Just a few things that caught my eye ...
- A police escort. That's how the ambulance carrying Marian Hossa got to hospital. I feel sick.
- 365. That's the exact number of days since Raffi Torres' nasty first-round hit to Brent Seabrook's head in last year's Canucks-Blackhawks' series. How do you spell, 'has issues'?
- Phew. Hossa was released from hospital. But what if it's a Marc Savardian situation?
- What were the odds? Both Jose Theodore and Martin Brodeur get yanked; it was the shortest playoff appearance of Marty's fabled career. The Devils go up 3-0 and the Kitties bounce back with four straight. Nuts.
- The Panthers didn't sign Sean Bergenheim for the regular season, they signed him for this -- two points tonight and at least a point in each of the three games this series. That goal was sick! He steps up his game when it matters the most. Hey -- maybe the Isles got rid of him because they knew they'd never make the postseason ...
- Two seasons ago, Kevin Klein scored twice in 81 regular-season games; this season, he doubled that in 66. Now, he has two goals in his last two games and tonight's was the winner. Sometimes heroes emerge from the most unlikely places.
- Pekka Rinne has faced 84 shots in the last two games; he has stopped 81.
- Johan Franzen has one goal on 11 shots in four games. Valtteri Filppula has one helper in the same four games. Nicklas Lidstrom has no points. Ouch.
- Curtis Joseph was thrown under the bus in 2003 when the Wings scored just six goals in a four-game sweep by the eventual Cup winners, the Ducks. This year, the Wings have scored just eight and are down 3-1 in the series. So when does Jimmy Howard get the Cujo treatment? Or have things truly changed in Hockeytown?
- Andrew Shaw got three games courtesy of the Milan Lucic-Ryan Miller hit. Carl Hagelin got three, too. Aaron Asham got four but James Neal got one, just like Nicklas Backstrom. Is there consistency in there ... anywhere? Anywhere? Can't even imagine what Raffi Torres will get. Better be the book, the kitchen sink and a padlock.
- Paddle down is not the answer, right Corey Crawford? W-E-A-K.