Tonight should see some great action starting in Newark with Game 4 of Devils and Panthers. Can Florida take control going up 3-1 or can New Jersey tie the series? I expect the Devils to play with a sense of urgency. Can the Panthers match?
With all the buzz around hitting and shots taken at each other, game 4 in Washington between the Caps and Bruins should dictate the remainder of the series. Without Nicklas Backstrom, dethroning the Stanley Cup defenders just got more difficult. This season, Backstrom's presence was a world of difference as the Caps surged late in the regular season back from injury.
In Chicago, will we see extra hockey again, along with extra-curricular activity? Maybe extra hockey we'll see, but we will not see Marian Hossa who took a very hard hit from Raffi Torres, whom we also will not see due to the suspension from the aforementioned hit on Hossa. Not only is Torres suspended, but Andrew Shaw is also serving disciplinary action for previous actions. And the personnel must go deeper as undisclosed injuries have hit the Coyotes' Martin Hanzal and Lauri Korpikoski. Time for some others to take charge on both sides.
Can the Sharks stay out of the box? The penalty kill for San Jose was a very weak point in game 3 against St. Louis (carrying over from the regular season ranked 29th in the NHL). The best way to kill a penalty is not to get one. Also, can Patrik Berglund and Andy McDonald be stopped along with Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski stepping up?
