Monday, June 11, saw the first Stanley Cup victory for the Los Angeles Kings since the team began forty-five years ago. The Kings faced off against the New Jersey Devils in Game six to finally take the cup with a 6-1 score.

The series was tight at 3-2. The Kings won the first three games in the series but the Devils came back strong and won the next 2 games. New Jersey Devils Captain Zach Parise said before game 6, “I don’t see any reason we should be over-confident or satisfied. We’re still down 3-2.”

In the first quarter of Game 6, Steve Bernier got a five-minute penalty for boarding and game misconduct after he hit Rob Scuderi from behind. After Bernier’s penalty the Kings started scoring; Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, and Trevor Lewis scored goals all in the first quarter after the penalty. It seemed as though the Devils lost their composure early on and were not able to muster a comeback.

The penalty from Bernier was not the first time violence broke out in the playoffs; although most of the games were clean, Game 5 saw a nasty scrum play out after a whistle blow. Kings forward Mike Richards said, “when you play a team five times in a week-and-a-half, it’s going to get a little more heated.”

Both teams had a great show of talent. Drew Doughty of the Kings had the worst season since his rookie year but the Finals was his best performance yet. Doughty scored two goals in the game and led the team in ice time. According to the Bleacher Report, Doughty did not play to his full potential this year.

Jonathan Quick of the Kings also demonstrated his talent, doing much better in the finals than his counterpart and veteran player Martin Brodeur. He didn’t give more than three goals in any game. Although the offensive improvements were important to the teams success, Quick’s fantastic defense was vital and provided the confidence the team needed to win.

Adam Henrique turned out to be the most impressive player for the Devils throughout the series, according to Bleach Report. He did well with power plays as well as penalty kills and has often been overshadowed by fellow teammates Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise.

Martin Brodeur, goaltender for the Devils did much worse than usual. The forty year old player and three time Stanley Cup winner only surrendered two goals in the last two games; however, this game saw him not at his best.

Several current and former NHL players tweeted their congratulations to the Kings. Gabriel Ladeskog of the Colorado Avalanches said, “if the Kings playoff run didn’t inspire all hockey players out there I don’t know what will. Congrats LA. Well deserved.” James van Riemsdyk of the Philadelphia Flyers wrote, “congrats to the kings; what a feeling that must be.”

Will Wheaton, known for his roles on “The Big Bang Theory” and “Star Trek” tweeted as well, writing, “I think my celebrating set off a car alarm five blocks away.”

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Stamford, U.S.A – No one takes beards more seriously than pro hockey players and their fans, who toss their blades each April when the playoffs begin.

The road to the championship is long, and the beards even longer. Which begs the question, are hockey fans superstitious or just super stylish? Philips Norelco, the leader in electric shaving and grooming, has teamed up with legendary hockey pros Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano to star in The Playoff Beard Follies,an outlandish three-part video series from Funny or Die that enlightens the world on hockey playoff beards and the faces behind them.

“People might be surprised to hear that there is nothing I miss more about the game than growing a sweet playoff beard,” said Jeremy Roenick, pro hockey commentator and playoff beard professional. “That’s why I decided to come out of retirement, so I could give it another shot.”

“Being known for my skills on the ice is great, but I wish I’d gained more notoriety for my awesome playoff beard,” said Mike Modano, future hall-of-famer and playoff beard connoisseur. “I jumped at the chance to team up with JR and Philips Norelco to give it another ‘grow’ and really show the world what I’ve got.”

Rumors of a bearded rematch between Roenick and Modano have been circling since the beginning of the 2012 playoffs, and the time has finally come for sports fans everywhere to see real pro beards in action. Throughout the Funny or Die series, Roenick and Modano will explore this sacred hockey tradition, while reconnecting with their former playoff-bearded selves. In “Missing the Beards,” fans can watch the duo come to grips with what they miss most about their hockey careers – playoff beards.

These rivals on the ice have had rival facial hair preferences over the years as well. Modano brought the power of a pro beard onto the ice more often than Roenick. According to data from Elias Sports Bureau, Modano holds the Minnesota/Dallas franchise career record with 11 overtime goals, all of which were scored while bearded.

In 2007, a bearded Modano scored his 500th career regular-season goal, putting him in a class of only four US-born players in the 500-goal club. On the other side of the facial hair spectrum, a clean-shaven Roenick set a rookie record in the 1990 playoffs by scoring 11 postseason goals, a team record that still stands today. In 2004, Roenick scored a critical overtime goal making him one of only nine players in hockey history with at least four career postseason overtime goals.

“Philips Norelco has tapped two of hockey’s greatest to celebrate the ritual of hockey playoff beards in a humorous way that brings the topic of grooming into everyday conversations,” said Jacopo D’Alessandris, head of marketing, Philips Consumer Lifestyle. “The intensity that hockey fans bring to beard-growing provides a great backdrop to reinforce the fact that Philips Norelco is all about pro tools for real guys, with game-changing electric shaving and grooming products that offer a championship trim worthy of any playoff beard.”

Fans can become a part of the playoff beard conversation by sharing their bearded look on Twitter with the hashtag #HairiestStanley for a chance to be honored as “Beard of the Week” and win free Philip Norelco grooming and shaving products to keep their style in check. For more information and to see the Funny or Die Playoff Beard Follies presented by Philips Norelco, visit facebook and follow @ShaveExperts.

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Matt D’Agostini and David Backes helped secure the 2-1 victory for the St. Louis Blues against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, marking Dale Hunter’s first game as head coach for the Capitals as a defeat. D’ Agostini and T.J. Oshie were the ones to put the puck in the net for the Blues, while goalkeeper Jaroslav Halak made 18 saves.

Nicklas Backstrom got the only goal for the Capitals and goalkeeper Tomas Vokoun kept the game close by making 28 saves. ”You can’t set a timeframe to it,” Capitals coach Dale Hunter said in an interview with FoxSports, ”but I want them to get better and better every game. … By watching them live now, we’ve got some stuff to work on.”

Hunter is the second coach to move straight from the Ontario Hockey League to the NHL in the past four seasons. Peter DeBoer, being the first, is now working with the New Jersey Devils. Backstrom was the first one to get on the scoreboard for the Capitals after scoring from a pass by Ovechkin halfway through the first period.

Oshie was able to tie the game up for St. Louis after scoring his seventh goal of the season off a pass from Alex Steen just before the end of the period. The Blues were able to take the lead halfway through the second period after D’Agostini wrapped around the net to score after receiving a pass from Berglund.

The third period left the Blues performing well defensively, only allowing the Capitals to have 19 shots in the game and give St. Louis the 2-1 victory. Tuesday’s victory was the first time the Blues won a game against the Capitals in Washington since January of 2003.

The St. Louis Blues travel to go up against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, while the Washington Capitals stay at home to face the Pittsburg Penguins on Thursday.

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Shawn Matthias and the Florida Panthers were able to visit the Carolina Hurricanes and come away with the 3-1 victory on Tuesday. The night ended on a bad note for Kirk Muller, tonight being his first game as coach for the Hurricanes since the firing of Paul Maurice hours before hiring Muller.

Matthias was the star of the night, getting two goals for the Panthers late in the game that got the team the victory. Panther’s goalkeeper Jose Theodore also kept his team in the game, only allowing one goal on 27 shots on goal.

The Hurricanes were able to outshoot their opponent by the end of the game, but were unable to capitalize on any of the good attempts they had. Carolina center Jeff Skinner scored the only goal for his team, while goalkeeper Cam Ward made only 18 saves.

”If I’m (a) player with a new coach, I’m going to come out with a ton of jump, and they did,” Florida coach Kevin Dineen said in an interview with FoxSports. ”That one was not our finest effort. It wasn’t our worst effort. It was one of those games where you find a way and we found a way tonight.”

After an uneventful first period, the Panthers were the first to score with a little under 11 minutes left in the second period thanks to a power-play goal scored off a slap-shot from Tomas Fleischmann. The Panthers were able to tie the game up a minute later off a shot from Jeff Skinner, making it ten goals for him this season.

Both teams were on the attack going into the third period, but the Panthers were the only ones that were able to capitalize on their chances. Shawn Matthias scored the go-ahead goal off a pass from Tomas Kopecky with a little more than three minutes left in the game. Matthias struck again in the final minute of the game, scoring his second goal of the night and securing the Panther’s 3-1 victory.

The Florida Panthers travel to California to face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, while the Carolina Hurricanes stay at home to welcome the New York Rangers the same night.

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Brian Rolston took the lead for the New York Islanders halfway through the third period and goalkeeper Al Montoya stopped 30 shots to secure a 2-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday night. The Islanders have won two consecutive away games, improving their away record that started at 0-5-2 at the beginning of the season.

Matt Moulson got his eighth goal of the season early in the game as well for the Islanders in the win against the injury-ridden Sabres, who have seven of their top players miss the game from an assortment of injuries that led to a couple players being called up from the team’s AHL affiliates.

”We showed some desperation and then (Montoya) was there when we needed him to be,” coach Jack Capuano said in an interview with FoxSports. ”We kept coming. We have to play with an attitude that maybe we didn’t play with the first couple of weeks.”

With both teams getting several shots on net, Moulson was able to put the Islanders ahead by a goal after scoring a power-play goal off a pass from Parenteau with six minutes left in the period.

After a second period that was full of scoring attempts that were not taken advantage of, Buffalo tied the game up almost two minutes into the third period off a wrist-shot from Jochen Hecht. However, the Islanders were the last to capitalize on an offensive attempt thanks to Brian Rolston, who scored his third goal of the season off an assist from David Ullstrom, leaving the final score at 2-1.

Buffalo goalkeeper Ryan Miller should be fit to practice since being concussed after a hit he received November 12 in a game against the Boston Bruins, which made him miss the past eight games the Sabres have played.

The New York Islanders travel to Illinois to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, while the Buffalo Sabres stay home to welcome the Detroit Red Wings that same night.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs had a very busy 40 minutes of play on Wednesday, scoring five times to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3. After a fight between Mike Brown and Brad Mills only five minutes into the first period, Leafs forward Joey Crabb started off with the scoring by putting a pass from Matthew Lombardi past Devils goalie Martin Brodeur a couple minutes later.

The Devils retaliated after four minutes with a power-play goal from Dainius Zubrus. Mikhail Grabovski helped the Leafs secure the lead before the end of the period by scoring off a pass from Jake Gardiner. The second period is where all the action happened. Patrik Elias tied up the game for the Devils by scoring a power-play goal three minutes in.

However, Joffrey Lupul got the lead back for the Leafs again three minutes later off a pass from Mike Komisarek. The Devils tied the game up yet again off a goal from David Clarkson, who scored two minutes after the last goal. Lupul put the puck in the net two more times, once nine minutes into the period and again three minutes later, to complete his hat-trick and secure the victory for the Leafs.

”I wouldn’t say we’re loosey-goosey,” Ron Wilson said in a post game interview with Fox Sports. ”But it’s like being in a sidecar of a motorcycle and not knowing where the driver is going. I’m happy we won, don’t get me wrong, but we’re starting to get picky about the way we win.” Leafs goalie Jonas Gustavsson made 19 saves throughout the game, with most of the shots coming in the second period.

Devils goalie Brodeur, in his second start of the season, only saw 23 shots in the game, making the five goals he allowed in to an uglier statistic. The Toronto Maple Leafs (8-3-1) travel to Ohio to face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, while the New Jersey Devils (4-5-1) travel to Pennsylvania to face the Philadelphia Flyers.

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The Philadelphia Flyers scored three goals in the first period on Wednesday to beat the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 in their first matchup since their Eastern Conference quarterfinal last season.

Scott Hartnell, Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk scored early in the first period of play for the Flyers, making the Sabres have to exchange goalie Ryan Miller after 11 shots for backup goalie Jhonas Enroth. Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov came out of the game with 29 saves. The last time Miller was pulled due to a poor performance was after allowing four goals in one period at Florida on Dec. 17, 2010

“We were really peppering him early,” Hartnell said in an interview with Fox Sports after the game. ”Against a top goalie like that, to get him out of there, it was pretty good for us to get pucks on net.”

The rest of the game was played with the Flyers on the defensive; by the end of the game, Enroth only saw 15 shots. Sabres Andrej Sekera was able to score in the second period, ending Bryzgalov’s shutout opportunity. The Flyers also spent the whole period in the penalty box, collecting 23 penalty minutes mostly due to a 10 minute misconduct penalty on Zac Rinaldo.

Luke Adam scored eight minutes into the third period, bringing the Sabres one goal away from tying up the game and a needed overtime. However, the Flyers were able to hold off or interrupt any offensive attempts for the rest of the game.

“Everyone battled hard and we were rewarded with two points,” Bryzgalov said. ”It was a really tough game for us. We played very good in the first period, but then in the second period we turned over the puck and got some penalties.

The Philadelphia Flyers (7-4-1) travel back home to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, while the Buffalo Sabres (6-5-0) get to welcome the Calgary Flames on Friday.

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The Phoenix Coyotes, with the help of goalie Mike Smith, beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 on Wednesday, making it their third win in a row. Coyotes Taylor Pyatt was able to get the first goal eight minutes into the first period off a pass from Derek Morris. There were not many scoring chances throughout the rest of the period, and the only penalty was called on the Coyotes for delay of game.

The second period began with a couple power-play opportunities for the Avalanche, but Colorado was not able to capitalize on any of their chances. The Coyotes got their second goal of the game off the stick of Radim Vrbata with two minutes left in the period, and Ryan O’Reilly was able to score the first goal for Colorado 20 seconds later.

Lauri Korpikoski scored 24 seconds into the third period, which gave the Coyotes a two goal lead that they held for the rest of the period. The Avalanche pulled their goalie in the final two minutes of the period, but were not able to capitalize with the extra man. Vrbata was able to get around the Avalanche defense and score a second, empty-net goal in the final minutes of the game.

Smith saw made 39 saves throughout the game, allowing his team to stay aggressive and keep attacking throughout each period. Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves, but was unable to keep every shot out of his net.

”Strong goaltending,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said in a post game interview with Fox Sports. ”We didn’t play as well as we would like, but our goaltender hung in there and battled hard for us and we found enough to win.”

The Phoenix Coyotes (6-3-2) travel back home to face the Nashville Predators on Thursday, while the Colorado Avalanche (7-5-0) head to Texas to face the Dallas Stars on Friday.

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A goal four minutes into overtime off a shot from Matt D’Agostini gave the St. Louis Blues a 3-2 comeback win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday Night.

Jason Arnott and David Backes scored the tying goals for the Blues, while Brian Elliott made 27 saves to get the first star of the game. Brandon Sutter got a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes along with Jay Harrison, and Cam Ward stopped 40 shots.

Harrison scored the only goal in the first period to give Carolina the lead. Sutter, who assisted the first goal, scored in the early in the second period to double the lead for Carolina. Arnott and Backes were able to score two goals later on in the second period to tie the game up, and after an uneventful third period, were able to bring the game into overtime.

Finally, D’Agostini scored the go ahead goal in the early minutes of overtime, and the Blues handled the rest of the game defensively to get the win. Both teams have games the following day, St. Louis (3-4-0) prepare to face the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina (3-2-2) travel to play the Winnipeg Jets.

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The Detroit Red Wings continue their undefeated record with a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night, along with continuing the Blue Jackets winless streak.

Johan Franzen scored two goals and an assist, and Valtteri Filppula helped with a goal and three assists to give the Red Wings their fifth win of the season. Nicklas Lindstrom and Pavel Datsuk also scored once for Detroit, while Jimmy Howard made 32 saves. Derick Brassard and Aaron Johnson scored for the Blue Jackets and Steve Mason stopped 28 shots.

Franzen, playing in his 400^th game of his career in the NHL, was named first star of the game for scoring the first two goals of the game. Both goals were scored on the power-play, first with R.J. Umberger sitting in the penalty box for Columbus for holding and the second power-play was due to a slashing call on Columbus player Derek MacKenzie.

Columbus (0-6-1) is the only team in the NHL that have not one a game yet this season. Detroit (5-0-0) and the Washington Capitals (6-0-0) are the only two unbeaten teams in the NHL so far. Both teams will be playing each other Saturday night.

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The Dallas Stars continue winning with a five game winning streak after defeating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Friday night.

Loui Eriksson scored two goals and one assist, and Mike Ribeiro also scored for Dallas. Kari Lehtonen also played an amazing game by making 35 saves. The only goal of the game for the Ducks came off the stick of Corey Perry, while Jonas Hiller took 19 shots during the game.

Eriksson opened up the game early on with a goal thirteen seconds into the first period off a pass from Steve Ott, giving Dallas the lead. Ribeiro doubled the score for the Stars by scoring a goal almost eight minutes into the first period. Anaheim seemed to be getting into form after Perry scored a power-play goal with one second left in the second period. However, Eriksson had the final say in the game, scoring once again two minutes into the third period.

The Dallas Stars (6-1-0) and the Anaheim Ducks (4-2-0) both have games on Sunday; the Stars travel to play the Los Angeles Kings, and the Ducks play the Phoenix Coyotes at home.

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In Joe Thornton’s 1,000^th game of his career, the San Jose Sharks were able to break their three-game losing streak and secure the  4-3 victory in a shootout against the New Jersey Devils Friday night.

Joe Thornton, Ryan Clowe, and Joe Pavelski scored during regulation for the Sharks to bring the game into overtime; and Michal Handzus and Ryane Clowe scored in the shootout. Anti Niemi made 19 saves in net for the Sharks.

Patrik Elias and Zach Parise put the Devils ahead by two goals early in the game, and David Clarkson scored in the third period to give New Jersey the lead halfway through the period. Johan Hedburg made an amazing 41 saves in net for the Devils.

New Jersey Devils center Josef Jacobson broke his right clavicle falling awkwardly into the boards in the first period of the game; Elias tied the franchise lead for most power-play goals with 92, tying with John MacLean.

San Jose (2-3-0) and New Jersey (3-1-1) are both playing again on Saturday, with the Sharks traveling to play the Boston Bruins and the Devils traveling to play the Pittsburg Penguins.

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Seven games were played this Columbus Day and brought us several exciting endings and unexpected turnouts. Here is a review of the games that were played on Monday October 10.

Tampa Bay Lightning 5:6 Washington Capitals

Both teams scored two goals in the first period; Teddy Purcell and Bruno Gervais scored for Tampa Bay, while Marcus Johansson and Dennis Wideman scored for Washington. Dominic Moore scored for Tampa Bay one minute into the second period, while Washington’s Troy Brouwer scored three minutes later to tie the game up at three goals apiece.

Four more goals were scored in the third period, with Jason Chimera scoring twice for Washington while Nate Thompson and Brett Clark scored for Tampa Bay. After a game that ended with both teams scoring five goals each, Matt Hendricks and Alexander Semin scored during the shootout to give the Washington Capitals the win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vancouver Canucks 3:2 Columbus Blue Jackets

An exciting game led to the Vancouver Canucks coming from behind in the third period to win their first game of the season, while the Columbus Blue Jackets watched their chance to get their first win slip through their fingertips. Columbus took the lead after two periods, with Cam Atkinson and Vinny Prospal helping put the puck in the back of the net.

Chris Higgins kept Vancouver in the game, scoring in the first period and keeping the teams’ one goal apart. Winning by a goal, Columbus was given a penalty shot and a chance to secure the victory in the third period. However, goaltender Cory Schneider was able to stop the shot for Vancouver and gave them the morale boost they needed to get two goals in the third period.

One goal was by Cody Hodgson, and the other was a power-play goal by Alexandre Burrows. Columbus continues a three game losing streak going home to play the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.

Phoenix Coyotes 1:2 Dallas Stars

No goals were scored in the first or second period; however, both teams were able to score in the third period and bring the game into a shootout. A power-play goal from Radim Vrbata gave the Coyotes the lead six minutes into the third period, while Loui Eriksson was able to tie the game up with a goal for the Stars only 30 seconds away from the end of the game.

Mike Ribeiro was able to get the puck past Phoenix Coyotes’ goalkeeper Mike Smith in the final shot of the first shootout round, giving the Dallas Stars their second win of the season.

Colorado Avalanche 1:0 Boston Bruins

After a hard fought battle that kept the game goalless through two periods, the Colorado Avalanche were finally able to capitalize on a scoring chance late into the third period to get the win over the struggling Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins.

Colorado’s Milan Hedjuk was able to put the puck past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask with 12 minutes left in the third period. Also, Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots in the game to get his fifth career shutout. Tuukka Rask stopped 35 shots in the game; however, his terrific night in net will not be shown in the standings for the Boston Bruins.

Carolina Hurricanes 2:4 New Jersey Devils

Ilya Kovalchuk was a key factor in three goals scored on Monday, which helped take the New Jersey Devils to their first victory of the season. New Jersey’s Zach Parise scored twice off passes from Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias. Carolina came back with goals in the second period by Alexei Ponikarovsky and Chad LaRose.

However, as the teams were tied going into the third period, the Devils were able to score once six minutes into the period and again during a power-play in the final minutes of the game. New Jersey goaltender Johan Hedberg, the usual backup for Martin Brodeur, received his first start and win to the season on Monday. Hedberg saw 26 shots, while Carolina goaltender Cam Ward saw 25 shots.

Minnesota Wild 1:2 New York Islanders

The New York Islanders were able to hold on to a two goal victory against the Minnesota Wild on Monday by scoring two goals in the first period and defending lifelessly for the rest of the game.

Andrew MacDonald and Frans Nielsen both scored off passes from P.A. Parenteau in the first half of the first period. The rest of the game was a different story, with the New York Islanders playing shorthanded for 16 minutes due to unnecessary penalties and mistakes. Islanders goaltender Al Montoya got  his second straight start over Rick DiPietro, making 20 saves and helping secure their first win of the season.

Calgary Flames 2:5 St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues got their first win of the season, while giving the Calgary Flames their second loss of the season. Calgary was the first to get on the scoreboard with a goal from Curtis Glencross. Alex Steen was able to tie it up with a little more than two minutes left in the first period.

Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo were able to give St. Louis a two goal lead with five minutes left in the second period, until a power-play goal from Jarome Iginla brought Calgary just one goal behind going into the third period. St. Louis had the final say in the game, with Chris Stewart and Jason Arnott getting a goal apiece to give St. Louis the win.

St. Louis goaltender Jaroslav Halak only took on 17 shots today, compared to Calgary goalkeeper Henrik Karlsson, who got 35 shots.

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On September 7, a plane crashed carrying the entire squad of the ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on the opening day of the KHL season in Russia. It was one of the worst tragedies to happen to Russian sports in history. Out of the 45 people on the plane, only two survived the initial crash that came to a rest on the bank of the Volga River.

Local citizens were the first to arrive at the scene of the crash. They were able to only pull the two survivors out to safety from the flames and debris before the plane was completely burned.

The survivors from the crash included the air mechanic of the plane and hockey player, Aleksandr Galimov. Both men were treated for severe burns and fractures. Galimov, right wing for the Lokomotiv and the Russian National team, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition due to major damage to his respiratory system.

According to an article published Monday on by SOTT.NET, despite the best efforts of doctors in its burn unit at Vishnevsky Hospital, 26-year-old, Galimov, died of the severe burns that covered nearly 90 per cent of his body. After news of the crash got out, fans gathered in rallies, putting their remaining hope in the survival of the last Russian hockey player.

The fans chanted together saying, “Galimov, live for the whole team!” and other slogans dedicated to Galimov.  ”All of Yaroslavl, all of the country, all of the world followed the doctors’ words, believing, hoping, praying that he would defeat death and remain with us,” Yaroslavl Gov. Sergei Vakhrukov said, according to SOTT.NET.

The plane was taking off from the local airport when the pilot attempted to take-off at a low speed, making the plane being more difficult to control. This caused the pilot to then hit a beacon near the runway which led to the crash on the bank of the Volga. Witnesses suggest that a technical malfunction caused the plane to be unable to reach the necessary speed to take-off safely, leading to the crash.

Out of the entire 37-man squad, many of the players had played in the NHL and for their national teams. Some of these players include Slovakian superstar Pavol Demitra, Stanley Cup winning Josef Vasicek, and goalkeeper Stefan Liv.

The first game of the KHL season between Salavat Yulaev and Atlant was stopped in the middle of the second period to inform the crowd that the crash had killed the entire Lokomotiv team. The sellout crowd held a moment of silence for the departed team, and both teams headed to the nearest church afterwards to pay respects to their late friends.

After announcing the news to the sold out crowd, KHL President Aleksandr Medvedev assured everyone that the league “will do our best to keep the high-level hockey in Yaroslavl”. On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in the Slovac ice hockey arena to remember Pavol Demitra — the former national team captain, according to the associated press.

Ceremonies are being held for each hockey player, as family, friends, and fans continue to mourn this great loss.

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The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in shutout fashion Wednesday, winning game seven on the road by a final score of 4-0 to win the 2011 Stanley Cup.

The Bruins fans finally could rejoice, ending their 39 year championship drought and stopping the Canucks once again from grabbing their first ever Stanley Cup victory in the process.

The home teams dominated the series, winning every game on their own ice until game seven. In one of the most physical finals series ever, and the most penalized series in 25 years, Boston’s bruising style proved to be too much for Vancouver to handle.

No team in NHL history had ever won three game sevens in one playoff run, but that’s exactly what Boston did with their victory behind the legendary goaltending of Tim Thomas.

Thomas, who was a shoe in to win the Conn Smythe trophy no matter what the outcome of game seven may have been, shattered the record for saves in one postseason en route to leading the Bruins to victory. He became only the second American-born player to win the trophy behind Brian Leetch, who ironically also beat the Canucks in 1994 as a member of the New York Rangers.

Tim Thomas was indeed fantastic, but the Bruins played an overall masterful team game in order to dismantle Vancouver.

The referees did an incredible job in game seven by not being overly strict. They let the players decide the outcome no matter how physical the game got. Their officiating allowed the game to be incredibly entertaining to watch. Not many stoppages, not many penalties, just pure hustle and pure hockey.

Just as the game was getting up to speed in the first period Patrice Bergeron slipped one over Roberto Luongo’s shoulder to put the Bruins on the board, quieting the Vancouver bench.

The Canucks were almost able to knot the game at one halfway through the second period, but Zdeno Chara stepped his 6-foot-9, 255 lb. body in front of an open net to block the shot. Giving up your body was a necessary action with the cup on the line. These guys were giving it everything they could to win.

The Bruins struck again soon after when sensational rookie Brad Marchand scored his 10^th goal of the playoffs on a wraparound shot after a flurry of rebounds kicked off of the pads of Luongo.

A penalty on Chara at the end of the second period gave Vancouver a power play and their best opportunity yet. Unfortunately they couldn’t catch a break once again. Patrice Bergeron caught a bouncing puck near the blue line and hustled to the net to net his second goal of the game, this time shorthanded.

The Canucks battled and showed heart right up until the final whistle, but the deficit was too large.  Tim Thomas proved to be impossible to score on. Just before the clock hit zeros Brad Marchand added an empty net goal, his second, and it was official, the Bruins had won it all.

This game defined what every child dreams of. The moments that every young hockey player fantasizes about in their driveway. Every player surely left everything they had on the ice in Vancouver, but only one could win. Only the Bruins could lift Lord Stanley’s Cup over their heads and celebrate the way they always imagined doing throughout their careers. A dream come true.

Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com

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And then it comes down to game 7, as sport predictors and many of us did not expect. Prior to the series, I read several blogs and columns on how the Canucks should win the series in 4-0, or at most, 4-1. Apparently, it did not go that way.

Currently tied at 3-3, where both teams only won games played at home, the last game should be exceptionally interested. Would home court advantage give the Canucks the edge? Or, will Boston play the way they did on game 3, 4, and 6? All I can say is they both have a shot on this.

The last time Canada won the Stanley Cup was back in 1993, when Montreal Canadians defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-1. It was Montreal, who has won the most titles in the league, 23 times, followed by Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 titles respectively. Hockey, as we all can see, is a very important sport in Canada and seeing people lining up the street in Vancouver during this year’s final signals that they want this bad. Vancouver Canucks has never won a championship, though has been to a couple finals; losing to New York Islander in 1982 and New York Rangers in 1994. Boston Bruins, therefore, did it five times before. Nevertheless, it has been close to 40 years since Boston last hold the Stanley Cup, and for this reason being, they want it as much.

For the last six games, these two teams have won differently. The Canucks won in close games, all by just one point (1-0, 3-2, and 1-0), whereas the Bruins won by larger margin (8-1, 4-0, and 5-2). Even though Vancouver is seeded number one, statistically, it’s Boston that comes up a little better. Other than scoring more during the final series, Boston has fewer goals against per game, averaging at 2.21. Thanks to the incredible performance by Tim Thomas, Boston’s goalie, who has saving percentage of 93.7 % and saved 51 goals throughout the playoff season. Both teams have played significantly well, defensively and offensively. The last game, which will be played today at Rogers Stadium in Vancouver at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, will also come down to the team’s ability to hold it together. It’s the ultimate test of mental toughness.

Game seven is special, in every circumstance. This is the game that will decide who will walk off the court winners, and who will walk off the court losers. It’s the game both parties have worked hard for throughout the entire season. Happiness for one, disappointment for other, as they may say.

So, will Vancouver finally win their first Stanley Cup tonight, or will Boston get out of their 39 years drought? The question will be answered tonight. Until then, sit back, relax, and make sure there’s enough beer for everyone because we are in it for a long, exciting night.

Sergei Bachlakov / Shutterstock.com

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August 1^st will be a decisive day for Long Islanders. A vote will be held regarding the possible rebuilding of the Nassau Coliseum, home of hockey’s New York Islanders, and the general redevelopment of the area.

On May 31^st the Nassau County (New York) Legislature held a meeting to decide whether or not to let county residents vote at all on the proposed $400 million dollar project, a meeting that culminated with a positive decision for residents, putting the choice in their hands.

Rallys had recently been held in support of the referendum. Understandably, residents, union workers and business men and women around the area want the choice to be theirs rather than solely up to the Islanders owner Charles Wang and other county legislators.

However, Wang was the person who first brought this plan to fruition. The proposal offers not only a brand new state of the art arena for the Islanders, but also will include the construction of a minor league baseball field nearby in the same complex. Rumors have also floated around that should this vote pass, a casino will be built in the area as well.

The initial thought is that $400 million dollars is a ton of money to be spending during such a harsh economic climate, especially on a hockey team that hasn’t produced much success, either financially or athletically, in over a decade.

Though this is true, residents should think further into the future, after these arenas are built, and look for the positives in the project.

Thousands upon thousands of jobs will be created both in the construction of these buildings, and the everyday operations of them after they are finished. In such a time when finding jobs is difficult in any place, people should not quickly turn a blind eye to such an investment without serious thought.

The project could prove to be a real boost to the overall economy of the entire county. A new stadium would bring much revenue to business in the surrounding areas. At the very least it would send more traffic through the area, and for the most part, people equal money.

Should this vote fail, the belief is that the Islanders will be forced to move out of Uniondale. Possible rumored locations include Queens, Brooklyn, and possibly out of state destinations such as Kansas City. If the Islanders are gone, the Coliseum will undoubtedly go vacant, and cause not only a loss of jobs and revenue, but create an unused eyesore for the community, a reminder of what once was the pride of Long Island.

August 1^st, 2011 may indeed be a day that goes down in infamy, with the future of Long Island waning in the balance, no matter the outcome of the vote. Residents are urged to take a side on the project in the coming months and go to the polls so they can have their hand in shaping not only the home of one of their beloved sports teams, but their home as well.

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This series has history written all over it. The Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins will square off and compete for Lord Stanley’s Cup starting Wednesday June 1^st, in what hockey fans are hoping will be a very entertaining series.

Hockey, a sport so rich in Canadian culture and history, has not seen any of its NHL representatives lift the cup in victory since the Montreal Canadians beat Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. 18 years is unacceptable for Canadian fans, and they’re hoping that the Canucks can bring the championship back to it’s home country.

Boston on the other hand is a team that has been a perennial contender as of late, but has always seemed to fall short of their goals come playoff time. They are challenging for their first title since 1972 when legend Bobby Orr led them to victory over the New York Rangers. As we all know, Boston fans want rings, not finals appearances, and won’t rest until they see their beloved Bruins skating around the ice with the iconic silver cup held high over their heads.

These two teams tirelessly battled past many good teams en route to where they are now. So what should we look for in this series?

First of all, if any team wants to make a run at a championship, they’re going to need big performances out of their star players. In hockey, especially come playoff time, we all know that a hot goalie can bring a team as far as they want to go. Both Boston’s Tim Thomas and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo are some of the best in the business, and are going to have to show off their cat-like reflexes in this series should they want to lift the cup themselves.

That brings us to the rest of the big-time players on the ice. Let’s start with Vancouver. Everybody knows about Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The twins have had great careers for the Canucks and brought them to the playoffs countless times, but really have struggled at times this year, worrying fans they they might not be the leaders they thought they were. Boy were they wrong, against San Jose they scored points left and right, and began to show why both these first-round picks are the keys to the cup.

Another player Vancouver will need to step up is Ryan Kesler. In fact, if you ask me, he is centerpiece for this team. Much rumor has it that Kesler is in line to compete for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL Playoff’s Most Valuable Player. He will have to keep up his outstanding play if Vancouver wants to knock off the Bruins.

So what about Boston? Two words, one giant man: Zdeno Chara. He is a mammoth on the ice, and not only is he half-impossible for opposing scorers to get around on the defensive end, but possesses a deadly 100+ miles per hour slap-shot that will strike fear into any goalkeeper.

The Canadian fans, and players for that matter, will undoubtedly be ready for this task. They want nothing more than to bring the cup back to Canada where they believe it deserves to be. However, despite the Canucks being the best team in the NHL, the Bruins will not back down to anyone. They may have flaws, but they are scrappy, hard-nosed, and have a fan-base on their side that can match up with the best of them.

Look for an entertaining series with both teams laying everything on the line. My prediction? Vancouver in seven.

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What do the two teams who played for the 2010 Stanley Cup have in common? A sense for the dramatic it seems. On Sunday, both the Chicago Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers trailed three games to two in the opening round of the NHL playoffs. Both teams trailed in the third period, but were able to make a charge and win their respective games in overtime. The Flyers, the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-4, and the Blackhawks, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference defeated the best team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks 4-3.

Both teams have had their problems this season but their roles have been reversed. The Blackhawks were the No. 2 seed in the West last year while the Flyers were the No. 7 seed in the East. The Flyers have struggled in the playoffs due to injuries and a lack of solid goaltending. Their best defenseman, Chris Pronger, and leading goal-scorer, Jeff Carter, have both been limited by injuries. The Blackhawks have struggled after letting some of their best players from last season leave the team. They lost their goalie Antti Niemi, big man, Dustin Byfuglien, defenseman Brent Sopel, winger Andrew Ladd, and center John Madden in the off-season.

The Flyers had inconsistent goaltending in last year’s playoffs and it is hurting them again this year. Throughout the series against the Sabres the Flyers have had three different goalies start games. Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky started the first two games of the series, but was pulled in game two after allowing three goals on seven shots. Veteran goalie Brian Boucher, who has played a number of playoff games for the Flyers, came in to relieve Bobrovsky, and pick up the win in game two. Boucher then started the next three games, but didn’t survive the first period of game five after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Michael Leighton then became the third goalie to get playing time for the Flyers who lost game five in overtime 4-3. Leighton then started game six but didn’t make it through the first after allowing three goals on just eight shots. Boucher got a second chance and allowed only one goal as the Flyers won the game in overtime. Their opponent, the Sabres, have had mostly excellent goaltending from Ryan Miller who has two shutouts in the series. If the Flyers fail to make it past the first round this year, they will once again have their goalies to blame.

For the Blackhawks the season has been somewhat disappointing. The team was completely restructured after winning the Stanley Cup last season, and barely made the playoffs, just days before the season ended. Now they will be without one of their best playoff performers so far this season forward Bryan Bickell. Bickell has two goals and two assists in the series against the Canucks, but had surgery on his wrist Monday after suffering an injury in game two of the series. He missed game three, but returned for games five through six to help the Blackhawks even the series at three. It was determined though that time had run out, and he had to have the surgery to repair a lacerated tendon in his wrist. The Blackhawks trailed the Canucks three games to none, but have bounced back and have a chance in game 7 Tuesday night to move on. Only three NHL teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 1942 Stanley Cup over the Detroit Redwings after going down 3-0. In 1975 the New York Islanders won the quarterfinals round against the Pittsburgh Penguins facing the same deficit. And just last year, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins to make the Stanley Cup Finals after facing a 3-0 deficit.

Tuesday night will decide the fate of these two teams and whether either or both teams will get another crack at hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.

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