The Penguins were on the winning end of one of the three blowouts on the evening, thrashing Evgeni Nabokov and the Islanders to take a 3-2 lead in their opening-round series. After a scoreless first period, Sidney Crosby provided the exclamation point on a three-goal second, splitting two Isles defensemen before beating Nabokov blocker-side.

Check out Crosby’s beauty in the video below.

C’mon, Nabby

Crosby’s score was nifty, but the Penguins didn’t need Grade A shots to beat Nabokov on Thursday.

The Isles netminder allowed four goals before being yanked in the third period, and none were worse than this one off the stick of Pittsburgh’s Douglas Murray. Murray’s shot from the point was on a trajectory to hit Nabokov right in the chest, but it nicked off the top of the goalie’s glove, knucklepucked over his head and somehow ended up in the back of the net. It was just that kind of night for the veteran goalie.

It also helped that Penguins backup Tomas Vokoun played out of his mind, pitching a shutout with 32 saves in his first playoff game in six years and prompting the hashtag #vokounamatata to trend on Twitter in the U.S.

Check out the Nabokov’s gift-wrapped tally in GIF form below. (h/t Eye on Hockey)

Au revoir, Montreal

The Canadiens were also forced to go to their backup goalie after losing Carey Price for the series in Game 4, and Peter Budaj was much more Nabokov than Vokoun on Thursday.

Budaj surrendered six goals to a Senators offense that ranked 27th in the NHL in the regular season, allowing seventh-seeded Ottawa to clinch the series and putting the so-called “Pesky Sens” in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2007. The Senators celebrated accordingly on Twitter after the game.

What a feeling ! Doh doh doh doh doh! Nuff said! #lalala

—
Erik Karlsson (@ErikKarlsson65) May 10, 2013

Never stop believing, #peskysens

—
Daniel Alfredsson (@DAlfredsson11) May 10, 2013

Heck of a win for the boys to finish the first round! @CraigAnderson41 was in beastmode again tonight, and @ECondra was on fire! #peskysens

—
Kyle Turris (@kyleturris) May 10, 2013

And yes, the cheesecake last night gave @ECondra a little something extra to aim at on that 3rd goal... #bigbootypoppin

—
Kyle Turris (@kyleturris) May 10, 2013

Budaj found himself out of position on several occasions in Game 5, clearing the way for a number of easy goals, including this one off the stick of Cory Conacher.

Wildin’ out

A few hours after Ottawa’s series-clinching win, the Blackhawks finished off the determined but short-staffed Wild in five games, as well. After keeping up with Chicago through four games despite missing its starting goaltender — and at times its backup goalie — the Wild imploded in Game 5, with Josh Harding and Darcy Kuemper combining to allow five goals in a 5-1 rout.

In other words, there was a whole lot of this going on at the United Center.

The Ottawa tabloid raised some eyebrows following Game 1 when it ran a cover that read “First Blood Sens” with a picture of Montreal forward Lars Eller laying in a pool of blood following a hit from Eric Gryba. The Sun was back at it Tuesday in advance of Game 4. This time, they’re going at the Habs as a whole with a headline reading “Boot Those Habs” depicting a boot about to stomp on a Canadiens jersey. Clever.

However, the Sun didn’t stop there. In addition to the cover, the paper also ran a “Top 10 reasons why we HATE Montreal” story. Naturally, Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban takes up two spots on the list.

See the Ottawa Sun cover below.

Image via Newseum

Therrien was more than willing to run his mouth following the wild Game 3 between Montreal and Ottawa on Sunday night, when he called a late Senators timeout in a 6-1 Ottawa win “classless.” The Montreal bench boss was at it again Monday when meeting with the media.

This time around, however, Therrien was lobbying for calls, especially in regards to two of his young stars. Therrien said that both forward Brendan Gallagher and defenseman P.K. Subban were being targeted by the Senators and it was going uncalled.

Of course, Subban had no problem being seen in Game 3. When it was all said and done, he was given seven penalties totaling 25 minutes, including an early exit following a fight with Kyle Turris in the third period. Subban was seen pounding on Turris even as Turris lay on the ice with a linesman in between the two. Gallagher was also involved in the fisticuffs, as he went after Cory Conacher in the third period, basically forcing Conacher into a fight.

Apparently Therrien must feel those penalties and fights were all done in retaliation, as he repeatedly mentioned during his media availability Monday.

Here are some tweets from those on the scene.

Therrien believes Brendan Gallagher was "being abused" by the Senators in Game 3.

—
Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) May 06, 2013

#Habs coach Michel Therrien feels Gallagher and Subban are taking a lot of abuse from #Sens that isn't being called.

—
Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) May 06, 2013

Therrien felt Brendan Gallagher was targeted. He mentioned that several times. #Sens

—
Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) May 06, 2013

The NHL is not expected to hand out any supplementary discipline following the wild events of Game 3 of the Senators-Canadiens series which saw 53 penalties totaling 236 penalty minutes handed out. In fact, there aren’t even any scheduled hearings, according to Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada.

A line brawl midway through the period highlighted a crazy third period in which things spiraled out of control to the point that both teams had limited benches to finish the game. The final period also had its share of questionable plays in addition to the brawl.

This elbow from Montreal’s Rene Bourque to the head of Cory Conacher is one of the plays that many thought would be in question.

The department of player safety has already intervened once in this series, as Ottawa’s Eric Gryba was suspended for his hit on Lars Eller in Game 1 of the series.

The Sens and the Habs locked horns in a wild affair that the Sens ended up winning 6-1. The game unraveled quickly for Montreal midway through the third, when things got really out of hand. When it was all said and done, the two teams combined for 53 penalties totaling 236 penalty minutes. In the third period alone, the two teams combined for 40 penalties and 210 PIMs.

The high point of that came at 7:04 of the third period after Ottawa had just scored to make it 4-1. With the game out of reach, and frustrations mounting, Montreal’s Ryan White took a two-handed slash to the legs of Zack Smith. From there, all hell broke lose. The two teams engaged in a wild line brawl that left sticks and gloves all over the ice.

See the brawl below.

The Penguins star, who skated with a softball-style facemask Friday night after missing 13 games with a broken jaw, wasted no time getting his name back on the scoresheet. Crosby scored twice in the first eight minutes of Game 2 as Pittsburgh built an early 3-1 lead on the Islanders.

After smoking the Isles 5-0 in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round series, the Penguins seemed well on their way to a second blowout in three days.

Check out Crosby’s two tallies in the video below.

Isles make a statement

Alternate captain Kyle Okposo made sure the No. 8 seed did not go quietly, though, as the Islanders winger gave his team a much-needed jolt in the second period.

After Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen laid out Matt Moulson with an open-ice hit, Okposo went after him, and the two dropped the gloves in a spirited bout. Niskanen ended up getting the better of Okposo in the end, but the tilt energized the Islanders, who went on to score three unanswered goals — all on favorable bounces off the back boards — to even the series at 1-1.

Okposo himself notched the game-winner when his shot missed the mark but rebounded off the back of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury‘s pads and into the net.

“We know that we didn’t play the way we needed to,” Crosby said after the game. “I don’t think we feel like we did enough to deserve that one.”

Check out the fight that turned the tide in the video below.

Toothless wonder

With all the drama surrounding the Senators-Canadiens series, it wasn’t particularly surprising that someone lost a tooth during Game 2 on Friday. Most didn’t expect that player to be Montreal goalie Carey Price, though.

With the Habs leading 2-0 early in the second period, Price got accidentally run over by his own teammate, with Jarred Tinordi‘s skate catching him right in the face. The netminder remained down in his crease for a few moments before skating over to the Montreal bench — to deliver the dislodged tooth to one of the team trainers.

Price’s smile may have taken a hit, but his play in net did not. The Canadiens, who were missing the services of Max Pacioretty, Brian Gionta and Lars Eller, rode a strong performance by their goalie to a 3-1 win that knotted the series.

Montreal’s first goal was a bit of a gift, as Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson‘s pass in front of his own net was intercepted by Ryan White for an easy goal. The All-Star didn’t deny his mistake, and he owned up to it on Twitter after the game.

Giveaway? Yes, it happens. I am who i am and will never change that. Peace.

—
Erik Karlsson (@ErikKarlsson65) May 04, 2013

Gryba was suspended two games for his hit during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Thursday that bloodied Monteal’s Lars Eller and sent the Canadiens forward to the hospital. Gryba was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct for the hit, which took place during the second period of the Senators’ 4-2 win.

It has been debated whether Gryba deserved a suspension for the blow, since Eller had control of puck at the time and the Senators defenseman did not launch himself or hit with an extended elbow. NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan agreed that Gryba’s intentions were not malicious, but he determined that Gryba had illegally targeted Eller’s head.

Tensions have boiled on both sides following the hit, with Ottawa coach Paul McLean placing blame for the injury on a dangerous pass by Raphael Diaz (or “number 61″). Montreal’s Brandon Prust responded with the best zinger of the postseason, calling McLean a “bug-eyed fat walrus.” The squads won’t have to wait long to settle their differences on the ice, as Game 2 is scheduled for Friday night.

See the NHL’s full reasoning behind the suspension in the video below.

A little more than 12 hours after Ottawa’s Eric Gryba delivered a nasty-looking check to Montreal’s Lars Eller that left Eller in a pool of his own blood on the ice, things are continuing to heat up.

After Game 1, Ottawa coach Paul MacLean criticized Montreal defenseman Raphael Diaz for the pass that put Eller in a vulnerable position, saying that Eller should be upset at Diaz for putting him int that position.

“[If I'm Eller], I’m really mad at player 61, whoever he is, because he passed me the puck in the middle of the rink when I wasn’t looking,” MacLean told the media after the game. “That’s always been a dangerous place as far as I know. Ever since I’ve been playing this game, that’s a dangerous place to be — bad things happen.

“I think it’s a hockey play that ended up going badly for Lars Eller.”

Montreal forward Brandon Prust was asked about that Friday. Check out the tweet below to see what he had to say.

Exact words by Prust on MacLean: We don't really care about what that bug eyed fat walrus has to say.

—
BrianWilde (@BWildeCTV) May 03, 2013

The Montreal forward was hit by Ottawa’s Eric Gryba in Game 1 of a first-round series between the Canadiens and Senators that sent Eller crashing to the ice. Eller was initially motionless on the ice with blood pouring out of his face. That blood pooled as the medical staff quickly jumped onto the ice to tend to Eller.

The Ottawa tabloid, the Ottawa Sun, decided to use a photo of Eller laying on the ice on its front cover of Friday’s paper. See what the cover looks like below.

Photo via Newseum

Eller was receiving a suicide pass from teammate Raphael Diaz when he was hit by Eric Gryba on or around his head. Gryba received a five-minute major for interference as well as a game misconduct.

“Lars Eller suffered head and facial injury. He is conscious and alert,” the Canadiens announced on the team’s Twitter account. “Eller has been taken to the hospital for further examination and will remain under observation.”

Elliotte Friedman reported that Eller’s injury was being described as a broken nose (and hopefully nothing more).

Check out a video of the hit below, but be warned — it’s a bit graphic.

Click here for an update on Eller’s condition >>

Center Lars Eller suffered a concussion and facial fractures after taking a big hit from Ottawa defenseman Eric Gryba in the second period of the Senators’ 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their playoff series Thursday night.

Eller, who was taken off on a stretcher with a pool of blood on the ice, was spending the night in a hospital, the team said.

The hit came as Eller took a pass up the middle from Montreal defenseman Raphael Diaz.

“It’s tough seeing a guy laying in a heap with blood coming out,” Canadiens center Ryan White said. “You never want to see that.”

Gryba was handed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct.

“I can’t make any comment,” Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. “We all saw the hit. I’m sure the league is going to review it.”

While their coach remained tight-lipped, Canadiens players didn’t hide their feelings.

“I’m not sure where the contact was, but obviously it wasn’t a clean play. It’s something you’ve got to take out [of the game],” winger Rene Bourque said.

Replays showed Gryba making contact with Eller’s head and body almost simultaneously.

“For me it looked it like it was right to the head. The league will look at it and take care of it,” rookie Montreal winger Brendan Gallagher said. “It’s tough to see your teammate down, tough to see him hurt. You just want to pick him up the best you can.”

Gryba said he saw the replay and maintained that the hit was clean.

“I stepped up to make a hit. I kept my shoulder down. He received the puck by the time I hit him,” the 6-foot-4, 222-pound Gryba said. “My elbow was down, and there was no intent to hurt him whatsoever, and I hope that he’s OK.

“I’m not out here to hurt anybody, and it’s never good seeing anything like that. I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.”

Senators coach Paul MacLean stood by Gryba on the play, instead putting the onus on Diaz.

“[If I'm Eller], I’m really mad at player 61, whoever he is, because he passed me the puck in the middle of the rink when I wasn’t looking,” MacLean said. “That’s always been a dangerous place as far as I know. Ever since I’ve been playing this game, that’s a dangerous place to be — bad things happen.

“I think it’s a hockey play that ended up going badly for Lars Eller.”

Eller had eight goals and 22 assists for the Canadiens in the regular season.

Diaz, making his NHL playoff debut, was left rattled by the hit but said he didn’t see Gryba coming toward Eller.

“Of course you don’t want to make passes like that. I just saw that [Eller] was open,” Diaz said. “If I see the guy coming, I never would do that pass. It’s not fun when you see your teammate like that.”

Game 2 of the series goes Friday night at the Bell Centre.

Click here to see video of the hit >>

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last year, so the fact that they are heading to the playoffs as a top-four seed is quite impressive. However, if you’ve been following the Canadiens this season and checking up on their NHL odds, you know that they’ve seen better days. For almost the first half of the season, the Habs were atop the East and books had them as high as 12-1 to win the Stanley Cup. However, the Habs have gone into the tank with just one win in their last six. Part of the problem has been their penalty kill, which has allowed 10 goals on their opponents’ last 27 man-advantages.

They’ll need star goaltender Carey Price to snap out of his funk if their playoff journey is to last. He’s allowed 25 goals in his last seven starts (3.6 per game).

Boston Bruins

How nervous are you if you’re a Boston Bruins fan? Yes, they might end up securing the No. 2 seed in the East, but that’s mostly due to an awesome start and a second-half slump by the Habs. However, the Bruins should have run away with Northeast Division title weeks ago had they gotten their act together.

Since starting 19-4-3, the Bruins are 8-9-2. More recently, they’ve lost five of six and have raised some real questions about their goaltending situation. The one-time sure-fire Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask has hit the wall as he’s lost 10 of his last 14 outings. It’s not all his fault (1.92 GAA in April), as the Bruins offense hasn’t been helping him out much. The B’s have just 12 goals in their last six games.

Whoever you pin the blame on, the Bruins need to look more like the team that started the season or their Stanley Cup hopes will go “poof” very quickly.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild haven’t yet clinched a postseason berth, but they are very close. However, don’t expect their playoff participation to be prolonged unless they can figure out how to win games once again.

The lights have gone out for Minnesota in April, as the team entered the month with a record of 21-11-2. However, they have just four wins in their last 12 games, which is why they have yet to punch their playoff ticket.

Goal scoring is the main issue, as the Wild have tallied just 21 goals in their last 12 games while being shut out three times this month.

The Bruins are headed to the postseason, but who they meet there is anybody’s guess at the moment.

With teams still scrambling for the final few tickets to the playoff dance, not to mention the Bruins and Canadiens (and maybe even the Maple Leafs) fighting for the Northeast division, the final postseason picture is a big jumble heading into the final few games.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette looked on Twitter to see what fans are saying about who the Bruins might play in the first round. See who they’re worried about and looking forward to in the video above.

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White caught Philadelphia defenseman Kent Huskins with a vicious arm to the head in Monday night’s game that left Huskins sprawled out on the ice. The hit left Huskins with a concussion. The Flyers tried to make White pay on the ice, and on Wednesday the league did the same. The NHL announced a five-game suspension for White.

The five-game ban is the largest suspension handed out this season, tied with Patrick Kaleta, who was also forced to sit five games for a hit on Brad Richards earlier in the season.

See the hit and the suspension explanation from the NHL below.

That notion was on display Monday, when traditional rivals of the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox offered words support for the Boston community in the wake of the explosions that injured dozens near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

The Montreal Canadiens were among the teams to hold a moment of silence in honor of the victims, and a number of other clubs expressed their condolences via Twitter, including the Ottawa Senators, who were originally scheduled to play the Bruins on Monday night before the game was postponed.

See some of the expressions of support below.

Bell Centre during moment of silence for #BostonMarathon tragedy. #Bruins #Habs http://t.co/zJcKdHjWyt

—
Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) April 15, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of today's tragedy in Boston.

—
Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 15, 2013

Please join the Philadelphia Flyers and the Montreal Canadiens in a moment of silence for today’s victims in Boston.

—
Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 15, 2013

The Flyers send thoughts and prayers to all of those affected by today's tragedy in Boston.

—
Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 15, 2013

"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Ottawa Senators organization are with those people affected by today's tragic events in Boston."

—
Ottawa Senators (@NHL_Sens) April 15, 2013

"We fully support the National Hockey League's decision to postpone tonight's game."

—
Ottawa Senators (@NHL_Sens) April 15, 2013

All of our thoughts and prayers are with those in the #Boston area.

—
Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 15, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by today's tragic events in Boston.

—
New York Jets (@nyjets) April 15, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the explosions at the Boston Marathon.

—
Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 15, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in Boston.

—
YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 15, 2013

Just landed safely in Baltimore. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims & the families affected by this afternoon's horrible event.

—
Joe Maddon (@RaysJoeMaddon) April 15, 2013

Our thoughts are with those affected by today's tragic events in Boston.

—
Blue Jays-Official (@BlueJays) April 15, 2013

Before a faceoff in Thursday’s game against the Canadiens, Ott appeared to lick the visor of Montreal forward Jeff Halpern. It seems like Ott was up to his old tricks all night on Thursday, as he also got in a fight with Canadiens defenseman Francis Bouillon during the second period.

Check out the disturbing video of Ott and Halpern below.

Two and a half weeks remain in the NHL season, but it’s never too early to start talking about awards.

The Instigators talked about the Jack Adams Award and the Calder Memorial Trophy on this week’s “Two Minutes for Instigating.” Barry Pederson thinks that Paul MacLean should win the Jack Adams if the Senators make the playoffs. If Ottawa misses the cut, Pederson says the award should go to Michel Therrian for the job he’s done with the Canadiens this season.

Check out the video above to hear Jack Edwards‘ and Billy Jaffe‘s take on the Jack Adams, and to see who The Instigators think should win the Calder out of Jonathan Huberdeau, Cory Conacher, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher.

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Ottawa Senators

The Habs announced Monday that Emelin will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. The blue liner tore a ligament in his left knee while trying to deliver a hit to Bruins forward Milan Lucic during Montreal’s 2-1 win Saturday night. Emelin lined up Lucic for what eventually turned into a big hit, but with Emelin getting the worst of it. He bounced off of Lucic and fell to the ice. It looked like an awkward fall with Emelin’s left skate catching on the ice.

Emelin brought a needed physical presence to the club. He was leading the Canadiens in hits this season with 110, and the next closest Hab was Brandon Prust who has 68 hits this year.

See the injury in the video below.

The Bruins and Canadiens battled through seven games back in 2011 before Nathan Horton‘s overtime goal in Game 7 sent the Bruins on to the next round.

They went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, of course, making Horton’s heroics a regular thing throughout the course of the team’s run to the Cup final. Horton’s goal against the Canadiens rings true especially as the B’s search for that clutch gene against the Habs this year, having fallen to their rivals more often than not.

Still, Boston will always have 2011. Re-live Horton’s goal in this Captain Morgan Legendary Moment.

The Bruins’ power play had plagued them all season long, but Saturday’s frustrating ending might be the most damning example of the team’s struggles yet.

Boston failed to record a shot during a last-minute power play chance, and the Canadiens held on to win 2-1 and remain in first place of the Northeast Division. The B’s will certainly be kicking themselves if the final standings come down to a point or two, but at the very least, it should serve as motivation for the team to finally solve its special-team problem.

NESN Nation’s Dan Duquette is awarding Michael Ryder our “First Place Flop” player of the game in honor of Ryder’s power-play tally. Who’s your choice?

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