Wednesday, April 9, 2003
Steve Shields, Boston Bruins - Shields will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Devils, reports the Boston Herald. Coach and GM Mike O'Connell would not confirm that Shields would be the starter, but he is the logical choice since Jeff Hackett is still not ready to return. In fact, Hackett said his broken finger was actually more sore yesterday than Monday.
Garth Snow, New York Islanders - Snow will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Senators, reports the New York Daily News. It sounds as if coach Peter Laviolette will stick with Snow for the duration of the playoffs and he even so far as to say that Snow is a better goalie than Ottawa's Patrick Lalime.
Roman Cechmanek, Philadelphia Flyers - Cechmanek will be the starter for Wednesday's game against the Maple Leafs, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cechmanek, who has imploded in the playoffs in the past, isn't totally healthy but he needs to outperform Ed Belfour if he wants to achieve the status of elite goalies such as Belfour, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
Marty Turco, Dallas Stars - Turco will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Oilers, reports the Dallas Morning News. Statisically, he was the best goalie this past season and he's coming into the playoffs playing as well as he ever has - letting in just one goal in the past three games to set a modern day GAA record. Bottom line: he's a great pick for playoff pools.
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils - Brodeur will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Bruins. Along with Patrick Roy, Brodeur is considered the ultimate playoff goalie and you can be sure that both he and his Devils teammates will be eager to avenge last year's early elimination to the Hurricanes.
Patrick Lalime, Ottawa Senators - Lalime will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Islanders. Lalime proved his detractors wrong last playoffs and this past regular season and now he must carry the Senators beyond round two to be considered in the same breathe as the other elite goalies of the league.
Ed Belfour, Toronto Maple Leafs - Belfour will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Flyers. The veteran Belfour had a fabulous season, far exceeding anyone's expectations. He is also a proven playoff competitor, at least compared to his counterpart Roman Cechmanek, and will need to play equally as well as he did in the regular season as the Flyers' offense is arguably the most potent in the league.
Tommy Salo, Edmonton Oilers - Salo will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Stars. If the Oilers are to have any chance of upsetting the Stars, Salo must not only steal at least two games for them, but he has to more or less match or outplay Marty Turco over the course of the series, which of course is no easy task.
player info
Oleg Tverdovsky, New Jersey Devils - Tverdovsky will be in the lineup for Wednesday's game one against the Bruins. He will be joined on the Devils defense by Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, Colin White and veteran Ken Daneyko, who will play in his 163rd playoff game as a Devil which is subsequently every playoff game in the history of the New Jersey franchise. Tverdovsky and Daneyko are not guaranteed their spots for the remaining games, however.
Glen Wesley, Toronto Maple Leafs - Wesley will not return to action until at least game three of the first round. He appeared to be ahead of schedule from a broken foot when he started skating last week, but he suffered a setback over the weekend that has delayed his return.
Phillipe Boucher, Dallas Stars - Boucher is questionable for Wednesday's game one against the Oilers, reports the Dallas Morning News. He missed the last two games off the regular season with what the team terms a "chest contusion".
Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins - Samsonov told the Boston Herald that his surgically repaired wrist is no worse off than it was before he played on Sunday and that he plans on continuing playing, hopeful that it will keep getting better. Samsonov will likely assume a spot on Joe Thornton's line if he hasn't already and is a good pool pick for the first round provided he doesn't re-aggravate his wrist injury.
Sean O'Donnell, Boston Bruins - O'Donnell will miss Wednesday's game one against the Devils with a bruised foot. The Boston Herald reports that there is no break and that O'Donnell is day-to-day.
Steve Shields, Boston Bruins - Shields will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Devils, reports the Boston Herald. Coach and GM Mike O'Connell would not confirm that Shields would be the starter, but he is the logical choice since Jeff Hackett is still not ready to return. In fact, Hackett said his broken finger was actually more sore yesterday than Monday.
Garth Snow, New York Islanders - Snow will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Senators, reports the New York Daily News. It sounds as if coach Peter Laviolette will stick with Snow for the duration of the playoffs and he even so far as to say that Snow is a better goalie than Ottawa's Patrick Lalime.
Roman Cechmanek, Philadelphia Flyers - Cechmanek will be the starter for Wednesday's game against the Maple Leafs, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cechmanek, who has imploded in the playoffs in the past, isn't totally healthy but he needs to outperform Ed Belfour if he wants to achieve the status of elite goalies such as Belfour, Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur.
Marty Turco, Dallas Stars - Turco will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Oilers, reports the Dallas Morning News. Statisically, he was the best goalie this past season and he's coming into the playoffs playing as well as he ever has - letting in just one goal in the past three games to set a modern day GAA record. Bottom line: he's a great pick for playoff pools.
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils - Brodeur will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Bruins. Along with Patrick Roy, Brodeur is considered the ultimate playoff goalie and you can be sure that both he and his Devils teammates will be eager to avenge last year's early elimination to the Hurricanes.
Patrick Lalime, Ottawa Senators - Lalime will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Islanders. Lalime proved his detractors wrong last playoffs and this past regular season and now he must carry the Senators beyond round two to be considered in the same breathe as the other elite goalies of the league.
Ed Belfour, Toronto Maple Leafs - Belfour will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Flyers. The veteran Belfour had a fabulous season, far exceeding anyone's expectations. He is also a proven playoff competitor, at least compared to his counterpart Roman Cechmanek, and will need to play equally as well as he did in the regular season as the Flyers' offense is arguably the most potent in the league.
Tommy Salo, Edmonton Oilers - Salo will be the starter for Wednesday's game one against the Stars. If the Oilers are to have any chance of upsetting the Stars, Salo must not only steal at least two games for them, but he has to more or less match or outplay Marty Turco over the course of the series, which of course is no easy task.
player info
Oleg Tverdovsky, New Jersey Devils - Tverdovsky will be in the lineup for Wednesday's game one against the Bruins. He will be joined on the Devils defense by Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, Colin White and veteran Ken Daneyko, who will play in his 163rd playoff game as a Devil which is subsequently every playoff game in the history of the New Jersey franchise. Tverdovsky and Daneyko are not guaranteed their spots for the remaining games, however.
Glen Wesley, Toronto Maple Leafs - Wesley will not return to action until at least game three of the first round. He appeared to be ahead of schedule from a broken foot when he started skating last week, but he suffered a setback over the weekend that has delayed his return.
Phillipe Boucher, Dallas Stars - Boucher is questionable for Wednesday's game one against the Oilers, reports the Dallas Morning News. He missed the last two games off the regular season with what the team terms a "chest contusion".
Sergei Samsonov, Boston Bruins - Samsonov told the Boston Herald that his surgically repaired wrist is no worse off than it was before he played on Sunday and that he plans on continuing playing, hopeful that it will keep getting better. Samsonov will likely assume a spot on Joe Thornton's line if he hasn't already and is a good pool pick for the first round provided he doesn't re-aggravate his wrist injury.
Sean O'Donnell, Boston Bruins - O'Donnell will miss Wednesday's game one against the Devils with a bruised foot. The Boston Herald reports that there is no break and that O'Donnell is day-to-day.
