Game 7 of the series saw Montreal jump out to a 1-0 lead after the first period.  The Habs played with heart in the second period, silencing the Capitals big line and then in the third period, the Canadiens took a 2-0 lead late into the 3rd period.

The Washington Capitals scored with a little over 2 minutes remaining to pull within a goal and with a late powerplay with only 1:44 left, Washington was unable to score.

The Canadiens move on to face the Penguins in round 2.

With the loss, the Wings still lead the series 2-1, bringing Newfoundlander Daniel Cleary closer to his second cup.  Will the Stanley Cup make its second trip to Newfoundland?  That’s yet to be seen.  Hopefully, the Wings will resume their winning ways and Daniel Cleary will be another game closer to his second cup.

After Detroit fell 1-0, Cleary evened the score early in the first period.  With the goal, momentum swung to Detroit who then dominated the game.  Cleary ended the game with 3 shots on goal and a +3 for the game, making him +13 for the playoffs.

As the only remaining Newfoundlander left in their chase for the cup, Dan Cleary hopes to bring the cup back to Newfoundland and Labrador once again.

With the score tied 3-3 late in the third period, Cleary batted the puck out of the air to score the game winner.  The Detroit Red Wings now advance to the Western Conference Final against the Chicago Blackhawks in an original 6 matchup.

Will Cleary and his wings be heading back to the Stanley Cup finals?  We can only hope!

The Bruins have a had a major battle with the Hurricanes, and if they can complete the comeback, they will have done what few teams have.

Michael Ryder has not been a major goal scoring threat in this series, but he did manage 1 assist tonight, bring his total to 5 goals, 7 assists (12 pts), placing him 12th in the NHL playoff scoring race.

Since losing their first playoff game several days ago, the Bruins look defeated.  Michael Ryder who was one of the scoring leaders up to the start of this series has been relatively quiet.  The entire team is struggling.

Will Sunday’s game be the last for Michael Ryder and the Bruins?

After running up 5 straight victories in the 2008-09 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins have lost 2 straight, giving the Hurricanes an early series lead.  Michael Ryder has been quiet on the scoring front in Boston’s two losses and the Bruin’s defensive squad have allowed some soft goals in their 2 game skid.

One must wonder if Michael Ryder’s rise in the 2008-09 playoffs is over or if he will dig deep and show his scoring prowess in game 4.

Late in the 3rd period, it looked as if the Wings had tied the game but the referee had apparently blown the whistle, making the play “unreviewable” for video replay.

The Wings, last year’s defending Stanley Cup Champions now have their backs against the wall.  Daniel Clearly logged a fair amount of ice time in the loss but played a very strong  game for the wings.

With the loss, the momentum of the series has switched from the Bruins to Carolina with the Hurricanes heading home.  Will the Bruins rebound after this loss?

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With the San Jose Sharks exist, Newfoundlander Ryan Clowe sees his quest for a cup end prematurely.  Playing on a team with the talent of the Sharks, many here in this fair province were hoping that Clowe would have an opportunity to allow Newfoundland to have a visit from the Stanley Cup, following in the footprints of Dan Cleary of the Detroit Red Wings.  However, it was not in the cards as the Sharks had a pathetic playoff and was only the 4th Presidents Cup winner to exit in the first round.

The Devils collapse in the third period (well the last minute of the 3rd Period) sees their quest for the 2009 Stanley Cup end as well.  After evening the score with 1:20 left to play, the Hurricanes put the finishing touch on the Devils less than a minute later, going ahead 4-3.  The collapse of the New Jersey Devils in the final minute was uncharacteristic of a team that plays so strong defensively.

Finally, what can be said about the New York Rangers?  Not much considering how they blew a 3-1 series lead and let the Washington Capitals come back and take the series from under their noses.  A team of under-achievers who will probably say the media didn’t want them to win anyway.

Who will win the 2009 Stanley Cup?  Perhaps the Ducks of Anaheim after knocking off the mighty Sharks may have what it takes?  It could also be the Capitals – they are playing with heart or is Ovechkin just pumped on too much Red Bull?