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 A look at news from around the league...

No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers at No. 6 Boston Bruins (Series tied 3-3)

 • With their win in Boston on Wednesday night, the Flyers became the first team since the '75 Islanders to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games of a series. "Now both teams have their backs against the wall," Philly defenseman Chris Pronger said after the 2-1 victory in Game 6. "It's a dangerous position to be in, both for us and them. They're going to come out with everything they've got. It's do or die for them now in Game 7 in their building [on Friday night]." Columnist Phil Sheridan says it would be a shame for the Flyers not to finish this now that they've come this far. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

 • The defending champs are eliminated with a 5-2 loss at home in Game 7. Who saw this coming? Columnist Ron Cook says it was hard to recognize the Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar and Marc-Andre Fleury Thursday night. Quite simply, it was one of the worst big-game hockey in Penguins history. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ] 

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Games

No. 8 Montreal Canadiens at No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. (Series tied 3-3)

• The Penguins and Canadiens have both been in this position before ... a Game 7 to advance to the next round. The Penguins won two Game 7s last year -- a 6-2 victory at Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and a 2-1 victory at Detroit in the Stanley Cup final to clinch the 2009 championship. Meanwhile, Montreal is coming off of a first-round showing in which they overcame a 3-1 deficit against Washington to beat the Capitals in seven games. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• Penguins hoping crowd provides home-ice advantage for crucial game. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• An unsung hero can easily alter course in Game 7. "It's a funny thing," former Penguins pest and current ESPN hockey analyst Matthew Barnaby said. "And it's not just Penguins history. In big games and in overtimes of those games, it's never the Stars." [ Pittsburgh Tribune ]

• Canadiens in familiar spot, hoping to tap into more Game 7 magic. [ Montreal Gazette ]

• Canadiens to broadcast game on HD Jumbotron at Bell Centre in Canada. [ Montreal Gazette ]

No. 6 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers, 8 p.m. (Bruins lead 3-2)

• The Flyers are halfway to becoming the third team in NHL history to win a playoff series after losing the first three games. Toronto accomplished the feat in 1942, and the New York Islanders did it in 1975. "Without a doubt, I would love to be part of the next team to be able to do it," center Danny Briere said. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Finding the right goalie lately has been troublesome for the Flyers. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Bruins need to get tougher and make better decisions to end series with Flyers. [ Boston Globe ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 3 Vancouver Canucks (Blackhawks win series 4-2)

• With his dad on his mind, Blackhawks' Troy Brouwer scores key goal in victory. Brouwer's dad underwent emergency surgery five weeks ago for a blood clot on his brain and has spent the past month recovering in a hospital 20 minutes outside Vancouver, where Brouwer grew up. [ Chicago Tribune ]

• Everything went wrong for the Canucks as another disappointing season comes to an end. [ Vancouver Sun ]

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Game

No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 3 Vancouver Canucks, 9:30 p.m. (Blackhawks lead 3-2)

• Anybody who thinks they have a handle on the Hawks-Canucks series doesn't. Anybody predicting the outcome is guessing. Never has a 3-2 lead felt like a series that's all tied up. The home team has won once in five games. The Canucks had a chance to bury the Hawks in Game 2 and failed. They had a chance to seize control in Game 3 and failed. The Hawks had a chance to clinch at home and failed. In four of the five games, the team that outhit the other lost. [ Chicago Sun-Times ]

• Roberto Luongo faced three elimination matches in the Olympics and won them all, culminating in a gold medal for Canada. So here he is again. [ Vancouver Sun ]

• Canucks' Sami Salo not limping despite groin pain, status 'day-to-day' for Game 6. [ Vancouver Sun ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 Montreal Canadiens (Series tied 3-3)

• The Canadiens parlayed two goals by Michael Cammalleri, a timely return by defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to tie up the series and force a winner-take-all Game 7. [ Montreal Gazette ]

• In a Game 7, bet on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins to win it. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 6 Boston Bruins (Bruins lead 3-2)

• The Flyers seem to have found the formula for success. The higher the body count, the better they play. This time, they lost goalie Brian Boucher, and their young offensive star Claude Giroux, but still won Game 6 with a 4-0 victory. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Even though Bruins lead series, it feels like they are playing from behind. [ Boston Globe ]

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Games

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 8 Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. (Penguins lead 3-2)

• This is not a must-win game for the Penguins. Not in any hard-numbers sense, anyway. But the last thing the Penguins want to avoid is a Game 7, where anything can happen. "I'd like to treat it like it's the end of the world," left winger Mike Rupp said. "You can look at it that their backs are up against the wall -- which they are -- but I like to look at it from the standpoint that it is for us, too." [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• Hal Gill injury 'just a cut', hopes to play Game 6. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• Canadiens' fans have reason to celebrate no matter what the outcome. [ Montreal Gazette ]

No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers at No. 6 Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. (Bruins lead 3-1)

• After letting a second-round sweep of the Flyers slip away with a 5-4 overtime loss in Philadelphia, the banged-up Bruins got some much needed rest Sunday. [ Boston Globe ]

• Bruins know good things follow with faceoff wins. [ Boston Globe ]

• Flyers' Matt Carle understands 0-3 hole, but says team can't get too far ahead of ourselves. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 3 Vancouver Canucks (Blackhawks lead 3-2)

• With Vancouver's season at stake — and with it Roberto Luongo's reputation — the goaltender produced his finest clutch performance in a Canuck uniform since the epic 56-save night three years ago in an elimination game against the Anaheim Ducks. [ Vancouver Sun ]

• Sami Salo's takes puck to the groin, meaning it would be doubtful he plays in Game 6. [ Vancouver Sun ]

• Blackhawks lose focus, getting dropped by Canucks as series heads back to Vancouver. [ Chicago Tribune ]

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Games

No. 3 Vancouver Canucks at No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m. (Blackhawks lead 3-1)

• The outlook was grim, doubts were spreading and criticism was rampant. That seemed to be the state of affairs for the Blackhawks a little more than a week ago. How quickly things can change. The Hawks now are on the cusp of advancing to their second consecutive Western Conference finals by eliminating the rival Vancouver Canucks for the second consecutive year. [ Chicago Sun-Times ]

• Blackhawks' relentless pressure has kept Canucks off balance. [ Chicago Tribune ]

• Penalties killing Canucks chances to reach the next round. [ Vancouver Province ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 Montreal Canadiens (Penguins lead 3-2)

• The Penguins have preached the importance of creating traffic in front of Jaroslav Halak, and their plan worked well enough to earn a 3-2 series advantage. Montreal coach Jacques Martin all but admitted that such goals are somewhat unstoppable. [ Pittsburgh Tribune ]

• Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had fun, but busy evening. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• No. 8 seed Canadiens in familiar spot, must win to avoid elimination . [ Montreal Gazette ]

No. 6 Boston Bruins vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers (Bruins lead 3-1)

• Flyers coach Peter Laviolette says the Flyers need to be on the attack mode. "We have to do to them what they're going to try to do to us." [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Bruins have become enormously popular over the past month in city of Boston. [ Boston Herald ]

No. 1 San Jose Sharks vs. No. 5 Detroit Red Wings (Sharks win series 4-1)

• Sharks brush aside some playoff demons to eliminate Red Wings and reach conference finals. [ San Jose Mercury News ]

• Too many things went wrong for Red Wings, including Brad Stuart's injury. [ Detroit Free Press ]

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Games

No. 8 Montreal Canadiens at No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)

• Penguins, Canadiens both have the same attitude ... Game 5 is very important to swing the series. The eighth-seeded Canadiens, who waged a last-ditch effort to send the Capitals on their way to summer vacation in the first round, have found comfort in a devil-may-care style of play. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• Hal Gill and Josh Gorges doing a great job shutting down Sidney Crosby. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

No. 5 Detroit Red Wings at No. 1 San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. (Sharks lead 3-1)

• Even though the Sharks still have a commanding 3-1 lead, the Red Wings 7-1 win in Game 4 casts some doubts about the Sharks. "I think we move on and it's over," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We have to put it behind us. If we carry that baggage or luggage with us, we'll be behind the 8-ball." [ San Jose Mercury News ]

• Red Wings looking to Game 5 and only Game 5 for now. [ Detroit Free Press ]

• Red Wings have to do five things to stave off elimination and claim series. [ Detroit Free Press ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 6 Boston Bruins vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers (Bruins lead 3-1)

• Simon Gagne had quite a return. What started as a painful shift with 14:10 elapsed in the first OT ended only 30 seconds later with pure jubilation. His goal - and chance to play hero - was the exact reason why he decided to push the envelope and return to his teammates at their most desperate hour. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Brian Boucher wasn't at his best, but he'll take the victory. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Bruins' Mark Stuart hits the ice for the first time since April 1. [ Boston Globe ]

No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 3 Vancouver Canucks (Blackhawks lead 3-1)

• Vancouver continued to take cheap shots and penalites, which was fine by the Blackhawks. They took the power play chances, the goals and not a 3-1 lead in the series. [ Chicago Tribune ]

• Blackhawks' Dave Bolland and his line are getting in the head of the Sedin twins. [ Chicago Sun-Times ]

• Roberto Luongo gets pounded again, putting Canucks in deep trouble. [ Vancouver Sun ]

A look at news from around the league...

Tonight's Games

No. 6 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m. (Bruins lead 3-0)

• Facing the disgrace of a series sweep on their home ice, it would be surprising if the Flyers didn't find a way to win at least one game. The sweep-avoiding win seems like a fairly common phenomenon. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• Simon Gagne practices for Flyers, might play Game 4. [ Philadelphia News/Inquirer ]

• With David Krejci hurt, Bruins have a hole at the center position. [ Boston Globe ]

No. 2 Chicago Blackhawks at No. 3 Vancouver Canucks, 9:30 p.m. (Blackhawks lead 2-1)

• As the heroes seemingly change every night for the Blackhawks during the playoffs, goalie Antti Niemi has emerged as the indispensable constant. Not bad for an inexperienced goalie who has been thrust into playoff spotlight. [ Chicago Tribune ]

• Several Blackhawks have fond memories of Vancouver Olympics. [ Chicago Tribune ]

• Changes coming to Canucks roster as team is looking for a win. [ Vancouver Province ]

Off-Day Teams

No. 1 San Jose Sharks at No. 5 Detroit Red Wings (Sharks lead 3-1)

• Red Wings respond to challenge by scoring ... and scoring ... and scoring. [ Detroit Free Press ]

• Sharks' Ryane Clowe says easy to forget loss with series lead. [ Detroit Free Press ]

• Sharks' lack of focus brings memories of 2006 when they lost to Edmonton. [ San Jose Mercury News ]

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins at No. 8 Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. (Series tied 2-2)

• Penguins' Stars, who didn't play like much, are the ones to blame. [ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ]

• Tomas Plekanec says its time for the Canadiens to use fan advantage. [ Montreal Gazette ]

Johan Franzen of the Detroit Red Wings celebrates a goal on Evgeni Nabokov of the San Jose Sharks during Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich. (Getty Images)