Just a few short days ago I eagerly awaited the semi-finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs thinking we’d be in for fireworks between the Flyers and the Penguins and hoping that the Stars magical run could continue. That was before the four overtime period marathon which clearly sucked the life out of the Stars, at least at this point.

Aren’t the playoffs beautiful?

The top story in the first round of the playoffs at this time has to be the Dallas Stars going into the lion’s den in Anaheim and winning not once but twice and frankly in rather convincing fashion. Six power play goals of the nine scored so far by the Stars is an outstanding stat for the boys from the Lone Star State.

You could make a case that this particular block of games is almost as good as it gets in the NHL season. No question, nothing really can beat the first round of the playoffs with eight games going in some way, shape or form every night or every other night. This last couple of weeks of the schedule would be close though.

Trade deadline comments and other hockey news

The late Ted Blackman once said that there are two organizations in the world that continually get it right in terms of being able to supply the proper pomp and pageantry required for a showing of any magnitude, the House of Windsor and the Montreal Canadiens. Heady company for a sports franchise but the Montreal Canadiens is not your average sports franchise.

Muckler is shown the door- Patrick Kane is welcomed by Chicago and MCN sports lights up the draft proceedings in Columbus

There are those who claim Cassius Clay never really landed that ‘phantom’ shot to Sonny Liston’s melon during their rematch in 1964. “We never saw it,” claim many boxing fans. Well I never saw John Muckler being shown the door by Mr. Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators just a few short weeks ago. That came out of nowhere in my opinion, just like Clay’s (soon to be Muhammad Ali) shot all those years agoMore....

For the sixth season in a row the NHL has a new Stanley Cup champion. Colorado 2001, Detroit 2002, New Jersey 2003, Tampa Bay 2004, Carolina 2006 and now Anaheim in 2007. Gary Bettman wanted a salary cap and parity; I think that’s been achieved.More...