Vancouver Canucks still in a pre-series laughing mood

Notebook: Mason Raymond a new father, doesn’t ‘bend to pressure’ on naming request

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun April 9, 2012

VANCOUVER — As the intensity of the playoffs rises the frivolity will decrease, so Monday's lesson

was to enjoy the banter and jocularity while it lasts.

There was plenty going around the Vancouver Canucks' camp two days before the team launches another

attempt at winning its first Stanley Cup.

Canucks left-winger Mason Raymond was busy discussing life as a new father. His son, Max, was born

Sunday at 9:16 a.m., a little less than 12 hours after the Canucks captured their second straight Presidents'

Trophy.

Max? As in Max Lapierre?

“Who's that?” replied Raymond. “I only know him as Lappy.”

So Max Raymond wasn't named after Max Lapierre. And he definitely wasn't named after Canucks head

coach Alain Vigneault, who had suggested Saturday that it might be a good idea if Mason wanted more

power-play time.

“Did you see him on the power play today?” giggled Vigneault. “He wasn't there, eh? That's it. I am

[heartbroken]. So I took him off the power play.”

Raymond, of course, wasn't buying it. Nor should he.

“I heard there were some jokes floating around,” he said, smiling. “But I wouldn't do that to get more

power-play time.”

Raymond called the first-time father thing a “fantastic experience.” His mother-in-law is in town to help

out so he can concentrate on trying to vanquish the L.A. Kings.

“I'm very proud to be a dad,” said Raymond, 26. “It's been exceptionally cool. I brought mom and baby

home before practice and they are doing very well.”

Those power-play forward units, by the way, were the Sedin twins with Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows-

David Booth-Chris Higgins.

GAME DAZE: The Canucks-Kings best-of-seven series has a bizarro stretch of just one game in six days

if it lasts at least five. Game 3 is April 15, Game 4 goes April 18 and Game 5, if necessary, will be April

22. Coldplay concerts at Rogers Arena and NBA basketball commitments at L.A.'s Staples Center

account for the goofy scheduling.

“What would it change if I tell you I liked it or not?” Vigneault said. “I mean, it's there. It's building

availability from both ends. It is what it is and you deal with it and make sure you're ready when it's time

to play.”

Vigneault, by the way, had never heard of multiple Grammy winner Coldplay, the British band led by

Gwyneth Paltrow's husband Chris Martin.

“I don't even know the group,” Vigneault said (laughing). “I'm French.”

ZACK BACK: Canucks rookie Zack Kassian returned to practice Monday after missing the final two

games of the regular season with a shoulder injury. He was skating on a fifth line with Andrew Ebbett and

Dale Weise while Byron Bitz took his fourth-line spot alongside Manny Malhotra and Lapierre.

“I feel good, it's day-to-day right now,” said Kassian, 21.

He didn't sound certain he would be ready for Game 1 Wednesday. He didn't really test it during

Monday's one-hour practice.

“I wasn't trying to run around out there and hit teammates,” he noted. “It's something I'll have to talk

about with the training staff here.”

Vigneault would only admit to Kassian being “real close” to being ready.

“He had a full practice with no limitations, as far as I know,” Vigneault said.

It appears Bitz, Weise and Kassian are all vying for one spot at right wing on the Lapierre-Malhotra unit.

Kassian has the most upside but the least amount of experience.

“Those three guys are pretty much the same type of player,” Vigneault explained. “They're all big, they

can all grind, they can all be physical. They bring that dimension to the team so, really, it depends on how

they're playing and who we feel is playing the best.”

QUOTABLE: “I shaved yesterday morning. It will come in pretty quick as you'll remember from last

year.” — Chris Higgins on the beginnings of his 2012 playoff beard. He emerged as the Canucks' leading

“Grizzly Adams” candidate last spring.

Vancouver Canucks’ Jannik Hansen, linemates ready for crowning shutdown role vs. Kings

Call this trio ‘The PhD line’ — Pahlsson, Higgins and the Dane

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun April 9, 2012

VANCOUVER — It was a shocking development Monday. Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain

Vigneault wouldn't reveal his game plan for the Los Angeles Kings. Imagine that. Secrets come playoff

time.

Even the Canucks players didn't know. Or claimed they didn't know, which leaves the second-guessers to

first guess. So here's one: Vigneault will match his checking line of Sammy Pahlsson, Chris Higgins and

Jannik Hansen against the Kings' No. 1 unit of Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Justin Williams.

Hansen, thankfully, had no hesitation in discussing this potential bit of strategy. The series begins

Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at Rogers Arena (CBC, Team 1040).

“The last couple of games we have been kind of matching lines a little more than maybe we did earlier,”

Hansen said Monday. “But what's going to happen here Wednesday, we still haven't gotten the game plan.

Once we get that, we'll have a better idea of how the coaches want us to line up, or even if they want to

match us against them.”

The Pahlsson-Higgins-Hansen line already has a nickname, if that makes it any easier for the coach to tap

them on the shoulder. It's PhD for Pahlsson, Higgins and the Dane.

“I think it makes us sound smart,” winked Hansen. “And Higgy went to Yale.”

But seriously, folks ...

“Obviously Sammy is know for his shutdown ability and we've been thrown into quite a bit of those

situations lately,” the Dane continued. “It's fine with me. It's something I enjoy and take pride in so if

that's what it is, that's what it is. Offensively there is a lot of skill on that [Kopitar] line and a lot of

offensive ability. But they also have a lot of guys throughout their lineup that can hurt you.”

On paper, the Kings' second line of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Dwight King might appear formidable

but Carter has a bum foot, Richards has underachieved and King is a rookie with 33 games (and five

goals) on his resume. Jarret Stoll, Dustin Penner and Trevor Lewis comprise coach Darryl Sutter's third

line. They have a combined 16 goals, led by Penner's seven.

Apparently the Kings' sum is greater than its individual parts.

“I've been obviously watching quite a few of their games lately and they really come at you hard,” said

Vigneault. “They roll four lines and their defencemen are really involved in the play. They are battle

tested because they had to fight right to the end to get into the playoffs.”

Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo was reluctant to pump any individual L.A. tires, so he pumped them

all.

“They have a bunch of guys who are dangerous,” he noted. “I mean, you don't want to single one guy out.

They have a lot of guys who can put the puck in the net. We're obviously going to do our homework on

them the next couple of days to make sure we're aware of all their players and their systems and we're as

ready as possible.”

For Alex Burrows, he and linemates Henrik and Daniel Sedin (assuming Daniel plays) will likely face the

shutdown talents of ex-Canuck blueliner Willie Mitchell. Their challenge will be to discover ways to get

past Mitchell and to netminder Jonathan Quick.

“I'm sure we will see a lot of Willie,” Burrows predicted. “He is a smart defenceman. He's got a great

stick, he likes to have good body position and he's a competitor. It won't be easy. As a team, they're sound

defensively, they play a really tight system and they block a lot of shots.”

Based on the Kings' practice Monday, the Canucks are likely to see the blue-line pairings of Mitchell with

rookie Slava Voynov, Rob Scuderi alongside Drew Doughty and Matt Greene with Alec Martinez.

Vancouver Canucks' Daniel Sedin back skating at practice: 'He looked good'

Lines up with regular linemates Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows, works out on first-unit power play

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun April 9, 2012

VANCOUVER — He skated but he did not speak.

Winger Daniel Sedin looked just fine Monday as he participated in his first practice since being

concussed by a Duncan Keith elbow in a game in Chicago on March 21.

Sedin rejoined regular linemates Alex Burrows and brother Henrik in Monday's practice and also worked

the first-unit power play. He spent about 30 minutes on the ice working with skills coach Glenn Carnegie

before practice began.

A large contingent of media was on hand to interview him after practice, but in violation of league policy

the Canucks refused to make Daniel available.

Coach Alain Vigneault would not speculate on whether he felt Daniel will be ready to play on

Wednesday, when the Canucks open their best-of-seven National Hockey League playoff series with the

Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena (7:30 p.m., CBC, Team 1040).

"That is not going to be my decision, it's going to be a medical decision," Vigneault said. "He skated

today for the first time with his teammates and we'll see how he is doing tomorrow and we'll take it from

there."

Vigneault said he was encouraged by what he saw.

"He looked good for a first practice with his teammates in a little while," he said.

Vigneault confirmed Daniel skated at least once on his own — believed to be on Sunday — before

joining his teammates on Monday.

The Canucks have released little information on Daniel's recovery since his injury, but if he can practise

symptom-free again on Tuesday, it seems likely he will be back in the lineup for Wednesday night's series

opener.

"If he wouldn't have been out there today (Monday) he'd really be a long-shot for Wednesday," Henrik

said. "So that was a good sign."

"It was good to see him out there," Henrik added. "It has been a while, but he looks good and we're very

happy."

Henrik is especially happy. He acknowledged Monday that he was concerned about his brother in the

days following the Keith hit.

"The first couple of days you could tell just calling him that something was wrong," Henrik said. "He is a

guy who is always happy. When he talks to our parents back home, he says it's sunny every day here. He

is that kind of guy, he never sees anything bad in anything or any situation. So that was tough for me, to

talk to him and I could tell that something was up."

Henrik indicated that Daniel is anxious to play.

"He is a guy who when he has been out, he wants to play hockey," he said. "It's a tough thing for him to

be injured and to miss games. It's easier with a knee or a shoulder and you know it's a week, or it's two

weeks, and you are going to be back.

"But to go through something like this where one day you feel better and the next day you don't feel as

good, that has been the tough part."

Keith received a five-game suspension for the hit on Daniel, who missed the final nine games of the

regular season. The Canucks won eight of those nine games, but his teammates know they are a better

team with him in the lineup.

Daniel led the Canucks with 30 goals this season.

"He's a good player, he is one of the best forwards in the league and it's always nice to have those guys in

the lineup," Henrik said. "We have been missing him and Kevin (Bieksa) for a while so it's nice to have

them back."

"I didn't look that good on day one," said defenceman Keith Ballard, who is also recovering from a

concussion. "Fortunately, we did well while he was not playing, but adding a terrific player like him is

going to make us better."

Daniel should also help kick-start Vancouver's power play, which has struggled for much of the second

half of the season.

"He's as good of a passer as he is a goal-scorer," Henrik said. "He is one of those guys who when he gets

the puck it's not only shoot-first. He tends to often find the guy who is in the best spot. That is a good

thing to have on the power play."

If Daniel does return on Wednesday, he will do so having only participated in two full practices with the

team. As we have seen with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, that is quick, but no two

concussions are the same.

Henrik is confident Daniel is ready to play and is not concerned about his brother being targeted by the

Kings.

"I don't think it is going to be any different than before," Henrik said. "Guys are going to try and hit him

and me and other players. That is the one thing with a concussion, it doesn't have to be a hit to the head.

But he is 100 per cent now. It's no different for him than me taking a hit."

NHL Playoffs: Zack Kassian 'real close' to playing, says Vigneault

By Jim Jamieson, The Province April 10, 2012

Zack Kassian is close to being ready to go after injuring his shoulder a week ago against Anaheim.

Kassian, 21, who was the main piece the Canucks acquired in the deal that sent Cody Hodgson to Buffalo

at the trade deadline, practised with the team on Monday — although he was clearly part of an extra line

of forwards with Andrew Ebbett and Dale Weise.

“I feel good, I’m day to day,” said Kassian, who’s got good speed to go along with his 6-foot-3, 215-

pound frame.

Asked if he could play if the playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings started tomorrow, Kassian said:

“I couldn’t tell you. I feel I’m ready to go. We’re just going to take it day by day.”

Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault sounded like the winger could be an option soon.

“He’s real close,” said Vigneault. “He was in a regular colour (jersey) today and he had a full practice

with no limitations as far as I know. I think he’s real close.”

Based on Monday’s practice, the Canucks’ fourth line consisted Max Lapierre between Manny Malhotra

and Byron Bitz.

■ Injured Kings top-six forward Jeff Carter believes he’ll be in the lineup for Game 1 if his comments

following practice in Los Angeles on Monday are any indication. You might get an argument from head

coach Darryl Sutter, however.

Carter, who was acquired in a trade with Columbus in February for defenceman Jack Johnson and a first-

round pick, suffered a bone bruise on his ankle and has been out since March 28.

Will he be ready to play in Game 1? You decide.

Carter: “It’s getting better. Every day it’s getting better, the strength, the movement and everything is

coming back so it should be good. (Will you play in Vancouver?) Yeah, sure.”

Sutter: “(Carter) has still got a ways to go. We’ve just got to evaluate it a day at a time, him being that far

away. We’ll just see how it goes tomorrow.”

Carter, who scored 46 goals just three years ago with Philly, has 6-3-9 and is a minus-1 in 16 games since

joining the Kings. If he can get back into the lineup and help take some heat off the Kings’ No. 1 line with

Anze Kopitar, it could be a difference-maker in the series with the Canucks.

■ The Canucks know that a key to the series will be shutting down Kings’ No. 1 centre Anze Kopitar,

who’s been on a roll down the stretch, with 11 points (1-10) in five games before being shut out in Game

82 in San Jose.

“Knowing where (Kopitar) is on the ice and making it hard on him is going to be a key,” said Canucks

defenceman Dan Hamhuis. “They’re a deep team with physical forwards. I don’t know if it’s going to be

a great series for fans to be watching, but we’re looking for four wins and that’s all that matters.”

■ Canucks defenceman Keith Ballard has been back practising as he goes through concussion protocols,

but was paired with Andrew Alberts in an extra pairing on Monday. It appears the best-case scenario is a

return some time during the first-round series.

“Getting closer, still day to day,” said Ballard, who’s been out since Feb. 7. “Hopefully any day now.”

NHL Playoffs: Daniel Sedin can only help the Canucks' powerplay

By Ben Kuzma, The Province April 9, 2012

Ryan Kesler has played the point on the struggling power play and Andrew Ebbett even went to fantasy

camp when he centred the second unit. Maybe Daniel Sedin can snap it all back to some sort of effective

reality.

The expected return of the concussed Vancouver Canucks winger for Game 1 of the Western Conference

quarterfinal series Wednesday will make the Presidents’ Trophy winners less woeful at even strength and

potentially productive with the man advantage.

It can’t hurt. The Canucks have tried everything from drop passes in the neutral zone and gaining the

offensive zone at speed has been laden with land mines as defenders string across the blueline. And as

much as the Canucks did connect for two power-play goals Saturday in their regular-season finale — the

first time they hit the two-goal mark on the power play in a dozen games — their 16-for-120 struggle

since that four-goal power-play explosion on Jan. 7 in Boston is concerning.

But getting Daniel and Henrik Sedin back on the top unit with Kesler and Sami Salo and Alex Edler on

the points should generate more than a stagnant alignment that often looks for the pretty play.

“I’d be more than willing to give him [Daniel] my spot and he’s such a great playmaker and shooter,” said

winger Alex Burrows, who’ll drop down to the second unit against the Los Angles Kings with Chris

Higgins and David Booth while Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa man the points.

Henrik suggested that it’s more than bringing 30 goals back into the lineup. Daniel is a two-way threat

because he will pass as much as he will shoot, but he does lead the Canucks with 10 power-play goals.

“He’s not a shoot-first guy,” said the Canucks captain. “He tends to find the other guys who are in the

best spots.”

On their first power-play goal Saturday, it was a point shot that got through and Henrik was able to bury

the rebound. It’s that kind of effort that will be crucial against Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who posted a

league-leading 10 shutouts and finished second in goals-against average at 1.95.

“That’s the way we score most of our goals,” added Henrik. “If it doesn’t become a goal right away, it

means it’s going to end up in the corner and there’s a scramble. We make one or two passes and Sami or

Eddie are coming in from the point on the one-timers. It’s not going to be from the first set-up or shot. It’s

going to be from rebounds or scrambles. It was a good sign.”

NHL Playoffs: Canucks defencemen in solid balance heading into playoffs

By Jim Jamieson, The Province April 9, 2012

All the different looks the Canucks tried on defence the last dozen games of the season was more than just

experimenting.

It confirmed in the mind of the Canucks’ coaching staff that young defenceman Chris Tanev could

comfortably play top four minutes and allow the team to deploy three balanced pairings in the playoffs.

To start Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, it’s expected that Tanev, 22, will be

paired with Dan Hamhuis — a partner he’s had on a fairly regular basis since mid-March. They’ve played

with good success as a shutdown pair and will certainly see a lot of the Kings’ top line, centred by Anze

Kopitar.

“I think three balanced pairs are good,” said Hamhuis. “Chris came in last week and played really well

when Kevin (Bieksa) went out (four games off for “maintenance”) last week. I thought we had some good

chemistry and I think the coaches did, too, and they probably want to roll with it to balance things out.”

Tanev, who’s got just 54 games of NHL experience, showed he nonetheless has the chops to play the

shutdown role at this level. In the 21 games since his call-up in mid-February, Tanev has been a minus

player just twice — despite playing a lot against the opposition’s top forwards. Overall, in those games,

he’s plus-9.

“Dan’s such a smart player out there,” said Tanev. “I’m learning a lot from him. It’s been a pleasure.

“Any chance you’re out there with him is a chance to learn and pick up little things.”

Hamhuis’ usual partner the last two seasons, of course, has been Bieksa. The duo established themselves

as one of the better pairings in the conference last season and were pretty much inseparable this season

until March. That’s when head coach Alain Vigneault decided to try Bieksa with Alex Edler — a partner

he’s never played much with. They’re also expected to play together in Game 1.

“My role with Alex is we’re going to be playing against one of their top two lines and they’re probably

going to look for a little more offence from us,” said Bieksa, who established career highs in assists (36)

and points (44) this season.

“That said, I think it’s going to a low-scoring series so we’re going to have to be good at both ends of the

ice, we’re going to have to be physical and we’re going to have to pitch in when we can.”

The third pairing is expected to be veteran Sami Salo — who’s been a top-four D-man most of his career

— with Aaron Rome.

Bieksa, who was second on the team in the regular season in ice-time per game, at 23:38, said spreading it

around can only help. Playoff games can mean overtime as well, where playing minutes can skyrocket.

“Whatever is going to help us match up against L.A. the best,” said Bieksa. “I think they’re a pretty

balanced team up front. So when you’re starting the first round you definitely want to keep ice-time down

and keep everybody fresh and into the game. It’s a long haul. I like the way the pairings look right now.

You can put any pairing out against any line against them and be OK with it.”

NHL Playoffs update: Henrik on Daniel Sedin — "He's 100 per cent"

Top winger, concussed by a vicious elbow from Duncan Keith on March 21, not available to media after

practice ended

By Ben Kuzma, The Province April 9, 2012

The betting line on Daniel Sedin skating on his own before he practised with the Vancouver Canucks on

Monday was 50-50, depending on who you talked to and who was trying to keep that supposedly vital

information under wraps.

Welcome to the NHL playoffs, where everything isn’t quite as it appears and the optics are often blurry.

However, two things were made clear even though the Canucks didn’t adhere to their protocol of making

players available to the media once they practise following injury. Daniel Sedin did skate at least once on

his own, according to coach Alain Vigneault, and the health of the skating yet silent winger is good,

according to Henrik Sedin.

“He’s 100 per cent,” said the Canucks captain. “It was good to see him out there. It’s been a while. He

looks good. We’re happy. If he wouldn’t have been out there today, he would have been a real long shot

for Wednesday. That’s a good sign.”

When the Presidents’ Trophy winners open their Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Los

Angeles Kings, expect the 30-goal sniper to be back on the first line with Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows

and back on the struggling first power-play alignment that’s in a 16-for-120 funk since exploding for four

goals on Jan. 7 in Boston.

After missing nine games when he was concussed March 21 by an elbow to the chin from Duncan Keith

— a vicious hit that saw the Chicago defenceman suspended for five games — there was a sense at

practice Monday that Daniel’s stride is strong and he was making the right plays because his thought

process was clear. If there’s a problem, it could arise post practice but there was every reason to believe

that the winger will play in Game 1.

“He looked good,” said Vigneault. “It’s not going to be my decision, it’s going to be a medical decision.

We’ll see how he’s doing [Tuesday]. He’s had some real good days and this is a unique injury and we

have to take it a day at a time and see how he feels.”

Unlike sprains, strains or bone breaks, there’s no timetable for concussion recovery because players react

differently to a brain bruise or a whiplash motion that causes headaches, dizziness, nausea and even

sensitivity to light. The only theory is that multiple concussions can lengthen time away from the game.

Sidney Crosby missed 61 games the last two seasons after two concussions in a 10-day span and Chicago

captain Jonathan Toews returned to practice Monday after missing 22 games with the same ailment.

Canucks defenceman Keith Ballard is practising after missing 29 games with his concussion and won’t

play in the series opener. Teammate Sami Salo missed six games from the whiplash he suffered on the

Brad Marchand low-bridge hit that resulted in a five-game suspension to the Bruins agitator.

“A lot of symptoms are similar, but how your body reacts can be completely different,” said Ballard.

“They’re not out there because playoffs are starting, they’re out there because they’re healthy and have

gone through the necessary steps. I’m happy for Dany and Toews because it’s not a fun process to go

through. I don’t have symptoms. It’s more about high speed and the tempo and making two or three reads

and finding the open guy and making plays under pressure. That helped. It takes a minute to get into the

flow.”

Henrik said there was little he could advise his brother on how to handle the concussion. Demeanours can

change during concussions and irritability is a common trait, but the Canucks captain said Daniel has kept

a positive outlook and is anxious to return to form. The winger missed 18 games after fracturing a foot in

an Oct. 7, 2009 game and still finished with 29 goals in 63 games. Henrik had a career high 29 in 82

games. But that was a a broken foot for Daniel. This is different.

“One day you feel better and the next day you don’t feel as good — that’s been the tough part for him,”

said Henrik. “The first couple of days, just calling him you could tell something was wrong. He’s always

happy and never sees anything bad in anything and that was tough for me to talk to him and tell him

something was up.”

It’s only natural for stars to be targeted in the postseason — it’s hard to forget Marchand treating Daniel

like a speed bag in the Stanley Cup final last spring — and Henrik expects that his linemate will be in the

crosshairs again, even if he hadn’t suffered a concussion.

“I don’t think it’s going to be any different than before,” said the centre. “Guys are going to try and hit

him and me and other players.”

The Canucks went 2-1-1 in their season series with the Kings and what likely won’t change is low scores

and that 1-0 decision posted over Los Angeles on March 26 might be a playoff preview. But getting

Daniel back will spread out the attack that lacked a 100-point producer or 40-goal scorer.

With Ryan Kesler between Mason Raymond and David Booth and Samme Pahlsson centring Chris

Higgins and Jannik Hansen, there’s enough in the top-nine mix to be opportunistic and responsible

defensively. And Maxim Lapierre between Manny Malhotra and Byron Bitz on the fourth line provides a

dimension that wasn’t there a year ago because Dale Weise and Zack Kassian, practising after a shoulder

injury, are viable options. However, Daniel is the game-breaker and getting him back could swing the

series the Canucks’ way.

“It would be huge,” said Burrows. “He’s one of the top players in the world. He brings so much to the

table offensively and is reliable defensively. He was very good with the puck today and made some nice

plays.”

NHL playoffs: Canucks' Daniel Sedin set to return for L. A. Kings series

Sedin twin aiming to recover from concussion in time to boost playoff power plays

By Jason Botchford, The Province April 9, 2012

The best news for the Vancouver Canucks' ailing power play is that Daniel Sedin has been skating on his

own and is expected to play opening night of the NHL playoffs.

Henrik Sedin said his brother had some concern about whether he'd be able to start the postseason in the

hours and days immediately after Duncan Keith's elbow bashed through his jaw.

But since, Daniel has progressed, and got "better and better," leaving him with little doubt now that he'll

start when the playoffs begin, most likely Wednesday.

Daniel missed his ninth game Saturday with a concussion, the season finale. Today is a team off day,

leaving Daniel with possible practice days on Monday and Tuesday when he could potentially skate with

the team.

Will that be enough? Henrik was sure of it when it was suggested to him it would take Daniel five skates

to prep himself for the playoffs.

"If it takes him five skates to get ready, I'm guessing he would skate five times in one day," Henrik said.

"That means he's going to be ready pretty quick. We'll see what happens."

If there was any doubt before about Daniel's return, coach Alain Vigneault sure showed his hand when he

said he was putting Andrew Ebbett with Alex Burrows and Henrik Sedin on the top line for Saturday's

regular season finale against the Edmonton Oilers. If Daniel was at all a question mark, why would you

play Ebbett on the top line? Maybe, but it seems doubtful, especially with the run Max Lapierre has been

on there.

However, there are no guarantees. Like Daniel, Jonathan Toews is hoping to return for the start of the

playoffs, but is not symptom-free and doesn't feel like himself whenever he's on the ice. He didn't play the

Hawks' final game Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

"Well, there's concern for sure," Henrik said. "With [Toews], I'm sure after a week he thought he'd be able

to play in three or four days, and all of a sudden it's 20 games later and he still hasn't played.

"That's always going to be there. Until [Daniel] is back. And that's where we are.

"Early on, maybe [Daniel was concerned], but as time has moved on he's felt better and better . . . But

until you are out on the ice and you feel comfortable playing a game it's always going to be there."

Sure, the power play was a dog before Daniel got hurt. But it's sunk to new depths since, going 2-for-35

in the past nine games. Even Henrik is stunned.

"It does surprise me because I think we have a lot of time in their end and you would think with the

amount of shots we're taking and one or two more should have sneaked in. You'd think we'd get a

bounce," Henrik said. "It hasn't happened for us. You can say whatever you want about bounces but if

you look at the stats, they don't lie.

"Something is missing. Maybe we're too comfortable. We think without traffic or good screens, or

without getting guys to rebounds, we're still going to score goals. That's not going to happen.

"We're a team like Detroit or Pittsburgh. We should be able to score on the power play."

The Canucks will adjust their lineup yet again. Lapierre, whose arrival on the top line marked the turning

point of Henrik's second half slump, will now take his act to Ryan Kesler's line.

Kesler has just five points in his past 18 games.

Brace yourself for a rash of 'upper-body injuries'

Teams take advantage of NHL policies on disclosure designed to protect players

By Pamela Fayerman, Vancouver Sun

Just under 60 players on National Hockey League playoff teams are on the infirmary list right now, but

the policy on disclosure of injuries is purposely loose to protect vulnerable players, especially those

returning to play from the sick bay.

That's why some injuries, on the eve of the Stanley Cup playoffs, are being described only as

"undisclosed."

Teams aren't supposed to give false or misleading information about injuries, but at the same time, they're

"granted broad discretion with regard to terminology," said Frank Brown, an NHL vice-president at the

league's New York head office.

Of the 16 teams that will play in the first round, Philadelphia is the most injury-plagued, with nine players

out, including one listed as having nothing more than a "cold." The Flyers matchup against the Penguins

is indeed the one with the most injuries; Pittsburgh has four injuries currently listed.

According to TSN (The Sports Network), which supplies the most current and comprehensive list of NHL

injuries, the San Jose Sharks matchup against the St. Louis Blues has the fewest injuries - only one, an

undisclosed injury to Sharks centre Torrey Mitchell. He's listed as questionable for the first game.

The Vancouver Canucks-Los Angeles Kings first-round series has a total of eight injuries - three for the

Kings and five for the Canucks. Mason Raymond, who missed the last game for personal reasons (his

wife just had a baby) is listed as probable for the first game of the series on Wednesday night. Daniel

Sedin, who missed nine games after suffering a concussion on March 21, is also listed as a probable

starter for the first game.

Although it may appear to keen hockey observers that teams are being cagier and more circumspect than

ever about sharing specific information on injuries, Brown said there have been no recent changes to the

NHL policy on injury reporting.

"When an injury occurs in a [regular season or playoff] game, a club spokesperson must notify the media

of the approximate location, nature, and severity of an injury as soon as possible, except to the extent that

the club determines that such disclosure may jeopardize the player's physical well-being if and when the

player returns to play, in which case the club is entitled to provide a more general overview of the player's

injury status," he said in an email.

"The club must also announce whether the player is expected to return to play in the game in which the

injury occurred. At no time should a club give false or misleading information regarding a player injury to

the media," he added.

The attention being paid to injury reporting, protection of players and potential for targeting of certain

players has come into sharp focus because of a "bounty system" scandal in the National Football League

in the U.S. The NFL has penalized the New Orleans Saints for its cash bonuses to players who targeted

opponents and injured them enough to knock them out of games or even to the sidelines.

The huge leeway in injury reporting by NHL teams explains why, after Canucks defenceman Kevin

Bieksa missed four games recently, his time off was described as being necessary for maintenance, not for

any particular injury. Indeed, in one dressing room interview, he deftly dodged the whole question about

what his problem was, gamely using the words "maintenance," "maintain," and "maintaining" no less than

six times in a brief exchange. The video of that interview can be viewed at vancouversun.com.

In a subsequent interview, Canucks associate coach Rick Bowness used the same language, using the

word "maintenance" twice to explain Bieksa's absence. By not identifying the ailing body part, the

Canucks were protecting Bieksa from attempts by the opposition to re-injure the sore part of his anatomy.

As teams go deeper in the playoffs, head coaches will become the only ones sanctioned to make

comments about injuries. They will undoubtedly get more and more creative in their responses to media

queries about injuries.

NHL PLAYOFF TEAMS WITH INJURED PLAYERS (AS OF APRIL 9)

Some are expected to return in time for start of the post-season this week

DANIEL SEDIN SKATES WITH CANUCKS AS THEY PREPARE FOR KINGS

THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER -- Although Daniel Sedin was quiet after practising for the first time since suffering a

concussion, his twin brother sounded confident Vancouver's leading goal-scorer could be ready to play

sooner than later.

"He's 100 per cent now," said Henrik Sedin on Monday as Vancouver prepared for its first-round Western

Conference series against the eighth-seeded L.A. Kings.

Game 1 is Wednesday in Vancouver with Game 2 scheduled for Friday.

Daniel Sedin had been secretly skating on his own prior to Monday's practice which was his first since

Duncan Keith elbowed him in the head on March 21 during a 2-1 Canuck loss in Chicago.

Keith was suspended five games for the hit on the winger who led Vancouver with 30 goals with 10

coming on a power play that has slumped in the second half of the season.

When asked whether Daniel could withstand contact, Henrik replied: "It's no different for him than for me

taking a hit."

Vancouver head coach Alain Vigneault, however, was more guarded.

"We'll see how he's doing (Tuesday) and we'll take it from there," Vigneault said.

"He's had some real good days. Obviously this is a unique injury and we have to take it a day at a time.

We feel real positive with how he looked today."

The Canucks will need Daniel Sedin's offence in their Western Conference series against the eighth-

seeded Kings who were second in the NHL on defence and fourth against the power play.

Vancouver won the President's Trophy for best record in the NHL with victories in eight of their last nine

games -- all without Daniel.

Fourth-liners like Max Lapierre and rookie Zack Kassian saw duty on the top line.

"We all know we like to play on the same line and we like to use each other," Henrik said of his brother's

return. "I'm sure it's going to be real good.

"He's as good a passer as he is a goal scorer. He tends to often find the guy who's in the best spot."

That will help a punchless power play that was 2-for-36 until it scored twice in seven tries in a 3-0 regular

season finale Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

"He'll get us going for sure," defenceman Kevin Bieksa said of Daniel's power-play presence.

"He's so underrated when he gets the puck on the breakout ... the patience he has, that opens up

everything."

The second game in the best-of-seven series will be here Friday before the series shifts to Los Angeles for

games Sunday and April 18. A fifth game, if necessary, will be here April 22.

Vancouver, which finished 16 points ahead of Los Angeles, had a slight 2-1-1 edge in the season series

but were outscored 8-7 over the four games.

While the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in a seven-game Stanley Cup final last season, the Kings are

looking to advance past the first round for the first time in 11 years.

They have 15 returnees from the club that lost in the first round last spring to San Jose plus Jeff Carter

and Mike Richards who helped lead the Philadelphia Flyers to the 2010 Cup final.

Their biggest weapon, however, is expected to be 26-year-old goalie Jonathan Quick a Vezina Trophy

favourite from Milford, Conn.

He compiled a 2.07 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage while recording a league-leading 10

shutouts.

"They don't give up much defensively and their goaltender is having a terrific season," said Canuck goalie

Roberto Luongo.

He has been a lightning rod for criticism in this Cup-mad city after his save percentage and goals-against

average declined from last season.

"If we're going to have some success, we're going to have to be a patient team," said Luongo, who made

38 saves to blank Los Angeles 1-0 here March 28.

"We have to wait for our opportunities and when we do get them we've got to capitalize."

But beating Quick will be a challenge although the Canucks have become comfortable in close, low-

scoring games.

"He had a huge year," Luongo said of his Kings counterpart. "He's a guy if he sees it, he's going to stop

it."

Centre Anze Kopitar paced the Kings with 76 points and 25 goals. Captain Dustin Brown and

Justin Williams each had 22 goals.

The Canucks are led by Henrik Sedin whose 67 assists were tops in the NHL for the third straight year.

The abrasive Alex Burrows added 28 goals to the Vancouver attack.

"It might be a low-scoring series but we have to make it hard on their goalie and throw everything at the

net," said Ryan Kesler who believes the Canucks have evolved from the Game 7 loss to Boston.

"I don't think we're different," he said. "I think we're more experienced and able to deal better with

situations."

Notes: Vancouver defeated Los Angeles four games to two in 2010, the last time the two clubs met in the

conference quarter-final ... both clubs won in their opponent's rink during the regular season ... forward

Sammy Pahlsson, picked up at the trade deadline from Columbus, is the only Canucks with a Stanley Cup

ring ... defenceman Drew Doughty leads active Kings with 11 post-season points.

CULLEN: 2012 NHL PLAYOFF PICKS

SCOTT CULLEN

As parity becomes the rule more and more in the NHL -- remember that last year's Cup finalists needed

overtime in Game Sevens just to escape the first round -- it becomes more and more daunting to forecast

the playoff picture.

I'm backing favourites, yet fully aware of the impact that goaltending could have for teams bucking for

upsets. Thus, teams like Los Angeles and Phoenix (higher seed, but still an upset), while not picked to

win, could ride goaltenders having two of the best performances of the season.

There are always going to be issues that crop up throughout the postseason -- most notably injuries

(remember Dan Hamhuis in the Stanley Cup final?) -- that can affect the final results, but that's why they

play the games.

For more information, please check out the following:

The Playoff Payoff - A more detailed stats breakdown, with strategy, likely line combinations and deep

sleepers for each team.

Fantasy Hockey Update - My preferred sleepers.

Fantasy Hockey Update - Value plays in the TSN Fantasy Hockey Challenge.

NEW YORK RANGERS vs. OTTAWA SENATORS

The Rangers are a deserving number one seed, but they will need continued strong play from goaltender

Henrik Lundqvist if they are going to finish off the Senators, the biggest surprise in the league this

season.

Both teams have capable scoring on their top two lines, with solid contributions from their depth players,

so there isn't a decisive difference between them. On defence, the Rangers have a better lockdown game,

limiting opoponents chances and having more shutdown options on the blueline. Ryan McDonagh and

Dan Girardi get the lion's share of the work, but Marc Staal is a nice option to have available otherwise.

Ottawa doesn't have that kind of shutdown D, but does have the game's foremost offensive defenceman,

Erik Karlsson, who will have to be a factor if the Senators are going to pull off the upset.

The Pick: Rangers in six.

BOSTON BRUINS vs. WASHINGTON CAPITALS

The Bruins have the experience of last year's championship run which, in addition to a strong regular

season, gives them the edge over the Capitals..

While the Capitals have marquee talents like Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, it's reasonable

to consider the Bruins as the more dangerous team, with better scoring depth. None of the Bruins'

forwards can be the force of nature like Ovechkin at his best, but the Bruins counter with their own force

of nature, 6-foot-9 defenceman Zdeno Chara and if Chara can lock down Ovechkin, forcing the Capitals

to rely on their supporting cast, that seems like an advantage for Boston..

Washington doesn't have the same calibre of defencemen, which means the Capitals need even more from

goaltender Braden Holtby, who is the likely starter with Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth dealing

with injuries. Holtby played only seven NHL games this season, so it's difficult to give him the edge over

reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas, even if Thomas has struggled in the second half of the

season.

The Capitals will need strong peformances from Holtby, C Nicklas Backstrom (just back from a

concussion) and RW Alexander Semin if they are going to knock off the Bruins and that's asking a lot

from an inconsistent team just getting back to full strength.

The Pick: Bruins in six.

FLORIDA PANTHERS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Devils coach Peter DeBoer gets to face his former team in the playoffs, but both franchises have to be

satisfied making a return to the postseason.

Florida is viewed as a number three seed that is ripe for the picking, coming off a season in which they

won 32 games in regulation, the lowest among all playoff teams. Florida could be satisfied with their

playoff berth, but they have enough players that have been on deep playoff runs (Brian Campbell,

Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky, Mikael Samuelsson, Sean Bergenheim and others) with playoff

experience that they shouldn't be so easily bounced.

New Jersey has more firepower, with Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias operating at a higher

level than the Panthers' top scorers, but Florida counters with a more accomplished defence.

Brian Campbell, Jason Garrison and Dmitry Kulikov can contribute offensively whereas the Devils'

defence is a patchwork group. Trade acquisition Marek Zidlicky could be a major factor on the power

play and his 22 points would lead all Devils defencemen this year. Rookie Adam Larsson would rank

next among Devils blueliners, with 18 points, but Larsson has been a healthy scratch down the stretch and

may not even be in the lineup.

What the Devils have to hope is that they get the goaltending that they've received from Martin Brodeur

in the second half of the season (.921 SV% after the All-Star break, compared to .894 before) because the

Panthers could grind this series out to a bunch of one-goal and overtime games (Florida took 25 games to

overtime or shootout this season) and if Jose Theodore somehow gets the better of Brodeur, the Devils

could be hard-pressed to capitalize on what appears to be fortuitous seeding..

The Pick: Devils in five.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

A series that is good enough to be waged for the Eastern Conference Final and it's being offered up in the

first round..

Now that Sidney Crosby is healthy and productive (37 points in 22 games), the Penguins are the team to

beat in the Eastern Conference, with an embarrassment of riches thanks to Crosby's return,

Evgeni Malkin's scoring title, James Neal's 40 goals, Pascal Dupuis' 17-game point streak heading into

the postseason, Matt Cooke's transformation and more.

All that firepower won't matter much, however, if the Penguins don't get strong goaltending because

Marc-Andre Fleury went through some up-and-down spots throughout the season. His counterpart,

Ilya Bryzgalov started slowly for the Flyers, but has been much better (1.84 GAA, .929 SV% in 26 GP)

since the All-Star break and if the Flyers are going to move on, winning the goaltending battle would go a

long way towards the effort.

The Flyers have a mix of playoff-tested veterans and promising young players, so they don't figure to go

quietly and the animosity between the teams could make this an extremely entertaining series, but even

with Danny Briere and Nicklas Grossmann returning to action, the Flyers are still missing a few valuable

players (LW James van Riemsdyk, D Andrej Meszaros) that would be valuable parts of the playoff effort.

The Pick: Penguins in seven.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS vs. LOS ANGELES KINGS

Considering the Canucks went to Game Seven OT in the first round last year, there is no reason to look

past any opponents, including the Kings. While Los Angeles was entirely inept offensively for much of

the season, they started to turn around offensively after acquiring Jeff Carter from Columbus. Carter

comes into the playoffs on a bad ankle, but if he's ready to go, he gives the Kings two decent scoring

lines.

The Canucks, who anticipate getting Daniel Sedin back in the lineup, have solid scoring, but if Daniel

isn't in prime form and Ryan Kesler continues on his 12-game goalless drought, Vancouver will have

their hands full going up against a Vezina-calibre goaltender, Jonathan Quick.

It seems outrageous that the Kings could hold an advantage in goal with Quick compared to

Roberto Luongo for Vancouver, but Quick has been better this season without the same offensive support.

If Quick does give the Kings a goaltending advantage, then how long will the Canucks wait before

Cory Schneider gets his turn between the pipes for Vancouver?

The Pick: Canucks in seven.

ST. LOUIS BLUES vs. SAN JOSE SHARKS

Winning just four of their last dozen games doesn't have the Blues entering the playoffs on a high note,

especially when they face a Sharks club that went 7-2 in their last nine to get into the postseason. But,

let's not ignore the four shootout losses that the Blues suffered in that time, meaning that they lost four

times in regulation in the last dozen games -- many teams wish they could slump in such a manner -- and

St. Louis has been so stifling defensively that it could be challenging for the Sharks' big guns to start

firing.

The Blues hold an advantage in goal, with either Jaroslav Halak or Brian Elliott ranking ahead of the

Sharks' Antti Niemi, but that shouldn't be the only edge for St .Louis..

St. Louis doesn't have players that boast the scoring credentials of Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau, but

there is depth to the attack, particularly now that the Blues are healthy --with David Perron,

Andy McDonald and Alex Steen all in the lineup -- they have a lot of depth to their attack.

Sharks defenceman Dan Boyle has been an elite performer for a long time, but he may be the second-best

defenceman in the series, as 22-year-old Blues blueliner Alex Pietrangelo is garnering Norris Trophy

consideration after his tremendous all-around season. If Pietrangelo is the best defenceman in the series,

that should swing the pendulum towards the Blues.

The Pick: Blues in six.

PHOENIX COYOTES vs. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

The Coyotes have a roster full of unheralded players, so it's not altogether surprising that their hopes are

pinned on the play of goaltender Mike Smith, who was basically a journeyman before turning in a

fantastic season in Phoenix.

There are players to watch, including Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata, who pace the offence, but they

don't boast the star power of the Blackhawks, who appear to be getting Jonathan Toews back from a

concussion just in time for the playoffs.

It requires a certain leap of faith to expect Toews to play at his customary high level when he hasn't

played an NHL game in seven weeks, but his presence in the series should move the meter towards

Chicago; that is, unless Smith outduels Corey Crawford, the Chicago goaltender who has been

inconsistent in his sophomore season, but finished the season on a high note..

With Stanley Cup experience and more names on the marquee, the Blackhawks get the nod.

The Pick: Blackhawks in seven.

DETROIT RED WINGS vs. NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Two teams that finished two points apart in the standings with the one finishing lower faring bettering

possession metrics and goal differential, despite injuries that kept several stars out of the lineup for long

stretches..

While the Predators have upgraded their attack, adding Alexander Radulov and monopolizing the league's

Kostitsyns, they're still going to be hard-pressed to match the Red Wings' established playoff performers.

Even if the Predators can get Shea Weber and Ryan Suter locked on to Pavel Datsyuk's line, for example,

that will still leave an opportunity for Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler on Detroit's

second line to produce against lesser defence pairings (to be fair, all defence pairings are "lesser"

compared to Weber and Suter).

It won't be a surprise if fourth-seeded Nashville reaches the second round once again, after doing so last

year, but urgency could be on the side of the Wings' who have to see their window, with this current core,

closing soon.

The Pick: Red Wings in six.

Teams best equipped to pull off upsets (aside from those already picked): Washington, San Jose,

Philadelphia

Future Series Picks

WEST

Vancouver over Chicago

St. Louis over Detroit

Vancouver over St. Louis

EAST

N.Y. Rangers over New Jersey

Pittsburgh over Boston

Pittsburgh over N.Y. Rangers

CUP FINAL

Pittsburgh over Vancouver

And, my list of playoff projections, obviously influenced by my team picks. If you have different picks --

and I'm sure many of you do -- do not follow my player picks to the letter; perhaps use the Playoff Payoff

to find value on the teams you like best this spring.

STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF PREVIEWS, PICKS: WEST

BY LUKE FOX AND PATRICK HOFFMA, SPORTSNET

WESTERN CONFERNCE – ROUND 1

Season series: Vancouver won 2-1-1

For Canucks to win: Coming off their second straight Presidents' Trophy, the Canucks will be as

hungry as ever to get back to the Stanley Cup final this season. The team has a high-powered offense, two

first-string goaltenders and the wisdom that comes from experiencing the finals together. They know what

it takes to get there. That said, they face a Los Angeles club that played them tight during the regular

season and, for the most part, was able to quiet the Canucks' offensive game. The Canucks need their

offense to step up in a big way to beat one of the league's best netminders in Jonathan Quick. Hopefully

for the Canucks, head coach Alain Vigneault will figure out a way to integrate injured star Daniel Sedin

(returning from concussion) without disrupting a Canucks lineup that went 8-1-0 without him.

For Kings to win: After starting out the season playing inconsistent hockey under then head coach

Terry Murray, the team turned things around under new head coach Darryl Sutter and managed to squeak

into the postseason as the conference's eighth seed. During the regular season, the Kings' shutdown style

of defense and Quick's goaltending kept the team in every game against the western champs. To win this

series, the Kings must play the same way. It also wouldn’t hurt for the Kings to put the puck in the net on

a more regular basis as the team finished second to last in the NHL in goals scored during the regular

season. Players like Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams, Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter

(returning from injury) must bring their game to another level to get this Kings' team into the second

round.

Big question: How short of a leash will Canucks coach Vigneault have netminder Roberto Luongo on

this postseason with Cory Schneider more than capable of winning hockey games when it matters the

most?

Best bet: Canucks in six.

(2) ST. LOUIS BLUES VS. (7) SAN JOSE SHARKS

Season series: St. Louis won 4-0-0

For Blues to win: Stick to what got ’em here. Yes, the Blues – looking destined to capture the

Presidents’ Trophy a couple weeks ago – are limping into the playoffs having dropped four of their final

five, but they are still the best home team in the NHL (30 wins), and they have that advantage here. If one

stingy goaltender gets spooked, they have another. And surely you recall Jaroslav Halak’s 2010 playoff

heroics with the Habs. The Blues’ balanced scoring prevents the Sharks from keying on one big line, and

their defensive, hold-a-lead-like-a-grudge style translates well to the postseason. Plus, if the season sweep

doesn’t give them a psychological advantage, having Coach Hitchcock pulling the strings surely will.

For Sharks to win: For the first time in franchise history, the Sharks have three 30-goal scorers in

the regular season: Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, and Joe Pavelski. Big Joe Thornton won’t be

shouldering as much pressure to perform as he has in years past; instead, he’ll be one of several

playmakers (add Martin Havlat to that mix) who will need to score goals against the team with the

league’s best goals against (a measly 165 surrendered all year). In the Sharks’ four attempts to beat the

Blues this season, they scored a pitiful three goals total. The Blues will win the goaltending battle; the

only way for the Sharks to upset is to get more power-plays, vastly outshoot St. Louis and bang in some

ugly ones.

Big question: How will St. Louis balance the workload of their No. 1 and 1A goaltenders?

Best bet: Blues in five.

(3) PHOENIX COYOTES VS. (6) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Season series: Phoenix won 3-1-0

For Coyotes to win: The Coyotes enter the postseason having gone 7-1-2 in their last 10 games

and having clinched their first Pacific Division title after almost falling out of the playoffs just a few short

weeks ago. The Coyotes are also fortunate to draw the Blackhawks, as they won three of four against

Chicago this season. To continue that success, the team will need unbelievable goaltending from starter

Mike Smith, who had a terrific first year in Phoenix and made fans forget all about Ilya Bryzgalov. The

team will also needs the likes of Shane Doan, Ray Whitney and Radim Vrbata to step up their offense as

the Blackhawks certainly have firepower of their own.

For Blackhawks to win: Much like the Coyotes, the Blackhawks come into the postseason having

played solid hockey in going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, their final win coming in overtime against the

Detroit Red Wings. Even without captain Jonathan Toews, who should return for Game 1, the

Blackhawks got steady offense from Marian Hossa (29-48-77), Patrick Kane (23-43-66), Patrick Sharp

(33-36-69) and Viktor Stalberg (22-21-43). The team will also need budding youngster Andrew Shaw and

veteran Dave Bolland to provide secondary scoring. There is no doubt that the Blackhawks can put the

puck in the net and play solid defense. If they can put those two things together, they have a shot at

advancing to Round 2.

Big question: After an up-and-down regular season, can starting netminder Corey Crawford keep his

game together enough to elevate the Blackhawks out of the first round?

Best bet: Blackhawks in six.

(4) NASHVILLE PREDATORS VS. (5) DETROIT RED WINGS

Season series: 3-3-0

For Predators to win: The Predators’ clinching of home-ice advantage is important because the

Wings are the worst road team in the West to make the playoffs. Nashville comes in hot, winning its final

three. The NHL’s winningest netminder this season, Pekka Rinne, needs to be on his game for the Preds

to succeed. The lower-scoring the games, the better. Yes, Nashville boasts underrated weapons in Martin

Erat, Patric Hornqvist and Mike Fisher, but these guys are not going to outshoot Pavel Datsyuk and

Henrik Zetterberg if the play loosens up too much. The Wings will try to hog the puck and dictate the

pace; the Preds can’t let that happen.

For Red Wings to win: How great is this match-up? Not only did the Wings and Preds -- two

teams who took special care to boost their lineup cards for the 2012 postseason with a win-now mentality

– knot their season series at three games apiece, but each squad scored precisely 14 goals in those six

games. Although Wings coach Mike Babcock has downplayed the loss of home-ice advantage (“It's great.

We don't have to travel across the country, which for me is the biggest thing”), everyone knows Detroit

prefers to play at The Joe. The consistent Red Wings (12 straight 100-point seasons, 21 straight playoff

berths) will rely on veteran wiles and perennial playoff performers like Tomas Holmstrom and Johan

Franzen to find that extra edge. But they cannot play their age.

Big question: Will the addition of Alexander Radulov be enough to push the Preds’ offence over the

hump?

Best bet: Predators in seven

KINGS' CARTER LIKELY FOR GAME 1 VS. CANUCKS

SPORTSNET

Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter is expected to be in the lineup for the start of his team's first round

Stanley Cup playoff matchup against the Vancouver Canucks.

Carter missed the last five games of the regular season with a with bruised ankle, but told media on

Monday that he is getting better every day and should be good to go in Game 1.

While practicing Monday, the 27-year-old was alternating on and off a line with Mike Richards.

Carter was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in February in a trade that sent defenceman Jack

Johnson the other way. In 16 games with the Kings, Carter had six goals and nine points.

The Kings and Canucks kick off their series on Wednesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

SURREY PLANS TO REPEAT OUTDOOR PLAYOFF EVENTS

THE CANADIAN PRESS

SURREY, B.C. -- Last year's Stanley Cup riot has convinced city officials the Vancouver Canucks,

gigantic public television screens, playoffs and drunken fans don't mix and the city won't be putting the

screens up this year. But neighbouring Surrey plans to put one up.

Dianne Watts, who is mayor in the suburb that is British Columbia's second-largest city, said Monday that

thousands of people celebrated peacefully while watching playoff games on a giant screen in her

community last year and there's no reason not to repeat the outdoor event if the Canucks advance to the

final.

The comments come just weeks after officials in Vancouver announced they will hold block parties and

community-centre events and work with police to stop fans from bringing alcohol downtown to avoid a

repeat of last year's riot.

Last month, Deputy Chief Doug LePard of the Vancouver police said he'll be working with his

counterparts in neighbouring cities to ensure they are all doing the same thing.

"One of the things that we realize now more than ever is that we can't allow the toxic soup that we saw

last year occurring in Vancouver," LePard said then.

But Watts said Surrey does not have the same concerns.

"We really cater to making sure it's a family event and putting all those measures in place," she said.

"We've got a police presence, and we've got a lot of activities that are programmed for kids. We've got the

screen set up, and making sure that everybody knows it's a family event for you to bring your kids down."

Watts said the cost to set up a screen at several locations is minimal, and while policing costs will be a

little higher, RCMP officers would be on duty anyway.

A spokesman for the Vancouver police force was unavailable for comment Monday.

RCMP Sgt. Peter Thiessen, senior media relations officer, said he will be commenting on the issue later

this week.

Millions of dollars in damage were inflicted on downtown Vancouver businesses June 15, 2011, after the

Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

About 100,000 people were packed in the downtown core for the game, and the subsequent melee saw

rampaging fans smash windows, light cars on fire and loot stores.

Reviews of the riot found too many people were downtown, and they were drinking too much.

Of the 78 people charged with riot-related offences by March 29, 2012, 25 were from Surrey.

The announcement by Watts drew ridicule and support from Canucks fans on an official team web forum.

"I'm sure they'll have an abundance of officers to keep the peace," wrote one person called Blömqvist. "I

mean, it IS Surrey. There's bound to be a tonne of cops there anyways."

"Good," added somebody named canucks.ftw. "Now they can go ahead and burn down their own city

instead of ours."

"I watched two games at Central City plaza last year," said a person called WZRD. "Definitely much

more of a family friendly atmosphere compared to downtown."

Meantime, the Vancouver Canucks announced several playoff initiatives Monday.

The team and Aramark Sports & Entertainment said they will continue a designated driver program.

Under the program, those who sign up to be designated drivers will receive a coupon for a non-alcoholic

drink and will be eligible for a prize.

The Vancouver Canucks host the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday to

launch the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. (CKNW)

Faith gives Canucks’ Booth a boost

david ebner

VANCOUVER— From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

David Booth grew up in a Christian home, his parents Lutheran, in the suburbs of Detroit.

He forged his own relationship with God at 18, in Colorado. The moment came after Booth had scored

nearly a point a game in his freshman with the Michigan State University Spartans, a season of change for

a young man whose sporting potential was suddenly in bloom.

In Colorado, Booth attended an intense annual camp put on by the Athletes in Action sports ministry. The

camp’s aim is to coach young athletes on the Bible’s lessons as they apply to the playing-field matters of

motivation, adversity, losing and winning.

The week concludes with 24 consecutive hours of sport, the campers split into teams. The final event

comes as individuals labour up a steep climb on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, carrying a

large beam, on a hill nicknamed “Golgotha” – the name of the site where Jesus was said to have been

crucified.

“Coming up that hill, it’s just like, ‘Man, I’m done,’ “ Booth recalled in a recent interview. “If I rely on

my own self, I’m not going to make it very far in my life. So that was the time when I realized, yeah, I’ve

got to make some changes, and gave my life to Christ.”

Wednesday, when the Vancouver Canucks play Game 1 of their first-round, best-of-seven series against

the Los Angeles Kings, marks Booth’s first NHL playoff game. Booth toiled his first five seasons for the

lowly Florida Panthers before a trade last October brought him to Vancouver.

Booth was expected to bring the Canucks some goal-scoring punch, but he has yet to really deliver. He is

part of a long-struggling second line, centred by boyhood teammate Ryan Kesler.

How Booth and the second line fares will be crucial to the Canucks’ success this spring, starting with Los

Angeles, its formidable defence and Vézina Trophy-calibre goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Booth – a fitness and weight-lifting devotee – did score 31 goals in his third season (2008-09), but a nasty

concussion in late 2009 jarred his career trajectory (the blow coming on a blind-side hit from Mike

Richards, then with Philadelphia, now with L.A.).

With Vancouver, Booth potted just 16 goals in 56 games (while missing 18 because of a knee injury). In a

terrible slump that began in mid-March, he scored no goals in 10 consecutive games. But, with 10

minutes left in the regular season last Saturday, Booth scored an electrifying power-play goal, taking a

drop pass and beating three Edmonton Oilers defenders before putting the puck home.

Several days before the dazzling goal, Booth demonstrated poise that is underpinned by his faith.

Wrestling with his slump, and a season falling short of personal expectations, Booth said he drew strength

from the fact “[my] worth is not based on how [I] play.”

“It’s not what makes me a human being,” he said.

The Canucks winger is no Tim Tebow, the New York Jets quarterback whose regular expressions of faith,

and improbable football comebacks, made him a massive celebrity last year. But Booth, 27, is never shy

to cite the central role of faith in his life. On Twitter.com last Sunday, he broadcast an Easter message. In

late March, also on Twitter, Booth posted a video of a Christian gathering at the Rogers Arena, where the

pastor led a prayer for then-injured Canucks star Daniel Sedin.

God, Booth tweeted, is “Awesome in power! Want to thank the 14000 people praying for my buddy!”

“I never really thought I’d be playing in the NHL,” Booth said last week. “God’s given me this gift for a

reason, and it’s to proclaim His word.”

Kings low-seed, high-quality opponent for Canucks

ERIC DUHATSCHEK | Columnist profile | E-mail

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail

In an NHL coaching career that spans 909 regular-season games and 101 more in the playoffs, Darryl

Sutter has learned a thing or two about pushing motivational buttons.

Sutter is a noted contrarian and so, last Saturday morning, with the playoff races coming down to the wire

and his Los Angeles Kings with a chance to finish atop the Pacific Division, he unexpectedly took both

his team and his starting goaltender, Jonathan Quick, to task. The coach noted how the Kings, once they

had officially qualified for postseason play, were satisfied with simply that – being a playoff team.

“So now, my responsibility is to make sure they’re not [still] satisfied.”

That was shot No. 1 across the bow. Shot No. 2 was even more eyebrow-raising.

As others gushed about Quick’s record-setting season, Sutter was busy heaping praise on the opposition’s

goaltender, Antti Niemi, because a) Niemi previously won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks;

and b) Niemi made all the necessary saves late in a 6-5 victory over L.A. last Thursday, which put the San

Jose Sharks in a position to move up to seventh in the Western Conference.

That is Sutter’s style and essence in a nutshell: Never allow a team to become too complacent. He wants

to keep the players hungry, thinking – and maybe just a little off-balance, too.

This is the challenge facing the No. 1-seeded Vancouver Canucks in the opening round: The No. 8 Kings

went a respectable 9-2-3 in the final 14 games and are defined by their goaltending and defensive play –

two qualities traditionally associated with playoff success.

Quick is a legitimate Vézina Trophy candidate who established club records for shutouts (10), save

percentage (.929) and goals-against average (1.95). Los Angeles allowed the fewest goals in its history

(179, breaking the record of 185 in 1974-75) and thus, anyone expecting a duplication of the thrilling

high-scoring series played between the Kings and Canucks two years ago will surely be disappointed.

As well as the Kings defended this season, they struggled to score goals, finishing 29th overall in the

league. They are the only 2012 playoff team to score fewer than 200 (194).

Forward Jeff Carter missed the final five games of the season with a deep bone bruise on his ankle and,

though he is expected to play at some point in the series, it is unclear how effective he can be.

In Carter’s absence, Sutter broke up his defined No. 1 line to get some scoring balance. Justin Williams

dropped down to the second line to play with Mike Richards and rookie Dwight King. Meanwhile, Brad

Richardson went from the press box to the top line with Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown.

Richards is potentially the Kings’ most important player in the series. He has been a solid two-way

performer, but his scoring production fell off in the second half, after returning from a concussion

(probably too early) in December. However, Richards finished the season on a five-game point-scoring

streak and his experience (helping the Philadelphia Flyers get to the 2010 Stanley Cup final) will be

needed to counter the Canucks’ superior playoff pedigree.

As usual, the game within the game between the respective coaches, Sutter and Alain Vigneault of

Vancouver, will make for interesting theatre.

L.A.’s shutdown blueline pair (Rob Scuderi and Drew Doughty) is the key. Scuderi won a Stanley Cup

with the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, and he and Doughty will undoubtedly see a lot of Canucks captain

Henrik Sedin. In a perfect world, Sutter would probably want to play Richards against Sedin as well, but

that would leave Kopitar against Ryan Kesler – a match-up that likely favours Vancouver physically.

Accordingly, there could be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the benches as the coaches play the match

game, slowing it down even further. The term “patience” will spill from the mouths of players on both

teams in the next fortnight. And that’s what this series will require: patience from everybody, including

viewers, who may spend long stretches of the games waiting for something to happen.

In their four previous meetings, the teams combined for just 15 goals – and there’s no reason to think it’ll

be any different now.

Sometimes, a No. 8 seed can be a pushover, just happy to qualify for the playoffs. Los Angeles, which

made some of the boldest moves of the past 12 months to bolster its playoff hopes, isn’t one of those.

The Kings pose a legitimate threat. Sutter, if nothing else, will see to that.

Who should Canadians pull for?

Making the case for the Canucks and Senators

By Robert Tychkowski, Bruce Garrioch, QMI Agency

Canucks: watch ’em cause you hate ’em

Robert Tychkowski

I'm not going to pretend I like the Canucks.

Nobody likes the Canucks. Nobody outside the sushi dens and granola taverns of Vancouver, anyway.

They whine. They dive. They turtle. They want referees to fight their battles. They are arrogant, they bite

people and their fans set fire to police cars.

And that's why we watch them. Say what you will about the Canucks, they are never boring.

Would you throw up a little in your mouth if you saw Ryan Kesler handing the Stanley Cup to Maxim

Lapierre? Of course you would.

But if Ottawa is playing on one channel and the Canucks are on another, who are you watching?

Ottawa? Nobody wants to watch vanilla ice cream melt Ñ you're going to watch the hated Canucks

because you know you're going to see something good.

Or stupid.

Or good and stupid.

It's usually all of the above with these guys.

Remember Dale Weise, agreeing to fight Shawn Thornton, then hiding behind a linesman when Thornton

dropped his gloves? Who on Ottawa can get your blood boiling like that?

Remember Alex Burrows pulling Duncan Keith's hair? Or diving and flailing every time he's touched,

then crying about the non calls?

What's more compelling than Roberto Luongo walking a psychological tightrope above GM Place, with

his own fans ready to heckle at the first sign of trouble?

Does Lapierre, with his yapping and hacking and never manning up to fight his own battles, represent

Canadians, or the way we want hockey played? God, no. But you watch just to see what's going to happen

next.

All to the backdrop of former Vancouver play-by-play guy Jim Hughson calling it like he sees it for CBC.

They aren't all bad — Kevin Bieska and the Sedins are among several good honest Canucks Ñ but they

are bad enough to make it fun.

And they're good enough to drive you insane.

You watch the Canucks for the same reason people watch villains in wrestling — to see them beaten —

but it never seems to happen, which makes them even more infuriating.

You can have your Senators. I'm watching Vancouver. I'm not going to like everything I see, but I can't

turn away.

Senators: quintessentially Canadian

Bruce Garrioch

When is the last time Henrik and Daniel Sedin took a snowmobile to the Rogers Centre for Vancouver

Canucks practice?

I know, it's ridiculous, it never snows on the West Coast of Canada. But just wondering.

Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has done it. He might hail from Sweden, but the 39-year-old

owns a couple of sleds. If there's snow on the ground, the odd time he'll put on his helmet and head to

practice in style.

Is there a better snapshot of true Canadiana than that particular moment? No way.

Seriously, that could never happen in Vancouver. The twins probably have to climb into their SUV, stop

at one of the six Starbucks on the way to the rink for a latte, then show up fashionably late to make sure

they're part of the culture.

There is no question, with only two teams from North of the border in the playoffs, Ottawa is Canada's

team. The way the Senators have played this year represents everything that Canadians should like in a

team.

The Senators have been the underdogs, selected to finish No. 15 overall in the East by The Hockey News.

Ottawa has battled the odds to make the post-season. There were no expectations coming into this year.

None at all.

Sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs are widely regarded as Canada's team, but they haven't made the playoffs

since the lockout ended in 2004, even with genius Brian Burke in charge. The Senators have only missed

twice in that stretch.

The Senators' best player is centre Jason Spezza. A pure Canadian in every sense of the word, he has it

all: The ability to make plays that lift people out of their seats, good looks and an 'Aw Shucks'

personality.

Coach Paul MacLean is beloved on the East Coast and GM Bryan Murray is from the Ottawa Valley.

Yes, Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault is one of the best, but the Canucks organization is led by sourpuss

former agent Mike Gillis.

It's hard to hate the Senators. The same can't be said for the Canucks. They are Canada's most-disliked

team and it's going to be difficult for any fan to get over that hurdle, which is as high as the Rocky

Mountains.

Sedin could be back for Game 1

By HOSEA CHEUNG, QMI Agency

VANCOUVER - A twin reunion could be in store for the Vancouver Canucks this week, just in time for

the playoffs.

Daniel Sedin skated in a full-contact practice Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion on

March 21, when Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith elbowed him in the head.

While the Canucks forward was not made available to the media afterwards, his brother Henrik was

happy to have him back on the ice.

"It's good to see him out there," said the Canucks captain. "He's still got a few days so we'll see what

happens. If he wouldn't have been out there today, he would be a really long shot for Wednesday. That's a

good sign."

Whether or not Daniel plays in the first-round series opener against the L.A. Kings at Rogers Arena

remains to be seen, and Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said it'll come down to the doctors.

"That's not going to be my decision," he said, adding Daniel had skated on his own prior to Monday. "It's

going to be a medical decision. He skated today for the first time with his teammates and we'll see how

he's doing tomorrow and we'll take it from there."

The Canucks were 8-1 without Daniel to close out the regular season, but the winger still finished as the

team's top goal scorer (30) and was second in points (67) behind his brother. Monday, he skated in his

regular spot on the top line with Henrik and Alex Burrows.

"He's one of the top players in the league and the world," Burrows said. "To have him back in our lineup,

it'll be huge and hopefully he'll be fine to go."

According to the L.A. Times, the Kings also got some good news of their own as forward Jeff Carter

practised with the team after missing five games with a bruised ankle.