Going Around the NHL

-With the acquisition of Scott Walker, Eric Belanger, and Joe Corvo at the trade deadline last wednesday, there were going to be some controversial healthy scratch decisions needed to be made by the Washington Capitals. The lucky fellow for Monday's game against Dallas was Tomas Fleischmann, who's accumulated all of forty-five points in fifty-four games this season. Just an embarrassment of riches for the Capitals.

-The Olympics were a time for not so recognizable names to make them so. Ryan Miller accomplished this with flying colors. But perhaps lost in the praise of Miller, was much publicity for his USA teammate, Defenseman Ryan Suter. Finding himself paired with the transcendent USA Defenseman, Brian Rafalski, the silky smooth Suter was put on the ice by coach Ron Wilson for nearly every big situation throughout the team's Olympic run.

-This has been the second straight season Maple Leaf's Defenseman Tomas Kaberle should have been traded at the deadline and wasn't. At some point, pinning the blame on a stagnant trade market must end, and real, constructive criticism for GM Brian Burke must begin.

-My early Western Conference Final Pick: How about the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks. Alot of similarities between this year's Kings team, and last year's Blackhawks team that went took a trip to the west finals.

-My early pick for the Eastern Conference Final: Could it really be anything other than the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals?

-And my Stanley Cup Final prediction is the same one I chose before the season even began: The Chicago Blackhawks and the Washington Capitals.