Puck Podcast

MONTREAL – There was a surprise skater on the ice for the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday morning – injured defenceman Francis Bouillon.Bouillon wasn’t ready to play in Game Two of the NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final against the Boston Bruins, but wanted to test his sore right ankle in a 15-minute skate with his teammates.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Darren Helm scored a pair of goals to pace the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 6-3 win over the Manitoba Moose on Friday at the AHL.

HAMILTON – Jiri Tlusty scored a goal and an assist, including the game-winner as the Toronto Marlies edged the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 Friday night in the AHL.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – With the young Minnesota Wild on the ropes, old man Keith Carney came through just in time.Carney scored on a slap shot 14 seconds into overtime to lift the Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, tying the series 1-1 and giving a huge sigh of relief to more than 19,000 towel-waving fans.

PITTSBURGH – The Ottawa Senators got 49 saves from their goalie and erased a three-goal deficit. The Pittsburgh Penguins never blinked.”We did a great job of keeping our composure,” Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said after Friday night’s thrilling 5-3 playoff win.

NEWARK, N.J. – Henrik Lundqvist and another flukey goal have the New York Rangers halfway to the second round, and the New Jersey Devils wondering what they have to do to beat their longtime rival.

WASHINGTON – Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen was taken to the hospital for tests after getting hit in the groin by a shot during Philadelphia’s 5-4 loss to Washington on Friday night.

WASHINGTON – Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen was taken to the hospital for tests after getting hit in the groin by a shot during Philadelphia’s 5-4 loss to Washington on Friday night.

WASHINGTON – Flyers left wing Patrick Thoresen was taken to the hospital for tests after getting hit in the groin by a shot off Alex Ovechkin’s stick during Philadelphia’s 5-4 loss to Washington on Friday night.

WASHINGTON – Boxed in and bumped around all game, Alex Ovechkin eventually figured out a way to make his NHL playoff debut a memorable one.Held without a shot until late in the third period, the league’s leading scorer stole the puck and netted the tiebreaking goal with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, leading the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night.

MONTREAL – Guy Carbonneau’s psychedelic tie is a hit.The Montreal Canadiens coach is 2-0 while wearing the multi-coloured tie his wife gave him for his 48th birthday on March 18, including their 4-1 win over Boston in the opening game of the NHL Eastern Conference quarter-finals.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The Detroit Lions re-signed restricted free-agent cornerback Stanley Wilson and signed free-agent punter/kicker Paul Ernster to one-year contracts Friday.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks’ downfall in their embarrassing loss to the Dallas Stars wasn’t necessarily because of their feet, their hands or even their hearts.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jeremy Roenick has been around playoff hockey long enough to know what would happen next when six Calgary Flames in a row went to the penalty box in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Sharks.

DETROIT – Sobriety. Family. Hockey.Darren McCarty says those are his first three priorities – in order – and they’ve helped him make a comeback with the Detroit Red Wings after drinking, divorce and bankruptcy led him to hit rock bottom last summer.

DETROIT – Nashville Predators forward Scott Nichol broke his left thumb in Game 1 against the Detroit Red Wings and was scheduled to have surgery Friday.

MONTREAL – The Boston Bruins are searching for answers to why they keep losing to the Montreal Canadiens.The Habs’ 4-1 victory in the opening game of the NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final gave them nine victories this season over Boston and 12 in a row dating to last season.

PITTSBURGH – For days leading up to the Feb. 26 NHL trade deadline, Pascal Dupuis needled Marian Hossa incessantly in the Atlanta Thrashers dressing room.

EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers signed Tom Gilbert to a six-year contract Friday that will keep the 25-year-old defenceman with the team through the 2013-14 season.

MIAMI – Jacques Martin is no longer the Florida Panthers’ coach. His status as general manager is still up in the air.Martin has filled both roles since the 2006-07 season.