Puck Podcast

EDMONTON – Edmonton Oilers GM Kevin Lowe further solidified his defence corps Monday by signing Denis Grebeshkov to a one-year contract.The 24-year-old Russian had three goals and 15 assists in his first year with the Oilers.

VOORHEES, N.J. – Patrick Thoresen gingerly walks through the Flyers’ locker room, still needs ice to ease swelling in his groin and is unlikely to play in Game 3 of Philadelphia’s playoff series against Washington.

BOSTON – The Montreal Canadiens are having trouble finding the net in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins, and no one is taking it harder than top-line centre Tomas Plekanec.

NEW YORK – After two home playoff losses, the New Jersey Devils didn’t sugarcoat their predicament or try to fool anyone about the trouble they were in.

NEW YORK – Sean Avery found yet another way to annoy Martin Brodeur, and forced the NHL to change a rule in his honour.The Hall of Fame resume of the New Jersey Devils goalie doesn’t resonate with Avery, the New York Rangers forward, who has turned agitation into an art form.

OTTAWA – A few minutes after the Pittsburgh Penguins left the ice at their pre-game skate Monday a PR man for the team announced that Sidney Crosby would have his daily news conference down the hall.

WILMINGTON, Mass. – The Boston Bruins say it remains unclear whether centre Patrice Bergeron will play again this spring.Bergeron has been held out of the playoffs as a precaution because of the Grade 3 concussion he suffered in October.

Sean Avery’s front-facing, arm-waiving screen tatic employed during Game 3 against the Devils won’t be allowed to happen again after the NHL released for the following advisory on the interpretation of the league’s unsportsmanlike conduct rule:
 "An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty (Rule 75) will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play.

OTTAWA – The presence of Daniel Alfredsson in the Ottawa Senators’ lineup Monday night couldn’t prevent another loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA – Daniel Alfredsson made a stunning comeback to the Ottawa Senators lineup on Monday night.The Senators captain has not practised with his teammates since getting injured April 3 in Toronto but he took in the pre-game warm-up Monday night and decided he was good enough to return with his team down 2-0 in their best-of-seven, Eastern Conference quarter-final series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senators might have their captain back in the lineup for Game 3 on Monday night against Pittsburgh.Senators head coach Bryan Murray indicated after the pre-game skate that Daniel Alfredsson’s return was a possibility.

CALGARY – The Calgary Flames knew they would need their goaltending to be superb if they had any chance of knocking off the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs.

CALGARY – Owen Nolan scored the game-winning goal with 3:45 left in the third period as the Calgary Flames overcame a disastrous start Sunday night to come from behind for a dramatic 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks.

NEW YORK – John Madden scored 6:01 into overtime to get the New Jersey Devils back into their first-round series against the New York Rangers with a 4-3 victory Sunday night.

BOSTON – Marc Savard’s first career playoff goal was the overtime winner as the Boston Bruins downed the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 Sunday to climb back into their best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with University of Denver defenceman Chris Butler on Sunday.Butler, Buffalo’s fourth round pick in 2005, just completed his junior season at Denver, where he had three goals and 17 points.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Jose Theodore can’t recall ever playing better than he is right now.Theodore has held the Minnesota Wild scoreless in the first 40 minutes of both games of their first-round series so far and feels locked in, like he can almost anticipate what the shooters are going to do with the puck.

After all their recent playoff failures, the Dallas Stars certainly got a lot more than they hoped in the first two games against Anaheim.”We just wanted to come in and steal one,” captain Brenden Morrow said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The scenery and home-ice advantage has changed. The Nashville Predators’ opinions on the officiating haven’t, even as coach Barry Trotz insists they’re not stewing over what they can’t control.

WASHINGTON – Martin Biron kicked Alex Ovechkin’s power-play wrist shot away in the first period, used the handle of his stick to deflect Alexander Semin’s breakaway attempt in the second, and sprawled on his back while corralling the puck with his left arm to thwart Dave Steckel in the third.