Unless the Dallas Stars go on to capture the Stanley Cup championship, a proposition that appears at least a bit less likely in the wake of their 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in Thursday night’s opening game of the NHL Western Conference finals, a former Ducks player, or two, or former Ducks coach will raise the prized silver trophy early next month. (more…)

The Orange County Register

OK, first things first regarding this phenomenon known as the Philadelphia Flyers.

R.J. Umberger is not one of the those chain restaurants like T.G.I. Friday’s or McGillicuddy’s or something where the staff wears loud striped shirts and suspenders with lots of flare (below) like in ”Office Space.” 

Umberger was a fourth line center who scored 13 goals in the regular season and now has nine goals in 12 playoff games. He is representative of an anonymous Philadelphia team that made the Eastern Conference finals as a the No.6 seed a year after it compiled its worst record in 40 years.

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Down three games to none in their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had won all seven post-season games they had played this spring, the Rangers rallied in impressive fashion to gain a 3-0 victory Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. (more…)

Given what the Dallas Stars are doing to the San Jose Sharks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s looking increasingly as if the Ducks’ opening-round loss to Dallas had more and more to do with the Stars, and less and less to do with the Ducks. (more…)

The foremost question on the minds of everyone in attendance was Burke’s future. With ongoing speculation in Canada that the Toronto Maple Leafs will pursue him to become their new general manager, Burke did not close the door on that possibility. (more…)