After getting many requests, I created a "Playoffs 2007" subforum under the general NHL talk, so you can find easily all the playoffs talk.

Happy Playoffs!
GSA

Tonight all guests took the wins,and so far only two teams-Anaheim & Rangers-have 2-0 lead and only Anaheim had use his home ice advantage.
If Detroit losses tonight to Calgary,this Playoff could mean that nothing it like it seems and that everything will be posible.

Lightning even series with Devils

Associated Press
Posted: 10 hours ago

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The Tampa Bay Lightning expect Vincent Lecavalier to score. Having Johan Holmqvist outplay Martin Brodeur was an unexpected bonus.



Saturday's action:
# Holmqvist paces Lightning in win
# Crosby nets game-winner for Pens
# Rangers take 2-0 lead over Thrashers
# DiPietro solid in return for Isles

Friday's action:
# Predators push around Sharks
# Turco, Stars blank Canucks
# Beauchemin gives Ducks a boost

Thursday's action:
# Rangers spoil Thrashers' debut
# Red Wings pound Flames
# Devils get scare from Lightning
# Sabres skate past Islanders

Wednesday's action:
# Canucks take Game 1 in fourth OT
# Sharks need 2OT to top Predators
# Ducks top Wild in Game 1
# Senators spoil Crosby's debut

Analysis:
# Strachan: Playoff preview, predictions
# Spector: First-round predictions
# Chen: Ten key playoff performers
# Rodent: Which goalies are hot?
# VIDEO: Robitaille's West preview
# VIDEO: Robitaille's East preview
# NHL playoff schedule

Lecavalier, the NHL's top goal scorer this season, netted one early in the third period to break a tie, and Holmqvist made 34 saves to lead the Lightning to a 3-2 victory Saturday night, evening the first-round, Eastern Conference series at 1-all.

Holmqvist was the big question mark for the Lightning after he gave up five goals on 24 shots in Game 1, including three relatively bad ones.

"Homer made some unbelievable saves and kept us in the game," Lecavalier said after the Lightning avoided going down 2-0, a deficit no team has recovered from against the Devils. "That gave us a lot of confidence. We knew he'd do it. He's a very determined guy. We knew he was focused in the room. He came back strong mentally."

The Lightning, who will host Game 3 on Monday, also showed a lot of resilience in rallying from a 2-1 deficit late in the second period, with a little help from Brodeur.

Martin St. Louis tied the game with less than a minute left in the frame with a bad-angle goal from along the goal line.

"I was just trying to put it on net and get some air underneath it," St. Louis said. "I don't know where it went but it found its way in."

Brodeur took the blame.

"I was there, it just went through me," he said. "I would love to have it back, but it doesn't work like that in hockey. He had nothing to lose and he hammered it as hard as he could and it went through me."

Lecavalier got the winner - his third goal of the series - by getting behind the Devils' defense and deflecting a shot from the point by Paul Ranger at 1:42 of the third period.

"I saw the puck was going to our defense," Lecavalier said. "I just wanted to go in front of the net. The shot came toward me and I kind of got lucky and tipped it."

It was then up to Holmqvist to make the lead stand, and he did.

Playing in his second career playoff game, the Swede preserved the win with a stop on a close-in whack by Brian Gionta at the right post in the final 2 seconds. He also made good saves on Zach Parise and Paul Martin in the closing minutes.

"The way we played in the second and the third I thought we played extremely well," Brodeur said. "You have to give them credit. Their goalie played awesome."

Filip Kuba also scored for the Lightning, who will be home for the next two games of the best-of-seven matchup.

Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner scored for the Devils, who are 10-0 when they take a 2-0 series lead.

Holmqvist was at his best in the second period, when New Jersey had an 18-5 advantage in shots. The only one that got past him was Langenbrunner's attempt in close with the Devils' enjoying a two-man advantage.

"That was the key period where they ended up with a number of chances," Lightning coach John Tortorella said. "He (Holmqvist) was aggressive. He looked confident. That's how athletes become better athletes and playoff performers by getting experience. He's lived through a couple of games, from one end of the spectrum to the other."

Tampa Bay had had the better of play in the first period, but like the Devils they gave up a late goal.

Kuba put the Lightning ahead at 9:02 on a 3-on-2, short-handed break with Brad Richards and Eric Perrin. Richards cut across the ice after entering the Devils zone and then made a pass back against the cut and found Perrin in the left circle. Brodeur went down thinking he would shoot, but Perrin found Kuba alone on the right side for a shot into an empty net.

Parise, who scored twice in Game 1, tied it with less than 2 minutes left in the period on the Devils' third power play. Holmqvist made a pad save on Brian Rafalski's point shot, but the rebound went to Parise for a shot into an empty net.

Notes
The Devils are still looking for their first sellout of the season. The attendance of 18,235 was about 800 shy of capacity. ... Devils D Brad Lukowich was hit in the face by a high stick by St. Louis in the third period. He rushed off the ice and returned a couple of minutes later. No penalty was called.

Islanders gain split with Sabres

Associated Press
Posted: 9 hours ago

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Rick DiPietro has the Buffalo Sabres to thank for his most intense workout in three weeks.

Nothing could shake off the rust better or be any sweeter than the 32-save effort that produced a 3-2 playoff victory for DiPietro and the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

"I could've used a little WD-40 on the joints here and there," the Islanders' top goalie said with a wink.

DiPietro was limber enough, bouncing back from a pair of concussions 12 days apart, and the Islanders showed renewed confidence with their star's return in evening the Eastern Conference first-round series at 1.

Marc-Andre Bergeron secured the win, scoring the go-ahead goal 8:37 into the third period. But much of the kudos were directed at DiPietro.

"When Ricky's back there making key saves at the right times ... that gives us a boost of confidence and extra life," forward Ryan Smyth said. "Your No. 1 player has to be your goaltender and he was that tonight."

Two days after being cleared to practice, and playing his first game since March 25, DiPietro started off hot and stayed that way. He made his first save in the first minute by getting his shoulder up to stop Toni Lydman's snap shot from the right circle. DiPietro's best save came later in the first period when, lying on the ice, he reached back to foil Thomas Vanek's backhander from in close.

"That was a confidence-builder, absolutely," DiPietro said. "I was lucky to get my glove on it."

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be Monday night on Long Island.

Lydman and Dmitri Kalinin scored for the Sabres, both goals coming on scrambles in front.

Otherwise, the Sabres started flat, falling behind 2-0 when Bruno Gervais scored 11 minutes in. And they didn't have enough to rally, even though Kalinin tied it early in the third.

"We weren't moving our feet," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "Obviously, we want to clean up the first 10 minutes of the game."

The Sabres didn't play with the same efficiency as in their 4-1 win on Thursday. And they didn't resemble the team that led the NHL with 53 wins and 308 goals.

"Hey, they want to win, too," Sabres goalie Ryan Miller said of the Islanders. "We have to forget about that first period and use it as motivation."

Trent Hunter also scored for the Islanders, and Tom Poti added two assists.

Bergeron's goal came as the Sabres appeared to have gained momentum, and came on the Islanders' first shot of the period. With Smyth providing traffic in front, Bergeron slapped a shot in from the right point that beat Miller just inside the far post.

"I saw it go in and it was a great shot, a great play," Smyth said. "We needed that boost."

DiPietro stopped the final six shots to improve his playoff record to 2-4. He's also gone 4-0-2 in his last seven appearances, dating to the regular season.

The Islanders showed they are a different team with DiPietro in net.

New York's 16 shots in the first period nearly matched the 21 they managed in Game 1, and were far better than the one soft shot they produced in the first period Thursday.

"It was nice," DiPietro said. "We did a lot of the things we talked about."

It's now the Sabres' turn to bounce back.

"We didn't give enough to win," Buffalo forward Jason Pominville said. "We've been a good team on the road. And we have to go there and do the things we've been doing well all season."

Notes: Sabres co-captain Chris Drury played in his 100th career postseason game, and 20th with Buffalo. Drury played his first 80 with Colorado, including in 2001 when he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. ... Sabres LW Ales Kotalik was demoted to the fourth line in the second period, replaced by rookie Drew Stafford, who took his spot alongside Drury and Dainius Zubrus. ... Islanders G Wade Dubielewicz, who stopped 31 shots in his career playoff debut Thursday, served as DiPietro's backup, replacing Mike Dunham. ... Islanders captain Alexei Yashin was benched for most of the final two periods, and finished with a team-low 7:07 of ice time.

This is the announcement forum. Please put your threads in the subforum which is under the general hockey forum discussin.

Thanks,
GSA

With another great preformance from Bryzgalov and Anaheim's defence,the Ducks extended their lead over Wild to 3-0 in series and are one step to 2nd round.
Following them are Rangers,who won twice at Atlanta and Detroit who was dominant over Calgary for the second time at home ice.
Ottawa leads Pittsburgh with 2-1,as do Canucks with 2-1 OT win over Dallas.
I wonder what results will come up today.