The Fifth Liners

So far in this Western Conference Final, LA Kings players such as Anze Kopitar, Marion Gaborik and Jeff Carter have been gaining deserved plaudits for their excellent work. But there is one man who seems to be missing off that list and that is defenseman Jake Muzzin because so far this play-offs, the 25 year old from Woodstock, Ontario has come alive. Only drafted 141st overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007, but signing a three year entry level contract with LA, Muzzin spent much of his time playing for their minor league affiliate the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL, but last season he was called to full duty for the Kings and impressed many as a result with some excellent displays. This season however has been no exception with Muzzin putting up 24 points in regular season alone and has become one of their key men in the play-offs and so far has chalked up 11 points, and this accurately reflects his superb work rate and he has caused numerous headaches for the defending cha...

There's no doubt that these playoffs have been spectacular, it's anyone's guess as to who's going to lift the cup. Early favourites Montreal are struggling at the hands of the New York Rangers, although if anyone can stage a comeback, it's the Habs. Defending champions Chicago have slight advantage over LA, but the Kings aren't known for sitting back. As 16 become eight, and eight becomes four, those players who've contributed a little bit more start to show. Here's a round up of those who have already got one hand on the Conn Smythe trophy.  Anze Kopitar The big Slovenian center has been the cornerstone of the the LA Kings offense and has contributed 20 points to the cause already. When teamed up with linemate Marian Gaborik, the pair are unstoppable. Right now it's hard not to think Kopitar being a worthy recipient of the Conn Smythe when you look at all the energy he has given to the Kings in the current postseason. PK Subban L...

It's all change in British Columbia this week as today it was announced that Jim Benning has been appointed the new General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks , replacing Mike Gillis who was fired previously. Benning has been the Assistant GM of the Boston Bruin since 2006, but is this man the right choice to lead this team into a new age? Here are some points for consideration Positives Brings a Stanley Cup win with the Bruins in 2011  Proven track record in the front office Also spent 12 year with the Buffalo Sabres Former Canucks defenseman from 1986-90, so at least knows what fans will expect of him  Is a younger candidate who may be able to come up with fresher ideas unlike Gillis who really made a mess of affairs in his time in office.  Negatives  First real position of authority  Unknown if he is able to handle the big time pressure  Is un-tested in the trade game so we are unsure if he will be able to pull off any major coups to better ...

"Everyone in Hockey is asking just what went wrong with Boston's season? What exactly was the factor that made their series go wrong, was it poor planning or were Montreal just too much for them?" Good Question, let's have a look. The Boston Bruins always looked good to advance through the playoffs, especially after being drawn against Detroit in the first round. Wracked with injury and inexperience, the depleted  Detroit Red Wings did well to get a playoff spot and certainly poured heart and soul into the series, but ultimately the Bruins were always going to win. There's two main reasons why things fell apart against the Montreal Canadiens , the first is that the series wasn't managed properly. On the ice the Bruins showed a complacency up front. During the regular season Boston scored 3.15 goals per game, in the playoffs this fell to 2.5. Like in the regular season, Jarome Iginla has been most prolific, having netted five times, while  David Krejci...

This season's Stanley Cup playoffs have been one of the best and most unpredictable of years gone by, the Boston Bruins; almost everyone's favourite for the cup have been dumped out by the Habs. The Rangers, riding high under the stewardship of Alain Vigneault have put out the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last night also saw another sting in the tail, as the LA Kings put an end to an impressive Anaheim Ducks with a 6-2 win at the Honda Center! We've now arrived at the conference finals. During the regular season you never would have predicted these line ups. But who will triumph here? Western Conference Chicago Blackhawks v LA Kings The Blackhawks have done well to salvage some pride after an indifferent regular season and players such as Jonathan Toews, Marion Hossa and Brent Seabrook have impressed during this time. I have no doubts they will fight to the bitter end to bring the cup by to Illinois for a second year running. They are not as dominant as last season, but th...

On June 27/28 all eyes will be on the 2014 NHL Draft  at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia and the big question to all experts will be who is going to be the first name called out by the Florida Panthers. All though there is huge speculation about which player it will, this is one event teams always need to think about carefully because they young men could well be the future of a franchise and will have to be chosen carefully- no one wants another Alexandre Daigle or Patrik Stefan after all! So as we analyse the top picks, which one will great;y benefit which team? Here I will look at the first six picks (partly to include Vancouver). 2014 NHL Draft Order 1. Florida Panthers Sam Bennett: The Panthers badly need an offensive spark as their goal numbers have still remained dangerously low, something that number 2 pick Aleksander Barkov has so far failed to raise. So far 18 year old Ontario kid Sam Bennett has been listed as the top North American prospect in the NHL draft...

Today it was announced who has been nominated for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the three players considered to be the elite players of the NHL this season are as follows. Sidney Crosby ( Pittsburgh Penguins )  Ryan Getzlaf ( Anaheim Ducks ) Claude Giroux ( Philadelphia Flyers ) So which one of these fine players will be rewarded for the efforts? On paper it would appear to be Sidney Crosby who will walk away with the main price because he has had a fine regular season where he lead the league in point scoring. But however, his play off form has been fine to materialize and it was until last nights 2-0 over the New York Rangers that he finally scored his first play off goal. But year in and year out this man is nominated and feels like a far too safer bet- don't get me wrong I am not saying he doesn't deserve to be here, just it is becoming common. Personally I would prefer to see Ryan Getzlaf rewarded for his continually excellent form for Anaheim and this season in ...

This year, 43 year old Finnish right winger, Teemu Selanne probably will not be listed for the Hart Trophy in what will  likely be his final season playing this great game. If this is to be a swansong though, then the 'Finnish Flash' is sure making it a memorable one. Since being drafted 10th overall back in 1990 by the Winnipeg Jets , his career has taken in two stints playing for the Anaheim Ducks (including their original Mighty Ducks guise) as well as the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche . He has notched up an incredible 1457 points in 1451 games! Which includes no less than 10 All Star Game appearances, a Rocket Richard Trophy and a Stanley Cup win in 2007 with Anaheim. The man's dedication and skill cannot be denied and his blinding speed along with his well noted goal scoring instincts have made him the highest scoring Finn in NHL history- here we would have to agree that California Hockey will be losing a true great. In tribute to his efforts, the ...

In the midst of a thrilling playoff series which has seen numerous upsets such as the LA Kings coming from 3-0 to be beat San Jose over 7 thrilling games and the Columbus Blue Jackets pushing the Pittsburgh Penguins all the way in an honourable loss, the biggest news for Vancouver Canucks fans was that Head Coach John Tortorella , will be given his marching orders after only one year of his five year; $10 Million contract. To some this news will come as no surprise. The team has struggled for consistency this year and finished a disappointing 13th overall in the Western Conference, over 8 points away from the final wildcard slot for the playoffs. Tortorella also made headlines for the wrong reasons when he was suspended for two weeks after confronting the Calgary Flames team in January after a brawl at the start of the game. After much hype and hope from the Canucks fans that JT would mould this team into something memorable, it just hasn't happened. The Acquilani brothers ...