Sunday's Playoff Tab

MEMORIAL CUP
Final
Shawinigan 2, London 1 OT
Summary is here.
Shawinigan Cataractes
Champions

Friday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At New Jersey 3, New York 2 OT
(Devils win series, 4-2)
Summary is here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Toronto 3, Oklahoma City 1
(Marlies win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.



MEMORIAL CUP
Semifinal
Shawinigan 7, Saint John 4
(Shawinigan advances; Saint John is eliminated
Summary is here.

Thursday's Playoff Tab

MEMORIAL CUP
Tie-breaker game
Shawinigan 6, Edmonton 1
(Cataractes advance; Oil Kings are eliminated)
Summary is here.

Wednesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
New Jersey 5, at New York 3
(Devils lead series, 3-2)
Summary is here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Toronto 3, Oklahoma City 0
(Marlies lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
At Florida 3, Las Vegas 2 OT
(Everblades win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.
Florida Everblades
Champions

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
At Green Bay 5, Waterloo 2
(Gamblers win series, 3-2)
Summary is here.
Green Bay Gamblers
Champions



MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
Saint John 4, Shawinigan 1
Summary is here.

Tuesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Los Angeles 4, at Phoenix 3 OT
(Kings win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Norfolk 4, at St. John's 0
(Admirals win series, 4-0)
Summary is here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
At Florida 3, Las Vegas 1
(Everblades lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.



MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
London 4, Edmonton 1
Summary is here.

Notes on a Paper Plate

Two slices and a Coke, $2.75. We have a winner.

There is no better place to consider one's good fortune than at the 2 Bros. St. Marks pizza stand on Ninth Avenue and 40th Street in Manhattan. It has noise, bus exhaust, honking taxi drivers, Mexican music on the stand's speakers and me, the hockey-loving Mexican-American studying my notes from Monday's Rangers-Devils game and tonight's Kings-Coyotes contest.

(Note: I used to go to nearby 99 Cent Fresh Pizza, but I found the slices worthy of about 60 cents and the accommodations -- a counter with your back to the street and no chance of seeing Martin Hanzal closing in from the sidewalk to crush you into the glass -- to be below my usual low standards.)

I do not understand what drives Marian Gaborik these days. He's in the playoffs and his team has a shot at reaching and then winning the Stanley Cup, and yet he looks like the same tourist he was when he played for the Minnesota Wild. I can look at stats, zone starts, shots and time on ice, but for me the damning number is the amount of time he has wasted being the tourist Marian Gaborik.

Get off the halfboards already and go to the net. Drive the net. Hit somebody going for a loose puck in front of the net.

I know, you might say, it is much better to get all those photographs of the action if you go up and down the sidewall. That's the song of the tourist. Time for Gaborik to summon up a new tune.

The next note on the paper plate concerns tonight's game.

The Kings have a chance to close out the Western Conference finals with a victory on the road. However, the Coyotes and Kings were pretty much even in their regular-season series, and the Kings' offense and power play gave me the same indigestion I had through much of the season, including the final weeks when victories over Minnesota and San Jose could have earned the No. 3 seeding and the Pacific Division title.

They failed, and then somehow found their way to where we are now in the playoffs. And it is much too late to revert into the team that needed some overtime points and shootouts to get into the postseason.

Will the Kings win tonight? Will they score tonight? Will I get indigestion tonight? I am hoping for two affirmatives and one negative.

Monday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At New Jersey 4, New York 1
(Series is tied, 2-2)
Summary is here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Norfolk 1, at St. John's 0 OT
(Admirals lead series, 3-0)
At Toronto 5, Oklahoma City 3
(Marlies lead series, 2-1)
Summaries are here.



MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
Saint John 5, Edmonton 2
Summary is here.

Sunday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Phoenix 2, at Los Angeles 0
(Kings lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Gold Medal Game
Russia 6, Slovakia 2
Bronze Medal Game
Czech Republic 3, Finland 2
Summaries and final standings are here.



MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
Shawinigan 6, London 2
Summary is here.

Saturday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
New York 3, at New Jersey 0
(Rangers lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Semifinals
Russia 6, Finland 2
Slovakia 3, Czech Republic 1
Summaries and bracket are here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
At Waterloo 5, Green Bay 3
(Series is tied, 2-2)
Summary is here.

MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
London 5, Saint John 3
Summary is here.

Friday's Playoff Tab

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Oklahoma City 5, Toronto 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
At Florida 4, Las Vegas 3 OT
(Everblades lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
Green Bay 3, at Waterloo 1
(Gamblers lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.

MEMORIAL CUP
Round Robin
Edmonton 4, Shawinigan 3
Summary is here.

Thursday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Los Angeles 2, Phoenix 1
(Kings lead series, 3-0)
Summary is here



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Quarterfinals
Slovakia 4, Canada 3
Czech Republic 4, Sweden 3
Russia 5, Norway 2
Finland 3, United States 2
Summaries and the bracket are here

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Norfolk 6, St. John's 1
(Admirals lead series, 1-0)
Toronto 5, at Oklahoma City 0
(Marlies lead series, 1-0)
Summaries are here.

The Silly Game Outside the Game

You're not an asshole. You're just trying so hard to be.

That little gem, which comes as the final piece of dialog in "The Social Network," pretty much sums up my feelings about Rangers Coach John Tortorella and his handling of reporters during these playoffs.

Yes, it is considered to be part of the job to meet with reporters after emotional moments like a 3-2 loss to the Devils on Wednesday night. And he has fulfilled that requirement. But it does not say he has to be forthcoming with them. He doesn't have to improve upon his "I didn't get my ice cream" facial expression. Nor does he have to tell reporters/readers/viewers anything of substance.

In fact, he has given headline writers and reporters the perfect opening to state, in small and large type or pixels, that Tortorella has no answers for the Devils or for his team's play. That may be true, or not. The whole thing is nothing but a sideshow. And it helps deflect some of the heat off of the Rangers. Instead of large headlines and extended video time on Marian Gaborik's inability to be a star in critical situations, we get pouty reporting on why Tortorella will not tell us anything about Gaborik.

That sort of thing gets tired after a while. Enough already. On the "NHL Tonight" final late Wednesday, Craig Button said it was time for Tortorella to let someone else come out and talk with reporters. Stop the sideshow.

And Dave Shoalts of the Globe and Mail offered a meandering defense, or perhaps a non-explanation explanation, of the coach in these stressful times known as the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Tortorella's main priority is getting his message to his players. If his players can translate that message into positive results, then the fans will notice as will reporters. But the fans, reporters and bloggers are not his immediate concern. I would be nice if they/we were, but whatever. I can settle for getting answers from another precinct.

At the end of "The Social Network," the lawyer Marylin Delpy, played by the actress Rashida Jones, is trying to be sympathetic to the Mark Zuckerberg character, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who is told that he will have to pay a settlement for his actions during the formative years of Facebook. Mark feels this is an injustice; Marilyn says that in the big picture, it's an annoying speeding ticket.

Maybe that's the lesson for all of us. Tortorella should be more conversational and less confrontational. Petulant reporters should not provide daily word counts (yes, you, ESPN.com. You're better than that) regarding just how reticent the Rangers' coach is. And maybe if we all settle down, lower our figurative fists and concentrate on the game, and not the post-game scrum, we'll get our focus back.

We're not outraged. We're just trying so hard to be.

Wednesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
New Jersey 3, at New York 2
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Playoffs
Quarterfinals are Thursday

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Playoffs resume Thursday

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
Series resumes Friday

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
Series resumes Friday

MEMORIAL CUP
Tournament begins Friday

Tuesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Los Angeles 4, at Phoenix 0
(Kings lead series, 2-0)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Canada 5, Belarus 1
Slovakia 5, France 4
United States 5, Switzerland 2
Norway 6, Denmark 2
Czech Republic 8, Germany 1
Sweden 4, Latvia 0
Summaries and standings are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
Florida 7, at Las Vegas 2
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

Monday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At New York 3, New Jersey 0
(Rangers lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
France 2, Belarus 1
Finland 4, Kazakhstan 1
Denmark 2, Latvia 0
Russia 4, Italy 0
Summaries and standings are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
At Las Vegas 2, Florida 1
(Wranglers lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

Sunday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Los Angeles 4, at Phoenix 2
(Kings lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
United States 5, Finland 0
Slovakia 1, Switzerland 0
Russia 2, Czech Republic 0
Norway 12, Germany 4
Summaries and standings are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Playoffs resume Thursday
Norfolk Admirals vs. St. John's IceCaps
Oklahoma City Barons vs. Toronto Marlies

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
Playoffs resume Monday
Florida Everblades vs. Las Vegas Wranglers

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
At Edmonton 4, Portland 1
(Oil Kings win series, 4-3)
Summary is here.
Edmonton Oil Kings
Champions

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
At Green Bay 2, Waterloo 0
(Series is tied, 1-1
Summary is here.

MEMORIAL CUP
Tournament begins Friday
Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL playoff champions)
Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL host team)
London Knights (OHL playoff champions)
Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL playoff champions)
An A-to-Z guide to the tournament is here.

Saturday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At New York 2, Washington 1
(Rangers win series, 4-3)
Summary is here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Slovakia 5, Belarus 1
France 4, Switzerland 2
Canada 8, Kazakhstan 0
Norway 3, Latvia 0
Germany 2, Denmark 1
Sweden 4, Italy 0
Summaries and standings are here

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
St. John's 3, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2
(IceCaps win series, 4-3)
Summary is here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
At Portland 3, Edmonton 2
(Series is tied 3-3)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
Waterloo 2, at Green Bay 1
(Black Hawks lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

Friday's Playoff Tab

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
United States 3, Kazakhstan 2 OT
Canada 5, Finland 3
Czech Republic 6, Italy 0
Russia 7, at Sweden 3
Summaries and standings are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 4, at St. John's 2
(Series is tied, 3-3)
At Norfolk 2, Connecticut 1 OT
(Admirals win series, 4-2)
Oklahoma City 4, at San Antonio 3
(Barons win series, 4-1)
Summaries are here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
At London 2, Niagara 1
(Knights win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.
London Knights
Champions

Thursday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
No games scheduled.
Play resumes Saturday.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
United States 5, Belarus 3
Finland 7, France 1
Russia 3, Denmark 1
Czech Republic 3, Latvia 1
Summaries and standings are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Oklahoma City 2, at San Antonio 1 OT
(Barons lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
Florida Everblades vs. Las Vegas Wranglers
Series begins Monday.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
At Edmonton 4, Portland 3
(Oil Kings lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
No games scheduled.
Series resumes Friday.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
Saint John 8, at Rimouski 0
(Sea Dogs win series, 4-0)
Summary is here.
Saint John Sea Dogs
Champions

MEMORIAL CUP
Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL playoff champion)
Shawinigan Cataractes (host team)
OHL playoff champion
WHL playoff champion
Tournament begins May 18.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Clark Cup Finals
Green Bay Gamblers vs. Waterloo Black Hawks
Series begins Saturday.

Wednesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Washington 2, New York 1
(Series is tied, 3-3)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Slovakia 4, Kazakhstan 2
Canada 3, Switzerland 2
Norway 6, Italy 2
Sweden 5, Germany 2
Standings and summaries are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Norfolk 4, at Connecticut 0
(Admirals lead series, 3-2)
Toronto 3, at Abbotsford 2 OT
(Marlies win series, 4-1)
Summaries are here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
London 4, at Niagara 1
(Knights lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
Saint John 6, at Rimouski 4
(Sea Dogs lead series, 3-0)
Summary is here.

Mixing Work and Play

Good news for Belarus, as well as for Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the Kostitsyn brothers are set to arrive Friday in Europe for the rest of the World Championships.

Maybe any party antics by Andrei Kostitsyn will be met with the good humor that greeted Getzlaf and Perry last Saturday night.

I am trying to reconcile the treatment/judgment of Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn in North America with the laughter and raised glasses that composed the approach to the antics of Canada's two players during a major tournament.

Double standards, clearly. And to be honest, when did we begin to think professional athletes were saints around here?

I just watched HBO's "Namath" documentary again on Sunday morning and took special note of the police officer noticing that a very tired New York Jets quarterback was leaving a Midtown hotel at an odd hour on the morning of the A.F.L. championship game with the Oakland Raiders.

The cop bet against the Jets, which he said was his team, and lost his money. And we all know that Namath enjoyed his adult beverages. So, again, why didn't the Jets suspend Namath for the Super Bowl? Because he got the job done.

By that standard -- of getting the job done -- if you want to punish Radulov or Kostitsyn for anything, punish them for their play in Game 2. Bag skate them, make them run in the hot sun or send them to a kitchen where a lard and cottage cheese sundae is being prepared for them. But make sure you are doing for their actions on the ice, not what they did the night before. I cannot name one person in the Lounge who hasn't stayed out too late the night before a big day at work.

Not one person. And you don't know of one either.

And now for an added starter, here's Elliotte Friedman of the CBC with his 30 thoughts, starting with the coaching power play in Chicago.

Tuesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
New Jersey 3, at Philadelphia 1
(Devils win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Belarus 3, Kazakhstan 2
Finland 5, Switzerland 2
Latvia 5, Italy 0
Russia 2, Germany 0
Summaries and standings are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3, St. John's 2 OT(2)
(IceCaps lead series, 3-2)
Toronto 3, at Abbotsford 1
(Marlies lead series, 3-1)
Summaries are here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
Edmonton 4, at Portland 3 OT
(Series is tied, 2-2)
Summary is here.

Swedes Win With Teamwork

OK, that was painful for me just because it was ABBA, after all, but Gabriel Landeskog and Viktor Hedman, apparently too young to get some time on the Ping-Pong table, belt out "S.O.S." during some down time at the World Championships.

The Swedes, who are undefeated in their group and probably won't face a serious test until they play the Russians on Friday, seem to be enjoying the atmosphere at the Worlds. Landeskog, who plays for Colorado during the regular season, and Hedman, whose regular job is with Tampa Bay, made themselves at home on the couch.

Wait until this video gets more views. I sense this video will be brought up again when the Avalanche and Lightning open camp once the new CBA has been reached.

Monday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At New York 3, Washington 2 OT
(Rangers lead series, 3-2)
At Phoenix 2, Nashville 1
(Coyotes win series, 4-1)
Summaries are here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Canada 7, France 2
Slovakia 4, United States 2
Czech Republic 4, Norway 3 SO
Sweden 6, Denmark 4
Summaries and standings can be found here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Connecticut 4, Norfolk 1
(Series is tied, 2-2)
Oklahoma City 2, at San Antonio 1 OT
(Barons lead series, 2-1)
Summaries are here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
At London 3, Niagara 2
(Knights lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Waterloo 6, Lincoln 2
(Black Hawks win series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

The Lounge Radio Show in Pixels

(With apologies to Paul Harvey)

The NHL on TV is doomed?

(Long pause, enough time to get another beer from the fridge)

The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs are a step closer to completion and already the shrill voice of the media writer warns how sad the ratings might be for the next two rounds now that -- pick a team -- has been eliminated from the tournament.

Mike Ozanian of Forbes has spent some time on the calculator and is saying that the next two rounds will be critical for the NHL and NBC because, he says, most of the teams that generate high television ratings are now or soon will be playing golf.

OK, I can see how this is of a fair amount of concern for those who only watch CNBC for the business news and not for hockey. And his article stays focused on business, and not on the sad rat's tears and salty whine that Pat Caputo was serving last week in the Oakland Press.

I get Ozanian's point, but that is the risk of not fixing games so that the popular teams are glued to the top of the standings and permanently in possession of the championship trophy.

(Short pause for effect of sarcasm)

You see, it would be great for advertisers if hockey were more like the roller derby or sideshow basketball with the Harlem Globetrotters. The Globe and Mail writes doom and gloom after the first round because Detroit, as well as Vancouver and Ottawa, have checked out of the Stanley Hotel. The Buffalo Sabres never even made the tournament, so these numbers in the U.S. were doomed to begin with, right?

So naturally, things will be bad, much in the way the Calgary-Tampa Bay, the Edmonton-Carolina or Ottawa-Anaheim cookoffs were bad for the NHL on television. Wait? The NHL survived, you say? Imagine that.

Sure, hockey can create its version of the Globetrotters and the Washington Generals. Entertainment with no surprises. But fans will eventually grow tired of that, meaning advertisers will depart as well.

For now, I hope Caputo enjoys the rest of his spring, (a light pause here before I turn whimsical) a warm can of Vernors in his hand and an embarrassingly thin copy of the Oakland Press in the other to swat away all the mosquitoes as he sits in his rusty lawn chair imagining a world where the Red Wings always have a seat at the table, whether they deserve one or not.

Page 2.

(Uncomfortable pause, followed by a surprising blurt)

The fries alone are worth the trip?

Fries at Five Guys burgers are worth a 10-block walk at lunchtime. Perhaps one can argue that it is a great part of any exercise regimen. That means, I might be able to argue that I am eating healthy when I have a brown bag of Five Guys fries at the ready as I march across New York.

Feel the burn in those thighs; eat more fries.

(Short pause to keep you off balance)

Page 3.

I've reserved a special salute to all those who made online comments on newspaper stories on the rugged, if not always within the rules, play during the first round.

You know who I am talking about. (Pause of undetermined length... wait for it) They compose their notes in outrage, at once saying they cannot believe the NHL allows such play while at the same time saying they stopped watching the NHL a long time ago. They go on to profess their love for hockey played in Europe and international tournament action, which they paint as a saintly pursuit of victory.



So imagine my surprise that an incident such as the one above occurred in the France-Kazakhstan game Sunday at the World Championships. Sacha Treille of France drew a five-game suspension for this hit on Roman Starchenko of Kazakhstan. I've seen high sticks, head shots and slew footing at a number of international games, but these people who stopped watching the NHL long ago are not commenting because the only thing they did not give up long ago was commenting on things they know little about. I know they are not watching this tournament. But to be fair, let's ask Ozanian to check into the World Championships' television ratings in the U.S.

(The long pause of a smart ass)

It's fair to say that these Outraged in Montclair types are not watching these saintly international games either. My theory: they don't know the tournament is taking place. My second theory: their tennis club does not get the NBC Sports Channel.

(Pause of the victor)

Either way, they lose. And now you know (last pause) the rest of the story.

Good day.

Sunday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 1
(Kings win series, 4-0)
At New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 2
(Devils lead series, 3-1)
Summaries are here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
France 6, Kazakhstan 3
Finland 1, Slovakia 0
Switzerland 3, Belarus 2
Italy 4, Denmark 3 OT
Russia 4, Norway 2
Latvia 3, Germany 2
Summaries and standings can be found here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
St. John's 3, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 OT
(IceCaps lead series, 3-1)
Norfolk 4, at Connecticut 3
(Admirals lead series, 2-1)
Summaries are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Kelly Cup Finals
Florida Everblades vs. Las Vegas Wranglers
Series begins May 14

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
At Portland 4, Edmonton 3
(Winterhawks lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Green Bay 2, at Indiana 1
(Gamblers win series, 3-0)
Summary is here.

Saturday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Washington 3, New York 2
(Series is tied, 2-2)
Summary is here.



WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
Switzerland 5, Kazakhstan 1
United States 5, Canada 4 OT
Russia 5, Latvia 2
Sweden 4, Czech Republic 1
Standings and summaries can be found here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
St. John's 2, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1OT
(IceCaps lead series, 2-1)
At Oklahoma City 5, San Antonio 4 OT
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Toronto 4, at Abbotsford 1
(Marlies lead series, 2-1)
Summaries are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Florida 3, Kalamazoo 1
(Everblades win series, 4-1)
Summary is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
London 5, at Niagara 3
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
At Saint John 3, Rimouski 2
(Sea Dogs lead series, 2-0)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Waterloo 5, Lincoln 0
(Black Hawks lead series, 2-1)
Summary is here.

Friday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Phoenix 1, at Nashville 0
(Coyotes lead series, 3-2)
Summary is here.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Preliminary Round
United States 7, France 2
Canada 3, Slovakia 2
Finland 1, Belarus 0
Germany 3, Italy 0
Czech Republic 2, Denmark 0
Sweden 3, Norway 1
Summaries and standings can be found here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Norfolk 4, Connecticut 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
Portland 5, at Edmonton 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
At Saint John 3, Rimouski 2 OT(2)
(Sea Dogs lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Lincoln 4, Waterloo 3
(Series is tied, 1-1)
At Green Bay 3, Indiana 2
(Gamblers lead series, 2-0)
Summaries are here.

Program Alert for Tonight

Depending, I guess, on whether the Nashville-Phoenix game ends on time or not to far along into overtime, the NBC Sports Channel is scheduled to show the USA-France game that was played earlier today over in Europe on the opening day of the World Championships.

The broadcast is set for 11:30 Eastern. The Americans opened the tournament, which will determine the seeding of teams for the 2014 Olympics on Sochi, Russia, with a 7-2 victory. A recap is here. In other games, Canada defeated Slovakia, 3-2, and Finland outlasted Belarus, 1-0. The Germans were 3-0 winners over Italy and the Czechs came away with a 2-0 victory over Denmark. And Sweden defeated Norway, 3-1.

To follow all the action at the World Championships, which are being played in Helsinki and Stockhoml thorugh May 20, drop in here at the Lounge and also check out the IIHF site for the event.

On Saturday night, the NBC Sports Channel will have the Canada-USA game on at 7:30 Eastern, followed by the documentary "Cold War on Ice: Summit Series 72" at 10 pm.

Plenty of hockey in the Lounge this weekend. Games tonight. On Saturday, games in the afternoon and at night, along with the Kentucky Derby ... and there will be Cinco de Mayo festivities in the Lounge. (Should the Rangers game run into a couple of overtime sessions and into the Kentucky Derby time slot, NBC has this plan, according to Puck Daddy.) I'm working the kitchen and am planning to serve both chicken and blackened mushroom soft tacos along with house-made guacamole, chips, beans, rice. The beer will be very cold and the margaritas -- against my wishes -- will be frozen. But as per my wishes, they will be strong enough to make you wish you had portable hard drive for your brain on Sunday morning.

Sunday will include a little built-in recovery time before the St. Louis-Los Angeles game begins at 3 Eastern. And we should be feeling even better by the time the New Jersey-Philadelphia game begins at 7:30 Eastern.

The Lounge will be jumping. If you are in the area, please wander in.

A Little Help for My Friends

I am a man of few needs.

I need to keep my family happy. I need to watch hockey.

Yep, that's about it. Everything else is pretty much negotiable so long as it pleases my family and can get me clear to watch the day's games on ice.

Working within those boundaries, I am pretty excited about how much hockey I can watch on so many different devices. Last night, the Devils-Flyers game was going long, so the start of the Kings-Blues game was going to be joined in progress rather than shown in full.

That led me to grabbing my iPhone and using the league app to get the Kings radio feed. I used my iPad to display the almost real-time flow of stats on said game (my laptop was in use to keep a steady flow of real-time stats on the Devildogs game).

I'm certain I would have liked watching the Kings open the scoring last night, but Nick Nixon's call was fine. The game in Newark did not last all night and I would soon be watching the Kings-Blues on the Lounge big screen.

As you can see, the Lounge can take care of my needs. But I feel for those hockey fans in other areas. Jeff Hale, who has taken a few shifts behind the bar here in the Lounge, made a recent trip to Boston and could not get the Capitals-Rangers overtime drama at his hotel. No NBC Sports Channel/Versus/OLN in that particular lineup.

And there are fans in Cleveland who will not be able to see the start of the Kings-Blues game on Sunday because of baseball.

Hard times in certain precincts, to be certain. Jeff's problem, if I may offer an opinion, could have been solved with a Slingbox, which I think can cover all sorts of television emergencies on the road. (Or he could have solved it by getting out of that bush league town of Boston; bars there close real early. I rest my case.) I remember once reading a Tweet in real-time from the sports agent Allan Walsh as he was bemoaning the absence of Versus at his hotel.

Now some people might not want to hit the road with a Slingbox, the way some parents might want to scratch the trouble-making child of their litter from their travel party. But if you are a sports agent -- I mean, it's your business -- then a Slingbox has to be considered one of the first things on the to be packed list.

In 2010, trapped in a hotel room without hockey, again in Boston, I worked my laptop until I found a stream of a Memorial Cup game. It may not have been a good night for the Brandon Wheat Kings against the Windsor Spitfires, but I and my collection of chilled Guinness pints had a pleasant evening. (Room service is good, but being in a room a short walk away from the hotel bar is great.)

The best solution is for the NHL to work with their rights holders to provide live streams available to all who pay for an app, for example. A few months back, NBC the mothership broadcast one game and offered a Web stream of a game it was showing in another part of the country. The reception was far from HD, but I am of an age where I can remember when getting a few pixels on a battered black-and-white TV to resemble SMU's Jerry LeVias, running every which way to snare passes against Oklahoma in the 1968 Bluebonnet Bowl, was a thrill to this child in single digits. (Hate the Sooners. Always will.) Another solution is for NBC the mothership to strong arm those hotel cable package providers to squeeze NBC Sports Channel into the mix. Hey, Comcast, don't you and your friends have any pull in this arena? Come on.

So how about it NHL, NBC, NBC Sports Channel, CNBC and NHL Network? How about a little love for my friends? As for me, I am fine right now. But if I need something, I'll let you know. Count on it.

Thursday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 3 OT
(Devils lead series, 2-1)
At Los Angeles 4, St. Louis 2
(Kings lead series, 3-0)
Summaries are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
At Toronto 5, Abbotsford 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
San Antonio 6, at Oklahoma City 4
(Rampage leads series, 1-0)
Summaries are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Florida 7, Kalamazoo 3
(Everblades lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
At Edmonton 3, Portland 2
(Oil Kings lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
Niagara 3, at London 2 OT(2)
(IceDogs lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
Saint John vs. Rimouski
Series starts Friday.
A preview is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Green Bay 6, Indiana 2
(Gamblers lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

Free Drinks After Deadline

I'm going to hand out two awards, one for best quote of the day and one for best lead of the day.

The award for best lead of the day goes out to Todd Venezia of the New York Post for his story of the mother accused of child abuse involving a tanning bed.

The lead?

She's taken tanning too far -- even for New Jersey.

Get that man a cold one and a shot on the house for that lead.

The quote is from the Capitals' Brooks Laich, who was talking to the Washington Post's Tracee Hamilton after a triple-overtime loss to the Rangers Thursday morning when he said:

Half the players on the ice had blood on their uniforms before it was over. It’s a grinding game.

Laich said more about the game than anyone assigned to offer 700 words or more on it. He summed it up perfectly and not a single indeed, of course, know this or punctuation trick that are often employed by today's mainstream dead-tree edition writers. Good thing he isn't working one of those publications.

I've seen layout editors go crazy when a writer came up 40 words short of 1,000 on a topic. Laich filed only 19. Time to redraw the page.

Laich, you stretched deadline a bit, but it was worth the effort. Have a free cold one on the Lounge.

And after hearing this tune on the Marek vs. Wyshynski radio show, I say Jess Goldey is worthy of being sponsored for an evening of refreshments in the Lounge. Here is "Orange G-Sus, I'd Cook You Grilled Cheeses." She shoots and scores.

Wednesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
New York 2, at Washington 1 OT(3)
(Rangers lead series, 2-1)
At Nashville 2, Phoenix 0
(Coyotes lead series, 2-1)
Summaries are here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Connecticut 3, at Norfolk 2 OT
(Whale leads series, 1-0)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3, at St. John's 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summaries are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
At Florida 7, Kalamazoo 0
(Everblades lead series, 2-1)
Las Vegas 3, at Alaska 1
(Wranglers win series, 4-1)
Summaries are here.

WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chynoweth Cup Finals
Edmonton Oil Kings vs. Portland Winterhawks
Series begins Thursday
A preview is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
Robertson Cup Finals
Niagara IceDogs vs. London Knights
Series begins Thursday
A preview is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
President's Cup Finals
Saint John Sea Dogs vs. Rimouski Oceanic
Series begins Friday

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Waterloo 5, at Lincoln 2
(Black Hawks lead series, 1-0)
Summary is here.

Tuesday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
New Jersey 4, at Philadelphia 1
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Summary is here.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
St. John's 3, at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1
(IceCaps lead series, 1-0)
Abbotsford 3, at Toronto 1
(Heat leads series, 1-0)
Summaries are here.

EAST COAST HOCKEY LEAGUE
Third Round
Las Vegas 3, at Alaska 2
(Wranglers lead series, 3-1)
Summary is here.

Monday's Playoff Tab

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Second Round
Washington 3, at New York 2
(Series is tied, 1-1)
Los Angeles 5, at St. Louis 2
(Kings lead series, 2-0)
Summaries are here.