(April 8th, Part III) East Conference Preview

MONTREAL CANADIENS (1) vs. BOSTON BRUINS (8)

SERIES STORYLINES

Eight and O: The Canadiens swept the Bruins this season, winning all eight games -- Montreal led 345 minutes and 41 seconds out of a possible 485 minutes of hockey during that span. Only one other time in Stanley Cup history has a team won as many as eight games against an opponent in a season and met that team in the playoffs. In the 1984 playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers swept the Winnipeg Jets 3-0 in the best-of-five opening round series after going 8-0 against them in the regular season.

1 vs. 8: A #8 team has beaten the #1 team seven times since 1994. The last #8 seed to defeat a #1 was in 2006 when the Edmonton Oilers defeated Detroit Red Wings 4-2. Other #8 upsets include, Montreal over Boston (2002), San Jose over St. Louis (2000), Pittsburgh over New Jersey (1999), Ottawa over New Jersey (1998), NY Rangers over Quebec (1995) and San Jose over Detroit (1994).

Got your number: The Canadiens' current win-streak against the Bruins stands at 11 games, dating back to March 20, 2007. The Bruins' 11-game losing streak is the longest in the franchise's 84-year history against the Canadiens.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 76
Stanley Cups: 23 (Last: 1993)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2004 (Conference Quarter-Final vs. Boston)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 86-51
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 393-266-8

KEY DATES

Oct. 26/07 -- Against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Canadiens score five power-play goals in one game, marking the first time since Feb. 15, 1975 (against Chicago) they had scored that many power-play goals in one contest.

Dec. 13/07 -- Sergei Kostitsyn and older brother Andrei become the 13th brother combination in team history to dress for a game with the Canadiens, and the first two European siblings to do so. Against Toronto two days later, the Kostitsyns became the latest brother duo to collect a point each in the same game since Patrick and Stephan Lebeau (Feb. 23, 1991 vs. Toronto).

Jan. 31/08 -- The Kostitsyns become the first pair of brothers to score a goal in the same game for Montreal since Frank and Pete Mahovlich did it: in the regular season on March 23, 1974 (vs. St. Louis) and April 14, 1974 (vs. the NY Rangers) in the playoffs.

Feb. 4/08 – The Canadiens summon G Carey Price from their Hamilton AHL team.

Feb. 26/08 – Canadiens trade G Cristobal Huet to Washington for a second-round pick in 2009.

CANADIENS STORYLINES

More rings than an Olympics: Behind the Canadiens’ bench are Guy Carbonneau, who won three Stanley Cup rings as a player (two with Montreal, one with Dallas); Doug Jarvis (four rings as a player with Montreal, one more as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars’ 1999 champion) and Kirk Muller (one ring with the 1993 Canadiens). Upstairs, GM Bob Gainey won five rings as a player with Montreal, then managed Dallas to the 1999 title.

Oh, Captain: Today’s Canadiens are managed or coached by the men who were captains of the team from 1981-95. GM Bob Gainey was the Canadiens’ captain from 1981-89. He was replaced by a tandem of Guy Carbonneau and Chris Chelios from 1989-90, then Carbonneau went solo from 1990-94. Carbonneau was succeeded by Kirk Muller for 1994- 95.

The Last Time: Muller played on the last Canadiens team to win the Stanley Cup -- and the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup.

Kovalev time: Canadiens RW Alexei Kovalev led the League in power-play points with 47. He is Montreal's first 35-goal scorer since 1995-96, when Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse tied for the team lead with 38 each. Kovalev is the fourth Russian-trained player to reach the 1,000-game milestone, following Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Zhitnik and Sergei Zubov.

The Price Is Right: In 2006-07, Price led Canada to the gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Championships, at which he was named tournament MVP. He also was named the top goaltender in Canadian major junior hockey, captured the Calder Cup championship with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Hamilton and was voted AHL playoff MVP. Since being summoned from Hamilton on Feb. 4, the 20-year-old has been a dominant factor in the Canadiens' charge to the Northeast Division title, becoming the first goaltender aged 20 or less to win 20 games in a season since Tom Barrasso and Parick Roy did it in 1985-86.

First Things First: The Canadiens' previous first-place finish was in 1991-92, when they led the Adams Division with 93 points . . . Montreal's goal total (262) led the NHL this season and was the team's highest since it scored 265 in 1995-96 . . . Montreal reached the 100- point plateau for the first time since its 102 points in 1992-93, registered 45-or-more victories In a season for the first time since 1992-93 (48) and compiled its best record on the road (25-12-4, 54 points) since 1978-79 (23-11-6, 52 points).

All-Powerful: Montreal led the NHL in power-play goals (90) and surrendered only three shorthanded goals -- tied with Florida for fewest.

In The Depths: Seven Canadiens players finished the regular season with 50 points-or- more, the most scoring depth since seven Canadiens surpassed the 50-point mark in 1988- 89. No other NHL team had more than six such players this season.

Coming or Going?: Though used primarily as defensemen, both Mark Streit and Mathieu Dandenault have seen action at forward this season.


BOSTON BRUINS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 63rd (1st since 2004)
Stanley Cups: 5 (1972, 1970, 1941, 1939, 1929)
Last Playoff Series Win: 1999 (Conference Quarter-Final vs. Carolina)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 47-57
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 242-264-6

KEY DATES

June 21/07 -- Claude Julien named the 28th coach in club history.

Oct. 27/07 -- The Bruins lost forward Patrice Bergeron to injury (concussion) in a game vs. Philadelphia.

Jan. 27/08 -- The Bruins sent three players to the All-Star Game - D Zdeno Chara, C Marc Savard and G Tim Thomas.

Apr. 4/08 -- The Bruins qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2004 with a 2-1 win in Ottawa.

BRUINS STORYLINES

Having a blast: For the second straight year, D Zdeno Chara won the hardest shot competition at All-Star Weekend. Chara shot clocked at 103.1 miles-per-hour and surpassed the 101.9 mph of runner-up Vincent Lecavalier of the Lightning.

More Chara: The Bruins' captain set new career-highs for goals (17), assists (34) and points (51) in a season in 2007-08.

Sick bay: The Bruins, with more than 360 man-games lost to injury this season, surpassed their injury total for all of last season (162 games) on Jan. 12. Chara on the Bruins resiliency: "It’s been a tough year since the beginning. We lost some key guys and just kept losing them and losing them. It’s part of hockey. We can’t really control the injuries. We’re just hoping that the guys will be coming back soon. At the same time, we had some guys who stepped up and filled their roles. We just replaced the skills with lots of hard work and desperation We just wanted to win the battles and races and play desperate - every shift, every period, every game."

Sick bay 2: The Bruins have lost one-third of their roster to injury for significant periods of time this season -- forwards Patrice Bergeron (72 games), Marc Savard (last six games of the season), Glen Murray (19) and Chuck Kobasew (8), defensemen Andrew Alberts (47) and Andrew Ference (22) and goaltender Manny Fernandez (72).

Defensive turnaround: The Bruins made the League's second-biggest defensive turnaround from last season. The Bruins have improved their defense from 289 goals-against in 2006- 07 to 222 in 2007-08, a drop of 67 goals. Only the Flyers (down 70 goals; 303 to 233) were better.

Thomas time: After a March 20 loss to Montreal (4-2), through the Bruins' playoff-clinching 2-1 win at Ottawa on Apr. 4, the Bruins had at least a point in each of the six games G Tim Thomas started (4-0-2 record, 1.46 GAA, .947 save percentage). Thomas went 5-2-2 in his last nine starts and was 10-5-3 in his last 17 decisions to get the Bruins in the playoffs. He allowed two-goals-or-less in 34 of his 51 complete games on the season (24-7-4 record) and has allowed just one-goal-or-less in 19 of those games (17-1-1 record). In his 11th pro season, Thomas has played playoff games as a pro in Finland, Sweden and Providence. The soon-to-be 34 year-old (April 15), will get his first taste of Stanley Cup playoff action.

Tim Thomas on playing playoff-like games for at least a month: "Every game has been so important. It’s almost like every game has been a must-win. It’s been playoff hockey for a while now. I think that will help us to hopefully be battle-tested. We’ve passed every test so far."

Finally there: C Marc Savard, who has been sidelined with a back injury since March 22, has made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in this, his 10th NHL season. With 659 regular-season games, Savard's wait will have been the longest in League history when he plays in his first playoff game. Dennis Maruk, 581 games (1983); Bob Stewart, 575 (1980), and Scott Walker, 574 (2004) had the longest wait prior to Savard. Savard: "I get to get rid of that tag: no playoffs. That’s pretty exciting. I’ve done well in the playoffs . . . a long time ago (in junior). So I’m as excited as anybody to get a chance. . . . This is going to be a fun time." (In 1996-97, as junior in Oshawa, Savard {130 pts in regular-season and 37 pts. in the playoffs} beat out San Jose's Joe Thornton {122 pts.} for the regular-season OHL scoring crown and Alyn McCauley {36 pts.} for the playoff crown.)

You've come a long way: 10 months (May 27) ago, Bruins rookie LW Milan Lucic was leading his Vancouver Giants to a Memorial Cup championship with an MVP performance. He received a special call of congratulations from the Bruins: "I didn't know who it was. Then he said, 'Hey, it's Cam Neely calling.' I was pretty shocked. I was in awe. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life. He congratulated me for a job well done at the tournament and wished me luck for the future with the Boston Bruins."

Lucic vs. Price: Boston Bruins rookie Milan Lucic, while playing for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL scored his first career hat-trick in the against Montreal's rookie goaltender Carey Price, a former goaltender for the Tri-City Americans (Nov. 24, 2006).

The Seventh Player winner: Milan Lucic won the the Bruins 39th Seventh Player Award due in large part to the workmanlike effort he brought every night in his rookie NHL campaign: "They've set a certain identity of playing hard in this organization from back in the day. I can name lots of them that have played here: Cam [Neely], Ray Bourque, Terry O'Reilly. You just look up at the rafters and the numbers that are retired. All those guys played hard-nosed, in-your-face hockey. It's a successful and entertaining style."

Worth the wait: Coach Claude Julien makes his first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since his then Montreal Canadiens were swept by Tampa Bay in the 2004 Conference Semi-Final. His last playoff win came in Game #7 in Boston when the Canadiens completed a 3-1 series comeback with a 2-0 win on April 19.


PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (2) vs. OTTAWA SENATORS (7)

SERIES STORYLINES

Lucky 7's: A #7 seed knocked off a #2 seed in each Stanley Cup playoff post-season from 1997 through 2006. The streak was snapped last year when #2 Eastern seed New Jersey defeated Tampa Bay 4-2 and #2 Western seed Anaheim beat Minnesota 4-1. The Eastern Conference #7 has knocked off the #2 a total of six times in the last 10 years, while the Western Conference #7 has beaten the #2 five times in the past 10 years.

Good to see you again: Penguins' LW Gary Roberts will face the Ottawa Senators for the fifth time in his playoff career. He played a key role in three straight playoff series wins for Toronto against the Senators from 2001 through 2004. He was on the losing end last year with the Penguins in Ottawa's five-game opening round win after both teams enjoyed 105-point regular-seasons. Roberts has 12 goals and 21 points in 23 career playoff games against Ottawa.

Why score first? In their four meetings this season, the team that scored first went on to lose – Pittsburgh came back twice from two-goal deficits (2-0 and 5-3) to beat the Senators 6-5 in a shootout on Nov. 22/07, while the Senators, down 3-0, beat the Penguins 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 23/08. In the other two games, Ottawa didn't get on the score board first but won both games (4-1 on Dec. 13 and 5-4 on Mar. 1).

Good to see you again 2: Penguins' GM Ray Shero was the assistant GM of the Senators from 1993-1998 – Daniel Alfredsson (133rd overall,1994), Chris Phillips (1st overall,1996), Chris Neil (161st overall, 1998) as well as current Penguin Marian Hossa (12th overall, 1997) were all Ottawa draft selections during that time.

High octane: Last year, the Senators-Penguins match-up featured the League's second- and third-best offense. This season, the Senators ranked second in the League with 261 goals, while the Penguins ranked seventh with 247.

Staal's Springtime in Ottawa: For the third straight year, the Penguins' 19-year old sophomore C Jordan Staal will visit Ottawa for playoff action. He led his junior team, the Peterborough Petes, to a six-game series win in the OHL playoffs against the Ottawa 67's in 2006 and was with the Pens in their Conference Quarter-final loss last year.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 22nd (2nd consecutive)
Stanley Cups: 2 (1991, 1992)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2001 (Conference Semi-Final vs. Buffalo)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 20-20
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 110-103

KEY DATES

Dec. 8/07 -- The Penguins completed a three-game sweep of their 'Crosby-Mania' swing through Western Canada with a 2-1 shootout victory at Vancouver. In the most exciting stretch of the Penguins' season, the club scored four goals in the third period to defeat Edmonton 4-2 and posted consecutive shootout victories at Calgary and Vancouver.

Dec. 20/07 -- G Ty Conklin made his first career start in a Penguins uniform, stopping 37 shots and both shootout attempts in a 5-4 victory at Boston. Conklin, recalled from the AHL Dec. 6 after an injury to starter Marc-Andre Fleury, went on post victories in each of his first nine starts.

Jan. 1/08 -- The Penguins struck just 21 seconds into the game and C Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning shootout goal in a 2-1 victory over Buffalo in the AMP Energy Winter Classic in front of more than 71,000 at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Feb. 10/08 -- C Evgeni Malkin tallied his fifth consecutive multiple-point game with a goal and three assists in a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia. Malkin upped his total to 21 points in 10 games without the injured Sidney Crosby in the lineup.

Feb. 26/08 -- Pittsburgh acquired RW Marian Hossa and RW Pascal Dupuis from Atlanta for RW Colby Armstrong, C Erik Christensen, C Angelo Esposito and Pittsburgh's 1st- round draft pick in 2008 at the trading deadline. The club also acquired D Hal Gill from Toronto for a 2nd-round draft pick in 2008 and 5th-round pick in 2009.

Mar. 4/08 -- C Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup in a 2-0 victory at Tampa Bay after missing 21 games with a high ankle injury suffered Jan. 18.

Mar. 25/08 -- The Penguins clinched a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-0 victory at New Jersey.

PENGUINS STORYLINES

Successful season: The Penguins captured their first division title since the 1997-98 season . . . they earned 100 points in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history, following 1992-93 and 1993-94 . . . they posted a +31 goal differential this season, second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the NHL . . . they closed the season earning at least a point in 11 consecutive home games (9-0-2), in 16 of the final 17 home contests (13-1-3) and in 22 of the final 24 (19-2-3) . . . they sold out all 41 home games in 2007-08, drawing 700,137 fans for an average crowd of 17,076. It marks the first time the Penguins have sold out every home game in an entire season and sport a club-record 54-game sellout streak dating to 2006-07.

(Winter) classic turnaround: The Penguins entered the Jan. 1 Winter Classic at Buffalo with a 20-16-2 record and went 27-11-6 thereafter, posting the Eastern Conference's second- best points percentage after Dec. 31 (.682). Only the Eastern Conference Washington Capitals (28-12-3, .686) and the Western Conference's Anaheim Ducks (28-10-3, .720) and San Jose Sharks (27-11-5, .686) were better in 2008.

Ringing in the New Year: C Evgeni Malkin is the NHL's leading scorer since Jan. 1, tallying 65 points (32 goals, 33 assists) in 44 games. He tallied 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 28 games while Sidney Crosby was out with an ankle injury.

The Crosby chronicles: C Sidney Crosby was in contention for a second consecutive Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring leader until he was sidelined with an ankle injury Jan. 18 - he had 63 points (20-43--63) at the time of his injury, which was tied for the NHL lead. His 43 assists also ranked first in the League at that time. The injury sidelined him for 28 of 31 games from Jan. 19 to Mar. 25. Crosby still ranked second on the Penguins in scoring with 72 points (24 goals, 48 assists) in 53 games. His per-game scoring average of 1.36 was second in the League to Washington LW Alex Ovechkin (1.37).

OTTAWA SENATORS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 11th (11th consecutive)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2007 (Conference Final vs. Buffalo)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 8-10
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 49-50

KEY DATES

Feb. 7/08 -- LW Dany Heatley had two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in his return from a shoulder injury in a 5-4 victory over Florida. The Senators had gone 3-8-0 in the 11 games Heatley was sidelined with a separated shoulder.

Feb. 9/08 -- LW Dany Heatley, C Jason Spezza and RW Daniel Alfredsson played together for the first time in 13 games and tallied 15 points in a 6-1 win over Montreal. Spezza tallied his first career hat trick and tied a franchise record with six points.

Feb. 11/08 -- Acquired D Mike Commodore and LW Cory Stillman from Carolina for D Joe Corvo and RW Patrick Eaves.

Feb. 26/08 -- Acquired RW Martin Lapointe from Chicago at the trading deadline.

Feb. 27/08 -- GM Bryan Murray relieved head coach John Paddock of his duties and took over behind the bench.

Mar. 25/08 -- The Senators scored five goals in the final 7:40 of the third period to erase a 3-1 deficit in a 6-3 victory at Buffalo.

SENATORS STORYLINES

Playoff Streak Extended: The Senators have qualified for the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season, tied with the New Jersey Devils for second longest active streak in the League behind the Detroit Red Wings, who will be competing in their 17th consecutive postseason.

Dynamic Trio: The Senators line of LW Dany Heatley, C Jason Spezza and RW Daniel Alfredsson has been the NHL's highest-scoring line for each of the past three regular seasons and finished 1-2-3 in League scoring during the club's run to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. Spezza's 92 points (34 goals, 58 assists) tied for 6th in the League scoring race, Alfredsson's 89 points (40 goals, 49 assists) was 9th and Heatley's 82 points (41 goals, 41 assists) was tied for 15th. Heatley also ranked third in the League in plus-minus (+33).

Get Shorty: RW Daniel Alfredsson tallied his career-high seventh shorthanded goal of the season March 1 against Pittsburgh, setting a single-season franchise record. Ottawa led the NHL in shorthanded goals for the third consecutive season with 18, one more than the Chicago Blackhawks. The Senators posted League-leading shorthanded goal totals of 25 in 2005-06 and 17 in 2006-07 (tied with Montreal) and have scored 60 shorthanded goals in the past three seasons.

Record Start: Ottawa's 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 6 at Scotiabank Place improved their record to 13-1-0, setting an NHL record for wins and points after 14 games. The previous mark for most wins and points after 14 games were held by three teams, the 1994-95 Pittsburgh Penguins, 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings and 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres - all started the season at 12-1-1.

Senior Senator: Senators coach Bryan Murray ranks second among all active NHL coaches in both victories (620) and games coached (1,239). He is fifth all-time in victories and sixth in games coached.

Potent Offense: The Senators ranked second in the NHL with 261 goals scored, one fewer than League leader Montreal.

Familiar Teammates: Although they are paired on the ice infrequently, defensemen Wade Redden and Chris Phillips know each other well. They have been teammates since 1997- 98, Phillips’ rookie year with the Senators and Redden’s sophomore campaign. Their 10 seasons as teammates is the NHL’s longest active streak among defensemen. Redden was the second overall pick in the 1995 Entry Draft, selected by the New York Islanders and later traded to Ottawa; Phillips was the first overall Entry Draft selection in 1996.

Block Party: D Anton Volchenkov ranked second among NHL players in blocked shots with 209, trailing leader D Mike Komisarek of the Montreal Canadiens (227). Volchenkov led the NHL in blocks in the 2006-07 regular season (273) and in the postseason (80). While not a prolific scorer, Volchenkov is timely – two of his three career playoff goals have been game-winners (April 17, 2007 at Pittsburgh, 2-1 win; April 16, 2003 at NY Islanders, 3-1 win).


WASHINGTON CAPITALS (3) vs. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (6)

SERIES STORYLINES

Long time no see: The Capitals and Flyers haven't met in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 1989. That year, Washington qualified for post-season play as the top team in the Patrick Division but the Flyers, led by goaltender Ron Hextall, defeated the Capitals in six games.

Rock bottom to Penthouse: When the Capitals visited the Flyers on Nov. 23 they had the NHL's worst record (6-14-1). After their Feb. 6th 4-3 win over the Flyers, they had moved to the top of the Southeast Division. It was the first time they had held a division-lead since Mar.14/03 -- the last season the Capitals made the playoffs.

Season recap: Three of their four meetings this season were decided by one goal with the only two-goal margin of victory coming courtesy of an empty net goal (Flyers won 6-4, Jan. 13).

Stanley Cup rookies: 24 players will be making their Stanley Cup playoff debut – 15 players for Washington (C Nicklas Backstrom, D Steve Eminger, D John Erskine, RW Eric Fehr, LW Tomas Fleischmann, C Boyd Gordon, D Mike Green, D Milan Jurcina, C Brooks Laich, LW Quintin Laing, D Shaone Morrisonn, LW Alexander Ovechkin, D Jeff Schultz, LW Alexander Semin and C David Steckel) and nine players for Philadelphia (G Martin Biron, D Braydon Coburn, LW Riley Cote, RW Steve Downie, D Randy Jones, D Lasse Kukkonen, D Ryan Parent, LW Patrick Thoresen and RW Denis Tolpeko).

Former Flyer: Washington's Donald Brashear played for the Flyers from 2001 to 2006, appearing in 37 playoff games and helping them reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004.

Special Teams: Philadelphia is the number one penalized team in the Eastern conference averaging 17.9 penalty minutes-per-game while Washington sits as the second least penalized team in the East averaging 11.9 penalty minutes per game -- Washington's Ovechkin led the League with 22 power-play goals, while Philadelphia finished second in the League with a 21.8 powerplay percentage.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 19th (1st since 2003)
Last Playoff Series Win: 1998 (Conference Final vs. Buffalo)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 10-18
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 69-85

KEY DATES

Nov. 22/07 -- Bruce Boudreau is named interim coach after the team gets off to a League- worst 6-14-1 record, including losses in nine of 10 games. The Capitals are 14 points behind the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. Washington's offense is ranked 28th in the League and Alex Ovechkin has 14 goals.

Dec. 26/07 -- The 'interim' tag is removed from Boudreau's title. He goes on to compile a 37- 17-7 record and help the Capitals become the first team in NHL history to make the playoffs after standing 14th or 15th in the conference at midseason. They were 15th and last as late as Dec. 30.

Jan. 10/08 -- Capitals sign Alex Ovechkin to 13-year, $124-million contract.

Feb. 28/08 -- Capitals GM George McPhee obtains G Cristobal Huet from Montreal for a second-round pick in 2009, F Sergei Fedorov from Columbus for Ted Ruth and W Matt Cooke from Vancouver for F Matt Pettinger. The Capitals go 14-4 following the deals.

April 5/08 -- Huet wins his ninth straight start after Fedorov blasts a shot past Florida's Craig Anderson at 15:03 of the second period to snap the final tie of the regular season and send the Capitals on to the Southeast Division title.

CAPITALS STORYLINES

Ten Minutes' Notice: Boudreau, whose 17-season hockey career included 141 NHL games, was coaching the Capitals' AHL team in Hershey when Bears president-GM Doug Yingst called him at 6:50 a.m. on Nov. 22 and told him Caps GM George McPhee would be in touch shortly. McPhee phoned about 10 minutes later. "He said, 'You're coming up here,'" recalled Boudreau, who in his debut season with Hershey (2005-06) had steered the Bears to the Calder Cup. "Then your heart drops and you go, 'Oh, wow, it's happening.' The next thing I know, I'm lost in downtown Washington."

What A Finish!: The Capitals finished their season by winning their final seven games (all in the Division), 11 of the concluding 12 and 14 of the final 18.

What A Finish, Part II: The Capitals conclude the regular season with the top goal scorer in the League (Alex Ovechkin, 65), the top overall scorer in the League (Ovechkin, 112 points), the NHL shot leader (Ovechkin took 446, second-most in history to the 550 by Boston's Phil Esposito in 1970-71), top goal scorer among defensemen (Mike Green, 18) and the second-leading scorer among rookies (C Nicklas Backstrom, whose 14-55--69 was only surpassed by Chicago's Patrick Kane --21-51--72) and the rookie leader in face-off victories (David Steckel, 507).

Oh! Vechkin: Ovechkin scored 51 of his goals in the 61 games after Boudreau took over and set the single-season NHL record for goals by a left wing, surpassing the 63 Luc Robitaille ran up with the Los Angeles Kings in 1992-93 . . . His 65 goals for the season are the most an NHL player has scored since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. Only 10 players in hockey history have ever scored more . . . Ovechkin becomes only the sixth player in the past 37 years (and the first Russian-born player ever) to lead the League in goals and points in the same season, joining a group that includes Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Phil
Esposito, Jarome Iginla and Guy Lafleur . . . He also leads the NHL in power-play goals (22) and game-winning goals (11).

What a difference a year makes: 22-year old defenseman Mike Green registered the biggest point increase among all NHL players from 2006-07 to 2007-08 (among players who played in at least 60 games). Green's 44-point increase came after totaling 56 points (18-38-56) this season as compared to 12 points (2-10-12) in 2006-07. His 44-point increase was
seven points better than Montreal Alex Kovalev's 37-point increase. Green's 18 goals are four more than he has ever scored in a single season at the junior or pro level (14 with the junior Saskatoon Blades in both 2003-04 and 2004-05).

That's A Plus: Ovechkin also went from minus-19 in 2006-07 to plus-28 in 2007-08.

Look Who's Here: The Capitals drew crowds of 17,000 or more to their final 14 home games, sold out the final four and six of the concluding 10. The Capitals averaged 13,643 in their first 20 home games and over 17,000 in the remaining home games after Ovechkin signed his new contract.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 32nd (first since 2005-06)
Stanley Cups: 2 (1974, 1975)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2004 (Conference Semi-Final vs. Toronto)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 36-29
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 180-166

KEY DATES

Oct. 4/07 -- Prized free agent acquisition C Daniel Briere scored two goals, including the breakaway winner late in third period, as the Flyers opened the season with a 3-2 victory at Calgary.

Dec. 11/07 -- RW Joffrey Lupul and C R.J. Umberger each recorded hat tricks, with Lupul adding three assists for a career-high six points, in an 8-2 victory over Pittsburgh. It marked the first time since Mar. 7, 1985 that two Flyers recorded hat tricks in the same game (Tim Kerr and Dave Poulin).

Feb. 19/08 -- The Flyers obtained D Jaroslav Modry from Los Angeles for a 3rd-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft.

Feb. 25/08 -- The Flyers snapped a 10-game winless slide with a 4-3 comeback victory at Buffalo. The Flyers overcame a 3-0 deficit for the win, capped by former Sabre Daniel Briere scoring the decisive goal in the shootout.

Feb. 25/08 -- The Flyers acquired LW Vaclav Prospal from Tampa Bay for D Alexandre Picard and either a second or third-round draft pick in 2009.

Mar. 15/08 -- C Mike Richards scored in his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for nine games in a 3-2 overtime loss at Boston. The Flyers went 5-2-2 without their leading scorer.

FLYERS STORYLINES

Most improved: The Flyers finished the 2007-08 regular season with 95 points (42-29-11), a 39-point improvement over 2006-07 (22-48-12, 56 points). They were the NHL's most improved club, ahead of Washington (+24), Boston (+18), Chicago (+17), Edmonton (+17) and Phoenix (+16).

Most improved 2 - defensive turnaround: The Flyers made the League's biggest defensive turnaround from last season. The team reduced their goals-against by 70 from 303 in 2006-07 to 233 in 2007-08.

Roller coaster ride: The Flyers posted a 6-1-0 record to start the season, went 7-0-1 from Jan. 5-20, lost seven consecutive games in regulation Feb. 6-17 and rebounded with a 6-1-1 mark from Mar. 18-Apr. 4 that clinched a playoff berth.

Carrying the load down the stretch: G Martin Biron appeared in 18 of Philadelphia's final 20 games of the season, posting a 10-4-4 record. Biron, 30, will be making his Stanley Cup playoff debut. A first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1995, he ranks second on that franchise’s all-time goaltending list in shutouts (18), third in games (300) and third in victories (134). He enters the postseason with a career regular-season mark of 170-143-40 with a 2.57 goals-against average and 23 shutouts in 378 games.

Veteran Leadership: The Flyers will benefit from the playoff experience of their 2007-08 veteran acquisitions. C Daniel Briere was co-captain of the Sabres club that went to the Eastern Conference Final in 2006 and 2007; LW Scott Hartnell and D Kimmo Timonen made three consecutive playoff appearances with the Nashville Predators from 2004 through 2007, with Timonen serving as captain last season; D Jason Smith's five-season tenure as Edmonton Oilers captain included that club's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006; C Jim Dowd appeared in 82 postseason games and won a Stanley Cup ring with the New Jersey
Devils in 1995; and LW Vaclav Prospal will be skating in his eighth Stanley Cup playoffs.


NEW JERSEY DEVILS (4) vs. NEW YORK RANGERS (5)

SERIES STORYLINES

Devils vs. Rangers: Since the New York Rangers defeated the Devils en route to winning the 1994 Stanley Cup, the teams have faced each other only twice – the Rangers prevailed in five games in the 1997 Conference Semi-finals and the Devils swept the Rangers in the Conference Quarter-finals in 2006.

Quite a change: They met just two years ago -- New Jersey swept the Rangers in the Conference Quarter-final, but both the Devils and Rangers rosters have had about a 50% makeover since that meeting. Devils: F Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta, John Madden, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jay Pandolfo and Sergei Brylin along with D Paul Martin, Colin White and G Martin Brodeur remain. Rangers: F Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka, Petr Prucha, Blair Betts, Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr along with D Michal Rozsival, Fedor Tyutin, Marek Malik, Jason Strudwick and G Henrik Lundqvist remain. Rangers F Scott Gomez played for the Devils in that series, while Devils' goaltender Kevin Weekes was a member of the Rangers.

Ranger domination: The Rangers got 15 of a possible 16 points against New Jersey in 2007-08, but missed securing home-ice advantage for the playoffs by just two points to New Jersey.

Devil of a start: Rangers' C Scott Gomez (27th overall in 1998) and LW Brendan Shanahan (2nd overall in 1987) were both New Jersey first round selections. Gomez, signed by the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 2007, had seven points (1-6--7) in eight games against his former team in 2007-08.

Tale of two goaltenders: New Jersey G Martin Brodeur and New York Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist sit atop the EasternConference among goaltenders in both goals against average and games played. Brodeur finished the season with a 2.17 goals-against average in 77 games played while Lundqvist finished second with a 2.23 goals-against average in 72 games played -- Lundqvist led the League in shutouts with 10 while Brodeur recorded his 96th career shutout surpassing 1920s-30s star George Hainsworth (94) for second place on the all-time list.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 19th
Stanley Cups: 3 (2003, 2000, 1995)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2007 (Conference Quarter-Final vs. Tampa Bay)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 22-15
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 117-96

KEY DATES

July 13/07 -- Named Brent Sutter head coach.

Oct. 27/07 -- Devils played their first game at their new home arena, Prudential Center in Newark.

Nov. 17/07 -- At Philadelphia, G Martin Brodeur became just the second goaltender in NHL history to reach the 500-victory mark, joining Patrick Roy (551). At 35 years, six months, and 12 days old, he was the youngest to accomplish the feat, and in fewer games (908) than Roy, who reached 500 victories in his 933rd game at 36 years, two months, 22 days.

Dec. 5/07 -- Devils RW Jamie Langenbrunner was named the eighth captain in team history.

DEVILS STORYLINES

Rock On: This is the Devils' 19th playoff appearance and 11th straight, but their first at Prudential Center.

In The Family: Brent Sutter becomes the third member of the family to coach in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Brian Sutter compiled a record of 28-40 in playoffs with St. Louis, Boston and Chicago, while Darryl Sutter went 47-54 in 101 games with Chicago, San Jose and Calgary.

That's Final: Devils G Martin Brodeur has appeared in four Stanley Cup Final series, winning three. The only goaltender in this season's playoff field to approach that number is Detroit's Dominik Hasek, who has played in three.

Game on: In 2007-08, his 14th NHL season, Brodeur marked a 10th consecutive campaign in which he played 70 or more games, extending his NHL record. The Devils' defensive unit has been in the Top 10 in the League every full season of Brodeur's career; Brodeur's first campaign of at least 40 appearances was 1993-94.

A Winner: With 44 wins, this was Brodeur's third consecutive season of 40-or-more victories (only Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk have as many as three) and the seventh of his career.

Fathers and Sons: LW Zach Parise, 23, led the Devils in goals with 31 last season and surpassed that figure in 2007-08 (32). Zach’s father, J.P. Parise, played 13 seasons in the NHL with Boston, Toronto, Minnesota, the NY Islanders and Cleveland.

Record Player: LW Patrik Elias holds the franchise records for playoff goals (35), assists (69) and points (104).

A Rare Breed: In his 13th season, all with the Devils, F Sergei Brylin owns the second- longest tenure on the current Devils roster, trailing only Martin Brodeur. With Brodeur, he is the only current Devil to have been a member of each of the club's Stanley Cup winners (1995, 2000 and 2003).

That's A Stretch: The Devils ran off a season-high nine-game winning streak from November 17-December 7. That stretch surpassed the team's longest in all of 2006-07 (5-0- 0, Dec. 1-9), and was its longest since an NHL-record 11-game stretch closed out 2005-06.

NEW YORK RANGERS

NHL Playoff Appearance: 51st (3rd consecutive)
Stanley Cups: 4 (1928, 1933, 1940, 1994)
Last Playoff Series Win: 2007 (Conference Quarter-Final vs. Atlanta)
All-Time Playoff Series Record: 43-46
All-Time Playoff Game Record: 189-203-8

KEY DATES

Mar.6/08 -- G Henrik Lundqvist defeats the Islanders and becomes only the second goalie in NHL history to begin his career with three consecutive 30-win seasons (Ron Hextall was the other, 1986-87 to 1988-89).

Mar.18/08 -- Against the Penguins, Lundqvist records his 100th career victory in his 187th career appearance, breaking the team record Mike Richter had set in his 198th game.

Apr. 3/08 -- Lundqvist sets a franchise record by appearing in his 71st game of the season. He finished with 72.

RANGERS STORYLINES

Drury's A Winner: It should come as little surprise that Rangers C Chris Drury led the team in game-winning goals this season with seven. He had nine with Buffalo last season before adding three in the playoffs . . . Drury also has four career playoff overtime winners, tying him with teammate Jaromir Jagr, the Devils' Jamie Langenbrunner and the Sharks' Jeremy Roenick for second in the 2008 playoff field behind the seven overtime winners scored by Colorado's Joe Sakic . . . In addition to a 2001 Stanley Cup ring with Colorado, Drury helped pitch the Trumbull (Connecticut) team to the Little League World Series title in 1989, helped Boston University win the NCAA championship in 1996 and won the Calder Trophy in 1999.

Top Tandem: LW Brendan Shanahan (650 goals) and RW Jaromir Jagr (646) rank first and second, respectively, among active NHL players in all-time goals scored.

A Ring To It: Each of the Rangers' top four scorers -- Scott Gomez, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan -- has won at least one Stanley Cup. They have eight Cups between them (Drury 1, Gomez and Jagr 2 apiece, and Shanahan 3).

Defense by Committee: The top foursome of Michal Rozsival, plus youngsters Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Fedor Tyutin, have helped the Rangers cut their goals-against from last season's 216 to this season's 199. The Rangers have not allowed fewer than 200 goals in a full season since the 1971-72 season (192 goals-against in 78 games).

No Offense: The Rangers shut out the opposition 12 times this season, one short of the club record set by the 1928-29 Rangers across a 44-game schedule.

Strong Finishers: Over the concluding 30 games of the regular season, the Rangers went 18-5-7. Last season, the Rangers went 17-6-5 over their final 28 regular-season contests.