from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,

The drama isn’t over but the NHL’s first round has again served up an exquisite set of storylines with a new cast of heroes and goats, each unique, each resistant to a quick and easy judgment on the state of the game.

If the NHL is trending towards youth, for example, someone forgot to tell the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, four teams built around veterans who are making noise this spring. The Isles and Blues won their series in impressive fashion against quality opponents in Pittsburgh and Winnipeg respectively. The Caps and Sharks have seized the momentum in their series against Carolina and Las Vegas.

Add it all up and if youth is being served, it’s being served on a platter.

For the last couple of years, the prevailing wisdom has also been that the game is moving toward speed and skill and away from size and girth. Again, the results thus far haven’t exactly supported that premise where the Lightning, the poster boys of the new NHL, were dispatched in shocking fashion by the Columbus Blue Jackets; the Flames and their leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau were bounced by Colorado; and the Leafs have their hands full with Boston.

So what have we learned? Well, it’s nothing new. The secret has always been in striking a balance in those disparate, seemingly contradictory elements which make up hockey. Teams have to play fast but they also have to play heavy. They have to be physical but they have to play with composure. They have to score and they have to defend.

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