Just a few things that caught my eye:
- You couldn't have scripted a better start for Los Angeles. And a worse one for San Jose. Should the Sharks have really won game one?
- What a difference a Dave Bolland makes. And here I thought whale hunting was illegal...
- Was Patrick Kane playing hockey or soccer? He takes a glove in the protruding mouth guard and he drops writhing to the ice. I was half expecting him to grab his shin (or jock) in World Cup fashion.
- Brent Seabrook could be gone for a while. He took a pop to the head from Justin Abdelkader in the last game of the regular season and then was rocked by you-know-who the other night. Two head traumas in short order have kept Sidney Crosby out for half a season...
- Back to Bolland. 15 points in 13 postseason games against Vancouver. He reminds me of that pesky guy in Philadelphia -- what's his name. You know. Mike Richards. His top-end output is probably a titch lower; that's the only difference.
- Will the Sharks ever find another gear? They just can't seem to take it up a notch. That'd be a whole lot different if Joe Pavelski was captain instead of Joe Thornton.
- Hands up if you thought both Brian Boucher and Antero Niittymaki would see playoff action this year. Thought not.
- The Ducks sent Jonas Hiller home and now Igor Bobkov is the third goalie. Yes, there's another Bob the goalie. This one is even sketchier than the first one. Anyone know how to tell when ducks are cooked?
- Hiller was on the Vezina short list in the first half of the season until he took two shots to the mask at the All-Star Game. He's only played 12 minutes since February 13. Uh-oh...
- Chicago has Vince Vaughan. L.A. has Cuba Gooding Jr. and Will Ferrell. The latter two looked fine in thousand dollar threads. The former looked like he was wearing the jersey his mama bought him in sixth grade. Nostalgic, yes. Belly and wrist covering, no.
- Any chance the Hawks got back in Roberto Luongo's head? Must watch TV on Thursday night.