Blackhawks star player Kane, indicted in NY cabbie attack

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was indicted Wednesday on misdemeanor assault and theft charges after he was accused of beating up a cab driver over a fare dispute.

The grand jury dismissed a more serious felony charge of second-degree robbery, Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III said.

Kane, 20, and his cousin, James Kane, 21, were arrested Aug. 9 after 62-year-old cabbie Jan Radecki told police they attacked him when he said he didn't have 20 cents in change for the fare. James Kane was indicted on the same charges.

The cab driver had bruises and broken glasses.

At a U.S. Olympic hockey camp in suburban Chicago, Kane said he had not heard any details about the indictment and wanted to talk first with his lawyer.

"If the felony is dropped, that's obviously a positive step," Kane said. "The sooner it gets over, I think, the more everyone will be happy about it."

The Kanes earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were indicted on charges of third-degree assault and theft of services, both misdemeanors, as well as harassment, a violation. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

If convicted, the Kanes could get up to a year in jail.

Calls to Patrick Kane's lawyer, Paul Cambria, were not immediately returned.

"As is the practice in all criminal cases, the assigned prosecutor and defense counsel will discuss a possible resolution of the case short of trial," Sedita said in a statement.

A plea deal would be based on the victim's wishes, the severity of his injuries and other factors, Sedita said. But Kane's celebrity status "is not such a consideration," he said, adding, "Kane will not be prosecuted more leniently or more harshly because he is employed as a hockey player."

The cabbie has said he wants a public apology from the Kanes, not jail time, said his lawyer, Andrew LoTempio.

"I can't comment as to his point of view," Sedita told The Associated Press. "The name of the action is the People of the State of New York v. the Kanes, not Jan Radecki v. the Kanes.

"We often have domestic violence cases where victims do not want to go forward, but we go forward with it anyway. I'm not saying that's the case here but just to illustrate the point. Obviously, we take a victim's wishes into consideration all the time."

Kane, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft and the rookie of the year in 2008, had 25 goals and 45 assists last season, and his team has built a marketing campaign around him. He helped the Blackhawks advance to the Western Conference finals last season.

by the associated press

Boston's Chara named as NHL's top defenseman

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Boston's Zdeno Chara has edged Washington's Mike Green to win the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman.

Chara beat Green and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom, a six-time winner, for the award on Thursday night. Green led NHL with 31 goals.

Chara helped the Bruins' post the lowest goals per game average in the regular season. He ranked 12th in the league in scoring among defensemen with 50 points.

Chara snapped Lidstrom's three-year Norris winning streak. Lidstrom had won the award six of the previous seven seasons.



by the associated press

Datsyuk hockey's gentlemanly of the year for the 4th time

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk has been picked as hockey's most gentlemanly player for the fourth straight year.

The award was his second of the night, after winning the Selke — given to the top defensive forward — earlier Thursday.

Datsyuk, who was assessed only 22 penalty minutes in 81 games, finished well ahead in voting over fellow Lady Byng finalists Martin St. Louis of Tampa Bay and New Jersey's Zach Parise. Datsyuk received 64 first-place votes.

He finished they season fourth in the NHL with 97 points and was second with 89 takeaways.



by the associated press

Thomas takes NHL's top goalie award

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Journeyman Tim Thomas has been picked overwhelmingly by NHL general managers as the league's top goalie.

Thomas earned 22 first-place votes to take the Vezina Trophy. Columbus' Steve Mason, awarded the Calder Trophy earlier Thursday night as rookie of the year, was the next closest finalist with three first-place votes. Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom received one.

Thomas told a crowd at the Palms Casino Resort that winning the Vezina was a dream. He said he was more used to worrying about whether he'd be on a roster than winning awards.




by the associated press

Alex The Great

LAS VEGAS (AP) — He is Alex The Great — again.

Washington Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin pulled off the kind of repeat the Detroit Red Wings dreamed about by snagging the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the second straight year Thursday night.

Ovechkin also walked off with the NHL Players' Association's Lester B. Pearson Award, given to the most outstanding player in voting by fellow players.

"What a life," Ovechkin said after winning the Pearson for his first jackpot at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

It made no difference that the awards ceremony was moved to Sin City from Toronto to make it a more glitzy spectacle. Ovechkin, the leading goal scorer each of the past two seasons, stood out above the rest.

Ovechkin led the league with 56 goals and was second with 110 points. Voters for the Hart Trophy overwhelmingly picked Ovechkin over Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin and Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk, awarding him 115 of 131 first-place votes to make him the first back-to-back Hart winner since Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek in 1997 and '98.

"It's important for me. What I'm doing on the ice, it's working and I don't want to stop," Ovechkin said. "Right now, I'm the best, but next year everyone will be better."

Ovechkin said he planned to send his trophies to his family's home in Russia for safekeeping.

"My parents take care of it," the 23-year-old winger said. He also won $10,000 for the award.

Datsyuk couldn't top Ovechkin for the Hart or Pearson awards, but he did pull off a double play for the second consecutive season. Datsyuk, the Red Wings' outstanding two-way center, claimed the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward and the Lady Byng for gentlemanly play and skill.

"Second," Datsyuk said after winning the Lady Byng, "Now I'm more confident."

Datsyuk, who nearly helped the Red Wings to a second straight Stanley Cup title after returning from injury during the finals, has won the Lady Byng four consecutive years and the Selke twice in a row.

The Boston Bruins made a disappointing exit in the second round of the playoffs after posting the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they took home multiple awards on Thursday.

Tim Thomas, who had a 2.10 goals-against average, won the Vezina Trophy for best goalie, and 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara earned the Norris Trophy as top defenseman, breaking the three-year winning streak of Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom. Lidstrom had won it six of the past seven seasons.

Thomas called his trophy a dream that he wasn't used to thinking about.

"I had been more worried about getting my name on a roster than about winning the Vezina Trophy," he said.

Thomas took 22 of 26 first-place votes in the Vezina voting.

Bruins coach Claude Julien was given the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top bench boss.

Columbus goalie Steve Mason took the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year after leading the NHL with 10 shutouts and ranking second with a 2.29 goals-against average. He was the first rookie to lead the NHL in shutouts since Chicago's Tony Esposito in 1970.

Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin settled for being a finalist after winning the regular season and playoff scoring titles. Votes were cast before the Penguins' run to the Stanley Cup championship.

The league moved its awards show to Las Vegas from Toronto in hopes that injecting some Sin City glitz would generate buzz for its players and the sport.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in moving the show that Las Vegas would give it more room to expand its year-end celebration of its players. Las Vegas, he said, would attract more fans and celebrities and make things more exciting for players honored as the best of the best.

The show included performances from singers Robin Thicke and Chaka Khan, as well as several celebrity appearances.

The league also announced its All-Star teams Thursday night, with Calgary winger Jarome Iginla joining Ovechkin, Thomas, Green, Chara and Malkin on the top squad.

Second-team honors went to Mason, Lidstrom and Datsyuk along with San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle, Detroit forward Marian Hossa and New Jersey winger Zach Parise, who was a Lady Byng finalist.



by the associated press

Gonchar tore MCL

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar played the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a partially torn right medial collateral ligament, a major injury that can sideline an athlete for months.

Gonchar, playing through the injury because he wanted to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in an NHL career that began during the 1994-95 season, was injured during a knee-to-knee hit by Washington star Alex Ovechkin in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Gonchar missed two games, returned for Game 7 of that series and played in the conference finals against Carolina and the Stanley Cup finals against Detroit without missing another game for the Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

"Lots of guys were playing with bruises," Gonchar said Sunday of refusing to be sidelined.

Defenseman Kris Letang also had an undisclosed but significant injury during the playoffs, but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Sunday only that, "There were lots of guys that were dinged up and patched together."

Bylsma did not reveal any of the injuries.

Gonchar was initially told after getting hurt May 8 that he might be out a month to six weeks, only to return in a week.

A point man on the Penguins' power play, Gonchar wasn't as productive as usual following his second serious injury of the season, getting one goal and four assists in his final 12 games. The goal came during Pittsburgh's 4-2 victory in Game 3 against Detroit.

Gonchar missed the first two-thirds of the NHL season with a shoulder injury that occurred during the Penguins' first preseason game. Despite getting hurt again, he told teammates he couldn't sit out during the most important time of the season.

"I told the guys they were realizing how important it is now, in the playoffs, it's that time of the year when you have the chance to make your dream come true," Gonchar said. "That's why you're playing through everything, just to get it. It's not only me, everybody sacrificed somehow to get it."

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said the jammed left knee that put him on the bench for all but one shift during the second half of Pittsburgh's 2-1 victory in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals Friday in Detroit isn't serious.

On Sunday, a doctor told Crosby that an MRI exam probably won't be needed.

"In a few weeks, it should be all right," said Crosby, who will take part in the Penguins' victory parade Monday in Pittsburgh.



by the associated press

Pens comeback

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Stanley Cup finals won't duplicate last year's, and a momentum-swinging period by the Pittsburgh Penguins put in doubt whether there will be a repeat champion.

Jordan Staal's short-handed goal during back-to-back Detroit power plays started Pittsburgh's comeback, and the Penguins scored three goals in less than 6 minutes of the second period Thursday night to win 4-2 and tie the series at 2.

Evgeni Malkin, enjoying the best postseason since Wayne Gretzky's in 1993, and Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist each to help rally the Penguins from a 2-1 deficit a year to the day Detroit raised the Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh by winning Game 6.

Tyler Kennedy also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury, with his second successive excellent game, made 37 saves.

Until Game 4, the finals followed the same pattern as last year's: Detroit won the first two at home, then dropped Game 3 in Pittsburgh. But the Red Wings couldn't follow up their 2-1 road victory in Game 4 of last year, one decided largely when they killed off a lengthy Pittsburgh 5-on-3 advantage, and now these finals are the best-of-three.

Game 5 is Saturday night in Detroit, with Game 6 in Pittsburgh on Tuesday after the series' first two-day break.

"It's a race to four (wins) now," Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis said.

The Red Wings were done in by a bad second period and dreadful special teams. Pittsburgh has converted on 4 of 9 power plays, and this game swung when the Penguins got a goal — and the Red Wings didn't — during 3:59 of continuous Detroit power-play time. Detroit was 0 for 4 with the man advantage.

With Detroit up 2-1 following goals by Darren Helm and Brad Stuart less than 3 minutes apart to end the first and start the second, Staal — who had only two goals in 20 playoff games — got loose after Max Talbot's up-ice pass.

The 6-foot-4 Staal used his lengthy stride to thread defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski and beat Chris Osgood at 8:35 of the second. Staal had a record-tying seven short-handed goals as an 18-year-old rookie in 2006-07, but had only one since.

"Max made a great play ... and I lowered my head and went for it," Staal said.

Staal's goal instantly changed a major opportunity by Detroit to seize control not only of the game but the series into a tie game, and the 17,132 jammed into a suddenly rocking Mellon Arena sensed how big the play might be. And they were right.

"That was a big momentum changer for us," Talbot said. "The building was so loud, it gave us a lot of emotion."

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said, "They have a chance to go up 3-1, but Jordan speeds up ice ... and kind of got us rolling."

The Penguins finished off killing the second power play and, less than a minute later, Crosby and Malkin — their signature stars — worked a 2-on-1 rush for Crosby's 15th of the playoffs and 30th point. With 35 points, Malkin has more than any player since Gretzky had 40 in 1993.

Kennedy, a Staal linemate who had no goals in five games, finished it off with Pittsburgh's third goal in a span of 5:37 by scoring off two quick passes by Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Kennedy won the race to a loose puck with Henrik Zetterberg, who may be wearying from shadowing Crosby shift after shift.

"They had some 3-on-2s and 2-on-1s, and we can't do that against them because they're too skilled," Zetterberg said.

On the Detroit bench, a sour-faced Mike Babcock had the look of a coach wondering if four games in six nights for his tiring Red Wings might have favored the younger Penguins. All four Pittsburgh goals came from players who are 22 or younger.

"We were playing all right, but the power play hurt us for sure," Babcock said. "It sucked the life out of us."

Before Pittsburgh scored eight goals in two games at home, Osgood had allowed a goal or less in eight of 18 playoff games.

The Penguins know a 2-0 deficit doesn't mean certain defeat, although only one of 32 teams has won the finals after losing the first two on the road. They rallied to beat the Capitals two rounds ago after losing the first two in Washington, and they've pointed to that comeback as reason for hope they could pull this one off.

"The last couple have been desperation (games) for us," Crosby said.

The Red Wings had a letdown a few minutes before the start when Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk, out for six games with an injured foot, skated in the pregame warmups but decided he couldn't play. The Wings were optimistic the day before he might play, with Datsyuk joking he had was eager to return because he was drinking too much beer while sitting out.

Then, with only 1:12 gone, the Red Wings did what Babcock said they couldn't do with an ailing penalty kill by taking take an unnecessary penalty. Niklas Kronwall tripped Malkin, and Malkin took advantage by scoring with only 2:39 gone, with Staal assisting.

Malkin is trying to become the first player since the Penguins' Mario Lemieux in 1992 to lead the NHL in regular season and playoff scoring.

Detroit tied it with 1:41 left in the period. Helm stole Rob Scuderi's pass out of the corner and beat Fleury inside the far post from the right faceoff circle dot.

Notes:@ The Red Wings' 44-52 record in Game 4s is easily their worst of any playoff game. .. Detroit F Kris Draper returned from a groin injury, with rookie Justin Abdelkader sitting out despite scoring goals in each of the first two games. ... Detroit F Marian Hossa didn't score after having two goals in each of his three previous Game 4s this spring. ... Pittsburgh is 4-0 in Game 4s this spring.



by the associated press

NHL Championship , 2-1

PITTSBURGH (AP) — For three straight years, the home team has won the first three games of the Stanley Cup finals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins secured that accomplishment for the second consecutive year by beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-2 Tuesday night. However, the Game 3 winner hasn't managed to stay alive past Game 6.

"In my opinion, in the two games at home, one of them could have gone the other way, too," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "So this series is where it should be."

The Ottawa Senators cut the Anaheim Ducks' lead to 2-1 in the 2007 finals, only to drop the next two games and go out in five. The Penguins lost Game 4 to the Red Wings last year, forced the series back to Pittsburgh with a Game 5 win, but had its season end on home ice.

Not that the Red Wings are relying on history to come through for them again this time.

"I don't think so. It's a new year," forward Valtteri Filppula said.

___

THIRD-PERIOD TURNAROUND:@ After being outshot 26-11 through two periods, the Penguins turned things around in the third en route to the 4-2 victory.

Lucky to be tied 2-2 through 40 minutes, the Penguins turned it on and outshot Detroit 10-3 in the third. Sergei Gonchar's power-play goal snapped the deadlock with 9:31 remaining, and Max Talbot's empty-netter sealed Pittsburgh's win.

Before Tuesday, Detroit's previous low shot total in a period in this year's playoffs was six, done four times. The Red Wings had outscored opponents 19-6 in the third period and outshot them 210-153 during the postseason.

The Penguins rebounded after being outshot 14-4 in the second period.

"It's probably a little easier when you come out of a bad period like that and you're still tied," Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said. "You feel like you've kind of dodged a bullet."

___

LIDSTROM SPEAKS:@ You can count on Nicklas Lidstrom meeting the media every day during the Stanley Cup finals.

One day after 21-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took a break from reporters questions, Lidstrom gave his take Tuesday about standing up in front of cameras, tape recorders and notebooks on a regular basis.

"I look at it as being part of the job, the same as coming to practice," said Lidstrom, in his third season as Detroit Red Wings captain. "You go out there and skate at practice, you talk to the media afterward, too. I just consider that as part of the game and part of being a hockey player."

Crosby is a regular participant at the postseason podium, but after the Penguins returned to Pittsburgh on Monday following two consecutive losses in Detroit at the start of the Stanley Cup finals, he left the talking to other teammates and coach Dan Bylsma.

Crosby failed to record a point in either of Pittsburgh's 3-1 losses.

"I actually have a game plan for the playoffs. I made a point of saying every day doesn't need to be Sidney Crosby day," Bylsma said Monday. "There have been days when he hasn't been out here. So that was it. We made a choice to give other people a chance to be up here and for you to talk to them and feel it's important for it to be a team thing, not just Dan Bylsma and Sidney Crosby talking at the podium every day."

The demand for Lidstrom's time went up once he took over the captain's 'C' after Steve Yzerman retired.

"I get lot more requests and I talk a lot more to the media than when I wasn't the captain or even assistant captain," the generally soft-spoken Lidstrom said. "There is a little bit more responsibilities now when you are the captain."

___

THE CITY OF (ROAD) CHAMPIONS:@ By losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals in Detroit, the Penguins left themselves with little chance of ending a Pittsburgh sports curiosity. When the city's sports teams win championship-clinching games, they usually do it on the road.

Over the past 38 years, Pittsburgh's three major pro sports teams have won a combined 10 Super Bowls, Stanley Cup titles or World Series championships, but not one was accomplished in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers' six Super Bowl victories were won at neutral sites. The Pirates' 1971 and 1979 World Series titles were won in Baltimore. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 1991 at Minnesota and in 1992 in Chicago.

The last title won by a Pittsburgh team at home was by the 1960 Pirates, when they defeated the New York Yankees 10-9 on Bill Mazeroski's homer in Game 7 of the World Series.

The Penguins can play a maximum of three home games in the Stanley Cup finals (Games 3, 4 and 6) and thus needed to win four in a row to have any chance of winning the Cup in Pittsburgh.

___

AWARDS:@ St. Louis Blues president John Davidson, a longtime local and national NHL commentator before he switched jobs, was selected as the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner for his contributions in hockey broadcasting, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.

Davidson, had been an analyst for MSG Network on New York Rangers telecasts, along with NBC and CBC, and had been in the broadcast booth for the past five Winter Olympics.

"John Davidson has had a remarkable career in almost every aspect of professional hockey, and we as a broadcast community benefited immensely from his expertise and professionalism," said Chuck Kaiton, president of the NHL Broadcasters' Association. "He is an incredibly deserving recipient of this honor."

Pittsburgh sports writer Dave Molinari was chosen as this year's recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for print journalism.

Molinari, the lead hockey writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, has covered the Penguins since 1984. He was recognized by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association for his "subtle blend of dry wit and unending sarcasm," and for chronicling the career of Hall of Fame forward Mario Lemieux.

"The fans of Pittsburgh of been fortunate to have highly skilled players such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby," PHWA president Kevin Allen said in a statement. "And they have been equally fortunate to have a highly skilled writer such as Dave to chronicle their successes."

Davidson and Molinari will be honored at a luncheon on Nov. 9, before the Hockey Hall of Fame induction.




by the associated press

Red Wings' Game 2

DETROIT (AP) — Jonathan Ericsson will have a pretty good tale to tell his grandkids someday.

Ericsson scored for the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals, helping them beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 to take a 2-0 lead Sunday night, and got the best of superstar Evgeni Malkin three times on the same shift.

Not bad for a defenseman who played just four days after having his appendix removed.

"I don't think there will be a big thing when I get grandkids. I think it'll be an everyday situation," said Ericsson, who said the surgery used to sideline athletes for at least a month. "In 20, 30, 40 years, maybe the surgery will develop to another level."

After Ericsson's goal made it 1-1 early in the second, he frustrated Malkin on a shift later in the period.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Swede stood up Malkin to thwart his rush, then used his big body to get the MVP finalist off the puck again.

"It was huge," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "He's a big man, who can play against anybody."

Malkin reacted by interfering with Ericsson, putting Detroit on the power play.

The Red Wings scored just after the penalty was killed, generating enough pressure that Valtteri Filppula's backhander gave them a 2-1 lead.

Ericsson is one of the young players performing for the defending Stanley Cup champions after being forced to develop in the minor leagues.

Detroit general manager Ken Holland likes his prospects "overripe" before they get a chance to play in the NHL.

The 25-year-old Ericsson was buried at Grand Rapids in the AHL until getting called up in March because defenseman Andreas Lilja had a concussion.

"If we didn't have him, we would be in big trouble," Babcock said.

Ericsson played 19 times in the regular season, scoring once and adding three assists.

In 17 playoff games, he has three goals — including on in his playoff debut in the first round against Columbus — and six points. Ericsson missed only one game after abdominal pain the morning of Game 5 in the Western Conference finals sent him to the hospital.

"I'm feeling better every day," he said.

Babcock said Ericsson's size, reach and passing skills will make him an elite player for a long time.

Plenty of teams had a shot at drafting him because he lasted until the 291st — and final — selection in the 2002 NHL draft.

"I was young and not strong at all," Ericsson said. "I guess Detroit saw something no one else did."


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Detroit wins 3-1 victory

DETROIT (AP) — Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux were both in the building when the Stanley Cup finals opener changed in a way it couldn't have during their Hall of Fame careers. With the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins tied late in the second period, the Penguins cleared the puck down the ice for a routine icing call. Only now in this post-lockout NHL, icing can be devastating.

Not only does the faceoff come back in the offending team's end, but that club must keep its players — who are often tired — on the ice. The rule is only four years old, put into play to create offense. And it worked just as it was supposed to.

The Penguins were caught with a drained top line in their own zone, unable to clear the puck and eventually keep it out of their net. That goal put Detroit back in front and sent them on the way to a 3-1 victory Saturday night.

Sensing the game was on the line at that point, even with more than one period left, rookie Penguins coach Dan Bylsma tried to help out the tired trio of Sidney Crosby, Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz.

Bylsma spent his lone timeout with 1:14 left in the period, but couldn't keep his club even for long.

Just 16 seconds later, those exhausted Penguins were still on the ice when Johan Franzen banked in a goal off netminder Marc-Andre Fleury, restoring the defending champions' lead.

The crowd was roaring, the momentum had shifted, and the Red Wings were on their way to a win.

Lemieux couldn't help his team from the Penguins' owner's box. Howe, who dropped the puck for the ceremonial opening faceoff, couldn't have imagined such a rule when he played in the days when the Red Wings were one of only six NHL teams.

Pittsburgh might be searching for another respite, like the lifeline Bylsma attempted to toss them, but there is little time. Game 2 is Sunday night back in raucous Joe Louis Arena, where the Penguins failed to score in a pair of losses that kicked off last year's finals.

The Penguins looked better at the start of the rematch, but they already face the prospect of being down 2-0 by the time they get back home for Game 3 on Tuesday.

So much for the young Penguins being the fresh, healthy and rested ones.

The Red Wings are banged up, forced to start the finals without Pavel Datsyuk (foot), their regular-season scoring leader and fellow forward Kris Draper. Captain Nicklas Lidstrom came back from an injury that forced him to miss the last two games of the Western Conference finals. Another defenseman, Brian Rafalski, also was sidelined during the playoffs.

Maybe those nicks and bruises provided a necessary break, too. The first four games will be played in a six-night span.

"I keep reading that we're the tired team and that we didn't get enough rest," said 47-year-old Chris Chelios, who wasn't in Detroit's lineup. "But (Rafalski) last round — I'm talking about guys that log a lot of minutes — Nick had a couple of games off, Jonny Ericsson got a couple of games off. The deeper this series goes, if it does go deep, I think those key guys got a lot of rest."

The belief was that the Penguins, who hadn't played since finishing off Carolina on Tuesday night, brought fresh legs and a new dose of experience that was gained during last year's finals loss to the Red Wings.

So far, the Penguins are the ones trying to catch their breath.


by the associated press

Rick Rypien sign's with Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Rick Rypien, a cousin of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Mark Rypien, to a two-year contract extension on Wednesday.

Rick Rypien has five goals, two assists and 69 penalty minutes in 41 games over four NHL seasons. Hard hitting and willing to fight much larger opponents, the 5-foot-11 Rypien's biggest struggle has been staying healthy.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the new deal prevents the 25-year-old from becoming a free agent on July 1.

"Rick plays with intensity and energy every time he steps on the ice, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said in a statement. "He is an important part of our team and a valued teammate.

Rypien had sports hernia surgery early last season — his sixth major injury since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2005 — and took a personal leave of absence after recovering. He missed 70 games and six months before returning in late March, getting two assists in 10 playoff games.



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OT goal puts Red Wings back in Cup finals

DETROIT (AP) — Darren Helm and Dan Cleary are far from marquee players for the Detroit Red Wings.

The banged-up Red Wings, playing without stars Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, needed Helm and Cleary to eliminate the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday night.

Helm scored 3:58 into overtime, and Cleary had a goal in the third period in the defending champion Red Wings' 2-1 victory over Chicago that set up a Stanley Cup finals rematch with Pittsburgh.

"We lose guys and we keep getting the job done," defenseman Brett Lebda said.

Detroit won 4-1 in a series that needed overtime in three of the last four games.

"We blew them out one game, but by no means was it easy," said goalie Chris Osgood, who made 30 saves.

The Red Wings and Penguins, coming off a four-game sweep over Carolina in the East, will open the championship series Saturday night in Detroit.

The series will start nearly a week ahead of schedule because NBC and the NHL didn't want a long layoff to stunt the excitement about the matchup.

One of the intriguing stories will be Detroit's Marian Hossa playing against the team he left behind as a free agent. Hossa turned down a long-term, lucrative deal from the Penguins last summer for a one-year contract because he believed the Red Wings had a better shot to win it all again.

"It's a unique situation right now, definitely this doesn't happen often," Hossa said. "I try to make the best of the situation for myself and try to help the team win a Cup."

The Red Wings are matching up with Pittsburgh in what is the NHL's first Stanley Cup rematch since the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders in 1984 after losing to them the previous year.

"To have the opportunity against Pittsburgh should be a lot of fun," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "There will be a lot of hype."

The Red Wings, the first defending champion to get back to the finals since New Jersey in 2001, are trying to become the first team to repeat since they accomplished the feat in 1997 and '98.

In the Western Conference finale, both teams were missing key players.

Detroit was without six-time Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Lidstrom; his replacement, Jonathan Ericsson; MVP finalist Datsyuk; and four-time Cup-winning forward Kris Draper.

"Everybody picked up the slack," said 47-year-old defenseman Chris Chelios, who played only because Detroit's blue line was so thin.

In addition to Khabibulin, Chicago faced elimination — for the first time this postseason — without star forward Martin Havlat.

Goalie Cristobal Huet kept the Blackhawks in the game, but a bad bounce for them and a fortunate one for Detroit ended the game.

Detroit sent the puck behind Huet, Tomas Holmstrom got it across the crease after the carom and, after fanning with a shot attempt from the edge of the crease, Helm was credited with the series-clinching goal after it went in off his skate.

"Those are the kind of goals you score in the later stages in playoffs," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We got hemmed in their end. It was a tough one."

Despite helping Chicago reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and the conference finals for the first time since 1995, Jonathan Toews took the season-ending loss hard.

"It's pretty hard kick to the ribs," Toews said. "It stinks quite a bit, but maybe it's the motivation and experience we needed."

Cleary opened the scoring 6:08 into the third period, and Chicago's Patrick Kane tied it with 7:07 left in regulation with his first goal of the series.

Huet made 44 saves for the Blackhawks. He forced overtime with a spectacular stop from his stomach, lifting his right leg to knock away Johan Franzen's shot in the closing seconds.

"He played great," Quenneville said. "He is to be commended. The game he played kept us in it."

Notes:@ Ericsson was a surprise scratch, needing surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis following the morning skate. The Red Wings expect the rookie to return for Game 1 against Pittsburgh. ... Lidstrom was out with an undisclosed injury, and Datsyuk missed his third straight game because of a foot injury. ... Havlat was shook up in each of the last two games by hard hits and Khabibulin left Game 3 with a lower body injury. ... Quenneville fell to 0-5 against the Red Wings in the playoffs and they hope a trend continues. After beating a Quenneville-coached team, Detroit hoisted the Cup last year, in 2002, 1998 and 1997. ... The Red Wings are an NHL-best 8-1 in the playoffs at home this year.



by the associated press

NHL fines Blackhawks coach $10,000

TORONTO (AP) — The NHL has fined Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville $10,000 for harsh criticism of officiating in his team's loss to Detroit in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

Quenneville fumed over a roughing call against defenseman Matt Walker during a scrum as the first period ended Sunday. The Red Wings scored on the ensuing power play 1:13 into the second period extending their lead to 3-0, and went on to win 6-1 and take a 3-1 edge in the series.

"I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports there," Quenneville said after the game. "Nothing play.

"They scored, it's 3-0. They ruined a good hockey game and absolutely destroyed what was going on the ice. ... Never seen anything like it."

The Blackhawks will try to avoid elimination Wednesday in Detroit.


by the associated press

Bruins beat Canes 4-2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Mark Recchi and the Boston Bruins instead moved closer to giving the Carolina Hurricanes a different kind of knockout punch.

Recchi had a goal and an assist, and the Bruins beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference semifinals and force a decisive Game 7.

Marc Savard scored before leaving in the third period with an apparent leg injury. Steve Montador and Chuck Kobasew also connected, Patrice Bergeron had two assists and Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots in his second straight victory.

The NHL's top remaining seed led 2-0 barely 5 minutes in and made it stand to win its second straight since falling behind 3-1 in the series. Its reward: A trip back to Boston for Thursday night's Game 7, their first at home since losing in the first round to Montreal in 2004.

And there wasn't even any need to retaliate for what they considered a sucker punch thrown by Carolina's Scott Walker near the end of Game 5.

Matt Cullen and Sergei Samsonov scored for the Hurricanes. Their first losing streak of the playoffs has put them in danger of blowing a 3-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history.

Then again, Game 7s are nothing new for Carolina. Each of the Hurricanes' previous three playoff series dating to the 2006 Stanley Cup run also went the full seven games, and they won all three.

Cam Ward stopped 15 shots and allowed four goals for the second straight game. In four previous starts after a loss, he was 4-0 and had allowed a total of four goals.

The series between one-time New England rivals received a jolt of bad blood two nights earlier, when Walker dropped Aaron Ward with a right cross that led to the NHL fining the Hurricanes forward $2,500, but no suspension. The injury didn't cost Ward any playing time either; he logged about 20 minutes while playing with a shiner around his left eye. But the Bruins promised to never forget what they felt was a cheap shot.

For now, though, they were content to do their talking between the whistles.

Boston had two goals before the Hurricanes registered their second shot on net. Patrice Bergeron set up the first goal by dumping the puck to Recchi, who tapped it in for his 50th career playoff goal and third of the series. Montador then made it a two-goal game with a slap shot from behind the left circle.

Cullen scored the Hurricanes' first goal since Game 4 when he flipped a backhander over an outstretched Thomas nearly 3 minutes into the second period. But Savard restored the Bruins' two-goal advantage roughly 6 minutes later with a one-timer that clipped the near post and went in for his fourth goal of the series.

Notes:@ Savard has points in four straight games. ... Carolina LW Ryan Bayda was back after missing two games with the flu. ... Recchi skated in his 150th career playoff game. ... The Hurricanes' four-game winning streak at home was snapped.

by the associated press

Bruins beat 'Canes 4-0

BOSTON (AP) — Tim Thomas stopped 19 shots for his first NHL playoff shutout to help the Boston Bruins keep their season going with a 4-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night.

Phil Kessel scored twice and Zdeno Chara gave Boston big emotional lift when he returned in the third period after leaving the ice in the second when he was slashed by Jussi Jokinen. Chara and Marc Savard each had a pair of assists for top-seeded Boston, which had lost three straight playoff games.

Cam Ward made 36 saves for the Hurricanes, who lead the best-of-seven series 3-2. Game 6 is at Carolina on Tuesday.

Thomas had a career-high five shutouts in the regular season, when he led the NHL with a 2.10 goals-against average and became a Vezina Trophy finalist. But it had been Ward who dominated the series, allowing three goals in three games as the Hurricanes responded to a Game 1 loss with three straight victories.

Eric Staal, who had four goals in the previous three games, had three shots in Game 5 and was minus-3.

Chara took a stick to the left shin from Jokinen in the final minute of the second period. After laying on the ice for a few minutes, he skated off on his own but didn't return for the start of the third.

When he came onto the bench shortly after the faceoff, the crowd began chanting "Cha-ra!" And when he slipped over the dasher boards with 19:12 to play, the fans stood.

An Original Six team that has not won the Stanley Cup since Bobby Orr skated around the ice with it in 1972, the Bruins entered the playoffs with the best record in the East and swept Montreal in the first round. But they have struggled against Carolina, a team they beat in all four regular-season meetings, losing three times by a combined score of 10-3 to fall to the brink of elimination.

Boston needs to win the next two to stay alive in a tournament that has already claimed the San Jose Sharks, the No. 1 overall seed.

The Bruins came out with a more physical lineup, subbing Shawn Thornton for rookie Blake Wheeler, and immediately took charge. Carolina didn't have a shot in the first 11:04, and the Hurricanes were outshot 40-19 overall.

Milan Lucic helped set up the first goal with a crunching check on Dennis Seidenberg late in the first period. When Seidenberg responded, he drew a slashing penalty. Just 7 seconds into the power play, Mark Recchi redirected Chara's shot past Ward to break a scoreless tie.

Kessel scored twice in the second period, both times assisted by Savard, to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Lucic made it 4-0 in the third.

Notes:@ Four of the five games have been decided by at least three goals. ... Boston has never won a playoff series in which it trailed 3-1. The only time the Bruins forced a seventh game was against Montreal in the first round last season. ... Boston has never lost a playoff series to the Hartford/Carolina franchise. ... The Bruins gave out yellow towels for fans to wave, but several were thrown at Hurricanes defenseman Joni Pitkanen in the penalty box in the third period.


by the associated press