title="f0006-03" width="262" height="669"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0006-01

PUT YOUR NAME ON IT!

<div class="byline">BY DOUG GILMOUR</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0008-0125/72282-1-eng-US/f0008-012.jpg" title="f0008-01" width="513" height="626"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span><b>HE PLAYOFFS WERE ALWAYS MY</b> time of year. That&rsquo;s because no matter what kind of a season you had, the post-season is what everybody remembers. Whether it was a good year, a bad year or an average year, it didn&rsquo;t matter. You write your ticket in the playoffs.</p><p>Make no mistake, there&rsquo;s a huge difference between playing in the regular season and playing in the playoffs. Some NHL players raise their level of game at the most important time of year. Others who may star during the season disappear in the playoffs. It&rsquo;s a time for desperation. You know if you lose, you&rsquo;re going home. That&rsquo;s what motivated me.</p><p>We all play for the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. It&rsquo;s been a dozen years now since I last played in the NHL. But these are the things I still think about if you ask me about making a run for the title:</p><p><b>&bull; RECOVERY</b> Mentally, your focus has to be so strong. Physically, you have to know how to take care of your body. You need rest. Rest, food and plenty of water.</p><p>During the playoffs, I&rsquo;d eat mainly chicken, steak and a lot of pasta to keep my carbs up. The biggest thing for me was hydration. I&rsquo;d drink water until my pee was clear.</p><p>No matter how much I ate, though, I could never keep my weight up. The problem is, I was not a big eater. You almost had to force-feed me. In the 1993 playoff run with the Leafs, we had so many games in so few nights, I just kept getting smaller and smaller. After a game, I&rsquo;d lie on a training table and get hooked up to an intravenous so they could put fluids back in me. It helped. Sometimes after my treatment, I felt like I hadn&rsquo;t even played because they got the electrolytes back in me.</p><p><b>&bull; TRAINING</b> I played at around 174 pounds during the season, but by the end of the playoffs I lost around 10 to 12 pounds. Even when I was lighter, I felt I had an advantage over many of my opponents because of my summer training. It was different from most other programs. I wasn&rsquo;t big on lifting weights. I would do some lifting, but not to bulk up. My thing was cardio. I used to run hills. For me, it was about recovery time. If I took a 40-second shift I&rsquo;d be ready to go again 15 seconds later. I knew I could outlast guys on the other team.</p><p><b>&bull; INTENSITY</b> The players who get their name on the Cup are those who will do anything to win. And by anything, I mean they&rsquo;d carve you into little pieces if it meant winning. I always knew who I was playing against because guys would try to hurt you. One guy might try to take my knee out and another might attempt to take my head off. You have to be aware of who you&rsquo;re playing against. If I was up against a guy like Bryan Marchment or Luke Richardson and I don&rsquo;t have my head up, they were going to take me out. Every game of every series, guys were coming at you hard.</p><p>I was no angel on the ice, either. Because I was small, I had to make opponents think I was crazy and if they messed with me, they&rsquo;d pay a price. Thank goodness there weren&rsquo;t many cameras around in those days. I liked to slash guys on the back of their legs so by the third period their calf was knotted up and I could take advantage. It was a brutal thing I did, but I had to survive.</p><p><b>&bull; TRAVEL</b> Some players are affected by the considerable travel in the post-season. Not me. You have to become numb to it. Travel can be used as an excuse, but it was never part of my vocabulary. You get on the airplane and you eat, you hydrate and you rest. Then you reflect on your last game.</p><p><b>&bull; FOCUS</b> In the playoffs, your world revolved around hockey. Family takes a backseat. It&rsquo;s not a nice thing to say, but I wasn&rsquo;t focused on family at all in the post-season. It&rsquo;s almost like you&rsquo;re in a daze when you&rsquo;re around them. Sure, you get tickets for people, but all your focus is on winning the next game. That&rsquo;s all.</p><p>My grandfather passed away right before the &rsquo;93 playoffs and I wanted to go back to Kingstonto be with my family, but our coach Pat Burns said, &ldquo;Dougie, you can&rsquo;t. You&rsquo;ve got to stay here.&rdquo; I turned it around into a positive and played my hardest for my grandfather. My family was very understanding.</p><p><b>&bull; DISTRACTIONS</b> One might think demands from the media &ndash; particularly in Toronto &ndash; intensify in the playoffs. Not for me. I was always available on game days, but on off-days Burnsie would tell the media, &ldquo;He&rsquo;s on his own planet today.&rdquo; I was not available. I&rsquo;d be at the rink if I needed therapy, but I wouldn&rsquo;t see the media. Pat wanted me to get home and get rested.</p><p><b>&bull; INJURIES</b> Injuries in the playoffs can kill a team. Most players will do everything in their power to stay in the lineup even when hurt. In the first round of the &rsquo;94 playoffs against Chicago, I twisted my ankle and on the plane I&rsquo;d wear a plastic boot. Game 7 in Chicago we won 1-0 and I had to get four needles to freeze my ankle before I could put my skate on. I didn&rsquo;t even know how tight my skate was. I had to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn&rsquo;t come loose. By the third round against Vancouver, I was down to taking one or two needles before the game.</p><p><b>&bull; PRESSURE</b> The pressure to win goes through the roof. In the regular season, if you lose Game 38, there&rsquo;s always Game 39. Lose in the playoffs and you might be going home.</p><p>For me, the first series was always the toughest one. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if you are the favorite or underdog. In 1989 when we won the Cup in Calgary, we won Game 7 of our first series in overtime in Vancouver on a goal that bounced in off Joel Otto&rsquo;s skate. We got a lucky break. Then we beat Los Angeles in four, Chicago in five and Montreal in six.</p><p>I got my name on the Cup with the Flames. I experienced what it&rsquo;s like to make the playoffs and survive four rounds. It is the ultimate goal for every player and believe me, every player had better be ready to sacrifice his mind, body and soul to win it. <b>&ndash; WITH MIKE BROPHY</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0008-01

POST-SEASON PUNISHMENT

<div class="byline">By Charlie Teljeur</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-0113/72318-1-eng-US/f0009-012.jpg" title="f0009-01" width="740" height="736"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p><b>The Best & Worst OF THE HOCKEY WORLD</b></p><p><b>PLUS MINUS</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0009-029/72311-1-eng-US/f0009-022.jpg" title="f0009-02" width="279" height="358"></div><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>PHAN-TASIC</b></h3><p>The Youngstown Phantoms, led by 2015 draft prospect Kyle Connor, become the first modern-era USHL team to win 17 consecutive games.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>TANKS VERY MUCH</b></h3><p>Buffalo fans are excited about their great odds of drafting <b><i>Connor McDavid</i></b>, but cheering a home loss to Arizona? That&rsquo;s weak (wing) sauce.</p><h2><b>+PLUS</b></h2><h3><b>IT&rsquo;S ABOUT TIME</b></h3><p>A new women&rsquo;s league, slated to begin play next season, will pay its players. The NWHL will have teams in Buffalo, Boston, Connecticut and New York.</p><h2><b>&ndash;MINUS</b></h2><h3><b>DULLED BLADES</b></h3><p>Saskatoon wins the WHL draft lottery for the second straight year, but due to past trades, that pick, just like last season, goes to another team.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0009-01

The Instigator

<div class="byline">BY BENJAMIN WENDORF & KEN CAMPBELL</div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span><b>HEN IT COMES TO BUILDING</b> a Stanley Cup winner, there&rsquo;s a lot to be said for analytics and advanced statistics. When it comes to predicting a Stanley Cup winner, well, there&rsquo;s a lot to be said for tarot cards, crystal balls, coin flips and a game of rock, paper, scissors.</p><p>That&rsquo;s due to the unpredictability of the playoffs. It&rsquo;s not that advanced stats are useless for those trying to project the conference finalists, but we wouldn&rsquo;t recommend taking them to the proverbial bank.</p><p>Part of the reason for that is the playoffs essentially cut the league in half, and that half consists of 16 teams in which the differences in quality are far more minute. Smaller differences make it more difficult to predict who&rsquo;s going to win. Don&rsquo;t trust us? Just look at the numbers. Over the past decade, conference seedings have been a successful harbinger of a series winner only 52.5 percent of the time &ndash; basically a coin flip.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0125/72461-1-eng-US/f0012-012.jpg" title="f0012-01" width="513" height="361"></div><p>There are some indicators that can help you out, but even the best of those has just a 65.9 percent accuracy rate in predicting a series winner. And let&rsquo;s face it: it&rsquo;s just not sexy to only predict the series winner. To truly be a playoff prophet, you have to nail the series in the right number of games.</p><p>So, let&rsquo;s look at team 5-on-5 scoring chances-for percentage when the score&rsquo;s close, our strongest testing metric in determining series winners (see chart below).</p><p>Since the difference between the league-high and league-low frequently ranges about 16 percent and is fairly evenly distributed, we can divide that into four equal outcomes. A difference of 13 percent or more between teams in a series translates into a four-game sweep prediction. A nine- to 12-percent variance suggests a five-game series, a five- to eight-percent difference a six-gamer and anything under four percent should go seven (see chart on right).</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0221/72454-1-eng-US/f0012-022.jpg" title="f0012-02" width="512" height="548"><figcaption class="caption-body">MARIAN <b>GABORIK</b> <span class="photo-credit">(SCOTT LEVY/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0320/72447-1-eng-US/f0012-032.jpg" title="f0012-03" width="129" height="652"></div><p>If you&rsquo;d compared the team scoring-chance metrics before the 2014 Cup final, you would have been right had you predicted the Kings would topple the Rangers. L.A. commanded 55.6 percent of 5-on-5 scoring chances in the regular seasoncompared to New York&rsquo;s 52.4%. (And those numbers remained true in the final, with the Kings getting 120 chances to the Rangers 96.) But the difference, just 3.2%, would have led you to believe the Rangers would extend the series to seven games. It went five, but three of the Kings wins were in overtime (with two in double OT), so perhaps there was less to choose from between the two teams than the result indicated. Close matchup, close results, but a 4-1 outcome &ndash; exactly the kind of numbers you&rsquo;d expect from a 65.9 percent accuracy &ndash; and a competitive NHL playoff.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0012-0410/72440-1-eng-US/f0012-042.jpg" title="f0012-04" width="240" height="193"></div><p>So, it&rsquo;s nice to know that the teams that get the lion&rsquo;s share of the scoring chances have the better chance of winning the series. That stands to reason. You can make some pretty reasonable assumptions about the playoffs using analytics, but you might want to keep that crystal ball handy, just in case.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0012-01

ROCK, PAPER ANALYTICS

<div class="byline">BY BRIAN COSTELLO</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0122/72497-1-eng-US/f0013-012.jpg" title="f0013-01" width="475" height="355"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HOCKEY&rsquo;S MONEY MAN</b> Wuest made capgeek the go-to source for media, team and fans in the salary cap era.Wuest made capgeek the go-to source for media, team <span class="photo-credit">(METRO HALIFAX)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span><b>HE FIRST TIME I CROSSED</b> paths with Matthew Wuest was in the summer of 2001 when the hockey world was in a quiet zone. It was mid-August and most hockey executives, players, even the staff at THN were enjoying vacations and outdoor patios.</p><p>Just a few weeks earlier, we had closed the pages on our annual Yearbook. By the middle of the month, it was on newsstands and in mailboxes. In short order, an email came to me from <a href="mailto:wuest@redwingscentral.com">wuest@redwingscentral.com</a>.</p><p>It was just about the most respectful, well-written complaint letter I&rsquo;ve ever received. Matthew Wuest concisely explained who he was &ndash; a passionate fan of hockey who ran a site that monitored the progress of Detroit prospects &ndash; then diplomatically transitioned into a polite but well-grounded complaint. He wasn&rsquo;t so sure 19-year-old Swedish center prospect Par Backer should be ranked ahead of 23-yearold Russian pivot Pavel Datsyuk. They were sixth and eighth on the Red Wings&rsquo; top 10. And while he&rsquo;s mentioning it, Datsyuk should probably be ahead of Jesse Wallin and Stefan Liv as well.</p><p>The email then delved into the attributes of said players and was written with such clarity and authority that I wrote Matthew back and explained the process of The Hockey News having to rely on the opinions of scouts to establish rankings for prospects we haven&rsquo;t seen. We had a series of back-andforths in the ensuing weeks, and I came to learn Matthew was a 22-year-old university graduate with computer science and journalism degrees. He was passionate about both and keen to get started in the industry. &ldquo;If you are ever in need of input on the Detroit Red Wings or any of their prospects, please do not hesitate to reach me,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;I would appreciate the opportunity to contribute.&rdquo;</p><p>So for our Draft Preview issue in 2002, I gave Matthew the opportunity to write our sneak peek feature for the 2003 draft. It required that he canvas scouts to see which 17-year-olds were hot commodities a year out. He jumped at the opportunity and delivered a winner, providing solid analysis and quoting scouts on the likes of Eric Staal, Milan Michalek, Nathan Horton and Dustin Brown. Wuest had instantly won himself a freelance gig at The Hockey News, and he contributed regularly the next six or seven years in the pages of Future Watch, Draft Preview and our prospects section.</p><p>We were crushed to hear the news Matthew passed away at the age of 35, succumbing to colon cancer. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the Wuest family.</p><p>After his creative industry start at THN, Matthew eventually found full-time employment in his hometown of Halifax, writing sports for <i>The Daily News</i> and <i>Metro Halifax</i>. Then in 2009, he executed on his other passion by creating the website <a href="http://capgeek.com">capgeek.com</a>, which soon became the go-to site for hockey fans, executives and media alike. Through his established connections in the hockey community, Wuest was able to gather information and present it in a way that was easy to navigate and packed with valuable insight. In our 2011 edition of 100 People of Power and Influence, Wuest came in at No. 98 because of what he was providing the hockey world.</p><p>When the notice went up on capgeek in January that the site was shutting down permanently because of Matthew&rsquo;s deteriorating health, our hearts sunk to a depth only exceeded by the news of his death in March.</p><p>Not a day went by the past couple months that you didn&rsquo;t see a posting in some hockey website&rsquo;s comments section, or hear it mentioned in some office, or some press box, or, presumably, some NHL executive office: &ldquo;I miss capgeek.&rdquo;</p><p>In reality, that&rsquo;s the hockey world&rsquo;s way of saying, &ldquo;We miss you, Matthew.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0013-0221/72490-1-eng-US/f0013-022.jpg" title="f0013-02" width="502" height="368"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>PERSON OF POWER</b> Wuest went from contributing to The Hockey News to a spot on our annual PoP list in 2011.</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0013-01

A PASSIONATE HOCKEY PIONEER

<div class="byline">&#x2013; SAL BARRY</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0124/72533-1-eng-US/f0014-012.jpg" title="f0014-01" width="778" height="460"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>LIKE GOALIE, LIKE FAN</b> Frontman Devin Hextall isn&rsquo;t related to ex-Flyer Ron Hextall, but he idolized him as a kid.</figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>R</span><b>ANGER DANGER! HAVE ANOTHER</b> beer! Never trust a girl in a Richter jersey!&rdquo; yells Devin Hextall, front man of the pop punk band The Hextalls on &ldquo;I Don&rsquo;t Wanna be a New York Ranger.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s a catchy, funny song about a Flyers fan who goes to a game at Madison Square Garden, gets lost while buying beer, then finds his date making out with a Rangers fan.</p><p>Hockey, beer and relationship angst are just some of the irreverent topics that have been a staple of The Hextalls&rsquo; songs for 17 years. Their newest album, <i>Play With Heart</i>, was released Feb. 14 and is available on Amazon, iTunes and their website, <a href="http://thehextalls.com">thehextalls.com</a>. The album includes a song about Sergei Bobrovsky called &ldquo;Who&rsquo;s the #1 Cop?&rdquo; &ldquo;We started our band as a joke,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;We all have a sense of humor. There were a lot of bands in our hometown (Kamloops, B.C.) that took themselves very seriously. We wanted to see if we could do this for fun and maybe be better than the serious bands.&rdquo;</p><p>The Hextalls&rsquo; lineup is drummer Nicole &lsquo;Nikki&rsquo; Stixx, bassist Jimmy &lsquo;The Con,&rsquo; guitarist Jeremy &lsquo;JJ&rsquo; Justice and guitarist/vocalist Hextall. And no, he isn&rsquo;t related to former Flyers&rsquo; goalie Ron Hextall, but he is such a fan of the temperamental netminder that he all but legally adopted the surname. &ldquo;There was something about his aggressive style I loved,&rdquo; Hextall said. &ldquo;When it came time to pick a band name, I kind of forced The Hextalls because I was obsessed with Ron since I was a kid.&rdquo;</p><p>While their name is inspired by the fiery goalie, the quartet draws musical inspiration from pop punk bands like Chixdiggit and Screeching Weasel, as well as the godfathers of punk themselves, The Ramones. &ldquo;We all like three-chord pop punk stuff that&rsquo;s simple and catchy and happy,&rdquo; Hextall said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0217/72526-1-eng-US/f0014-022.jpg" title="f0014-02" width="225" height="224"></div><p>Founded in 1998, the band broke up in 2002 when Hextall moved to Chicago &ldquo;for a girl.&rdquo; They reformed in 2006 when he moved to Washington State, near the border. (The rest of the band lives in Vancouver.) The Hextalls spent the late 2000s releasing albums and touring, even appearing at Baltimore&rsquo;s annual punk festival, Insubordination Fest, three times.</p><p>Now, with online music services making it easier to reach a wide audience, The Hextalls prefer to spend their coin on producing music instead of touring. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to make the best songs we can and have fun with it,&rdquo; Hextall said.</p><p>Seventeen years later, they&rsquo;re still having fun.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-01

PUNK BAND PLAYS WITH RAGE

<div class="byline">BY SAL BARRY OF PUCKJUNK.COM</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0014-0311/72562-1-eng-US/f0014-032.jpg" title="f0014-03" width="212" height="296"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(PHOTO COURTESY THE HEXTALLS)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>J</span>AROMIR JAGR IS A VETERAN</b> of 21 NHL seasons &ndash; and of four NHL work stoppages, too. During the 1994-95 lockout, Jagr played 11 games with his hometown of Kladno in the Czech League, as well as onegame stints in Italy and Germany. His single game with the Schalker Sharks in the German League was definitely his most notable during the lockout, as Jagr had one goal and 10 assists that game. His 11 points put him ahead of six of the team&rsquo;s regular players in scoring, while his one game in the league was enough of an excuse to include him in the league&rsquo;s 1994-95 trading card set.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0014-03

In The CARDS

<div class="byline">BY STU HACKEL</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0015-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0015-0120/72591-1-eng-US/f0015-012.jpg"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0015-01

BLAZED A TRAIL ON LONG ISLAND

<div class="byline">BY MONIKA MORAVAN</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0016-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0124/72627-1-eng-US/f0016-012.jpg"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0016-0215/72620-1-eng-US/f0016-022.jpg" title="f0016-02" width="591" height="714"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>AUSTRIAN TOUCH</b> Weber is seeing a slow but steady rise in the popularity of women&rsquo;s hockey in her home country. <span class="photo-credit">(BRANDON TAYLOR/CWHL)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span><b>ANINE WEBER&rsquo;S STICK WAS EVENTUALLY DONATED TO THE</b> Hockey Hall of Fame, but it took Twitter to save the day. The 23-year-old third-line center and Canadian Women&rsquo;s League rookie for the Boston Blades wanted to oblige when asked to donate the stick she used to score her 3-2 overtime game-winner against the Montreal Stars in the Clarkson Cup final, but the devil was in the details: her only other stick was broken and she&rsquo;d have nothing to play with while representing Austria at the Div. I, Group A World Championship in April.</p><p>CWHL players are professional in quality of play but don&rsquo;t pull salaries to match. They don&rsquo;t pull salaries &ndash; period. Some have sponsors, but most must budget for it out of their day jobs. Weber&rsquo;s is teaching developmentally delayed children. Weber&rsquo;s roommate sent Twitter buzzing with a request for manufacturers to donate a replacement. &ldquo;The tweet was done more to raise awareness that we have to buy our own equipment,&rdquo; Weber said. &ldquo;I had friends offer but didn&rsquo;t want someone to spend their own money.&rdquo;</p><p>STX, who already sponsors teammate and U.S. Olympian Hilary Knight, stepped up, and the stick of the first European to score a Clarkson Cup-winner is now with the HHOF. Not too shabby for a player from a country that has never qualified to play Olympic hockey.</p><p>Weber&rsquo;s goal will go a long way to boost the game&rsquo;s popularity in Austria. She had no local female players to emulate when learning to play at six years old and was the only girl on her teams until age 14. &ldquo;I went home for Christmas and spoke with a 10-year-old girl playing on my old team,&rdquo; Weber said. &ldquo;I was happy to hear she wasn&rsquo;t the only girl on the team. That&rsquo;s progress.&rdquo;</p><p>So is not having to pay to play. When Weber&rsquo;s Austrian teammates get together over Christmas to practise, each pays 10 euros to cover the cost of ice time. &ldquo;This year, on New Year&rsquo;s, they told us it was free,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;That was our present.&rdquo;</p><p>The best gift would be to play in packed rinks. CWHL attendance is rising, but there were empty seats at the Clarkson Cup final. &ldquo;Some of the world&rsquo;s best players are in this league, and there are new ones coming in from all over,&rdquo; Weber said. &ldquo;The game is played at such a high skill level and at high speed. If people give it a chance once, they&rsquo;ll want to come back.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0016-01

GOLDEN LINING

<div class="byline">BY STU HACKEL</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0017-0121/72656-1-eng-US/f0017-012.jpg" title="f0017-01" width="462" height="655"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRAINS AND BRAWN</b> Gillies teamed with Trottier and Bossy to form the game&rsquo;s best line in the early 1980s. <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>J</span><b>UST HOW EXCITED IS CLARK GILLIES WITH THE ISLANDERS&rsquo;</b> success? The man teammates called &lsquo;Jethro&rsquo; over his Hall of Fame career vows to grow a playoff beard the way he did during the team&rsquo;s glory years.</p><p>That may not look becoming for a guy who is now an executive vice-president for an investment firm, but Gillies remains an Islander to the core. &ldquo;The last thing on my hockey bucket list is to drink from the Cup one more time,&rdquo; said Gillies, 61.</p><p>The term &ldquo;power forward&rdquo; could have been coined for the Moose Jaw, Sask., native, whose formidable 6-foot-3, 215 pound frame and facial features drew comparisons to the 1960s <i>Beverly Hillbillies</i> TV character Jethro Bodine. Unlike the dim Jethro, however, Gillies was (and still is) quick-witted, once responding to a reporter who asked where Moose Jaw was with, &ldquo;About six feet from a moose&rsquo;s ass.&rdquo;</p><p>Drafted fourth overall in 1974 after a stellar junior career for the Memorial Cup champion Regina Pats, Gillies jumped right to the Isles, becoming a core member so quickly that he was named captain as a 22-year-old during his third NHL season.</p><p>The Islanders were but two seasons old when Gillies arrived, struggling for popularity in what had been Rangers territory. During his first home game against the Blueshirts, he recalled, &ldquo;They scored and I thought the roof was going to come off the place. I said, &lsquo;What was that? This is our building.&rsquo; &rdquo; When teammates told him Rangers fans regularly took over Nassau Coliseum, Gillies replied, &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s got to change.&rdquo;</p><p>It didn&rsquo;t take long, and Gillies&rsquo; banging and scoring were big reasons why. Installed as left winger on the Long Island Lighting Company line with two more high draftees, Billy Harris and Bryan Trottier, Gillies grew into a fan favorite. When Harris was replaced by young sniper Mike Bossy and the line was renamed the Trio Grande, history was in the making in Uniondale.</p><p>Gillies not only scored more than 300 goals for the Islanders, he also handled the NHL&rsquo;s toughest pugilists, including Terry O&rsquo;Reilly and Dave Schultz, earning the reputation as a top heavyweight. Unlike other frequent fighters, Gillies only dropped his gloves to deter opponents from abusing teammates. Good as he was, fighting wasn&rsquo;t his calling. He found it draining, an obstacle to his best performance. &ldquo;I never went to the game looking for who I wanted to fight,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My first thought was play hard, play smart, check, do what you&rsquo;re supposed to do to help the team win. If that other thing popped up, I&rsquo;d take care of it.&rdquo;</p><p>He remained a team leader even though he gave up his &lsquo;C&rsquo; prior to the 1979-80 Cup-run season. He recommended Denis Potvin as his replacement to coach Al Arbour and GM Bill Torrey. Gillies was happier with an &lsquo;A&rsquo; on his sweater, but he jokes that when NHL president John Ziegler handed Potvin the 1980 Stanley Cup, &ldquo;it took me about five seconds to rip it out of his hands and run around like an idiot. And I almost took the &lsquo;C&rsquo; with me.&rdquo;</p><p>Gillies played 12 of his 14 NHL seasons for the Isles, topping the 30-goal mark six times and twice named a first-team allstar, en route to four consecutive Stanley Cups.</p><p>In the spring of &rsquo;84, when the Isles were dethroned by the Oilers, Gillies still believes the Islanders got an unfair shake when the NHL changed the Cup final format that season to 2-3-2, giving Edmonton three straight home games after the teams split the first two on Long Island. That format didn&rsquo;t last.</p><p>Today, Gillies is still on Long Island with Hilton Capital Management. He belies his tough-guy image through the Clark Gillies Foundation, which raises funds to help children who are physically, developmentally and/or financially challenged.</p><p>He&rsquo;s also a happy grandfather. His three daughters &ndash; Jocelyn, Brooke and Brianna &ndash; are all married, Brianna getting hitched in 2011 to hockey writer and former minor pro player Justin Bourne, son of Clarke&rsquo;s Islanders teammate Bob Bourne.</p><p>Grade 8. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last summer. &ldquo;If she would have killed me 25 years ago,&rdquo; he said with a laugh, &ldquo;she&rsquo;d be out of jail by now.&rdquo;<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0017-01

f0018-01

SEIZING THE TORCH

<div class="byline">ByRyan Kennedy</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0211/72848-1-eng-US/f0024-022.jpg" title="f0024-02" width="338" height="452"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>SHY GUY</b><i>Tarasenko was nowhere near as confident in his English as he was in his ability to score goals.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(NOAH GRAHAM/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0024-0124/72855-1-eng-US/f0024-012.jpg" title="f0024-01" width="196" height="197"></div><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span><b>HE 2010 DRAFT TURNED OUT TO BE PRETTY</b> fruitful overall, but on the first day of the actual selections, St. Louis went in with a specific plan of action: take Jaden Schwartz with the 14th pick overall and, if possible, trade for another selection to land Vladimir Tarasenko. The first part went off without a hitch. With the 15th pick, Los Angeles tabbed big blueliner Derek Forbort, paving the way for Blues GM Doug Armstrong to swing a trade with Ottawa that saw the Sens grab defenseman David Rundblad in exchange for pick No. 16, which Armstrong used to snap up Tarasenko. Had the Russian right winger been off the board, St. Louis would have kept Rundblad, forever altering history.</p><p>Armstrong admits Tarasenko was the riskier pick, due to the fact the KHL offered a perfectly decent career path for the Russian kid whose father coached him with Sibir Novosibirsk. But Tarasenko made his way over to North America after the 2012-13 lockout and has been endearing himself to the organization since. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the type of kid who has a lot of respect for the guys on his team and he really wants to play well,&rdquo; said goalie Brian Elliott. &ldquo;Sometimes you don&rsquo;t see that in young guys, but he&rsquo;s a team guy to the max.&rdquo;</p><p>Adjusting to life in North America wasn&rsquo;t easy, but Tarasenko was willing to put in the work. Some NHL teams have softened the cultural blow for young Russians by bringing in a veteran from their homeland (it almost always seems to be Sergei Gonchar), but the closest St. Louis has come is Dmitrij Jaskin, who was born in Omsk but was raised in (and plays internationally for) the Czech Republic. The Blues did hire retired defenseman Sergei Zubov for a year to help facilitate coaching messages during practice, but otherwise it was adapt and survive. &ldquo;It was basically, throw him in the deep end and let him figure it out,&rdquo; Armstrong said. &ldquo;He worked hard on his own, and he wanted to be part of the team.&rdquo;</p><p>One factor working against the Blues was the latest collective bargaining agreement, which stipulated that only players on entry-level contracts had to share hotel rooms on the road &ndash; all others were now free to go solo. Luckily, St. Louis had a young Kevin Shattenkirk, who took Tarasenko under his wing that first season. &ldquo;He doesn&rsquo;t believe it, but his English is very good,&rdquo; Shattenkirk said. &ldquo;He was a little shy at first to use it, but now he has opened up. He knows how to order at restaurants, he goes to the grocery store and knows what to buy. All those things are so tough when you come over and we take it for granted.&rdquo;</p><p>He may have had to ask his American buddy what beef carpaccio is, but, admittedly, most of us have to look that up. And it&rsquo;s better than his original situation, which was simply ordering Caesar salads all the time because he knew what they were. &ldquo;The first couple of years was really tough for me because it&rsquo;s a different country and mentality,&rdquo; Tarasenko said. &ldquo;But the guys helped me a lot, especially Kevin. I feel really good right now.&rdquo;</p><p>The stats bear that out. Tarasenko has been one of the top scorers in the entire NHL, giving other teams nightmare matchups, as his unit with Jori Lehtera and Schwartz is technically the third line in St. Louis. Lehtera has been one of the rare European skaters to thrive in the NHL as a rookie in his late 20s. He and Tarasenko had familiarity with each other from their KHL days with Novosibirsk. &ldquo;Every game, every practice we were on the same line,&rdquo; Tarasenko said. &ldquo;He can pass the puck and he&rsquo;s a smart player. That&rsquo;s what I like. And he&rsquo;s never jealous.&rdquo;</p><p>That last part is actually relevant. When Tarasenko was an up-and-comer in the KHL, his dad, Andrei, coached Novosibirsk. Although his teammates likely didn&rsquo;t know he was raised by his grandparents while his father was still playing professionally around Eurasia, there was a lot of pressure on him to quiet any talk of favoritism, real or imagined. &ldquo;It was a tough time,&rdquo; Tarasenko said. &ldquo;He was always hard on me because if he wasn&rsquo;t, everyone would say, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s because he&rsquo;s the coach&rsquo;s son and that&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;s playing here.&rsquo; It was a good experience for me, though. It taught me a lot.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0025-0122/72841-1-eng-US/f0025-012.jpg" title="f0025-01" width="1205" height="1655"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Tarasenko is still close to his grandfather, who put &lsquo;Vladdy&rsquo; on skates for the first time as a five-year-old. He also holds a special place in his heart for Siberia, the region he grew up in that, over here at least, is synonymous with brain-melting cold and Soviet gulag stories. But listen to Tarasenko and you picture an almost wholesome, crisp environment. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really cold, but there is always sun,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I played in St. Petersburg for a couple years and it was always grey skies, rainy and windy. St. Louis is kind of in the middle.&rdquo;</p><p>It&rsquo;s also where he has already begun to make his biggest impact. The Blues and Armstrong have been marching through the West for several years with a core of tough, two-way forwards led by David Backes and T.J. Oshie and an enviable collection of defenseman anchored by Shattenkirk, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester (Zbynek Michalek was added at the deadline to bolster an already impressive top six). But Tarasenko is the game-breaker, maneuvering his tank-like frame around the ice and dazzling fans, opponents and teammates with his highlight-reel moves. &ldquo;We feel like we&rsquo;ve found our offensive superstar,&rdquo; Shattenkirk said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s emerging as one of those players in the league. And it takes time. You need confidence and you can see it this year. He has figured out the game and realized what he can and can&rsquo;t do with his skill set, and there&rsquo;s not much he can&rsquo;t do. It&rsquo;s great for us to know we have that threat. He has really come into his own.&rdquo;</p><p>Tarasenko&rsquo;s wizardry has even sent Shattenkirk spinning in practice. Shattenkirk recalled one particular incident when a Tarasenko cutback on an offensive zone drill twisted Shattenkirk up, sending him to the ice as fans ooh&rsquo;d and ahh&rsquo;d from the stands.</p><p>Now the mission is to parlay that skill into real post-season results. The Blues couldn&rsquo;t have had worse playoff luck lately if a black cat on a ladder smacked them with a broken mirror. St. Louis has won just one series in its past three sorties, losing to Chicago and Los Angeles (twice) in early rounds. The Chicago loss was especially irksome since the Blues came in with home-ice advantage and even built a 2-0 series lead before withering. This season, they are once again on a crash course to face the Blackhawks in their opening series, albeit without Patrick Kane, who won&rsquo;t likely be back from a fractured clavicle in time.</p><p>Not that there were excuses in the past, but the Blues now know how searing the spotlight can be. &ldquo;Last year everybody was saying we had to win and that the St. Louis Blues were going to win the Stanley Cup and then we lost in the first round,&rdquo; Tarasenko said. &ldquo;After tough losses like that we&rsquo;re not thinking about it. We&rsquo;ll just go step by step and hopefully we make it.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0124/72834-1-eng-US/f0026-012.jpg" title="f0026-01" width="735" height="582"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>FRIES WITH THAT?</b><i>The biggest adjustment for Tarasenko was off the ice where ordering food was an adventure</i> <span class="photo-credit">(CHRIS LEE/ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/MCT)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">WE FEEL WE&rsquo;VE FOUND OUR OFFENSIVE STAR. HE&rsquo;S EMERGING AS ONE OF THOSE PLAYERS &ndash; Kevin Shattenkirk</blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-0212/72827-1-eng-US/f0026-022.jpg" title="f0026-02" width="283" height="202"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>BRING IT ON</b><i>Tarasenko and Co. have put past playoff failures behind them and are ready for another Cup run.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(GRAIG ABEL/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>And if they do, you can bet that the team&rsquo;s gifted young Russian will play a big role. &ldquo;Last year he went about his season till the playoffs really anonymously,&rdquo; said coach Ken Hitchcock. &ldquo;This year because he&rsquo;s got 30 goals and people notice him. They pay attention to him and they target him and he&rsquo;s learned to play through that, which is a good sign.&rdquo;</p><p>Can it lead straight to Stanley? That&rsquo;s the hope in St. Louis.</p><h2><b>RUSSIAN TO SUCCESS</b></h2><p>Here&rsquo;s the points-per-game rate for elite Russian NHLers in their third seasons (adjusted for era by <a href="http://Hockey-reference.com">hockey-reference.com</a>)</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0026-037/72820-1-eng-US/f0026-032.jpg" title="f0026-03" width="345" height="200"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0024-02

CULTURE SHOCK TO SUPERSTAR TALK

<div class="byline">WORDS BY KEN CAMPBELL ILLUSTRATION BY ERIC POOLE</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0028-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0028-0125/72919-1-eng-US/f0028-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>OTHERWORLDLY</b><i>Tavares possesses Batman-like smarts and sight, while Nash is blessed with Superman strength and skill.</i></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><b><span>W</span>HO DO YOU THINK</b> wins a fight between Batman and Superman? Kids have wondered for decades. Maybe we&rsquo;ll find out this spring. Maybe next spring. We don&rsquo;t know much yet about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the movie scheduled to be released in March 2016. We do have a pretty good idea the Caped Crusader and Man of Steel will put aside their philosophical differences and end up fighting for the same cause, and we&rsquo;re pretty sure the film will make a lot of money. But you probably knew that.</p><p>For those who can&rsquo;t wait for Batman and Superman to go mano-a-mano on the big screen, do not get your pajamas in a knot. There are already two half-visored superheroes vying for top billing in the greater Gotham/Metropolis area: Rick Nash and John Tavares. One is enjoying a renaissance season and was among the leagueleaders in goals (Nash), while the other was seeking his first scoring crown (Tavares). Both play for New York teams that are contenders for the Eastern Conference title, in large part because they are the best players for the Rangers and Islanders.</p><p>And in case you&rsquo;re a stickler for details, Nash is Superman, because he&rsquo;s gifted with quickness that makes him faster than a speeding bullet and gives him the ability to beat defensemen to the outside in a single bound. Coming to the Rangers from Columbus, he is otherworldly, and so is his array of talents. Tavares fills the role of Batman, because around the net his mind is his power and his stealth is his greatest weapon. He&rsquo;s also a guy whose personal rigorous mental and physical perfection allow him to achieve superhero status. He may not be able to skate like Nash, but Tavares has a utility belt full of physical and intellectual tools that help him get there. Whereas Tavares finds open space with his mind and his eyes, Nash creates open space with his speed and strength.</p><p>And the results, more often than not, have been dazzling on both fronts. After a miserable playoff and shockingly unproductive Stanley Cup final, Nash has been a force for the Rangers, easily on pace to shatter his career high of 41 goals, for which he won the Rocket Richard Trophy when he was 19. Tavares, whose promise forced major junior to change its rules regarding exceptional 15-year-old players, has been changing the rules of engagement on Long Island. Led by Tavares, the Islanders are making their final season at Nassau Coliseum one to remember. He is leading his team to its first 100-point season since the salad days of the early 1980s. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t go into games hoping to win or hoping to play well,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how we expect to play.&rdquo;</p><p>Nash, 30, and Tavares, 24, play the game in different styles, but their lives intersect in a mind-boggling number of ways. Both were childhood phenoms in the same youth organization, both are from the suburbs of Toronto, both played for the London Knights in the OHL and both have been international stars for Canada. Most of all, they surely share the stage as the best athletes in the New York metropolitan area. Really. Who in the City that Never Sleeps&trade; is having or has had a better season than these guys? Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks are putrid. The Giants and Jets were both sub-.500. Derek Jeter is retired and A-Rod, well, let&rsquo;s just say he&rsquo;s on his own journey. Henrik Lundqvist, the King of the Rangers, has been injured a good chunk of the season.</p><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0125/72912-1-eng-US/f0030-012.jpg" title="f0030-01" width="1150" height="754"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>TAKING THE SAME PATH</b><i>Tavares is a product of the Toronto Marlboros youth hockey program, as is his New York rival, Nash.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(MIKE STOBE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0030-0215/72905-1-eng-US/f0030-022.jpg" title="f0030-02" width="768" height="634"></div><p>That leaves Tavares and Nash, two humble and relatively quiet guys who give Jonathan Toews a run for his &lsquo;Captain Serious&rsquo; status. Nash, who shared the joy of his first child with his wife Jessica in October, doesn&rsquo;t say much and does a good job compartmentalizing his life on and off the ice. Tavares is a little more talkative, but his approach to the game and his fastidiousness in preparing are legendary.</p><p>If there are hockey gods, let&rsquo;s hope they smile upon us and give us a Rangers-Islanders playoff series. We&rsquo;re not picky about the round, but wouldn&rsquo;t it be wonderful if they met in a seven-game clash in the last year the Islanders occupy the Coliseum? If Nash and Tavares do meet, it won&rsquo;t be the first time they&rsquo;ve gone up against one another. They&rsquo;ve been doing that in one way or another all their lives.</p><h2><b>&gt;MINOR HOCKEY MAGICIANS</b></h2><p><b>THE TORONTO MARLBOROS ARE THE OLDEST</b> and most storied youth hockey organization in the world. Since the turn of the century, more than 60 Marlboros have gone on to play in the NHL, and two of the best have been Nash and Tavares.</p><p>Tavares played three seasons for the Marlies, as a minor bantam, bantam and minor midget. He played a year ahead of his peers in each of them. He shared the ice with future NHLers Sam Gagner, Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef on a team that in its last season went 43-0-0 down the stretch and in the playoffs. The team won city titles, going 12-0-0 in the post-season all three years &ndash; and twice were Ontario champions.</p><p>Playing as a 14-year-old in midget, Tavares had 91 goals in 72 games, four fewer than the season before playing bantam. But it was his love and dedication for the game that most impressed his coach James Naylor. &ldquo;When the kids were done practising on Saturday mornings, they&rsquo;d pack their stuff and go to Sam Gagner&rsquo;s house to play on the backyard rink,&rdquo; Naylor said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;d practice for four more hours. It was non-stop. They loved it.&rdquo;</p><p>Nash spent seven seasons for the Marlies, playing with David Clarkson on a team that won an all-Ontario title in peewee. At the Quebec peewee tournament when the Marlies were in a shootout against Edmonton, coach Keith Carrigan told Nash the Edmonton goalie was vulnerable on the fivehole and to exploit that flaw in the shootout. Nash promptly said, &ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; then did exactly that and scored the winner. In his last season with the Marlboros, he had 61 goals and 115 points in 34 games. &ldquo;Rick was one of the best teammates you could ask for,&rdquo; said Richard Power, his teammate with the Marlboros who went one spot ahead of him in the 2000 OHL draft. &ldquo;He was kind of quiet but great in the dressing room. He loved being on the ice. If he could be out there for 10 hours, he&rsquo;d be out there for 10 hours. Rick could beat you down the wall and get body position and take you to the net and score, or he could come down on a 1-on-1 and make two or three moves and turn you inside out. For a big guy, that was just so rare.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>&gt;LOVED IN LONDON</b></h2><p><b>PATRICK JARRETT WAS THE FIRST OVERALL</b> pick of the 2000 OHL draft, three spots ahead of Nash, who went to the London Knights. Jarrett had a decent OHL career, but the closest he ever got to the NHL was eight games for the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL. He played this season in Germany with something called the Landshut Cannibals.</p><p>That three teams swung and missed on Nash is remarkable. The Owen Sound Attack took Power, Nash&rsquo;s teammate with the Marlies, so they would have seen Nash play a ton of hockey. But the Knights were most interested in the skinny kid who had yet to grow into his body. (Junior hockey is funny that way. Eric Staal went 13th that year.) &ldquo;Never felt so sure about a player,&rdquo; said Mark Hunter, director of player personnel with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who was in his first year as GM of the Knights. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice when you get a guy and go, &lsquo;God, this guy&rsquo;s going to be good.&rsquo; You just know he&rsquo;s going to be good.&rdquo;</p><p>Nash scored 138 points in two seasons before going first overall to the Blue Jackets in 2002. Seven years later, Hunter traded a king&rsquo;s ransom to get Tavares from the Oshawa Generals, giving up three players and six draft picks for Tavares, defenseman Michael Del Zotto and goalie Daryl Borden. And it was during those few months in London that Hunter saw first-hand Tavares&rsquo; drive &ndash; in addition to the 32 goals in 24 games Tavares scored at 18. &ldquo;He was really dedicated,&rdquo; Hunter said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what was really fascinating to watch. How young he was, but how old he acted.&rdquo;</p><p>Nash and Tavares were phenoms. Hunter knew that from the moment Nash stepped on the ice and scored a hat trick in his first pre-season game. After becoming the first player to gain exceptional player status in major junior, Tavares skated through the opposing team and scored a shorthanded goal on his first shift. He turned 15 three days prior. &ldquo;Both of them had this incredible hunger around the goal line,&rdquo; Hunter said.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0031-0120/72898-1-eng-US/f0031-012.jpg" title="f0031-01" width="773" height="691"></div><h2><b>&gt;ON THE WORLD STAGE</b></h2><p>F<b>ROM THE TIME TAVARES AND NASH HAVE</b> been 17, they&rsquo;ve served their country well. Nash has represented Canada and won medals in every competition from the under-17 World Challenge to the Olympics and has three gold medals (two of them in the Olympics), two silvers and a bronze to his credit. At the 2007 worlds, Nash carried the Canadian team on his back, along with a Finnish defender, when he scored the second of his two goals in the gold-medal victory. He was named tournament MVP.</p><p>Two years later, Tavares did much the same for the Canadian team at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa, being named top forward and MVP. Tavares has two golds in WJC competition and a gold from the Sochi Olympics, where he sustained a season-ending leg injury. Overall, Tavares has played 51 games for Canada and has 36 goals and 63 points. Nash has one fewer point (32-30-62) in 66 games.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0216/72891-1-eng-US/f0032-022.jpg" title="f0032-02" width="711" height="815"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(TAVARES: BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES; NASH: JARED SILBER/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><blockquote class="pullQuote">THE BIGGEST THING IS MY TEAMMATES BELIEVE IN ME <b>&ndash; RICK NASH</b></blockquote><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0032-0125/72884-1-eng-US/f0032-012.jpg" title="f0032-01" width="696" height="630"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>THROUGH THICK AND THIN</b><i>Tavares remained faithful to the Islanders throughout the lean years and is finally being rewarded for it.</i></figcaption></div><h2><b>&gt;IN THE NHL</b></h2><p>A<b>T THE 2015 ALL-STAR GAME IN COLUMBUS,</b> Nash and Tavares were taking turns complimenting one another on fine seasons.</p><p>Nash on Tavares: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a franchise guy and a pretty special player.&rdquo;</p><p>Tavares on Nash: &ldquo;Rick is a great player. His consistency over his career has been tremendous. His size and skill, his speed, his hockey IQ&hellip;he&rsquo;s a big reason why the Rangers are having the season they are.&rdquo;</p><p>What would an opposing goalie rather see: Nash flying in from the wing with speed or Tavares in front of the net with the puck on his stick? &ldquo;Uh, don&rsquo;t care to see either one, to tell you the truth,&rdquo; said Chicago goalie Corey Crawford.</p><p>Nash does like to talk about the Rangers family and how much it means to him to be part of a tightly knit group. But by the time the Rangers lost Game 5 of the Cup final, things were getting a little tense in this family. Depending upon your perspective, Nash was getting his chances and wasn&rsquo;t cashing in, or the same player who spent much of his career going to the net with defenders on his back couldn&rsquo;t seem to get his own body to the net with effectiveness. Since 2009, Nash has played 61 meaningful games in two playoffs, two Olympics and a World Championship. And with just three goals in the playoffs and none in the final, the man who has a cap hit of $7.8 million has just nine goals in those games.</p><p>This season? Not only can you see a difference in Nash on the ice, you can see it in his face, which is thinner than it has been in years. Even though Nash says he&rsquo;s playing at the same weight, he&rsquo;s leaner, attributing that to incorporating more cardio and sprinting into his off-season conditioning regimen. He feels he owes it to the organization that gave up so much to get him and showed faith in him last spring. &ldquo;I get asked that a lot and can&rsquo;t really put my finger on one thing,&rdquo; Nash said when asked about his rebirth. &ldquo;The biggest thing is my teammates believe in me. They stood by me, the organization believed in me. Pucks are going in. My linemates have been finding me. If you watch our games, a lot of the goals are lucky.&rdquo;</p><p>Tavares is part of a family, too, and he&rsquo;s seen his share of dysfunction around that dinner table. With the exception of one season when the Isles made the playoffs in the truncated 2012-13, it has been mostly a gong show on and off the ice in Long Island. But the maturation of high draft picks and solid goaltending are turning things around. Tavares showed faith in the Islanders when he re-upped on a six-year extension that will take him through 2017-18 and pay him an average of $5.5 million, easily one of the best bargains in the NHL.</p><p>Actually, considering the past with the Islanders, Tavares went all-in with a team that hardly looked like it was going in the right direction. &ldquo;I believed in myself and being part of something to bring success back to the Islanders,&rdquo; Tavares said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a long time since the Islanders have had a lot of playoff success, Stanley Cup success, and if I can be a part of something like that, it would be special.&rdquo;</p><h2><b>&gt;NEW YORK, NEW YORK</b></h2><p>T<b>HE PAT LAFONTAINE TROPHY MIGHT BE THE MOST OBSCURE</b> in-house championship in the world. Since 2001, the Rangers and Islanders have played for it, with the trophy going to the winner of the season series. (The loser donates $50,000 to the charity of LaFontaine&rsquo;s choice.) In the 14 years the two teams have played for the trophy, the Rangers have won it nine times, including four in a row going into this season.</p><p>Nash had bettered Tavares in his first two years in New York, but this season Tavares and the Islanders took care of business by sweeping the first three games. The Islanders took the series 3-2 and outscored them 19-12. Tavares and Nash each had three goals and an assist in the head-to-head contests.</p><p>Yes, it&rsquo;s come to this. These two teams have not met in the playoffs since 1994. You&rsquo;ll recall the Rangers were pretty good that year. They swept the Islanders in the first round and outscored them 22-3 en route to winning the Cup. That was 21 years ago, and it&rsquo;s time for a redux, don&rsquo;t you think? In the last year at the Nassau Coliseum, the NHL owes us this. For the first time in, well, forever, the Rangers and Islanders are flying high, and they&rsquo;re doing so on the strength of two of the best offensive players in the game.</p><p>We need this matchup. The NHL needs this matchup as much as Hollywood needs to answer that age-old riddle. Tavares v Nash has been a long time coming. Just like Batman v Superman. It&rsquo;s time kids everywhere got their answer.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0028-01

TAVARES vs. NASH

<div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0121/72955-1-eng-US/f0033-012.jpg" title="f0033-01" width="127" height="126"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>By Dominik Jansky of Lighthouse Hockey</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>T</span>o say Rangers fans were born on third base thinking they hit a triple would be an insult to nepotism: their blue-blooded forefathers have hit one triple since 1940, and even that exhausting trip required a bunch of uncles from Edmonton to do the pinch running. Yet like an embarrassing, fumbling son whose rich father pretends he doesn&rsquo;t exist, Rangers fans boldly stagger around town with hollow bluster, as if their club has contributed anything to hockey over the past 75 years beyond bloated payrolls, retirement packages for fading stars, and miraculous job security for Glen Sather.</p><p>The Rangers are New York&rsquo;s media darlings &ndash; if being the seventhmost-popular team in one&rsquo;s home is &ldquo;darling&rdquo;-worthy &ndash; purely by virtue of geographic convenience. That all changes when their rivals bring their own superior, impressive history to Brooklyn, and media don&rsquo;t have to trudge out to Nassau to get quotes from New York&rsquo;s best player, John Tavares.</p><p>For now, Isles fans can enjoy one last hurrah in a raucous Nassau Coliseum &ndash; birthplace of the only dynasty New York will ever see, and home of the majority of New York&rsquo;s Stanley Cups since the Great Depression. Rangers fans must be content to tell themselves the new sky bridge at the sterile Madison Square Garden, the &ldquo;World&rsquo;s Most Self-Congratulatory Arena,&rdquo; is somehow worth the $1,000 tickets, the gutting of the 300s section and the loss of their soul. At least they&rsquo;ll always have Matteau&hellip;if he can still afford to get in the building.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0033-0215/72948-1-eng-US/f0033-022.jpg" title="f0033-02" width="127" height="126"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h2><b>By Mike Murphy of Blueshirt Banter</b></h2><p>The Islanders are giving their fans a nice treat by making the club&rsquo;s last season at the Coliseum an Irish wake instead of the cataclysmic, allconsuming funeral pyre that would&rsquo;ve been far more appropriate. Next season, the steadfast crew behind the Gorton&rsquo;s Fisherman will leave the NHL&rsquo;s second smallest arena for the new second smallest arena, in Brooklyn&hellip;where exactly zero percent of the locals admit to being a part of Long Island.</p><p>When Isles fans aren&rsquo;t standing like meerkats trying to see the action in a building that in no way was designed to host hockey games, they&rsquo;ll continue to make the hatred of the Rangers a load-bearing part of their identity and express a shameless pride when they manage to be louder than visiting Blueshirts fans in their own arena.</p><p>The Islanders will appear in the playoffs for the third time since the 2004-05 lockout, which will mercifully give their fans something to do other than call for the heads of their coach, GM and owner. Luckily for them, the team managed to add a top &lsquo;D&rsquo; pair on clearance sale before the season and trade for a goalie who didn&rsquo;t refuse to report to the club! Things sure are looking up for the Empire State&rsquo;s other team (even Buffalo knows that Buffalo doesn&rsquo;t count), which goes to show you that if you fail long and badly enough and somehow avoid being exiled to Kansas City, you might just survive to draft a Tavares and put yourself in a position to advance past the first round for the first time in 22 years. What an inspiration.</p><p>Follow the ups and downs of New York&rsquo;s teams at <a href="http://LIGHTHOUSEHOCKEY.COM">LIGHTHOUSEHOCKEY.COM</a> & <a href="http://BlueshirtBanter.com">BLUESHIRTBANTER.COM</a><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0033-01

NEW YORK FANS THROW DOWN

<div class="byline">ByKen Campbell</div><div class="image-hero"><img title="f0034-01" src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0034-0125/73026-1-eng-US/f0034-012.jpg"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(JONATHAN KOZUB/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0121/73019-1-eng-US/f0035-012.jpg" title="f0035-01" width="214" height="215"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0035-0213/73012-1-eng-US/f0035-022.jpg" title="f0035-02" width="487" height="349"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>ON A SWIVEL</b><i>Dubnyk is using a technique called Head Trajectory developed by goalie guru Lyle Mast.</i> <span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE KLUCKHOHN/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p class="dropcap"><span>W</span><b>HAT EVERYONE IN THE HOCKEY WORLD</b> wants to know is how a goalie can go from having an .893 save percentage in the AHL less than a year ago to being the toast of the NHL. That was the question of the day for the Devan Dubnyk Road Show&trade;. So how has Dubnyk gone from being an afterthought on the Montreal Canadiens roster in last year&rsquo;s playoffs to getting himself at least into the conversation for the Hart Trophy with the Minnesota Wild?</p><p>As it turns out, it was all in his head, both literally and figuratively. Dubnyk excused himself from Montreal last spring after a season that had taken an enormous mental toll on him. After the Canadiens dispatched the Boston Bruins in the second round of the playoffs, Dubnyk asked the team if he could go back to Edmonton to be with his family. Even though Carey Price went down in the next round, he was still stuck behind Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski on the Canadiens depth chart. Had he thought there would be any chance he would play, Dubnyk would have stuck around. &ldquo;I thought I just had to go and be a dad,&rdquo; Dubnyk said. &ldquo;And after the season I had last year, I wanted to just hit the reset button.&rdquo;</p><p>That took care of the mental, but the literal still needed addressing. And that&rsquo;s where former NHL goalie Steve Valiquette came in. The analyst for the Madison Square Garden network and goaltending consultant introduced Dubnyk to a technique known as Head Trajectory, which is the brainchild of a man by the name of Lyle Mast, the goaltending coach for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL and a goaltending consultant for a host of NHL players and teams.</p><p>You may not have heard of Head Trajectory or Lyle Mast, but those in the goaltending community think Mast and Head Trajectory could revolutionize the position the same way the butterfly did. Mast has spent the past 13 years working with NASA engineers and eye specialists to perfect his concept and has even trademarked the term for goaltending purposes.</p><p>And Dubnyk is fully on board. He referred to Mast as &ldquo;the genius behind the idea&rdquo; and said the work he did with Valiquette, who is working with Mast, in Colorado last summer has been a big part of his success. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just scratching the surface with it,&rdquo; Dubnyk said. &ldquo;It helps you find pucks, and it allows you to be bigger when you find angles on the puck in different spots.&rdquo;</p><p>In the future, you&rsquo;re going to hear an awful lot about &ldquo;tracking&rdquo; the puck when it comes to goalies. Basically, it means a goaltender is following the puck with his head, not just his eyes. &ldquo;But that starts with finding it,&rdquo; Dubnyk said. &ldquo;The earlier you can meet it, the easier it&rsquo;s going to be.&rdquo;</p><p>It all sounds basic enough, but Mast has put a tremendous amount of work into perfecting his method. The idea behind tracking is that once a goalie learns how to track the puck properly, it essentially enhances the abilities he uses to stop it. In the case of Dubnyk, who measures in at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, it allows him to use his size better and make himself even more imposing in the net. In fact, on his Optimum Reaction (OR) Sports website, Mast says the constant quality among top goalies is not style, athleticism or technical ability, but &ldquo;establishing or maintaining proper &lsquo;visual attachment&rsquo; on the puck.&rdquo; &ldquo;The way you track, you&rsquo;ll either hinder or enhance every move,&rdquo; Mast said. &ldquo;The only way really to become faster as a goaltender, to continue to advance your game is to eliminate delays in your movement. You don&rsquo;t get faster by just being a physical specimen. You get faster by eliminating delays, and they&rsquo;re either taken out or they&rsquo;re there based on how you track.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0123/73005-1-eng-US/f0036-012.jpg" title="f0036-01" width="215" height="215"></div><div class="figure-block image-bleed"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0213/72998-1-eng-US/f0036-022.jpg" title="f0036-02" width="1059" height="605"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>DOUBLE &lsquo;D&rsquo; MVP?</b><i>Dubnyk has put himself in Hart Trophy consideration with his renaissance year after a miserable 2013</i>-14. <span class="photo-credit">(GERRY THOMAS/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>Think Jonathan Quick, who is coached by Bill Ranford, an early disciple of the technique. When there is traffic around him, Quick is constantly low to the ice, seemingly looking through a sea of legs to know exactly where the puck is at all times. And that allows him to use his freakish ability to move around the crease to its maximum potential.</p><p>And so it goes with Dubnyk, who took a big pay cut to sign with the Arizona Coyotes this season. By the time the Wild traded a third-round pick to get him in January, it was just a $378,000 gamble for Minnesota. Dubnyk has provided the Wild with the goaltending it has desperately needed, but those in the analytics community will say that playing for the Wild does have its advantages. After all, these guys made Ilya Bryzgalov look good last season. &ldquo;His play has certainly helped the rest of the group concentrate on their own game,&rdquo; said Wild coach Mike Yeo. &ldquo;A lot of the credit has to go to Devan without question, but a lot of the credit has to go to the game the players are playing in front of Devan as well, and he&rsquo;d be the first one to say that.&rdquo;</p><p>Which should all make for an interesting negotiation this summer. The Wild will want to reward Dubnyk for his work, but he&rsquo;s also on his fifth organization in just over a year. The Coyotes pulled Mike Smith off the scrap heap, then gave him a six-year, big-money deal after an outstanding season, and it hasn&rsquo;t worked out well at all. &ldquo;We have a pretty big payroll and have a lot of big-cap guys on the team as well,&rdquo; said Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. &ldquo;So whether it&rsquo;s Devan or anybody else, we&rsquo;re going to have to be respon- sible with our dollars.&rdquo;</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-0311/72991-1-eng-US/f0036-032.jpg" title="f0036-03" width="257" height="476"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(BRUCE BENNETT/GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><p>What kind of dollars Dubnyk can command in the off-season will be determined by how he plays in the playoffs. If both sides are reasonable and respectful in their demands, however, there&rsquo;s no reason to believe a deal can&rsquo;t get done.</p><h2><b>GOING WILD</b></h2><p><i>Devan Dubnyk&rsquo;s save percentage with Minnesota is far and away better than in any of his other three NHL stops</i></p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0036-049/72984-1-eng-US/f0036-042.jpg" title="f0036-04" width="96" height="464"></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></div>

f0034-01

USE YOUR HEAD NOT YOUR EYES

f0040-01

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-028/74268-1-eng-US/f0062-022.jpg" title="f0062-02" width="732" height="564"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>MAD FOR THE MAD HOUSE</b> CM Punk and his wife, pro wrestler April, feel at home in Chicago&rsquo;s United Center. <span class="photo-credit">(BILL SMITH/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0062-0115/74275-1-eng-US/f0062-012.jpg" title="f0062-01" width="87" height="99"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p><b>WANT MORE PROTEAU?</b> GET DAILY UPDATES AT <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b></p><p>Y<b>OU&rsquo;VE GOT TO UNDER</b>stand this about Phil Brooks, professionally known as CM Punk: he was never handed anything as a blue-collar kid coming out of Chicago, as a student, as a pro wrestler who rose to the pinnacle of the industry or in his current line of work as a nascent mixed martial arts fighter. Punk, 36, has had to grind and scrape for everything he&rsquo;s earned, and he&rsquo;s plied his trade (often injured) in hockey arenas across North America and around the world.</p><p>No wonder Punk has a love for the NHL, and no wonder he&rsquo;s come to be acquaintances with many NHL players. There&rsquo;s a camaraderie at play here, an understanding of serious and constant physical sacrifice and a respect for performing through pain that both parties endure on the regular. &ldquo;A lot of the physicality is the same, and I was always drawn to hockey because of that physicality,&rdquo; Punk said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s definitely similarities between what I did, what I&rsquo;m currently doing, and what hockey players do. And there&rsquo;s an appreciation there that goes both ways.&rdquo;</p><p>He&rsquo;s right. After Chicago&rsquo;s 2013 Stanley Cup win, friend and NHLer Sheldon Souray offered to introduce Punk to a number of Hawks players, including Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp, and now-former Hawks tough guy Brandon Bollig. Once Punk was convinced he wasn&rsquo;t being pranked, there was no way he was turning down that offer, even though he lives a &ldquo;straight-edge&rdquo; lifestyle that makes sobriety a priority. So he met the team at a local bar, and as the celebrations continued through the night, he quietly soaked it all in, counted his lucky stars and marvelled at how welcome the Hawks made him feel. &ldquo;Those players are the nicest, most down-to-earth sweethearts,&rdquo; Punk said. &ldquo;To share that night with them as they celebrated their hard work, I was like a fly on the wall. I&rsquo;m forever in their debt.&rdquo;</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;Those players are the nicest, most down-to-earth sweethearts. I&rsquo;m forever in their debt &ndash; CM Punk</blockquote><p>For Keith, a lifelong wrestling fan who had (and, thanks to his parents, still has) the action figurines of famous WWE stars such as Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and The Bushwhackers, getting to know Punk and understand the legitimate rigors of the business he was in was just as much of a thrill as it was for Punk to meet his hockey idols. &ldquo;A really easygoing guy,&rdquo; Keith said. &ldquo;I wanted him to know I knew and appreciated what he did and the athleticism wrestlers have. And I learned that the whole industry, it&rsquo;s very tough. We talked about what I&rsquo;d do if I had a broken rib &ndash; would I play with one? I don&rsquo;t know if I could, but he&rsquo;s had to do that and get thrown through tables.</p><p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s entertainment, and like with us, the show goes on even if you&rsquo;re not feeling 100 percent.&rdquo;</p><p>Before making a controversial decision to leave the WWE in January of 2014 (and eventually deciding to sign a multi-fight contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship), Punk had won that company&rsquo;s heavyweight title multiple times and was known as a voice of candor in a business famous for artifice. So it should come as no surprise his hockey fandom isn&rsquo;t a carefully crafted, consultant-managed part of his image, but rather as genuine as he is. The sport is deeply ingrained in him, dating back to his days with his father in Chicago&rsquo;s South Side. Punk counts himself fortunate enough to have seen a few games at the old Chicago Stadium and to watch legends such as Denis Savard and Chris Chelios skate. He fell in love with hockey and the Blackhawks then, and although that affection would be diluted through the f ranchise&rsquo;s lean years and Punk&rsquo;s focus on his craft in the wrestling ring, the love affair began again when Chicago returned to prominence under players such as Keith and won two Stanley Cups in the past five seasons.</p><p>In those years between the days nobody knew him and his status today as a pop culture phenomenon and the UFC&rsquo;s hottest new property, Punk cultivated an image that has afforded him other special hockey experiences, and he proudly talks about numerous geek-out moments in the hockey world (including being interviewed by THN). His Twitter account&rsquo;s image is of Paul Newman in the iconic film <i>Slap Shot</i>. He&rsquo;s had a friendly feud with L.A. Kings mascot Bailey that continues to this day, and that equally confounds hockey fans who aren&rsquo;t wr e s t l i n g fans and wrestling aficionados who aren&rsquo;t into hockey. As a kid, Punk was a Montreal Ca n a d i e n s and Patrick Roy fan, and he recently paid his respects to Jean Beliveau on Twitter after the late Habs icon&rsquo;s passing. Punk puts attending a game in Montreal (along with visiting the Hall of Fame in Toronto) on his must-do list. He&rsquo;s not the greatest skater, but he played street hockey (usually as a goalie) and would jump at the opportunity to play in a celebrity game.</p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0114/74261-1-eng-US/f0063-012.jpg" title="f0063-01" width="228" height="334"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGE)</span></figcaption></div><p>You believe Punk loves the sport because you hear the reverence in his voice when he talks about Beliveau&rsquo;s impact as one of the game&rsquo;s greatest ambassadors (&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think enough Americans, whether they&rsquo;re hockey fans or not, realize what an awesome representative of hockey he was&rdquo;), and when he discusses another bucket-list experience he&rsquo;s running out of time on: &ldquo;I want to get to Nassau Coliseum for an Islanders game. I&rsquo;ve performed there hundreds of times. It&rsquo;s one of my favorite buildings because of the hockey history. I&rsquo;d be in those locker rooms and (wrestlers) backstage would treat it like it&rsquo;s a regular locker room. I&rsquo;d be like, &lsquo;No, dude, do not disrespect this house.&rsquo; I&rsquo;d wander the halls with the blue and orange stripes and stare at the Mike Bossy plaque. It&rsquo;s a dump and the ceiling leaks, but I just love that building.&rdquo;</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-0211/74254-1-eng-US/f0063-022.jpg" title="f0063-02" width="73" height="73"></div><p><b>Bailey LA Kings</b> @BaileyLAKings It&rsquo;s #HockeyJerseyDay Send me a picture of you wearing your fav jersey and you could win a prize.</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-036/74247-1-eng-US/f0063-032.jpg" title="f0063-03" width="73" height="73"></div><p><b>Coach</b></p><p><b>@CMPunk @BaileyLAKings</b></p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0063-046/74240-1-eng-US/f0063-042.jpg" title="f0063-04" width="433" height="293"><figcaption class="caption-body"><b>HEEL TURN</b> CM Punk proves his Hawks loyalty by trolling the rival L.A. Kings&rsquo; mascot on Twitter</figcaption></div><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span>

f0062-02

A FIGHTER OF ANOTHER BREED

<h2><b>TYPES OF PRODUCTS</b></h2><p class="dropcap"><span>D</span>uring the 1930s to the 1980s, products sold by The Flintkote Company and Flintkote Mines Limited (the &ldquo;Debtors&rdquo;) may have contained asbestos. These products could have included floor tile, roofing shingles, joint compound, cement pipe, asphalt and other products.</p><p><b>Persons or entities exposed to, or harmed by, the Debtors&rsquo; asbestos or asbestos-containing products may have personal injury, wrongful death or other claims against the Debtors. You do not need to (i) have been diagnosed, (ii) have symptoms, or (iii) be impaired to be affected by the Plan.</b></p><p><b>If you believe you may have been exposed to, or harmed by the Debtors&rsquo; products, you may be entitled to vote on the terms of the Reorganization. You should carefully read this notice and the important documents located at <a href="http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com">http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com</a>.</b></p><h2><b>PLAN OF REORGANIZATION</b></h2><p>The Debtors have filed for bankruptcy. On February 9, 2015, the Debtors filed a modified Joint Plan of Reorganization (the &ldquo;Plan&rdquo;) with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the &ldquo;Bankruptcy Court&rdquo;). The Plan includes the terms of a settlement reached between the Debtors and their former indirect parent company, Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited (&ldquo;ITCAN&rdquo;). The Plan has been jointly proposed by the Debtors, the Asbestos Claimants Committee and the Future Claimants Representative (collectively, the &ldquo;Plan Proponents&rdquo;). As background, the Plan is a modified version of a bankruptcy plan on which Debtors previously solicited votes in 2008 and 2009, and which was confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court on December 21, 2012 (the &ldquo;Original Plan&rdquo;).</p><p>A document describing the Plan&rsquo;s changes (the &ldquo;Disclosure Supplement&rdquo;), which the Bankruptcy Court approved on March 17, 2015, and a copy of the Plan itself and voting materials (a &ldquo;Resolicitation Package&rdquo;), has been mailed to known holders of claims against the Debtors or their lawyers.</p><h2><b>THE TRUST</b></h2><p>The Plan provides for a trust to be established to pay eligible asbestos personal injury claims against the Debtors (the &ldquo;Trust&rdquo;). The Plan states that all current and future holders of asbestos personal injury claims will be forever prohibited from asserting claims directly against the Debtors and other parties protected under the Plan, including ITCAN. Such persons can receive money only from the Trust. The Plan and the Disclosure Supplement have important additional details and are available at <a href="http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com">http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com</a>.</p><h2><b>SUPPLEMENTAL SETTLEMENT BAR ORDER</b></h2><p>Under the Plan, ITCAN will also obtain protection from certain claims by a settlement bar order, which is described more particularly in the Plan and Disclosure Supplement.</p><h2><b>VOTING PROCEDURES</b></h2><p>The Bankruptcy Court has issued an order describing who can vote on the Plan, how to vote, and how votes will be counted. The Disclosure Supplement has information that will help you decide whether and how to vote on the Plan if you are entitled to do so. Votes cast on the Original Plan will be counted as votes on the Plan, unless a holder changes such vote. <b>If you voted on the Original Plan and do not wish to change your vote, you do not need to submit a ballot.</b> If you did not vote on the Original Plan, you may obtain and cast a ballot, which would be subject to the Plan Proponents&rsquo; right to object. <b>To be counted, a completed ballot must be received by the Voting Agent at the address below by 4:00 p.m. (prevailing Eastern time) on June 2, 2015. Any ballot received after that deadline will not be counted.</b></p><p>Proof of an asbestos personal injury or wrongful death claim does not need to be filed with the Bankruptcy Court. Special procedures have been established for holders of asbestos personal injury and wrongful death claims to vote on the Plan. Lawyers for holders of these claims may vote on the Plan on behalf of their clients if authorized by their client. If you are unsure whether your lawyer is authorized to vote on your behalf, please contact your lawyer.</p><h2><b>THE HEARING TO CONFIRM THE PLAN</b></h2><p>A hearing to confirm the Plan will be held before the Honorable Mary F. Walrath, United States Bankruptcy Judge, at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, 824 Market Street, 5th Floor, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, commencing <b>on August 10, 2015 at 10:30 a.m.</b> (prevailing Eastern time). You may attend the hearing but are not required to do so.</p><h2><b>OBJECTING TO THE PLAN</b></h2><p><b>Objections to the Plan are limited to changes between the Original Plan and the Plan and must be submitted in writing and received by July 8, 2015 to be considered.</b> All objections must comply with the requirements in the notice of the Confirmation Hearing, available at <a href="http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com">http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com</a>.</p><h2><b>HOW TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS</b></h2><p>If you would like additional information about the Plan, Disclosure Supplement and the Trust (including copies of the Plan and the Disclosure Supplement), you may contact the Debtors&rsquo; Voting Agent at (800) 290-0537 or visit <a href="http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com">http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com</a>.</p><p><b>For complete information, including all relevant forms, notices and instructions, please consult:</b></p><p><b>Flintkote Reorganization Website <a href="http://www.flintkotebankruptcy.com">www.flintkotebankruptcy.com</a></b></p><p><b>Flintkote Reorganization Helpline 1-800-290-0537</b></p><p><b>Write to: The Flintkote Company and Flintkote Mines, Limited, c/o GCG, P.O. Box 10127, Dublin, Ohio 43017-3127</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

If You Were Exposed to, or Harmed by, ASBESTOS or ASBESTOS-CONTAINING Products Made, Distributed or Sold by THE FLINTKOTE COMPANY or FLINTKOTE MINES LIMITED

<div class="byline">By Larry Humber</div><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0411/74340-1-eng-US/f0065-042.jpg" title="f0065-04" width="457" height="457"></div><h2><b>Guess WHO!</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0115/74361-1-eng-US/f0065-012.jpg" title="f0065-01" width="237" height="286"><figcaption class="caption-body"><span class="photo-credit">(GUESS WHO: RICHARD WOLOWICZ/GETTY IMAGES; LAFFERTY: RICH POLK/GETTY IMAGES FOR CANON PROJECT IMAGINAT10N; MASK: DAVID GUNNARSSON/DAVEART.COM; JERSEY: MARK HVIDSTEN)</span></figcaption></div><p><i> &ldquo;My 0.51 goals per game trails only Alex Ovechkin and Pavel Bure among Russian NHLers.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i> &ldquo;I finished second to my own teammate in 2001-02 Calder Trophy voting.&rdquo;</i></p><p><i> &ldquo;The NHL rejected my 17-year deal with the Devils, calling it salary cap circumvention.&rdquo;</i></p><h2><b>Separated AT BIRTH</b></h2><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0212/74354-1-eng-US/f0065-022.jpg" title="f0065-02" width="113" height="200"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>TOMAS TATAR</b></h3><p>Plays with a lot of heart on the Detroit Red Wings. Deadly shooter from 15 feet out. Playoff MVP as a young AHLer.</p><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-0312/74347-1-eng-US/f0065-032.jpg" title="f0065-03" width="112" height="200"></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><h3><b>JAMES LAFFERTY</b></h3><p>Played heartthrob on <i>One Tree Hill.</i> Known for his deadly 15-foot jumper. MVP as a young high schooler.</p><p><b>Submitted by:</b> Paige Smith</p><p>Email your suggestions to <b><a href="mailto:sab@thehockeynews.com">sab@thehockeynews.com</a></b></p><h2><b>CROSSWORD</b></h2><p>ANSWERS AVAILABLE IN THE NEXT ISSUE AND AT <a href="http://THN.com/XWORD">THN.com/XWORD</a></p><p><b>LAST ISSUE&rsquo;S CROSSWORD SOLUTION ACROSS</b> 1. BRIAN, 8. THEODORE, 9. SCALP, 10. P.K. SUBBAN, 11. INANE, 14. OSHIE, 15. CHRIS, 20. STING, 21. TAMPA BAY, 22. TOPPS, 23. CAROLINA, 24. STAGS <b>DOWN</b> 2. RICK NASH, 3. ATLANTIC, 4. CHOKE, 5. BONUS, 6. BOBBY, 7. KENNY, 12. SHUTS OUT, 13. WINNIPEG, 16. STICK, 17. SMART, 18. FALLS, 19. DANNY</p><h3><b>ACROSS</b></h3><p>1 Detroit-based WHA team that originated in L.A. (or, parties for guys)</p><p>8 An infraction</p><p>9 Owen ___ is home of junior hockey&rsquo;s Attack</p><p>10 He&rsquo;s Maple Leafs president</p><p>11 Marc-___ Fleury, pictured</p><p>14 10 Across got 656 ___ in</p><p>21 NHL seasons</p><p>15 Puck over glass earns a __ of game penalty</p><p>20 Johnny Gaudreau was 2014 Hobey __ winner</p><p>21 Senators goalie Craig ___</p><p>22 There&rsquo;s also junior hockey in ___ Jaw</p><p>23 The ___ ___ Wales was an NHL conference until 1993 24 No one&rsquo;s better than this Blue in shootouts</p><h3><b>DOWN</b></h3><p>2 He changed teams in 2005, went on to be named MVP that season</p><p>3 Bobby Orr&rsquo;s junior team</p><p>4 Site of the last Olympics</p><p>5 One of the Mahovlichs</p><p>6 Cam Neely&rsquo;s old number</p><p>7 An unrestricted free ___ is available to all teams</p><p>12 They play at the Canadian Tire Centre</p><p>13 A teammate of 2 Down, he&rsquo;s also at center</p><p>16 Where Steven Stamkos plays</p><p>17 Ex-Leaf ___ Shack even had a song penned about him</p><p>18 A hat ___ is three goals in a game</p><p>19 Toronto&rsquo;s short-lived WHA team</p><h2><b>Behind THE MASK</b></h2><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-056/74333-1-eng-US/f0065-052.jpg" title="f0065-05" width="405" height="390"></div><p><b>HENRIK LUNDQVIST</b> | NEW YORK RANGERS</p><p>Doc Brown and Marty McFly collaborated on time travel. Now Lundqvist, artist Dave Gunnarsson and Michael J. Fox have joined forces for a <i>Back to the Future</i> mask, featuring the iconic DeLorean car, Fox as a cartoon fox and a nod to the famous movie poster. <b>&ndash; MATT LARKIN</b></p><div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0065-065/74326-1-eng-US/f0065-062.jpg" title="f0065-06" width="308" height="343"><figcaption class="caption-body">JACK <b>MCNEELY</b></figcaption></div><p><b>LAKEVILLE NORTH</b> | 2014-15</p><h2><b>Jersey HOUND</b></h2><p>This year&rsquo;s winner of the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament was the Lakeville North Panthers, and boy did they do it in style &ndash; on several levels.</p><p>Hockey-wise, the Panthers ran the table, going undefeated all season with a record of 31-0, beating Duluth East in the final. Sartorially speaking, the team was just as successful.</p><p>Rocking jerseys with a big Quebec Nordiques influence, Lakeville North had a great homage to the Nords, even paying reverence to the old NHL squad by making their &lsquo;N&rsquo; lower case. <b>&ndash; RYAN KENNEDY</b><span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

f0065-04

LAST MINUTE OF PLAY

<div class="figure-block image-block"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0212/74390-1-eng-US/f0066-022.jpg" title="f0066-02" width="758" height="454"><figcaption class="caption-body">SIDNEY CROSBY <b>& ERIK KARLSSON</b> <span class="photo-credit">(ANDRE RINGUETTE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)</span></figcaption></div><div class="container"><div class="figure-block image-float"><img src="/var/site_2854/storage/images/media2/images/f0066-0115/74397-1-eng-US/f0066-012.jpg" title="f0066-01" width="85" height="104"></div><p><b>CAN&rsquo;T GET ENOUGH CAMPBELL?</b> GO TO <b><a href="http://thehockeynews.com">THEHOCKEYNEWS.COM</a></b> FOR DAILY UPDATES</p></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><p>A<b>S I SAT TO WRITE THIS IN LATE</b> March, the NHL was on pace to have its least productive Art Ross Trophy winner in more than 50 years. Sidney Crosby was projected to score 84 points, a mark Wayne Gretzky surpassed in 1987-88, his 10th-best season in the NHL, by Game No. 38. The NHL was on target to have one 50-goal scorer, and John Tavares, despite having just two points in six previous games, was still neck and neck with Crosby in the scoring race.</p><p>It&rsquo;s all a little perplexing. Leaguewide scoring is about the same as it has been the past three seasons, and there weren&rsquo;t an inordinate number of shutouts. To be sure, we&rsquo;re not back to the days of the Dead Puck Era. As a proponent of banning fighting, it pains me to say this, but perhaps weeding enforcers out of the game has been subject to the law of unintended consequences. As it turns out, having fighters sitting on the bench for most of the game gave star players more ice time and, conversely, more opportunities to score. Crosby&rsquo;s and Evgeni Malkin&rsquo;s ice time was down almost two minutes per game from last season. That&rsquo;s about 10 percent (and perhaps the difference between producing 84 and 92 points), Steven Stamkos&rsquo; ice time was down by 50 seconds.</p><p>Perhaps all this resting of star players during the season is going to produce great things in the playoffs. Maybe Crosby and Malkin, with fresh legs, are going to tear up the playoffs and post boffo numbers. Or perhaps the (looking for the word here) offensive malaise that seems to have crept into play this season will continue unabated.</p><p>And that&rsquo;s my biggest fear going into the playoffs. I watch a lot of games and I don&rsquo;t recall seeing this many that are lacking in excitement since before the 2004 lockout. I see defensemen now crosschecking opposing forwards in the back in front of the net with total impunity. I wonder why L.A.&rsquo;s Tyler Toffoli doesn&rsquo;t even have a hearing for his vicious hit from behind on a vulnerable Alexandre Burrows of the Canucks. I can&rsquo;t help but notice the hooks and trips and tugs that were called in past years are being either missed or ignored now. I wonder how someone who loves hockey so much can&rsquo;t be bothered to watch some games through to the end.</p><p>It seems, to these eyes anyway, the NHL is slowly, and just as importantly systematically, being dragged back into the muck that slowed the game to a halt more than a decade ago. It&rsquo;s probably taken a little longer than most of us would have thought, but it&rsquo;s happening. And with the playoffs on the horizon, history tells us we should expect it to be even worse then. There has always been the tacit understanding during the postseason that there is so much at stake referees, with the support of the league, loosen the standards. But when the standard has already eroded, being even more liberal with it could be a recipe for some very boring hockey.</p><p>And that&rsquo;s not good. This is a time of year when the excitement for the game is at its zenith. By virtue of the fact the lower half of the league has been cut out of the competition and the games are now for real, the playoffs should represent the sport at its best. With all this extra ice time Crosby and Malkin might be getting, it would be nice to see them be free to do what they do best.</p><p>There&rsquo;s a point to the notion that you want the players, not the officials deciding the game. We get that. But when the players who score the points and create the excitement are stifled at every turn, how is that not having a major impact on the outcome of the game? The playoffs have long been defined as a battle of attrition. Sometimes you wonder how the team that wins even has the energy to lift the 34.5-pound Stanley Cup over their heads. And we all love that it takes an enormous amount of resilience to win it. You should have to earn the right to possess something as beautiful as the Stanley Cup.</p><blockquote class="pullQuote">&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t recall seeing this many games lacking in excitement since Before the 2004 lockout</blockquote><p>But why does it always have to be a battle to score goals that defines the playoffs? Shouldn&rsquo;t it be just as difficult to stop players within the confines of the rulebook? Would it not take as much resilience, character and toughness to be able to keep the best players in the world at bay? And judging by the way some of the league&rsquo;s goaltenders have performed this season &ndash; Andrew Hammond, Devan Dubnyk and Cam Talbot, who knew? &ndash; they certainly don&rsquo;t need any more help.</p><p>I would hate to get back to the days when overtime was met with more of a sense of dread than excitement. The league would be taking a step backward if the late 1990s and early 2000s style of play came back into vogue. This is a time when there will be more eyeballs on the NHL than at any other point in the season. If the NHL truly wants its stars to shine, it must let them do it.<span class="end-marker"> &#9632;</span></p>

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Stanley Cup Issue 2015

CASE CLOSED

BEASTS OF THE BLEU PAINT

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN?

Playoff FORMAT