29.04.2016, 03:26
1) Play the first round as currently devised. Authentic UGG Boots Black Friday UK .2) Re-seed, according to regular-season points, the four first-round winners in each conference, and conduct the second round to create four Stanley Cup semi-finalists. Notice I didnt say four "conference winners". Thats because the conferences cease to exist at this stage.3) The third round will feature Stanley Cup semi-final matchups that are determined, once again, by re-seeding the four remaining teams according to their regular-season points. Obviously, then, teams from different conferences could be playing each other in round three, and just as obviously, two teams from the same conference could be the semi-final winners.4) Voila! A Stanley Cup final that could bring together any two of the 30 NHL teams.The Stanley Cup final should be the NHLs best attraction. It has the built-in difficulty of June dates that make it too easy for hockey fans of 28 other teams to ignore the two that are still playing, especially when those two are not rivals in any other sense. So forgive me when I say that Los Angeles/New Jersey (2012) and Anaheim/Ottawa (2007) and Carolina/Edmonton (2006) were not what wed call "marquee matchups". Under a system that could put any two teams in the Stanley Cup final, such matchups could occur again. But they wouldnt occur as often if their odds of meeting were reduced by 50 per cent, and the introduction of odds allowing for an all-East or all-West Stanley Cup final would inject the playoffs with a difference that could be felt where it matters most—in the last series.If you like the idea, PASS IT ON! Meanwhile, heres David Bowie with "CHANGES". UGG Boots Cyber Monday UK 2016 . Long-standing doubts have been cast over the legitimacy of the participants intentions. Many have surmised that both Jim and Jim were in on the melee and the whole episode was rehearsed. If thats the case, it did no favours for either party, as Rome in particular struggled to book guests in the wake of the incident. Neither party has ever admitted to staging the fight, and the sentiments were likely real. UGG Boots Black Friday UK Free Shipping . -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice tweeted an apparent goodbye after a report about his pending release. MONTREAL -- Rookie Matt Fraser got to live a dream he had many times while growing up in Red Deer, Alta. Fraser, called up Wednesday from AHL Providence and playing his first career NHL playoff game, scored 1:19 into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night. The 23-year-old jumped into a scramble in front of goalie Carey Prices net and slid the puck under him into the net. "It was bouncing around and I was just swatting at it as hard as I could and hoping it would hit something," said Fraser. "Price is such a good goalie. He doesnt give out a lot of rebounds. I might have got lucky there, but the puck wound up in the back of the net. "Its something I dreamed about many times on the outdoor rinks growing up. Its every kids dream to score in overtime." Johnny Boychuks point shot had taken a high hop off the end boards and Price and defenceman Mike Weaver had trouble controlling the bouncing puck. "It came around on the other side and it bounced over my stick and I lost it," said Price. "Somebody yelled over, so I looked over my left shoulder. Obviously it wasnt there. Then they poked it in on the other side." The victory knotted the best-of-seven series at 2-2, and the Bruins took back home ice advantage heading into Game 5 on Saturday night in Boston. The Bruins outshot Montreal 34-33 in an intense, sometimes nervously played game that was less a goaltending duel between Price and Tuukka Rask as a match of determined, defensive teams. "We knew how tight this series would be," said Boston coach Claude Julien. "It doesnt mean any more than that weve tied the series. Its been tight every game. "It was important to get back in the series, but I dont think weve played our best hockey. Weve played hard, but Ive seen us play better. You hope the win here will help us get better and well go from there." Asked about Rasks play, Julien said: "He was good. We didnt give up three breakaways, that helped." They gave up a partial breakaway in the second period, but Brian Gionta could only shovel the puck at the net and Rask made the save. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien called it trench warfare. He found no fault with his side, either, except that they didnt get a puck past RRask. UGG Boots Black Friday UK Sale. "This was a hard-nosed game between two well-prepared teams," he said. "We lost a battle in front of the net on the winning goal, but Im pleased with our teams effort. "All the games have been close and it wont be different next game." There were 21 goals scored by both teams in the first three games, there had not been a period without a goal, but there was little room to move in this one. It marked the first time since 1935 that Boston won a playoff game 1-0 in OT and the first time Boston and Montreal went scoreless in regulation time in the playoffs since 1953, when Elmer Lach got the OT game-winner for the Canadiens. Bostons Carl Soderberg had the best chance in the final minute of the first frame after P.K. Subbans blind back pass was intercepted, but Price looked to get a piece of it as it went off the cross-bar. Another goal-less period followed as shooters misfired, particularly Max Pacioretty on a setup from Thomas Vanek, and both goalies held their ground. Each team went on the power play once, but even that failed to break the deadlock. The Canadiens went on the attack in the third, peppering the Boston net and outshooting the Bruins 14-7. But the Bruins got a power play and Reilly Smith hit a goalpost, only to see Brian Gionta stoned by Rask alone in front of the net at the other end a moment later. Then Fraser ended it in OT. "Words cant even describe that feeling," said Fraser. "I just watched the replay of it and I dont even want to begin to try to explain that because its something I wish that every kid could feel." Fraser skated on Bostons third line with Soderberg and Loui Eriksson and got 14:44 of ice time and two shots on goal. Julien liked what he saw. "It was no doubt a little nerve-wracking for him but to me it didnt show on the ice," said Julien. "He was poised, made some good decisions, he was strong with the puck and in his decision-making. "We were talking about him and I said hes been really good for us tonight and there was no doubt he was going to play in overtime." Notes: Fraser played in place of Jordan Caron. Matt Bartkowski stepped in on defence for Andrej Meszaros. . . Montreal made no changes. . . Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr attended the game.