Hawks' Ladd to Miss Game 2

OK, hit the pause button on Barry Melrose before you did into the report from Scott Burnside of ESPN.com, who says the Blackhawks' Andrew Ladd will remain out of the lineup with the undisclosed, super secret injury.

On the Flyers' side of the coin, Daniel Carcillo will replace James van Riemsdyk in the lineup, according to Carcillo. No confirmation by Flyers Coach Peter Laviolette, so for now, that's where it stands heading into Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Now just for fun, hit play and listen to Melrose get off a lame joke before talking as fast as that old FedEx commercial. The topic, Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton and whether this is a must-win game for Philadelphia.

Looking at the Cup, Back and Forward

The bookwork for Game 1 is below, as is "Coach's Corner" from the CBC for Game 1.

But before that, a few thoughts culled from the notebook of a man who had a few snacks, beverages and angry moments during Game 1. (I have the notes and stains to prove it.)

Did you see what you wanted in Game 1? Either my standars are way too high or my compass is pointing south when I should be heading north. Patrick Kane's game left me as cold as the adult beverages I was consuming in the first period.

A few good chances lost in what appeared to me as uninspired or confused play. I was looking for leadership and determined rushes, taking the play to the Flyers. Did not see that. Again, maybe I'm wrong, or maybe I was as confused as Mike Emrick, who kept saying Kane (a minus-3) when he meant Marian Hossa. (I wasn't confused about the two players; good glasses and an HD set helped me note the difference.)

I projected Kane as my game-breaker. If he doesn't change his ways, I'm going to have to downgrade my projection.



No projection change neccessary for Flyers defensman Chris Pronger, who did just about everything to thwart the line of Kane, Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews. Later, the Blackhawks recalibrated the lines, moving Hossa up to the big line and putting Kane with Patrick Sharp and Troy Brouwer.

On the NHL Network's "On the Fly," Pronger was his amusing and feisty self during the off-day interview session. When a reporter offered a murky question about the style of play the Flyers needed to play, Pronger came back with a polite, playful shove.

"What do you want me to say?" he said. "There are two parts to your queston." The reporter offered a clarification about being agressive versus being disciplined, and another offered some help. Pronger, satisified that he had not surrendered any information until he had played out this particular shift well, gave a clear response and managed to wink and tell the reporter "good question."



It was a good one. The Flyers were pulled out of their game, Pronger said, and that, more than anything else, meant that when it turned into a shooting gallery out there, there was little they could do but try to catch up or stay even.

He said it was just one game and that there was no need to get caught up in doomsday thoughts. That's what playing, winning and losing in Stanley Cup finals will do for you.

That little playful bit has me ready for tonight, when the teams resume the fight at 8 Eastern on NBC, CBC and RDS.

Enough for now. Like I promised, here's the usual Spreadsheet bookwork for Saturday's game and a moment with Don Cherry.

STANLEY CUP FINALS
Game 1
Best of 7
At Chicago 6, Philadelphia 5
(Chicago leads, 1-0)
Recap is here.
Three stars by Puck Daddy.

It Was Too Much to Ask of David Shoalts

Put down the Twitter and do some real work, we asked. Instead, we get more lemons from David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail, via Twitter:

"Question for G. Bettman's NHL - if there was an all-Canada final, would they play U.S. anthem?"

And ...

"Fun night. Internet down for second time and they haven't even dropped the puck.Hamster powering UC network suffered lower-body injury."

And finally ...

"Why do some of the workers who clean the ice during breaks wear short skirts and leg warmers while others wear jackets and long pants?"

Some can handle a challenge with ease. Others come up all thumbs.

Back to the game.

Dave Shoalts Loves His Twitter Soap Box

The Globe and Mail's David Shoalts wants you to know that whatever is wrong with the National Hockey League, it's Gary Bettman's fault.

Just follow him on Twitter. He's @dshoalts.

"G. Bettman to hold next press conference at BP oil spill: all is just fine."

Or ...

"Proof that Preds can't tire anybody out. RT @dellis39: Last team we lost to in the first round also went on to win Cup. Detroit 2 years ago."

But the best from Mr. Objectivity is this: "Truth-teller. RT @Jeffiarmstrong: @dshoalts what's the most difficult position to fill in the NHL."

Well, @dshoalts is on the right track, but he needs to quit taking the lazy way out and just follow the money a la Watergate. (The owners have gotten a pass for far too long now.) Don't just stop at the owners' straw man, relieve yourself on him and then call it a day. Go get the real story. The first steps? Sign off Twitter, put the book of one-liners away and actually get to work.

That's all we ask.

Just Waiting for the Puck to Drop

It's less than an hour to go. I've done all of my chores (a short list, but they are done) and I have finished dinner.

I got through the Winnipeg/Quebec City expansion stories rather quickly and am now looking for someone from Hartford to ask when it gets a prime spot in the expansion queue.

Here's a thought. When someone says expand, you slap them. When someone says move a team, you give them a pop in the nose. And when someone says everything is on the table, ask them why their wallet, bank book and stock portfolio isn't.

Enough with these state of the union/state of the league/state of the business talkfests. Reminds me of a few cousins of mine when we were taking stock of our annual Halloween haul of candy.

"Hey, you should really have some of these," one would say. He meant, "These make me want to puke, but I really would like to see you do it rather than throw these pieces in the trash."

Another gem: "There is more chocolate in this bar than in that small one you have. Let's trade." He meant, "I remember finding this piece of candy in the gutter and the wrapper is torn. Your candy bar appears untainted. Give it to me, now."

And finally: "The next Pixie Stik I find is yours. I know how much I like them." Actual message: "I've already eaten 30 of them, and I can see in my bag there are no more. But if you would like to give me something for the promise of me some day handing one over to you, I can be bought. Give me something good."

Less than 30 minutes to go. No Andrew Ladd in the lineup tonight. Brian Boucher will be in uniform as the backup tonight. Let's get ready for some action.

The Votes Are Trickling In

TSN.ca has picks from Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger available for viewing. At Puck Daddy, the theme is which team has the better captain.

The Canwest News Service, through the portal of the National Post, submits its scorecard for debate. Here's the verdict from USA Today, and I give Jacques Demers the last word on the series. At least, that is, until some more move on the high-speed sports wire.

Chicago Is the Pick to Click

A smart bettor/picker/forecaster/loudmouth takes in all factors before putting down the name and the money on the counter.

You look at players you trust (Jonathan Toews, Chris Pronger, Dave Bolland, Duncan Keith, Simon Gagne) and those you hold as suspect (Patrick Kane, Daniel Briere, Brian Campbell, Brent Sopel, Scott Hartnell).

If that doesn't make things more lucid, then you go to the off-the-wall stuff, like predictions from other journalists. Then if you are truly scratching your head, you look for stray thoughts and try to string them together.

I admire the spirit of the Flyers, their franchise, the fans and the felonious on-ice acts to which they still cling. The logo has always attracted my eye. In junior high, when the Broad Street Bullies were punching out victories like license plates, one Tracy Larson wore an orange Flyers T-shirt to school. The shirt looked good; she looked good in the shirt. Win, win situation for a teenage boy.

Again all this is just clutter that I wade through whenever I make my picks. And here is what I believe will happen.

Chicago Blackhawks over Philadelphia Flyers in 5 games: I see these two teams as twins. In the classroom, one had a better daily report; the other struggled with its focus and did not reach the level that was expected. But that was the daily classwork. They're on equal terms now. At forward, defense, in goal and behind the bench.

For me, it comes down to Patrick Kane. He is third in playoff points with 20, 13 of them being assists. So why do I struggle to see him on the ice? I expect goals off the rush, goals in tight and plenty of speed. I haven't really seen all of that through three playoff rounds. I expect I shall see all that in this round.

He and Marian Hossa (2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points) are at the point where they steal the show or they become the bit players they were not billed to be. If Pronger manages to hinder Dustin Byfuglien's ability to get his stick on the puck, then the goals have to come from somewhere else. Toews, who leads in playoff scoring with 26 points (7 goals, 19 assists), is doing his part. That leads us back to Mr. Kane. You are X in the equation of Y Chicago will win. Elevate your game, and it should be a runaway.

Punch up 5G on the jukebox. It's time for some Del.