European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pace 48 stars and stripes thursday april 12 2007 20 things i by de Barkowitz Philadelphia daily news Philadelphia Peter Forsberg is in the playoffs but the Philadelphia flyers Are not the agitator that rescued the rangers is Broadways latest hit and Check out the company Joe Thornton is keeping these Days apparently they still do hold the postseason without the flyers and Here Are 20 things to know about the teams that Are in 1 obviously the new Jersey devils have the Factor in goaltender mar tin Brodeur Brodeur who turns 35 on May 6 has carried the devils to three cups already this year Hes played in an amazing 78 games and logged 4697 minutes both of which Are career highs 2 Tampa Bay jerseys first round opponent will go with Johan Holm Qvist in net Holmqvist is a playoff Rookie who took Over late in the sea son after free agent signee Marc Denis failed to hold the Job 3 the Ottawa senator Pittsburgh penguins series should be a Dandy not Only will they be trotting out two of the leagues top three offences they just played last thursday in a game that was very Chippy 4 Pittsburgh Sidney Crosby 84 assists 120 Points is a leading map candidate while Ottawa Dany Heatley became the first player with consecutive 50goal seasons since Pavel Bure 5 the Nashville predators went 1265 after acquiring Peter fors Berg from the flyers Forsberg played in 17 of those games Register ing two goals and 13 assists the press never have won a playoff series Eric Lindros Groin Hast played for the Dallas stars since March 8 but could be available for the play offs Lindros played in 49 games this year with five goals and 21 Points he Hast scored a goal since nov 20 however and didst travel with the team to Van Couver on monday 6 nil playoff posing player 14 Frank Franklin Sean Avery 16 has been credited by Captain Jaromir jagr 68 with turning the rangers season around the rangers acquired Avery from los Angeles at the Trade deadline 7 Quality Over Quantity the sabres posted the leagues Best record but were cumulatively out shot in All three periods and overtime unlike last year Buffalo is taking a healthy lineup into the postseason now that Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov Are off the shelf 8 theres no question that some parts of upstate new York and Buffalo is included in that has had an inferiority Complex for a while said Tom Golisano the sabres owner since 2003 and to have this team emerge like it has has been very very Good for the psyche of the area 9 three things to know about Atlanta Thrashers Captain Scott Mellanby the Active Leader with 1431 games played without a Stanley cup ring he broke in with the flyers in 198586 and was a key member of the 1987 cup finalists he turns 41 on june 11 he beat Washington Pete Peeters for his first goal Loi 1 seed in 200 11 he had 68 to in defensive i 19 1z Detroit has been eliminated in the first round in two of the last three playoffs like this year they were the West s no 1 seed in 2006 before losing to Edmonton the red wings will have Hen Rik Zetterberg for thursdays opener Zetterberg Back Hast played since feb 24 he had 68 Points in 63 games and is a terrific defensive Forward Calgary went 3092 at Home the second est Mark in fran Chise history Only the cup champs of 198889 3244 fared better Detroit the flames first round opponent was 2948 at Home could be a Long series Jaromir jagr credits the acquisition of feisty Winger Sean Avery from los Angeles with igniting and possibly saving the rangers season new York closed with a Mark of 1766 after getting Avery a rather unpopular fellow among opposing players the biggest difference be tween the rangers this year and the Bunch that got swept by the devils in the opening round of 2006 is that jagr and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist Are both healthy Anaheim was a popular pre season Stanley cup pick the ducks set team records for victories 48 and Points 110 in claiming their first division title and the West s no 2 seed ducks goalie remember there not the mighty ducks anymore Jea Sebastien Giguere is dealing with a med ical Issue involving his Newborn son Maxi me Giguere understandably Hast Dis closed the problem saying Only that it int life threatening Branko Radivojevic has spent some time entering Mineso tas top line alongside Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik wild coach Jacques Lemaire says his wings need to dump the puck in the Offen Sive zone a Little More often rather than try ing to stick handle through the defense san Joses Joe Thornton be came just the third player to record consecutive 90assist seasons the other two had Catchy nicknames the great one and super Mario that s Heady company Sharks 20yearold Rookie Marc edouard Vlasic is an interesting Story Vlasic was supposed to head Back to juniors after training Camp but made the team instead he rewarded san Jose by playing an average of minutes and registering a respectable plus13 he also had just 18 pm in 81 games Vancouver Roberto Luongo j b turned 28 a week ago i f anally gets his first taste of the playoffs Luongo spent most of his career in Florida before joining the canucks and setting numerous career Leighs this season he did Backstop Canada to the 2004 world championships the not equivalent for nil players Nietner Atenis 17 wild coach wings need to Sive zone Alil ing to stick a 18 Catchy Nick super Mario 19 goalie Dipietro not yet ready to return to islanders Bill Wade Tubielewicz Wilt Start in goal for the islanders when they take on Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs starting goalie Rick Dipietro still Hast sufficiently recovered from the concussion he suffered on March 25 in a loss to the rangers the associated press Uniondale by Rick Dipietro skated before the rest of the new York is Landers practice on tuesday but Wade Tubielewicz is expected to Start in goal in the Besto seven first round playoff series against Buffalo Dipietro Hast played or even practice with the team since the second of two concussions sustained 12 Days apart sidelined him following a March 25 loss to the new York rangers the 25yearold goalie in the first season of a Deal with the is Landers Hopes to have a neurological exam at the end of this week that could Clear him to play in the postseason i Felt really Good Dipietro said As Long As i dont have headaches if s been a while since i got the nauseous feeling so it seems like everything going in the right direction obviously you have to go through the right channels and the right Steps and hopefully 111 be ready soon it was Good to be Back on the ice and around the Guys i forgot How to put my equipment on for a second but i Felt Good islanders coach Ted Nolan said Dubi Ulewicz who played Only eight games with new York this season will Likely Start the opener against to seeded Buffalo on thursday Tubielewicz allowed Only two goals in each game of the islanders fou game win Ning Streak that ended the season and helped them secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern conference Ricky trying to come Back but right now our whole focus is on the Guys we have Here Nolan said Tubielewicz is playing great so right now it looks like hell continue to play we cant focus on the injured players we have to worry about the Guys we have Dipietro missed most of three games Fol lowing a Lidice collision with Montreal Steve begin on March 13 he was kicked in the head by begin and showed symptoms of a concussion although the islanders took time in finally confirming that diagnosis he was injured again against the rang ers during a game in which Sean Avery fell on his head in the crease and Dipietro took a few shots off his mask before i do a full tilt practice i have to pass that neurological test Dipietro said i can skate by myself and practice like i did today and get shots but before i go full bore team practice pm going to have to pass that test Mike Dunham played in Dipietroi place five times since the initial injury but Al Lowed 24 goals in those appearances and lost them All Tubielewicz who got into 17 nil games Over three seasons could be come the first goalie in 20 years to play As few As eight games in a season and become the teams regular starter in the playoffs i know this Little dream can be gone As fast As it came he said weve been play ing playoff hockey for the last week its been do or die and that s going to help me theres been a lot of pressure on us and Ive tried to deflect it were going in As the team that squeaked in and were the no 8 seed going to Buffalo and not that Many people expect us to win we can just Lay it out there and that makes us dangerous yet even Tubielewicz knows that Dipietro makes the islanders a More Formida ble opponent for Buffalo which led the nil with 53 wins and 308 goals Lef s be realistic Hes the franchise player Hes a world class goalie the 28yearold Tubielewicz said when Hes in the net we have a better Chance to win Ricks an incredible goalie