Kukla's Korner

Bruins defeat Rangers, advance to face Pittsburgh in Eastern Conference Final

Blog: KK Hockey By George Malik

05/25/13 at 08:11 PM ET | Comments (1)

The Boston Bruins defeated the New York Rangers 3-1 on Saturday night and have clinched their second-round series with New York in 5 games, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they'll play the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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PHPA, AHL to donate ticket proceeds from Wednesday’s Griffins-Barons game to United Way Oklahoma

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

05/25/13 at 07:07 PM ET | Comments (1)

The Professional Hockey Players' Association, the AHL and both the Grand Rapids Griffins and Oklahoma City Barons are doing something unprecidented to help the victims of the tornado that devastated Oklahoma City's suburbs. Per the Grand Rapids Griffins' PR department:

AHL, PHPA TO DONATE TICKET REVENUE TO TORNADO RELIEF EFFORTS
Gate from May 29 game in Oklahoma City will benefit United Way

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, in conjunction with the Oklahoma City Barons, announced today that all ticket revenue from the Barons’ game against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday, May 29, will be removed from the league revenue-sharing program and instead will be donated to the United Way’s OK Strong Disaster Relief Fund.

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Today We Settle All Family Business

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By IwoCPO

05/25/13 at 05:45 PM ET | Comments (175)

When this fire is finally done, and there's nothing but embers left and the Wings have pissed all over the ashes of the West once and for good?  It will have been the perfect way to leave this idiotic, Bettman-created sewer of a conference.  

Nashville? Eliminated from playoff contention, largely because the Wings turned it up with two weeks left.  Nice knowing you Bubba.

St. Louis? A great joke. So much promise, yet nothing to show for it.  Now resigned to sit and watch the two teams they despise the most. Again. 

Columbus? Again, another nice little team that almost got there but petered out when the Wings ratcheted up the heat.

Anaheim...a former nemesis, but now just an overrated afterthought.  Nice knowing you, Corey.

Chicago...oh, what a way to leave.  More on that in a minute.  But, if it happens, the sweetest road East would be through San Jose.  The Wings owe them and this is just the year to do it.

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Two Possible Elimination Games Tonight

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

05/25/13 at 05:00 PM ET | Comments (0)

If the Bruins win at home tonight, their next opponent will be the Pittsburgh Penguins in the ECF.

If the Wings win in Chicago tonight, they will be facing either the LA Kings or San Jose Sharks in the WCF.

One key for each game, Boston does not want to travel to NYC for a game 6 and the Blackhawks want to avoid shaking hands on home ice tonight.

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Bruins Add Defensive Depth

Blog: The Puck Stops Here By PuckStopsHere

05/25/13 at 02:10 PM ET | Comments (0)

Conventional wisdom is that you try to have a playoff run with the team you had at the end of the season.  It is not the time to audition new players.  The Boston Bruins are not listening to that wisdom on defence and thus far it is working.  Two of the players who have been playing big roles on the Bruins defence in the 2013 playoffs have been Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski.  These are both players who spent most of the season playing outside the NHL.  Bartkowski began the playoffs playing for Providence in the AHL.  He was called up during Providence's AHL playoff run that ended this week.  In fact, it is likely true that Providence was eliminated 4-3 in a second round series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton because of their depleted defence without him.  Krug has turned pro after finishing his season in the NCAA with Michigan State.

Krug has four points in four playoff games so far.  He has played only three regular season games over two years with two points.  That offensive record is impressive in limited play and likely won't be kept up longterm.  If Krug wasn't a point per game player in the NCAA, why would he be one in the NHL?  Bartkowski has not scored as well as Krug.  He has two points in six playoff games, but he has handled more ice time than Krug has.  Bartkowski has averaged almost 20 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Part of Boston's playoff success has come from their addition of two new defencemen during their playoff run.  Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug have played well.  Their lack of NHL experience has not hurt Boston during their playoff run.  This is somewhat impressive given the timing of when it is occurring.

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Red Wings-Blackhawks Game 5 game-day updates: Hawks stack top line, Wings want to match CHI urgency

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

05/25/13 at 01:15 PM ET | Comments (5)

Updated 13x at 3:49 PM: The Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks will tangle in a potential elimination game tonight in Game 5 of their second-round series (8 PM EDT, 8:20 PM EDT puck drop, NBC/CBC/97.1 FM, post-game on FSD and WDIV), and around the time that the Red Wings arrived in Chicago last night, the NHL announced the following:

The Hawks took to the ice first on Saturday morning:

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Cotsonika: Red Wings no longer a powerhouse, remain dangerous

Blog: The Malik Report By George Malik

05/25/13 at 12:44 PM ET | Comments (2)

The Detroit Red Wings and their fans have gotten used to the concept of the Wings playing the underdog and/or spoiler's role over the past season, but it's definitely a different and/or unfamiliar position for the team to be in, and ahead of Game 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight (8 PM EDT, NBC/CBC/97.1, with post-game shows on FSD and WDIV), Yahoo Sports' Nicholas J. Cotsonika spoke to two members of the Wings' powerhouse teams of yore. Sometimes it's best to begin at the end and suggest that you go back and start at the beginning:

“The Joe is rockin’ – like, stuff I haven’t heard in years,” Draper said. “I mean, how many times did you hear the ‘Jimmy Howard’ chant? … It’s, I guess, relishing the underdog role. Why wouldn’t Detroit rally around that? Detroit, people kind of kick it around. But I’ve been here 20 years now, and people are proud. Now you see the building and the atmosphere, and it’s awesome.”

“We were always an older team, older players, veteran, grizzled guys,” Osgood said. “I think the fans enjoyed that for a while, and now it’s changed. It’s younger guys coming up that the fans have grown to like and enjoy watching fly around the ice. It’s kind of the opposite end of the spectrum than it used to be, but it’s just as fun and just as enjoyable, if not a little more.”

Continued, and Cotsonika's article is worth your time.

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A Throat Is Perfect Place To Put A Skate, Especially Near A Big Bonfire

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By IwoCPO

05/25/13 at 10:44 AM ET | Comments (39)

This will be quick. It's May 25th in Michigan, which means the weather should be simply stunning.  Judging by the jackets at last night's Tiger game, that may not be the case.  It doesn't matter.  Nothing matters.  Go about your day.  Frolic. Bounce and swim.  Grill.  Develop and teach your children (well).

Because when all that's over?

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GDT - WCSF Game 5: Red Wings (3-1) host Hawks (1-3) 8:00

Blog: Abel to Yzerman By Jeff OKWingnut

05/25/13 at 09:05 AM ET | Comments (19)

4-3, 3-2,1-4, 4-1, 3-1, 2-0; DET's record in the past six games (5 wins, 1 loss),  Un-freaking-believable.  17 GF, 11 GA.  The Wings lose TPH, and Disco Stu, and manage to win with defense?  STFU.  Jimmy "brickwall" Howard:  0.50, .985 in last 2 GPI.

From the Peloton of Suck to the doorstep of the WCF - - skate to throat, bitches. 

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“Ferocious Hockey” Being Played In The Western Conference

Blog: KK Hockey By Paul

05/25/13 at 06:55 AM ET | Comments (4)

from Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch,

(John) Forslund is one of NBC’s play-by-play announcers during the NHL playoffs. He was dispatched to southern California on April 29, and he is still there. His is an interesting perch. After an entire (half) season of calling Eastern Conference games as the voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, he is getting an in-your-face view of the West.

“There is a level of playoff hockey being played in the West that is different from the East,” Forslund said. “I’ve been saying that for years, but this year it is more pronounced. That first-round series, St. Louis against LA — it started as soon as the puck dropped. Seeing it live is something else — but it comes across on TV, too, and if you can see it on TV you know it’s unbelievable.”

Forslund has done four Ducks-Red Wings games, two Sharks-Canucks games, three Blues-Kings games and five Sharks-Kings games — 14 in 20 days, live and in color. He has seen the West at its best.

“It’s ferocious hockey,” Forslund said. “There is more structure, more balance and there is depth throughout the lineups. The West has morphed into a bigger, stronger and, at many times, faster conference. These teams have all evolved as they’ve tried to keep up with one another.”

read on

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