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From the official NHL release:

CAMPBELL, EBERLE AND MOULSON VOTED LADY BYNG TROPHY FINALISTS

NEW YORK (April 23, 2012) -- Defenseman Brian Campbell of the Florida Panthers, right wing Jordan Eberle of the Edmonton Oilers and left wing Matt Moulson of the New York Islanders are the three finalists for the
2011-12 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2012 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.

Following are the finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy, in alphabetical
order:

Brian Campbell, Florida Panthers

Campbell anchored the defense corps on a Florida club that posted a 22-point increase over 2010-11 and captured its first division title in franchise history. He took on a heavy workload by appearing in all 82 games and leading the NHL in total ice time (2,205:31), yet was whistled for just six penalty minutes -- the fewest among the 65 NHL defensemen who appeared in at least 77 games. He ranked second among League defensemen in scoring with 53 points (four goals, 49 assists), tying the single-season franchise record for assists by a defenseman, and ranked second in the NHL in power-play assists (30).

Jordan Eberle, Edmonton Oilers

In his second NHL season, Eberle led the Oilers in goals (34), assists (42) and points (76), posting a 33-point increase over his rookie campaign. He received only five minor penalties for 10 total minutes in
1,372:35 of playing time. Turning 22 on May 15, Eberle is the youngest Lady Byng Trophy finalist since Anaheim Ducks star Paul Kariya captured the award at 21 years, eight months in 1996 after his sophomore NHL season.
Eberle is vying to become the third player in Oilers history to win the trophy, joining Wayne Gretzky (1980) and Jari Kurri (1985).

Matt Moulson, New York Islanders

Moulson posted career highs in goals (36), assists (33) and points (69), becoming the first Islanders player to post three consecutive 30-goal seasons since Zigmund Palffy from 1995-96 through 1997-98. He also set a career high, led his club and tied for third in the NHL in power-play goals (14). The first-time NHL Trophy finalist played all 82 games for the third time in as many seasons with the Islanders and was assessed just six penalty minutes, tied with fellow Lady Byng finalist Brian Campbell for the fewest among the League's top 75 scorers.

History

Lady Byng, wife of Canada’s Governor-General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy during the 1924-25 season. After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons, he was given the trophy to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936. After Lady Byng’s death in 1949, the National Hockey League presented a new trophy, changing the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

And here we are, the final Rants of the season! I’ll be on the playoff trail the next two months solely focused on whatever series I’m involved in, so this wraps up our regular-season Rant soap box. You guys have been terrific again this season with this, and I thank you for taking to the boards with such passion. Let’s take a look at what I selected for our final week:

TwinsFan10157: Pierre, honestly, is there ANYTHING, ANYTHING positive about a team that is out of the playoffs but winning this late in the season? Take my Wild, THEY NEVER get a top-3 pick and here we thought with all the injuries they've suffered this season that no way this year's team (which has been tanking for 3 months) can hang around and win games no matter how hard they try, BUT NO! Instead, THE WILD PICK NOW to decide to win 3 games in a row, all against playoff teams (thank you very much) and fell all the way from possibly second or third overall in the June draft to 7th! AGAIN, a MIDROUND PICK! Is there seriously anything positive at all from my Wild winning this late in the season because I just want to rip my hair out (as much as I love them) for continuing to win when it seemingly gains them nothing!

AND

atchi020: As a WILD fan, I could not be more disgruntled. Starting from 1st in the NHL to falling out of the playoffs to injuries to the late-season collapse and flop. Now, after they tossed the great start and were sitting in place to get a top 3 pick in the draft, they decide to go on a 3-game win streak against playoff-caliber teams? Could being a Minnesota sports fan be any worse? Please get us Parise back to his home state!

My take: I certainly empathize with Wild fans this season. You got teased in early December and then hit over the head with the reality hammer the rest of the season. This club needs to find some offense moving forward. I don’t mind the young pieces on defense. I will also say I like how GM Chuck Fletcher and his staff have restocked the organization's depth. The cupboard was bare when he took over. That hasn’t quite translated yet at the NHL level but there are some quality prospects coming. You saw 20-year-old Jason Zucker join the team last week, he’s part of that wave. And yes, if Zach Parise hits the July 1 market, you better believe Minnesota will be all over him, although the Wild will hardly be alone (Detroit, Rangers and a list of other teams will be in the hunt).

Girouxsalem28: It really ticks me off when I hear all of these "experts" talking about how it was the Flyers' fault for the brawl Sunday. They seem to point out the incident when Brayden Schenn crosschecked Sidney Crosby, saying that they can't go after the face of the NHL and it's a blatant attempt to hurt him, etc. Didn't anyone see Crosby initiate any of it? He hit Schenn after the goal and Schenn retaliated. I don't understand why nobody in the media other than Philly members see this.

My take: I think you’re seeing the coverage through your own Flyers-colored glasses. I know here in Toronto the footage on TSN showed both Crosby’s shove of Brayden Schenn and the melee at the end. The bottom line is, there isn’t a smoking gun here. I don’t blame Schenn or the Flyers at all. Nor do I blame Crosby or the Penguins. You’ve got two intense rivals and the blood was boiling all game long. Good old-fashioned hockey, if you ask me. Nothing wrong with it. And this is the difference between the orchestrated line brawls between the Devils and Rangers, which I hated because it was decided ahead of time and had no bearing on the game, compared to the late-game theatrics Sunday afternoon that were a spontaneous, emotional reaction between players whose emotions reached a boiling point. There’s a clear difference between both instances, and put me in for the latter any day.

Dubsg123: One of the things that really grinds my gears is the fact that once again, Anze Kopitar is being overlooked for the Selke. There is a reason that the Kings are the second-best defensive team in the NHL with the third-best PK. Kopitar is matched up night in and night out against the league's best players/lines. He is the first choice for centerman during the PK (and yes, we have Mike Richards). His plus/minus is in double digits even though his team only has a plus-15 goal differential (thanks to their inability to score for 80 percent of the season). Very few players are more valuable to their team than Kopitar is to his (one of the few who mean more plays in between the pipes behind him). I know you as an appreciator of the Kings...so what gives?

My take: Excellent points, sir. And I will indeed have Kopitar among my five choices on my official NHL ballot for the awards (I got my ballot last week; going to fill it out sometime this week). But my No. 1 vote will go to Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins this season. I think even more than Kopitar, he’s long overdue. He’s had another thoroughly consistent, two-way season for the Bruins and I believe he’s honestly the best defensive forward in the NHL today. But hang in there, my friend, Kopitar’s day will come.

SumNoob: I'm sick of the mediocre on-ice product the Flames have put out in the last two decades. We're becoming the Leafs of the West. I want a big change without a drawn-out Edmonton style rebuild. Do you think GM Jay Feaster can pull of a decent retool this summer with the expiring contracts we have? Without moving Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff (pretty sure Iginla is retiring a Flame), who goes, who stays?

My take: I spoke with a Flames source Monday and it’s clear there’s no appetite for an Edmonton-style rebuild. But change is indeed coming. Three straight years out of the playoffs is not sitting well with ownership whatsoever. The fact half of Calgary’s roster has expiring contracts will allow the Flames that natural window to exact change. But personally, I believe the Flames need to sit down with captain Jarome Iginla and goalie Miikka Kiprusoff to finally have The Chat. They need to know from those two quality veterans if they want to stick around for this retool. If not, would they agree to waive their no-trades and provide the Flames with the return in assets both those stars would fetch? If Iginla wants to finish his career in Calgary and be a mentor for the younger, retooled Flames, that’s fine as well (similar to what Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips have done in Ottawa). But either way, Flames ownership and management have to have that chat with Iginla and his agent, Don Meehan.

AIs76ers: I know you won't post this, you have never once acknowledged the issue, and you refuse to engage in this debate, but it's time for you to own up to the bias the NHL holds in the Penguins favor. It is totally out of control and it might rob the fans of a deep run by the better Pennsylvania team. Even NBC's announcing trio acknowledged that the Penguins were guilty of a handful of automatic slashing penalties (the exploding sticks) that somehow went uncalled, plus Crosby's violent slash on Claude Giroux on a faceoff that Giroux won cleanly. Today all we hear about is the crosscheck on Crosby. Enough already. It was a penalty and it was called. The goal erased it. And, whatever happened to a penalty for diving? All afternoon the NBC announcers praised Crosby for his strength on his skates, then he flopped like he had been shot. Not to mention, if you rewind the play back a little bit, you will see that Crosby took an equally dirty shot at Schenn, but ESPN has so far refused to show this. I have yet to read a single ESPN writer calling out Vitale for his knee-to-knee hit on Grossmann, which was not exceptionally dirty, but because he is a fringe player his only option was to stick out a leg to make the hit. Then he targets Danny Briere. The only reason that his was not dirty was, again, because he is a fringe NHL player. He targeted Briere's head and followed through with an elbow. And then after it is all settled Arron Asham (another guy who isn't a legitimate player) instigates an additional fight. Yet somehow the Penguins will not hear from the league. Asham and Bylsma should get their automatic suspensions, and maybe Laviolette, too. Enough is enough. I am not going to say that the NHL is actually rigging games or encouraging refs to make the wrong calls, but it is clear the officials are applying a different standard with the Pens.

My take: And this is why we call you guys "fans." In this case, short for "fanatic." You view everything through the tainted glasses of your team, in this case, the Flyers. Honestly, I’ve covered the NHL for 17 years. I would tell you if I thought for a second that the league in any way favored a team over any other. The mere suggestion is simply moronic. You can watch every single game and see missed calls for/against your team. The NHL’s on-ice officials don’t pitch perfect games, and some nights it’s even worse than that, I agree. But to honestly think "the fix" is in on any level is nothing short of ridiculous.

MaizeandBluePucks: Too many things to rant about with my Leafs.

My take: I've been living in Toronto since 1995 and I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it -- even for Maple Leafs' standards. Most of my friends and certainly my brother-in-law, Mitch, are die-hard Leafs fans, of course. I’d characterize their mood as a mixture of disdain, disbelief and genuine hurt. This is a huge offseason for GM Brian Burke and his front office. I think they made a wise choice in hiring Randy Carlyle as coach and a fresh start at camp will help prove that; I think the Leafs have greatly improved their organizational depth, but they’ve struck out so far on some of their key decisions at the NHL roster level. James Reimer wasn’t ready to be a No. 1 goalie. Their blue line had quantity, yes, but not enough quality. The top-six forward group remains small. And Dion Phaneuf is not captain material. The Leafs need to land a No. 1 goalie, a No. 1 center and shift a few of their parts on a roster that crumbled mentally over the past two months. Not an easy offseason, at all.

cnato14: Here I have a rant Pierre.... WHY THE FUDGE IS CHARLES WANG STILL THE OWNER OF THE ISLANDERS!? This man has run the organization into the ground; he feels the need to rehire a below-average coach in Jack Capuano, who has done nothing to try to bring this team up from the cellar of the Eastern Conference. I think that something on Long Island needs to change soon or else the once perennial contender Islanders will be looking for a new home.

My take: I feel your pain, brother. I’ve written this before in this space, but Islanders fans to me are the most loyal in hockey. How can you remain a fan of this team with Wang as owner? Successful organizations begin with stability at the top. But if he’s willing to continue to sink money in this team, the NHL certainly won’t stand in his way. It’s been hard enough to solve ownership issues in Phoenix, and even in decent markets in New Jersey and St. Louis, that the league isn’t going push out an owner who wants to still own a team, even if his eccentric ways hurt the team’s on-ice performance. It’s hard to find deep-pocketed people who want to own sports teams of any league.

sporty7527: When is this gimmick known as the shootout gonna go away? I find it appalling that a game of hockey has to be decided by a skills competition to determine a winner. Up through 2004, there was never anything wrong with ties. The best teams won their fair share of games. The Red Wings had no problem posting 100-plus point seasons when ties were in place. They set the record for wins during the time of ties. Now you have teams breaking franchise records for points in a season, and it's tainted by the all the shootout wins that, prelockout, would have been ties. You have teams like the Devils having 12 of their 45 wins won by shootout or the Penguins, who have won 9 of their 48 games by shootout. You take the shootout away, the Flyers are ahead of the Pens. Teams like them seem reliant on the shootout, and you have teams sitting back to get to a shootout. It doesn't matter if they were outplayed during an entire game. If they can deke out a goalie, they can still get rewarded with a win. And the shootouts are now more and more frequent. The 5-minute OT flies by. Why not make it 10 minutes? Defense slows the game down in OT, so 10 minutes might do better than just 5. I bet if that's implemented there'd be a lot more wins by actually scoring in OT than ties or relying on who can best deke a goalie in a shootout.

My take: Amen, brother. I’ve been anti-shootout on these pages for years, as most people know. I like Ken Holland’s idea: 3-on-3 overtime for five minutes following the 4-on-4 overtime period. So, 10 minutes of OT in all. That would greatly reduce the number of shootouts.

YogitheDuck: Week in and week out I come to you complaining about the Ducks. Everywhere from my disgust with Ryan Getzlaf, games like this last Saturday's against Phoenix, where we put up a season-high 44 SOG but we can't even buy ourselves one goal, and the woes for next season: possibly losing Selanne and fears of a repeat of this season.
Again, I would like to start with my disappointment with Getzlaf. He is the Dos Equis man of the Ducks organization: "I don't always score against San Jose, but when I don't, it's because I missed an open net." Missing that shot only confirms my feelings towards our captain. Lazy play, lack of motivation and leadership that is more than burned out. How can the Ducks afford to let Teemu retire when he is the force keeping them halfway alive and motivated?

Pierre, once again, what do the Ducks need to do to be the team they were in 2007 and be viable contenders for the Cup, or at least be a playoff-seeded team?

My take: Here’s something that will drive you even crazier: Since Jan. 1, the Ducks are 23-14-5 for 51 points, ranking first in the Pacific Division, fourth in the Western Conference and eighth in the NHL (courtesy of Ducks PR). In other words, that’s the team they should have been in the first half, too. But it seems to happen every year when the Ducks get off to a slow start. Last season, they were able to dig out of the hole and make the playoffs. You’re right on Getzlaf, he’s had a very disappointing season. For my money, he’s got the tools to challenge for the Art Ross Trophy. It’s mind-boggling that he hasn’t put it together yet. I think GM Bob Murray has some big, big decisions to make this offseason about the core of this team, where it’s headed and why he thinks they can’t figure it out on the ice. Personally, I wouldn’t trade Getzlaf, because all you’re going to do the next decade is try to replace him -- No. 1 centers of his ilk are few and far between.

But this team needs some sort of shake-up.

• Marcus Johansson scored one goal and assisted on another for the Capitals in their shootout win at Boston. Johansson’s two points in Thursday’s victory give him a total of 10 points in 15 games in March (2 goals, 8 assists). It’s the first time in Johansson’s two seasons in the NHL that he’s reached double figures in points for a calendar month.

• Mikko Koivu’s goal 15 seconds into overtime earned the Wild a 3–2 win against the Panthers on Thursday. It was the second-fastest overtime goal in an NHL game this season (Washington’s Brooks Laich scored at 0:12 of OT on Dec. 3 vs. Ottawa) and the quickest overtime goal in Minnesota franchise history, 10 seconds faster than the previous record, 25 seconds by Marian Gaborik at Los Angeles on Oct. 18, 2006.

• The Islanders, who won 5–3 at Pittsburgh on Tuesday, completed a sweep of their home-and-home set against the Penguins with a win by the same score at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Josh Bailey had a hand in all five Islanders goals, scoring two and assisting on three. Bailey is the second NHL player to score five or more points in a game this season and record a point on every one of his team’s goals. Sam Gagner did that with four goals and four assists in the Oilers’ 8–4 win over the Blackhawks on Feb. 2.

• Danny Briere set a single-game career high with four assists in the Flyers’ 7–1 win at Toronto. Briere is only the third Flyers player to record four assists in a road game over the last 11 seasons. The other Philadelphia players with four assists in a road game since 2000–01 were Mike Richards (Oct. 24, 2008, at New Jersey) and Claude Giroux (Jan. 23, 2011, at Chicago).

• Martin Brodeur was not at the top of his game on Thursday night, allowing four goals while facing only 20 shots, including three goals by Ryan Malone, but he still posted a 6–4 win against the Lightning. It was Brodeur’s 115th win over the last four seasons but only the second in which he gave up more than three goals. The other one was a 5–4 overtime victory against the Maple Leafs on Jan. 29, 2010.

Blues stop Predators from clinching:



Rangers pad lead in East:



Islanders stun Penguins:

Today Craig Custance and Pierre LeBrun tackle the big Alexander Radulov news, plus more. Go!

CUSTANCE: Happy Radulov Day, Pierre! It must feel like Christmas morning to hockey fans in Nashville, with Alexander Radulov informing us this morning on Twitter that he was on a plane headed to Nashville. You get the feeling from people in Nashville that, until Radulov hops over the boards during a game for the Predators, they're containing their enthusiasm. But this has the potential to be a game-changer in the Western Conference and nobody I asked about Radulov yesterday doubted that.

"I know he's a good guy and good player too," said Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk. "Lots of skill. He's one of best KHL players for [the] last three years. Big help for Nashville Predators. Not good for us."

Capitals forward Joel Ward knows the Predators well. He was one of the catalysts behind Nashville's playoff success last year and sees the addition of Radulov as a huge plus.

"Anybody that can add a 30-40 goal scorer this time of year, it's definitely a positive," Ward said. "I don't know how long he's been off but I'm sure once he gets his bearings down, he'll be an asset. This will definitely make them a strong team for sure."

Alex Ovechkin definitely seemed intrigued by the news when I gave him the update last night, after the Capitals beat Detroit, that it sounded like Radulov would be on a plane headed for Nashville today. He wondered what this meant for Radulov's future in the KHL.

"If he's coming back, it's good for him. I don't think Russia is going to be happy. They lost probably the biggest star up there," Ovechkin said. "It's all about his decision. It's his life ... the KHL, right now, is growing up. It's no doubt it's getting bigger and bigger but I still think the NHL is the best league in the world. Here are the best players."

It certainly makes things interesting for the Predators in the most crucial postseason in franchise history.

LEBRUN: Well, I think Datsyuk nailed it at the end of his comment there, saying "not good for us." The way the Wings are playing right now, and with a first-round date against Nashville likely at this point, no wonder the Wings' organization was privately fuming last week when the NHL announced its Radulov decision. If it is Preds-Wings in the first round, I can’t think of a more compelling Western Conference series. And I know you’ll be covering it. If the Preds knock out the Wings in the first round with Radulov playing a starring role, you have to wonder how that would play out in Detroit. On the Nashville end of things, I’ve had readers ask me about whether the players in the Predators' dressing room would be reticent to welcome Radulov into the fold, given that he’s parachuting in late and given the fact he bolted on them four years ago. In fact, I’m told, led by captain Shea Weber, the Preds’ players have been very supportive of Radulov returning -- focusing on the bottom line: winning now. Let’s remember the big-picture context here: the futures of Weber (RFA July 1) and fellow stud blueliner Ryan Suter (UFA July 1) are very much tied to the success of the club this season. If Radulov means a deeper run, all the better, as far as Weber and Suter are concerned.

CUSTANCE: I think chemistry is certainly a concern as is the transition from the KHL to the NHL. Jaromir Jagr made it look easy but here in Detroit I saw some of the struggles Jiri Hudler dealt with in his return from the KHL last season. It certainly wasn't instant success for Hudler. As talented as Radulov is, it might be asking too much of him to come right in and make a huge impact. But you're right, I don't think David Poile would take this risk if he didn't have the support of his team.

Let's put the Radulov news aside for a moment and look at last night's games. Our colleague and friend Katie Strang covered an interesting one last night at Madison Square Garden where there was an old-school line brawl seconds after the first drop of the puck. Sounds like John Tortorella took exception to Pete DeBoer sending out tough guys Cam Janssen, Eric Boulton and Ryan Carter to start the game. We've seen the gradual phasing out of fighting in the game but this brawl at the Garden is another sign that there's still a long way to go before that truly happens.

The Rangers picked up a big 4-2 win, becoming the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot, but I'm curious, what did you think of the fireworks at the start?

LEBRUN: I have zero appetite for that kind of stuff anymore. Anyone who thinks that line brawl had any effect on the final outcome of the game is dreaming. And I can tell you the NHL brass is not keen on it, either. There’s not much the league can do much about it now other than perhaps a warning. You might remember the league’s 30 GMs tried to push through a new rule on staged fights a couple of years ago but it was thwarted by the NHL Players’ Association via the competition committee. I would predict the league and players will discuss this issue again come next summer via CBA talks.

I reached out to NHL executive vice president Colin Campbell this morning for his thoughts on the line brawl. He pointed to the rule that was instituted for the end of games.

"What we did with the competition committee coming out of the lockout, we crafted a new rule at the end of the game," Campbell told ESPN.com. "We put the onus on the coach and the player."

The head coach gets a $10,000 fine and the player gets an automatic one-game suspension if he incurs an instigator penalty in the last five minutes of the game.

"If the GMs find this [line brawl last night] unacceptable, maybe we’d craft it the same way at the start of the game, put the onus on both the player and the coach? Or you’d have to find a current interpretation of the rulebook," Campbell said.

CUSTANCE: I'd have no issue with that kind of rule to start the game. I wonder how things might be different right now if that line brawl happened a week before the GM meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., instead of the week following. I will say this, though, I certainly wouldn't mind watching a playoff series between the Rangers and Devils. There was a playoff intensity in that game last night.

I covered another game that had a playoff feel to it in Detroit where the Capitals beat the Red Wings in a game both coaches desperately wanted. Before the game, Detroit coach Mike Babcock called his team fragile, which is a far cry from the Red Wings team that broke NHL records at home earlier this season. Nicklas Lidstrom skated yesterday and is making progress in his recovery from a deep bone bruise on his foot. It certainly was strange to see him in the press box watching instead of playing last night, then carefully walking down the Joe Louis Arena steps to the locker room after the game. The injuries are definitely piling up for Detroit, with Johan Franzen (back), Darren Helm (knee) and Jonathan Ericsson (wrist) among the group of injured Red Wings. It's a serious concern for a Detroit team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Playing a depleted lineup didn't diminish the Capitals' win, though. They bounced back from a lifeless performance against Chicago to earn a huge road win, a rarity this season for Washington.

"I can tell right now, they have a good team. I just enjoyed the game tonight," Ovechkin said after beating the Red Wings. "When I was on the bench, I saw how they play, how they control the puck. They're a great team." With Buffalo steamrolling the Lightning, a win was necessary for the Capitals' playoff hopes. They continue to cling to that No. 8 spot.

"It's nine games left," Ovechkin said. "We have to try and win all the games if we want to make the playoffs."

LEBRUN: Ovechkin, for my money, is playing his best hockey of the season right now and I was impressed with the way he led the way last night. That kind of effort just hasn’t been there most of the season. With the hard-charging Buffalo Sabres relentless in their pursuit of eighth place, the Caps desperately needed those two points in Detroit. Their five-game road trip ends Thursday night in Philadelphia, a mighty tough test again, but after that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for the Caps. They finish the season with five of their remaining eight games at the Verizon Center.

Before we end our chat for the day, back to the Wings for a moment. Lidstrom’s injury and Detroit’s struggles during it gives us a glimpse of what life will be like in Hockeytown once the legend retires. Scary, is what it is for the Wings. It puts even more pressure on GM Ken Holland to try to nab Ryan Suter in free agency July 1 if the Preds blueliner doesn’t re-sign in Nashville. But that’s a conversation for another day. We’ve got great playoff races to focus on first.

Some well-thought-out rants this week. And others that were just plain angry. So we thank you. Let’s take a look:

R.DK: POUTINE!!!! Now that I have your attention, do I ever HATE the shootout! It doesn't prove who the better team is on any given night. And the worst part is I know it's not going anywhere. You're an insider, how do we get rid of the gimmick?

My take: Well, I can’t resist a rant that starts with poutine. Mmmm ... But I digress. Yes, the shootout. I’m not a fan of it, either. To me, it’s run its course. But the majority of fans still seem to love it, judging from the reaction in the stands when a shootout is happening. That’s good enough for the league. Most of the NHL’s 30 GMs also are down on the shootout, which is why they voted in favor of adding the "ROW" tiebreaker rule two years ago. That minimizes the importance of the shootout for a standings tiebreaker (only regulation and overtime wins count for the tiebreaker). In addition, Red Wings GM Ken Holland is on record saying he favors extending overtime to including a second five-minute period of three-on-three play. I’m fully in favor of that. Obviously, that would reduce the amount of shootouts held every year. Right now, though, the shootout is here to stay, like it or not.

ClarkAveSTL: I have to rant about the Ben Bishop trade. As a Blues fan, I hate to see him go. He is looking sharp for Ottawa already and I'm not sure Brian Elliott will have the long-term success the Blues are hoping for. The trade is good for Bishop, seeing as how he is 25 and might not have seen any serious playing time for the Blues for at least a couple more years. But I really feel like the Blues let one get away on this one.

My take: I understand your frustration, because I believe Bishop has No. 1 potential. But the fact is, Bishop was going to walk out the door July 1 as an unrestricted free agent and the Blues would have got nothing in return for him. At least they got a second-round pick. And don’t tell me you think the Blues could have re-signed him. I don’t think Bishop would have wanted to remain blocked by two goalies in that organization. In Ottawa, he’s got a better shot.

hawkfreak1010: As an Avalanche fan, it's extremely frustrating for me to look at the current standings in the Western Conference. To be more specific, it's frustrating that the teams they are battling with for the eighth and final playoff spot all have significantly fewer wins than the Avs, but because they lose more of their games in OT they get rewarded with a point. SJ: 10 OTL, LA: 12 OTL, Phoenix: 11 OTL and Calgary: 13 OTL!!!! The Avs have five OTL and 39 wins, which is three more than San Jose and Phoenix, four more than Los Angeles and five more than Calgary, yet they are all separated by no more than two points!! I understand what the system is supposed to be doing, but it's completely unfair for a team to make the postseason over a team with more wins!! Isn't winning what you're supposed to do in sports, not hold off a team until OT and then lose?

My take: Totally agree, my friend. Hence my column a few weeks back about why Steve Yzerman and I favor three-point, regulation-time victories. The bottom line is that three points for a 60-minute win (like in European soccer) would better reflect teams that "win" games. But I understand the league’s view on this, which is that the current system keeps closer races to the wire. You can’t deny that. Still, I think a truer reflection of the balance of power should be the ultimate goal. And that’s what three points for a regulation win would give you.

MJMcGurk: My rant is about the lack of effort night in and night out by the Washington Capitals. They are fighting, not literally of course, for the final playoff spot. Yet they go into Chicago and it takes them over 16 minutes to register a shot on goal. This has been the norm lately, especially on the road, and it certainly doesn't get better at Detroit and at Philly. I can live with the loss at Winnipeg. They came out with some fire. But that is the exception and not the rule for them.

My take: Easily the most disappointing team of the NHL season when you consider the talent level and expectations. I point to three key reasons, in no particular order:

1. Nicklas Backstrom's concussion. He is their best player. There, I said it. Once he went down, it made things all the more difficult for all kinds of reasons. He’s their most consistent player. They just can’t win regularly without him.

2. Alex Ovechkin. He’s played better of late, but 32 goals doesn’t cut it for a player of his talent and compensation. Until he agrees to commit 12 months a year to his game like his compatriots Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk, the Caps will be worse for it.

3. Goaltending. Veteran Tomas Vokoun has been decent, but he was only a one-year stopgap. The hope, or the plan, in the Caps' front office was that Michal Neuvirth would react to the Vokoun signing and bring his game to another level. Instead, his 2.85 goals-against average and .900 save percentage have him ranked among the bottom. He’s been a huge disappointment.

shelbycoker: I'm tired of all this crap saying the Panthers aren't a legitimate NHL team. They just came off a four-game homestand winning all four while missing their best player for three of those games. They embarrassed the Bruins and Maple Leafs. The Panthers deserve way more credit than they get. In fact, I think they have the talent to make a run for the Eastern Conference championship this year!

My take: Hey, Tampa reached the Eastern Conference finals last season and Montreal the season before that. So by now we all know that in the mediocre East, anything is possible. As for the Panthers, they have been a terrific surprise. GM Dale Tallon has a tremendous eye for talent, having helped build the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. But you also have to be honest and point out that the Panthers are leading the weakest division in the league in the Southeast. It’s not their fault the division is weak, but that is the truth nonetheless.

CalvinMN: You want a real rant? I live in Minnesota, where hockey is ingrained in our culture, and the Wild are absolutely terrible. We lost to Columbus twice -- in the same week. We have fewer points than every team in the Eastern Conference. We’ve already been shut out three times this month. We’re last in goals scored -- by a 16-goal margin. We have no depth at forward. Our defense is inexperienced. Our third-string goalie is now our starter. I don’t think any of us expected to stay at the top of the league, but falling to 28th didn’t seem possible. Leave it to the Wild to defy the odds! I know we’ve been brutalized with injuries -- we’ve heard that excuse before -- but winning teams find a way to win. I know Chuck Fletcher started with a piecemeal roster and an empty prospect cupboard, but when are we going to push through all the excuses and get a winning attitude in Minnesota?

My take: Cannot blame you one bit for feeling so frustrated. Sitting first overall in early December and now close to the basement of the NHL, that’s got to rip a Wild fan’s heart out. The biggest problem to me is so obvious: offense. This team needs a serious upgrade in its top-six group. I know that’s what Fletcher was trying with Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi, but that hasn’t worked out well. Zach Parise is a UFA on July 1. I’d be shocked if Parise doesn’t include his native Minnesota among the teams he’d consider. That’s the move this franchise needs.

obrand6: If I'm a Nashville player right now, I'm absolutely livid that Alexander Radulov is coming back just in time for the playoffs. To think that all year, you battle hard to succeed only to have this guy come in and take a roster spot away from you. You HAVE to think it will mess with team chemistry, right? If I'm Shea Weber I'm letting everyone -- including Radulov -- know that NOTHING will change and that I'm still the undisputed leader of this team.

My take: To the contrary, in terms of Nashville players’ reaction. My understanding is that Weber has actually been totally supportive of Radulov's returning. It’s all in the name of trying to win this year. Keep in mind that Weber and fellow stud blueliner Ryan Suter are free agents on July 1. This is a big year for Nashville in so many ways. I’m told Weber and Suter totally embraced the idea of Radulov coming back to help the Preds now.

banzai51: Let me leave this here for everyone. Since we're all tribal in our complaints and can't talk about hockey beyond our local. ...

(My team) is not getting the (choose one) love/respect/officiating it deserves! (Player on my team) is having a phenomenal year, but all anyone can talk about is (choose one)the Crosby injury/complain about Crosby coverage. (yep, I'm including that for you Pittsburgh).

Alternative:

When is Brendan Shanahan going to do his job!!!! (My_Player) got machete attacked by (Player I hate) and nothing from the NHL front office. The refs didn't even call a dang penalty!! OUTRAGE!!! (Insert Old Time Hockey nonsense here).

My take: This was too good to ignore.

GdoubleG22: One word: accountability. Where is it within the New York Islanders organization? How long must I, as a die hard fan of this team for all 20 years of my life, be subjected to this incompetence, mediocrity and sheer buffoonery? At a certain point, you cannot blame the players anymore. Commish Gary Bettman needs to step in and make Charles Wong hire a GM with more experience than just being a career backup goaltender. Capuano is not an NHL coach and Snow is not an NHL GM. After declaring that he fully expects the team to make the playoffs, shouldn't someone within the front office be losing their job after again being a bottom dweller in the Eastern Conference? Pierre, what needs to be done to right the ship?

My take: It starts at the top. The owner’s unpredictability makes it an unstable franchise. I’ll actually give GM Garth Snow credit for being able to do a passable job under those circumstances. I know this doesn’t make any Islander fan feel any better because they’ve heard it so many times, but I don’t think they’re that far away. They’ve got a superstar, cornerstone play in John Tavares and a decent supporting cast with some intriguing prospects in the system. But yes, while Wang remains the owner, one never knows if that kind of promise can ever be fulfilled.

Ludlumtc: Good morning, Pierre. I appreciate the coverage you provide here on ESPN.com. I haven't ranted in a while, but my rant this week is in regards to goalie interference, in specific to the call on Tomas Holmstrom Saturday night at the Shark Tank. Reviewing the video of the penalty, to me it seemed Antti Niemi basically stuck his stick out as Homer was skating by. If anything it should've been a delay of game on Niemi. I know there are only eight eyes in real time on the ice that are in control of that aspect of the game, but c'mon that is just a weak call. It seems there is too much grey area in that aspect of the game. The last few years, the NHL has done a pretty good job of cleaning and defining this stuff. When will this issue be clearly defined?

My take: There was some talk of this last week at the NHL GMs meeting. My understanding is that the league will once again make this a point of emphasis with on-ice officials over the rest of the season.

Goaler82: I hate that LEGAL hits result in fights today in the NHL. I understand defending your teammate if they receive a dirty hit but can't NHL players take legal hits anymore? I think players who start a fight over an unpenalized hit should get an extra penalty. Make the team pay for it with a penalty kill.

My take: I could not agree more. It’s something that crept into the NHL game about a decade ago. If it’s a clean hit, there should be a fight. Take his number and hit him harder next shift. Not sure why this has changed.

stlbluenote11:Pierre, this rant is directed towards the media. Saturday the Blues beat the Lightning 3-1, and were the first team to make it to 100 points. They were also the very first team to clinch a playoff birth. Were they on the homepage? No. They at least had to be the lead on the NHL homepage? No. They were fifth on the list. Really? Is the bias really that big? News is news, and the team that is first in the NHL needs to get some respect, regardless of the size of the market. A Journalist's job is to get the story out there, the one that means the most to the league. The Blues were the first to clinch a spot, and that is more newsworthy than any score on that day. Florida can wait. Pittsburgh can wait. The Rangers have had their time. The team that is getting stuff done day in and day out deserves the credit. Get your act together and realize that the Blues are legit this year. Get used to writing about them, they're going to be in the playoffs for a while.

My take Well, you’ll be happy to know that yours truly is planning on beginning his two-month playoff trek in St. Louis come the first round. So there you go, ESPN.com in the house, baby!

The Islanders sent veterans W Brian Rolston and D Mike Mottau to the Boston Bruins, multiple sources confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

The Islanders acquired prospects Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin from Boston in the deal.

In addition to the late swap, GM Garth Snow did extended an offer to goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Nabokov is currently mulling the deal, one source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

In addition to getting Rolston and Mottau from the Islanders, the Bruins also acquired defeseman Greg Zanon from Minnesota for defenseman Steven Kampfer, a league source confirmed to ESPNBoston.com's James Murphy.

With only a few hours left until the trade deadline passes, goaltender Evgeni Nabokov is mulling a contract offer from the Islanders, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Regardless of whether he accepts the deal, Nabokov is not expected to be moved. Despite significant interest in the 36-year-old netminder -- the goaltending market is thin for teams looking to bolster the position -- GM Garth Snow told ESPNNewYork.com that he has no intention on trading him.

Al Montoya might be another case, however.

A source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun that the Islanders are shopping Montoya.

Pierre LeBrun is hearing Islanders goalie Al Montoya is being shopped around. Who would be interested in Montoya? Leafs need a goaltender, but Brian Burke is denying he's making a move today. Other possibilities: Philly? Blackhawks?

The high-stakes game of poker that is trade deadline day begins with many NHL general managers with lots of chips on the table but unsure where to place their bets.

GMs who spoke to ESPN.com in recent days describe this as one of the most curious trade periods in recent memories. So many teams would like to add pieces but there are so few teams that are actually out of contention. Seven points separate seventh and 13th in the Western Conference, and teams like as Dallas and Colorado have assets they’d like to move including Steve Ott, Mike Ribeiro, David Jones, T.J.Galiardi and/or Daniel Winnik, but they would like to make a hockey trade and bring back every-day players.

In the Eastern Conference, there remains a furious battle for the Southeast Division lead and the last playoff berth in the conference.

Much of the attention Monday will be focused on whether the Columbus Blue Jackets will move captain Rick Nash, but as of Sunday evening it appeared that the top suitor, the New York Rangers, were unprepared to meet the demand for top assets in return. Will the asking price drop as the day progresses?

Will Toronto GM Brian Burke, looking to make a move for an impact forward and perhaps a goaltender, find a deal that works for the slumping Leafs? And what kind of Plan B exists for the many teams looking for offensive help? Andrei Kostitsyn in Montreal, Paul Gaustad and Derek Roy in Buffalo will be players whose names are bandied about.

Defensemen are always at a premium on deadline day and this year is no different, with Jaroslav Spacek and Bryan Allen in Carolina likely to be on the move to teams looking to shore up their defensive lineup. Will there be a trade out of left field? Given the strange dynamics of this year, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility. Stay tuned.

The Rant Blog doesn’t take a week off just because everyone is focused on trade talk. There are still people who need to blow off steam. Let’s start with a couple of gems from Rangers fans:

dthenn: What is Glen Sather thinking? This guy has a job now because he coached probably the greatest team ever drafted. A team, by the way, that could have coached itself and still won. The Rangers have a young team that has chemistry. Not knocking Rick Nash at all, I believe he is a true talent. For years the Rangers have been a joke because of the money Sather would spend that always amounted to nothing. If it wasn't for the salary cap, the Rangers never would have been as good as they are now. All this young talent we have now would have been spread throughout the league, with other teams in horrible trades made by Sather bringing in unproven talent or players who were past their prime. Nash is not the answer for the Rangers, and his cap hit would make it hard to re-sign players whose contracts expire over the next couple years. We have promising prospects and Chris Kreider is a 6-3, 225-pound power forward who plays physical and is just as fast as Carl Hagelin. To me that is the ideal power forward you could want. He can be brought up in a system and learn to buy into it just like the everyone on the team has now. The Rangers in interviews are quick to point out teammates as to why they are doing well but take the blame for themselves or as a team when they lose. Never blaming each other. They can say all what they want that the Rangers need a stud player to score goals, but it has been proven a hot goalie can get you further. Sather is the least popular person to the fan base and the owner needs to stick to messing around with the Knicks. This Rangers team shows everything we as fans have waited for. A coach who preaches team, players who are a close-knit group that bought into what John Tortorella has been saying and gives us their all. Like all teams, we have spots where we need to improve but it's not worth to trade away key pieces and our future for one player.

AND

away0921: Good afternoon, Pierre, I will get right to the point. If the Rangers trade either Michael Del Zotto or Ryan McDonagh for Rick Nash, or anyone, really, then Glen Sather really screwed up. The team is successful because of its chemistry, great defense and goaltending, tough gritty attitude and everyone buying into Tortarella's system. That mix of attributes has has them near or at the top of the Eastern Conference the majority of the season. You don't trade away two of your most important cogs in that system in one of the league's plus/minus leaders and one of the league's shot-blocking leaders, especially for an aging and highly paid player.

My take: I agree with you, away0921. While I do believe Rick Nash is a big-time difference-maker, you trade for him only as long as key personnel on the current NHL roster aren’t touched. And to me that includes Del Zotto and McDonagh. But if you can convince the Jackets to take a package of your best prospects plus top it off with a Brandon Dubinsky -- who to me has become less crucial to the team dynamic this season -- you do it if you’re the Rangers. It’s all about what the price will be in the end. Nash is a worthy add-on, a clutch goal scorer who played incredible hockey under the most intense pressure at Vancouver 2010 -- but everything has its price and the Rangers must be careful here.

Scott78860: While I wouldn't have a big issue with even a relocated American team such as the Coyotes around Metro Toronto, can the NHL come to its senses and not move the Coyotes to Quebec City? Maybe it would mean more money and a quick cash grab, like Atlanta to Winnipeg (average ticket price $98 there; thanks, NHL); however, it will slowly but surely carve the path to the oversized CFL that it was before 1991. I don't want to go back to that in America. Seattle, Portland, Houston and Kansas City, even though you might not have the passion that you do in QC, all would be an improvement over Phoenix. Wake up, NHL.

My take: Believe me when I tell you the NHL has Seattle very much on its radar, especially after the recent arena/NBA announcement last week. If the Coyotes need to be relocated for next season, my money would be on Seattle over Quebec City. However, the league remains optimistic that the Coyotes situation can be salvaged in Glendale. It’s not over yet there ...

IcemanSabre: I know we somehow pulled out a win yesterday over the Penguinos, but I'm torn as to whether the Sabres should let the incompetent team of Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff finish the season and ensure us a high draft pick, or clean house now so that Regier can't make short-sighted trades or hand out dumb contract extensions before he's canned in the summer. This GM/coach duo's biggest success was 13 years ago; isn't it time we moved on from the stale voice in the locker room who consistently employs the defensive shell when we have any kind of lead that is ultimately blown (Sunday being an oddity) and an underperforming GM? Knowing our luck, the Sabres will go on a win streak and win just enough that we miss out on the playoffs and a good draft pick, as usual.

My take: Let’s wait and see how this trade deadline plays out before we judge the GM. From what I’m being told by other team executives around the league, Regier has been quite busy on the phone over the past few weeks. The sense I get is that he’s willing to shake up this team in an important way. Let’s revisit this next week.

stavi14: I'm an Islanders fan, so I have gotten accustomed to losing --- but enough is enough. This team has far too much talent to still be an Eastern Conference doormat. This team needs a new coach and I find it hard to believe that a reputable coach wouldn't like a shot to coach a team with a superstar in John Tavares, potential All-Stars in Moulson, Streit and Parenteau, and so much raw potential in Okposo, Niederreiter, Hamonic, Strome, Grabner, Nielsen, McDonald, Ness, Bailey and DeHaan, not to mention another lottery player coming this year. The team is going to be playing in a new building in 2 years, whether it's Nassau or Brooklyn, 1-2 solid free agents and good coach with a goaltender like Nabby and this team could be one of the best. Enough is enough!

AND

Shiggityshwa22: I give up this year. The Islanders have ripped my heart out and thrown it in the gutter. Hockey gods, have mercy.

My take: Honestly, and I’ve said this before, there is no fan I feel more empathy for than those of the Islanders. You talk about loyalty -- and heartbreak. I really thought they might get in the playoffs this season. I look at the young core, and I see a team that would be knocking at the playoff door. Isles GM Garth Snow told me a few weeks ago that he had no intention (at least at that point) to move Evgeni Nabokov. But I think now that it’s clear the Isles won’t make the playoffs after Monday afternoon’s horrible loss at home to the Senators -- another lost chance at narrowing the gap. So, if I were Snow, I would see what he can get for Nabokov. A second-round pick is a solid return. You can’t let Nabokov walk out the door July 1 and get nothing in return.

RepSD4Life: I can't believe how terrible the Kings are, with how many goal scorers they have. I'm a huge Kings fan and I watch every game, and it's so disappointing. Their offense is so bad that they struggle just to get it out of their own zone. They have no speed entering the other team's zone and their puck and stick-handling skills are atrocious. They can't pass, so all the other team has to do is put on a good forecheck and the Kings will lose the puck before they even get it into the other team's zone. Doughty passes up wide-open shots and then ends up losing the puck before he can even get a pass off. Every single shot the Kings take is blocked. They have no accuracy on their shots. They don't do cross-ice passes to get the goalie out of position. I can go on and on with how terrible this offense is. I'd rather the Kings trade one of their defensemen (Jack Johnson) and try to get a goal scorer. I'd rather give up defense in order to get goals at this point. Hopefully, Lombardi will make the right decisions.

AND

ancientmariner909: If we trade Johnson, then our offense better step it up. Lombardi's job is on the line this season. If L.A. misses the playoffs, then he's definitely out.

My take: Is there a GM with more pressure to make a move before next Monday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline than Dean Lombardi? Don’t think so. Last in the NHL in offense, the Kings have held talks with Columbus both on Rick Nash and Jeff Carter -- they would rather have Nash but will settle for the latter if they strike out on the former. Another option for the Kings is Ales Hemsky, if the price is right. Having said all that, and I doubt anybody in his or her right mind would believe me, but I’m telling you this team isn’t this bad offensively when these players on their normal game. Right now, this looks like more of a mental challenge than anything. It’s like if they haven't scored 10 minutes into a game, their shoulders collectively slump and they think there’s no way they’re going to buy a goal. The battle between the ears, to me, is of greater concern right now than the actual talent on the ice.

ndg09: Pierre, the time has come to ban goaltending in hockey. Just think about it, all we ever do is complain about how they cheat using equipment that is too big and how they're a little "out there" when compared to other players. Plus, I'm now convinced this is the only way my Flyers will ever win a Cup anytime in the near future. We can't find a goalie to play well in Philly, so we might as well just try to get rid of goaltending because I'm beginning to think it will be easier than actually fixing the problem. Seriously, though, should we hold out hope for Bryz or is he a lost cause?

My take: This gave me a good chuckle so I had to include it. I certainly feel for Flyers fans and their two-decade-old goaltending issues. Still, I think it’s way too early to write off Bryzgalov. His adjustment to big-market hockey (after earlier stops in Anaheim/Phoenix) has been longer than I anticipated but I still believe he can live up to his massive contract. Give this time to play out before you give up totally on him.

lebo0508: Why Paul Martin?!?! Why do you do this to Pittsburgh every single game? The guy gets paid a huge (completely unearned) salary and looks about as intelligent on the ice as 10-year-olds in peewee leagues. On the attack, defense, with the puck and without it he ALWAYS looks lost out there on the ice, and in most cases is out there every time the Pens give up a goal. I love Ray Shero's past work (Neal, Dupuis, Kunitz et al) but the Martin contract was a HUGE bust! What can they do to finally rid us of this expensive liability to make room for players with talent? (I'm talking about you, Depres!)

My take: Terrific rant. Boggles my mind how disappointing Martin has been this season. And you’re right, Pens GM Ray Shero doesn’t often miss his mark. But I’m not sure anybody could have predicted this one. Not after the kind of hockey Martin played in New Jersey.

Custance: Happy Friday, Scotty. Hope you're well. Thursday turned out to be an incredible day for hockey. It started early for me with a trip to downtown Detroit, where hockey dignitaries met to officially, officially announce the 2013 Winter Classic (Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings at Michigan Stadium). GM Brian Burke has already promised a win for the Maple Leafs, while Detroit GM Ken Holland refused to get roped into trash talking. But it was fun to see those two great personalities go at it a bit. I got an early taste of what it's going to be like shuttling back and forth between Detroit and Ann Arbor for the big game -- this promises to be the biggest Winter Classic yet, which should be fun. But the games Thursday night were just as compelling, if not more. I'm not even sure where to start.

Scott Gomez finally broke through with his first goal of the year, the $7 million special. Even that was overshadowed a bit by Max Pacioretty's hat trick. It was such a deflating loss for the Islanders, who were starting to gather some momentum for a long-shot playoff bid. Now, the Islanders drop to No. 14 in the East while Montreal clings to playoff hope thanks to a three-game win streak. I don't believe either are playoff teams, but it further muddles up the trade market since GMs of these teams don't seem eager to declare themselves sellers. Islanders GM Garth Snow continues to say Evgeni Nabokov isn't on the trade market, but you can't help but wonder if that loss erodes some of the certainty.

Burnside: Hello, Craig, or should I just dub you Mr. Winter Classic given that this will be a home game for you next year? The Islanders are, needless to say, one of the more curious teams around. I spoke earlier this week with P.A. Parenteau, who is having a breakout year for the Islanders with 48 points in 53 games (his 37 assists rank fifth in the league) but could become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Nothing doing in terms of contract talks yet, but I’ll be surprised if they don’t come to some sort of agreement.

But the Nabokov thing doesn’t make any sense (does anything when it comes to Islanders goaltending?) given that Kevin Poulin and Al Montoya need to be given a chance to prove whether they’re NHL-level goaltenders. Nabokov is not a long-term answer for the Islanders. He might not even be a short-term answer given the very tenuous position of the Isles’ and their dwindling playoff hopes.

The Habs, likewise, can’t be fooled by this brief period of strong play. Pierre Gauthier, almost certainly working his last trade deadline as Habs GM, has to take advantage of what would be significant demand for defenseman Hal Gill and perhaps try to move the enigmatic Andrei Kostitsyn. But you’re right, regardless of how you feel about Gomez, who has morphed from clutch player in New Jersey early in his career to one of the league’s great underachievers, it was good to see the monkey finally climb off his back with his first goal in more than a year.

For me, though, I was dumbfounded to watch the Washington Capitals spit up a two-goal lead in the waning minutes of regulation and then lose in a shootout against a plucky Winnipeg squad. That allowed Florida to reclaim the top spot in the Southeast Division and drop Washington back out of the playoff bracket. Winnipeg, by the by, is just three points behind Washington now.

Custance: Would it be wrong to give the Southeast's playoff spot to someone from the Atlantic? Regardless of who ends up winning that division, that will be the one of the worst No. 3 seeds we've seen in a while. That's such a bad loss for the Capitals, who need to stockpile points at home since they play so poorly on the road, where they have a record of 9-14-3. Six of Washington's next eight games are on the road, so there's actually opportunity for Florida to build a cushion if the Panthers can string together a few wins here.

After a quick trip north to play the Islanders and Devils this weekend, the Panthers have a nice little four-game homestand, including a big one against the Capitals on Feb. 17. Now, I realize there were a lot of empty seats on the television screen when I watched the Panthers' 3-1 win over the Kings on Thursday night, but I loved how the fans showered the team with rats as the players gathered at center ice to salute the fans after the game. Great to see that some hockey traditions live on in a nontraditional hockey market. I have to tell you Scotty, your preseason pick of a Panthers playoff berth is looking more and more prescient. I was sincerely concerned about your mental well-being when you made that bold prediction this summer.

Burnside: You’re not the first person to question my mental state, my friend. But you’re right, it was a big win for the Panthers, who seem to find a way to avoid those soul-sucking losing streaks that have in the past dashed many a Panthers playoff dream.

Now, as for my other outside-the-box preseason pick, the Minnesota Wild, that’s another story. The Wild were waxed by a very good Vancouver team 5-2 Thursday night and dropped to 10th place in the Western Conference. Tough times for the Wild. Rookie coach Mike Yeo told local reporters after the game: “We flat-out stink the last two months. We stink.” He’s right. Time for GM Chuck Fletcher to look at pieces he can move, which I assume will include defenseman Marek Zidlicky, among others. Too bad for a market that has waited a long time for this franchise to develop into a contender and had such high hopes after the team’s terrific play through the first half of the season. The Wild were supplanted as the current eighth-place team by Phoenix, which won its fourth in a row, downing Calgary 2-1 in overtime. Goaltender Mike Smith continued his hot hand, stopping 23 of 24, but there’s hardly room to breathe at the bottom end of the bracket with Dallas, Minnesota and Calgary all tied with 58 points -- two back of Phoenix. Anaheim starts an eight-game road trip in your town tonight, so we’ll see if the Ducks are going to continue to play Cinderella or just be pumpkins. The other game that I’ll be watching with interest tonight features the floundering Chicago Blackhawks in San Jose.

Custance: Just an absolutely huge game for the Blackhawks, who have deteriorated defensively lately. Coach Joel Quenneville admitted to letting the defense slide a little bit as long as the offense made up for it, but it sounds like he tightened things up with a film session and intense practice on Thursday. I realize those long West Coast trips aren't an easy stretch, and between the circus and Disney on Ice, the Blackhawks have had their share this season. But you can't let it get out of hand, and the slide needs to stop tonight for Chicago.

As for Anaheim, I'm headed down in a few minutes to talk to the Ducks and try to get the pulse of that room. The Coyotes are the league's most resilient team, so I still think it's a long shot for Anaheim to sneak into that No. 8 spot, but coach Bruce Boudreau has done it before. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say.

Burnside: Worth noting after Thursday night is that the Kings, who pulled goaltender Jonathan Quick after the second period in their loss to Florida, are just four points ahead of ninth-place Dallas, and the Stars have two games in hand on the Kings. When the Kings played so well under Darryl Sutter after he first replaced Terry Murray -- I admit I was shocked -- it looked like they would cement themselves as a playoff team, but they have gone a little sideways in recent days as the offense has dried up once again. The Kings have managed 14 goals in their past eight games. That’s not enough. They finish up a five-game road trip, four of which were against Eastern Conference foes, Saturday against the Islanders, and then face a stretch where they will play Phoenix twice, Dallas, Calgary and Colorado, all of whom covet the Kings’ place in the standings. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying that unless the Kings find a way to generate more offense to support Quick -- who is having a Vezina Trophy-worthy season -- they’re in trouble.

OK, my friend, that’s all I’ve got. Talk to you next week.

Ray Whitney is on the radar of a few contenders and with good reason, the Wizard amazingly leading the Phoenix Coyotes in scoring at 39 years old.

An unrestricted free agent July 1, he could be on the move if the Coyotes fall out of the playoff race over the next two weeks.

Sources have told ESPN.com that Boston, San Jose and the New York Rangers covet the slick playmaker.

The tricky part is that Whitney has a no-move clause that calls for him to list eight teams to which he’d be willing to be traded. A source told ESPN.com on Thursday that that conversation had yet to happen, which makes sense since the Coyotes remain very much in the playoff race at this point.

Still, a name worth keeping an eye on.

RED-HOT ISLES

The New York Islanders are on a roll, and the last thing on their mind right now is the thought of being sellers come trade deadline day. They believe they’ve got a shot at a playoff spot in the East and that’s their only focus at this point.

"Yeah, we have a lot of belief in that locker room," Isles GM Garth Snow told ESPN.com Wednesday. "Within the last few weeks, we’ve really turned it up a notch as a team. Our specialty teams have improved. We’re just looking forward to the next game."

Veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov has been lights-out of late. He’s slated for unrestricted free agency July 1, which is why his name is often floated in trade rumors, but that’s not what Snow has in mind at this point.

"We have no intention of moving Evgeni," Snow said. "He’s been great for us. His performance speaks for itself."

There haven’t been any contract talks between the Islanders and Nabokov’s camp, but it’s not out of the question down the road.

"Yeah, we’d consider all options, we’re just not at that point yet," said Snow. "We just finished [signing] Frans [Nielsen] and we obviously have a few other players who are unrestricted free agents in July, so we’ll just chip away at them."

Among those other UFAs-to-be is forward P.A. Parenteau. Talks have begun there but still no deal.

"We’ve been having a dialogue with his agent and we’ll see where it goes," Snow said.

LEAFS HOST WINTER CLASSIC?

The Toronto Maple Leafs will play in Detroit for the Winter Classic next Jan. 1, the first step in what they hope is hosting one.

"We would definitely want to, the league knows we want to host it one day," Tom Anselmi, the COO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, told ESPN.com Thursday. "We’d like to host it either in conjunction or in the lead-up to our 100-year anniversary. But obviously we need to figure out the building issue."

The 20,000-seat BMO Field, where MLS team Toronto FC plays, is the most likely site for an outdoor NHL game in Toronto. But 20,000 seats won’t cut it. The Leafs would need to expand the stadium, perhaps only temporarily, to have any chance at hosting a game.

Anselmi also reiterated the Leafs’ desire to host the NHL Entry Draft and the NHL All-Star Game somewhere around or leading up to the club’s centennial anniversary, which is in 2017.

SENS AT THE DEADLINE

Ottawa’s slide down the standings has certainly tied the hands of GM Bryan Murray. He can’t commit to being a buyer or seller at this point with his team on the playoff bubble.

"The one thing we have is a plan going forward, we think we know that we have some young kids coming that are valuable and we’re not going to trade them," Murray told ESPN.com earlier this week. "We’ll see if there’s anything that makes sense, but in all likelihood it’s status quo at the moment, anyway."

In a perfect world, if the Senators can climb back up the standings over the next two weeks and gain more comfort from the danger zone, they’ll look to add a forward.

"We’ll see, we’ll let it play out here," Murray said. "If we bounce back, we may have to make a different decision. But at the moment, we’re just going to hold and see if we can get our better players to play better."

Murray hasn’t sat on his hands over the past month, though.

"I did make a couple of calls," Murray said. "I found out an approximate price. It’s not cheap. I don’t know how many trades there are going to be this year, but the people selling are going to have high demands. It sounds like that anyway."

DUCKS AT THE DEADLINE

Based on what I’m hearing from other teams, it would appear more and more that if the Ducks were going to move one of their big guys, it would likely happpen in the offseason.

You never say never, because the Ducks could get an offer for Bobby Ryan they just can’t refuse before Feb. 27, but the prevailing thought around the league is that if the Ducks decide to move a big chip like Ryan or Ryan Getzlaf -- and that remains an if -- the offseason presents a better opportunity to involve more teams in the mix.

Just like the Flyers did with Mike Richards and Jeff Carter last June.

Besides, the Ducks are on a roll right now, so they haven’t given up on the season.

Top offensive blueliner Lubomir Visnovsky could still move before Feb. 27, however, although the Ducks aren’t giving him away. He’s not a rental player, he’s got another year on his deal, so Anaheim will move Visnovsky only in a traditional hockey deal, not a rental deal where it gets a bucket of pucks.

The interesting part about Visnovsky is that while his cap hit for next year remains at $5.6 million, pretty hefty, his actual salary drops to $3 million, so that might interest some teams.

Niklas Hagman (UFA July 1) is getting some nibbles as well. He’s a versatile player and your typical depth forward, rental addition.

LEAFS AT THE DEADLINE

The Leafs would have preferred to have made their deal by now. GM Brian Burke doesn’t like adding players right at the deadline. He prefers to make his deals at least a month out so that the player or players have more time to get acclimated to the new surroundings.

But it didn’t happen for the Leafs, just like it didn’t happen for most other contenders who were shopping in January but found the prices too exorbitant given the lack of sellers.

The Leafs’ desire is to add a top-six forward with size. They’re not easy to find.

The other factor Toronto’s front office must weigh is that the team has gone gangbusters since the calendar flipped to 2012, and one must consider that when contemplating making a roster move to a dressing room that’s in sync right now.

"Yes, momentum and chemistry both factor in whether you shuffle the deck," Burke told ESPN.com Wednesday.

The key, at least in my opinion, is to make sure if you make a big addition that the reaction in the room is players feeling euphoric that the team has a better chance to win now. As opposed to wondering why a teammate they’re fond of has been dealt.

Speaking of the Leafs, second-line center Mikhail Grabovski -- slated to be UFA July 1 -- remains unsigned, although his agent Gary Greenstin did recently chat with Toronto.

"I spoke with Maple Leafs management a couple days ago and I believe they understand our position and we understand their position," Greenstin told ESPN.com via email Wednesday. "Like I said before, Mikhail loves the city, organization and the fans, and we know the fans like him too. He would like to stay in Toronto and win the Stanley Cup with them, but he is in his prime years in his hockey career and this has to be right for Mikhail and it has to be right for the Maple Leafs."

KUBINA WRINKLE

Veteran defenseman Pavel Kubina will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, so naturally if and when the Lightning become sellers, he’d be a man of interest to contending teams.

One wrinkle to note, however. Kubina has a limited no-trade clause, which states the Lightning must ask him for the five teams he’d be willing to move to. That conversation has not yet happened.

1. Parenteau's future with Islanders

One of the great off-the-radar stories this season has to be the blossoming of New York Islanders forward P.A. Parenteau into one of the game’s premier setup men. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 2001 entry draft by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks; since then, the "Mighty" has been excised from that franchise’s name and the ninth round of the draft no longer exists.

Though the Ducks gave up on Parenteau, as did the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers, Parenteau never lost the faith. In fact, he surmised that his strong play while marooned in the American Hockey League by the Rangers might have actually been the catalyst to what has been a breakout season for him with the Islanders.

Signed by the New York Islanders as a free agent in July 2010, Parenteau didn’t get a chance to play top six minutes or get much of a sniff on the power play until coach Jack Capuano took over for Scott Gordon early in the 2010-11 season. Capuano had been the head coach of the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn., and Parenteau admitted he’d always managed to light it up against them while toiling for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

“I think [Capuano] knew what I could do. There was a pretty good rivalry there,” Parenteau told ESPN.com this week.

After collecting 20 goals and 53 points a season ago, Parenteau has become almost a point-a-game guy this season with 11 goals and 47 points in 52 games. His 36 assists are fifth in the league.

An amiable sort, Parenteau said he never doubted his ability to contribute at this level, even though his path has been dotted by more than a few road blocks.

“It’s been a long road," he said. "But I’m a pretty confident guy.”

Obviously getting a chance to play with guys such as John Tavares, also a good friend of Parenteau's, and Matt Moulson hasn’t hurt.

“When I make a nice play around here, it doesn’t get wasted,” Parenteau said.

Now here’s where it gets interesting for the Isles, who this week signed forward Frans Nielsen to a four-year contract extension worth $11 million. Nielsen has 25 points, or roughly half those collected by Parenteau, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Sources familiar with the negotiations say that the team has yet to begin discussions about extending Parenteau, but with the Islanders crawling back into the edge of the playoff discussion in the Eastern Conference (they are in 11th place in the conference, nine points back of eighth-place Ottawa with four games in hand), it’s hard to imagine GM Garth Snow won’t make getting Parenteau under contract a top priority. Similarly, it’s hard to imagine Snow letting Parenteau walk away for nothing on July 1.

For the record, Parenteau likes it on Long Island and, all things being equal, would prefer to stay.

“I really like where this team is going now,” he said.

2. Jackets deal with Prospal

The Columbus Blue Jackets, already trying desperately to rid themselves of the giant mistake that is Jeff Carter, curiously opted to re-sign veteran forward Vinny Prospal to a one-year deal, apparently promising to give Prospal a job with the organization when he retires. Prospal will turn 37 years old next week, and one wonders if he can coach or learn to be a GM in short order, given those seem to be the team’s most pressing needs.

Whether Prospal is a galvanizing force in the dressing room -- that’s the logic being floated by management for the extension -- one wonders where that leadership has been this season as the Blue Jackets have been an embarrassment from day one. Beyond that, how does it make any sense to commit $2.5 million of cap space to a forward whose production will likely max out at 20 goals (he has nine this season through 53 games)? Prospal would have drawn some interest on the trade market, given the dearth of forwards with playoff experience who are likely to be available by Feb. 27 (he has 65 postseason games to his credit with 35 points collected). So why the hurry to sign a guy who apparently likes it in Columbus? Why not try to gather an asset or two (goodness knows the talent-challenged Blue Jackets can use all the help they can get even if it was a third or fourth-round pick) and then re-sign Prospal in the offseason? In the end, we wonder what the new GM in Columbus will think of this deal, and we’re guessing not much.

3. Flames plan for postseason

When Calgary GM Jay Feaster acquired Mike Cammalleri last month for Rene Bourque, there were a number of arched eyebrows as the Flames added salary at a time when many observers were waiting for the team to wave the white flag and start trying to unload expensive pieces of machinery. But Feaster has remained steadfast in his belief that the Flames are a playoff team, and it was important to him to add a piece he thought could help the team as early in the process as he could.

Cammalleri’s addition illustrates the often ignored truth of deadline deals, that no matter how good the player is there is a period of adjustment to a new team, new system and new teammates. Since arriving, Cammalleri has produced just two goals and an assist in nine games. That’s the reality. By adding Cammalleri early on, though, as well as center Blair Jones -- who the team had coveted for a number of years -- Feaster said he is hoping that those players will be fully integrated into the Flames' program if they make it to the playoffs, and thus more effective when it counts.

It was the same philosophy the former Tampa GM used when he made his lone roster move during the 2003-04 season, adding veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor on Jan. 27, 2004. It took Sydor time to blend in with the up-tempo Lightning -- we recall former assistant coach Craig Ramsay talking about Sydor’s painful learning curve when it came to head coach John Tortorella’s demanding practices -- but it turned out to be an important piece to what would become a Stanley Cup puzzle in Tampa.

“He became the veteran voice on the blue line that we didn’t have,” Feaster said.

The current edition of the Flames isn’t to be confused with the 2004 Lightning, and Feaster knows that. The Flames aren’t particularly deep and are missing Curtis Glencross (due back in early March) and Lee Stempniak (out much longer), which has exacerbated the team’s scoring woes. But Miikka Kiprusoff is having a terrific run, and his 300th career win on Wednesday put the Flames just a point out of eighth place when they woke up on Thursday.

4. Playoff landscape

The crowded NHL playoff landscape is difficult enough to handicap on its own, but throw in uncertainty over injury issues and it makes it doubly hard to read the tea leaves, especially with the trade deadline a little over two weeks away. The Pittsburgh Penguins, battling with Philadelphia and New Jersey for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, hope to have center Jordan Staal back any moment. The Pens and Flyers are both dealing with the long-term absence of their captains Sidney Crosby and Chris Pronger, respectively, although Crosby continues to skate and presumably is closer to returning. But the Flyers got a nice boost with the return of Daniel Briere to the lineup this week.

St. Louis has been patiently waiting for the return of top six forwards Alex Steen and Andy McDonald, both of whom are suffering from concussions. It seems that McDonald has overtaken Steen in terms of game-readiness, although GM Doug Armstrong declined to identify potential return dates; “too much uncertainty,” he wrote Thursday. Still, the return of either or both could be enough to keep the Blues in the hunt for a home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs or to close the gap on Detroit and the top spot in the conference. The Blues trail the Wings by five points and have two games in hand.

The injury situation is more critical for bubble teams, and you have to wonder whether the absence of Dallas captain Brenden Morrow from games against Columbus and Buffalo as he continues to battle back and neck pains might be enough to keep the Stars out of the postseason. Dallas had fallen to 12th in the conference as of Thursday morning but was just two points out of eighth. Morrow’s injuries will also quiet any potential trade talks involving the gritty veteran.

The inverse is true in Buffalo, where the Sabres are finally healthy, especially along the blue line, and are coming off an emphatic 6-0 pounding of Boston Wednesday night. And the Minnesota Wild, clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, announced Thursday that captain Mikko Koivu would return to action after missing eight games to injury. His presence on the ice and in the dressing room could represent the tipping point to keeping the Wild in the playoff bracket.

5. Anyone need a veteran goalie?

Had a brief exchange of texts with veteran netminder Marty Turco, who is trying to stay sharp playing with Salzburg in the Austrian elite league. Playoffs start next week and Turco said he’s enjoying the experience, but he has always had his eye on returning to the NHL. Turco played for Canada at the Spengler Cup in December as well as in a tournament called the European Trophy, in which he played well. We are told a number of NHL teams are keeping an eye on Turco’s progress. He has a clause in his contract that would allow him to return to the NHL should he sign with an NHL team by the Feb. 27 trade deadline. The Detroit Red Wings’ goaltending situation remains somewhat fluid with Jimmy Howard nursing a broken finger, although Joey MacDonald has filled in capably in Howard’s absence. Still, a veteran presence heading into the playoffs wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Western Conference-leading Red Wings.

You guys don’t disappoint. Another week full of wonderful rants. Let’s take a look:

WingsFan1993: Pierre, I'm going to do the impossible. I'm going to call out the Wings's OFFENSE. Yeah, I said it. Not the lackluster special teams, not the lack of depth in the nets, THE OFFENSE. I am SICK and TIRED of watching this team spend 40 minutes to get ONE goal on the road. They fall asleep, take far too long to get the rush going, and end up getting down one, two, or even three goals early on because they can't put the biscuit in the basket. This needs to be addressed RIGHT NOW. How did Chiarelli do it last year? He tinkered. His mentality was one that wins Stanley Cups: enough is NEVER enough. Either Holland opens the cupboard and makes a few hard decisions to bring in a scorer who can get this stagnant road offense going, or we're in DEEP trouble. This team has proven they cannot function without Howard, as well, and a serviceable rental in the nets would help as well... Get a scoring winger. It's plain and simple. We have plenty of bottom-six PKers, and once Eaves returns and gets back to game-shape and game-speed, the PK will improve. Meanwhile, our PP has dropped to 14th overall and is, along with the offense in general, in need of a major boost. It's a winger or bust, Pierre. It's as simple as that. I don't ask much of Holland, just make a decent deal to improve the depth of the roster. Let's admit it, even with how outrageous the hopes, expectations, and costs most GM's are putting out, that's not an impossible task with as much cap room and expendable prospects that we have. This is a win-now fan base and we're not afraid to get angry. Even at the Wings.

My take: Hard to believe I’d ever have to answer a rant about the Wings’ offense in my entire career. Overall this season, they sit sixth in the NHL in goals per game with a 3.07 average. Not too shabby. However, to your point, oh clever one, the discrepancy between home and away is quite evident. The Wings have scored at an electric clip at home, averaging a whopping 3.83 goals per game at Joe Louis Arena, but only 2.52 goals per game on the road. Of course, that mirrors the home and away records of the Wings, who can’t lose at home (20-2-1) but are only 15-15-1 on the road after losing in Phoenix on Monday night. Know this, the Wings are looking to add a forward, and given Ken Holland’s excellent track record at getting what he wants, I’m going to bet on him delivering that forward before Feb. 27.

Supa918: Pierre, Why does leading a division take precedence over point totals? The Southeast division is weak, yet Florida is third in the East with 59 points. Point wise, Florida should be in eighth. The Pacific is weak and San Jose is in third despite having less points than the team in sixth. The luxury of being in a weak division currently gives you a bit of an unfair advantage over teams in stronger divisions. Home ice is a big deal in the playoffs as you well know.

My take: Without rewarding divisional leaders with top-three seeds, what would be the point of divisional play? The top-three seeds are the last reason why there is any relevance at all in divisional play. Mind you, had the NHL’s realignment plan gone ahead for next season, this would no longer be in play, obviously, with the league moving away from six divisions and going to four conferences. No doubt owners and the league will want to try to push it through for the 2013-14 season, although they’ll need the players’ blessing via collective bargaining, so your complaints about the divisional seeding may only have a year and a half left of shelf life.

jeffjaguar: Pierre...in a recent rant answer you tried to defend the nonsensical idea of having some games worth three points in the league standings and others worth two points with the comment that the little Napoleon oops the commissioner feels the currency system provides very close playoff races. Well if what has happened in the East the past few years is any indication, once the teams settle in at the beginning of March there is hardly any change in the eight playoff teams as it is very hard to make up ground what with the number of three point inter-conference games. Right now in the East, there is starting to be some separation and it's beginning to look like the following teams are pretty well placed...NYR, Bos, Pit, Phi, NJD, Tor, which leaves a falling Ott team and the battle between Wash and Florida for the SE lead and two of the last three will take the two remaining spots. Is the current point allocation system conducive to allowing teams to come back once they fall seven or eight points out of a playoff spot? Do you see much change at least in the Eastern Conference playoff teams I have listed?

My take: If anyone has followed my reporting over the past decade, they will know one thing for sure: I’ve long advocated going to three points for a regulation-time victory, two points for OT/SO win and one point for OT/SO loss. I once again tweeted that sentiment on Monday. My frustration with the current system is that it makes it nearly impossible for teams to come back from lower in the standings and bridge the gap in the second half. Take Tampa Bay as a recent example. The Bolts have gone 6-0-1 in their past seven games entering Tuesday night’s home game with Los Angeles yet still are 10 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East (although eight points back of the Southeast lead/third seed in the conference). There are just too many OT/SO loser points that clutter the standings. Three points for a 60-minute victory would better reward teams that are actually on a roll. Interestingly, the NHL’s 30 GMs toyed with the three-point win idea, even recommending it as something that should be studied when they emerged out of the February 2004 GM meetings in Henderson, Nev. (I was there.) But coming out of the 2005 lockout, the idea was dropped. The league likes it the way it is because it keeps the standings closer, which is true. But my argument is that I’d rather have standings that are more in tune with what’s really happening on the ice.

WingleBeast: I am absolutely sick of players taking a run at someone after they have laid a perfectly legal check. I get sticking up for your team mates, but you look like a dumb goon when you take offense to every time a team mate hits the glass or ice. The league needs to start suspending players who start retaliatory scrums after a legal hit. During my 12 years of football, I was taught to keep my head up and, if I didn't, then I should learn to take a hit, sure you would get waxed once in a while, but the only person to be mad at is yourself. Certain players should have the guts to get up from an open ice check, compliment the other guy on the hit, and tell his teammates to stop being idiots cause he had his head down.

My take: Wholeheartedly agree with you. It’s something that’s crept into the NHL game over the past decade and it’s just plain silly. If it’s a clean check, dust yourself off, take the guy’s number and get him back with a clean check later in the game. Case closed.

jmcleod512: Thanks for doing this every week, Pierre. I've ranted about the Blackhawks defense before, but I thought it'd be improved by now! It's apparent to anyone that their team defense (forwards and defensemen) are simply not showing up, which is odd given that Toews, Hossa, Bolland, and Sharp are some of the best two-way guys you can offer. Why isn't the defense clicking??? Can a trade solve it, or is it a problem with their style of play???

AND

boz_20: Why can't my Blackhawks keep the puck out of the net? Everybody (including me) was glad when they were able to unload Campbell's contract. While I agree he was overpaid, I'm beginning to wonder if it was worth it. A puck handling blue liner that also can score. Those are hard to come by and while I believe Leddy and Hammer are good, they obviously don't have the impact Soupy had. Who should the Hawks go after before the trade deadline?

My take: As Devils GM Lou Lamoriello once told me years ago when I asked him about his struggles on offense that particular season, he said it wasn’t how many goals you scored but rather how many more you scored than allowed in. Despite the Blackhawks’ painful defensive struggles (25th in league in goals against per game), they are still 13th out of 30 teams in goals for-to-goals against ratio -- which as some of you readers know is my favorite statistic. Not helping matters this season is the penalty kill ranked a putrid 27th -- that’s certainly a major factor. Overall, I see lots of blame to share here. Corey Crawford has struggled, but both his defense and forwards have struggled overall in their team defensive game. The Hawks are on the lookout for a defenseman and once they get him that will help things, but in the end the answer must come from within this group. Team defense is about commitment.

joe4935: My rant, Pierre, is about you. What's it take to get my comments posted to your chats or emails? I've tried funny (in my opinion, at least), throwing in French words, pretending I was a GM, compliments -- really, I'm all out, except for mentioning poutine or your hometown, both of which I kind of think seem overdone already. So while I'd like to hear who you think the Habs would be willing to part with once they admit they're not going to make it this year or next, I guess what I'm really looking for is for my name to be immortalized by you giving me a shoutout. And it'd really be gravy if you answered my question to boot.

My take: There you go, you’re posted. And by the way, I’m breaking the rules by even posting this since that’s not really a rant! My sense is that the Habs will move Hal Gill for sure. Travis Moen, like Gill an unrestricted free agent on July 1, could be interesting. Lots of interest in him from contenders, but the Canadiens should think about re-signing him, given their lack of size.

Shiggityshwa22: Being an Islander fan is so frustrating. I mean seriously, what have we done that the hockey gods feel we deserve multiple decades of torture and punishment? (I think 10 years is a fair punishment for allowing Milbury to be an NHL head coach and GM) Every year, we start off losing game after game, setting ourselves up nicely to acquire a lottery pick. Suddenly, however, we start playing good hockey and winning games after our games are of any significance. Someone buy me a freaking beer.

My take: I’ve said this before, but there are no fans I have more respect for than die-hard, loyal Islanders fans. It’s been a tortuous road, to be sure, the last two decades. Hang in there, though. John Tavares and the gang have some major promise. Now if we can just figure out the whole arena thing.

thebrownster29: Hi Pierre, my rant is with the Kings. How in the world are they not scoring more goals? One goal in the last two games, can't anyone score in LA? And when in the world is Simon Gagne coming back? Dustin Penner's four goals, relativeley speaking, on this team would probably equate to 12 goals on any other halfway decent scoring team. Man, I have watched the Kings for years, and never seen the offense this anemic.

My take: When I watch the Kings, two things come to mind in terms of their offensive struggles: They need a serious upgrade on the wings, which is why GM Dean Lombardi is working the phones to see what’s out there, and there’s a general lack of foot speed on this team. The Kings just not as fast as most of the contending teams in this league, and in today’s game speed is a huge part of having success. Those would be the two areas I would be focused on in terms of wanting to improve my team if I were Lombardi.