In The Crease
Pierre Mcguire
SI.com
In his second NHL season, winger Patrick Kaleta is quickly becoming a player opponents detest and Sabres fans adore. Drafted 176th in 2004 the Buffalo-area native is one of the quickest skaters on the speedy Sabres. That quickness enables him to hit, backcheck and generally bother foes without taking penalties….
Two reasons the Panthers are so enjoyable to watch: 1) coach Pete DeBoer’s high-octane attack fluidly incorporates star defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, and 2) the underrated energy line of Gregory Campbell, Radek Dvorak and Ville Peltonen. That threesome scores big goals, shuts down top lines and often changes a game’s momentum….
After last week’s season-ending Achilles-tendon injury to Robert Lang, the Canadiens’ most consistent forward, expect Montreal G.M. Bob Gainey to land a veteran Cup winner, such as the Islanders’ Doug Weight or the Oilers’ Erik Cole.