Playoff referendum for Sens

Ottawa needs to turn talent into postseason success

A dominating offense was enough for Ottawa to bring the Presidents' Trophy back to Canada for the first time in 14 years. But will it be enough to give Canadian fans a Stanley Cup celebration for the first time in 10? The Senators dominated the Northeast Division, besting the Maple Leafs by 15 points for the largest margin of victory in the NHL this season. The Flyers hung with the Devils in the Atlantic, but in the end New Jersey's steady defensive play nipped Philadelphia by two points. But it was the Southeast race that was most compelling, with the Lightning and Capitals passing the lead back and forth down the stretch, serving as a preview to their first-round matchup. Here are some capsule comments on the Eastern Conference teams.

If you don't like the Senators this time around, you probably never will. They topped the Eastern Conference with a blend of speed, skill and discipline that at times was breathtaking. Along the way, GM John Muckler added two solid players up front in Vaclav Varada from the Sabres and Bryan Smolinski from the Kings. Varada gives the Sens an edgy irritant on the third line, while Smolinski will help in the face-off circle, Ottawa's one area of weakness this season.

More important, the Senators' young players continued to show signs of growth and maturity, particularly Marian Hossa, who played with more conviction on many more occasions than in the past. He leads the best right side in hockey, along with captain Daniel Alfredsson and Martin Havlat. The trio combined for more than 215 points.

Defensively, they have been just as dominant as on the attack. Goaltender Patrick Lalime wobbled slightly in March but righted himself nicely in a late-season victory over Washington. He set a personal best in wins and remained near the top of every goaltending statistic throughout the season. On the blueline, Wade Redden and Zdeno Chara exhibit the acumen and ability on both sides of the puck that is hallmark in the Senators' overall game.

Add to the mix the team's collective resolve in overcoming the off-ice distraction of the Senators being in bankruptcy proceedings most of the season and it appears that everything is in place for them to make a long playoff run. The time is now for the Senators to make a statement by delivering on their long anticipated promise.

Not Just Numbers: As a measure of the Senators' complete game, they led the NHL in goal differential at plus-68.

The Devils really are amazing. In typically understated and almost underwhelming fashion, they posted their sixth 100-point season in the past seven years. Central to their success is the superb netminding and puck handling of Martin Brodeur, who looks poised to win his first Vezina Trophy. And the backline is still anchored by the familiar faces of Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer, while defensive stalwarts John Madden and Jay Pandolfo continue to make life miserable for the opposition up front.

But because their league-leading goals-against average defines the Devils, there is a tendency to belittle their offense. Most of the season that was due to a misfiring power play and the malaise of Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez. But the pair picked up the pace considerably after the trade deadline. Further, the Devils added some size up front in March by adding role players Grant Marshall and Pascal Rheaume. Not that the pair is necessarily a boon to the offense, but they do give the Devils more depth and experience.

Pat Burns has a controlled style -- almost station-to-station -- especially on the forecheck and on the breakouts. It is perfect for a seasoned team like the Devils. And with their offensive players showing signs of rejuvenation, this edition of the Devils is like most in recent memory: They are very capable of winning a lot of games at this time of year.

Not Just Numbers: While the Devils topped the league in penalty-killing efficiency -- yet struggled to 29th on the power play -- their success is largely due to competing at even strength. They had both the fewest power-play opportunities and afforded the fewest power-play chances against.

John Tortorella did it. He held his ground and made his young charges see that committing to a team game was the only way to have success. Most notably, Vincent Lecavalier got on board and delivered a breakthrough season. His play away from the puck is much improved and as most coaches will tell you, if you take care of things defensively, offensive chances will present themselves. Lecavalier is living proof, as he is no longer a defensive liability and still leads the Lightning attack.

He is ably supported on the attack by twenty-somethings Vaclav Prospal, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis. Supporting the rush from the backline and on the power play is Dan Boyle. Talk about a breakout campaign. Boyle was cast off by the Florida Panthers only to become integral to the Lightning's offensive scheme.

Making it all hang together is goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. After struggling until the All-Star Game, Khabibulin found his form and carried his team like few goaltenders can in this league. The trade for backup John Grahame at midseason afforded Khabibulin the luxury of finding his game without the pressure of playing every night. Grahame came in and did that in the short-term. Long-term, though, if the Bolts are to press on in the playoffs, Khabibulin must continue to deliver at this consistently high level.

Overall, the Lightning has improved immensely under Tortorella and his fast-paced, pressure style. If you're surprised they are in the postseason, don't be caught off guard if they win their first-round matchup. This is a good, young team.

Not Just Numbers: Lecavalier, Prospal, Richards and St. Louis each had at least 70 points, making the Lightning the only team that has such a quartet.

Whereas last season's deadline dealings by GM Bob Clarke seemed almost wanton, the additions of Tony Amonte and Claude Lapointe this year was astute. Add a healthy John LeClair back to the lineup and the Flyers have the makings of a balanced roster capable of delivering this spring. Sure, a healthy Simon Gagne and Justin Williams would further bolster the Flyers, but the way they performed in chasing down the Devils atop the Atlantic Division demonstrated that this team is fully committed to coach Ken Hitchcock's disciplined leanings.

To that end, Hitchcock and his staff have done a masterful job of honing the Flyers' game for the postseason. They have good size up front and use it well in the offensive zone, getting to the net with authority. In their own end, they are a quick outlet team with their veteran defensemen all very solid on the breakout with their first pass. They are not an overly physical group when defending down low, but what they lack in brawn they compensate for with their brains.

Of course, no one is still quite sure what to make of goaltender Roman Cechmanek -- players and coaches alike -- despite another sterling regular season in which Cechmanek once again posted gaudy personal numbers. He is the wild card on an otherwise staunch Flyers squad that seems poised to put recent playoff disappointments behind them.

Not Just Numbers: Last year the Flyers entered the post-season with the worst power-play proficiency of any playoff team. Although modest in their gains, this season they are 14th of 16 on the power play and have benefited greatly by the return of LeClair to active power-play duty.

The Maple Leafs enter this playoff season as they have the past several springs -- with equal parts hope and questions. The hope centers around the fact that goaltender Ed Belfour has played brilliantly for the Leafs, and historically he has been at his best when it matters most. The questions concern this team's overall health. Last year, they nearly went to the Stanley Cup Finals by overcoming numerous injuries, putting on an inspiring and courageous performance. Ultimately, they fell just short because of those various maladies.

Leading the playoff charge was Gary Roberts. He was out much of this season due to shoulder surgeries, returned and then went out of the lineup again. His status is important to the Leafs' overall chances this spring, especially in the first-round matchup versus the Flyers, the best series of the opening round. Mind you, the addition of Owen Nolan at the trade deadline neutralizes Roberts' absence to a great degree. Nolan has fit in perfectly on the power play and along with Mats Sundin and Alex Mogilny gives the Leafs a bona fide triple threat on offense.

But when you think of the Leafs, you think of a cantankerous veteran group that is miserable to play against. Call them the NHL's Grumpy Old Men. As a result, they played short-handed more times than anyone in the league and had the greatest discrepancy of power-play chances for and against at minus-69. Their penalty killing was stellar, with Belfour's impeccable positioning and rebound control central to their success. Further, the power play held up its end of the special-teams equation. So, unless the Leafs have a quick change of heart -- unlikely -- special-teams play will dictate their postseason success.

Not Just Numbers: Even though Sundin and Mogilny along with Nolan define the Leafs' offense, with 12 players in double digits in goals scored, they are second only to the Detroit Red Wings (13) in offensive balance.

The Capitals' return to the postseason after a one-year absence. And absence is a word often used when discussing this team -- namely the puzzling absence of Jaromir Jagr on offense on a consistent basis. Maybe the knock is unjust. After all, Jagr led the team in scoring, averaging more than one point per game. He played more minutes than any other Caps forward and, more telling, he had nine game-winning goals -- far and away the most on the team.

Still, there is the lingering feeling that he can give more. Well, the playoffs would be the perfect setting for Jagr to display nightly conviction. On a team that has solid goaltending with Olaf Kolzig and outstanding play on the blueline from Sergei Gonchar, it is up to Jagr to bring more to the mix. He has others with whom to share the load up front in Robert Lang, Peter Bondra and Michael Nylander, but it always comes back to Jagr. It is not as if offensive spark can be expected from the backline. Other than Gonchar's 18 tallies from the point, the rest of the 'D' chipped in the paltry sum of 11 goals.

In their own end, the Caps proved susceptible to aggressive forechecking -- the exact trait that defines the young legs of their first-round opponent, the Lighting. Getting the puck to the forwards quickly is paramount for the Caps in moving on to the second round, as is improved penalty killing. The bruising style of Steve Konowalchuk on the forecheck, and Brendan Witt and Ken Klee on the blueline, define the other side of the Caps' personality. The Caps struggled when down a man this season and to make the in-your-face element of their game work, they must do better job in that area.

Still, though, when it is all said and done, the chances of a long postseason run in Washington comes down to the prodigious talent and many moods of Jagr.

Not Just Numbers: Not just in efficiency rating, but the raw numbers on the PK speak to the Caps' struggles. The 72 power-play goals against was third most in the NHL. Plus, they had the highest average PIM per game in the NHL. Talk about a combustible combination.

What a strange ride it has been for the Bruins. The question coming into the season centered on determining how far the Bruins would stumble after three of their top players did not return. The term "stumble" turned to "tumble" when the Bruins raced out to the lofty regions of 15 games above .500 only to redefine the phrase "coming back to the pack" by playing mostly ineffective hockey for the next two months. The slide from first to seventh led to several players moving, as well as turning coach Robbie Ftorek into a late-season casualty as GM Mike O'Connell stepped behind the bench.

As the regular season dust settled, some positives did emerge amid the mess. Joe Thornton took the team over and put his stamp on it. Glen Murray proved to be a consistent goal scorer with another 40-goal effort. And Mike Knuble had a career year with offensive numbers that far exceeded any of his previous totals -- a necessity with Martin Lapointe struggling all season on the attack. Further, the Bruins proved more reliable on the power play than a season ago and they realize that a strong showing by the seventh seed in the postseason would cure a lot of ills -- just as last season's first-round exit left a pall hanging over the top-seeded Bruins.

But a first-round upset over the Devils seems unlikely when you consider neither Steve Shields nor Jeff Hackett has looked capable of carrying a team in goal. Shields is a battler who always has struggled with consistency at this level and Hackett appears near the end of a long career, failing miserably since being acquired from Montreal at the deadline. Compounding the dilemma is the fact that the Bruins enter the postseason with the worst road record of any of the playoff-bound teams, while the Devils are one of the best road outfits.

Sure, anything is possible in the playoffs, but in Boston, given all the upheaval, it is hard to believe.

Not Just Numbers: With the instability in goal this season it is hardly surprising that the Bruins enter the playoffs with the worst goals against of any playoff team.

Six weeks ago, the Islanders looked like a team built to battle when the playoffs commenced. Instead, they backed into the playoffs winning just five of their last 22 contests. More alarming, they looked disinterested and dispassionate on many nights. Let's just say that GM Mike Milbury's deadline dealings -- for whatever reasons -- dampened the flame instead of igniting a spark.

As perplexing as the Isles' late season lack of fire was, their inability to win at home was equally befuddling for second-year bench boss Peter Laviolette. The two traits converged in the Islanders' last home game, when they fell to the Atlanta Thrashers without much of a fight. Sure, they were already assured a playoff berth, but Laviolette vowed prior to the game that it was important for his team to win and feel good about itself on home ice once again. Instead, the Isles finished 0-5-1 on home ice, last winning on Long Island on March 1.

The good news down the stretch was that Alexei Yashin awoke from a season-long siesta, actually creating chances at even strength instead of solely poaching on the power play. Unfortunately, while he was finding his game, Michael Peca finished the season scoreless over his final 21 tilts and Mark Parrish tallied just twice in his final 27.

Actually, that typified the Islanders for most of the very uneven regular season -- they just couldn't get everyone going at the same time. That is their challenge against the Senators as the playoffs are upon us.

Not Just Numbers: Built for postseason competitiveness? Not when you consider that the Islanders are the only team from the East entering the playoffs with a losing record within the conference.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for SI.com. Eliot will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason and is also broadcasting games for NHL Radio.

 

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