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NHL Playoff Observations -- Monday

Just a few things that caught my eye ...

  • Happy hatred day, folks. Mike Rupp's punch to Martin Brodeur's chin is a long way from the celebration they shared after the former scored the Cup-winning goal for the Devils in 2003.
  • MMA's Dead Serious 4 bout comes up later this week in New Jersey. Maybe they should add a Pete de Boer and John Tortorella tilt to the card. Might be ugly, though ...
  • Zach Parise sure opened up a can of whup a$$, didn't he? Two goals and a helper, plus exceptional three-zone play including speed and strength along the wall. $7 mil? Or $8? It just won't be in Jersey. Apparently, they owe a shopping $177 mil to creditors. Ouch.
  • Steve Bernier did his best 100-pound weakling imitation in defense of good ol' Marty. He ended up on his back faster than the skinny kid got sand in his face in those old Charles Atlas comic book ads ...
  • Bryce Salvador now has more points (10) in the playoffs (16 games) than he had in 82 all season (nine). Just saying.
  • Maybe John Tortorella should have scratched Michael Del Zotto instead of stapling him to the bench for almost all of the second and a good bit of the third. The kid lost his grandmother on Saturday and he looked like he was having a hard time compartmentalizing his grief.
  • Martin Brodeur hasn't lost two games in a row this postseason. And now he has four helpers to set a new record. Quite a sunset, eh?
  • Parise was out of gas on that early two-on-one, but Dan Girardi's recovery to break it up was brilliant. He's not just a foundation -- he's a pillar back there.
  • Marian Gaborik hasn't scored in five games, but it's not his longest goal drought of the playoffs. Try eight -- games two through seven against the Sens, and one and two against the Caps. How much is he making? Oh right -- they don't get paid in the playoffs. Am I being to hard on him again?
  • The Memorial Cup is on and all four teams -- London Knights, Saint John Sea Dogs, Edmonton Oil Kings and Shawinigan Cataractes -- are tied with a 1-1 record after two games. It's the first time since the current tourney format was adopted in 1983 that this has happened. Just so happens they're the four best teams in all of junior hockey, too ... sad that only three get through to the 'playoffs.'